Chapter 4: Am I stupid?

The moment Yang Ruoqing laid eyes on the old woman, she felt that this was not someone easy to get along with. No sooner had this thought crossed her mind than the old woman at the door began to berate the woman standing there, her two thin lips flapping open and shut.

"The sun is almost at its zenith, yet the laundry isn't hung, the rice isn't washed, the vegetables aren't prepped, and the kitchen is cold as ice. Are you intentionally trying to starve the whole family? I looked everywhere for you, only to find you hiding here to die! You lazy, good-for-nothing, family-ruining wretch!"

Sun-shi stood by the bed, clutching a handkerchief and shrinking her shoulders. She glanced at Yang Ruoqing, who was sitting on the bed behind her, then turned to Tan-shi at the door and stammered, "Mother, I only just came in. Qing'er had a fever all night and just woke up. I was just feeding her some tea..."

"Pah!" Before Sun-shi could finish, Tan-shi waved her hand, cutting her off.

Tan-shi’s gloomy gaze then swept over Yang Ruoqing, filled with disgust. She spat on the floor and cursed, "So you know how to wake up? You shameless, thick-skinned thing! Jumping into a pond for a man—you’ve dragged the entire Old Yang family’s reputation through the mud! You shameless, cheap bone, even the King of Hell wouldn't bother taking you; you’re just living to waste the Old Yang family’s money and grain!"

Yang Ruoqing was stunned.

Jumping into a pond? And for a man? A suicide attempt?

This body looked at most twelve or thirteen years old—a little girl who would just be starting middle school in the modern world. She hadn't expected that in this ancient era, she would be so incredibly reckless!

At this thought, the corners of her mouth curled into a mocking arc.

Regardless of the reason, one should never give up their life, let alone for a man.

Besides, even if it were true, wasn't this old woman—who seemed to be the original owner's grandmother—a bit too vicious with her tongue? Wasn't she afraid of scolding her granddaughter to death?

Seeing Yang Ruoqing curl her lips, Tan-shi’s expression grew even uglier. She didn't even want to look at her anymore and turned her fire back onto Sun-shi, who was standing by the bed. "Look, look! This is the fine daughter you’ve raised. I’m calling her shameless, and she’s actually grinning at me like a fool! Sigh... what kind of sin did the Old Yang family commit in their past life to have such a stupid thing born into our family? The whole family is going to be dragged down by this idiot. And the third son even ran to town to buy medicine for this fool—what a waste of money..."

Hearing her mother-in-law curse her daughter like this, Sun-shi trembled with rage. She desperately wanted to argue back, but she lacked the courage to talk back to her mother-in-law. She looked at Qing'er with guilt, only to see her daughter sitting on the bed, her face so fat that her features were distorted, her mouth truly curled into a strange arc as if she were foolishly grinning, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth...

Tears welled up in Sun-shi’s eyes. She clutched her handkerchief and whispered to Tan-shi, "Mother, it’s all my fault, it has nothing to do with Qing'er. If anyone is to blame, it’s me, Sun-shi. I’ve let everyone down, I’ve let the Old Yang family down, and I’ve let my Qing'er down... Mother, if you have any anger, take it out on me. Qing'er just barely escaped death; her father and I are just hoping she can be well from now on... I beg you, Mother, please don't say such unlucky things in front of her anymore..."

"Pah!" Tan-shi put her hands on her hips and spat a glob of phlegm directly toward the bed. If Sun-shi hadn't moved her feet quickly, that old, stale phlegm would have landed right on her shoes.

"A pair of jinxes, a plague! What are you still standing there like a fool for? Why aren't you rushing to wash the clothes? The sun is already at its peak, and there’s not a sound from the kitchen. What a family-ruining wretch..."

Tan-shi left the room, grumbling and cursing. As she walked into the courtyard, she kicked the washboard that Sun-shi had propped against a large wooden basin, sending it clattering to the ground with a loud "Bang!" The sound made Sun-shi, still in the west wing, flinch again, and the half-damp handkerchief in her hand nearly fell to the floor.

Sun-shi regained her senses and saw her daughter looking at her, her head tilted slightly and her brows furrowed, as if she were pondering something.

Sun-shi was surprised. Her daughter had been a fool since birth. They had seen doctors, taken many doses of medicine, tried folk remedies, and even consulted a shaman in a nearby village. The shaman had said the girl’s soul was incomplete and incurable.

Although she and Qing'er’s father had gone on to have two sons, Qing'er’s condition remained a heavy burden on their hearts.

As the saying goes, fools have broad hearts. Watching Qing'er grow up day by day, though she was silly, she was always cheerful. Sometimes the couple would comfort each other, thinking that as long as Qing'er lived happily, they wouldn't ask for anything more.

But the daughter before her now was wearing such an expression—as if she had something on her mind, as if she were a bit unhappy.

This discovery surprised Sun-shi, but it also brought a glimmer of unbelievable joy.

Knowing how to ponder things—could it be that Qing'er had finally opened her mind?

She hurriedly put down the handkerchief, sat beside Yang Ruoqing, gently placed her hands on Yang Ruoqing’s broad, sturdy shoulders, and leaned down to ask softly, "Qing'er, what are you thinking about? Tell Mother..."

Yang Ruoqing looked up, her gaze landing on Sun-shi’s face. Sun-shi was even more astonished now. She had been so immersed in the joy of her daughter waking up from a high fever that she hadn't paid attention to the changes in her.

Why did her daughter’s eyes look different than before? She couldn't quite put her finger on exactly what was different.

"Mother, who was that old woman who was cursing just now? Is she my grandmother?" Yang Ruoqing finally spoke in a somewhat hoarse voice. As soon as she opened her mouth, her throat felt like it was burning, and the pain made her gasp.

When Tan-shi was pointing at the sky and cursing earlier, she had wanted to fight back, but because her throat was in such bad shape, she had held her tongue.

Hearing Yang Ruoqing ask this, Sun-shi’s face showed a mixture of surprise and conflict. Her already large eyes scanned Yang Ruoqing’s face, her expression as if she didn't recognize her own daughter.

Did she hear that right? Was Qing'er speaking clearly?

In the past, this child would only spit out one word at a time. Not only was her mental capacity no different from a five or six-year-old, but her speech was the same; she would have to break a complete sentence into several parts to say it.

Yang Ruoqing was also observing Sun-shi, wondering what was wrong with this "mother" she had acquired, and why she had such a strange expression.

"Mother, I’m asking you a question..."

"Oh, oh..." Sun-shi finally snapped out of it. The look in her eyes as she watched Yang Ruoqing held a hint of relief, while her guilt and heartache became even more apparent.

She raised her hand to gently tuck the messy hair from Yang Ruoqing’s forehead to the sides, sighed, and said softly, "Mother knows Qing'er was wronged just now, but don't blame your grandmother. She actually cares for you in her heart; she just has a sharp tongue but a soft heart..."