Chapter 4

Yun Xi, who had been enjoying the show, never dreamed that the trouble would eventually land on her. “Xi'er, kneel down! Second Son, go get the whip.” Old Madam Yun's voice was cold, devoid of even the slightest trace of affection. Yun Xi's legs weakened, and she almost knelt down involuntarily. It was an unconscious reaction left behind by the original owner's body. A brief look of astonishment flashed across her face. What a vicious old woman! She wanted to whip her without even bothering to find out what had happened? Yun Xi cursed inwardly, but her face showed an innocent and confused expression. “Grandmother, Xi'er hasn't done anything wrong.” She quickly glanced up at Old Madam Yun, catching the disgust in her expression. Did this old woman hate her? Was it simply because the original owner was a fool? However, judging from the original owner's limited memories, this old woman had never once shown her a kind expression. “You little brat! You've grown bold, haven't you? I told you to kneel, so kneel! Now you've even learned to talk back!” Seeing that she was no longer as obedient and submissive as before, Yun Fugui felt a surge of anger. Without hesitation, he kicked at her. Who was Yun Xi? She could tolerate almost anything, but she would never tolerate being taken advantage of. The moment Yun Fugui kicked toward her, she reacted swiftly. She grabbed his leg and yanked it backward. Caught completely off guard, Yun Fugui fell heavily to the ground, his legs splitting wide apart in an awkward position. “Ow\... Good heavens!” Yun Fugui let out a scream so loud it nearly lifted the roof. His face twisted in agony as he howled. His hands instinctively covered his groin, and he lay on the ground, unable to move. Yun Xi chuckled inwardly and took two steps backward. Well, look at that! He was surprisingly flexible. What a pity. Why hadn't that scumbag father of hers fallen hard enough to die? She glanced at Chen Xicui, who was watching coldly from the side, then immediately turned and ran outside. A wise person never fights a battle they cannot win. The original owner was as thin as a bamboo stick, with barely any flesh on her bones. She couldn't count on her biological mother to protect her either. If she stayed, she would definitely suffer. “Brother Fugui...” Wang Chunlan let out a delicate cry and threw herself toward Yun Fugui. “Where did you hurt yourself? Let me take a look!” “Ow\... You... Get away!” Yun Fugui let out another miserable scream when she landed on top of him. He desperately pushed her away. “Don't press down on me! Get off me!” Old Madam Yun's expression also changed. She coldly reprimanded the people around her. “Are all of you useless? Hurry up and help Second Master get up!” Even in her wildest dreams, she hadn't expected that Yun Xi, that little fool, would actually fight back. Although the Yun family had some wealth, they only had two female servants responsible for sweeping the courtyard, washing clothes, and preparing meals. They also had to serve Old Madam Yun. The two servants had been standing outside the room. Seeing Yun Fugui sprawled on the ground, they could only suppress their laughter and go inside to help him up. Meanwhile, Yun Xi ran outside as fast as her legs could carry her. The moment she opened the courtyard gate, she began wailing loudly. “Waaah! Grandmother, please don't whip Xi'er! Xi'er hurts so much! Xi'er won't pick up Father's clothes again! Sob, sob...” The villagers gathered outside the Yun residence had been preparing to leave. But when they saw the little fool of the Yun family crying as she ran out, they immediately changed direction and gathered around her again. “Little Fool, did your grandmother beat you?” “What's so surprising about that? When has anyone in the Yun family ever treated Little Fool well?” “How pitiful! Little Fool was such a clever and lively child when she was five or six. Why does the Yun family dislike this girl so much?” “Exactly! If the Yun family hadn't delayed getting her treated, how would such a good little girl have ended up becoming a fool from a fever?” Those words contained a great deal of information. Yun Xi couldn't help pricking up her ears. The original owner hadn't been born a fool. She had become one after falling ill with a high fever. Judging from the Yun family's circumstances, they certainly couldn't have been unable to afford medical treatment. Thinking about the way the Yun family treated the original owner, Yun Xi immediately became suspicious. Something about this matter was definitely strange. If she got the opportunity, she would have to investigate what had really happened. Yun Xi's cries reached Old Madam Yun's ears, making her temples throb with anger. That wretched girl! Why was she acting like a completely different person today? “Third Son, go bring Xi'er back. Don't let her stand outside talking nonsense and ruining our family's reputation.” “Yes, Mother!” A trace of impatience flashed across Yun Fu'an's eyes as he strode out of the main hall. Seeing Yun Xi still crying among the crowd, he forced himself to suppress his disgust and softened his voice to coax her. “Xi'er, be good! Come home with Third Uncle. You did something wrong, so your grandmother was only trying to scare you. How could she really beat you?” He quickly stepped forward and grabbed Yun Xi by the arm. His hand was like an iron clamp, squeezing so tightly that her arm hurt. If there hadn't been outsiders around, he would have given this little fool a good beating. “Waaah... Third Uncle is bad!” Yun Xi didn't hold back either. She cried so hard that tears streamed down her face. “Third Uncle, please don't hit Xi'er! Xi'er will be obedient!” After all, she was a fool. What could a fool possibly understand? If something hurt, she simply had to throw a tantrum and roll around on the ground. “Third Brother, what are you doing?” Just then, a tall figure came rushing over from a distance and forcefully knocked Yun Fu'an's hand away. “Xi'er is still just a child. Whatever the matter is, talk to her properly. Don't lay your hands on her.” The newcomer was Yun Changxi, the eldest son of the Yun family. He was tall and broad-shouldered, with dark skin, thick eyebrows, and large eyes. He looked honest and straightforward. However, his body was unusually thin. Among the entire Yun family, the only people who treated Yun Xi kindly were the members of the eldest branch. “Eldest Brother, Xi'er is being unreasonable. She's standing outside talking nonsense and ruining our family's reputation. Mother is already angry, yet you're still protecting her?” Yun Fu'an was physically weak and couldn't even restrain a chicken. Yun Changxi had pushed him so hard that he staggered. He was burning with anger. His expression was extremely unpleasant, and his tone carried a hint of threat. Yun Changxi stood with a stern expression and shielded Yun Xi behind him. “Third Brother, although Xi'er is still a child who doesn't understand much, she's always been well-behaved. What nonsense could she possibly be talking about outside?” Xi'er was a pitiful child. Her own parents didn't care about her, while Old Madam Yun and the people from the third branch despised her. And the child was already a fool. If he didn't protect her, how could she possibly survive? While the two men were arguing, Yun Changxi's wife arrived in a hurry with their two sons. The mother and her two boys were all terribly thin, dressed in coarse cloth clothes. “Xi'er, does anything hurt?” Qiao Xuemei pulled Yun Xi into her arms. Her face filled with concern as she gently rolled up the girl's sleeve. Her slender but fair arm was covered in obvious red and swollen marks. She sighed, leaned closer, and gently blew on the injured area before soothing her in a soft voice. “Xi'er, does it hurt? Come, go home with your eldest aunt. We'll have your older sister Tang'er apply a warm towel to it.” This child was always covered in injuries, yet she didn't understand much about the world. Even when someone beat her, she didn't know how to tell anyone. Meeting the concern in Qiao Xuemei's eyes, Yun Xi's usually hardened heart softened slightly. During her ten years in the apocalypse, she had witnessed countless betrayals and even relatives turning against one another. Now, seeing how wholeheartedly the eldest branch of the Yun family protected her, she couldn't help feeling something unfamiliar stirring in her heart. “Eldest Aunt, Xi'er isn't hurt!” Seeing Yun Xi's innocent and bewildered expression, Qiao Xuemei felt a pang of sadness. She gently stroked Yun Xi's head, then stood up and took her hand. “Xi'er, be good. Come, Eldest Aunt will take you home.” Yun Xi said nothing and followed Qiao Xuemei into the Yun family courtyard. Yun Changxi no longer bothered looking at Yun Fu'an. He called to his two sons and followed them inside. Seeing the old and new injuries covering Yun Xi's arm, the villagers of Linxi Village looked at Yun Fu'an with disdain. Although Little Fool was indeed foolish, she was usually quiet and well-behaved. She never went around causing trouble. Yun Fu'an was her third uncle, after all. He didn't behave like an elder should at all. If he could be so cruel to her in front of everyone, one could only imagine how he treated her when no one was watching. “Hmph!” Yun Fu'an's face flushed red. He snorted coldly, flung his sleeve, and walked away. He cursed Yun Changxi inwardly for meddling in other people's business. The second branch's children were none of his concern. Even their own parents didn't care about them. He really couldn't understand what was wrong with the eldest branch. Why did they insist on getting involved in this mess? Qiao Xuemei held Yun Xi's hand and led her through a small side gate at the corner of the courtyard, returning to the backyard. Only then did Yun Xi remember that she and the eldest branch of the Yun family all lived in the backyard. The main residence and side rooms in the front courtyard belonged to that old woman, Old Madam Yun, as well as Yun Fugui and Yun Fu'an. Old Madam Yun was the second wife of the old master. Yun Fugui and Yun Fu'an were her biological sons. As the saying went, having a stepmother meant having a stepfather. Under Old Madam Yun's oppression, Yun Changxi's family also struggled to get by. After the old master Yun passed away, Old Madam Yun became even more brazen, treating the eldest branch as though they weren't even human. She raised her own two sons in luxury, while Yun Changxi's family lived more like servants of the Yun household.