Abandoned Peasant Girl Has Her Own Space

Chapter 10: Scheming

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The next morning, Madam Wang did not let Wunian go to the river to wash clothes because she didn’t want others saying that their family was abusing a five-year-old child. However, she planned it well. She dragged Wunian out of bed early in the morning and threw a vegetable basket to her.

With her hands on her hips, she said, “B*tch, don’t blame me for being heartless. If you want to stay in this family, you have to do chores. Your useless parents died early and I never got to enjoy any blessings from them. Don’t expect me to serve you, little ancestor. Since you’re only young, I’ll assign the tasks of washing the dishes and cutting hogweed to you. If you can’t do these two things well, don’t blame me for being nasty.”

“Yes, I understand!” Wunian picked up the basket and left the house. Her sister had taken her to the fields and taught her which grasses could be eaten by the pigs. Because of her young age and small stature, she was not able to carry a fully-filled basket the whole way. She had no choice but to make a trip back first, and pour out the hogweed under the roof outside the pigpen.

The grasses were not nearly enough to fill the bellies of two big fat pigs.

Without any delay, Wunian carried the basket out again. Madam Wang stood by the kitchen window and said, “At least you’re smart. If you were stupid then we couldn’t sell you for a good price even when you turn eight years old.”

After going back and forth for four to five times all morning, the girl finally cut enough hogweed for the pigs.

Just as she sat down to rest, Madam Wang roared, “Wretched girl, hurry up and wash the dishes!”

Wunian had to run to wash the dishes.

After dinner, Yuehong and Yuelan, who had returned to the north wing with Madam Ma, looked outside and remarked, “Big Sister, it’s a good thing that our parents are still alive. Otherwise, we’d be living that sort of life, right?”

Yuehong stroked Yuelan’s head and said, “That won’t happen. We still have Big Brother. We won’t have to live like that when we have Big Brother around.”

“Why?”

“There’s no reason. Our lives are different from theirs. They were born to suffer! Don’t ask anymore. And there’s no need to pity her.”

“Alright! I understand!”

Meanwhile, after Wunian washed the dishes and ate her dinner, she went to cut the hogweed for the evening feed.

The days passed like this, with Wunian living the life that her elder sister once lived.

In the blink of an eye, three years quietly came and went. Wunian passed her days like a spinning top, unable to stop.

Weixin married a girl from the county town, as he hoped for. Her surname was Wang and her father was a scholar. Madam Wang was overjoyed.

Firstly, it was because the girl’s surname was also Wang. Madam Wang said, “Maybe their ancestors are from the same family!”

Secondly, it was because her father was a scholar, an academic. Didn’t they say that being learned was the best, everything else was inferior?

Thirdly, it was because the Young Madam Wang had a glib tongue. She knew how to say pleasing things that made the two elders and her in-laws happy.

There were so many good things about her, how could anyone not like her?

Wunian knew that the marriage was made possible only by the money that her big sister had been sold for. Young Madam Wang knew that as well.

It was precisely because she knew that such a girl could be sold for so much money that Young Madam Wang developed designs on Wunian.

She didn’t consider Wunian to be family. Superficially, she looked pure and kind, and had a smile for everyone.

In reality, her heart was like a poisonous scorpion. Her scholar father had taught her to put whatever she learned to good use. In whatever she did, she should need to achieve her goals, and at the same time earn the praises of others.

Young Madam Wang both learned and performed well. How could eight-year-old Wunian even be a match for Young Madam Wang, how could she be as scheming as her?

Now, other than washing dishes, collecting hogweed, Wunian also had to chop hogweed, feed pigs, wash clothes, and sweep the floor.

If Young Madam Wang wished to sell Wunian and pocket all the money, she had to think of a reason to ask for it openly.

Tian Weixin was so besotted with his new wife that he pampered her more than anything. He went along with whatever she said.

In addition, Young Madam Wang was six months pregnant, so no one in Old Tian’s family dared to provoke the precious young lady. She planned to take advantage of her pregnancy to find a good reason.

Therefore, one particular afternoon, after Old Tian’s family finished eating and Wunian was going to wash the dishes, Young Madam Wang walked into the dining hall and approached Wunian with her hand on her belly. She pretended to be concerned and said, “Little Sister, why don’t you eat first? You can wash the dishes after you’ve filled your stomach!”

Wunian turned around and looked at her. Before she could speak, Young Madam Wang deliberately fell to the ground and shouted, “Husband! Come quickly, Father, Mother. Aiyo! Aiyo! Grandpa and Grandma, come quickly!”

Her shouting brought the entire family running over. Just before this, they were chatting at the front of the hall, which was only separated by a timber facade.