Chapter 504: Chen Zhao Extra Story (Second)_1
 

In my dream, I was terrified, terrified that mom would sell me off too.

If a girl enters the brothel, her life is ruined. Not only could she not find a good husband, but she also can’t have children afterward.

Those words were said by my cousin. In her disdainful gaze, it was as if my eldest sister and I were brothel girls.

I was very angry and unconsciously held a grudge against Yingbao while hating my aunt’s daughters even more.

Later, my family bought a small courtyard in the county town where our family of five lived.

Life in the county town was not easy. My eldest sister and I assumed all the household chores. More than once I wished my third sister was here to help, especially with the laundry during the winter.

My eldest sister didn’t say much, but she didn’t object either.

Later, my eldest sister got married and wed a fisherman.

The fisherman was dark and thin, but he treated my eldest sister well. Every few days, he would come to town just to bring us fish. That’s why my mom didn’t object to the marriage.

After the eldest sister got married, she followed the fisherman to fish in the river, but every once in a while, she would come back to town to bring fish to her family.

My mom was naturally overjoyed. Sometimes she even sent the fish brought by my sister to her aunt’s house.

Because my eldest sister got married, all the household chores fell on me. I was depressed, but there was nothing I could do.

I later met many other young girls and often slipped out of the house early in the morning, only to return late in the afternoon.

At first, my mom scolded, but she never hit me, for fear her husband’s friends would hear and become aware of it.

A few years later, my dad finally passed the scholar examination.

That day, our house was bustling. Neighbors from both sides came to congratulate us.

After becoming a scholar, my dad prepared to study at the county school. But first, the instructors would examine the moral conduct of the student and their family. Anyone found to have a bad character, would not be admitted, even if it was generations ago.

After discussion, my mom and dad spent eighty coins to redeem my little sister.

This price, so I heard, was granted because my father was now a scholar, and our uncle was a sergeant.

My mom was angry. After bringing back my little sister, she scolded her constantly, calling her a loss, a disaster, a lowly whore.

My little sister fought back with insults of her own.

It was a new type of humiliation for my mom, who immediately picked up a stick to hit her.

But my little sister was already thirteen or fourteen years old. She was tall and pretty and agile. She snatched the stick from mom’s hand and threw it over the courtyard wall.

My mom was so angry that she sat on the ground and cried inconsolably.

Seeing this, Xubao ran over to fight my little sister, but she kicked him over, pinned him down, and slapped him a few times.

Seeing this, I couldn’t just stand by. I ran over to help, but I was no match for her, and ended up being pinned down and beaten by her instead.

A few days passed by, and no matter what we did, we just couldn’t deal with her.

My mom, out of exasperation, withheld her food. But unexpectedly, she stormed in during our meal, grabbed the wooden barrel of rice, poured all the vegetables into it, climbed onto the roof, and sat there eating all the food bit by bit.

It was such a big bucket of rice and two dishes, and she ate it all by herself.

During that time, our house was always in chaos. Mom regretted bringing her back.

In the end, my mom stopped caring about her but would assign her chores.

I originally thought my little sister would refuse, but she picked up the wooden basin without a word and left for the river, only returning when the dinner was ready.

My mom didn’t want to feed her, so she would hurriedly cook while she was out, quietly carrying the food into the room after it was ready. Little did we know, my third sister, as if she could predict what was happening, would jump straight in from the courtyard wall, kick open the door, snatch the food and run off.

Having to fix the door several times, mom gave up on the idea.

Once, a VIP came to our home and wanted to see a swirling dance. My parents somehow persuaded my younger sister to perform for them.

The VIP really liked the performance and gave her a valuable jade pendant as a reward.

My mom was envious and told me and Xubao to get the jade pendant.

Naturally, my third sister wouldn’t allow it. We ended up fighting, and she stormed into my mom’s room, chopped open my mom’s wooden box with an axe, and took back the jade pendant.

My mom was furious and complained to my dad.

But my dad told her to calm down, saying the VIP liked my third sister and he planned to send her to Prefecture City. He suggested my mom to treat my third sister well, as we might need her help in the future.

Latter, my third sister was drugged with a knockout drug by my mother and sent off on a big boat to the Prefecture City.

I kept dreaming.

In the dream, my dad became a scribe at the Prefecture City’s governor’s office, and our family naturally moved to the Prefecture City.