And the chicken soup looks golden and rich, absolutely not lacking in oil. With a stir of the spoon, it’s filled with ingredients like mushrooms and Chinese yam. Probably considering that the child might choke, the meat is deliberately stewed to be soft and tender. It’s a feast that one might not even have during the New Year, but it’s presented regularly for the grandson.
Yin Yue absolutely hated Grandma Luo’s favoritism!
Grandsons are the roots, and granddaughters are worthless, right? Even though this little cousin is not good at anything, not good at studying, not good at working, Grandma Luo is willing to spoil him. The granddaughter, who does nothing, gets scolded and beaten. It’s a clear difference in treatment. Doesn’t Grandma Luo know that the country has been advocating gender equality? Saying that women can hold up half the sky, but every time this topic comes up, Grandma Luo acts deaf and ignores it, treating her granddaughter with no reservations.
Yin Yue couldn’t hide her expression well. As soon as she entered the door, Grandma Luo noticed her. Seeing the odd look in her granddaughter’s eyes, she sarcastically said, “Where were you all morning? Did you feed the chickens? Did you chop the firewood? As an adult woman, you don’t do any work. You laze around every day. What kind of behavior is this!”
At noon today, she was busy taking care of Xiao Bao who fell into the water. She went to the kitchen when she had some free time and found that there was no firewood in the woodpile, and no one had cut the vegetables on the chopping board. She couldn’t find her granddaughter inside or outside the house, so she was furious and scolded her while doing the chores.
Grandma Luo was a village beauty in her youth, and many men from all around sought to marry her. In the end, she was courted by the poor young man from the Yin family who was handsome and had a simple disposition. Many people were jealous, and there were plenty of curses wishing that their life wouldn’t go well. After giving birth to her second son, Grandma Luo soon became a widow, and there were quite a few people who took pleasure in her misfortune.
During those years, without a head of the household, a beautiful widow with two sons who were not very capable and not aggressive would sooner or later be nibbled away by others. So Grandma Luo began to show her strong and fierce nature, wielding a kitchen knife against any man who dared to have ideas about her. This completely intimidated the people in the village, and life went smoothly from then on.
However, this temperament had become completely fixed. Except for her grandson, Grandma Luo was particularly overbearing and fierce towards others, making no one dare to provoke her. So even though Yin Yue had been reborn, she still felt somewhat timid around her.
She responded, “I’ll do it later; I’m hungry too.” She was no longer the original Yin Yue. In the past, when she was young, she would immediately do the chores, but now she had learned to make excuses and put things off. Boldly sitting at the dining table, she couldn’t get her butt to come down, as if it were glued.
She even wanted to reach out and grab some chicken to eat. She had been craving the chicken leg in Yin Minglu’s bowl for a long time. Thinking that she hadn’t eaten chicken for a while, her mouth began to water.
“Eat, eat, eat. You don’t do any work, and you still want to eat. You’re very audacious!” Grandma Luo, with sharp eyes, noticed that her granddaughter’s gaze was fixed on the other chicken leg. She quickly extended her chopsticks, swatting away the audacious hand. The other chicken leg was reserved for Xiao Bao; she hadn’t even been willing to eat it herself, so how could she give it to her granddaughter?
Ignoring the girl’s protests, Grandma Luo picked up a chicken butt and a piece of chicken neck, throwing them into her granddaughter’s bowl. “What are you complaining about? You still have meat to eat, and it can’t shut your mouth?”
Yin Yue immediately expressed her dissatisfaction, “Grandma, why are you like this? There’s still a chicken leg in that pot.” At the very least, give her the wing meat. She didn’t believe that Yin Minglu, with his small body, could eat so much. However, Grandma Luo turned a blind eye and played her favoritism to the fullest. Her grandson could eat chicken legs, but her granddaughter could only eat chicken butts and these tough chicken necks.
Moreover, she had always been responsible for feeding the old hens at home. Why couldn’t she eat chicken legs now?
In her younger days, she didn’t dare to resist, but now, coming from the future, Yin Minglu’s lack of a promising future due to Grandma Luo’s favoritism was clear to her. She, as a university student with a bright future, had the confidence to explode like a firecracker. She expressed her dissatisfaction with the unfair treatment.
However, every time she protested, Grandma Luo would shout even louder. Her old face instantly hardened. “Being able to eat is good enough for you. Are you trying to rebel?” Didn’t she see that there wasn’t much meat in her daughter-in-law’s bowl either? She personally stewed this chicken, and she gave Yin Minglu as much as she wanted, depending on her mood. Moreover, considering that Xiao Bao had just recovered from a serious illness, how could Yin Yue’er, as his sister, have the audacity to compete with him for meat? She hadn’t even greeted her brother since he woke up. Today, this granddaughter seemed a bit unusual, daring to defy her. Grandma Luo, being shrewd, immediately pondered some thoughts.
While the two were in a standoff, Yin Minglu burped and quietly smuggled a few pieces of meat to his own mother. Shen Qiuyi was stunned, her eyes softened. Actually, having some meat to eat was already good enough. Her family from her maiden home had a hard life, with many siblings. Women couldn’t even sit at the table for meals, let alone get a share of meat. She was already very satisfied with the life in the Yin family, not to mention having a son who cared for her. For a moment, her heart felt exceptionally content.
However, the child’s nutrition was still more important. Just as she was about to reclaim the meat, her son took the porcelain bowl and left. She could only eat by herself.
Grandma Luo was sharp-eyed; she had noticed everything but pretended not to. After all, it was a good thing for Xiao Bao to be filial. Someone who was filial to his mother would likely be filial to his grandmother in the future. Naturally, she had no dissatisfaction. She even added another piece of meat to Xiao Bao’s bowl, looking like she couldn’t be more pleased. This appearance of contentment infuriated Yin Yue.
In fact, the Yin family had long been accustomed to Grandma Luo’s biased behavior. After all, whose family wasn’t like this nowadays? Especially Yin Minglu, this little boy was handsome, inheriting the excellent genes from his parents. He looked like a perfect little celestial being, and children from all directions couldn’t match his handsomeness. Not to mention Grandma Luo’s favoritism, even passing uncles and aunts who saw this boy often couldn’t help but smile broadly. Countless people handed him chestnuts and fragrant pears.
Even Yin Yue’s biological parents, the couple in the main house, were biased. After all, both of their own daughters combined couldn’t compare to a single nephew. Since they didn’t have a son, and the child grew up without a father, he called them uncle and aunt from an early age, making him no different from their own son. So, the couple’s hearts had long been biased. In these past few days, with the child falling into the water and needing care, if it weren’t for the fields at home requiring attention, they would have accompanied him as well.
However, Yin Yue came from the future, having witnessed the beautiful era of gender equality. She had encountered countless weak-willed and mama’s boys among men, including her future husband. Though he appeared as a cadre, his essence was a “mommy’s boy.” His lack of ambition and potential disgusted Yin Yue. She had a strong aversion to men who enjoyed such good treatment just because of something between their legs.
Was being good-looking enough to be considered valuable? If one couldn’t bear burdens on their shoulders or lend a helping hand, what use were their good looks? In the future, her husband would even engage in illicit activities. It was a waste! Yet, for the sake of such a waste, her family refused to contribute even 200 yuan from her income. This made it difficult for her to find a job she liked, causing her to miss opportunities with men she liked. Forced to marry a mama’s boy, how could she not harbor resentment?
Yin Yue entirely projected her past misfortune onto her cousin. She always felt that without him, her past life would not have been so unhappy. She believed that if it weren’t for him, she wouldn’t have had an unhappy childhood and wouldn’t face an unhappy future. Consequently, she found her cousin extremely unpleasant.
Unfortunately, he didn’t die in the river; he survived against all odds.
Yin Yue gritted her teeth in frustration, thinking that her cousin was destined to be a waste in the future. In this lifetime, she was determined to prove that women were not inferior to men. She believed she excelled in every aspect compared to her cousin, yet her family favored him. This was a mistake! She was determined to fundamentally change the ugly tradition of favoring males over females in her family.
As for her elder sister, who suffered from “sisterly support syndrome” and “brotherly adoration syndrome,” Yin Yue considered her a pitiful woman who had been abused by feudal society. She thought about trying to save her sister, and if that failed, she would disregard her when she succeeded in the future.
As the saying goes, “Say Cao Cao, and Cao Cao arrives.”1speak of the devil and he appears
The elder sister among the sisters, Yin Yujiao, came home from school. Besides the worn-out red school bag on her shoulder, she carried a bundle of firewood. As soon as she entered the house and saw the adorable child, a smile lit up her face. After putting down the firewood, she touched the child’s head and scolded, “You finally woke up! Yesterday, your little belly was so bloated with water. You really scared me. How can you drink so much? Xiao Hu2little tiger and Xiao Hei3little blackie went down the creek with you. How come nothing happened to them, but you got into trouble? Are you going to misbehave like this in the future?”
Yin Yujiao and Yin Yue were named according to the characters “jiao”4“娇” (jiao) means delicate or charming and “e”5“娥” (e) means beautiful, both meaning beautiful young girls. Although their appearances didn’t exactly match the names, they were still good names.
“Sister Jiaojiao~” The little one instinctively clung to her, calling out in a tender voice. Then, the child hugged Yin Yujiao’s hand, trying to act cute and seek forgiveness.
“Yujiao, you’re back?” The old lady held a dustpan in her hands and, upon checking the kitchen, indeed found a bundle of firewood. She had been worrying about the lack of firewood at home, and her eldest granddaughter, on her way back from school, had thoughtfully gathered some, relieving her immediate concerns. No wonder, among the two granddaughters, she preferred the elder one. Not only was she good at studying, but she was also diligent and efficient in her work. Just watching her made the old lady feel doubly relieved.
Looking at the younger granddaughter, who was lazy and indulgent all day, avoiding assigned tasks whenever possible or cutting corners, and struggling to focus on her studies, the old lady couldn’t help but sigh. For a rural girl, if you weren’t diligent and well-behaved, who would dare to marry you in the future?
Upon hearing the words, Yin Yujiao responded with a greeting. Without rushing to eat, she helped her grandmother with the household chores. In less than half an hour, activities such as feeding chickens, cutting vegetables, cooking, and chopping wood were all completed. She even managed to collect five or six eggs from the belly of the old hen. One of them was used to make a bowl of sugar water and eggs for the little one.
It seemed like even the household hens recognized people. In the presence of the elder sister, Yin Yujiao, they laid eggs vigorously. However, in the presence of the younger sister, not a single egg could be seen in a day. Perhaps this was the halo effect of the protagonist and the supporting character in the family.
The eldest granddaughter’s understanding and maturity brought great joy to Grandma Luo. She handed the eldest granddaughter a pair of chicken wings dripping with ample oil, along with a chicken leg that the other grandson didn’t like to eat. This sight filled Yin Yue with intense jealousy. She silently cursed Grandma Luo for being biased. The chicken leg that the grandson didn’t want to eat was now reserved for the granddaughter. They were both born to the same mother, yet the sister who worked hard, studied well, and could enjoy meat, while she was only worthy of eating chicken buttocks?
The eldest granddaughter was happy to receive the chicken leg and was about to eat when she noticed the little one blinking his eyes beside her. Without thinking, she asked, “Xiao Bao, do you want the chicken leg?”
The little one, holding the bowl of eggs, shook his head, imitating the movement of a small drum. Hearing this, Yin Yujiao became worried. “You can’t eat it? Is there still water in your stomach that hasn’t been drained?” It was unusual for her little brother, who always had a craving for delicious food, to refuse a tasty chicken leg. There must be some water in his stomach that hadn’t been drained.
Here it comes! The “supporting-the-brother” syndrome! Yin Yue shot her sister a disdainful look. Not only did she cook a bowl of eggs for him, but she also willingly wanted to give away the chicken leg she had obtained. Her sister, living in a family that favored boys over girls, wasn’t as clear-minded as herself. Growing up under the influence of the biased environment, she was undoubtedly more affected.
Returning to her room, Yin Yujiao took out the half-finished shoe sole from the drawer. Comparing it to her little brother’s round and adorable feet, she gestured to estimate the size and continued sewing with needle and thread. Since she had already finished her school assignments, she decided to find something to do at home.
Unable to tolerate her sister’s actions, Yin Yue criticized her, “It’s one thing to give the chicken leg to Xiao Bao, but why are you even making shoe soles for him? He doesn’t lack shoes!”
Her sister, Yin Yujiao, casually replied, “Well, he may not lack them, but I need to practice.” Many young girls in the village were skilled at sewing, and unlike them, she was not proficient. She needed to learn, but starting with a large shoe size would be a bit challenging.
Since Xiao Bao had small feet and was willing to cooperate by letting her measure his feet from time to time, it made it easier for her to practice.
“Xiao Bao has nothing special, why are you so good to him? Are you really that fond of him? Sister, don’t you realize that there’s a problem with treating him this way?” Haven’t you ever felt that Xiao Bao is getting too much favoritism, squeezing your own living space? Are you willingly sacrificing so much for him? Even at the moment of getting the chicken leg, your first thought is about Xiao Bao, not your own sister. Clearly, you both share the same mother, so why treat your cousin from the second family so well?
“He’s so good-looking, why don’t you like him?” Yin Yujiao raised her head in surprise, staring at her sister inexplicably. The whole family likes her brother, so it’s strange that she doesn’t. Moreover, she watched Xiao Bao grow up from infancy to the point where he can walk and call her sister. They say the eldest sister is like a mother, and this statement is true. She feels like Xiao Bao is not just her brother but more like her own child.
What’s wrong with being good to your own child? Besides, not to mention that Xiao Bao is so obedient and sensible.
“Alright, you’re indeed a natural ‘support the younger brother’ enthusiast. I have nothing more to say to you.” Yin Yue raised both hands, making a gesture of surrender. Yin Yujiao couldn’t understand the meaning behind it. She didn’t say anything, but from the bottom of her heart, she felt that her sister had become increasingly strange in the past few days.
Watching her still having issues with Xiao Bao, who is just a little kid, usually doing nothing but eating, sleeping, and playing, what could have possibly provoked her?
Little did Yin Yujiao know that Yin Yue was silently lamenting her “self-inflicted downfall.” She was both sympathetic and angry about it. She even removed her sister from her “rescue list.” This older sister, oblivious to her own oppression, was destined to be on a different path. Yin Yue decided to live her own life and keep a distance from this family.
Yes, Yin Yue had made up her mind.
In the future, when she had the chance to break free, she would completely distance herself from the Yin family. This small piece of land couldn’t hold back her progress. Since the Yin family treated her this way, once she soared to success, they shouldn’t think about using family ties to manipulate her! Making her become a “saintly supporter of the younger brother” like her sister was impossible!
Since fate brought her back to the 1980s, an era of economic takeoff and prosperity, she knew about some policies and changes that would come later. With this knowledge, she could stay ahead of the times and change her own destiny. Fortunately, she had a bunch of good ideas for getting rich. Whether it was starting a business or buying land and property in advance in major cities, she wouldn’t worry about her future. By then, the Yin family would surely regret neglecting their granddaughter and favoring a waste.
With a small notebook in hand, Yin Yue jotted down everything she could think of. Her unconventional appearance couldn’t help but attract a few more glances.
Oh, and there was the matter of finding a partner. Thinking of this, Yin Yue immediately got up to find her sister. At this moment, her sister was no longer scolding her, but having someone try on shoes.
Yin Minglu was tilting his feet, having removed his own sandals and put on the shoes Yin Yujiao had sown. He lowered his head and took a few steps.
Seeing this, Yin Yujiao eagerly asked, “How is it? Comfortable? Does it fit well? Is the toe too tight?” It was her first time sewing shoes, and she had no experience. However, watching Xiao Bao walking back and forth without any discomfort or awkwardness, she felt a bit relieved.
“It’s okay,” Yin Minglu replied truthfully.
“That’s good. I’ll make a few more pairs. Once I get the hang of it, I can sell them.” She planned to sew some nice styles, take them to town, and surely sell them. As for the ones for personal use, she could make them simpler, without embroidery or fancy patterns. As long as they were comfortable and didn’t cause blisters, just like the ones Xiao Bao wore, they would be fine.
Yin Yujiao smiled, starting to daydream about how much she could make from selling a pair of shoes. However, she then noticed her sister looking at her with an expression that seemed to say, “You really have no ambition.” She wasn’t sure if her sister thought it was beneath her to select shoes for her brother or if she considered her petty for fussing over earning a few cents by making and selling shoes – perhaps both.
Yin Yujiao was surprised, “Yue’er, why are you looking at me like that?”
“Nothing, just suddenly wanted to chat with you. Sister, what do you think of Qin Mao from the village?” Qin Mao was her sister’s past life partner. He seemed quiet and unassuming, but in the end, he made a fortune working outside, returned home in luxury, and within three years of marriage, Yin Yujiao led a comfortable life with a car and a big house.
Everyone said Qin Mao was a successful man. Looking back, Yin Yue regretted not marrying herself off to him. If she had known, she could have enjoyed a good life too.
In her past life, because her parents didn’t give her 200 yuan, she missed the opportunity for a stable job. She didn’t end up with the handsome young man she loved. Instead, her parents arranged for her to marry a soldier, and she lived a very unhappy life.
There wasn’t much emotional foundation to begin with. The soldier husband was away for ten out of twelve months, leaving her feeling like a widow. Especially since the man was truly useless, working hard in the army but not earning much. Even if he managed to climb the ranks, he only became a local leader. He had some savings, but it was just a bit better than being dirt poor, not nearly enough for her urban expenses, let alone the life of a wealthy wife.
Comparison truly brought frustration.
Why did her sister give up the chance to go to college for her(YY), only to end up not going herself(YY), yet still manage to find a good husband with just a high school diploma? At the age of 21, she settled into a life of comfort at home, leading a joyful life. When the two sisters met again at the age of 40, one had a rosy complexion resembling a carefree girl, while the other was a complaining middle-aged woman burdened by life.
So, in this lifetime, she didn’t want to marry a soldier from the army. She didn’t want a widow-like marriage. Whoever wanted it could have it!
Her brother-in-law Qin Mao was capable, and she had a mind full of business ideas. Wasn’t that a perfect match?
Looking at her sister, who didn’t even attend college and relied on luck to marry Qin Mao, later becoming a housewife after he succeeded, Yin Yue felt that being a stay-at-home wife was something any woman could do. Qin Mao wasn’t exclusive to her sister. Yin Yue was different. Even after Qin Mao succeeded, she could continue to provide assistance, be a career-oriented partner, and help him achieve even greater success than in their previous life.
The core of Yin Yue’s inner thoughts was that she was more suitable for Qin Mao than her sister.
After convincing herself, she felt no guilt about trying to win Qin Mao before her sister and officially become a couple. If her sister couldn’t find a partner in the future, she could introduce her own husband from her past life. Her sister liked a homebody who could endure loneliness, and her husband happened to be a decent person. The two might be a good match.
Yin Yujiao, naturally unaware of her sister’s complex inner thoughts, wasn’t reborn, so her thought process wasn’t as convoluted. At this stage, her only focus was on studying hard, striving to get into a good university, and leaving the rural life behind.
Upon hearing her sister mention that boy from the Qin family, Yin Yujiao thought about him briefly and realized they had some acquaintance, but she didn’t know much about him. She shook her head and said, “I don’t know him.” She only knew that Qin Mao had finished primary school and hadn’t pursued further education. She had no idea about his character. As Chairman Mao said, without investigation, there is no right to speak. Since she didn’t know Qin Mao, she couldn’t offer any evaluation.
“Well, that’s great!” Yin Yue suddenly clapped her hands, earning two puzzled looks—one from the little guy who was eating and the other from her sister, Yin Yujiao.
Yin Yujiao said, “If you don’t know someone, you don’t know them. Why are you so happy about it?”
“Hahaha, it’s okay.” She couldn’t say, “I’m happy that you two aren’t entangled yet,” as that might be considered meddling in their relationship. Yin Yue playfully stuck out her tongue, but unfortunately, her appearance wasn’t dazzling enough. Otherwise, paired with this cute gesture, it might have exuded a bit of a charming youthful vibe. However, her looks fell short, coupled with her large tongue, making the tongue-sticking-out move somewhat lacking in aesthetics.
This startled Yin Minglu, causing the pastry he was holding to drop to the ground with a thud and roll a couple of times.
Author’s note: Additional update [covering face]. Thanks to the little angels who voted for me or irrigated with nutrient solution!
T/N: this was quite a lengthy chapter (´TωT`)
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