Yan Xingmao was a cripple, and finding work outside was no easy task. This long-term laborer position had been arranged by Yan Xingsheng, but the pay was pitifully low—a mere two hundred wen a month.

During the farming off-season, he used to haul goods at the docks, earning thirty or forty wen a day. Now, this job paid less than ten wen—more than half less than his fellow laborers—yet the workload was no lighter.

Yan Xiaoyu suspected Yan Xingsheng was skimming off the top.

Though the pay was meager, the job offered stability and included room and board. It meant one less mouth to feed at home, so Yan Xingmao cherished it dearly. Not only did he work himself to the bone, but he also endured his employer’s stinginess and constant belittling.

But kindness invites abuse. Seeing his honest nature and superior work ethic, the master piled all the dirty, exhausting tasks others shunned onto his shoulders.

This injury came from repairing the master’s roof late at night. He lost his footing and tumbled down.

When Yan Xingmao was carried back, his face was deathly pale, and both legs were covered in blood. The men who brought him home also delivered terrible news—the landlord had declared he was dismissing Yan Xingmao, and he need not return.

He Qiuhua felt as if the sky had fallen. She collapsed beside his bed, sobbing uncontrollably, while Yan Xiaoyue, her eyes red, fetched water to wash her father.

With Yan Xingsheng and his son absent today, Tao Cuiqin and Old Master Yan came upon hearing the commotion. Old Master Yan looked irritated, and Tao Cuiqin’s expression was far from cheerful.

The two laborers who had brought Yan Xingmao back delivered the news and prepared to leave, but Yan Xiaoyu intercepted them.

“My father was injured while working for your master. Does your master intend to ignore this?”

His face was delicate and charming, but his voice was coarse and loud. His eyebrows were raised high, making him look quite fierce.

The two men had arrived with some impatience, not taking a ger seriously. But under his glare, their confidence inexplicably faltered. “Youngster, we’re just laborers. What our master decides, we can’t control!”

That was true enough, but when a hired hand was injured on the job, an explanation was owed. Now that the landlord clearly didn’t want to deal with it, letting these two men leave like this would make demanding justice later much harder.

Yan Xiaoyu thought for a moment, then snapped, “Go back and tell your master this: my father was injured because of him. Every penny he owes for medicine and compensation must be paid. Not a single coin less. Otherwise, the Yan family will not let this rest!”

“My eldest cousin is a Xiucai, currently studying at the county academy. He knows many young masters from prominent families. His uncle is also a Xiucai. Let your master weigh his options carefully. A peaceful resolution is best. Otherwise, our Yan family has plenty of ways to seek justice for my father!”

In rural households, men typically held the reins. These two laborers had never encountered a ger so bold in speaking up. Yet this ger presented his case with clear logic, invoking connections that carried genuine weight. They couldn’t dismiss the possibility that he might indeed have the means to deal with their employer.

Their minds churned with conflicting thoughts. Finally, scratching their heads, they offered an awkward smile. “We’ll speak with our employer immediately.”

“Thank you both for your trouble.”

Fearing they might dismiss it lightly, Yan Xiaoyu added meaningfully, “You two work there too. What happened to my father today could happen to you tomorrow. If he doesn’t get justice, do you really think your futures will be any different?”

The two laborers felt a chill run down their spines.

The ger was right. Their master never treated the household laborers like human beings. They could easily end up like Yan Xingmao any day. If Yan Xingmao, who had some family connections, couldn’t get compensation, they certainly had no hope.

Yan Xingmao was the first case. Any future injuries would be handled in reference to his situation. It seemed they truly had to hope Yan Xingsheng recovered.

The two men exchanged a glance before clasping their fists in a bow toward Yan Xiaoyu. “Young master, rest assured. When we return, we will relay your words to our master exactly as you said them.”

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

After they left, Tao Cuiqin shot Yan Xiaoyu a cold glance. “Just days ago, you tried to take over your cousin’s room, and now you’re dragging him and his uncle out to intimidate people. You really don’t hold back, do you, Xiaoyu?”

“What nonsense are you talking about, Auntie? We haven’t split the family yet. With Father injured, my eldest cousin naturally has to stand up for him. Scholars value loyalty and righteousness above all, don’t they? Father is his own flesh-and-blood uncle—how could he not care?”

This ger was full of reason, impossible to argue with. Tao Cuiqin snorted but held her tongue. After all, securing compensation from that landlord’s household would benefit both their households.

Since they’d used her son’s name, it was only fair they got their share of the silver, wasn’t it?

As Tao Cuiqin silently speculated how much the petty landlord might pay, a slender hand thrust itself before her eyes.

“Auntie,” Yan Xiaoyu said with a forced smile, “Father’s injuries are too severe. Please withdraw some money from the family funds so we can take him to town for treatment.”

“What?!” Before Tao Cuiqin could speak, Old Master Yan erupted. “You want to take your father to town for treatment?!”

“That good-for-nothing! Can’t do anything right! Even as a laborer, he breaks his leg! Broken like that, it’s hopeless! Why waste silver?! Just gather some herbs and apply them to his wound!”

The room fell silent for a moment.

The man lying on the bed was emaciated, his bones protruding. With great effort, he opened his eyes, stared blankly at the thatched roof for a while, then silently closed them again.

In the blink of an eye, his complexion grew ashen.

He Qiuhua, by the bedside, looked at her father-in-law in disbelief. Yan Xiaoyue hung her head, her hand holding the handkerchief trembling slightly.

Yan Xiaoyu clenched her fists, her heart churning violently.

“You’re old now. Illness will inevitably come in time.” He looked at Old Master Yan, a smile playing on his lips that was both sarcastic and vicious. “When that time comes, there’ll be no need to waste silver. Just lie there and wait for death.”

Old Master Yan was stunned by his words for a moment. When he snapped back to his senses, he flew into a rage, grabbing a bamboo cup from the table and hurling it at Yan Xiaoyu with all his might.

Yan Xiaoyu deftly dodged the blow. Unaware of his martial arts training, He Qiuhua rushed forward in panic to shield him, taking the full force of the cup.

The impact struck her chest, causing her to groan in pain. She immediately turned to Yan Xiaoyu, her voice urgent: “Xiaoyu, are you… Are you okay?”

Yan Xiaoyu’s heart skipped a beat.

This woman was gentle by nature, not particularly agile either. Her swift reaction this time stemmed purely from a mother’s desperate urge to protect her child.

Yan Xiaoyu knew she was shielding the original body, yet meeting her concerned gaze felt like an invisible hand gently caressing his heart, leaving him unsettled for a long time.

He recalled the year he turned five. Not long after entering the orphanage, he caught a cold and ran a fever one night. Lying in bed, he felt parched to death, desperate for someone to give him a sip of water. But dawn broke without that sip ever coming.

Instead, the older boy, sharing his bunk, roused by his cries, rose with irritation and beat him mercilessly, as if venting frustration. That night, lying on the floor barely alive, Yan Xiaoyu couldn’t help imagining: if his parents hadn’t abandoned him, would he have been spared such cruelty? Would someone have brought him medicine and water when he was sick?

He had never been protected so fiercely by anyone.

“I’m fine,” he said, his voice much quieter, his expression still uneasy. “Does it hurt?”

Yan Xingmao was on the bed, and Yan Xiaoyue, beside him, both looked worried. He Qiuhua forced a smile at them: “No, it doesn’t hurt.”

“Hmph!” Old Master Yan stiffened his neck, his face full of disdain. “What harm could a bamboo cup do? Could it possibly kill someone?”

He glared, about to continue his rant, when Tao Cuiqin spotted someone entering the courtyard. She quickly signaled to him: “Father, isn’t that Aunt He outside?”

It wasn’t just Aunt He—sever several neighbors from around the Yan household had gathered.

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

“My second daughter said she saw Uncle Yan being carried back. We came to see if something happened and if there’s anything we can do to help.”

Overhearing their conversation outside, Yan Xiaoyu’s eyes darted about before he dashed out. “Grandfather, Auntie, Father’s injuries are truly severe. If we delay any longer, he might not survive. Please, for the sake of all the wages he earned for our household, contribute some silver for his treatment!”

When Yan Xingmao was carried back, Yan Xiaoyu had examined him closely. Though his leg looked mangled and bloody, the injury wasn’t actually life-threatening. The gruesome appearance likely stemmed from his severely depleted constitution, compounded by exhaustion from overwork at the landlord’s estate and his weakened state.

Yan Xiaoyu had exaggerated the situation, using the presence of outsiders to pressure Old Master Yan and Tao Cuiqin. But He Qiuhua, unaware of this, genuinely believed Yan Xingmao was in mortal danger.

Outside, people were gasping in alarm, demanding updates on Yan Xingmao’s condition. Suddenly, she burst from the house, her eyes red and swollen, her face etched with despair. She threw herself to her knees before Old Master Yan.

“Father, I beg you, I beg you—save Xingmao! Xiaoyu and Xiaoyue… they can’t… they can’t live without their father!”

He Qiuhua wept uncontrollably, her stuttering voice sounding all the more heartbreaking and pitiable in this scene.

Those present today were all wives and husbands, many of whom also had men working away from home. They could empathize with He Qiuhua all the more.

Immediately after, Yan Xiaoyue emerged. Silent, she knelt straight beside her mother and began banging her head against the ground with all her might. Within moments, her forehead swelled.

Aunt He, her eyes red, reached out to help her up. But the girl was incredibly strong and stubbornly refused to stop. The others could do nothing.

Inside the house, Yan Xingmao closed his eyes as a single tear slipped silently from the corner of his eye.

All the resentment Yan Xiaoyu had harbored toward these three vanished in that instant.

The original body’s family might be weak and clumsy, but they were desperately protecting each other. Why should pure, kind-hearted people be bullied and betrayed, while the arrogant and selfish feed off others’ flesh and blood, living with reckless abandon?!

In that instant, Yan Xiaoyu made up his mind. He would protect the original body’s family. He would lead them away from the Yan household and into a better life!!

Since there was no going back, he would treat He Qiuhua as his mother and Yan Xingmao as his father!

Yan Xiaoyu stared at the indifferent Old Master Yan and the bystander Tao Cuiqin: “If you’re too stingy to part with your silver, then hand over every penny my father earned from years of labor to treat his leg. Otherwise, I’ll go to the county school and demand it from my eldest cousin!”

“All the money Father earned from labor and work these years is held by my eldest aunt. I imagine she used it to pay my eldest cousin’s tuition fees. Now that Father is on the brink of death, asking him for the money—surely he won’t blame me?”

As his words fell, Old Master Yan and Tao Cuiqin’s faces darkened like the bottom of a pot.

“You dare?!” Old Master Yan fumed.

“Xiaoyu, when did we ever say we wouldn’t treat your father’s leg?” Tao Cuiqin sighed helplessly. “We’re just as worried about your father’s injury. But our household is strapped for cash right now, and your cousin has no money either. How about this: I’ll give you next month’s salt money. Take these twenty wen to the clinic and ask them to extend credit for the medicine. We’ll pay once the landlord compensates us?”

Twenty wen barely covered the consultation fee—there was not a single coin for medicine. The clinic paid silver for their herbs; how could they agree?

Tao Cuiqin’s suggestion didn’t sit well with anyone, not just Yan Xiaoyu, but even Aunt He and the others found it hard to stomach.

“I saw your Xiaobao eating candy yesterday. How could you possibly be out of silver?” Aunt He rolled her eyes. “Xiaoyu, I have a hundred wen on hand. I’ll lend them to you. Hurry and take your father to the clinic. Don’t delay any longer.”