Chapter 4: Who Doesn't Know How to Be Lazy and Indulge in Good Food?

Wen Ye walked in the lead.

Her face was set in a tight, grim line. Since she had taken control of this situation, there was no turning back; she could neither slack off nor follow the original plot. Well, so be it. Given her explosive temper, she could never have suffered in silence—that would have been far too suffocating. Regardless of the outcome, she would prioritize her own satisfaction first.

So what if she was just a "little village girl"? It was still better than waking up to find several sallow, malnourished children clinging to her, wailing for their mother, or suddenly becoming a mother or an old crone without any preparation.

As Wen Ye and the others emerged from Old Lady Wen’s room, a small boy came charging toward them like a cannonball:

"Mama! Papa!"

This was Wen Ye’s "cheap" younger brother, Wen Chuizi—nicknamed Yuanbao—who was only eight years old. He had gone up the mountain to collect firewood early that morning and had only just returned.

"Second Sister! Please don’t go to jail, boo-hoo!" Wen Chuizi hugged Wen Ye tightly. Along the way, he had heard the villagers gossiping, saying that his eldest sister was being married off to an old man and that his second sister had hacked their grandmother and was going to prison. He had been terrified to the point of sobbing.

Wen Ye looked at him and sighed softly. "Don’t worry. That old woman is tough as nails; I won’t be going to jail."

Hearing this, Wen Chuizi nodded through his tears.

The family of five returned to their low, cramped hut. Even though the immediate crisis had passed, they remained heavy-hearted. Mr. and Mrs. Lin and Wen Lan were terrified; they had ruined the marriage arrangement and wounded Old Lady Wen. There was no doubt she would come to settle the score later.

Wen Ye understood their anxiety, but she had no energy to cater to their emotions. She had no real connection to them, and being transmigrated here was not her choice. Even though she now occupied this body, she could not instantly feel love for them. However, since she had decided to take charge of this group of unfortunate souls, she would fulfill her responsibilities as a daughter and sister as best she could. She would provide for them and help them get on their feet, but as for emotional support? That, she simply could not offer right now.

"Regardless of everything," Wen Ye stated, "we must find a way to separate the household."

"R-really? We should separate?" Mrs. Lin was startled. She had assumed Wen Ye was just speaking off the cuff.

Old Third Wen frowned. "Separating the family... that’s too extreme..."

Wen Ye glared at him. "And selling my sister—is that not extreme?"

Old Third Wen fell silent instantly.

A flicker of hope appeared in Wen Lan’s eyes, though she whispered, "But... Grandmother won’t agree to it."

"I don’t care if she agrees or not!" Wen Ye declared.

Since she had decided to live here, she had to create the best possible living environment. They would separate whether the old woman agreed or not!

"But... how do we actually go about separating?" Wen Lan asked, worried.

"That’s simple. We eat, we sleep, and we refuse to work! Who doesn’t know how to be lazy?"

Mrs. Lin was stunned. "If we don't work, your grandmother will beat us to death."

"If she dares to hit us, we hit her back!" Wen Ye replied.

"No, no!" Mrs. Lin was terrified. How could she possibly strike her mother-in-law?

Wen Ye looked at them, frustrated by their lack of backbone. "Why is it that they can hit you, but you can’t hit them back?"

"Because..." Mrs. Lin couldn't articulate her reasoning. She had long been crushed into submission and was simply gripped by fear. "Because people will say I’m unfilial..."

"Does Grandmother care if people say she’s unkind or malicious? Does the eldest aunt worry about being called a lazy woman who does nothing? Does the eldest uncle care if people call him a shameless man who sells his own niece? They’ve already abandoned all decency—why are you still clinging to yours?"

Mrs. Lin, Old Third Wen, and Wen Lan were all left speechless. It did seem to make sense.

"Or do you want them to sell Big Sister tomorrow, and then me, and then Little Brother?"

"No! No one is allowed to sell my children!" Mrs. Lin’s fighting spirit was ignited, her expression fierce. Old Third Wen was in turmoil, but he knew for certain that selling his children was absolutely out of the question.

"Then what are we waiting for? Get up! Those who refuse to be slaves!" Wen Ye slammed her hand on the table.

"Wow, Second Sister, those words... they’re strange, but why do I feel so excited? Like I’ve been set on fire!" Wen Chuizi clenched his fists.

"Haha, to think my little brother is the first to awaken," Wen Ye said, patting his head.

Mr. and Mrs. Lin and Wen Lan gazed at Wen Ye with shining eyes; they, too, felt a spark of defiance.

"Good, it’s settled. If any of you ruins my plans, I’ll chop you down!" With that, Wen Ye slammed her wood-chopping knife onto the table.

The others jumped in fright, nearly moved to tears by her fierce expression. Five days ago, their daughter had fallen into the river while washing clothes and nearly drowned. When she woke up, she had been like a lost soul, silent and listless. They had worried she’d been rendered simple-minded by the water. Today, she had finally spoken, but who would have guessed that her first words would be about killing and chopping people? She wasn't simple-minded from the water; she had been driven mad!

Mrs. Lin looked at Wen Ye with concern. Perhaps she needed to take her daughter to see a physician or find a shaman?

Wen Ye mused, "Speaking of which, since Papa and the eldest uncle are both her sons, why does that old hag hate our branch so much?" The book had never mentioned this. Then again, their branch was just cannon fodder, and the relationship between the old woman and the third branch was never explored.

"Little Sister." Wen Lan quickly covered Wen Ye’s mouth and glanced at Old Third Wen. Her little sister really must have been addled by the water to have forgotten even this.

Old Third Wen’s weather-beaten face was filled with guilt and sorrow. "Sigh, it’s all my fault. It’s my poor fate..."

Wen Lan leaned into Wen Ye’s ear and whispered the reason. Apparently, shortly after Old Third Wen was born, the old woman took her three sons to see a fortune-teller. The master declared that the eldest and second sons had lives of wealth, while the third had the life of a pauper. From that day on, the old woman had despised him—even his name carried her disdain.

The eldest was named Wen Duocai (Much Wealth), the second was Wen Duoliang (Much Grain), but the third was named Wen Duoshi (Much Stone). The best food and drink in the house were reserved for the first two, while the third had to settle for scraps. After they all started their own families, the third branch naturally became the "blood bag" and the exhausted ox to be squeezed. Even when they had sons, the eldest’s son was named Chengwen, the second’s was Chengwu, but the third’s son was named Chuizi (Hammer)!

Named... a hammer.

Wen Ye’s mouth twitched. "So... why exactly is Little Brother named 'Hammer'?"

Wen Lan: Is that the point?

"Me, me, me!" Wen Chuizi immediately raised his small hand.

Wen Ye: "You answer."

"Because when I was born, Grandma stepped on a hammer on the ground and did a giant face-plant. Just then, Papa rushed out shouting, 'I’ve had a son! I’ve had a son! Mother, what should I name the baby?' Grandma roared, 'Name it? Name it a hammer!' And so, I became Wen Chuizi. Uncle Wang next door told me this. Papa, is it true?" He looked up with eager curiosity.

Old Third Wen looked ashamed and stayed silent—it was indeed true. Whether it was Chengwen or Chengwu, their names were chosen by fortune-tellers, but his son had been named on a whim, just like a hammer. Mrs. Lin felt a pang of heartache; that was why she disliked the name and always used his nickname, Yuanbao.

As the family was talking, the shrill voice of Luo, the eldest aunt, rang out from outside:

"Are you all dead in there? What, because Mother is lying in bed after being harmed by you lot, you’ve all become useless too? Get out here and cook dinner!"

Mrs. Lin panicked and instinctively wanted to go out, but Wen Ye blocked her path. She strode out in two steps and kicked the door open with a loud bang.

"We aren't dead, but Aunt, you certainly must be! Can’t you do it yourself?"

"Ever since my mother married into this family, you and the second aunt haven't cooked a single meal, slacking off every day. My mother has cooked for sixteen years; now, she’s going to rest for sixteen years! From now on, cooking and tending the stove is your job."

"You—" Luo was purple with rage. "You little brat, what nonsense are you spouting? When have I ever slacked off?"

"Was the meal yesterday cooked by you?"

Luo choked; of course, it wasn't.

Wen Ye continued, "What about the day before? Or the day before that?"

Of course, none of them were cooked by her! Luo was so stifled she couldn't utter a word.

"Since you didn't do them, it’s clearly your turn now. Get moving and go cook!" Wen Ye stood with her hands on her hips, shouting with imposing intensity.

Luo wanted nothing more than to tear Wen Ye apart, but seeing her fierce little face, she remembered how manic she had acted at noon and backed away. This death-defying brat had even dared to attack her own grandmother—who knew what kind of madness had possessed her? She had better not provoke her; getting slashed by a knife wasn't worth it.