Chapter 6: Liberation Achieved

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The thought of being nothing more than a disposable pawn living only in the background narration was tearing Wen Ye apart! To sacrifice her own life just to feed the melodramatic romance of the male and female leads? Not a chance!

“Why are you all so cruel!” A sharp rebuke snapped Wen Ye back to her senses.

Her gaze fixed on the source of the voice—Wen Liyue.

Wen Liyue was strikingly pretty, with a charmingly spoiled look that befit a maid.

At this moment, she stood with her hands on her hips, glaring angrily at Wen Ye.

“It’s all your fault! You hurt Steward Liu, which caused my parents to be dismissed. Our entire family was driven out of the Liu family’s cloth shop, and Father even got beaten up by Steward Liu. How can you be so vicious!”

Wen Ye mimicked her stance, hands on hips. “Sorry, but I did it on purpose!”

Yesterday, she kicked Steward Liu partly out of anger and partly to deliberately offend the Liu family.

This way, the second branch would certainly be expelled by the Lius, effectively cutting off the fate of the main couple.

Two birds with one stone—perfect!

Old Madam Wen was about to explode with rage. “Wen Ye, you actually lost the second brother’s job! You jinx, always bringing disaster to our Wen family!”

She wanted nothing more than to rush over and tear Wen Ye to pieces.

But covered in wounds, especially with her aching old back, she could only scoop up a handful of dirt and throw it at Wen Ye.

“Second brother…” Hearing that the second brother’s job was lost, the third elder Wen was overcome with guilt and remorse.

The Lin couple and the Wen Lan siblings were frightened as well.

For farmers like them, finding decent work in town was incredibly difficult. In the village, the second elder Wen was envied by many.

But now, the whole family's pride was ruined by Wen Ye’s antics.

Wen Ye’s eyes darkened, a cold sneer curling her lips. “The Liu family’s cloth shop—is that the same Liu family who tried to buy my eldest sister as a concubine yesterday? So that’s it. I wondered why the old man of the Liu family suddenly took an interest in my sister. Turns out it was Second Uncle and your lot arranging it!”

She glared fiercely at the first and second elders Wen.

“First Uncle, Second Uncle, your son needed money for school, so why sell off a daughter from our third branch? Don’t you have daughters of your own? How can you be so shameless!”

As soon as she spoke, the faces of the first and second branches turned deep purple.

Those who had felt guilty and scared moments ago because Wen Ye had caused the second brother to lose his job suddenly snapped out of it. Indeed, what did it have to do with them?

Mrs. Lin mustered courage and stammered, “If it weren’t for… you arranging to sell Sister Lan to Master Liu as a concubine, you wouldn’t have lost your jobs. This is not our fault. You brought this on yourselves.”

Old Madam Wen pointed angrily at Mrs. Lin, but Second Branch’s wife Fang stopped her hand and, looking wronged, stepped forward.

“Third sister-in-law, you’re really accusing us unjustly. Yes, we arranged the match, but Steward Liu said he was looking for a bride for Master Liu’s little grandson. That’s why we thought of Sister Lan… Who knew it would turn out to be Master Liu himself? Sigh, we were deceived too. It’s really unfair.”

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Wen Liyue nodded; she knew her mother would never have done such a thing!

“Did you hear that?” Old Madam Wen immediately shouted, “In the end, it’s all a misunderstanding. You jinx, stabbing people and causing trouble everywhere, why is our family so unlucky!”

“Trying to clear your names? I spit on you shameless bunch!” Wen Ye mocked with a loud laugh. “There’s a marriage contract! And a concubine agreement! Didn’t it say Liu Yuanwai? Didn’t it say his age? Didn’t it specify whether it was for a wife or a concubine?”

“You just didn’t see it. Yesterday, Steward Liu came to propose, and he clearly said it was for Liu Yuanwai! The whole village knows my sister is to be the concubine of a sixty-year-old old man! Granny and First Uncle, you’d have been glad to send her off to the Liu family on the spot! Don’t tell me you were all deaf then!”

The faces of the first and second elders changed drastically. Old Madam Wen was nearly mad with anger, ignoring her pain, limping over and clawing at Wen Ye’s face.

“Come here!” Wen Ye was ready, grinning fiercely as she pulled out a kitchen knife from behind the door—sharper than the cleaver from yesterday!

“Ah—” Old Madam Wen nearly stepped on the blade, stopped abruptly, and fell to the ground.

“Not coming forward? This time, it’ll be your neck!”

Hearing Wen Ye’s words, Old Madam Wen’s wounds throbbed painfully, and the psychological scar of being trampled underfoot yesterday surged back.

“You little beast, don’t come any closer!”

With a splash, Old Madam Wen scared herself so badly she wet herself, and the small courtyard was instantly filled with the stench.

“Mother!” First Elder Wen rushed over, shouting at the third elder, “Third brother, look at what you’ve done!”

Second Elder Wen stepped forward. “Third brother, what family just pulls out knives to kill over a disagreement? Can’t you all just sit down and talk calmly?”

He sighed, clearly exasperated.

Fang nodded, directing the others, “Ye girl, put the knife down. Third sister-in-law, go boil water for mother’s bath. Sister Lan, help grandma inside.”

Mrs. Lin and Wen Lan’s faces turned pale. Wen Ye sneered, pointing the knife at Fang.

“What authority do you have to give orders? Are the first and second branches all dead? Don’t you have hands of your own? Why must you boss my mother and eldest sister around?”

She then looked at Luo nearby.

“Yesterday we made it clear to First Aunt. Since Mother married in, the first and second branches haven’t cooked a single meal. Our third branch has been cooking for sixteen years, and now, we’re resting for sixteen years! From now on, all the household chores belong to the first and second branches.”

Mrs. Lin and Wen Lan felt afraid but forced themselves to nod.

The first and second branches stared in disbelief.

Old Madam Wen seemed to see a ghost. “Sixteen years? You lazy bums might as well fly to the sky!”

“Whether we fly or not is our business. But if you keep causing trouble, you’ll be buried underground!” Wen Ye slammed the kitchen knife into the wooden door with a bang.

Old Madam Wen screamed again and hid behind the first and second elders.

They wanted to rush and hold Wen Ye down to beat her, but seeing the knife in her hand, they grew timid and could only resentfully help Old Madam Wen back inside.

Wen Ye grabbed Wen Lan, ready to leave.

Suddenly, Wen Liyue blocked their way, frowning and staring at Wen Lan.

“You, you…”

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“What about me?” Wen Ye stepped in front of Wen Lan.

Wen Liyue stared intently at Wen Lan. “How can you refuse to become a concubine to the Liu family? How can you not go!”

Wen Lan was stunned, her face pale.

Wen Liyue’s accusation was unreasonable, yet Wen Lan felt as if she had done something wrong, as if she had violated some divine law—suffocating and guilt-ridden.

Wen Ye sneered coldly. “If you like being a concubine so much, why don’t you go yourself?”

Wen Liyue snapped, “How could I become a concubine! I…”

“You can’t, so why can my sister?” Wen Ye put her hands on her hips, staring down Wen Liyue like a spirited little rooster.

“We come from the same family, but you’re so noble? Just because you have a cousin who’s a concubine, you think you’re better than anyone?”

“No…” Wen Liyue was confused.

Having a sister who’s a concubine naturally brings shame and invites humiliation from some people… some people? Who were they?

She didn’t know, but a strange feeling and expectation welled up inside her.

Wen Lan should become a concubine! Then she would be humiliated again… and then… and then…

Then what?

Wen Liyue stood dazed, feeling as if the world was spinning wildly. In any case, she felt this was not how things should have unfolded.

It was as if she was missing out on something, and her whole life had suddenly become dim and colorless.

Wen Ye gave Wen Liyue a mocking glance, then took Wen Lan’s hand and turned to leave.

Only Wen Liyue remained standing there, stunned.

…

The two sisters returned to their room and slammed the door shut.

Wen Lan exhaled sharply.

“I don’t know why, but… I suddenly feel so relieved… as if the mountain pressing on my head has vanished…”

Wen Ye smiled softly. “As long as you feel better.”

Because her fate was finally freed from the cage. She no longer had to feed the melodramatic romance of the main couple with her own life.