The death was actually fast.
Except feeling strange pain and then nothing else, she was actually lucky one.
Some starved to death, some died from painful sickness or other causes, but she just died after a bit of pain.
She opened her eyes and got instant memories.
While others get dizzy or rain, she just got it instantly.
In this world she was not Li Mei then Su Fei.
Sixth of seven daughters her mother had.
And her mother had whooping seventeen children.
First ten were all boys and not one was good person.
Her father early separated family from her grandfather that personally found it ridiculous for having so many child.
He had just some land and rest of time he was hunting.
As soon boys were old enough, they hunted as well.
Now oldest son was already thirty five and she was already thirteen.
"Father, it's time we or marry her off or sell her to noble house as servant." The oldest, Su Dalang spoke outside the house.
Su Quan, the father was already old. His wife was so exhausted she died year before and knew he might die soon as well.
He married off all his daughters except these two , but his grandsons needs to marry soon and they had no money.
Selling his aunt's to get them wives?
Su Fei snorted.
She glanced at her twelve year old sister and furrowed her eyebrows. If she leaves now, who knows what will happen to this girl.
To her surprise her father chuckled.
"Oh? Since when are you elder in my household?"
Su Dalang got used to order his brothers around that he forgot he was not yead of the house.
"Father? I mean..." Even if he was gutsy, he didn't dare to disrespect his own father or how brothers really might kill him for being unrespectful.
Su Quan glanced at his youngest son. "Bring clan elder here."
The twenty years old man rushed away and rest of them fell silent. No one dared to speak. Not even Dalang.
Even dozens of children closed their mouths seeing the stiff situation.
Not long after the clan elder came with few more people, carrying bunch of strange rolls of paper.
"Brother, did you finally get some trip?"
Su Quan could only blush and nod. "Yes."
The sons just silently exchanged glances not knowing what they were talking about and waited.
Su Quan cleared his throat and looked at them. "I have ten sons. I bought ten acres of land and each of my son's will get axre of land. I have five hundred seventy taels saved. Each of you will get fifty taels and rest is for my own use. The food will be separated in eleven parts. Ten for my son's, one for me. Their obligation is to give me yearly each five hundred coins each or to get me ten bags of grain each. Write it down. Today we separye household. The house and small garden will be mine. They have to leave house now. And yes, the ten mud houses on each land is already built. I asked elders to build it three days ago. For better houses I certain you can build better on your own."
While Dalang froze, rest of brothers almost cried out of happiness.
Out of ten brothers, he was laziest.
Su Quan knew them all well and smiled as he signed and stamped with his seal the separation letter.
"Pack your things. Elders, pelase separated the food."
Dalang saw suddenly his two sisters standing there and spoke without thinking.
"What about them two?"
Everyone froze.
Su Quan almost wanted to laugh and winked at his older brother. "You are such a good brother. Good. Then let's get from each of you one time each five taels as their dowry and that's it. They will get them each twenty five taels. This is right. You as brothers this so best way. The other five girls got twenty five taels as well. Good. I didn't wast my years raising you."
The elders separated money and gave him another fifty taels doe the two girls and the ten brothers just coupe only shut up.
Forty five taels is a huge amount. It would take them years to gather this.
And yes, their sisters indeed had each twenty five teals as dowry.
What they didn't expect was that they had to pay it.
All the words they wanted tos at they gulped down as they saw two girls in clothes filled with patches. Their own children had new clothes but their sisters wore clothes worse then beggars on street.
Su Fei held hand of her sister, Su Yue and pulled her to kneel. "I'm grateful to deities to be born in this family. I have ten brothers that care for us sisters. Thank you brothers. I will never forget this. I promise. Who is good to me I remember and who si bad to me I remember as well."
From ten brothers not even one gave her one bite to eat or one cloth to wear. Her sister that was ten barely spoke as she was bullied since small on.
Her thin body was glued to her body as she relied only on her. She must fist marry her little sister to a good man before leaving this crazy family.
Neighbors peeked over the walls and trough the open gate and shook tehir heads. Some had plans to marry her for the godo dowry and some really liked the two hardworking girls that would be good for their family.
Yes, not one felt pity for them for obvious reasons then had just curiosity and greed one way or the other.
Su Quan was aware of his neighbors and intentionally sent the other daughters in far away villages and told them never to come back.
Ever.
Even if they become widows it better to be far from this village as their family was anyway not form this place originally then from north.
Suddenly a strange idea popped in his mind and he looked at his brother. "Brother, father always wanted to go back home. I'm planning to take his and mother's remains to north. Do you want to come with me?"
His brother was stunned for a moment and then shook his head. "I can't. I'm elder now and my duty is to stay until my death here. One day in future I hope as well to have my remains and plate in our ancestral grounds. Brother, now that you separated, maybe going north is not that safe."
Su Quan shook his head. "Now the war passed and the controls are strict and bandits still don't dare to attack. It's safer now then when armies relax. Now soldiers control streets so now is safest time."
He tuned his head towards his son's and was about to ask but all ten avoided his eyes and he lowered his arm.
His eyes were full of pain but suddenly two pairs of hands held his hands. "Father, we will come. We will become your warm padded jackets and take care of you until death. Hmmm."
Su Fei maybe was not cute child, but Li Mei was. She knew how to handle elders with cuteness and it worked...