Zhou Gu'er's gaze turned cold at the thought of her past life. She couldn't bring herself to see someone who didn't even treat her own mother with kindness as a sister.
"I'm sick," Zhou Gu'er said coldly.
'I've slaved away for this family for years, and not one person has ever been grateful. They just took it for granted. Why should I put up with that? I won't tolerate it this life.'
Zhou Gu'er's expression and tone stunned Zhou Duo'er. 'Is this still the same silent, timid older sister?'
For all these years, Zhou Gu'er hadn't even dared to speak loudly. She had always just quietly listened to whatever Zhou Duo'er said to her. 'How dare she talk to me like that? Is she trying to start a rebellion?'
"You get sick from a little rain? Stop pretending! Besides, you're sick, not dead. What gives you the right to stay in bed? Get up, right now! If you don't, you can forget about eating later."
Zhou Duo'er's expression was vicious. She had been bullying her older sister her whole life and was used to it. She refused to believe that in this house, her sister could defy her.
"I'm not dying, no, but I can't get out of the kang. As for whether I get to eat or not, you don't get to decide."
Zhou Gu'er retorted. In her past life, she had been too afraid. Even though her adoptive mother told her to rest, she didn't dare. She forced herself to get up and work. By the time she got back on the kang that night, the world was spinning, and she almost fainted. But even so, she got no credit for it, nor did she earn a single smile from anyone. 'Why suffer when no one appreciates it?'
In this life, she wouldn't be so foolish. Since her adoptive mother had gone to the trouble of getting her a day of rest, she couldn't waste that kindness. Besides, she really was sick; it wasn't an act. She had a bit of a fever and felt weak. 'Would I be out of my mind to force myself up to work in this condition?'
"You! How dare you talk to me like that! You..."
Seeing her sister act this way, Zhou Duo'er was furious, her voice rising several pitches.
"What's all the shouting! Are you all trying to stir up trouble because you've got nothing better to do? Do I have to sell you all off to get some peace and quiet? If I hear you squawking again, I'll beat you all and throw you out."
Zhou Mazi's cursing came from the doorway.
It wasn't really surprising that Zhou Mazi was like this. He had a bad temper to begin with, and with the family's poor financial situation, money was tight. He couldn't even drink as he pleased, which only made him more irritable.
Of course, he wouldn't be like this if they were sons. But they were just a pair of girls who would sooner or later belong to another family anyway. Especially since one wasn't even his own flesh and blood, he didn't hold back when he cursed them. Forget cursing—it was normal for him to hit them when he got angry.
Zhou Duo'er jumped, her shoulders trembling involuntarily. She didn't dare to even breathe too loudly.
Zhou Gu'er flinched as well. It was a visceral reaction from her body. In her past life, she had been terrified of her adoptive father because he held her fate in his hands.
But then she remembered the way her adoptive father looked when he died, and recalled her own death. Zhou Gu'er suppressed the fear in her heart. Later in life, her horizons had broadened. She knew that her adoptive father, who had once seemed to weigh on her like a great mountain, was in fact just another pitiful man. As long as she was strong and self-reliant, he couldn't decide her fate. Everything depended on her.
After Zhou Mazi's shouting, Zhou Duo'er muttered a few words under her breath, but ultimately didn't dare say anything more. She left the room with a long face.
But Zhou Gu'er ignored all this. She wasn't concerned with Zhou Duo'er right now. Her mind was on something else: in about a year, her adoptive father would marry her off to Zhang Da. She had to make a plan within that year, as her very fate depended on it.
Before Zhou Gu'er could sort out her thoughts, the Zhou family started eating breakfast.
Breakfast was hominy porridge with a side of pickled vegetables.
Li Hua brought a bowl to the kang, arranged the quilt to prop her up, and handed the bowl to Zhou Gu'er.
It was a bowl of porridge with a small helping of pickled vegetables on top.
Zhou Gu'er took it. The Zhou family was not well-off. Even though she was sick, there was no way she would get anything special to eat. It was good enough that they weren't letting her starve.
Zhou Gu'er silently ate the entire bowl of porridge.
When Li Hua came to collect the bowl and chopsticks, she saw that the bowl was clean and smiled gently. She told Zhou Gu'er to keep resting, then went back to her chores.
"Get up. Stop pretending. You really think you're some young lady? There's a pile of chores waiting."
When Zhou Feng'er saw that Zhou Gu'er had actually lain down again, she told Zhou Duo'er to go get her. But Zhou Duo'er just pursed her lips and didn't move. Unaware of what had happened between Zhou Duo'er and Zhou Gu'er that morning, Zhou Feng'er stormed over to the kang herself.
'What a joke. She'd left early this morning and hadn't done any work. If Zhou Gu'er didn't get up now, she would have to do it. She didn't dare run off again; otherwise, the work wouldn't get done, and they would all get yelled at.'
Zhou Gu'er gave her a cold look.
"Mom told me to rest. I can't get up. If you want me to get up, you'll have to go talk to Dad."
Although Zhou Gu'er disliked her adoptive father, right now he was her shield. He was the sky of this family, and his name was a very useful tool.
Sure enough, Zhou Feng'er bit her lip and shot Zhou Gu'er a venomous glare.
"Don't think I don't know what you're up to. You're just a lazybones. You might as well just sleep yourself to death."
As expected, Zhou Feng'er didn't dare to argue loudly with Zhou Gu'er. If she angered her father, Zhou Mazi, it wouldn't end well for her either.
Still, she was a little puzzled. 'This older sister of mine is so timid, she's never dared to talk back to me. Why is she so different after getting sick? Does she not want to live in this family anymore?'
Zhou Gu'er didn't bother responding. She knew exactly what these two sisters were like and couldn't be bothered with them.
Zhou Feng'er left resentfully, and Zhou Duo'er hurried after her. Once again, Zhou Gu'er was alone in the room.
She had wanted to think things through, but she had a fever. Her mind was foggy, her body ached, and her eyelids felt heavy. She fell asleep within two minutes.
She slept for another two or three hours. When she woke up again, she stared at the dusty gray walls, the trunk on the kang, the kang quilt, and it finally sank in.
This really wasn't a dream. She had truly returned to her eighteen-year-old self.
Zhou Gu'er lay there for another five minutes. She felt her mind was a bit clearer, not as groggy as it had been that morning.
She got dressed and climbed off the kang.
She didn't want to lie down anymore. She wanted to get up and walk around, to see the village again. It felt like she hadn't seen it in many years.
She left her room and went into the courtyard.
"Didn't you say you couldn't get up? What are you doing out here?"
The sharp-eyed Zhou Feng'er spotted Zhou Gu'er the moment she came out and immediately started shouting.
She was being so loud and fearless. Zhou Gu'er knew at once that their adoptive father must not be home. Who knows whose house he'd run off to to get drunk this time.
"Gu'er, why are you up?"
Hearing the commotion, Li Hua, who was busy in the kitchen, rushed out to see.
Zhou Duo'er was also standing at the kitchen door, scowling at Zhou Gu'er. But there was a hint of glee in her eyes. 'Is my older sister getting up to help with the chores? Does that mean I don't have to work anymore?!'