The Eldest Daughter of a Rural Family
Chapter 104 Selling to the Mountain Valley (1)_1

Chapter 104: Chapter 104 Selling to the Mountain Valley (1)_1

Hearing Pei Qin say ’go find your real dad’ startled Lady Fang as well, causing her to widen her eyes and her complexion to suddenly pale.

Si Ya stared at Pei Qin, seeing the impatience in her demeanor and the coldness in her gaze, realized she was serious, and instantly panicked.

San Ya’s face turned pale as well, and Pei Wendong was so frightened that he didn’t dare to breathe too loudly.

San Ya and Si Ya, including the youngest Pei Wendong, had all grown up listening to the villagers curse them as bastards, knowing that Pei Houli was their uncle, yet sharing a bed with their mother. The attitude of the outsiders, combined with the atmosphere at home, made it clear to them that their own identities were somewhat humiliating.

Previously, as the eldest sister, Pei Qin had been reticent, always distant from the three siblings, and by extension, distant from Lady Fang, their mother as well.

After falling down the mountain, she had become much more domineering and fierce, and her attitude towards them had improved.

Yet today, she directly scolded Si Ya, telling her to go find her real dad.

Pei Qin saw Lady Fang’s face turn white, her eyes brimming with tears, and knew that what she had said to Si Ya had been harsh, possibly hurting Lady Fang. She looked at Lady Fang with a furrowed brow and some helplessness, "If she continues to behave like this and gets married off in the village, becoming a poor shrew, that would still be passable. But if she goes outside, she wouldn’t even know how she might die!"

Hearing her speak more softly and explain, Lady Fang held back the tears in her eyes and responded gently, "Mother knows. It’s all my fault, not raising her properly!" It truly was her fault! Not just Si Ya, but San Ya and San Lang too; because they were born of Jian Xiao, she had also failed to guide them properly.

Seeing her sharp chin and small shoulders, she had never split the family and had instead focused on making money to support them all, wishing to give them a better life, which made Lady Fang feel even more guilty, "Mother will teach Si Ya well, teach all of them!" Qinqin was not yet fourteen and had taken on the responsibility of the household alone. Her younger siblings could not share the burden, so they absolutely couldn’t drag her down.

Pei Qin’s gaze then fell on Pei Qian, "If you don’t straighten out your behavior, I’ll sell you off to become a child bride in a mountain gully!"

Si Ya jumped up suddenly, "You wouldn’t dare!" Her voice was quite hoarse and choked.

"As the eldest sister, I am like a mother. You just watch if I would dare!" Pei Qin huffed angrily.

Si Ya trembled all over, her lips quivered slightly, her eyes red.

Pei Qin stopped paying attention to her and called San Ya to boil a pot, instructing her to clean and cook the big bones they had bought into soup.

San Ya nervously replied and hurried to the kitchen to get busy.

Pei Wendong also wanted to go help, but he was afraid and did not dare, tentatively approaching only to hear Pei Qin, who was chopping the bones, grumble dissatisfiedly, "You little girl! Still not scared of you!?"

San Ya paused, the eldest sister... was she bluffing Si Ya?

When Pei Qin saw Pei Wendong, she pointed to the sack of meat on the ground, "I bought some zongzi sugar for you; go find it yourself!"

Pei Wendong hesitated, but seeing the look San Ya gave him, fearing Pei Qin would get angry, he hurried over and found the sugar. He had only seen this sugar once, when Sir Lizheng’s grandson was eating it, and he never thought his eldest sister would buy him a whole bag. He didn’t dare to eat it, so he offered it to Pei Qin.

Seeing his eager and cautious demeanor, Pei Qin, who disliked timid men the most, glanced at him again, pinched a piece and threw it into her mouth, then waved him off, telling him to take it to his third sister to eat.

Pei Wendong then took it to Lady Fang and Si Ya in the house.

Lady Fang was in the house advising Si Ya and saw Pei Wendong come in with the sugar, she said to him, "This family should have been supported by me, yet it’s all fallen onto your eldest sister’s shoulders. She’s never eaten much of the meat or sugar she buys for us. She didn’t sell the handcart for ten taels of silver because she valued honor. If she really had sold it, our relations with Wang Tiezhu’s family would have been strained, and then what would we do once the ten taels of silver were gone – just sit and starve? Your eldest sister really loves you, she always tries to earn the best to give to you!"