The Spirited Daughter-in-law and the Mountain Man
Chapter 1381 - Chapter 1381 1381 It's hard to keep it hidden

Chapter 1381: 1381 It’s hard to keep it hidden Chapter 1381: 1381 It’s hard to keep it hidden Xiao Yuchuan nodded.

“Because of this, Father often quarreled with Mom, always telling her it made no sense why she favored one son over another when we were both her flesh and blood.

Mom would invariably retort that I brought bad luck and claimed that marrying Father was picking up a great bargain he didn’t deserve any control over.

However, after I turned ten, for reasons I didn’t understand, Father started treating me poorly too.

Like Mom, he began either beating or scolding me often and frequently left me hungry.”

“That was because Father and Mother had a vicious argument, which ended with Father slapping Mother, reproaching her for mistreating you.

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In truth, Mother had secretly switched the baby in the swaddling clothes, even Father was unaware.

Hence, Father had always been kind to you, protecting you.

During that argument, Mother, unable to contain herself, revealed the truth to Father.

After finding out you were not his own, Father began to treat you just as poorly as Mother did,” Xiao Qinghe sighed.

“At that time, I was only five years old.

I was playing hide and seek with the other children and hid in the large wardrobe, never expecting to overhear such a matter from my parents.

I was young then and didn’t have a strong recollection, but I got caught by Father and Mother.

Mom, with fierce words, forced me into a promise, swearing never to speak of it to anyone.

I was frightened and dared not speak.

Later, as I grew older, Mother brought up the subject a few times and made me swear oaths of secrecy each time, threatening that our whole Family would meet a terrible fate if I ever spoke a word.

When I grew up and understood the situation, I knew that even without Mother’s coercion, I really couldn’t tell.”

The guilt in his eyes deepened, “Although Mother had swapped the child that year, she thought Master Xiao and Lady Xiao were unaware of it.

She was terrified that if the truth were exposed, the real third brother would be in mortal danger.

She was also worried that Master Xiao would retaliate against the Xiao Family.

Given our shared surname but vastly different heritages, it was like heaven and earth.

The life of our entire family was at stake, so we had no choice but to wrong you, third brother.”

Xiao Yuchuan was silent.

“Third brother, I’m sorry.

Even though I knew about your origins, aware that you were born a young master with a ‘golden soup spoon,’ I still couldn’t reveal it for the sake of our family.” He sounded helpless, “I had planned to take this secret to my grave.

But I never, ever expected that Master Xiao and Lady Xiao had known all along.

They had their own considerations.

And my real third brother, who enjoyed more than twenty years of luxury in the Xiao Family in the capital, ended up dying as your substitute.”

After a pause, he continued, “A few days ago, when I heard that my real third brother, Xiao Jingyuan, had died, I felt desolate and pained, yet I also felt that it was his fate, and no one could be blamed.

Although I knew Master Xiao and Lady Xiao would come looking and keeping it secret was pointless, because of the oath taken back then, I still can’t personally reveal your true origins.”

“Fourth brother, you’ve held on to a very deep secret,” Xiao Yuchuan said with a bitter smile.

“I was never one to gossip, and with the lives of our entire family at stake, I had even more reason to keep silent,” he said in anguish.

“Third brother, our Father and Mother were killed by mountain thieves, both met their tragic end.

Before they left that time, they said they were going to work at a wealthy family’s home elsewhere.

In truth, they couldn’t help themselves and secretly went to see the real third brother.

The journey from Wushan Village was long and arduous, and they were unlucky enough to run into mountain thieves on their way back.”

Xiao Yishan too recalled the past.

“I knew it.

Before Father and Mother left, we weren’t short of food, so I questioned why they needed to work elsewhere.

I tried to persuade them not to go, but they insisted and even scolded me for it.

So that was why…

Alas.”