"I'm taking advantage?"
Yi Jing, who was returning home with her twin younger siblings, heard this and flared up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, "How am I taking advantage?"
"Why don't you understand? Your sister has replaced you to go down to the countryside, giving her money is only right."
Zhang Lanxiang gave her a meaningful look, and Yi Jing suddenly realized, giggling as she leaned in to wrap her arms around Yi Yong's arm, speaking softly, "Dad, don't blame sister, it's all my fault. If it weren't for my poor health, sister wouldn't need to go down to the countryside."
Yi Jian Country, the male child destined to inherit the throne of the Yi Family, didn't care who went down to the countryside, as long as it wasn't him.
"Mom, is the meal ready? I'm hungry."
"It's ready, let's all gather to eat."
"Yay!"
Soon, the whole family gathered around the square table.
The twin sister, Yi Ling, looked at the table with its stir-fried cabbage without a trace of oil, pickled radish, and salty veggies, pouting in dissatisfaction, "Why are there no eggs? How is this food supposed to be eaten?"
For this daughter who inherited his looks, like she was carved from the same mold as himself, Yi Yong's attention to her was limited to Yi Jian Country.
He looked displeasedly at Song Guixiang, "Didn't I say there should be eggs prepared for Jian Country and Lingling every day? Where are the eggs?"
"Xiao Chi ate them."
Zhang Lanxiang openly put eye ointment on Yi Chichi, "Xiao Chi said she was going down to the countryside and wanted to eat well. I thought since she was going in place of Jingjing, we should remember this favor, so I gave her all the eggs."
"All of them? She ate all 12 eggs?"
Yi Jian Country couldn't believe it, his eyes bulging as if he wanted to eat someone.
Zhang Lanxiang responded with a hum, seeing Yi Yong's face turning ugly and his eyes seemingly spitting fire, she immediately leaned over, patting his chest with affection, softly persuading, "Old Yi, don't be angry, it's normal for kids to have complaints."
"Once she goes down to the countryside, it'll be fine."
Saying so, she looked at Yi Jian Country and them, "Don't blame your sister Xiao Chi for eating too many eggs, it was just this once. Once she goes down to the countryside, all the eggs will be yours."
Yi Jian Country and the rest were still unhappy but said nothing.
Yi Yong, in a towering rage, slammed the table making it bang and echo, "That worthless wench! If it weren't for her going down to the countryside in three days, I'd break her legs!"
The sound was quite loud, causing Yi Chichi, who had just returned home from selling her work and visiting the doctor with a huge sum of 680 yuan, to curl the corners of her mouth into a cold smile. This biological father was worse than a beast.
At least beasts protect their young, but this father of the original owner... not worth mentioning!
She glanced at the oil paper package in her hand, a flash of coldness flickering in her eyes.
She had originally thought of severing ties in a gentle way, but now, there was no need for that.
She wanted this whole family to turn on each other and descend into hell.
Raising her hand to knock on the door, the noise inside abruptly stopped.
Zhang Lanxiang was aware, "It must be Chichi back. Old Yi, don't lose your temper with the child later. If she has any grievances, let her express them; after all, us as parents shouldn't hold grudges against our kids, it's all for their benefit..."
These words couldn't be more understanding, anyone who heard would think these words were to advise Yi Yong, but in reality, they were fanning the flames.
Yi Yong lived up to her expectations, the anger in his chest because Yi Chichi made it so his precious son couldn't have eggs was burning hotter and hotter.
"She has grievances? What grievances?! I've raised her to this point without getting any thanks, and she resents me! Whose child is as ungrateful as her, a white-eyed wolf?! Seventeen or eighteen years old, and she doesn't understand anything; going to the countryside, it's not like she's being sent to die!"
The more Yi Yong spoke, the angrier he became, seeing Yi Chichi holding two oil paper packages with a blank expression walking in, he shouted angrily, "What are you carrying? And who do you think you're showing that dead face to?"
Yi Chichi couldn't be bothered with him, stepping towards the kitchen.
"Yi Chichi, I'm talking to you, are you deaf? Your sister wasn't bad to you, she's taking your place to the countryside..."
"Can you stop talking?"
Yi Chichi, impatient with his nonsense, opened the oil paper package to reveal the medicinal herbs inside, "I have a headache, can you wait until I've brewed and finished my medicine before you lecture me?"
She looked at the pursuing Yi Yong with a sorrowful expression, "Dad, my head hurts so much I feel like dying!"
Yi Chichi, already malnourished, at 165cm tall was scrawny like a bag of bones, her face so thin that her cheekbones protruded, yet she had a pair of big eyes.
With her face so thin, those big eyes looked even larger, with tears about to spill over, she looked truly pitiful.
Yi Yong's face showed some reluctance, and Zhang Lanxiang, who was always observing the father-daughter duo, immediately sensed something was wrong and rushed over to hold him.
"Old Yi, let Chichi take her medicine first, we can talk after she's had it."
She pulled Yi Yong away, speaking in a pretentious gentle tone, "Xiao Chi, do you need mom's help?"
"No need."
Seeing her refusal, Zhang Lanxiang didn't insist.
The family of five returned to the table to eat, nobody asked if Yi Chichi had eaten, it was as if she wasn't there.
Yi Chichi was happy to be left alone, skillfully took the lid off the coal stove, and when the fire was on, she put the small iron pot on top.
Then she poured the braised pork she brought back into the pot, and from the herb package, she took out ground medicinal powder, sprinkling it in and stirring evenly.
Traditional Chinese medicine is a mysterious existence, it can both heal and harm.
Yi Chichi wasn't a traditional Chinese medicine doctor, but her family in her original world was somewhat special.
Her father's side was a family of traditional Chinese medicine doctors, while her mother's side was a family of embroiderers.
Whether it's traditional Chinese medicine or embroidery, they both require talent.
Unfortunately, her talent was entirely in embroidery.
She learned traditional Chinese medicine too, but while she didn't master healing, she excelled in poison-making and hypnosis, those marginal arts.
She didn't intend to poison Yi Yong and the others to death, when her goal was achieved, the Revolutionary Committee would come looking for trouble.
The Yi family wasn't worthy of dirtying her hands.
As the temperature of the iron pot rose, the braised pork in the pot began to emit a rich aroma.
Yi Jian Country had a sharp nose, his eyes lit up upon smelling the meat aroma.
"There's meat."
He sniffed like a puppy trying to find where the aroma came from, only to find Yi Ling and the others also staring at something behind him.
Turning back, he saw Yi Chichi coming over with a plate of braised pork.
"Eat up!"
She put the plate on the table and turned back to the kitchen.
In the 1970s, material shortages made wanting to eat some meat extremely difficult.
The heavily oiled and sauced braised meat instantly made Yi Yong and the others' mouths water, its faint medicinal aroma unknowingly confusing them.
Yi Yong, originally planning to curse her out, was so mesmerized by the smell that he forgot everything, grabbing a piece of braised meat with chopsticks and stuffing it into his mouth.
As his chopsticks moved, Yi Jian Country and the others followed suit.
The family of starved gluttons devoured the food like they were reincarnated from hungry ghosts.
Yi Chichi coldly watched them gulp the meat down, then turned calmly back to the stove, methodically handling the remaining medicinal herbs.
Time ticked by second by second.
Finally, a "thud" sound echoed like heavenly music.
Yi Chichi, sitting on a small stool leaning against the wall with her eyes closed, stood up to take a look outside—Yi Jian Country had fallen off his chair and was snoring on the floor.
The sound was loud as sawing wood.
As for Yi Yong and the rest, they were either slumped over the table or slouching in their chairs lifelessly.
Yi Chichi curled her lips into a smile, hastily checking if they were all alive, then went to get some rope, tying up their hands and feet like pigs.
Once tied, she arranged the family of five neatly.