“What are you doing? Didn’t you hear the roosters crow? ” Sui Xi heard the voice say. Only after she saw the forms of the Old Lady and Madam Tan did she realize that it was her grandmother who was speaking to her. “This child... Such an idiot! You can’t even feed these creatures on your own initiative.” Old Lady Guan continued to chide, her sneer growing as little Taiyu cheerfully started calling for Sui Xi as soon as he saw her.

“Sister! Sister!”

Rising onto her feet, Sui Xi quickly bowed her head and paid her greetings. "Grandma. Aunt. Sui Xi greets both of you."

After returning her greeting, Madam Tan crouched down to place her squirming son onto the ground. “Mom, you know Sui Xi can't see. Let me feed them.” Madam Tan said as she walked towards the kitchen door, where the feed was. Upon reaching the sack, Madam Tan quickly scooped a handful of chaff with one hand and scattered them towards the coop.

Unbeknownst to her, Old Lady Guan stepped towards Sui Xi and reached out a hand to tug hard on the little child's ear, a sneer on her face. “Is there any meaning in having you in this world? You can’t even help with any chores.”

Sui Xi could only grit her teeth in pain, feeling rather anguished. Why is Grandmother like this?

Seeing the scene, Madam Tan rushed to get the old lady’s hand off of Suixi. “Mother, Sui Xi doesn’t mean to avoid doing chores. Her poor eyesight and young age have limited her. Please understand.”

“Children at her age from other families would make knots to provide for the family. What can she do? She is born to be a black sheep”, said the old lady curtly as she folded her arms. Hmph, you brat. If only little Tan and Taiyu weren't here…

Not knowing the old lady's thoughts, Madam Tan continued to persuade her with a soft voice. “This is not what Sui Xi wants. That’s her fate. Mom, she is just a little kid.”

Meanwhile, Sui Xi, with her eyes closed tightly, felt her nose suddenly feel as though it was stung. ‘... I didn't want my eyes to be like this. I... I want to see the world. I want to help mom. This fate…

While she was lost in her thoughts, Taiyu crawled on all four limbs towards Sui Xi. Once he reached her, his chubby little hands reached out to hold her hand, using it as a stand to help him stand up. Giggling, he called out in a childish voice. “Sis, sis..."

Hearing her grandson's cute calls, Old Lady Guan screamed and dragged him into her arms. “My darling, don’t touch this unlucky person. You will get cursed!"

Due to Old Lady Guan's actions, little Taiyu simply started to cry and scream as he reached out for Sui Xi, whose face turned pale at her grandmother's words. Clutching his sister's robes, the little dumpling continued to cry. "Sis! Sis! Waa-"

With a sigh, Madam Tan aimed a sympathetic look towards Sui Xi before pulling her son’s hands off her.

Just like that, the old lady left with a sneer towards her only other grandchild before carrying her precious grandson away from the patio. With another sympathetic glance, Madam Tan quickly bowed her head and followed.

Once their footsteps were no longer heard, Sui Xi crouched down while placing her hands over her eyes. Like a tiny fetus in a mother's womb, Sui Xi's thin body was curled up tightly, slightly shaking. 

I… I… Why?

Meanwhile, in the city...

Lady Guan brought the handkerchiefs which she had embroidered for several nights to the clothing shop in exchange for two taels of silver. With the silver in her hands, she signed slightly.

She had three sisters, one was older and the other two were younger. Her elder sister had married a man in a remote place and they hadn’t seen each other for years. One of her younger sisters married a student of their father, living in Wuli City, and the other also lived in Xili, whose husband was a teacher named Fan.

A tour to Wuli City took two days and her elder sister lived farther away. So she could only borrow money from her sister living in the same city. However, they seldom had contact. It wasn’t because they didn’t want to contact each other, but because people always tend to be friendly to the superior whereas the inferior will be disrespected.