Chapter 2: Going Berserk

Chapter 2: Going Berserk

Grandma Tang raised her hand to strike, and the original host took off running.

Unable to catch up, Grandma Tang instructed Dad Tang and Mother Tang to beat her, but they loved their daughter too much and would rather take the beating themselves.

Grandma Tang, who also loved her son, couldn't bear to hit him, so she vented her anger on Mother Tang, while Dad Tang protected his wife.

In a fit of rage, Grandma Tang forbade the original host from eating, but Dad Tang and Mother Tang saved food from their own mouths for their daughter.

They were the main laborers in the family; how could they work without food and earn their work points?

Besides, Grandma Tang couldn't bear to let her son go hungry either.

Thus, despite being despised, the original host held her head high, refusing to back down.

The original host not only argued with Grandma Tang but also fought with the favored Tang Xiang.

She believed her cousin was spoiled and lazy, avoiding work.

From a young age, the original host helped the adults with chores—assisting Grandma Tang in picking vegetables, cooking, sweeping the yard, feeding pigs and chickens, even grinding grain, and gathering grass and firewood whenever she had a moment. Meanwhile, Tang Xiang slept until breakfast was served, pampered and afraid of sun and wind, using sweet words to avoid work.

When they were little, it was understandable, but after turning ten, Tang Xiang still did less work than the original host, even claiming the grass the original host had gathered as her own.

Naturally, the original host would get angry.

Tang Xiang would then mock her cousin for being jealous and competitive, saying she didn’t know how to be a proper older sister.

The usually smiling and amiable Auntie would verbally scold Tang Xiang, patting her lightly, though not removing any dust, showing an attitude. She made her daughter follow the original host to work, forbidding laziness, but later found excuses to let her rest.

Grandma Tang directly berated the original host for being selfish and not knowing how to yield to her younger sister.

This made the original host even more rebellious, fighting with Grandma Tang and tangling with Tang Xiang, leading others to label her as rebellious, temperamental, and uncontrollable.

Due to these family disputes, Dad Tang and Mother Tang also faced criticism and blame.

Feeling inferior for not having a son, and with a daughter who constantly caused trouble, they obediently admitted their faults, worked harder, and ate less, but couldn’t bring themselves to hit their daughter.

Seeing her parents suffer, the original host grew even angrier, blaming them for being too honest, criticizing Grandma for favoritism, and accusing Auntie of pretending to be good.

This naturally led to even harsher criticism, tarnishing her reputation further.

Not knowing how to change this situation, she continued to act recklessly, making things worse.

Today, the reason the original host ended up in the water was because Tang Xiang kicked her.

After lunch, she went to the river to wash clothes, and Grandma Tang ordered her to wash everyone's clothes, including those of the eldest branch.

The original host threw the clothes away.

Enraged, Grandma Tang unleashed a torrent of abuse, which the original host ignored.

Tang Xiang then offered to wash the clothes herself.

At the riverside, Tang Xiang kindly advised the original host not to be so selfish, to be kind to others, and to placate Grandma, warning that otherwise she would suffer more.

The original host retorted, telling her to stop pretending to be nice all day.

While bickering and washing clothes, the original host mocked Tang Xiang about swapping brides for Second Brother.

"The man is crippled, beats his parents, and will definitely beat his wife!"

Swapping brides was always a subject of gossip, even though poverty was widespread, it wasn’t common practice. Only families with disabled sons resorted to such arrangements.

Apart from the stigma of selling daughters, the complications in familial relationships were significant, as conflicts between one couple would affect the other two.

Typically, sisters received dowries upon marriage, which were used to marry off brothers.

Second Cousin was tall and decent-looking, except for a birthmark the size of a child’s palm on his right cheek and some muscle weakness in his right eyelid.

It didn’t affect his work or life, but it impacted his chances during matchmaking, leading women to demand higher dowries.

The family was still in debt from building a house for Eldest Brother’s marriage, and Grandma Tang wanted to wait two more years to repay the debt before marrying off Second Brother.

However, since turning eighteen, Second Cousin was obsessed with getting married, fearing he’d end up alone.

He even complained that floods and disasters in the north had stopped, wishing he could swap a bride like Uncle did with two scoops of cornmeal.

Auntie claimed to have found a suitable match—a girl with a good appearance, gentle temperament, capable of work, and most importantly, likely to bear sons.

Overjoyed, Second Cousin urged Auntie to have Grandma Tang find a matchmaker to arrange the swap.

The original host overheard Auntie and Second Brother talking and secretly investigated the crippled man, learning he was violent and abusive, surely destined to beat his wife.

She became furious, believing Auntie was hypocritical, seeming to care for Tang Xiang but actually using her to swap brides for her son.

Initially, she wanted to warn Tang Xiang, but now, amidst their fight, she gloated about the future hardships Tang Xiang would face if she swapped brides for Second Brother.

Tang Xiang smiled and told her, "Grandma and my parents have already decided you will be the one to swap brides."

How could the original host endure this?

She immediately accused her of lying.

Tang Xiang laughed, taunting her, "Uncle and Auntie agree to let you swap brides for Second Brother, fearing no one will support you afterward."

Hearing this about others angered the original host, but hearing it about her parents made her leap up and attack Tang Xiang.

Tang Xiang nimbly dodged and tossed Dad Tang’s clothes into the water.

Tang Yuan hurried to retrieve her father's clothes that were being washed away by the river, only to be kicked into the water by Tang Xiang.

Although the shallow area wasn't deep, the early spring river was icy and bone-chilling. The original owner was still wearing her cotton clothes and pants, and by the time she climbed out with the basket, she was shivering from the cold.

She yelled about wanting to beat Tang Xiang to death, but Tang Xiang had already run away.

The original owner, trembling, rushed home with a basin, disregarding her high fever and insisting on beating Tang Xiang to death. However, Tang Xiang had already hidden at the commune's second sister's house.

Grandma Tang not only refused to support her but also scolded her for being unreasonable, saying she had scared her sister so much that she didn't dare to come home after kicking her into the river.

The original owner became so enraged that she fainted.

Then Tang Yuan crossed over.

Tang Yuan: "…"

To have her parents work like oxen to earn money for the eldest son's family to build a house and get married was one thing, but they also wanted to scheme against her to arrange a marriage swap with the parasitic second brother?

Knowing that he is lame, ugly, and abusive towards his parents, they don't use their own daughter for the swap but push their niece into a pit instead?

Dream on!

This despicable second cousin directly led to the tragic fate of the original owner and her parents.

If the original owner was the contrast to Tang Xiang, then the second brother was the embodiment of Tang Xiang's humanity.

The second brother did plenty of terrible things, but the protagonist never gave up on him. In the end, she successfully reformed him, and with her and the male lead's help, he became a transportation tycoon despite his disability.

Meanwhile, Tang Dad, whose leg was crippled due to the second brother's actions, and the original owner, who was used in the marriage swap, became the sacrificial lambs.

While the original owner's parents were capable, they served as blood bags for their nephews; once they couldn't work anymore, they were cast aside.

The original owner, who was used in the marriage swap, ended up with a miserable fate.

This plot truly infuriated Tang Yuan the more she recalled it.

Mainly because the original owner shared her name and had vivid memories, and both had stubborn personalities, making her feel as if the original owner was herself.

Want her to follow the plot?

Hmph, dream on.

She clutched the stiff quilt and pondered what to do next.

To live a good life, she must break free from the trouble caused by the second cousin.

Based on her understanding, this era was unique; everyone was restricted by household registration, and without an introduction letter and food tickets, you couldn't go anywhere.

So she couldn't leave home on her own.

The original owner's parents were honest and kind-hearted, though controlled by Grandma and the eldest brother, they loved their daughter, and she needed to take them with her.

Separate households, they must separate households.

Ever since Grandpa Tang died, Grandma Tang took charge, and her word was law; both sons listened to her.

She would never agree to separating households.

The eldest uncle and aunt probably wouldn't want to separate either, despite their talk of brotherly love. Nonsense, naturally, because Tang Dad's legs weren't yet disabled, and Mother Tang hadn't fallen ill; they were the main earners.

Who would help them pay off debts and marry off the second son if they separated?

Moreover, as long as there were no major conflicts or rifts, the original owner's parents, being honest and filial, wouldn't propose separation.

So to separate, only the eldest household could initiate it.

Countless experiences taught her that reasoning with people of low cultural levels was useless.

If you try to reason with Grandma Tang, she'll slap you.

Even if you're right, the villagers will still curse you as ungrateful and unfilial.

So reasoning won't work.

How about using force?

Sorry, she was too frail and weak for that.

There was only one way left.

Tang Yuan combed her hair, rubbing her burning face; she was still running a fever.

In the main room, Grandma Tang continued berating Tang Yuan, "Can't you learn from your sister? Girls should be gentle and obedient. Men prefer that, and when you find a good husband, your in-laws will like you too, and your life will be comfortable. If you keep acting like a bull, your in-laws will beat you every day. There, no one will protect you."

Tang Yuan listened with a cold sneer.

Who was she trying to fool?

Girls are born with a virtual in-law family waiting to despise, scold, and beat them!

She saw a half-bowl of cold ginger soup on the bed ledge, feeling parched, she picked it up and gulped it down.

The chilling sensation invigorated her spirit.

She put down the bowl, then pulled open the broken door of the bed cabinet, taking out two of Grandma Tang's faded and patched red panties.

Clutching the waistband, she wailed, "Grandpa—, Grandpa—, don't go, where are you going? Come back—"

"Ah, Grandma, quick, hold my grandpa back! He's running off with another old woman!"

"Oh my god, my grandpa is having an affair with an old woman!"

Below, Tang Laopozi had already stopped drying her clothes and was chopping up some rotten sweet potatoes, nearly cutting off one of her own fingers in the process.

She stormed into the house with the knife in hand and cursed angrily, "You good-for-nothing girl, what nonsense are you spouting now?"

A red pair of panties landed precisely on her head.