Before the house was raided, the maidservant of the Prime Minister's residence absconded with t

Tao'er glanced at the people gathered in front of the Liu family's house and asked, "Auntie, is this Liu Daniu's house?"

What happened here?

A round-faced middle-aged woman sighed and said in a low voice, "Young lady, this is Liu Daniu's house."

Oh dear, Da Niu's wife has poor eyesight and accidentally broke a bowl while washing dishes.

Granny Liu has been forcing people to kneel and beating them for almost half an hour.

Da Niu pleaded for leniency, but they were both punished.

What a terrible tragedy!

"What about their son? Don't they care?"

"Just watch them get beaten up?"

Tao'er wondered if her two older brothers were good-for-nothings.

If that's the case, wouldn't that make him a coward?

"Oh, they're not home. Liu Tiezhu went to the mountains to chop firewood and hasn't come back yet."

Liu Tiechui went hunting in the mountains and hasn't returned yet.

The woman shook her head as she spoke, "If they were here, they wouldn't stand by and watch their parents get beaten."

Those two children are very filial, they just aren't home, and there's nothing you can do to stop them.

It turns out he wasn't home.

Tao'er felt a little relieved, but didn't show it on her face; she simply nodded.

Another cry came from the courtyard, this time even louder.

"Mother, please don't hit Su'e anymore. She's weak and can't take it..."

"If you're going to hit someone, hit your son!"

That was Liu Daniu's voice, trembling with sobs, a voice that broke one's heart.

Then Wang's vicious voice rang out: "Liu Daniu, you ingrate! I raised you all these years, helped you get married and have children, and this is how you repay me?"

"You've married a wife and forgotten your mother! I'll beat you to death, you unfilial wretch!"

"Mother, your daughter-in-law knows she was wrong. Please don't hit Da Niu. Hit me instead. I accidentally broke the bowl at home."

Zhang Su'e's voice was so weak it sounded like a cat's meow, and she seemed to have no strength at all.

"Pah! You lazy bum, you deserve to be beaten to death!"

You jinx, you'll get dumped by Da Niu sooner or later.

If you can't even hold a bowl, what else can you do?

All you do all day is eat! You've wasted all the Liu family's rice!

Wang's insults became increasingly vulgar. "I'm telling you, this bowl is worth five coins, and you have to pay for it!"

"If you don't have money, take out that silver hairpin. Don't think I don't know you're hiding some money!"

"Mother, I pawned that silver hairpin a long time ago to look for my Tao'er..."

The sound of Zhang Su'e crying could be heard.

Hearing this, Tao'er could no longer hold back. Her face darkened, and though her voice wasn't loud, it carried an undeniable chill: "Qingge, go in and beat them back."

"Yes, young lady."

Qingge moved nimbly and slipped into the courtyard. Before anyone could see what was happening, they heard a loud "bang," followed by Wang's pig-like scream.

"Ouch, that hurts so much..."

Who the hell dares to hit me?

This is outrageous!

Tao'er walked into the courtyard at a leisurely pace and immediately took in the situation inside.

The courtyard isn't large, with three main rooms and two side rooms on the east and west sides, and it looks quite old.

Much of the plaster on the walls had peeled off, and the yard was cluttered with firewood and farm tools.

Liu Daniu and Zhang Su'e knelt in the middle of the courtyard, their foreheads scraped and bleeding.

Liu Daniu was wearing a patched-up short brown coat, and his face had several red marks, as if he had been whipped with willow branches.

Zhang Su'e was in an even worse state. Her hair was disheveled, her face was covered in bruises, blood was still dripping from the corner of her mouth, and her clothes were torn, revealing skin covered in wounds.

She lowered her head, her body trembling slightly, like a leaf blown away by the wind.

Wang Shi, who had been thrown aside by Qing Ge, was getting up from the ground with a grimace. When she looked up and saw Tao'er, she was stunned for a moment, looked her up and down, and sneered, "Who are you?"

How dare you meddle in the affairs of the Liu family?

Do you know that my son is a scholar?

"If you know what's good for you, get out of here right now, or I'll have my son report you to the authorities!"

Tao'er didn't even glance at her, and quickly walked up to Liu Daniu and Zhang Su'e, bending down to help them up.

Zhang Su'e's body was frighteningly light, like a bundle of dry firewood. Tao'er didn't dare to use any force when supporting her, for fear of crushing her.

"Father, Mother, I'm back." Tao'er's voice was a little strained.

Liu Daniu was stunned. He stared blankly at Tao'er, his lips trembling for a long time, but he couldn't say a word.

Zhang Su'e raised her head, and through her blurry vision, she saw the face of a young girl. She couldn't see clearly, but she heard the voice, and that voice made her heart tremble.

"You...you are..." Zhang Su'e's voice trembled violently.

"Mother, it's me, it's Tao'er."

Tao'er held her hand, and fearing she wouldn't believe her, she showed her left wrist.

"Look, do you remember this birthmark?"

Zhang Su'e looked down, but her eyesight was poor, and it took her a while to see clearly the red crescent-shaped birthmark the size of a copper coin on Tao'er's wrist.

In that instant, her tears flowed like a river bursting its banks, and she hugged Tao'er tightly, wailing loudly.

"Peach!"

My Peach!

Is it really you?

Am I dreaming?

My son, where have you been all these years?

"I thought you were dead. I thought I would never see you again in this life..."

Liu Daniu also realized what was happening. The honest farmer's legs went weak and he almost knelt down again, but Tao'er quickly caught him.

His lips trembled, and tears streamed down his face. He wanted to say something but couldn't utter a word. He just kept wiping his tears with his sleeve, wiping them away only to have them flow again and again.

Looking at their expressions, Tao'er felt a sharp pain in her heart, as if someone had squeezed it.

She sighed inwardly: This father is just too filial!

That's why he lived a humiliating life for most of his life.

From now on, he will make this cheapskate father stand up straight and be a decent human being.

Wang watched this scene from the side, her expression changing repeatedly.

She recognized her; wasn't this girl who had suddenly appeared the same little girl she had sold back then?

Why are you back?

What should we do?

Wang rolled her eyes, thinking that so many years had passed, and since she had no evidence, she could just deny it herself.

Upon realizing this, Wang's slight unease vanished instantly.

"Alright, so that's who it is. It's that brat who's back."

Wang stood with her hands on her hips, spitting as she cursed, "You little hussy, you got lost back then, and now you still have the nerve to come back?"

What do you take the Liu family for?

Can you come and go as you please?

Let me tell you, the Liu family doesn't support idlers. Now that you're back, you have to work.

Starting today, all the housework—laundry, cooking, feeding the pigs, chopping wood—is yours. Don't expect to eat until you finish!

Tao'er slowly turned around and looked at Wang Shi with a cold gaze, like ice in winter.

Wang felt a little uneasy under her gaze, but she still retorted, "What are you looking at?"

I'm your grandma, what's wrong with me saying a few words to you?

What kind of look is that?

Also, I haven't settled the score with you for having someone beat me up!

Do you even respect your elders anymore?

"Aren't there any rules?"

Tao'er's lips curled slightly, and she said with a half-smile, "Grandma?"

You old hag!

"You think you're worthy?"

Upon hearing this, Wang's face turned green with anger: "What did you say?"

Say it again!

Tao'er didn't waste words with her and turned to Qingfeng, saying, "Qingfeng, give this old woman a good beating."