My strength increases by one percent every day; I can destroy stars with my bare hands.

The official disappeared at the village entrance, and the quiet courtyard was filled with the noise of the villagers.

The villagers, who had just been watching from afar with sighs on their faces, now all crowded around.

His face was plastered with a warm and fawning smile, and his attitude underwent a complete 180-degree turn.

The neighbors who had previously dared not speak up to help were now extremely enthusiastic, with some rushing forward to support Li's mother and offer words of comfort.

Someone turned around and ran home, bringing hot water and coarse grain cakes, which they insisted on putting into the hands of the Li family.

Some people even took the initiative to pick up brooms and clean up the mess in the yard, praising the efforts.

"Uncle Li, Aunt Li, your hard times have finally come to an end. Xuan Cang is truly remarkable. Our Qingxi Village hasn't produced any soldiers for the imperial court in so many years."

"That means Xuan Cang is young and promising. He has made great contributions in fighting the enemy on the border. From now on, the Li family will be the pillar of our village."

"If you need anything in the future, just let us know. Neighbors should help each other out."

"..."

Those villagers who usually avoided the Li family and even mocked them in private for their poverty, saying that the family's breadwinner had died outside and there was no one to carry on the family line, all changed their tune at this moment, flattering and vying to curry favor with the Li family, wishing they could establish a connection with them.

Everyone understands that the Li family now has a son serving as a soldier on the frontier. With the protection of the imperial court, they are exempt from all taxes and no one dares to bully them. They are no longer the impoverished family that they used to be, where everyone could bully them.

By currying favor with the Li family, one can have a powerful backer in the village and have someone to rely on even if faced with bandits or exorbitant taxes.

Even if Li Xuancang dies in battle, the imperial court will protect his family for a long time. As long as the Li family behaves themselves, they can live a peaceful life.

Looking at the enthusiastic faces in front of them, Mr. and Mrs. Li felt as if they had been reborn.

Two years ago, my son was forcibly conscripted into the army, and my family suffered all kinds of cold looks and bullying, making it difficult to even survive.

Now that his son has become a soldier in the imperial army, everyone's attitude has changed drastically in just a short time.

In this chaotic world, strength ultimately prevails and power determines one's standing.

Li Xiu held her younger sister's hand tightly, looking at the smiling villagers surrounding her, her heart filled with mixed emotions. She gazed towards the border, silently repeating to herself.

"Little brother, you must take good care of yourself. We're waiting for your safe return."

Li Ling'er wiped away her tears, and a long-lost smile appeared on her face.

She knew that it was her brother protecting them at the border, and from now on, no one would dare to bully her family anymore.

"Fellow villagers, I still need to tidy up my house and don't have time to entertain you. Please go home!"

Having experienced great ups and downs, the Li family had no heart to deal with the crowd and let them go their separate ways.

"Alright, alright, Da Hai, feel free to come to me if you need anything."

"Da Hai, you guys rest first, we won't disturb you any longer."

"The sea, I'll come see you again tomorrow."

"..."

In the past, the villagers would have been furious, but the Li family is not what it used to be. Even though they know Li Dahai is trying to drive them away, they still greet him with smiles.

After everyone left, Li Xiu said to her parents, "Father, Mother, I'm going back now."

Just now, the wealthy Qian family came to the door to demand repayment of debts, and Li Xiu rushed over from her husband's family home upon hearing the news.

She had already married into the Zhang family in the neighboring village. Three years into their marriage, she gave birth to a daughter who had just turned two, whom she named DouDou.

In this chaotic world where sons were valued more than daughters, not being able to give birth to a son was considered the greatest sin in the eyes of one's husband's family.

For the past three years, she has worked tirelessly in the Zhang family, managing household chores from dawn till dusk, yet she still suffers from her mother-in-law's mistreatment and her husband's coldness.

They were often hungry and cold, and were frequently beaten, scolded, and humiliated, making their lives extremely miserable.

Faced with her family's predicament, she pleaded desperately, but her husband's family chose to stand idly by.

Upon hearing that something had happened to her family, she disregarded her husband's family's objections and rushed back home with her baby in her arms.

But she could only watch helplessly as her parents were bullied and her younger sister was dragged away. She was weak and powerless, unable to help in the slightest, and could only shed tears along with them.

Only when the officials arrived and revealed that her younger brother had become a soldier in the imperial army, forcing the wealthy Qian family to leave and averting the disaster for her family, did she finally feel relieved.

Li Xiu held her daughter in her arms and tearfully said goodbye to her parents.

She felt both happy and sad. She was happy that her younger brother had finally made something of himself and was able to protect the family.

What's bitter is that she suffers so much in her husband's family, but now that her younger brother is doing well, she finally has a glimmer of hope.

"Xiuer, you..."

Li's mother wanted to say something, but the words stuck in her throat.

Over the years, the family has lost its breadwinner and has been looked down upon. She knows about her daughter's life in her husband's family, but she is powerless to help.

"Mother, I'm fine. My little brother has become a soldier, and our family's hardships will finally come to an end."

Seeing the guilt in her mother's eyes, Li Xiu offered words of comfort, then hurriedly left with her sleeping daughter in her arms.

"Don't worry! With Xuan Cang becoming a warrior, the Zhang family won't dare to bully Xiu'er anymore."

Li's father spoke softly: "My son has become a soldier; everything has changed."

Li Xiu rushed back, and as soon as she pushed open the dilapidated courtyard gate, a sharp and sarcastic curse came crashing down on her.

"You brat! You actually know how to come back? I thought you were going to die in that wretched place back in your parents' home."

Yang Cuihua stood with her hands on her hips, her face full of fat, glaring fiercely at Li Xiu, spitting as she spoke.

"I told you to stay home and do chores, but instead you ran off to your parents' house on your own, shirking your responsibilities and being lazy. You can't even give birth to a son, yet you have the nerve to run around like this. Raising a daughter-in-law like you is the worst luck imaginable."

The mother-in-law launched into a tirade of abuse, while her husband, Zhang Erzhu, stood by with a cold expression, offering no words of concern but instead harshly rebuking her.

"Mother is right. Quickly throw the girl in your arms aside, go feed the pigs, and sweep the yard clean. All you do all day is cause trouble. You're useless."

They were used to ordering Li Xiu around. In their eyes, Li Xiu was just a free laborer who couldn't carry on the family line and could only be beaten and scolded by them.