"Mother, I was wrong, I was wrong, I beg you not to let Dajiang divorce me, I beg you!"
Thud, thud, thud—
The young woman cried out hysterically, her head incessantly hitting the ground, and soon her forehead was a deep red.
Meng Yao instinctively went to support the woman, but froze upon seeing her own outstretched hands.
Dry, sallow, with hangnails at the tips.
The nails were uneven, and there was dark dirt trapped under them.
Are these her hands?
How ridiculous, impossible!
A good mental outlook is the most basic quality a doctor should have; clean hands are fundamental.
In her daze, a tall, slender young man stepped forward and tugged at the crying woman. Although she struggled, she was quickly dragged to the doorway.
Meng Yao didn't have much time to think and shouted loudly, "Let go!"
The young man was quite obedient and immediately released his grip.
The young woman's forehead knocked against the threshold, adding injury on top of injury.
Meng Yao hurried to help, thinking about how to deal with the wound on her forehead. Though not deep, left untreated, it could easily get infected.
The young woman shrank away, even avoiding her.
This…
Puzzled, Meng Yao's head throbbed, and a huge surge of memories that didn't belong to her flooded her mind.
Meng Yao looked incredulously at the young man—
Her son!
The pitiful young woman, like a lonely cabbage—
Her daughter-in-law!
As for herself—
Though, just like before the time travel, still thirty-three years old, she now had three sons and one daughter.
The eldest son was right in front of her, named Zhao Dajiang, seventeen years old, and got married last autumn.
The second son, Zhao Dahe, was fourteen and studied at the town school.
The third son, Zhao Xiaoshu, was nine and was an apprentice at the town carpenter's shop.
Daughter Zhao Xiaohua, was a twin with Zhao Xiaoshu, though born two quarters earlier.
Don't underestimate these two quarters; the siblings' lives were worlds apart.
This particular body had an easy birth with Zhao Xiaohua and didn't suffer terribly. Plus, Zhao Xiaohua was the only daughter, so she was greatly spoiled, never touching any household chores.
Having Zhao Xiaoshu was terribly painful, broke the body. Zhao Xiaoshu was born not crying; the original man took him to see a doctor, barely saving his life.
The original perspective saw the youngest son as a burden, thus he wasn't fond of him.
People say emperors love their firstborns, and commoners dote on the youngest.
This didn't apply to the original.
Otherwise, Zhao Xiaoshu wouldn't be sent to the carpenter's shop as an apprentice at eight. Know that it's tough being an apprentice; not much different from selling oneself. With a good master, life is easier; with a bad one, beatings are routine.
Zhao Xiaoshu's master was the bad kind.
Meng Yao laboriously processed the additional memories in her head.
Before the time travel, she was already twenty-eight when she graduated with a doctorate.
Afterwards, she poured herself into work with passion and, realizing her personal matters unresolved, was already thirty-three. Under elders' arrangements, she went on several blind dates, all to no avail.
As a single dog from birth, she was ready to not marry. Now, it's all good, skipped love, bypassed marriage, straight to having four kids.
Does this count as her responding to the nation's call?
Speaking of which, since she time-traveled, she didn't wish for any Princesses or noble ladies, but at least something serene and beautiful?
At the very least, poor matters not, a young girl is also fine.
Thirty-three sounds not much, but ancient thirty-three and modern thirty-three cannot be compared.
Meng Yao's suppressed emotions were about to explode.
"In-law, in-law—" The loud voice vibrated in Meng Yao's ears, heaving like it came with an amplifier.
Soon after, a gray-clad, skinny old lady appeared before Meng Yao.
Song Xiu'er's mother, Mrs. Li.
Before Meng Yao could react, Mrs. Li raised her foot and viciously kicked Song's body, cursing while kicking.
Meng Yao instinctively grabbed the broom on the bed and swung at Mrs. Li. She was feeling suffocated, so anyone who senselessly came forward got hit first.
Mrs. Li dodged while shouting, "In-law, what madness are you on? It's me, I'm Xiu'er's mother!"
"I'm hitting you, in broad daylight, barging into my home to hit my daughter-in-law, who gave you the guts!" Meng Yao swung the broom harder, clearly seeing earlier that Mrs. Li kicked Song Xiu'er fiercely; Song Xiu'er's stomach must be bruised by now.
No need to trace original memories, just seeing in front of her, with Mrs. Li's cruelty to her own daughter, Meng Yao was certain she wasn't a nice person.
Hence, the broom swung more joyfully.
"Mother, mother, Xiu'er is bleeding..." Zhao Dajiang's voice was filled with fear.
Meng Yao turned and saw a puddle of blood spreading under Song Xiu'er.
"Why are you still standing there? Quickly, carry her to the bed." Meng Yao shouted.
Zhao Dajiang frantically carried her to the bed, and Meng Yao grabbed Song Xiu'er's wrist, her expression sank, indeed, Song Xiu'er was pregnant.
But now—
Just seeing the large puddle of blood on the ground, she knew the child couldn't be saved.
Mrs. Li saw this too and ignoring Meng Yao, stealthily prepared to slip away, entirely unconcerned with Song Xiu'er's situation.
"Why are you standing there? Hurry and get the doctor." Meng Yao urged Zhao Dajiang.
Zhao Dajiang rushed out in panic.
Mrs. Li was already moving to the courtyard, and Meng Yao darted out and pulled her back, "Killed someone and you still want to go?"
Mrs. Li turned pale, her voice stubbornly, "In-law, you can't speak nonsense, I didn't kill anyone."
Meng Yao pointed to the puddle of blood on the ground, speaking through clenched teeth, "Xiu'er was pregnant, you killed my eldest grandchild."
"Even if she was pregnant, I didn't know, if I knew, would I have kicked without restraint? You dead girl really are something, no mouth? Wouldn't say a word? If you'd said you were pregnant early on, your mother-in-law wouldn't let Dajiang divorce you, would she? If Dajiang didn't divorce you, would I come to your house?" Mrs. Li scathingly accused Song Xiu'er.
Meng Yao was shocked, had seen shamelessness, but not such shamelessness. Mrs. Li pushed the blame onto Song Xiu'er with a few words.
In short, Song Xiu'er herself wasn't good, couldn't blame her.
"Can you speak human words? The one lying there is your own daughter!" Meng Yao was seething with anger and picked up the broom, "You kicked her into a miscarriage, and now you're justified?"
Mrs. Li jumped aside, "You're not much better, my Xiu'er's head is bleeding, wasn't it you who hit her, then who? Say I hit Xiu'er into miscarriage, I say you, heartless and rotten, tormented Xiu'er's child away! Xiu'er, you tell, tell, was it your mother-in-law? Don't be afraid, just say it, mother will back you up!"
Song Xiu'er looked at the two woodenly, her gaze lifeless.
Meng Yao was all too familiar with such a look.
Sure enough, Song Xiu'er pulled the hairpin from her head, resolutely thrusting it towards her neck.