Sun hwa's lashes stirred slightly revealing a pair of hazel colored eyes
She could still remember what happened earlier and how Guang hong had knocked her out cold with a hand chop to her neck
"Pathetic" she spat in disdain staring at her hands which were almost as skinny as twigs
Her skin wasn't pale white
Like her original body
Instead she was tanned and look extremely malnourished
She got off the bed pulled the top layer up revealing the varieties of items underneath
Most of which were her own personal items
She rummaged through them
But there was barely anything but old clothes, socks and a cotton padded jacket that had seen times
She grabbed an old copper mirror
Though it was small it was enough for her to see her reflection
And staring back at her was a face from nightmares
Sunken eyes which held a haunting depth, a lean angular face carved from persistent hunger and hardships with her skin clinging tightly to her bones
Sun hwa gasped in shock
She couldn't believe the person staring back at her was the original owner's body
She hadn't even noticed If she hadn't looked deeply
This wasn't dieting
She would have thought it was dieting with how skinny the original owner looked
However staring at her reflection
Which was haunting and painful to the eyes
She could deduce the fact that the original owner had gotten this way due to
Abuse? Neglect ?
Who knew
To make matters even worse she was with a child
She couldn't help but wonder If truly the groom had ran away seeing his ugly bride
Her memories of the original owner was a jumbled mess
Except the few scattered pieces of information about the Wang family, there was nothing about her life before being a Wang
"Eat first think later" with this thought she fished out a few pieces of panckakes
Cold or hot didn't matter
What mattered was having a full meal
Hence she ate the pancakes up quickly, she didn't dare to take out any more for fear of the aroma lingering in the air causing trouble for her later.
Once done she dusted her body briefly and then she slowly made to the door, she opened it a bit staring out at the open yard
Seeing no one she stepped back in arranged everything in the room to its original place and then she slipped out
"Fifth wife" Guo Jinyi called as she hurriedly over, in her hand was a woven basket full of wild vegetables picked from the back mountain
No one was happier than her knowing each household finally had to make their own meals
Their third household wasn't large with only one son her husband and two daughters who had married out
"You're still weak you should lie in bed more, I saved some porridge for you earlier
Once I heat up, you can drink it with a bun
My mother in law made it earlier, I'm not a great cook" Guo Jinyi blushed as she hurried into the kitchen while sun hwa found a spot to sit under the trees
The laughter of the village children could be heard from afar
Sun hwa temporarily closed her eyes allowing their laughter and cheers calm the raging storm in her heart
Guo Jinyi was efficient with her hands as in no time a bowl of porridge and a bun the size of a adult's fists was brought over to sun hwa
"It was a good thing you were taken in early, it was war here earlier
Our Wang family would know some peace now that the families are split
The second household and fourth branch were banking on their favorability in the old matriarch's eyes but who knew Madam Lin wouldn't be outdone
She brought the team leader and village chief into the matter swiftly
It was pure chaos" Guo Jinyi sighed
Remembering all that had transpired made her shudder
"It took a whole more than the team leader and village chief to split to assets,
The womens leader was called over even the party secretary made a special trip down to calm the chaos
The second branch are gutsy and audacious
With more people they take us all as fools" she couldn't help scoffing in disdain
Sun hwa on the other hand wasn't bothered with what went on as she focused on finishing her meal
The porridge was warm and tasty, it was obvious Madam Zhou chun hua hadn't been stingy with her supplies
She had used it generously though in moderation but the outcome was tasty, even the bun though made of coarse grain flour wasn't scratchy and hard to swallow
In fact it was soft, tender and delicious hence sun hwa unknowingly finished it all
"Do you want more?" Guo Jinyi asked seeing sun hwa had cleaned out the bowl even a drop of porridge couldn't be seen
"I'll eat the rest later, about the split household where's my fifth household's share?" Sun hwa noting the fact that Guo jinyi hadn't spoken about her fifth household's share of anything couldn't help speaking up
"The fifth household's share is being held by the matriarch" Guo Jinyi whispered fearful of the old matriarch overhearing her which would spell trouble for them both
"What am I supposed to live by?" Sun hwa couldn't help frowning
This Wang family were too audacious
"Dilly dallying do you have that much spare time!" Matriarch Deng's voice reached them even before she stepped out of her chamber
Guo Jinyi paled instantly as she shot up from her seat as if scorched
"Mother" she bowed deeply signaling sun hwa who gave a curt bow
"Instead of wasting your time on unimportant things. How about you give the third branch a grandson!" Matriarch Deng stomped her cane angrily
Guo Jinyi's face paled and her fist clenched the hem of her dress tightly
Her inability to have a son had become a source of ridicule and mockery
In a family like the Wang's were sons were more valued than daughters
Yet she had three daughters consecutively and she loved them with her very being
"Go into the inner house and get the things for the girl" The matriarch let out a long sigh and continued on her way out
Guo Jinyi was shaken but she didn't dilly dally
Maybe years of the constant abuse had made her numb to it
Who knew
She quickly brought the things out before the old matriarch changed her mind
It wasn't everyday the matriarch was this generous
"Once the grains are harvested there'd be enough grain to last half a year if used sparsely" Guo Jinyi laughed showing sun hwa everything allocated to the fifth household
"Mm" sun hwa didn't say much though her eyes scanned everything with a smile
There was a few farming tools, a wok, pot and knife, there was a few bags of grains (millet, wild rice, and potatoes as well as bedding, land deeds and a few other things which included a pouch full of silver taels and a bunch of tickets
"A land deed?" Sun hwa raised a brow
She hasn't expected the Wang family to have more land than they had seeing as their whole family shared this one courtyard
"The fifth son bought the land with his own money and built a house on it" Guo Jinyi replied as she stood up and begun handling the wild vegetables she had picked earlier
"I can show you around later cause the second and fourth household were eyeing that house
It would interesting to watch them bicker over something that isn't even theirs in the first place
The old matriarch does favor the fifth son more else it would have been hard to hold unto that land deed with the second house clamouring how big their household is
The biggest in the Wang family but the old matriarch stood her ground stubbornly
Unwilling to give out her son's sweat even when sharing money only a few broken silver was given to the fifth house but the old matriarch stood against it
Cause even before the fifth left he was the main work force in this household
His earnings was more than everyone else" Guo Jinyi narrated the whole ordeal with clarity
Sun hwa couldn't help glancing at Guo Jinyi every now and then as she bustled around the yard doing this and that
Sun hwa stored the pouch of money in her person
For the other things she took them into the room and stored them in the storage under the bed
Her stomach was full from eating hence she didn't bother with the buns and pancakes intending to save them for later hence she casually strode out after tidying up
She locked the door carefully making sure not to leave any loose ends
Cause once stolen no one would admit it
And she was gonna be the only one to suffer.
With money in hand she could improve her diet more
"Sister in law, when is your third branch heading to the market?" She couldn't help asking mentally making a list of all she needed to get
"Old Wu's Oxcart would be at the village entrance by 7am tomorrow, we should be going tomorrow too, though it would be a hassle if the first,second and fourth branch intends to tag along" Guo jinyi voiced out her concerns
The envy in the others eyes for her and sun hwa
Was obvious as day
With bigger a household the expenses were handled by the mother in laws respectively and though the third branch expenses was handled by madam Zhou
There was only one son Guo jinyi's husband Wang Jinlong and three daughter s
Hence their situation was better off
And sun hwa was the only standing individual of her fifth household' she worried trouble was bound to happen along the line
"Once you're done let's check out the house and call it a day" sun hwa proposed and Guo Jinyi nodded as she begun to hasten up fearing delaying any further
Cause once the main house arrived, there'd be no time to go out and do their own things
Meanwhile at the village's Maple tree a designated spot for all the gossip women
Lin Hong hua sat in the midst of fawning women
"Now that the family is split Li cuihua must think she's superior" Aunt Tong couldn't help her subtle remark
"Superior? She's just cow dung dreaming to be a butterfly" Aung Peng spat mockingly
Hearing everything they had to say brought a sense of joy and pride to Lin hong hua
So what if Li cuihua was the first branch wife
She Lin Hong hua called the shots!