That day, as usual, I cleansed my hands and lit incense. Just as I was about to place three incense sticks in the incense burner, kneeling with my knees bent towards it, a voice suddenly called out, "Sister,"... 。Xia Zhiyu naturally had sisters, but those sisters weren't equal. There were two extremely favored ones because they were born from the stepmother's womb. The other two, like Xia Zhiyu, were of humble birth, and from the moment they were born, their lives were all under the control of the stepmother. 。As a child born out of wedlock, Xia Zhiyu followed her aunt's teachings and from a young age, she understood her place. She never competed or fought for anything, always following the rules and striving for a simple life, not seeking wealth or power. But her obedience did not bring her the life she hoped for; in the end, she was still just a pawn manipulated by others. 。It seems like just a blink of an eye, and a lifetime has passed. 。,I was just thinking, sister has worked so hard for the Hou family for so many years, and she still prays every day in front of Buddha for the well-being and safety of our whole family. She truly can't be more hardworking. It's time to give her some compensation. 。After saying that, Lin Xiuhua turned her head and said, “Come on, hurry up and bring the soup to your sister.” 。To show her sincerity, Xia Zhiyu felt a bit nauseous the moment she saw the soup. She lightly turned her head away, trying to avoid the pungent, greasy smell. 。Just as I was about to say a polite word of thanks, two gossipy women who were standing next to Lin Xiuhua suddenly stepped forward, one on each side, and grabbed Xia Zhiyu's arms. 。"What do you want to do" Xia Zhiyu struggled instinctively, but instead of breaking free, she was held even tighter. 。These two must be powerful, their strength is immense. They squeezed Xia Zhiyu's arms with such force that it felt like her bones were going to break. 。But within a few breaths, Xia Zhiyu's forehead was dotted with beads of sweat, and her back was suddenly drenched in cold sweat. 。“What are you doing” Lin Xiufen tilted her head slightly, her face innocent and harmless. She supported her waist and walked slowly towards Xia Zhiyu, stopping at a place she felt safe. “Sister, don’t you think you’ve been in Madam Hou’s position for too long You're a woman who can't bear children, so what right do you have to hold this position It's all because your sister is too disrespectful that her younger sister had to resort to such measures.” 。I have a child now, and I have to think about the child. I can't let him be a bastard, you... you are getting in the way. 。"Speaking of this, Lin Xiufen's eyes suddenly turned cold. "Remember to clean it up, the silver... I won't allow you to..." 。Xia Zhiyu's last memory was of two greedy eyes and the violent churning in her stomach. After the excruciating pain, there was only darkness. 。,Life was pretty good, but things don't always go smoothly. It's either sickness or disaster. My younger brother, my own blood, who had always been healthy, died at the age of fourteen in an accident. 。Of course, Xia Zhiyu never believed it was an accident. Because Xiao Jin was so well-behaved, he had once said that he would study hard, become a high official, and be the support of his aunt. How could such a him run out of the academy just to ride horses and have fun He was a frail scholar, how could he suddenly feel like learning how to ride horsesThinking of her younger brother who died too early, he couldn't even enter his ancestral tomb and had to be buried in the wild outskirts, Xia Zhiyu's eyes welled up with tears. It was a nightmare throughout her life. Every time she thought about it, her heart felt like it was being cut by a knife. 。"Yu'er, what nonsense are you talking about Are you delirious What do you mean this side and that side Little Jin would definitely be at the academy at this time." 。"Otherwise, your aunt will have someone else invite a doctor to check on you"。