Farewell Before Returning

Yu Li happily ate a hearty dinner.

Unlike lunch, which was constantly interrupted, this time only the second branch was present. No one bothered her, no nagging words to listen to; she just focused on eating her fill.

Yu Li ate so happily that all the food on the table was devoured, and not even a drop of soup remained.

The second branch stared at her, dumbfounded. Yu Jin worriedly asked, "Eldest Sister, you've eaten so much, won't your stomach be bloated?"

They had actually eaten their fill, but having been hungry for so long, their appetites were still there. Even if they tried to eat, they couldn't finish so much food; there was usually a lot left over.

Yu Jin had originally cooked enough for the whole family, but this time, all the leftover food was eaten by Yu Li. She even mixed the braised meat broth with rice, continuing to eat with relish.

"No, I won't!" Yu Li replied, perfectly reasonably. "I've never eaten my fill before."

She wasn't lying, as the original owner had never been able to eat her fill. As for her current self, even after eating so much, she only felt about eighty percent full, not bloated.

Hearing this, Second Master Yu and his wife felt ashamed and awkward, for they were useless parents who had caused their four daughters to go hungry.

They weren't unaware of their four daughters' plight, but because they had no sons, they dared not stand tall. They had grown accustomed to oppression, believing it to be inevitable.

This kind of thinking was not blameworthy, as the couple had lived in a long-standing environment that favored sons over daughters, constantly brainwashed and suppressed, only blaming themselves and seeking reasons within themselves. They not only wronged themselves but also caused suffering to their daughters.

After dinner, it began to grow dark.

Yu Li prepared to return.

Before leaving, she walked to each room, knocking on the doors, wanting to call everyone out.

The people inside the rooms deliberately stayed hidden, avoiding her. They would rather go hungry than face her. They were just waiting for her to leave before going to Old Madam Yu to get food and cook another meal.

That was why they hadn't come out for dinner.

After all, there was still food in the house; they just needed to cook it again, so they weren't afraid of hunger.

Before the closed doors, Yu Li calmly said, "If you don't come out, I'll kick the door down."

As soon as the words fell, the people inside the rooms dared not hide any longer and hurriedly opened their doors to come out.

Everyone knew that with her strength, that door could be shattered instantly. If there was no door, they wouldn't dare to sleep peacefully tonight.

The sky was already pitch black. Yu Jin approached, holding an oil lamp.

In these times, most common folk suffered from night blindness; as soon as it got dark, their vision would blur like the blind.

This oil lamp belonged to the main house. Normally, the second branch wouldn't dare to light it for fear of being accused of extravagance, having to do everything in the dark.

But today, Yu Jin wasn't afraid, because Yu Li had told her to light it.

Seeing Yu Jin holding the lamp, Old Madam Yu was clearly displeased, but when her gaze shifted to Yu Li, who stood silently, her small figure exuding an imposing aura, she dared not say anything.

Half of her face was submerged in shadow, her slender figure motionless, like a steadfast mountain, instilling an inexplicable fear in everyone.

That was the lingering dread she had left with the Yu family at noon when she lost her temper. From then on, no matter what she did, everyone instinctively feared her.

"You, what do you want?" Old Madam Yu asked, trying to sound strong, but trembling inside. "You've already eaten two chickens, isn't that enough?"

What married maiden would return to her maiden home and eat like that?

Truly, that wretched girl, a calamity upon her two chickens.

Yu Li looked at them, then politely said, "I'm about to leave; I just came to tell everyone."

Hearing this, Old Madam Yu and the others rejoiced, only wishing she would leave quickly.

A sense of relief also welled up in their hearts, fortunate that she was already married and no longer in the house. If they had to face her every day, they surely wouldn't be able to sleep peacefully.