Gu Qingyao said, "I'm not asking you to really submit - you should try your best to protect yourself without allowing anyone to realize what you're doing. You must get everyone to pity you and be repelled by your eldest uncle's family. You must show everyone that you and your younger sister are being poorly treated by your eldest uncle's family. That way, everyone will support you when you move out.
"But you must not show that you want to leave. Just… just say you don't want to burden your eldest uncle's family, that you'll support your little sister when you've grown up, and things like that. You must speak politely, and appear to be terrified of your eldest uncle. You must convince everyone that you've been cowed by the beating and starving in your eldest uncle's house and cannot carry on anymore. You would rather starve to death outside with your little sister than remain there any longer.
