There is a big tree at the entrance of Tong Shan village. Several stools were placed under the tree for the villagers to gather around to chat when night falls.
Nowadays, everything is short in supply. Without an emergency, hardly anyone would keep their homes lit up. Usually, after dinner, everyone would gather together in small groups and chat about family matters. The village entrance was one of the gathering points.
However, today was an exception. Only Jiang Chuan and his family were left at the village entrance. When the men from the other families returned, they all lit up their oil lamps, and the smell of rice gradually drifted in from all directions.
As the head of the family, Jiang Chuan looked at his wife and daughter and said, "I've been thinking along the way, and I'm afraid it won't be easy for us to split up with the Jiang family. Jiang Fu and Wang Fen have been sucking Jiang Chuan's blood since he was young, so they won't let us out easily."
Jiang Fu and Wang Fen were Jiang Chuan's parents from this world. From the memory Jiang Chuan gained, he knew that this man had started cooking, washing, and cleaning the house ever since he was four or five years old. Jiang Fu and Wang Fen forced him to do farm work when he grew up.
There was a time when Jiang Chuan's parents discussed paying for their eldest son's and second son's school fees. Jiang Chuan also wanted to go, so he mustered up the courage to speak to Wang Fen. However, he overheard his parents talking inside the room just as he reached the door.
Wang Fen's contemptuous voice remained in Jiang Chuan's memory. Wang Fen had said, "That stupid kid told his second brother that he wants to go to school? Him? Going to school? If it weren't for the fact that he could still do some work, I would've killed him long ago."
When he entered this body, Jiang Chuan could clearly feel fear and despair.
"They are just a nest of bugs!" Zhou Lan was indignant. Jiang Chuan wasn't the only one who received all the memories of the original body. Zhou Lan and Jiang Xia received new memories too.
If both Jiang Fu and Wang Fen's treatment toward Jiang Chuan were considered abused, it would be the same for Zhou Lan. Every chore that had to be done was given to Zhou Lan. The Jiang family had three daughters-in-law, but only Zhou Lan lived like an animal that was ordered around by others.
"I'll propose to go our separate ways when I get back, but we still have to be prepared to drag time out." Jiang Chuan explained the situation to his wife and daughter with a serious face.
"Yes." Jiang Xia agreed. The Jiang family would not let them go until they were squeezed dry of their value.
Jiang Xia rolled her eyes at the thought of the Jiang family's behavior, "There's no harm in dragging time. The reason why they don't let us go is that they have something to gain from us. If there's no profit, we instead become their burden. What do you think will happen then?"
Hearing his daughter's words, Jiang Chuan suddenly understood what Jiang Xia meant to say and exchanged a smile with her.
Zhou Lan was bewildered by the father-daughter pair. She confusedly looked at them and asked, "What are you guys talking about?"
"Mom, I think it's better if you don't ask too much! In any case, if those stinky bugs don't want to separate from us, just do everything you can to go against them." Jiang Xia said.
"Ah? Won't people notice the difference if we were to act differently from how they acted before?" Zhou Lan asked and looked at her daughter with bright eyes. Although she was confused, she was more eager to try.
Jiang Xia sighed while Jiang Chuan smiled helplessly and patted Zhou Lan's head, "Don't make it so obvious. Just try to come up with an excuse to leave whenever they ask you to do something."
"Oh, I see!" Zhou Lan agreed obediently.
Just as the three were making plans for the future, a figure hurriedly walked over and said, "Good, you guys haven't left."
When the person got closer, the three of them recognized it was the village chief. For a while, they all question why the village chief is back.
"Chief! Is there anything wrong?" Jiang Chuan asked, confused.
Dan Bin took a few deep breaths and opened his mouth only when his breathing evened out, "Let's go! I'll go with you to see your parents!"
Jiang Chuan understood the village head's good intentions. The village chief had rushed back deliberately for the same reason Jiang Chuan worried about.
At the same time, Jiang Xia and Zhou Lan were touched by the village chief's concern for them. Whether it was going up the mountain to find someone, giving them cornbread, or protecting them like this, all of these were acts of kindness.