I just want to be a princess, no, you want to be a queen

Bad luck doesn't go away, it just moves from one person to another.

Seeing her third sister, crying with tears in her eyes, being dragged away by her father to fulfill her original fate, Yang Xier felt very uncomfortable. She wanted to follow her, but was stopped by her mother.

"Xi'er, come and hold your brother. Mom will find a bag."

Today they had agreed to go to the city to buy cloth to make two new dresses for the two girls who were about to get married. On the way to the city, they happened to pass by Zheng the Butcher's village. After Yang's mother finished her work, Yang Xier took her younger brother and went with her mother to the entrance of Zheng the Butcher's village to wait for her father and sister.

As Yang Xier reached the entrance of Zheng Butcher Village, she saw her father dragging her sister out with a sullen face. He said to her as he was dragging her, "I told you to be obedient, but you're throwing a tantrum like this. You're really rebellious."

Yang Nian'er gritted her teeth stubbornly, refusing to beg for mercy. Seeing this, Yang's mother hurried forward and pulled her daughter behind her.

Yang Tiezhu slapped Yang Nian'er in the face, still furious: "This damn girl made me give her two extra quilts as a dowry."

That means it’s settled. Mother Yang’s heart skipped a beat, not knowing whether to be happy or sad.

"Boss, let's go to the city."

"I won't go." Yang Tiezhu said as he took out the silver. Ever since he found out that his wife had misappropriated three taels of silver for no reason, he has been carrying the silver with him.

"When I came here, I heard that the imperial court was going to collect taxes, and it was a head tax. I must go to the headman's house and ask him about it, and try to marry off the two girls before the tax is collected."

As he spoke, he handed his wife a tael of silver. Thinking of what he had promised Butcher Zheng, he glared fiercely at the third girl who was hiding behind his wife, added half a tael of silver, and told her, "Spend it sparingly."

The city was bustling with activity, but apart from Yang Jiabao, no one was in the mood for shopping. Yang's mother bargained with people while she bought things, her face flushed and her neck thick with anger.

Yang Tiezhu didn't pursue the three taels of silver because he had some extra money. If he was short of money, he would inevitably ask his wife for the three taels of silver.

Mother Yang bargained hard just to save some copper coins, but that was three taels of silver, and it would take forever to save up enough.

Yang Xier felt a little distressed when she saw this, and couldn't help but persuade her: "Mom, I know you help your uncle in everything because you want to have the support of your brothers from your mother's family when you need help in the future. But over the years, your uncle has only come to take advantage of us when we have money. When has he ever cared about you, his biological sister?"

"He is my biological brother. If something really happens, he can still ignore me."

Mother Yang said, despite being so poor, she bought a string of candied haws and handed it to Yang Jiabao, "Don't blame me for being partial. With brothers from your mother's family, you will be able to live comfortably in your husband's family in the future."

What's so cool about that? If it weren't for your brother from your mother's side, you wouldn't have suffered so much from your father. But a person's ideas are not so easy to change, and Yang Xier was too lazy to waste words with her mother.

The time for closing the city gates was approaching, and the group headed out of the city toward their homes. The red sunset shone on them, and Mother Yang reached into her pocket and suddenly stopped.

"Oh no, oh no, I forgot to bring the needle and thread I bought. You go back first." She hurriedly handed the things in her hands to her two daughters and hurried back to the city.

The two sisters and their brother walked home along the path along the river.

A yellow butterfly fluttered its wings and flew by the river. Yang Jiabao raised his chubby little hands to catch it. Seeing his brother chasing him to the river, Yang Nian'er walked behind him as if possessed by a ghost.

The cotton she was carrying was sagging a little. She tried to pull it up, then looked up and saw her third sister putting her hand on her brother's back. Her brother was standing by the river, with the rushing water in front of him.

"Nian'er!"

Yang Xier called out hurriedly, and Yang Nian'er's hand froze in mid-air. Yang Jiabao turned around, holding the butterfly, and grinned at Yang Nian'er with his baby teeth.

"Third sister, look, it's so beautiful."

Yang Nian'er grabbed the butterfly and threw it into the river, then ran away crying. Yang Xi'er didn't dare to leave her brother behind because he was so young, so she quickly picked him up and ran after her sister.

In a cornfield that was very close to her home and had not yet been harvested, Yang Xier saw her sister sitting inside, crying bitterly.

"Third sister, don't cry, I'll give you some candy."

Yang Jiabao jumped off his second sister and stretched out his chubby little hands towards Yang Nian'er. In his palms were two snow-white lotus seed candies.

No one mentioned this accident again.

After dinner, Yang Nian'er squatted in the shed, silently washing dishes, no longer as lively as before. After washing the dishes and stuffing them into the cupboard, she drifted into the west room like a withered yellow leaf.

Dust was flying in the yard, and Yang Xier's hand holding the broom was digging deep into her flesh.

The door was gently pushed open a crack, and a small stone fell at Yang Xier's feet. She put down the broom and walked out.

Tian Qing stood outside the door, looking at his beloved girl and spreading out his palms.

“Bean paste cake!”

Yang Xier took a small bite and turned her back with a smile, "I'm full. I'll save it for tomorrow morning."

Tian Qingbai glanced at her, took out a bean paste cake wrapped in oil paper from his arms and threw it into his palm, "Save it for your sister, eat it!"

"Brother Qing, you are so nice!"

The sweet bean paste cake filled her mouth and gradually turned bitter. Yang Xier's tears welled up, "Brother Qing, please ask my father to return the ten taels of silver."

"You don't want to marry me anymore?"

"No!" Yang Xier cried and shook her head, "I can't let Nian'er marry Butcher Zheng."

"So you're going to marry him?"

Tian Qing said anxiously, "Xi'er, don't be confused. Uncle Tiezhu is only interested in money now. Even if you marry Butcher Zheng, can you guarantee that Nian'er will marry someone better than Butcher Zheng in the future?"

Yeah, she can't.

The moonlight is cold and shines inside and outside the wall.

Yang Nian'er leaned against the wall, looking up and wiping away her tears. Hearing Tian Qing leave, she said, "Second sister, I'm willing to marry Butcher Zheng. You know I'm greedy, and if I marry him, I won't have to worry about eating meat anymore. Just thinking about it makes me happy."

"Second sister?"

After a long time without a response, Yang Nian'er walked out. She saw a figure running towards the distance on the silvery road, holding a shovel in his hand.

Is it your second sister?

Yang Nian'er turned her head and saw that the shovel standing on the wall was gone, so she hurriedly ran towards the receding figure.

Endless corn stalks swayed in the wind, and ripe corn ears fell into her neck, making her feel itchy and uncomfortable. Yang Nian'er pushed aside the corn stalks one by one.

Deep in the cornfield, there was a towering grave, and a thin figure was shoveling at the grave with a shovel.

"Second sister?"

There were gusts of cold wind and chirping insects.

The two men looked at each other, one of them slumped down on the grave, and the other fell into the cornfield.

"Why are you here?" Yang Xier patted her chest and stood up, still in shock.

"I was just about to ask you, what are you doing?" Yang Nian'er walked over and leaned her back against her second sister.