After traveling through time, I was raised by a little brat

Huangjia Village's first rice harvest was poor. The once golden, lush paddy fields now appeared sparse and fragmented, as if struck by an invisible disaster. The joy of a bountiful harvest was replaced by a heavy weight of worry. Bandits also looted the second rice crop, leaving the threshing floor empty, a glimpse of the villagers' misfortune.

Most villagers have run out of food, and the usually bustling village has become eerily silent, broken only by the occasional sighs of starving people and the cries of children. Some have taken their families to live with relatives in other villages, but with a growing population, the pressure of life is overwhelming, a burden no family can easily bear. Liu County, once a peaceful place, is now filled with refugees. They wear tattered clothes, their eyes revealing endless confusion and despair, and they wander the streets like the walking dead.

Upon hearing that Huang's husband had died, the Yangjia Village clan gave Huang a generous amount of food to sustain her. This was undoubtedly a ray of hope in the darkness, giving the Huang family a glimmer of hope. Upon learning of this, her family members immediately came to the door, their faces filled with anticipation and concern. Huang had initially offered them a few pounds of food to send them away, but the Huang family, already desperate, refused to give up. They knew this small amount of food would not solve their long-term problems, and their hearts were filled with resentment and helplessness.

"Huiyao, listen to your mother. A woman can't help but marry. Your eldest sister-in-law's brother is quite good. You can be his concubine. He won't mind you being married before. And when you have a child, there will be someone to take care of you in your old age." Huang's mother earnestly urged her to remarry. In her view, a woman should obey her husband. Once Huang married, all her possessions would belong to her parents, including the precious grain. She fully expected her daughter to heed her advice, but she didn't know that Huang's heart had already calmed down.

In the days before my marriage, the delicious meals at home seemed to possess a magical power, always being enjoyed first by my eldest brother and my younger brothers. At mealtime, I watched them devour the exquisite food with relish, while my mother and I sat silently by, barely filling our stomachs with bitter wild vegetables. While these vegetables filled our stomachs, they were dry and astringent, forming a stark contrast to the delicious food my eldest brother and his brothers were enjoying, a stark reminder of our humble status in the family.

The tiring household chores felt like heavy shackles, tightly strapped to my body. In the morning, as the first rays of sunlight streamed into the yard, I would begin my busy schedule, sweeping the yard and washing clothes. These seemingly mundane tasks consumed a great deal of my energy. My older brothers and sisters would leisurely play nearby or do some light chores. Only when they were older did they join their father in the fields. Occasionally, they would play and joke, oblivious to my hard work.

On the day of the wedding, the whole atmosphere seemed particularly deserted and depressing. It seemed that no one really cared about the woman who was about to leave home, and everyone was just completing the various rituals according to convention. That scene really seemed like selling herself as an object, rather than marrying off a daughter. The betrothal gift of ten taels of silver seemed to be a considerable fortune in the eyes of everyone, and it was soon pocketed by the eldest brother to prepare for his own wedding. As for her own dowry, it was only those two tattered clothes, and she was reluctant to even give a decent quilt. Obviously, her natal family had several brothers, and her family was not poor, but they treated her so indifferently, which made Huang Huiyao's heart gradually cold.

After getting married, she would carefully bring back bags of gifts every time she returned to her parents' home, hoping to exchange these gifts for a bit of warmth and love from her family. However, she never took back even a needle or a piece of thread from her parents' home, because she knew that she was always the superfluous person there.

That year, Yang Lao Si accidentally fell and was in urgent need of money for medical treatment. Huang Huiyao, distraught, hurried back to her parents' home, hoping for help. Unexpectedly, not only was she unable to borrow a single penny, but she was even berated by her family. They disliked her for not bringing anything back, and even kicked her out. Their indifference and heartlessness left her utterly despairing. At that moment, she realized she truly had no family left.

Forced into desperation, she made a painful decision: to sell her eight-year-old daughter. She held the tenderest part of her heart, yet now she had to abandon it for the sake of survival. Sold to a wealthy family, she became a servant, and was taken from her. Whenever she thought of her daughter's innocent eyes, her heart was filled with endless regret and pain. But in that difficult moment, it seemed she had no other choice...

But now, a large group of her family members arrived at her door, smiling broadly, begging her to take her in. Their gentle, soft words, like threads entwined with Huang Huiyao's heart, begged her repeatedly, their eyes filled with anticipation and hope, hoping that they would stay in this small place, Yangjia Village, to live together through these extremely difficult times.

But why?! Back then, when they had to make a decision, they had sold her to someone else without hesitation, just for a few insignificant benefits. And now, just a few seemingly sincere words could make her willingly hand over her home and share the food she had saved with them. She knew clearly that if she really took them in, the delicious food would definitely be given priority to her eldest brother and several younger brothers, as well as their ungrateful children, while she could only silently gnaw on the rough bran cakes and swallow the bitter vegetable roots.

"Mom, what if there is not enough food after you come?" Huang asked worriedly, with a barely perceptible hesitation and struggle in her eyes.

"Oh, for us women, it's enough to eat some wild vegetables. The other meals should be left for the men. They need to have a full stomach to have the strength to work." Huang's mother had a matter-of-fact expression on her face, as if this was a matter of course, without considering her daughter's feelings at all.

At this time, there was no work to do. The only work was digging wild vegetables in the mountains, which was done by women. Huang knew that she could not change her mother's stubborn ideas, and she was unwilling to be bullied like this. In this case, she could only ask the villagers of Yangjia Village for help.

She stood quietly on the familiar land, with a hint of expectation in her eyes, as if there was a blazing flame burning in her heart, just waiting for the person from Yangjia Village who might pass by.

Just at this moment, Yang Lao Da's wife, Wen, slowly finished washing clothes and walked past her house with a light but somewhat proud step. Her simple clothes shone slightly in the sunlight, but it could not hide the smug look in her eyes.

"Ah," Huang cried softly. When she saw it was Wen, a wave of mixed emotions welled up within her. Wen, the woman who had always treated her with cold disdain, the woman who had cruelly murdered Yang Lao Si for her own family's paltry gains, now walked right past her. Huang pursed her lips tightly, as if swallowing back all her anger and resentment. She silently urged herself to remain calm, preparing to wait for the next person who might offer her hope.

"Hey, what are you doing? If you are from other villages and have nothing to do, just leave quickly. If the village chief comes, he will chase you away." Wen stopped, raised the corners of her mouth slightly, and a cunning light flashed in her eyes.

"Can't we come to find our own daughter?" Huang's mother couldn't help but speak, with a hint of urgency in her tone. She looked at Huang, as if wanting her to confirm that they were really her family.

"That won't do! Get out of here!" Wen said mercilessly, her expression growing increasingly cold. She pushed Huang's mother hard, trying to drive them away. "Village chief! People from outside the village are trying to steal our grain!" she suddenly shouted, her voice filled with malice and defiance.

A wave of fear suddenly surged through the Huang family. They feared that Wen's voice would attract more people, and then their few pounds of food would be lost. They knew they were outnumbered and could not compete with Wen and the entire Yangjia Village. With no other choice, they turned silently and gradually left this unfamiliar and hopeless place.

"No thanks!" Wen turned around and left without looking back. Huang stood where she was and whispered her thanks.