Chapter 3: Supporting a Useless Brother? Not Happening!
Lin Zhifeng returned to the Xie household, tiptoeing quietly into the bedroom without alerting anyone.
She lay down beside Xie Laidi, and a wave of exhaustion washed over her. Within moments, she was fast asleep. It wasn’t until Xie Laidi got up that Lin Zhifeng groggily woke, bolted the door, and went right back to sleep to recharge.
It wasn’t until a shrewish voice, louder than a temple bell, started yelling outside the door that she finally stirred awake.
“You damn girl! Your dad’s lying in a hospital bed and you’re still at home snoozing away? Why don’t you just drop dead and sleep forever underground?!”
Now fully rested, Lin Zhifeng stretched and yawned lazily. Without needing to look, she knew that the one banging on the door had to be Xie Zhaodi’s grandmother, Li Amei.
This loud, energetic woman in her fifties was a minor character among minor characters. Every time she appeared, it was to beat and scold her granddaughter in public, only to be stopped by Bai Ruyue—and then she’d nearly faint from rage.
Lin Zhifeng found that the parts the novel hadn’t described also felt surprisingly real—like now, Li Amei’s shrill screeching was making her want to lash out violently.
“What dirty little secrets are you hiding behind that locked door? Get your ass out here!”
Unfazed by the pounding, she calmly pulled on a long, faded gray T-shirt, walked over to the door, and waited for the right moment.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Li Amei’s pounding got even more aggressive. Lin Zhifeng smirked and quietly unlatched the door from the side, then suddenly yanked it open.
Thud—
“Ow!” Li Amei, unable to stop her own momentum, stumbled and fell headlong into the room.
It was a small bedroom, and right behind the door was a hard wooden bed. Li Amei’s forehead smacked directly into the bed’s edge, leaving her dizzy and too dazed to stand.
“Did you hurt yourself?” Lin Zhifeng asked lightly, a hair tie between her teeth. She gathered her shoulder-length hair into a ponytail and tied it up swiftly—clearly with no intention of helping her up.
Hearing the commotion, Xie Laidi rushed in from the kitchen. When she saw Li Amei clutching her head and groaning in pain, her face went pale with fright and she hurried over to help her up.
Li Amei was strong and sturdy, and aside from a bruise on her forehead, she was perfectly fine. But right now, she was furious. She raised her hand and slapped Xie Laidi across the face.
“Get lost, you useless mute donkey! Go back and cook your damn food!”
Xie Laidi didn’t even make a sound from the pain. Her petite body swayed a few times before she managed to steady herself. Holding her face and blinking back tears, she lowered her head and quickly walked out of the room.
A b*llying, biased shrew who only picks on the weak—she even hit a sweet and obedient child like Xie Laidi. Was she even human? Lin Zhifeng’s anger flared sky-high. She was about to lash out when a weak little voice from the system suddenly spoke up.
“Host, each novel world only has a limited number of spirit talismans. They can’t be used endlessly to beat people up or modify memories.”
Seeing that Lin Zhifeng wasn’t mad yet, the system seized the chance to switch into its saintly persuasion mode.
“Besides, that old woman is the original owner’s grandmother—blood is thicker than water. She’s already advanced in age. Host, how could you bring yourself to strike her? It’s better to move her with filial piety and kindness…”
“You done yapping yet?” Lin Zhifeng cut in, clearly losing patience.
The system quickly changed tactics. “If the host acts on impulse, you’ll face both legal and moral consequences, and you’ll leave the original owner with a mountain of trouble.”
Lin Zhifeng thought it over. True, the spirit talismans shouldn’t be wasted. If she beat Li Amei too hard, the Xie family would definitely kick her out. And in this society, the original owner would be branded as someone who assaulted an elder—that would be a heavy burden to bear.
But still—swallowing this kind of grievance would shatter her mental state, and backing down would only fuel her fury.
She had to get revenge, just more subtly.
Also, this system was way too sanctimonious. She decided to seal it away for a while.
Li Amei pulled herself up using the bed for support, her eyes fierce enough to kill. Lin Zhifeng shrank back, stepping outside the door with her shoulders hunched, putting on an innocent, pitiful face.
“You little beast, trying to kill me or what?” Li Amei couldn’t tell if she’d done it on purpose, but whether she knew or not—she was going to scold her anyway.
Ignoring her dizziness, she raised her thick palm and swung it at Lin Zhifeng. But the movement was too wide, and before she knew it, she tripped on a “raised floor tile.” Her feet flew out from under her, and she went crashing down again.
This time, she fell flat on her face, limbs splayed, mouth twisted, eyes skewed—the impact left her totally dazed.
“Oh no, what’s happening to you today?” Lin Zhifeng exclaimed. “I’m calling an ambulance. Just lie there and don’t move!”
She quickly pulled her foot back from where it had tripped the old woman and dashed into the living room. Picking up the landline, she jabbed a few random buttons, then spoke solemnly into the receiver, saying her grandmother wasn’t doing well.
Having fallen twice, Li Amei’s mind was starting to fog up. Seeing her eldest granddaughter with that frightened, overly concerned look—even calling for an ambulance—her suspicion eased a bit.
“Must be cursed today or something!” she muttered. But then she remembered ambulances cost money. Clutching her head and baring her teeth in pain, she barked, “Don’t you dare call an ambulance! Go make breakfast. Your dad’s still in the hospital, and Guibao’ll be getting up soon too.”
Lin Zhifeng let the handset fall with a clack, ending the call she never actually made. As she stood up, her eyes flicked to the wall clock—it was exactly 6:30 a.m., and the sky outside was still dim.
It was late July, the middle of summer vacation. But the two Xie girls still had to get up at the crack of dawn to cook, while Xie Guibao got to sleep in as long as he wanted.
The Xie sisters had started school late. Xie Zhaodi was nearly eighteen and had just graduated middle school. She had started a part-time job at a fast food restaurant as soon as the holiday began, earning 1,500 yuan a month.
She had already decided to use the money for school fees. Afraid that Xie Guibao might try to take it, she hid the money the moment she got home.
If the original owner knew that her family stopped her from going to school not just to save money—but because they planned to sell her off for a bride price—who knows how cold her heart would turn.
Some fates are inescapable. No matter how hard you struggle, you can only manage to stick your nose out of the mud for a breath of air—before you’re dragged even deeper again.
Urged by Li Amei, Lin Zhifeng walked into the cramped kitchen. When she saw Xie Laidi’s swollen, red face, her heart clenched.
“I’ll take you to get medicine later,” she said gently.
Xie Laidi wasn’t born mute—she had fallen ill as a child. But the family refused to treat her, and her voice had been delayed into silence.
She could hear perfectly well, and she was sharp and understanding. Upon hearing her sister’s words, she immediately shook her head and signed in quick gestures: “I’m fine. Hide your money well—don’t let anyone find it.”
So that’s what she was worried about. She didn’t want Lin Zhifeng to retrieve the cash hidden under the bed and risk having it confiscated by Li Amei.
Her thoughtfulness made Lin Zhifeng’s heart ache. She patted her head and whispered: “Don’t worry. I’ll move fast.”
Xie Laidi gave a small smile, her large dark eyes glistening, and her slender hands quickly signed: “Okay. Let’s make breakfast first. Dad got hurt—heard he has fractured ribs and a concussion. Mom went to the hospital first thing this morning.”
So he was seriously injured. A small dose of retribution for the sisters—but just the beginning.
The original owner’s memories were full of pain. The sisters had been beaten for no reason more times than they could count—bone fractures, concussions, all of it.
But the worst pain wasn’t physical. It was the mental torment—the humiliation from their parents, grandmother, and little brother.
The original owner had been pushed to the brink of despair and helplessness. Now that Lin Zhifeng had taken over this body, there was no way she’d continue down some saintly, self-sacrificing path.
“Laidi, you finish packing the food. I’m going to grab a bit of money and then head out.”
She patted her on the head again. As for the stash of cash under the bed—Lin Zhifeng didn’t need a single coin of it.
With the system acting as a personal, unlimited money generator, their future days were going to be comfortable and sweet.
