09 Another sister?

"If there was really an assault from a wild beast, it won't go off for days without smoke. If I may be blunt, it must be one of that dreadful girl's pranks again."

Auntie Lin didn't pass the chance to malign Bai Feiyin.

After listening to her words, everyone shook their head in agreement. "Besides, we could have seen their home in ruins and someone running down for help, notifying the whole village if something bad did occur."

"Auntie Lin makes a fair point. I still saw their eldest and third working just fine yesterday helping in the community hall's repair and toiling in the field. It's probably not that big of an issue."

This time, Auntie Lu finds it hard to oppose and ends up agreeing, soothing everyone's concern.

"Humph! While I don't know what's happening in their home but thanks to that I even slept in today and almost miss coming with you all," said Auntie Wang as she unhappily chimed in but this just made the others sneer at her secretly.

'Look here old coot… do you take us for a three years old? That coming from you only makes everything hard to believe. Don't drag others with your nasty habit. You're always tardy, that's in your blood and bones!'

Seeing everyone standing incredulous, eyeing the oblivious woman's direction, "Ah forget it. Stop thinking about others' problems. Maybe they just slept in or had an emergency at home. Let's just go our way to tidy things up early and go home before lunch," someone suggested and others nodded not willing to delay their work further.

Ultimately failing to notice the chilly gaze a particular lady cast before their departure.

Inside the Bai Household

Just as those village women speculated, the whole family did slept in. For some reason, their rooster didn't crow to stir its owner to wake up on time!

Given how worked up they were last night and the previous days with the lack of sleep, it wasn't that surprising how it did them a number the next day. But even then, it was not to the point that they'd miss their work in the morning.

What held them back really was… the peculiarity that welcomed them after they ran to the kitchen in haste to grab something in order to appease their growling stomachs before running off to their respective workplace.

"Hey third brother, can you hit me? I think I'm still in a dream—ugh!" before he could finish his stomach had been mercilessly struck by the former's fist.

"Bai Yehan, you cruel thing! That hurts, argh!" Bai Fengyu groaned painfully and glared at the yawning boy as if he hadn't done anything wrong.

Bai Yehan shrugged and drawled with a boring gaze, "Eldest Brother, it was you who asked for it. Now you have your answer, so just say thanks," said the boy pointing out the obvious making Bai Fengyu unable to retort but only to be red in frustration.

"You hit me so bad and you still want me to say thanks?" he could literally feel his blood pressure rising so early in the morning.

Bai Fengyu pressed his lips tightly, afraid he might flare up in front of everyone, especially with their parents present.

Hu~

Bai Fengyu took a couple of deep breaths, trying to calm himself down.

'Fine. You witty rascal! Be grateful that I don't have the time to nitpick with you today.'

Thereafter, the upset young man could only turn his attention to the crude wooden table that instantly transformed into a lavish banquet table overnight.

A table draped in a fine cloth cover was not a first for him to witness but the fact that it was brimming with freshly cooked meals even ones he had never seen! Then there was even meat that made them unconsciously drool over. It was just too hard to conceive!

Wiping down the corner of his lips, Bai Fengyu stood there, uncertain. If it wasn't a dream, then what is all these?!

Then again, who was this young lady in front of them assisting their father and mother ever so intimately like she was their long-lost daughter? A strange familiarity nagged him but why? It was his first time seeing this striking figure with a rough yet sophisticated aura around.

Not one lofty aristocrat but a dignified class. When did they ever associate with such kind of person? Not to mention the closeness... Bai Fengyu had a bad feeling.

'With that frame, she appears to be between the ages of twelve and thirteen. Just a few years younger than the second brother but... isn't she resembling the third brother too much?'

Squinting, his eyes darted along between the girl and Bai Yehan, widening in shock. Beads of cold sweat dripped down his soaking back, coming to a sudden realization that rendered him stupefied.

"M-Mother, Father, did you have another daughter that you weren't telling us about?" It was Bai Yifan who cried in panic, equally perturbed as the first, that put to word their concern.

You already have five kids to feed but there was yet another one that we had no knowledge of?!

Bai Fengyu and Bai Yifan were both mentally screaming. They were just having a bout last night due to their poverish state and here comes another child—another mouth to feed!

Ugh!

They couldn't help but groan inwardly.

'Mother, Father, we get that you love each other, and we were living a good life before, but you should've planned more about the future. Look at how we are now!'

'Six offsprings… five younger siblings… isn't that just too extreme?' Bai Fengyu was on the verge of crying. He was only thinking about it and felt like withering away at the age of seventeen.

At this rate, come dawn, come hell, the poor lad can only face his bleak fate. In Bai Fengyu's battered mind was a searing thought he wouldn't be able to marry in this lifetime and would just become his brothers and sisters' second parent forever.

'So, such is a poor man's fate...' he sniffled and cried tearlessly.