Torture the secondary family

At the doctor's house not far away, the village doctor, an experienced old man, carefully examined Zhu Changyu's wounds. He found a deep wound on his arm and several bruises.

"Miraculously, this guy survived," the doctor said with a sigh. He started treating the wound, using herbs from the forest to heal it, and wrapping it in a clean cloth.

Lin Ai, who had followed with tears streaming down her face, thanked the village head and all the villagers.

"Thank you very much. Without you, I wouldn't know what I would do."

The village head patted Lin Ai's shoulder.

" Don't worry, everyone in the village is our brother. You have to rest and recover."

Villagers came together to support Zhu Changyu's family, with many offering to share food or care for them while they were still recovering.

Lin Ai and her children looked at each other with gratitude. Although they still had many obstacles to face, their hearts were filled with hope.

Night fell with a chilly wind blowing through the dilapidated old house. The second family returned home with exhausted bodies and sorrowful hearts. Lin Ai helped the seriously injured Zhu Changyu to lie down on the bed, while Zhu Qingcheng and Zhu Qingyang tried to arrange a place for their father to rest as comfortably as possible.

In the inner room, Zhu Qing'an, who was lying sick on the bed, heard the soft sounds of her mother's sobs and the comforting words of her two younger brothers filled with exhaustion. She closed her eyes tightly, but her heart was beating wildly.

Even though her body was weak, Zhu Qing'an tried to gather all her strength to turn over and sit up. Although the soft whispers indicated an attempt to hide the pain from her mother and siblings, she knew that her family was facing unbearable suffering.

" Mother … How is Father ?" Zhu Qing'an asked hoarsely. Lin Ai turned to look at her eldest daughter, her eyes red.

" Your father is not seriously injured. The doctor said that he will be fine, but he will need to rest for a while," Lin Ai replied, trying to hide her concern, but Zhu Qing'an saw it immediately.

" But I know … Everyone is very tired," Zhu Qing'an continued softly. She looked at her pale hands and began to ponder what had happened in her mind.

From what she had heard, Old Mother Zhu and Zhu Changhai were still trying to control their family. Even though her father was injured so badly, they still showed no mercy. She knew that if they continued to live in this house, her family would never be able to escape this hell.

Zhu Qing'an's eyes shone brightly, although her body was still weak, her heart was filled with determination.

" If I get better … I won't let our family suffer like this anymore," she muttered to herself, her tone too firm to be denied.

She knew that this change would not be easy, but with the knowledge from her previous life that she still remembered and the love she had for her family, she was confident that she could lead her family out of this cycle of suffering.

" I will help the family, I promise …" Her voice was soft but full of determination. Lin Ai, who was sitting next to her, heard her words. Although she did not understand it immediately, she felt that her daughter was changing.

The old house, full of leaks and crumbling walls, was barely able to withstand the cold winds. The injured Zhu Changyu was lying on the bed beside the seriously ill Zhu Qing'an. The couple only had thin clothing covering their bodies. Lin Ai tried to boil some light soup for her husband and daughter to eat to survive.

But this fragile peace was immediately shattered when a fierce shout came from the front of the house.

" Zhu Changyu ! Come out now !" Old Lady Zhu's voice rang out, and the wooden door was suddenly pushed open.

Lin Ai rushed out and blocked the entrance of her husband and daughter's room, her voice filled with fear.

" Mother, what else do you want ? My husband is still not well …"

" If I don't get better, I have to work ! I don't have money to buy anything in this house ! You know that everything in this house belongs to me," Old Mother Zhu said with a mocking tone, while Zhu Changhai stood behind her with his arms crossed, giving her a disdainful look.

Lin Ai tried to explain desperately.

" Please let him rest first, Mother. He can barely stand up …"

" Then you guys go out and earn money yourself !" Zhu Changhai interrupted, his voice cold, before walking straight over and grabbing Lin Ai's arm.

Zhu Qingcheng and Zhu Qingyang rushed in to block him. Zhu Qingcheng shouted with a boyish voice trying to be brave.

" Don't hurt my mother !"

But Zhu Changhai nonchalantly pushed him away and knocked him to the ground, while Zhu Qingyang, who tried to pull Old Lady Zhu away from his mother, was pushed almost into the wall.

" If you still want to stay in this house, then do as I say ! Give me the money or go find it yourself !" Old Lady Zhu said as she pointed at the door.

Lin Ai sobbed in pain. She knew that she could not resist the strength of the two people. She turned to look at Zhu Changyu and Zhu Qing'an who were still lying in the room, her eyes filled with despair.

The next day, Lin Ai had to take her two young sons up the mountain to gather forest products. They tried to find mushrooms, herbs, and wild fruits that they could sell, but the cold weather and steep, slippery ground made the journey dangerous.

The young Zhu Qingcheng tried to help his mother by carrying a heavy basket, even though he was so tired he almost fell over, while Zhu Qingyang tried to help her collect herbs, even though his little hands were numb.

Lin Ai looked at her children with pain. She knew that a life of relying on the forest would not be able to save her family from this hardship, but for the sake of her children and husband, she had to endure.

Meanwhile, in the quiet house, Zhu Changyu tried to get out of bed, but the pain from his wound made it almost impossible for him to move. Zhu Qingan, who was lying next to him, heard her father's soft sobs.

"Father, don't force it…" She said in a weak voice.

Zhu Changyu turned to look at his daughter with heavy eyes.

"I… I should have protected you guys, but I couldn't do anything…"

Those words were like a needle piercing Zhu Qing'an's heart. She closed her eyes and gathered the determination that was starting to build up in her heart.

"Father… I promise… When I recover, I will take our family out of here. We will not have to suffer anymore," she said softly, but with determination.

Sunlight filtered through the cracks in the roof and shone on Zhu Qing'an's face, as if it were a sign of hope beginning to appear.