The second watch, asking for pink.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Lian Shouxin returned home and told Lady Zhang and the others about this matter.

"That millstone is not light. Even a grown man couldn’t grind much flour in a day. His grandma’s intention is for his aunt to grind all the rice and flour for the family’s daily meals... Before I even came back, his grandma already had his aunt start grinding flour."

"That’s an unbreakable dead knot," said Lady Zhang, "Didn’t his grandpa say anything? Isn’t there anyone else at home? Nobody said anything?"

"Old Master Lian didn’t say a word. Others, others didn’t dare to say anything either," said Lian Shouxin.

After Lian Shouren, Lian Shouyi, and Lian Jizu left, only Old Master Lian, Lady Zhou, Lady Gu, Lady Chiang, Lian Duoduo, Er Niuniu, Lady He, Erlang, Si Lang, Liulang, Lian Yaya, and Er Niuniu remained at the old house. Those from Lian Shouyi’s side certainly wouldn’t speak up about this matter. The only ones who could speak up for Lady Gu were Lady Chiang and Lian Duoduo.

Now, Lady Zhou controls all the food and clothing in the Upper Room of the old house. Looking at past events, Lady Chiang and Lian Duoduo would not confront Lady Zhou.

In the old house, the only one who could overturn Lady Zhou’s decision was Old Master Lian.

This time when Lady Zhou tormented Lady Gu, Old Master Lian let it happen without intervening. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Lian Manman felt that even though Old Master Lian didn’t speak, in his heart, he probably resented Lady Gu as well.

"To speak of his grandma, she is truly domineering. However, his aunt, what she did was too cruel, too ruthless. Her ending up like this is also deserved," Lady Zhang said after thinking for a moment.

The soft-hearted Lady Zhang was now unwilling to extend her sympathy to Lady Gu.

The people from the old house had left for service some time ago, and Lian Yeye would come to Lian Manman every day to inform her of some news from the old house.

During this time, it’s been relatively peaceful at the old house, compared to the previous period, not in comparison with other families. Lian Shouren had sent back letters twice, saying that he missed Old Master Lian and Lady Zhou, and talked about how he and Lian Jizu were physically struggling, hoping Old Master Lian could find a way to bring them back.

Lian Shouren put all his knowledge into those letters. According to Wu Lang, who read the letters, they were quite moving.

Even though Old Master Lian sighed, he held firm and did not agree to Lian Shouren’s request. Instead, he wrote back, repeatedly instructing Lian Shouren and Lian Jizu to work diligently.

Lady Zhou watched Lady Gu grind every day. When the weather was nice, Lady Zhou would sit in the yard watching Lady Gu. When the weather was bad, Lady Zhou would return to the house and sit on the bed observing Lady Gu through the window. The millstone was initially placed under the window for Lady Zhou to conveniently supervise Lady Gu.

Every day, as soon as Lady Zhou got up from the bed, she would get Lady Gu to grind until evening when Lady Zhou went to bed. She would allow Lady Gu to rest, only to start again the next day. The time Lady Gu was allowed to rest each day was counted. The rice and flour the whole family needed for their meals had to be ground by Lady Gu. If Lady Gu couldn’t provide it, the entire family would go hungry.

There was definitely an order to who would go hungry, with the first being Lady Gu, and the second being Lian Duoduo.

In other words, if Lady Gu failed to complete the tasks Lady Zhou assigned her, she and Lian Duoduo would go hungry.

Lady Zhou didn’t allow anyone to help Lady Gu, except for Lian Duoduo. Lady Zhou permitted Lian Duoduo to help, but Lian Duoduo had bound feet and was young, so she could only do so much. Lady Gu couldn’t bear to see her help, and Lian Duoduo didn’t insist on helping.

Because Lady Zhou was focused entirely on Lady Gu, she didn’t have the time to bother others. During these days, though Lady Zhao and Lian Yeye still lived in the old house, their days weren’t hard.

"Aunt secretly let my mother see, her legs and arms were swollen, and her hands were in bad shape, covered in blood and blisters. She also had my mother look at her feet; at first, they were swollen to an ugly state, and gradually the swelling subsided, but more blood and blisters appeared... It was scary to look at," Lian Yeye quietly told Lian Manman, "Sister Manman, it’s a good thing we didn’t bind our feet. Just by looking at Aunt’s feet, I feel pain."

These days, Lian Manman had also seen Lady Gu once. In her eyes, Lady Gu had been tormented by Lady Zhou until she was deformed.

But since when did Lady Gu become so close to Lady Zhao? Is she trying to gain sympathy, Lian Manman thought.