Chapter 29: Backing

Chapter 29: Chapter 29: Backing

So when Qiao Erlin heard his sister call him "Second Brother," he couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement.

He wondered if he was hallucinating. Was his sister really willing to call him Second Brother?

When Qiao Feishuang saw her daughter arrive, she hurriedly got up and dashed into the courtyard, moving so fast she was almost a blur.

"Daughter, you’re here."

When Qiao Feishuang looked at her daughter, her eyes were filled with deep affection and maternal love. She reached out to hold her daughter’s hand, only to realize that the girl was carrying a basket.

Qiao Suluo could feel her mother’s affection, which warmed her heart. The feeling of being loved by family was simply wonderful.

"Mother, I made some steamed buns and a few dishes for you to try," Qiao Suluo said.

Qiao Feishuang said with a pained expression, "No, we can’t take this. Take it back and eat it yourself.

"You’re just visiting home, there’s no need to bring anything."

Since her daughter didn’t live with them and she hadn’t been able to help her with anything, Qiao Feishuang absolutely refused to accept the gifts.

Qiao Suluo said, "Mother, I made these steamed buns and dishes because I wanted you all to have a taste. If you don’t take them, I’ll be sad. This is just a token of my regard."

Her parents and brothers had actually treated the original owner of this body with absolute, wholehearted devotion. Since the original owner hadn’t cherished it, she would. Before coming over, she had specifically wrapped a scarf around her neck to hide the marks from her parents.

Qiao Feishuang’s eyes turned red. "Alright, alright, Mother will accept it."

In the past, Qiao Feishuang hadn’t even dared to hope that her daughter would acknowledge her or call her "Mother," let alone expect anything else. Now, she felt incredibly flattered and overwhelmed, a hint of tears welling up in her eyes. As she turned around, she discreetly wiped the corners of her eyes.

"Mother, there’s also this one tael of silver." Immediately after, Qiao Suluo handed the one tael of silver to Qiao Feishuang.

Qiao Feishuang froze for a moment. When she turned her head back to look, she indeed saw the one tael of silver in Qiao Suluo’s hand.

Unable to believe her eyes, Qiao Feishuang stammered, "Daughter, this... this..." She weighed her words, unsure of how to ask, terrified that saying the wrong thing might upset her daughter.

Looking at Qiao Feishuang’s expression, Qiao Suluo knew that her mother hadn’t taken her seriously when she previously promised to bring back one tael of silver. It made sense; her predecessor’s behavior indeed made it hard for anyone to trust her words.

"Mother, didn’t I mention before that I started a small food business? I earned this in the county town," Qiao Suluo explained. "Take it and send it to the Lü family."

She directly stuffed it into Qiao Feishuang’s hand. Qiao Feishuang felt she shouldn’t accept it, but the Lü family was pressing them too hard. Just that morning, they had sent someone to demand the money, humiliating them in the process.

After chatting with Qiao Suluo for a bit, Qiao Feishuang called out to Qiao Erlin. "Erlin, your sister is here. Why haven’t you come over to say hello?"

Qiao Erlin just stared at Qiao Suluo with a look of confusion. Had she really accepted and acknowledged them?

"Sister," Qiao Erlin said, slightly awkwardly.

Qiao Suluo flashed him a bright smile. "Second Brother."

Hearing that clear "Second Brother" and seeing the smile on his sister’s face, Qiao Erlin couldn’t help but smile in return. She noticed that her second brother was tall with long legs, and his smile was radiant, much like a sunny, athletic boy from the modern world.

To think that the young lady of the Lü family actually disliked someone like him.

Just then, another young man walked through the doorway. He had striking, arched eyebrows and bright, starry eyes, his bronze skin glowing with a healthy, vigorous sheen. Looking at Qiao Suluo, he bristled defensively. "Why did you come home?

"Do you want more silver? You always say we aren’t worthy of being your family, but whenever you need silver, you come running back.

"If it weren’t for you taking and spending Second Brother’s engagement silver, would the Lü family have humiliated us like that?

"Do you even know what the Lü family said when they came this morning? They called us liars and accused us of taking the betrothal gifts without returning them. Second Brother’s reputation is going to be ruined! How is he supposed to marry anyone in the future?"

Qiao Sanlin’s eyes shone with a young man’s heroism and sharp intensity. As he spoke, he slammed the heavy bundle of firewood from his back onto the ground, seething with pent-up anger.

Qiao Feishuang frowned. "Sanlin, how can you speak to your sister like that?

"Haven’t I told you many times that your sister is doing very well now? Why do you always dwell on the past?"

Qiao Erlin hurriedly came out of the kitchen, stepping forward to grab Qiao Sanlin’s arm. "Third Brother, how can you speak to our sister like this? She’s..."

Before Qiao Erlin could finish, Qiao Sanlin’s anger surged to his head. "Second Brother, how long has it been, and you’ve already forgiven her and are speaking up for her?

"When she came home before to take your engagement silver, she was also sweet-talking, but the moment she got it, she started cursing at us.

"Have you forgotten? Who knows what she’s planning to do this time?

"Second Brother, your personality is too soft. You need to change it, or you’ll get bullied by your wife’s family once you marry.

"Isn’t that exactly what happened to Eldest Brother..."

At the mention of their eldest brother, a helpless and sorrowful expression appeared on Qiao Sanlin’s face, a profound sense of powerlessness radiating from him.

Hearing her third brother’s words, Qiao Suluo’s expression shifted. "Mother, what happened to Eldest Brother?"

Not wanting her daughter to worry about such matters, Qiao Feishuang said, "It’s nothing. Your eldest brother just hasn’t been back for a long time, and your third brother is worried about him, that’s all."

Qiao Sanlin wanted to say more, but after Qiao Erlin tugged at his arm, he kept his mouth shut.

Qiao Feishuang looked at Qiao Suluo carefully. "Daughter, please don’t be angry. I’ll have a good talk with your third brother later. He just has a fiery temper.

"Sigh, it’s precisely because of this explosive temper that whenever people inquire about him, no one is willing to marry him.

"Can’t you just tone it down a bit?" she added, scolding her son.

Qiao Feishuang was extremely exasperated. She had told this third son countless times that as a male beastman, he needed to be gentle and virtuous in order to win a wife’s favor.

Qiao Suluo didn’t quite agree with this kind of rhetoric. She spoke up, "Mother, I think Third Brother is perfectly fine the way he is. Having a bit of a temper is good—it’s called having a personality. To each their own; there will certainly be someone who likes and appreciates him just the way he is.

"There’s no need for you to scold him over his personality."

Qiao Sanlin was stunned to hear this. He wondered if this woman had taken the wrong medicine. Why else would she say such things today, and why was she being so agreeable? Hadn’t she cursed him before, saying his bad temper made him as repulsive as a wild beast? She had even despised him, claiming he embarrassed her, and strictly forbade him from calling himself her third brother because she wouldn’t acknowledge him.

However, despite being criticized countless times for his temper and personality, this was the first time someone had ever said having a temper was a good thing.

Qiao Suluo said, "Third Brother, I know I’ve said some hurtful things to you all in the past. I was definitely in the wrong, and you have every right to be angry.

"But I’ve now realized my mistakes, and I’m changing. It’s okay if you don’t believe me right now. You can watch my actions and then decide whether to trust me and whether to acknowledge me as your sister.

"Also, if you ever run into any trouble in the future, you can come find me. At the end of the day, I am your sister."

In the Beast World Continent, within the villages, any family that had a female beastman would be highly respected. If a family only had male beastmen and no female beastman, they would be looked down upon. According to the local customs, as the female of the family, she should be the one to back her brothers up. That way, they wouldn’t be looked down upon or bullied by others.