Chapter 2

I had just finished setting my injured leg and didn't want to move, so I answered weakly, "Just woke up."

The woman hurriedly said, "You must be hungry. I brought you some food. Eat quickly."

The door opened, and a thin, frail woman entered carrying some cornbread and wild fruit.

It seemed this woman was the little girl's mother.

She extended the food toward me and said, "Lily, does your leg still hurt? Eat quickly. You need to eat well to recover from your injury."

Suddenly, a shrill voice rang out from outside: "Lily's mom! I told you to feed the chickens, where did you go? Always slacking off! Even the chickens are more useful than you! At least they lay eggs—you don't!"

Lily's mother quickly responded, "Mom, I already fed the chickens. I came to bring Lily her meal."

The shrill voice grew closer: "My son must have had terrible luck to marry you! A money-loser gave birth to another money-loser, eating the Smith family's food for nothing all these years!"

This sounded like the little girl's grandmother.

The grandmother's words were full of disgust toward the mother and daughter.

Their lives must be difficult.

Lily's mother looked at my injured leg. After much hesitation, she finally gathered the courage to say, "Mom, Lily's leg was broken. We need to get the village doctor to look at it."

Mrs. Smith outside the window nearly shrieked when she heard this: "A doctor costs money! If you ask me, if she dies, she dies! One less mouth to feed!"

I frowned. This little girl must have been beaten, which is why her leg was broken.

Why was the little girl beaten, and who beat her? The most important thing now was to figure out what exactly happened.

I heard Mrs. Smith continue: "Stop talking nonsense and come help me right now. The matchmaker is coming today!"

Lily's mother quickly set down the food and went out.