Transmigrated as a Peasant Girl with Prophetic Dreams: Using My Space to Become the Richest Person - Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Let’s Separate the Family

“Enough. Go home first,” Old Man Yang said to Wang Dani, then turned to his third son. “San’er, you and your lot get back to the house immediately.”

The Village Chief watched them go, shaking his head with a sigh.

Yang Xue knew exactly why Old Man Yang wanted them back: he intended to “discipline” them behind closed doors where no witnesses could intervene. This was perfect. She could use this tension to light a fuse.

“Dad, Mom, let’s go. Let’s head back.”

Yang San and Qian Yue’e walked with heavy steps, their faces clouded with dread. They should have known. Their parents would never believe the flood story, let alone allow them to follow the Chief to safety.

“Dad, Mom,” Yang Xue whispered as they walked. “If Grandpa and Grandma refuse to let us hide from the flood, what do you plan to do?”

Yang San looked at his children. After a long silence, he whispered back, “Don’t be afraid. Tonight, I’ll find a way to sneak you all up the mountain.”

“And then what?” Yang Xue pressed. “What will we eat while we’re hiding? We don’t know how to hunt.”

Yang San’s brow furrowed. He had no answer. He couldn’t let his wife and children starve, but he was trapped. Seeing their worry, he gritted his teeth. “Don’t worry. I’ll… I’ll work twice as hard to catch something.”

“And when the water recedes and we come down?” Yang Xue asked relentlessly. “Will Grandpa even let us back in the house? By then, they’ll have lost everything. They’ll only take their anger out on us even more than before.”

Yang San was speechless. Every question Yang Xue posed was a direct hit to their grim reality.

“I…”

“Dad, let’s use this opportunity to separate the family.”

…

The Spark of Rebellion

The words hit Yang San and Qian Yue’e like a physical blow. Their hearts raced—partly with excitement, but mostly with pure terror.

Yang San quickly scanned their surroundings. “Xue’er! Don’t talk nonsense! If your grandparents hear that, they’ll beat you to death!”

“Don’t say such things,” Qian Yue’e pleaded.

Yang Xue shook her head firmly. “I’m not joking. I want to separate. Dad, Mom, just tell me one thing: do you want to leave this house or not?”

Of course they wanted to. They dreamed of it every night. But they also knew it was impossible. Their branch did the lion’s share of the labor; the elders would never let their “workhorses” go. Even if they did, they wouldn’t give them a single grain of rice or an inch of land. How would they survive?

“Forget it,” Yang San sighed. “They’ll never agree.”

Yang Xue saw the longing behind their fear. They wanted out; they just lacked the courage to face the consequences. “Dad, Mom, if you give me a firm ‘yes,’ I will handle the separation myself.”

“How? Don’t do anything foolish!”

Yang Xue smiled grimly. “I won’t. You just need to follow my lead.”

Yang Shuang, the eldest sister, had been listening in silence. When Yang Xue mentioned the separation, her heart hammered against her ribs. Seeing her parents waver, she suddenly spoke up.

“Dad, Mom, let’s try. At worst, we fail and take another beating. We’re used to being hit; what’s one more time? Let’s listen to Xue’er. Let’s try.”

The parents looked at her, stunned by her sudden resolve.

“To be honest,” Yang Shuang continued, tears welling in her eyes, “Xue’er’s words yesterday woke me up. I had given up hope. But she’s right—living like a pathetic worm while waiting to be worked to death is a nightmare. I don’t want to live like this anymore. I’d rather take a risk before I die in some corner where no one cares.”

The younger siblings, Yang Yu and Yang Tian, began to cry too. “Dad, Mom, we want to separate! We don’t want Grandma to hit us anymore!”

Yang Xue was surprised. She thought Yang Shuang was too numb to care, but her sister was the first to stand by her. Faced with the collective tears of their children, the last of Yang San and Qian Yue’e’s hesitation crumbled.

“Fine,” Yang San gasped. “We’ll do it. We’ll separate.”

…

The Confrontation

When they entered the courtyard, Old Man Yang and Wang Dani were already seated, looking like judges ready to pass a death sentence. Seeing the elders’ imposing stance, Yang San and Qian Yue’e instinctively flinched.

“Dad, Mom,” Yang Xue whispered, “stay strong. Do it for us.”

Her voice steadied them. They walked forward. “Father. Mother.”

“So you finally decided to crawl back?” Wang Dani spat. “San’er, I think your wings have grown too long. You think you can rebel now?”

“Mother, it’s not that…”

“Not that? You’ve flipped the natural order! Kneel!” Old Man Yang roared.

Yang San and Qian Yue’e instinctively began to bend their knees, but Yang Xue grabbed their arms, holding them upright. She looked at the elders with eyes as cold as ice.

“What did we do wrong? Why should we kneel?”

Since there were no outsiders here, Yang Xue dropped the “White Lotus” act entirely.

Wang Dani jumped up, pointing a finger. “Look! Look, old man! I told you this brat was acting! Look at her now—she’s not pretending anymore!”

Old Man Yang was shocked. He had never seen this side of his granddaughter. But his shock quickly turned to fury. A mere girl challenging his authority? He thought he could scare her into submission with a shout.

“I said KNEEL!”