Xie Wan looked at her sweaty brother and couldnt help but sigh. Xie Liang was good in every way, except that he didnt understand human emotions and worldly affairs. If he wasnt flawed in this way, his previous life wouldnt have ended up like that.

  "What strange place?! This is your home! Has that unfilial son taught you to reject even your ancestors?!"

  Wangs warm voice echoed: "Your grandfather also pitied you for having no parents to care for you."

  Xie Lang was about to say something, but Xie Wan secretly tugged at his sleeve. "The pastry given by the mistress is very delicious," she looked at Xie Lang pleadingly, then suddenly blinked her big eyes towards Wang Shi.

  Wang smiled at her.

  Xie Lang has always doted on his younger sister, never going against her wishes. He thought she was still young and didnt understand things, but in fact, she was just trying to get out of the situation herself. After hesitating for a moment, he lowered his voice again and said to Xie Qigong: "Alright, lets wait until Uncle comes tomorrow and talk about it then."

  Xie Qigong rolled up his sleeves and walked out of the flower hall.

  Xie Lang hastily pulled Xie Wan back into the house, leaving Bao Mo and Yin Cui to guard the door. He solemnly carried his sister onto the kang and said, "We cant stay here, you know how ruthless and cruel Wang Shi is?"

  Xie Wan sat on the kang, dangling her two small legs, blinking at him: "How did she become so ruthless?"

  Xie Langs handsome face was already swollen red, he tried to speak calmly: "Think about what our father is? The most legitimate and rightful eldest son of the Xie family, but was actually driven out by the Wang family! Back then, Father lived in the house left to him by his mother, just because he was forced out by the Wang family! How can you get close to this poisonous woman?"

  Wangs methods, Xie Wan naturally knew.

  Xie Lang was not good at speaking right or wrong, so no matter how much he said, he couldnt say anything conclusive. However, Xie Wan learned from her aunt and mothers maid Wu Mama that after the death of Madame Xie, Xie Hong, who was good at flattering people, won the favor of Xie Qigong, and also because Wang Shi gave birth to a clever and handsome son named Xie Rong, Xie Teng, who was not good at currying favor, gradually became neglected by Xie Qigong.

  Wang not only coaxed Xie Qigong into handing over the dowry industry of Yangs family to her, but also complained about Xie Teng in front of Xie Qigong, and hated that she could not persuade Xie Qigong to remove this son from the family tree.

  To say nothing of the others, just take Xie Tengs birth mother Yang Shi, who brought a lot of dowry, which was also controlled by Wang Shi on the grounds that Xie Teng was young. If it werent for Xie Tengs aunt, Jin Niangniang, coming over to take charge and asking for the dowry back, those properties would not have become Wang Shis private property, but would have become public property of the mansion.

  So after his father took back the property, he resolutely moved out of the mansion and went to live in the house left by Yangs family in Huangshi Town.

  Its not hard to imagine how much suffering he endured in those years living under the Wang family with his gentle nature.

  But it was precisely because of what Wang had done and the ruthlessness with which the Xie family had treated them that she wanted to take a risk.

  "Brother," Xie Wan said, looking at Xie Liangs clear eyes, "think about it, Uncle has already helped us a lot. His family relies on his meager salary as a judge in the provincial government to support our cousins, and its already a struggle for them. How can they afford to take on the additional burden of supporting us two? If we follow Uncle to the Qi family, when you get married in the future, Uncle and Aunt will have to bear the expenses too, isnt that a burden for them?"

  In fact, she knew that at first, because of the difference in social status, her uncle did not agree with her mother marrying her father. However, since her mother and father were deeply in love and insisted on getting married, her uncle was worried that her mother would suffer a loss after marriage. In order to give her some dignity, he had sold part of his property to prepare her dowry. Her aunt, however, did not have any complaints about this.

  In her previous life, after she went to the Qi family, because all of the second wifes property was taken away by the Xie family, the siblings were left with nothing. The Qi family suddenly became destitute. She personally witnessed her aunt secretly doing needlework to make ends meet and quietly taking out her own dowry to buy stationery for her brother and new clothes for herself.

  She didnt know in her past life, and could only accept this kindness, but can she still use their money with a clear conscience in this life? Moreover, after they passed away, not only did they drag them down, but Xie Lian also didnt get a good future.

  Its impossible to get a tiger cub without entering the tigers lair.

  Living with the Qi family may provide enough warmth and affection, but its not a mutually beneficial choice. Why should Uncle and Aunt Qi raise the children of the Xie family and make so many sacrifices for them? And why should they give away their inheritance to the Xie family? The Xie family not only doesnt spend money to raise orphans, but also wants to deprive them of their rightful property and use it to pave the way for the son of the stepmother! Theyve taken advantage of every opportunity in this world! Maybe they got away with it in their past life, but not necessarily in this one.

  In this life, the Xie family will never think of touching a single cent of their second house!

  Xie Lang stared blankly at Xie Wan, his eyes wide with astonishment.

  He knew his sister was right, but he was shocked that such words would come from an eight-year-olds mouth. Yuanyuan had been clever since she was a child, but it wasnt time for her to think about these things yet! Even he hadnt thought of this - could it be that the family changes had made her more sensible?

  Her eyes shone like the morning star, revealing an old and wise maturity that didnt match her age. He remembered her silence in these days, and his heart ached again. They had once had such a happy family! But after the Double Ninth Festival, his parents passed away, and even his beloved little sister was forced to grow up by cruel reality.

  Looking at his sisters face as white as jade, he couldnt bear it and turned away.

  Xie Wan also knew that saying this would easily make people suspicious.

  But now that its come to this, and the time has come to make a choice, for their future, she must bring out some persuasive power in front of her kind and gentle brother. Her brother is indecisive and simple-minded, and there are many precocious children in this world; with his personality, even if he were surprised by this, he wouldnt be surprised for long.

  "Dont be surprised, you speak first, am I right or not?" she said seriously.

  Xie Lang turned his head back, stared at her for a while, then moved his eyebrows and nodded.

  "What you said is right, Uncle and Aunt have been so good to us, we shouldnt add more burdens on them - but Yanyan, even if we dont go to the Qis house, we can still return to our own home, and not be restricted! Yanyan, I can take care of you!" He patted his somewhat thin chest.

  Xie Wan nodded, "You are my elder brother, you are the closest relative I have at the moment, of course, I believe you will take good care of me. But, have you ever thought that youre about to take the imperial examination, once you pass, youll have to study hard and then take another exam to become a high-ranking official, at that time, can you still follow me around every day to take care of me?"

  "Then I wont read books anymore!" Xie Lang blurted out. He then clenched his fists in distress.

  Xie Wans eyes widened: "If brother doesnt study, how will he break free from the second house and establish his own household in the future? How can we keep our family property? How can we make father proud in front of the Wangs? Wont that just be giving them an excuse to bully us? As long as we stay in the Xie manor, at least we wont have to worry about food and clothing, my safety is guaranteed, and you can focus on studying for your own future. Moreover, we can also save money on food and servants!"

  The autumn wind blows at Xias house, and Xie Wan doesnt feel even a little bit guilty.

  Xie Langs face turned pale and he stepped back, falling to the ground with a thud.

  "Do you want me to spend the rest of my life under the Wang familys thumb?" He buried his face in his hands and sobbed.

  "How can it be a lifetime?" Xie Wan sighed: "We are temporarily just borrowing a place to live in the mansion, until you pass the exam, wont we be able to come out with our heads held high? At that time, they will naturally have to look up to us! Brother, we need to think about the long-term."

  Xie Lang was very intelligent and studious, and he was good at learning from others. Before he took the imperial examination in his previous life, his uncle had just passed away, and he went back and forth between the capital and Qinghe to help with the funeral arrangements. In such a situation, he still managed to pass the examination as a jinshi, if not for these disturbances, he would have at least been ranked first on the golden list and entered the Hanlin Academy.

  Xie Lang raised his head, remained silent for a while, and his eyebrows gradually opened up. "Are you saying that I should learn from Gou Jians experience of sleeping on thorns and tasting bile, enduring humiliation and hardship for these few years, and then leave once I obtain the imperial title?"

  "Right!" Xie Wan nodded, "By then youll be an official, what we want to do, where we want to go, can he still stop us?"

  Xie Langs eyes regained their luster, and after a moment, he said: "Youre right! We can agree to stay, but we must make three conditions with him, and promise to leave afterwards!"

  Xie Wan slowly raised her lips.

  Wangs gaze fell on neither of them, but rather on the dowry brought by Yang Shi and Qi Shi from the second house.

  Because Xie Qigong is selfish and thin, he will not be foolish enough to use his family business to add to Xie Hongs wealth. Although in the past life, he also took part of the second houses property to give to Xie Rong, but Xie Rong is his own son, after all, it is different from Xie Hong.

  Wang was reluctant to tell him directly, so he could only use various excuses to persuade him. Although Xie Qigong didnt like Xie Teng, after Xie Wan was "beaten" by Zhou Erjias family, Xie Qigong couldnt bear to scold them harshly for the time being.

  Once the Wang family gets their hands on this property, Im afraid they wont even let the siblings continue living in the mansion! What guarantee is there?

  However, when it came to making three rules, she smiled again. "Brother is right. We are the legitimate heirs of the direct line, and since they want to keep us so much, we should also show some attitude. In addition to setting this as a condition, we will naturally add two more."

  As she spoke, she glanced out of the window and leaned in close to Xie Cangs ear.

  Xie Langs expression gradually became serious.

  Xie Wan finished speaking and sat up straight, saying: "If they dont agree, well ask Uncle to take us to the Qi family. Tomorrow when Uncle and Aunt come over, you can explain all this to them and ask them to intervene. Youre already thirteen years old, in front of Uncle, the Xie family must show respect to you."