Song Yulian wanted to explain further, but Sixth Aunt had no desire to listen.
"Alright, alright, now that the misunderstanding is cleared, no need to dwell on it. We're family. They say stepmothers have it tough, and I understand that. Both hands are flesh, but the back of the hand isn't as thick as the palm. You can't pour water evenly, but you shouldn't go too far."
She turned to leave, her gaze casually falling on Cheng You.
At such close proximity, she realized how exquisitely beautiful Cheng You was.
Her eyes, clear and limpid, held a purity that belied the rumors of her being lazy and deceitful.
A single glance from her inspired goodwill.
Song Yulian's face, however, changed drastically. Sixth Aunt's words had shattered the reputation she had carefully cultivated for so long.
She gritted her teeth and said, "Cheng You, your second mother hasn't treated you badly, has she..."
"Not second mother, Aunt Lian," Cheng You corrected.
Song Yulian's face darkened, her entire countenance drooping.
"Fine! Aunt Lian has treated you well, hasn't she? People say it's hard to be a stepmother, but haven't I given you all the good things I have..."
"Aunt Lian, since you've brought it up, I'd like to ask, what good things have you given me?" Cheng You asked sincerely, her voice soft.
Song Yulian clenched her fist awkwardly. "The family's circumstances are as they are, how can there be any good things? These eggs, you are to save them for your father and brother. Your sister and I wouldn't dare to sneak them. Don't misunderstand."
Cheng You raised an eyebrow, offering no comment.
As she was about to go back inside, she heard Cheng Tao cry out in surprise, "Where are my clothes?"
She then realized that the clothes hanging on the line did not include her polyester shirt and skirt.
Cheng You paused, leaning against the doorframe, and chuckled softly.
"Sister, I forgot to tell you, I brought those clothes back."
Cheng Tao was stunned. "But you already gave them to me!"
"I did give them to you, but I regret it now. As I said, these were left to me by my mother, and I cannot give them away. If only the bracelet I lent you hadn't gone missing, otherwise I would want that back too. Compared to the clothes, I want the bracelet more."
She blinked her eyes, hinting at something.
Cheng Tao's face turned extremely ugly. "Cheng You, how could you become like this?"
Cheng You covered her mouth and smiled, her eyes curving.
"Sister, what are you talking about? Don't everyone say I'm spoiled, domineering, and unreasonable? I've always been like this!"
Lazy, pampered, and greedy – these were the three major flaws everyone attributed to Cheng You.
They all said that having her as a daughter-in-law was a great misfortune for the Zhao family.
Cheng Tao bit her lip, but she planned to go watch a movie with Zhao Yunlin tomorrow, and she had specifically asked Cheng You to help wash her clothes.
Before Cheng You entered the house, she added, "Don't think about complaining to Father. If he scolds me, I'll go to Great-Grandfather for arbitration, and we'll see if I should have given you these clothes."
Great-Grandfather was Cheng You's grandfather's eldest brother, a figure like a clan elder, ten years older than Cheng You's grandfather.
Even Cheng Tianhua dared not offend him, let alone Cheng Tao.
Looking at the closed door, Cheng Tao was so enraged her face contorted.
She lowered her eyelids, looking utterly wronged.
"Mom, what should we do?"
Song Yulian glared at her. "How should I know what to do!"
She was still upset about inexplicably losing five eggs.
Cheng Tao thought and thought, but couldn't figure out why Cheng You had changed.
Had she discovered that she was the one who pushed her into the water?
It didn't seem like it.
She was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. She had to meet Zhao Yunlin tomorrow and succeed in capturing him.
Her gaze fell on the box on the table, which contained the bracelet left by Cheng You's mother.
The bracelet was of unknown material, dull and dusty, with a rough, matte texture. It was not attractive at all.
She had kept the bracelet not because she liked it, but because she didn't want to return it to Cheng You.
Now, it seemed she had to trade it for the clothes.
Cheng Tao walked out with a cold expression and knocked on the door.
"Cheng You, I suddenly found the bracelet your mother left for you. I can return it to you, but I want to trade it for those two pieces of clothing."
Inside the room, Cheng You curled her lips without a response.
Cheng Tao gritted her teeth, assuming she was unwilling, and said again, "Cheng You, I don't have any nice clothes. Please, I'm begging you, trade with me."
That way, she could wear something nice to meet Zhao Yunlin tomorrow.
After waiting for a while longer, Cheng You finally came out, holding the white shirt and red skirt.
"Where's the bracelet?"
A happy smile bloomed on Cheng Tao's face, and she quickly handed over the bracelet.
Who would want such an ugly bracelet?
The moment Cheng You took the bracelet, she pushed the clothes towards Cheng Tao.
Cheng Tao got her wish, took the clothes, and walked out. She could still wash and dry them now.
Cheng You put on the dull, dusty bracelet. It was inconspicuous, but she liked it very much.
She was different from Cheng Wenyu. Jiang Qing was a unique existence in her heart.
Even though she had called Song Yulian "second mother," she had never truly acknowledged her as a mother in her heart, only giving face to Cheng Tao.
She stroked the bracelet repeatedly. "If only Mom were still here."
"Hiss... How sharp!"
Cheng You frowned and looked down. The pad of her finger had been cut by the bracelet, drawing blood.
Before she could react, the tiny trace of blood on the bracelet vanished into thin air.
Then, as if shedding its skin, the bracelet peeled off an outer layer, revealing its true appearance.
"Huh?"
There was such a hidden mechanism.
She wiped the bracelet and raised her hand to look.
The original bracelet, stripped of its outer layer, was a transparent and vibrant emerald green, gleaming with an intense, noble beauty.
In an instant, a scene appeared in Cheng You's mind.
It was a small pool of water, about five centimeters in diameter.
There was very little water in it, and it was crystal clear.
Cheng You was startled and quickly shook her head.
"What is that!"
As soon as Cheng You spoke, she saw a droplet of dew condense on the pad of her right index finger. It rolled on her fingertip but did not fall.
She stared for a moment, then gently pressed it with her injured thumb.
As if sensing her intent, the dewdrop miraculously seeped into the wound.
Visibly, her wound healed!
"This... this is incredible!" Cheng You muttered to herself, unable to help but exclaim.
Looking at her injured thumb again, there was no trace of a wound.
Cheng You tried extending her hand again, and with a thought, water beads indeed condensed on her fingertip.
She was utterly astonished, almost speechless.
She pinched her own cheek. It hurt, so she wasn't dreaming.
Did the Cheng Tao in her dream discover this incredible fortune?
Cheng You's heart was filled with mixed emotions. She had only dreamed of her and Cheng Wenyu's miserable fate and hadn't paid attention to anything else.
She had woken up with a splitting headache and remembered very little.
But she guessed that the Cheng Tao in her dream probably knew.
She licked the condensed pearl on her fingertip and saw the small pool of water in her mind again.
There was too little of it, and she didn't know if it was renewable. She was reluctant to use it.
She took off the bracelet and wrapped it in a cloth.
If it remained in its original inconspicuous state, she could wear it out. Now, it would easily attract thieves.
After swallowing a droplet of condensed water, Cheng You felt no immediate change.
She couldn't help but swallow a few more drops before feeling her body, depleted by recent days, slowly repairing itself.
Cheng You smiled, her lips curling. This was perhaps the only thing worth celebrating at the moment.