Mu Shi'an watched his father's retreating figure, a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips. His dad’s stubbornness never wavered, no matter the circumstances.
Upon entering the courtyard, Mu's Father noticed that the weeds he had previously cleared had grown back. A pile of unwashed clothes sat in a wooden basin, while fallen leaves and dust covered the yard. His brows furrowed in displeasure.
"Didn’t I always tell you that no matter the situation, you should keep yourselves and your living space clean and tidy? How did it end up like this again?"
Mu Shi'an glanced around and sighed softly.
"I’ve been at the hospital taking care of you these past few days. Mom probably didn’t have time to clean. Let me help you inside to rest first—I’ll tidy up later," Mu Shi'an offered.
Before Mu's Father could respond, a commotion erupted at the courtyard gate.
Mu's mother and Mu Jingmei rushed in, flustered and breathless. The moment Mu's mother laid eyes on her husband, her eyes welled up with tears. She immediately threw herself at him, clutching his arms as she frantically checked him over.
"You’re alright, thank goodness, you’re alright," she choked out, her voice trembling.
Mu's Father was visibly moved. He patted the back of her hand reassuringly. "What could possibly happen to me?"
"You scared me half to death this time," Mu's mother whispered, her voice thick with emotion.
"But I’m back now," he murmured, gently wiping away the tears at the corners of her eyes.
He was eleven years her senior. They had met during his merchant travels.
Back then, her father had been desperate to gather a dowry for her younger brother and was about to sell her off to an old drunkard.
She had thrown herself at his feet, clutching the hem of his trousers, her eyes red as she begged him to save her.
For reasons he still couldn’t explain, he had bought her freedom. At first, he thought the age gap between them was too wide and considered treating her as a younger sister.
But she refused—she insisted on marrying him. Over time, affection grew between them, and he eventually took her as his wife.
All these years, he had protected her fiercely, knowing he was older and wanting to shield her from hardship.
He had hoped to give her a comfortable, worry-free life. Yet now, unforeseen misfortune had forced her into this struggle alongside him.
"Mom, Dad hasn’t fully recovered yet. Let’s get him inside to rest first," Mu Shi'an interjected, worried that the journey and prolonged standing might strain his father’s health.
"Right, right—rest first," Mu's mother agreed hastily, supporting her husband as they made their way toward the house.
Mu Jingmei lingered nearby, her expression uneasy as she stole glances at her father.
She had been certain he wouldn’t survive this time—not after coughing up so much blood. Yet here he was, alive and back home.
But now that he had returned… would he reprimand her?
Mu Jingmei had always been afraid of her father. As a merchant, he dealt with all sorts of people daily. Her little tricks only worked on her mother—they never fooled him.
That was why she avoided drawing his attention.
Luckily, he had always focused entirely on Mu Shi'an. Otherwise, her life wouldn’t have been nearly as easy.
Noticing the turmoil in Mu Jingmei’s eyes, Mu Shi'an frowned slightly.
"Clean up the courtyard. Dad doesn’t like living in a messy place," he instructed.
"Why me?" Mu Jingmei blurted out reflexively.
"Why not you?" Mu Shi'an countered calmly.
Her face stiffened, and for a long moment, she fumbled for words.
"But… I’ve never had to do these things before…"
"That was before. Back then, we lived in a Western-style house. You had servants attending to your every need. Look around now—what do you still have?" Mu Shi'an had never spoken to her like this before.
He had always believed that as the eldest brother, it was his duty to protect his siblings.
But now, he realized that sometimes, overprotection could be a mistake.
Their family’s circumstances had changed irrevocably. If Mu Jingmei didn’t wake up to reality, she wouldn’t survive what lay ahead.
Mu Jingmei’s eyes reddened instantly.
"Brother, why do you resent me so much now? Do you regret marrying into the Yang family to save me? If that’s the case, I’ll go to Yang Dafu right now—I’ll marry him if it means you all can live well!" she sobbed.
Mu Shi'an was taken aback by her sudden outburst. Before he could respond, Mu's mother stepped out from the inner room and rushed over at the sight of her tearful daughter.
"What’s going on here?"
Mu Jingmei threw herself into her mother’s arms.
"Mom, it’s all my fault. If it weren’t for me, Brother wouldn’t have had to marry into another family. I’m just a burden—I should be the one to leave. Mom, I’ll marry Yang Dafu if it means you and Dad can live comfortably!" she wailed pitifully.
"Don’t talk nonsense! Do you even know what kind of man Yang Dafu is? How could you possibly have a good life with him? Never say such things again!" Mu's mother scolded sternly.
"But Brother—" Mu Jingmei hiccupped between sobs.
"Your brother is doing just fine now. You don’t need to worry about him," Mu's mother reassured her, gently patting her back.
"But he’s always scolding me now… I don’t want him to suffer because of me," Mu Jingmei whimpered.
"Shi'an, why are you picking on your sister again?" Mu's mother turned to her son disapprovingly.
Hearing yet another baseless accusation, Mu Shi'an remained composed.
"I wasn’t scolding her. I just asked her to tidy the courtyard," he explained plainly.
"Jingmei has never done chores before—how could she manage? I’ll take care of it later," Mu's mother instinctively defended her daughter.
Mu Shi'an took a deep breath and met his mother’s gaze firmly.
"If she doesn’t know how, shouldn’t she learn? Yongnian and Haoxuan had never worked before either, but now they can fetch water, tend the fire, and wash dishes. Jingmei is older than both of them."
"But… Jingmei is a girl…" Mu's mother faltered under his questioning.
"What does that matter? When disaster struck, both sons and daughters suffered alike. If she doesn’t learn these things, do you plan to shelter her forever?" Mu Shi'an wanted his mother to face reality.
Back when they were wealthy, he hadn’t minded her spoiling Mu Jingmei—they could afford it.
But those days were gone.
"I…" Mu's mother looked down at Mu Jingmei in her arms. Her daughter’s red-rimmed eyes gazed up at her with utter dependence, and suddenly, memories of her own past resurfaced—back when she had desperately wished for someone to protect her. Her heart softened again.
"If I can’t shelter her forever… she still has you, doesn’t she?" Mu's mother said quietly.
