Timid and submissive, gentle and considerate, understanding and compliant: these were the most accurate descriptions of Ye Lanyin.
She couldn't fight back when beaten or mistreated, couldn't talk back when scolded, and did every chore without getting any of the benefits.
When her older brother got married, he had no house, no car, and no bride-price money. Her parents told her to drop out of school and work to help support the family, and she agreed.
Her younger brother needed tuition, and he worried about losing face at school in front of his classmates. She slept only three or four hours a day, just to earn enough to buy him designer brands.
When her parents fell ill, she was the only one who cared for them each day.
Then, on her twentieth birthday, her family celebrated with her. They bought her a birthday cake, something she'd never eaten before, and made her braised pork, a dish she never got to eat at home. She was so happy, convinced all her hard work had been worth it.
After dinner, she drifted off to sleep, feeling wonderful.
When she woke, she found herself lying in the bed of Wang Qiang, a forty-year-old bachelor from her village, held tightly in his arms.
She tried to escape, but was discovered, and in the end Wang Qiang killed her.
After her death, her soul returned to her old home, where she saw her parents and brothers celebrating her departure.
Hearing their conversation, Ye Lanyin's heart finally shattered.
She swore that, if she could live again, she would see through her family's true nature and stay away from them.
When she opened her eyes again, she was reborn at fourteen, on the day her parents told her to quit school.
This time, she was clear-minded. She decided to leave home and make her own way in the world.
Years later...
Her former parents: "Our precious daughter, we're all family."
Her former older brother: "Little sister, come home. Your big brother misses you so much."
Ye Lanyin: "..."
