Li Yueshu's hand, which was packing things, paused, and her expression was surprised.
Li Xiangru?
Wasn't she in Chongzhou? How did she end up in Tongmu County?
Li Yueshu frowned. She didn't want to have too much contact with Li Xiangru, the original female lead, so soon. However, remembering some of the original body's memories, she still walked out.
She saw Li Xiangru sitting in the courtyard, her posture dignified, with a maid holding a box standing respectfully behind her.
As the female lead in a rebirth revenge novel, she would definitely have a loyal maid who had followed her for two lifetimes. Li Yueshu naturally guessed who that maid was.
But she didn't pay much attention, only glancing at Li Xiangru subtly before sitting down opposite her.
"Sister, weren't you in Chongzhou? Why did you suddenly come back?" Li Yueshu spoke first, her expression showing nothing out of the ordinary.
Li Xiangru's face had been smiling, but the moment her gaze fell upon Li Yueshu's face, her expression froze.
Li Yueshu noticed the change in her expression and narrowed her eyes slightly.
Li Xiangru came back to her senses and smiled, "We haven't seen each other for so long, and my sister has grown more and more beautiful."
That face was also becoming more and more like...
"How could I compare to you, sister?" Li Yueshu deflected, "You look so radiant in silk and satin, I almost didn't recognize you!"
As the female lead of this world, Li Xiangru, while not breathtakingly beautiful, was exceptionally attractive from childhood.
Li Xiangru lightly pursed her lips, a hint of sorrow on her face, "Since marrying into the Shen family, how long has it been since my sister visited Father and Mother?"
Li Yueshu's expression was calm, "Does Sister forget? I was sold to the Shen family. From that moment on, I had no parents."
These words sounded somewhat heartless, but Li Yueshu herself didn't feel anything was wrong.
In the original body's memories, Father and Mother Li had always favored Li Xiangru since childhood.
In the eyes of outsiders, the couple never showed any favoritism between their two daughters in terms of food and clothing, but only the original body knew how vast the gap between her and her sister was.
Li Xiangru could read and write, while the original body could only chop firewood. Li Xiangru's hands were delicate and unused to chores, while the original body was a regular in the kitchen. Li Xiangru could afford to buy a new hairpin, while the original body's cotton clothes could only be patched from her sister's cast-offs.
It was precisely this differential treatment by Father and Mother Li that made the original body's unwillingness and resentment accumulate bit by bit. Finally, because she was sold to be the wife of a dead man and had to raise four unrelated children alone, the original body's years of pent-up resentment finally erupted, making her appearance hideous and causing her to vent all her anger on the children.
In the end, the original body's vicious nature was inseparable from Li Xiangru.
But Li Xiangru clearly didn't think the same way. She even frowned displeasedly, her face full of reproach, "Sister, how can you speak of Father and Mother like that! Our two villages are so close, do you know that Father injured himself while repairing the roof!"
Li Yueshu's eyelids flickered.
She really didn't know about this, but…
"What does it have to do with me?"
Seeing her indifferent expression, Li Xiangru seemed angered, "Sister, do you know what you're saying? You... how could you become like this!"
Her face was filled with anger and disbelief, and she almost lost her composure as a noble young lady.
Faced with her accusations, Li Yueshu's expression remained calm, as if she wasn't the one being scolded. She leisurely poured herself a cup of water.
The weather was getting hotter, and this cool water left in the courtyard had already warmed up. Fortunately, the table was placed under the shade of the tree, otherwise, she was afraid she would get sunburned.
Li Yueshu appeared absent-minded, but others were cautiously paying attention.
Li Xiangru's voice was a little loud, and everyone looked over, their faces full of curiosity and concern.
Curious why they were arguing, and worried that Li Yueshu would suffer.
As Mother Mo hesitated whether to go over, Qin Moyuan suddenly walked over, "Aunt Mo, please go to the kitchen and get another pot of water."
Hearing this, Aunt Mo instantly understood and quickly brought a pot of water from the kitchen.
Just as she was about to approach, Qin Moyuan took the water pot from her and walked towards the two people sitting not far away.
After Li Xiangru's questioning, she had been waiting for Li Yueshu's explanation, but after waiting for a long time, she saw that she had no intention of speaking.
It felt like she had punched into cotton.
Just as she was about to speak again, a figure suddenly walked over, placed the water pot heavily on the table, and then turned to stand behind Li Yueshu.
Although he didn't say a word, Li Xiangru inexplicably felt a sense of threat. It seemed that if she dared to question Li Yueshu again, he would do something.
She recognized this man as the third son of the Shen family, Shen Wei.
Why did he seem a little different?
Seeing her staring blankly at Qin Moyuan, Li Yueshu's expression turned cold, "Sister asked why I've become like this. Why not ask our parents what they said when they sold me to the Shen family back then?"
Li Xiangru snapped back to reality, not quite understanding the meaning behind her words, and looked bewildered.
Li Yueshu sneered, "Father said that since Sister was of marriageable age and couldn't afford a dowry, she would be bullied by her husband's family if she married. So he sold me to the Shen family for one tael of silver."
"Mother said that once I married, I would be a Shen family daughter-in-law, not a Li family daughter. My future life, whether good or bad, was my own business. She told me to take care of myself."
These words were not harsh, but to the original body at that time, they were like sharp swords piercing her heart.
"But, Father and Mother seem to have forgotten that Sister and I are twins, born less than half an hour apart." The smile on Li Yueshu's lips was a little cold. "When Sister reached marriageable age and couldn't afford a dowry, she would be bullied by her husband's family. As for me, I was sold to save money for Sister's dowry."
Her words made Li Xiangru's face turn pale, and she was speechless for a moment.
Qin Moyuan looked at the person beside him whose expression was so calm, as if she wasn't talking about her own life at all. His heart ached slightly.
Although he had long suspected that she might not be the "Li Yueshu" he knew, the thought of her despair and helplessness at that time made him feel heartache.
Li Xiangru opened her mouth, but in the end, she could only say dryly, "You are Father and Mother's biological daughter. Of course, they dote on you."
"Is that so?" Li Yueshu retorted, a half-smile playing on her lips, leaving Li Xiangru unsure how to answer.
The atmosphere was silent for a moment, and she quickly changed the subject, "Actually, I came today specifically to bid you farewell, sister."
Li Xiangru quickly composed herself, glanced at Huai'er behind her, who then placed the box she had been holding on the table.
As the box opened, exquisite jewelry was revealed.
Li Xiangru personally took out a bracelet, "I know you've always liked jewelry since you were little. These are all specially brought from Chongzhou for you. See if you like them?"
Li Yueshu did not reach out to take it. She merely looked at the exquisite jewelry in the box, her heart feeling a little heavy.
She then looked at the bracelet on Li Xiangru's wrist. After a moment's hesitation, she still reached out and took it.
But she didn't put it on. Instead, she looked up at Li Xiangru and said in a low voice, "Actually, a long time ago, I always considered you the closest and most reliant person in the world."