Chapter 5: Schemes

Li Yaqin moved stealthily, like a ghost.

Each step felt like walking on a knife's edge. The moonlight, like a veil, shrouded her thin figure,

giving the conspiracy an eerie glow.

A cold smile unconsciously curled at the corner of her lips, her eyes gleaming with the light of impending victory.

Her fingertips unconsciously caressed her clothes, as if she could still feel the burning pleasure from the burning letter.

The cold wind howled across the mountains, but it couldn't extinguish the fire of revenge burning in her heart.

Her pace quickened; Li Yaqin couldn't wait to see Li Yuehua collapse.

She took a deep breath, the biting cold filling her chest, yet bringing her an unprecedented sense of exhilaration.

After this night, the gears of fate would turn completely.

Li Yaqin secretly vowed to make the woman who had harmed her taste the bitterness of the world.

Under the moonlight, her shadow stretched long, like a venomous snake that had been lurking for a long time, finally waiting for its chance to strike.

On the way back to the village, Li Yaqin had already envisioned countless possible outcomes. She had done all she could; now, all she could do was wait.

Moreover, she had a backup plan: to find an excuse to leave this suffocating place ahead of time.

However, before leaving, she had to venture into the deep mountains and use her botanical knowledge to gather as many rare medicinal herbs and foods as possible, preparing for her future.

After all, although her spatial dimension had a preservation function, it was empty and could store a lot of supplies.

She had to plan ahead and prepare.

She would use her ability to collect items within a 100-meter radius of her spatial dimension, regardless of distance, to complete this quickly and efficiently.

The opportunity to leave would require careful planning and clever creation.

Those parents, so blatantly biased, and Li Yuehua, who saw her as a thorn in their side, would never let her leave easily, nor allow her to escape their control.

She had to devise a foolproof plan, a perfect excuse that would both free her from their wrath and leave them with no grounds for complaint.

Perhaps she could use this trip to the mountains to gather herbs to create some "accidents"?

No, while that might temporarily free her from them, how would she explain her disappearance afterwards?

And how could she legitimately head to the military region to achieve her ultimate goal?

A cold smile curved Li Yaqin's lips, a calculating glint in her eyes.

She stroked her clothes, feeling the rough texture of the fabric, as if deep in thought.

Her fingertips tapped unconsciously, once, twice, as if calculating time, or perhaps rehearsing each step of her plan.

She had to proceed cautiously, step by step, to win the final victory in this game.

The cold wind tousled her hair, but could it dispel the unwavering determination in her eyes?

That burned letter would become the sharpest weapon on her path of revenge.

The village entrance was faintly visible. Li Yaqin slowed her pace, catching her breath.

From tonight onward, a storm powerful enough to upend the entire village was about to arrive.

And she, Li Yaqin, would be the one to escape this storm.

And the ultimate victor.

After scaling the courtyard wall, Li Yaqin tiptoed into the kitchen.

She retrieved a set of worn-out cotton clothes from her spatial storage, quickly changed, her movements as nimble as a cat.

"Time to get to work," she muttered softly. The kitchen was pitch black, with only a faint starlight filtering in from the window.

Li Yaqin groped for a few pieces of firewood, moving with extreme care.

The subtle clanging of the wood made her heart skip a beat, and she immediately held her breath, listening intently for any sounds outside.

The water vat was almost empty, so she carried a bucket to the yard to fetch water.

The cold wind whipped her thin frame, and the bucket slammed against the well curb with a dull thud.

Li Yaqin nearly dropped the bucket in fright, quickly steadying it.

"That Li Yuehua, she always puts on such a nice act, who knows how treacherous she is behind the scenes?" she thought to herself, adding water to the stove with a cold laugh.

Just as the flames in the stove flared up, the kitchen door was pushed open.

Li Yaqin's muscles tensed instantly, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

She forced herself to sit up slowly, feigning composure.

“Fifth Sister, what are you doing?” Li Yuehua’s voice was like a cold winter wind, piercing her to the bone.

“Eldest Sister.” Li Yaqin turned around, her face plastered with an innocent smile.

“Up so early? I was just about to start the fire and cook.” She pretended to brush non-existent dust off her clothes.

“Eldest Sister, you don’t look well. Didn’t you sleep well? I boiled some water, would you like some?”

As she spoke, she secretly observed Li Yuehua’s expression.

Li Yuehua narrowed her eyes, sizing up Li Yaqin.

Suddenly, she asked, “Fifth Sister, what do you think of Li Dayong?”

Li Yaqin’s heart skipped a beat, but her face remained impassive.

She gave an envious look.

"Li Dayong? He's a big hero in the village! Tall, handsome, capable, and a soldier."

"Sister Yuehua, I think he's the perfect match for you!"

Li Yuehua's expression softened slightly, but suspicion remained in her eyes.

She gave a disdainful snort, her eyes flashing with contempt, as if to say, "Your little tricks won't fool me," before turning and leaving the kitchen.

Li Yaqin breathed a sigh of relief and continued working.

A smug smile played on her lips, her eyes gleaming with shrewdness. She'd see who had the last laugh.

"Li Yuehua, Li Yuehua, you're still too young," she thought to herself, chuckling inwardly.

After a while, making sure no one was around, she burned the leaf gloves in the fire.

"Having come into this world, I not only want to defy fate and change my tragic destiny, but I also want to live my life well.

As for others, they are merely scenery on my life's journey, not worth lingering over."

“In this game, I’m the one in control,” she chuckled softly, deftly adding water to the pot.

In the kitchen, flames gradually rose, illuminating Li Yaqin’s resolute profile.

Her eyes were filled with anticipation for the future.

“A new day, a new beginning,” Li Yaqin murmured.

She stopped what she was doing, straightened up, and gazed out the window into the distance.

The morning light was faint, and the village was still shrouded in a hazy mist.

As the morning light arrived, Li Family Village gradually awoke.

Roosters crowed, dogs barked, and wisps of smoke rose from the chimneys.

Li Yaqin stood before the stove, a mysterious smile playing on her lips.

Every step from now on would be a stepping stone to her success.

Li Yaqin took a deep breath, her eyes gleaming with determination. She had only just begun; she needed to stay calm!

She clenched her fists, her nails digging deep into her palms.

“Come on, let’s see who has the last laugh!” she said softly, her voice filled with confidence and resolve.

In the kitchen, the water began to boil, steam rising in wisps.

Just like Li Yaqin’s heart, it was also quietly boiling, brewing a momentous plan.

She picked up a spoon and gently stirred the porridge in the pot.

The movement seemed ordinary, but her eyes gleamed with an unusual light.

At the crack of dawn, the entrance to Li Family Village was bustling with activity.

The noise carried far, even reaching the Li family’s house at the far end of the village.

“Oh my, what’s going on?” Li Yuehua muttered, wolfing down her bowl of porridge.

Li's mother glared at her. "What kind of table manners are these! So clumsy!"

Li Yuehua pouted, hurriedly put down her chopsticks and rushed out. "Mother, I'm going out to check!"

"Oh dear, you silly girl..." Li's mother shook her head helplessly.

Li Yaqin silently gnawed on a cold sweet potato, her eyes fixed on the bottom of the bowl, saying nothing.

Li Xiaoyong looked at the sweet potato in his hand with disdain. "Is this even food?" he said, tossing it aside and leaving.

Li Yaqin reacted quickly, rushing forward to pick up the sweet potato, dusting it off, and continuing to eat.

"Fifth sister," Li's mother sighed, "don't deprive yourself. Come with me to work in the fields later."

Li Yaqin nodded and got up to clear the dishes.