Yang Ruxin blinked, then instantly understood the other party’s thoughts and suddenly burst into laughter, "Come back? Just like before?"
"Yes," Yang Rusong’s eyes lit up, thinking she was tempted, and he eagerly nodded. If this had been before his exam, perhaps he wouldn’t have had the courage to suggest it, but now that he had taken the exams, he was confident he could pass and become a Scholar, which gave him some assurance. If the main branch of the family could return, there would be hands to do the work, and perhaps there would be no more quarreling, and life could return to how it used to be, could it not? So, he had indeed planned to find Yang Ruxin for a chat later, but to his surprise, she came on her own, prompting him to follow her out.
"So, by ’before,’ you mean all the work should be done by people from the main house, and you’d curse us when in a good mood or beat us when not..." Yang Ruxin crossed her arms and looked leisurely at Yang Rusong, "And when there’s good food, you eat while we watch, and when there are fine clothes, you wear them while we still watch..."
"I... didn’t..."
"Yang Rusong, you really study your books well..."
"Older sister, I am now a Scholar, and in the future, you all will be the siblings of a Scholar, which is an honour..." Yang Rusong hurriedly explained, "This is for your own good... How can you be so ungrateful?"
"Pah!" Yang Ruxin’s face suddenly changed, "Being associated with you is the real disgrace. I don’t care at all for your so-called ’honour.’ Let me tell you, I am now doing business with Quanshun Building, I even have my own stand, I can hunt bears and tigers, and I have plenty of silver. Did you know that those factories being built in the village are all mine? Why would I come back to slave away for you? Yang Rusong, don’t think just because you’re not yet a Scholar— even if you were, or even if you went on to become an advanced scholar, you’d still be nothing but trash, a good-for-nothing in my eyes..." With that, she lifted her leg and delivered a kick straight to his stomach.
With a cry of pain, Yang Rusong was sent flying and landed on the ground, taking a while to recover.
"I went too easy on you last time, so you didn’t learn your lesson. Next time you see me, you better take a detour, and if I catch you spouting this nonsense again, I’ll cripple you and send you to become an eunuch in the palace..."
Sitting on the ground, Yang Rusong instinctively clenched his legs together, but the slightest movement caused pain in his tailbone, and the fall he just took was severe, immediately making him grimace in pain.
"Ptui!" Yang Ruxin spat, then turned and walked away, pausing momentarily once she reached the gate, but it was just for a moment before she continued on her way out.
Guan Qingshu had heard about the troubles at the Yang Family upon his return, and was eager to see Yang Ruxin, to see how she was doing. On his way to find her, he discovered she had come to the old house with Yang Ruyu, so he followed, witnessing the entire event of her scolding and hitting someone from outside the door. He was shocked; she really had become... assertive. Strangely enough, this version of Dani, although her actions were somewhat difficult for him to condone, was rather appealing to him.
Caught up in his thoughts, Guan Qingshu forgot to hide when Yang Ruxin came out, resulting in a face-to-face encounter.
What the talented Mr. Guan did not expect was that Miss Yang merely glanced at him and then walked past as if she hadn’t seen him. Thus, the young man became anxious and hurried after her, "Dani."
"I’m not Yang Dani..." Yang Ruxin quickly stepped back, distancing herself.