The figures of the constables disappeared at the village entrance, and the once silent courtyard was now engulfed by the clamor of the villagers.

Moments ago, the villagers had been watching from afar, faces full of mixed emotions, but now they all crowded forward.

Their faces were filled with enthusiastic and ingratiating smiles, their attitudes taking a complete one-eighty.

The neighbors, who previously dared not speak up to help, were now all exceedingly warm, with some rushing forward to support Li's mother, inquiring about her well-being.

Some turned and ran home, bringing back hot water and coarse grain cakes, forcing them into the hands of the Li family.

Others took up brooms to clean the mess in the courtyard, their mouths full of praise.

"Uncle Li, Aunt Li, you've finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel. Xuancang is truly promising; our Green Creek Village hasn't had a combat soldier from the Imperial Court in years."

"Exactly, Xuancang is young and accomplished, fighting and earning merits at the border. From now on, the Li family will be the pillar of our village."

"If there's anything you need in the future, just call on us. Neighbors should help each other."

"…"

Those who usually avoided the Li family, or even mocked them in private for their poverty and the loss of their family's pillar, now all changed their tune, full of flattery, eager to establish connections with the Li family.

Everyone understood that the Li family now had a son serving as a combat soldier at the border, protected by the Imperial Court, exempt from taxes, and no one dared to bully them. They were no longer the downtrodden family that anyone could oppress.

By currying favor with the Li family, they could have a backing in the village, and even if they encountered bandits or heavy taxes, they would have someone to rely on.

Even if Li Xuancang were to die in battle, the Imperial Court would protect his family for a long time. As long as the Li family remained law-abiding, they could live peacefully.

It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from "pawread dot com".

Looking at the enthusiastic faces before them, Li's father and mother felt as if they were in a different world.

Two years ago, when their son was forcibly conscripted, the family endured cold stares and bullying, struggling even to survive.

Now their son had become a combat soldier for the Imperial Court, and in just a short moment, everyone's attitude had changed drastically.

In this chaotic world, it ultimately depended on strength and power to stand firm.

Li Xiu tightly held her younger sister's hand, looking at the smiling neighbors surrounding them, her heart filled with mixed emotions. She gazed towards the border, silently repeating in her heart.

"Little brother, you must be well. We are waiting for you to return safely."

Li Linger wiped away the tear stains on her face, revealing a long-lost smile.

She knew it was her brother who was protecting them at the border, and from now on, no one would dare to bully their family again.

"Dear villagers, my family still needs to tidy up, and we don't have time to entertain. Please go back!"

Having experienced such ups and downs, the Li family had no heart to deal with the crowd, so they asked them to leave.

"Alright, alright, Dahai, if you need anything, just come to me."

"Dahai, you should rest first; we won't disturb you."

"Dahai, I'll come to see you tomorrow."

"…"

If it were in the past, the villagers would have been furious, but now the Li family was not what it used to be. Even knowing Li Dahai was sending them away, they still responded with smiles.

After everyone left, Li Xiu said to her parents, "Father, Mother, I should go back now."

Earlier, when Landlord Qian came to collect debts, Li Xiu had rushed over from her in-laws' home upon hearing the news.

She had already married into the Zhang family in the neighboring village, married for three years, and had a daughter just two years old, named Doudou.

In this world that favored sons over daughters, not having a male child was the greatest sin in the eyes of her in-laws.

For three years, she rose early and worked late, managing household chores, yet still suffered from her mother-in-law's harsh treatment and her husband's cold stares.

She didn't have enough to eat or wear, constantly subjected to beatings and insults, her life was unbearably hard.

Facing her family's plight, she begged bitterly, but her in-laws chose to stand by.

Upon hearing about the trouble at her family home, she ignored her in-laws' objections, clutching her daughter, and ran back regardless of everything.

But she could only watch helplessly as her parents were humiliated, her younger sister dragged away, unable to help at all, only able to cry along.

Until the constables arrived, revealing that her brother had become a combat soldier for the Imperial Court, driving away Landlord Qian, resolving her family's crisis, did her anxious heart finally settle.

Li Xiu, holding her daughter, bid farewell to her parents with tears.

Her heart was filled with both joy and sorrow; joy that her brother had finally made something of himself and could protect the family.

Sorrow that she was suffering at her in-laws', and now that her brother had achieved success, she finally had a glimmer of hope.

"Xiuer, you…"

Li's mother wanted to say something, but it got stuck in her throat.

Over the years, with the family losing its pillar, being looked down upon, she knew about her daughter's life at her in-laws', but was powerless.

"Mother, I'm fine. Now that little brother has become a combat soldier, our family will finally see better days."

Seeing the guilt in her mother's eyes, Li Xiu comforted her, then hurriedly left with her sleeping daughter.

"Don't worry! Now that Xuancang is a combat soldier, the Zhang family won't dare to bully Xiuer anymore."

Li's father spoke softly, knowing that with his son becoming a combat soldier, everything had changed.

Li Xiu hurried back, and as soon as she pushed open the dilapidated courtyard gate, a sharp and harsh curse hit her like a storm.

"You wretched girl! You still know to come back? I thought you were going to die in that wretched place of your mother's."

Yang Cuihua stood with her hands on her hips, her face full of flesh, glaring fiercely at Li Xiu, spittle flying.

"I told you to work at home, but you ran off to your mother's house, shirking your duties. You can't even give birth to a son, yet you have the face to run around. Having a daughter-in-law like you is the worst luck in eight generations."

Her mother-in-law cursed, and her husband Zhang Erzhu stood by, his expression cold. Not only did he show no concern, but he also scolded her coldly.

"Mother's right, hurry and put that girl down, go feed the pigs, and clean the yard. All you do is cause trouble all day, useless thing."

They were long accustomed to ordering Li Xiu around. In their eyes, Li Xiu was just a free laborer who couldn't carry on the family line and could only be beaten and scolded at will.