Those years when I was cannon fodder

Chapter 17

You guess?

Chuyu's body froze in place, and her father burst into uncontrollable laughter, leaving her bewildered. It felt like a twisted joke, but deep down, she sensed the truth in his words. This biased scumbag, her father, was revealing his true thoughts.

The First Madam, his beloved wife, had given birth to his cherished eldest daughter. On the other hand, the Third Madam, despised by him, had brought Chuyu into this world. Sadly, Chuyu was caught in the crossfire of their bitter rivalry.

What troubled Chuyu the most was how her father could utter such words to his own five-year-old daughter. Did he not fear planting seeds of bias and resentment in her young heart? Was he not concerned that his actions would drive a wedge between the sisters, igniting a fierce sibling rivalry?

Unequal treatment among children could lead to an array of problems even in normal families. If siblings with the same parents faced such challenges, one could only imagine the tumultuous dynamics in the Lord's Manor with its three daughters and three mothers. The mere thought of it resembled an epic drama, full of intrigue and conflicts.

Before leaving, Chuyu confronted her father about the maid who had taken her token but failed to deliver the message. To her surprise, her father acknowledged that a maid had indeed mentioned her desire to meet him a few days ago. However, he dismissed it, as he had encountered too many excuses like this and no longer believed them.

In an attempt to cover up his harsh words in front of his youngest daughter, he adjusted his tone, leaving Chuyu's lips twitching. She questioned, "Didn't she give you the token?"

Her father seemed genuinely unaware, replying, "Token? What token? I didn't see any."

Her father didn't seem like he was lying.

Chuyu immediately understood that the maid had kept the token for herself.

In fact, that token wasn't valuable, just a birthday gift from her father to her original self.

Her original self cherished it. Chuyu didn't want that token to fall into the hands of the maid, so she mentioned the matter to her father. Her father mocked her a bit but promised to retrieve the token for her. He also made an agreement with her to visit her in the neighboring courtyard in a few days.

...

Returning to Qingnan Garden, Chuyu eagerly shared the good news with the Third Madam. The Third Madam, surprised and overjoyed, personally took charge in the kitchen in preparing a special meal for Chuyu's father.

Chuyu found herself astounded by this sight. In her time here, she had never witnessed the Third Madam cooking a meal herself. The Third Madam treasured her hands dearly, taking meticulous care of them every night with herbal solutions and medicines. It was as if her hands held extraordinary value.

Intrigued by this unfamiliar sight, Chuyu couldn't contain her curiosity. She asked, "Mother, considering how much you cherish your hands, why do you handle medicinal herbs and process them? It seems detrimental to their well-being."

With an elegant roll of her eyes, the Third Madam responded, "What do you know? I cherish my hands precisely because of their skills. With these hands, I can work with medicinal herbs efficiently, achieving twice the results with half the effort. Through careful nurturing, my hands have become more sensitive. They can touch various herbs and discern their needs—whether they require watering, fertilizing, air-drying, or sun-drying during the processing stage."

Chuyu was taken aback by the Third Madam's rare loquaciousness. Sensing an opportunity, she continued, "Mother, can you even distinguish between toxic and beneficial herbs just by touch?"