Chapter 151: Chapter 151

"Hehe, how was that, Fifth Sister? Didn't I do great just now? Sis, you wouldn't believe it - even Tiedan and the others were impressed! Even Uncle Youliang next door praised us!"

"They said Dad really is the best at this!"

The little runt spoke while raising his thumb in an exaggerated gesture, puffing up his small chest with pride. "Don't worry sis, when we go out later, we definitely won't get called 'rotten seeds' like Guoqing!"

Though Little Brother Yang wasn't even five yet, spending all day running around the village with his little friends meant he might not understand much, but he certainly knew what "rotten seeds" meant. His sister was right - he couldn't end up like poor Guoqing, getting pointed at and called names while having bugs thrown at him.

Seeing her little brother perform so well, An Ning weakly nodded from her sickbed. After a moment under his expectant gaze, she reluctantly pulled out a tightly leaf-wrapped, scrawny roasted sparrow from her pocket.

This was something she and Third Sister had caught in the mountains earlier. After several lifetimes, her archery skills were decent, and using a slingshot came naturally. While she couldn't promise much, occasionally getting "lucky" enough to catch small birds was possible.

But in these times, even salt was precious - not something they could use freely. Without seasoning, the meat was dry and tasteless, yet Little Brother Yang still drooled over it.

"Mmm... so fragrant!"

"Sis, I knew you and Third Sister were eating good stuff behind my back!"

"Hehe... I could smell it! Sweet!"

"Oh right sis, did you trade these in town for candy?"

Tsk, the little brat's nose was sharp. An Ning figured he must have smelled either the candy Third Sister gave earlier or caught whiff when she secretly ate some.

Though Zhang Family Village was rural, it wasn't far from town. Back when the creek still had fish, kids would often sneak catches to trade for candy or pastries in town. So Little Brother Yang having this idea wasn't strange.

It's just... surveying the drafty little room barely ten square meters, An Ning couldn't help sighing. In this tiny dump of a place, nothing could stay hidden.

After sending off her reluctant little brother, An Ning weakly lay back down.

In the village, gossip spread fastest. As expected, within days, stories of Yang Second Brother's "filial piety" - dutifully serving his paralyzed mother without complaint - circulated widely.

This reignited the earlier scandal about Yang Eldest Brother pushing his own mother toward wild boars. With such stark contrast between the brothers, combined with Old Lady Yang's past favoritism, it perfectly fueled the villagers' gossip cravings.

Even when An Ning went out these days, nosy aunts and wives would stop her to ask questions. What could she do? She might have casually helped spread her father's filial reputation further.

With this foundation laid, Yang Second Brother's image as the ultimate filial son was now firmly established.

And as An Ning predicted, under this reputation, Yang Second Brother dared not slack off. After daily work, exhausted, he still diligently attended to his mother personally.

Daily verbal abuse continued, yet he never protested. Once, the Yang family even witnessed Old Lady Yang kicking over a chamber pot, splashing waste all over him... Yet he quietly cleaned himself up.

This scene left even Third Sister stunned: "Little Sister, seems Dad really is filial! Just... such filial devotion feels wasted."

The system witnessing this: "......"

Even the system couldn't comprehend his dedication: "Is reputation really worth this much? For some meaningless praise, he'd suffer ?"

Especially since it might not even be sincere praise. While villagers complimented him openly, behind his back many called him a "dumb deer." Was it worth it?

Oh, it was worth it alright!

Huddling under thin blankets, An Ning shivered before wrapping herself tighter: "Others might not care, but for Yang Second Brother, with his personality, this is his only choice!"

With blind filial piety, most focus on the "filial" part, but the tragedy lies in the "blind" aspect. Imagine someone incompetent their whole life, completely overlooked since childhood - what would they crave most?

Recalling the original memories of this man's behavior, An Ning scoffed inwardly. People like Yang Second Brother valued others' opinions above all. Like neglected children acting out for attention, his "blind filial piety" served the same purpose.

"System, want to bet? If someone called him blindly filial now, he wouldn't get angry - he'd actually feel proud!"

Especially considering the gossip plaguing his elder brother's family - Yang Second Brother finally had something he was better at than his lifelong rival. Wouldn't he milk it for all it's worth?

System: "......" Humans... why so ridiculous...

As the system puzzled over this, events unfolded exactly as An Ning predicted - Yang Second Brother kept dutifully handling his mother's waste...

But the Yang household atmosphere grew increasingly tense.

At dinner recently, even the usually favored Yang Jianguo and previously arrogant Eldest Aunt Yang acted cautiously, her former domineering manner gone. Today, she even unprecedentedly rushed to wash dishes before her sisters-in-law.

In freezing winter, Eldest Aunt Yang scrubbed dishes alone outside where water nearly froze. What choice did she have? Between village gossip nearly drowning them and Father Yang's increasingly cold looks toward their branch...

Even Guoqing! Thinking of her son, Eldest Aunt Yang sighed heavily - poor Guoqing, why did he have to resemble his father so much!

After the Jianguo incident, even she felt uncomfortable seeing her son's face now... Would Guoqing end up...

Horrified by the thought, Eldest Aunt Yang shook her head violently. Impossible! They say sons take after mothers! Guoqing was still young - he'd definitely grow up more like her, Wang Dahua!