The old servant listened, feeling puzzled, "Miss Li..."
Li Yuzhu continued, "How could your lady not know the Luo Family has great power? How could she not know her second father doesn’t care about her? They have always been toying with her life."
"In front of them, she is too insignificant. She cannot sway their thoughts, nor get the results she desires, so she ran to the countryside to hide."
"But at least her own brother could offer some comfort, right? Yet what she heard was reprimand."
"I understand." The old servant sighed, "Miss Li, please wait for a moment, I’ll go and call our eldest young master."
He summoned the old servants of the house to attend to Li Yuzhu and chased after him outside the courtyard gate.
After a cup of tea, the old woman finally led Li Yuzhu into Miss Chai’s bedroom.
At this moment, Miss Chai was sitting by the table, wiping her tears.
Not seen for two days, she had grown more haggard.
Upon seeing Li Yuzhu, she gave a bitter smile, "My brother came and spoke against me, you heard that, didn’t you?"
Li Yuzhu nodded, "I heard some of your quarrel. Actually, I think your brother doesn’t dislike you; he probably has his difficulties."
"Even you speak on his behalf?" Miss Chai sneered.
"I’m not speaking for anyone, just stating what I see." She gazed at Miss Chai, "After your mother passed, your second father remarried a third time, that lady is your elder sisters’ maternal aunt, and a first cousin to their biological mother, correct?"
"Your stepmother recently bore a son, who was quite clever and favored by your second father. He plans to give all his property to his son, including the property left by your biological father."
Miss Chai sneered, "That’s no secret."
"But why should all that property belong to your second father? You are unwell and cannot manage these matters, so it falls entirely on your eldest brother."
"Your eldest brother, besides being a few years older than you, is a man in the same situation as yours—no parents, no support from maternal relatives!"
"To reclaim your family’s portion of the property, he has no option but to pretend to be honest and painstakingly check the accounts. After all, these assets have been under your second father’s control for over ten years. How easy would it be to suddenly retrieve them? The servants in the family are all your second father’s people!"
The old woman nodded from the side, "Miss, even Miss Li can see the situation in our family, why haven’t you understood?"
Miss Chai glanced at Li Yuzhu, pursed her lips, and remained silent.
"This is what I see. As for your eldest brother’s true feelings, you should calmly inquire again." Li Yuzhu added.
She had already heard voices from outside the room.
The old servant had brought Mr. Chai back, and the two were conversing; they were approaching Miss Chai’s bedroom.
Miss Chai lifted her head, just to see her elder brother entering the room.
Li Yuzhu smiled, "Eldest Young Master Chai, you siblings should talk. I will return later."
She nodded and walked out of the bedroom.
The old woman also followed her out.
Miss Chai turned her head away, remaining silent.
"Little Sister..." Mr. Chai approached, speaking softly, "I’m sorry, little sister, it’s your brother’s incompetence that didn’t protect you well."
Miss Chai’s eyes rimmed with red, still keeping her head down, still saying nothing.
Mr. Chai sighed, "Second Father said that before Father passed, he left a will saying all family lands should be fully governed by him, but I remember Mother said before she died that those lands were just for Second Father to manage for a few years."
Miss Chai abruptly looked up.
Mr. Chai sneered, "Though now he doesn’t outright say he will give all the lands to Second Brother, his actions speak for themselves. He never lets me look at the accounts of the lands, nor lets me know the income from the fields."
Miss Chai’s expression became calm.
"But I can’t fight him, little sister." Mr. Chai looked bitter, "You merely blame me for not helping you, but I can’t help you. If I fall out with him, he might drive us away. In that case, we would never recover Father’s lands."
"What do you plan to do?" Miss Chai asked.
"Plan to replace some laborers who listen to him with ones who are loyal to me. However, this will take time. So, often I can’t oppose him, do you understand? Little Sister, I must stand by him and follow his words."
Miss Chai gave a scornful smile, "You blame me for not listening to you? Blame me for opposing Second Father?"
"I don’t blame you, I only blame you for not discussing matters with me." Mr. Chai said, "But in this way, it’s good that everyone knows how Second Father mistreats us siblings."
Miss Chai nodded, "I understand now, Brother, you should go back first, I need to see the doctor."
Mr. Chai sighed, "Alright, stay here and get well. I’ll discuss the family issues with them. If anything arises, have Uncle Gui contact me. However, I still prefer that you don’t stay here; once you’re better, you must come back with me. If you don’t want to live in the big house, we’ll find another place to live. With our parents gone, I must take care of you."
Miss Chai’s eyes turned red, "Understood, Brother."
Mr. Chai glanced at her and left.
In the courtyard, Li Yuzhu immediately approached him.
"Thank you, Miss Li." Mr. Chai cupped his hands towards Li Yuzhu.
"It’s my duty." Li Yuzhu nodded.
Entering the bedroom, Li Yuzhu saw Miss Chai wiping her tears.
She looked up, giving a sad smile, "You were right, Li Yuzhu, my brother hasn’t abandoned me, he just... isn’t good with words."
"It’s good you cleared up the misunderstanding; now can I examine you?" Li Yuzhu asked.
"Sure." Miss Chai nodded.
"Alright, let’s begin then."
Next, Li Yuzhu explained the details of the illness.
She roughly outlined how she would treat the illness and remove the lump from her neck.
And, what to take note of after awakening.
"If you recover well, your health can be like a regular person’s." Li Yuzhu said.
This greatly boosted Miss Chai’s confidence, "You must take good care of me."
"I will certainly try my best."
Li Yuzhu explained the situation to Mr. Chai waiting outside the door, then closed the door.
Thyroid enlargement, but not malignant.
Li Yuzhu opened up her space, using a sterile operating room. After more than half an hour, the surgery was complete.
Li Yuzhu closed the space, sterilized her hands, then opened the door to meet everyone.
Eagerly waiting, Mr. Chai immediately came over, "How is my sister?"
"The powder for anesthesia hasn’t dissipated; she is still in a deep sleep, she will awaken in a little while."
Li Yuzhu smiled, nodding, "You can."
Miss Chai woke up, and the first thing she saw was Mr. Chai.
The concern in his eyes was evident.
Miss Chai’s eyes quickly reddened.