The three of them chatted on the bullock-cart as they made their way home.

Dongfang Ming, on the other hand, sat silently in his carriage, flipping through books and accounts to pass the time on his journey back to the capital.

In the house, Liu Duo had previously gone upstairs for a nap after having her lunch. She woke up slowly from the longest nap she had taken in a while.

She rubbed her eyes, got up, got dressed and headed downstairs. She stopped by the stairway between the first and second floor when she heard not-so-familiar voices coming from below.

"Ran Er, you have to study hard. When you're at home, help your brothers-in-law with whatever you can. Be diligent, you can't be lazy."

"Your sister and her husbands paid for your schooling. When you succeed in the future you have to remember them, do you understand?"

"Yes, of course! They treat me very well, I'll never forget what they have done for me."

Liu Duo came to the first floor to find Liu Quanyan and his wife, Liu Liushi. She realized then why she seemed to recognize the voices.

Hearing footsteps, Liu Ran looked back at his sister and greeted her happily, "Sis, Mum and Dad are here to see us."

Liu Ran could not hold back his happiness, or rather, excitement, now that his parents had come to visit.

Liu Duo did not show much of a reaction to this. She merely nodded in acknowledgment. "Oh."

She could see why Liu Ran would be so happy and excited. They were related by blood, after all. Their time apart was bound to breed longing.

Yet she had no such feelings at all. Seeing them only reminded her of her parents in the other world.

She excused herself and headed for the well. She had to wash her face after waking up.

The couple found their daughter's indifference and apathy towards their presence hard to take in, but there was nothing they could do about it.

These were the sins they had sowed, weren't they?

Ye Ling left the outhouse and spotted Liu Duo on the way to the well. He sped up towards her and gently asked, "Duo Er, how are you doing? Still tired?"

He knew what had been going on between Liu and Mo in the room with their wife last night. They had to be doing something else besides sleep.

What the three had been up to was definitely embarrassing and exhilarating, but if that meant over-exhausting Liu Duo, he would get quite upset too.

Liu Duo blushed at the question. She replied rather coyly, "Ling, you have to help me teach those two good-for-nothings a lesson, got it? I don't like them ganging up on me."

She could not guarantee that the two brothers would not do it again. Despite all the 'threats' she threw at them, the two would shamelessly break through her barriers anyway. They were the embodiment of the saying 'shameless people top the world!'

Ye Ling found himself caught in the middle again. On one hand, they were his brothers. On the other, his wife requested his help. It seemed impossible to help, or not help either!

"Duo Er, I'll..." Unsure how to put his words together, Ye Ling stuttered.

Liu Duo understood his dilemma. She chuckled, and her dimples surfaced.

It was a random joke. She was not seriously asking Ye Ling to reprimand his brothers, or she would have shouted for Ye Yang already!

She would go down in shame if they quarreled for things like this one.