Although Xiaoxiao had told Li Chuntao about this matter, it was the first time she heard the details straight from the person involved.

After hearing it from Xiaoxiao, she initially felt that Yang Xiaocui shouldn’t have forced Yang Dong with the threat of her own life.

But now, hearing Yang Xiaocui’s side, from a woman’s perspective, she did indeed have her difficulties.

Being seen by others, being carried on a man’s back, would certainly affect her reputation. In this rural area, Li Chuntao was well-aware that people loved to gossip. Take herself, for example; she’s been talked about quite a bit, and her reputation wasn’t good either.

If Yang Dong did nothing, surely the villagers would gossip about Yang Xiaocui being carried, and they would certainly exaggerate, ruining her reputation.

Thinking of this, she sighed inwardly. Nobody was wrong; she was just unfortunate to come late, lacking destiny with Yang Dong.

At this moment, Yang Xiaocui continued, "Yang Dong is really kind. He even helped find a doctor for me. Later, when the doctor came, he said I was just hungry. To be honest, I haven’t had a full meal for years."

Pointing to her stomach with her hand, Yang Xiaocui said, "Because I’ve never had enough to eat, this place hurts every day."

Lowering her head again, Yang Xiaocui added, "Yang Dong is really good. He even paid for my medicine. But I didn’t get to take it. My mother said everyone gets through hunger. It’s not a serious illness. As long as I eat well in the future, it’s fine. Then she went to the town to sell the medicine for silver."

The reason Yang Xiaocui brought this up was partly to gain sympathy from Li Chuntao, and perhaps through Li Chuntao’s mouth, word might reach the Yang Family. If they knew, maybe they’d pity her and treat her better in the future.

Li Chuntao was truly shocked. She had heard about Yang Dong paying for the medicine but didn’t know that Yang Xiaocui never took it. Thinking of that greedy aunt from yesterday, she really might do such a thing, taking away her own daughter’s medicine and not letting her daughter eat her fill for years.

It was truly infuriating. Li Chuntao’s thoughts were simple, completely forgetting this was her rival in love before her, and she asked, "Have you been eating enough now?"

Yang Xiaocui shook her head and then nodded, which left Li Chuntao puzzled, "Are you eating enough or not?"

Somewhat hesitantly, Li Chuntao said, "I do eat more than before, but it’s not really enough. It’s barely sufficient, which is already quite good, but..."

"But what?"

"But I don’t get to eat anything good. My family isn’t well-off, and the men and children in the house get most of the food. For me to even have something to eat is not bad. Like yesterday, Yang Dong brought back a big bowl of food from his uncle’s, with fish and meat. I didn’t get even a bite, nor did I get any of the pastries you gave yesterday."

Yang Xiaocui’s voice grew softer and softer, her demeanor pitiful to the extreme.

To win Li Chuntao’s sympathy, she wasn’t afraid of being laughed at if the story got out. After all, if people knew, maybe her mother would give her a little more to eat.

It must be said, Yang Xiaocui’s words worked. After hearing them, Li Chuntao’s compassion overflowed. She felt the girl in front of her was really too pitiful, often not having enough to eat and not getting a bite of good food, no wonder she was so thin and small.