Chapter 361: A Heart Larger Than a Needle
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
Lu Chao Chao had a restless night.
Dark circles framed her tired eyes, and a faint redness tinged their edges.
A maid, upon seeing her, nearly jumped in shock. “Princess, did you not sleep well last night?”
Lu Chao Chao, preoccupied, instinctively responded, “I’m not petty…”
Uh…
“It seems mosquitoes were buzzing about at night, so Chao Chao didn’t sleep well.” The little one yawned, rubbing her eyes sleepily.
The maid hurried to fetch boiled eggs from the kitchen and rolled them over her eyes, but it did little to ease the dark circles.
Clearly, she had tossed and turned all night.
Lu Chao Chao slumped in a chair, nodding off between bites of her breakfast, eyelids drooping heavily.
Lou Jin Tang and Xie Yu Zhou were baffled—how could someone with her temperament suffer from insomnia?
As soon as she put down her bowl, Lu Chao Chao sighed. “I knew that old geezer was wrong yesterday.”
“How could I be petty? Look at me! I’m not mad at all.”
“I’ve nearly forgotten about it already.”
“Right, Brother Yu Zhou?”
Xie Yu Zhou sipped his porridge in small mouthfuls. Seeing her dark circles and the intense gaze fixed upon him, he stammered, “Y-yes, Chao Chao isn’t petty at all… she doesn’t hold grudges.”
Lou Jin Tang hid her face behind her bowl, shoulders trembling with suppressed laughter.
Heavens, when the maids reported that Princess Zhao Yang had lost sleep over her anger, she was stunned!
“Isn’t that right? Last year, on the twelfth of August at the hour of Wei, we went out for a stroll. You ate my candied hawthorn skewer, and I said nothing! Chao Chao has never been petty…” She nodded with utmost seriousness.
Xie Yu Zhou gaped at her. L-last year?!
Damn it, that old master was spot on! He had calculated this too accurately!
She had been just two and a half years old at the time!
And she still remembered losing that skewer!
Even the exact date and time!
Who knows how many times she had cursed him in secret?
After breakfast, the Lou family began preparations for the Lou Family Grand Competition.
Lou Jin Tang gripped a small wooden stick as if it were a sword, exuding an air of authority.
“Today, I’ll teach you the third move, hmm…” Lu Chao Chao munched on her snack noisily.
Lou Jin Tang had a natural talent for swordsmanship, making Lu Chao Chao’s teachings effortless.
Beneath the gentle breeze, the wooden stick left deep marks on the tree trunk.
In just three days, the Lou family’s unremarkable granddaughter had inherited the teachings of an ancient sword dao master.
The next day.
Lou Jin Tang donned a crisp, practical outfit, her hair tied high. She held onto her battered old sword.
“Why don’t you get a better sword?” Xie Yu Zhou examined her weapon—it had a cracked tip, a scarred blade, yet it was well-maintained and gleamed from frequent polishing.
The handle shone with an oiled sheen, a sign of constant handling.
Lou Jin Tang held the sword close, her eyes reddening. “This was my brother’s sword.”
“The Lou family has a Sword Tomb, filled with countless spirit swords. But each sword has its own will. If you cannot draw one, you do not earn its recognition.”
“In the Lou family, few ever gain the Sword Tomb’s approval. My eldest brother was one of them.” Her eyes gleamed with admiration and reverence.
“My brother was exceptionally gifted, the pride of my father. He spared no effort in teaching him.”
“He could have been the youngest clan head…” Lou Jin Tang’s voice grew forlorn.
“And your brother?” Xie Yu Zhou asked hesitantly.
He had been here for three days and had never seen Lou Jin Tang’s elder brother—never even heard his name mentioned.
Lou Jin Tang hugged the sword and led them to the Lou Family Ancestral Hall.
“Whoa… your ancestral hall is enormous!” Xie Yu Zhou craned his neck to take in the grandeur before him.
He had seen much, but never such a towering and imposing ancestral hall.
The gatekeeper pushed open the heavy doors.
Inside, rows upon rows of spirit tablets stretched endlessly, sending chills down their spines.
Lou Jin Tang walked to the center and carefully lifted a memorial plaque.
It read: Lou Qing Mo’s Tomb.
“My brother died defending the southern borders in battle.” Her voice was muffled, tinged with suppressed sobs.
“My sister-in-law had just given birth when she received the tragic news. She took her life before she could even complete her postpartum month, leaving behind an infant girl.”
“My niece is only a little over a year old.”
Born an orphan—truly a pitiful fate.
“My mother fell gravely ill from grief. If not for my niece holding her back, she might have followed my brother as well.”
Externally, the Lou family seemed united, but internally, there were vicious struggles for resources.
What Lou Jin Tang did not say was that, after her sister-in-law had given birth, the entire family had hidden the news of her brother’s death from her, knowing how fragile she was.
But Lou Xu Yan’s son, Lou Xiao Fan, had let it slip with his reckless tongue.
No one knew whether he had spoken by accident or design.
By the afternoon, her sister-in-law had crumbled and taken her own life.
Their parents had aged a decade overnight.
“I want to bring honor to my parents, to my brother, to my sister-in-law, and my little niece… But I’m just a girl. I can’t hold this family together.” Lou Jin Tang lowered her head.
She was her father’s only daughter now.
Though he cherished her, he often looked at her and sighed.
“What’s wrong with being a girl?” Lu Chao Chao poked her little head out.
“Girls can be strong and courageous! They can fight on battlefields! If someone dares to look down on you, use your sword to slice their lips off!”
“A daughter can also be her parents’ pride—the pride of the entire family!”
“You can do it, Sister Tang!” Despite being just three and a half years old, Lu Chao Chao had unwavering confidence in Lou Jin Tang.
Lou Jin Tang clutched her brother’s spirit tablet, momentarily dazed.
“The competition is about to start. Let’s go.” Lu Chao Chao took her hand, leading her to the arena.
The Lou Family Grand Competition was divided into two levels: Beginner Arena and Advanced Arena.
The Advanced Arena was a battleground for elders vying for the position of family head.
The Beginner Arena was where younger members fought for family resources.
Of course, any victor from the Beginner Arena could challenge the Advanced Arena. Though no one had ever won, they always gained valuable experience.
The Advanced Arena battles had already begun, drawing a sea of spectators. Faces flushed with excitement—everyone had awaited this event eagerly.
“Looks like the main branch will lose this time.”
“Without Lou Qing Mo, how could they suppress Lou Xu Yan?” Lou Qing Mo was Jin Tang’s elder brother.
Lu Chao Chao and Xie Yu Zhou ignored the Advanced Arena, staying by Lou Jin Tang’s side.
“Sister Tang, it’s your turn to draw lots. Good luck!” Xie Yu Zhou wished her luck nervously.
As Lou Jin Tang stepped forward, Xie Yu Zhou nudged Lu Chao Chao. “Why aren’t you wishing her luck? If she faces a weaker opponent, she might last longer.”
Lu Chao Chao’s expression remained calm. “Luck is fleeting. Strength is eternal. She doesn’t need luck.”
Xie Yu Zhou blinked in surprise.
Lou Jin Tang’s fingers trembled as she revealed her lot.
“I drew number 17.”
In the distance, Lou Xiao Fan smirked, sword in hand. “Tang-meimei, what a coincidence! Your opponent… is me!”
“If you lose, don’t cry!”
Lou Jin Tang clenched her lips, her gaze filled with defiance.
It was him. He was the one who had driven her sister-in-law to her death.
People called him a naive child who spoke without thinking. But Lou Jin Tang knew better.
He had done it on purpose.
They had wanted to crush the main branch.
To break her father.