Although Lady Liu had a kind and gentle nature and discovered some anomalies, she did not dare to make a fuss about it. She would only secretly bake flatbreads for the two siblings so they could fill their stomachs.
Jiang Yuan, however, ran straight to Jiang the Fourth to cry and complain, claiming that their aunt mistreated her, showing favor only to the younger brother and sister while giving her the cold shoulder.
Jiang Yuan had a slick tongue and knew how to butter up Jiang the Fourth while playing the pity card; almost everything she said, Jiang the Fourth believed without question.
Because of this, he flew into a rage and scolded Lady Liu fiercely, saying he only had one niece who was already pitiful enough, yet they still bullied her—they were truly cold-hearted.
Incidents of such manipulation and sowing discord were countless.
Jiang Yuan always managed to live a comfortable life, turning any unfortunate experiences into her armor to demand more from others.
In childhood, it was for a bite to eat; in adolescence, it was for external adornments.
Jiang Yuan’s clothes were always being replaced with new ones, dressed in a style that made all the girls in the village look on with envy.
Jiang Ning’s clothes were always worn through three years of mending upon mending. She had also kicked up a fuss demanding new clothes, but the money was held tightly in Jiang the Fourth’s hands. He said children were still growing and didn’t need new clothes; wearing her older sister’s hand-me-downs was enough.
Yet by the time Jiang Ning was finally old enough to wear Jiang Yuan’s clothes, not a single piece was intact.
Jiang Yuan’s old clothes would always be torn into several strips of cloth for various reasons, and by the time Lady Liu patched them back together, the style had completely changed, leaving Jiang Ning still wearing patched rags.
As she grew older, Jiang Yuan restrained herself somewhat, no longer exercising blatant oppression and leaving no trace of her actions, even using petty favors to win people over.
When Jiang Yuan got married, Jiang the Fourth added a generous dowry—the first family in the village not to take a bride price but instead add a dowry. Jiang the Fourth had even been mocked for it.
Jiang the Fourth had said that since he only had one niece, he only hoped her husband’s family would treat her well.
Three years ago, Jiang Yuan, who had married far away, returned to borrow money on behalf of her husband’s family. Furthermore, the teacher at Little Stone’s academy in the county town had taken a liking to him, which also required a large sum of money for tuition fees, but Jiang the Fourth did not lend Jiang Yuan the full amount.
Jiang Yuan smiled and said she understood, then turned around to trick Jiang Ning into going to the county market, whereupon the accident occurred.
Jiang Ning got separated from Jiang Yuan and was kidnapped by human traffickers.
Jiang Ning had died halfway there by taking her own life.
How much courage must that weak-natured little girl have had to resort to taking her own life? Yet she was even more terrified of living a painful existence in that fiery pit.
Then she came, taking over the control of this body.
Three years was neither long nor short, but it was enough for many things to happen, to the point that Jiang Ning herself had almost forgotten the various events of the past. However, the wound on her hand hurt so intensely that it served as a fresh reminder.
Jiang Yuan had come to harm her again!
Clearly, with Gu Jianshen’s abilities, both of them could have escaped safely. Yet Jiang Yuan had used the hairpin from her hair to stab viciously into the back of Jiang Ning’s hand, causing her to lose her grip off guard due to the pain and tumble down from Gu Jianshen’s back.
“Be honest! Don’t move!”
A stick-wielding servant brought a staff crashing down onto Jiang Ning’s back, hurting her so badly she almost passed out, feeling as though her waist and spine were about to snap.
Jiang Ning wailed, “I’m not moving! Don’t hit me!”
The servant sneered, “Still daring to talk back? Asking for a beating!”
Raising his long staff, the servant prepared to strike again.
This was a man-eating place; leniency would never be granted simply because someone offered no resistance. Gu Jianshen had slapped Lord Zhao right across the face, and now Lord Zhao was out to reclaim his dignity.
She was going to die a miserable death.
She had to escape!
A judgment formed in Jiang Ning’s mind. Before the staff could land on her body once more, she grabbed a handful of sand from the ground, flung it backward, and scrambled to her feet to run.
The servant got sand in his eyes, but the other servants immediately gave chase.
Jiang Ning wanted to charge out through that arched doorway, but the servants anticipated her intention and blocked the entrance directly, leaving Jiang Ning with no choice but to scurry all over the courtyard.
She ran fast and her body was agile, dodging left and right continuously and weaving through the terrain. Although there were many servants, they couldn’t catch her right away and could only follow her as she dashed haphazardly across the courtyard.
A person’s physical stamina is limited; once exhausted, Jiang Ning would still be a lamb awaiting slaughter. Therefore, Lord Zhao didn’t mind playing the cat-and-mouse game a bit longer to re-establish his prestige before the officials.
Watching the spectacle unfold like an entertaining show, the officials sneered, “Just as expected of a wild country bumpkin. Where is the gentleness and refinement of a young lady from a noble family? She’s no different from a monkey scrambling all over the mountains.”
The fat man felt a twinge of pity and negotiated with Lord Zhao, “I’ll double my bid. Reward this person to me.”
Squinting his eyes, Lord Zhao let out a cold snort. “That Gu Jianshen is so devoid of rules that today this official intends to make an example of his woman. If you plead on her behalf, do you wish to go against this official?”
Intimidated by Lord Zhao’s wrath, the fat man dared not utter another word.
Watching Jiang Ning continuously fleeing for her life, a complex emotion flashed through Wen Qizheng’s eyes.
That brother-in-law of his, Gu Jianshen, possessed an unyielding backbone and would rather snap than bend; the woman he brought along also carried a proud spine. It would be a pity for such a woman to be broken right here.
Pity, however, was not enough to make him fall out with Lord Zhao.
While Lord Zhao was far from a decent human being, his position as Minister of Rites proved exceptionally useful.
Had she been Gu Jianshen’s favorite concubine Jiang, he might have considered stepping in.
“Ah!”
A flying staff smashed toward Jiang Ning.
Having chased her desperately without managing to catch her, the servants lost their temper and hurled their long staffs directly. Jiang Ning managed to dodge the first few, but ultimately took a hit to her lower leg and collapsed instantly.
Before Jiang Ning could scramble back up, she was pinned flat to the ground with the crushing weight of a mountain.
“This woman is your reward.”
Lord Zhao’s words plunged Jiang Ning’s heart straight to the bottom of the abyss.
Unlike those high-ranking nobles accustomed to exotic delicacies who were picky eaters, the staff-wielding servants belonged to the lowest tier of enforcers, kept within the estate with rare opportunities to come into contact with women. To them, even pig slop tasted delicious, and they would look at a sow and think her features delicate and charming.
Though Jiang Ning only aimed for “plain,” she still passed as a beauty in the eyes of these servants. At Lord Zhao’s reward decree, every single one of them was instantly fired up with heated blood.
Jiang Ning, however, was terrified.
The ground was cold, rough, and scattered with numerous sharp little stones. The skin on her body scraped raw and burned as she was pinned and thrashed against the dirt, but an even greater chill permeated the human hearts around her.
They began to tear at her clothes, their intent starkly obvious: they meant to carry out summary execution right then and there!
Struggling in sheer panic, Jiang Ning suffered agonizing pain from the wounds on her hands and limbs. Yet she dared not lie flat; she dared not give up her resistance.
She refused to be defiled in such a manner.
Gu Jianshen, didn’t you say you would bring me back safely? Didn’t you say you would come back to save me?
You liar!
“My esteemed colleagues, let us return to our wine.”
Lord Zhao beckoned everyone back to the grand hall. Compared to watching vulgar “dog fights,” watching a genuine beauty writhe upon oneself was far more appealing; he had already set his sights on the beauty Wen Qizheng had brought along.
The crowd filed back in succession. Glancing one last time at Jiang Ning pinned to the ground, the fat man gritted his teeth and returned as well.
Wen Qizheng lingered at the very end, harboring a final trace of hesitation.
If Gu Jianshen learned that the woman he brought had suffered such a horrifying and tragic fate, would he hold a grudge against him?
Yet the one who failed to take her away was Gu Jianshen himself; surely he knew this was a fiery pit that would plunge anyone into an abyss in the blink of an eye?
Between two women, Gu Jianshen had already made his choice; what qualifications did he have to resent him?