In 1981, at Xiawangjiawan Production Brigade, inside a damp, dark shack filled with a foul mixture of mildew and rot, Song Wanning sat on the ground in a disheveled state.
One of her pant legs hung empty.
There was nothing there.
Clutched tightly in her arms was a tiny body—her child, who had long since stopped breathing. The flesh had already begun to decay, yet she held the child as if embracing the most precious treasure in the world. Her eyes were vacant as she gently patted the little body over and over.
Suddenly, the wooden door was kicked open from outside.
A blinding beam of light flooded into the room.
Song Wanning instinctively narrowed her eyes. Her eyelashes trembled slightly, and at last a faint trace of movement appeared on her lifeless face.
Slowly, she raised her head.
In her blurred vision appeared a woman wearing a pink plaid dress. Her slightly curled hair was neatly styled and glossy, a pink headband rested atop her head, and a pair of white high heels looked completely out of place on the muddy ground.
It was Song Miaomiao.
Her biological younger sister.
Beside her stood a short, dark-skinned, skinny man—her husband, Wang Zhuzi.
“Ugh, why does it smell so bad?”
Song Miaomiao’s disgusted voice came from the doorway.
One hand waved beneath her nose while the other pinched it shut as she stepped inside.
When she saw the scene within, she was startled by Song Wanning’s ghost-like appearance before immediately retreating toward the entrance in disgust.
“Wang Zhuzi, drag her out. Feed whatever she’s holding to the dogs. It stinks to death in here!”
“Okay, Miaomiao, don’t be angry. I’ll do it right away.”
After speaking in a flattering tone, Wang Zhuzi strode forward and reached for the child in Song Wanning’s arms.
The deadness in Song Wanning’s eyes finally stirred.
Seeing him trying to take her child, she hugged the little body tightly against her chest and glared at him with vigilance.
“Don’t touch my child! Let go!”
“You crazy bitch! You dare bite people?!”
Wang Zhuzi raised his hand and slapped her hard across the face.
Still unsatisfied, he kicked her viciously.
Song Wanning cried out in pain and fell to the ground, but her arms never loosened.
She held the child tightly against her chest.
The stench of decay coming from the body seemed completely nonexistent to her.
Seeing this, disgust flashed across Wang Zhuzi’s eyes.
He rushed over, forcibly snatched the rotting corpse from her arms, and carried it outside with obvious revulsion.
Then he tossed it toward the area where the dogs were kept in the courtyard.
“No! No!”
“Give her back to me!”
“I’m begging you!”
Song Wanning screamed hoarsely, her cries filled with despair.
Her chest still ached from the kick he had just delivered, but she paid it no mind.
Her thin, skeletal fingers dug desperately into the dirt as she dragged her broken body forward, crawling toward the door like a madwoman.
Outside, Song Miaomiao saw Song Wanning crawling toward the doorway and let out a startled shriek.
Hearing her scream, Wang Zhuzi immediately turned around and strode over.
Grabbing Song Wanning by the hair, he yanked backward with brutal force.
His face twisted viciously as he growled,
“You damned slut!”
“Do you know you just scared Miaomiao?!”
“Are you looking for death?!”
The agonizing pain of her scalp being torn forced Song Wanning to raise her head.
Unexpectedly, her eyes met Song Miaomiao’s.
Remembering that it had been Song Miaomiao who ordered Wang Zhuzi to throw her daughter to the dogs, despair filled her face.
“Miaomiao… why?”
“She’s your own niece too…”
“Why would you do this to her?”
Song Miaomiao had been waiting for that question.
She stepped closer, her face full of vindictive satisfaction and contempt.
“Why?”
“You still have the nerve to ask why?”
“Because you’re not our parents’ biological daughter at all.”
“You’re just a wild child they picked up.”
“And she isn’t my niece either!”
Song Wanning felt as though her mind exploded.
She shook her head frantically.
“No…”
“No, you’re lying!”
“I’m lying?”
Song Miaomiao sneered.
“Hmph!”
“Since we’re already talking about this, I’ll tell you the truth.”
“Not only are you not Mom’s daughter, but that little bastard you gave birth to wasn’t Wang Zhuzi’s child either.”
“Otherwise, why do you think he treated you two like that?”
“Heh…”
“This was all part of our plan.”
“Since we’ve come this far, let me tell you everything.”
“Your son didn’t accidentally fall into the river and die.”
“Poor thing. He was so little, yet Wang Zhuzi held him underwater until he drowned.”
“And those rumors around the village? The ones saying you were immoral and seduced men everywhere?”
“Mom personally spread those rumors.”
“Otherwise, how would Wang Zhuzi have had an excuse to ‘discipline’ you and break your legs?”
Song Miaomiao smirked coldly.
“Do you know why I let that little slut of yours live for a few extra years?”
“Because she looked just like you.”
“Born with that seductive face.”
“I thought that once she grew up, I’d have her serve those old bachelors in the village.”
She sighed theatrically.
“What a pity.”
“That fool Wang Zhuzi beat her to death so early.”
“She got off easy.”
At that point, Song Miaomiao paused.
Watching Song Wanning’s utterly shattered expression, she felt immense satisfaction.
Then she continued smugly,
“You’ve always been prettier than me.”
“Ever since childhood, men stared at you wherever you went.”
“Which young man in the village didn’t like you?”
“The person I originally plotted against was Ke Yizhou.”
“But in the end, you were the one who benefited from it.”
“Tell me, shouldn’t I hate you?”
“But luckily, Ke Jingchen died four years ago.”
“And my daughter is the only descendant left in the Ke family.”
“His parents acknowledged us and brought us back.”
“They’re very wealthy.”
“They left my daughter a huge inheritance.”
“Hahaha!”
“Everything should have belonged to you and that dead little girl.”
“What a pity.”
“Now it all belongs to me and my child.”
Every word Song Miaomiao spoke pierced Song Wanning’s heart like needles.
She bit down hard on her lower lip.
The taste of blood spread through her mouth.
Raging fury ignited in her eyes.
She glared viciously at Song Miaomiao, her hands clenched into fists so tightly that her nails dug deep into her flesh.
All the suffering she had endured…
Had been orchestrated by this so-called younger sister from the very beginning.
She desperately wanted to throw herself at Song Miaomiao and tear her apart with her teeth.
But Wang Zhuzi still held her hair tightly.
She could not move an inch.
Noticing her struggle, Wang Zhuzi glared at her viciously and kicked her twice in the stomach.
“You bitch!”
“You still dare resist?!”
“Song Miaomiao! Wang Zhuzi!”
“I curse both of you to die horrible deaths!”
“Even after death, you’ll be thrown into the Eighteen Layers of Hell!”
Seeing that Song Wanning still had the strength to curse them, Wang Zhuzi showed no mercy.
His fists and feet rained down on her body.
Meanwhile, Song Miaomiao stood nearby with her arms crossed.
Watching everything unfold, she laughed wildly.
“Fine!”
“I’d love to see how we end up in the Eighteen Layers of Hell!”
“Hahaha!”
The laughter sounded unbearably harsh in Song Wanning’s ears.
Her eyelids grew heavier and heavier from the beating.
Her consciousness gradually faded.
In a daze, she seemed to see her daughter Niannian wearing a little floral dress, waving to her from afar.
Her sweet, childish voice called out softly,
“Mommy, let’s go home.”
A faint smile appeared on Song Wanning’s lips.
She slowly reached out toward the figure.
“Okay…”
“Mommy will take you home.”