“Erlang, time to drink your medicine…”
“Poisonous woman…”
…
In a shabby, drafty thatched hut, a man lay on the bed, struggling violently.
An old woman in coarse gray hemp clothing held a bowl of black, murky medicine, trying to force it into his mouth…
Su Wei rubbed her eyes. The scene before her looked vaguely familiar, as if she had seen it somewhere before?
But before she could figure it out, the porcelain bowl shattered between their shoving, and the room fell silent.
The man on the bed suddenly glared at Su Wei with fury: “Poisonous woman, even as a ghost, I won’t let you off…”
Su Wei: “…”
No, no, no, it wasn’t me, it was that old woman…
The old woman turned her head to look at her: “What are you standing there in a daze for? If he doesn’t die, how can you marry Young Master Dong?”
Su Wei: “…”
Why does this scene feel so familiar?
The next second, the old woman grabbed a cotton quilt and pressed it over the man’s face…
She thought she knew where the familiarity came from…
The man was injured and weak. The struggle just now had drained the last of his strength. Now, pinned down by the old woman who was used to farm work, he couldn’t break free no matter how he tried.
Su Wei didn’t have time to think. She hurried over to pull the old woman away, but the old woman was determined, dead set on making the man die.
Su Wei couldn’t budge her. In a panic, she grabbed the wooden stool from the ground and slammed it over the old woman’s head.
The old woman turned to look at her. Su Wei, frightened, took a step back. Then, the old woman collapsed straight to the ground.
Su Wei gasped for breath, locking eyes with the man on the bed.
Calling him a man wasn’t quite accurate. The person before her looked only sixteen or seventeen. Though his face was dirty, one could vaguely make out handsome, striking features, along with a pair of beautiful eyes that looked at Su Wei with vigilance and hatred…
A name slipped out of her mouth: “Shen Yan…”
The man didn’t respond. The air was terrifyingly quiet, their breathing clearly audible.
Su Wei stared for a moment at Shen Yan, who looked like he wanted to devour her alive, and felt like crying but had no tears.
What was she supposed to do now?
After a moment of silence, Su Wei could only slowly shuffle over and reach out to check the old woman’s breath…
Great. No breath…
…
Shen Yan lay on the bed, watching the poisonous woman drag Granny Wang’s corpse outside. He didn’t know how long passed before the poisonous woman came back.
“Shen Yan.”
Su Wei called out, but Shen Yan still ignored her. He didn’t want to say a single word to the poisonous woman. If she dared to come close, he would bite a piece of flesh off her even if he had to use his teeth.
Su Wei saw no reaction from him and thought he might have died too. She was immediately alarmed…
A double kill right at the start??
She wondered if the executioner’s blade would be quick when it came for her…
She was afraid of pain…
She swallowed hard and reached out with trembling fingers to check Shen Yan’s breath…
Thankfully, he was still breathing…
Before Su Wei could sigh in relief, pain shot through her hand. Shen Yan had bitten down on it.
“Ahhhhhhh… Let go!”
Su Wei screamed, but Shen Yan refused to release his grip. His eyes were bloodshot, glaring at Su Wei with intense hatred.
Su Wei winced in pain, her hand quickly drawing blood.
In desperation, she slammed her fist into Shen Yan’s face.
On a normal day, such a punch wouldn’t have much force.
But Shen Yan was truly weak, and after all the commotion, he passed out.
Su Wei pulled her hand free and rushed outside to rinse it with water. The icy cold water stung her hand as it washed over it, and two clear tears rolled down Su Wei’s numb, flushed face…
She had transmigrated…
The original owner shared her name and lived in a village several hundred li away.
The years had been unkind—three years of severe drought had driven the original owner and her family from their home in search of a way to survive.
On the road, she became separated from her parents and collapsed from hunger at the Shen family’s doorstep. It was Shen Yan’s mother who saved her.
Mother Shen had lost her husband years ago and struggled to make ends meet with her two sons.
A few years prior, the imperial court had issued a conscription order, and Shen Dalang had been taken away.
In the end, Shen Dalang not only survived but earned merit, sending considerable silver back home.
The Shen family’s circumstances grew comfortable, and everyone in the village envied and fawned over them.
Not long ago, devastating news arrived.
Shen Dalang had been shot dead on the spot for betraying the country and defecting to the enemy.
Shen Yan rushed back from the academy and found his mother bedridden with illness, and learned of his elder brother’s death.
He had hoped to pool together money to treat his mother, but the house had been seized by his uncles, and the family’s possessions had been ransacked clean.
Fearing they would be implicated, the Shen relatives threw out a Severance Letter, completely cutting ties with Shen Yan and his mother.
Shen Yan had no choice but to find work at a nearby quarry to earn money, but he was accidentally struck in the leg by a rock. The quarry, afraid of taking responsibility, tossed him ten taels of silver to settle the matter.
Mother Shen was grief-stricken and wanted to seek justice, but she didn’t know who to demand it from.
It was at this moment that the original owner fainted at the Shen family’s doorstep.
Mother Shen couldn’t bear to watch her starve to death, so she took her in and saved her.
The original owner looked down on the Shen family’s poverty and didn’t want to stay, but Granny Wang next door mentioned that the quarry had given Shen Yan ten taels of silver…
That wasn’t a small sum, and the original owner’s mind began to stir with wicked thoughts…
She feigned gentleness, claiming she liked Shen Yan, and swore up and down to Mother Shen that she would take good care of him.
Mother Shen had been ill for many days, sustained by nothing but a single breath. Fearing that no one would look after Shen Yan if she died, she agreed to the marriage between the original owner and Shen Yan.
Their wedding had no banquet, no guests—just kowtowing to Mother Shen, and that was that.