Jiang Qinghuan’s feelings toward Jiang Tang were not just hatred, but also a deep-seated jealousy that had festered over the years.
They were both children of the Jiang family, yet Grandfather had left the family fortune to Jiang Tang’s parents. It was on that foundation that Jiang Tang’s parents had built their success, becoming renowned capitalists in Shanghai.
Hah, capitalists—so what? Now they’d been sent down to the farms to haul cow manure just like everyone else!
But Jiang Tang had gotten lucky once again. Before she could be sent down, she’d married a military commander. Not only did she avoid being sent to the countryside, but she could continue living her life as a pampered young lady.
Too bad Jiang Tang had a lovesick brain. All it took was one scumbag, Lin Pingchuan, to make her give up her good life and run away with him.
Hah, how ridiculous.
Jiang Qinghuan now vented all her malice toward Jiang Tang on the two small children, repeating over and over that they were “wild bastards with no father or mother.”
Yueyue was so frightened her eyes turned red, two pools of tears welling up in her big dark eyes as she whispered to her brother.
“Brother, does Mama really not want us anymore?”
This time, Chaochao didn’t answer Yueyue. Instead, when Jiang Qinghuan said once again, “Your mother already ran off with some other man and doesn’t want you anymore,” the little child charged at Jiang Qinghuan like a small tiger.
“Don’t you dare talk about my mama like that!”
Chaochao shouted in defiance, then reached out and grabbed Jiang Qinghuan’s wrist tightly.
With the strength of a five-year-old, there was no way he could match Jiang Qinghuan in a contest of force. So from the very beginning, Chaochao wasn’t trying to overpower her—the moment he got a firm grip, he bit down hard.
His small, sharp teeth sank deep into her flesh, clamping down on Jiang Qinghuan and refusing to let go!
He was venting his fury, but more than that, he was defending his mother’s image in his heart with everything he had.
“Ah—”
A sharp scream erupted from Jiang Qinghuan in the kitchen.
Chaochao was biting ferociously. The pain twisted her face, her arm stiffening and spasming.
“You little bastard, how dare you bite me!”
Jiang Qinghuan yanked at him several times, but couldn’t push the boy off. She simply raised her foot and kicked him in the stomach, sending the child flying.
Chaochao landed hard on his bottom, hurt and humiliated.
But that still wasn’t enough for Jiang Qinghuan. She raised her arm high, ready to strike across Chaochao’s little face—
“Brother!”
From the corner, Yueyue let out a pitiful cry. She stumbled forward and wrapped her thin, frail little body tightly around her brother.
Jiang Qinghuan didn’t care whether it was Chaochao or Yueyue—as long as they were those two little bastards, she’d hit them both.
Her raised arm began to fall.
At that critical moment—
“Stop!”
Jiang Tang finally returned at that very moment. She rushed into the kitchen and saw exactly what was happening. She immediately seized Jiang Qinghuan’s wrist and, in one swift motion, delivered two slaps across her face.
Smack!
Smack!
The resounding sound of the slaps rang out suddenly—but they hadn’t landed on the twins. They had landed on Jiang Qinghuan’s face.
Jiang Qinghuan, who had been gloating just moments before, was caught completely off guard, her head knocked to the side.
Jiang Tang hadn’t held back. The blows left her head ringing, and clear finger marks immediately appeared on her face.
Enduring the searing pain on her cheek, she turned her head to look at Jiang Tang, eyes wide with shock, and blurted out without thinking.
“Weren’t you at the train station running off with someone? Why are you back?”
Jiang Tang hadn’t just gone to elope—she’d been sold to a crippled old man, and the price had already been agreed upon. It should have been foolproof. How could she have come back safe and sound?!
Jiang Qinghuan’s mind was flooded with questions.
Jiang Tang instantly caught the flaw in Jiang Qinghuan’s words. She looked at her with cold eyes and demanded, “Jiang Qinghuan, how do you know I was running off with someone?”
That was an elopement—a secret known only to the two people involved. How could Jiang Qinghuan possibly know?
From the original owner’s memories, Jiang Tang had long suspected something. Lin Pingchuan had appeared at too convenient a time, as if he’d been deliberately crafted to match the original owner’s tastes. The purpose was clear: to make her elope and walk down a path of utter ruin.
Jiang Qinghuan’s words at this moment precisely confirmed Jiang Tang’s suspicions.
Jiang Qinghuan immediately realized she’d let something slip. Covering her face, she hurriedly tried to distance herself. “I just heard it from some gossip outside. It doesn’t count. Since you’re back, those must all be false rumors.”
“Hah, false rumors.” Jiang Tang looked at Jiang Qinghuan like she was watching a clown perform, a mocking sneer curling at her lips. “The elopement might be a false rumor, but you trying to hit my children just now—I saw that with my own eyes. That’s real, isn’t it? Jiang Qinghuan, what right do you have to hit my children?”
Jiang Qinghuan was dumbfounded again. The words “my children” coming out of Jiang Tang’s mouth? Impossible.
Before, she couldn’t even stand to look at the children for more than a moment. She’d completely ignored those two little bastards, showing them not a shred of affection.
Had Jiang Tang’s brain gotten waterlogged today?
She was actually starting to care about the children?
Jiang Qinghuan was full of doubts, but what truly terrified her was the cold, dangerous look Jiang Tang was giving her—as if she might slap her again at any moment.
She quickly explained, “Jiang Tang, they stole the meat buns from the kitchen first. Stealing at such a young age—they’re not learning right. I was helping you discipline your children. If kids aren’t taught properly from a young age, what will they become when they grow up?”
Hearing this self-righteous speech, Jiang Tang couldn’t help but laugh inwardly.
“We didn’t steal anything!” Chaochao, who had fallen to the ground, retorted defiantly.
Jiang Tang turned to look at the child. His dark, bright eyes sparkled with spirit, and his handsome little face clearly showed he’d grow up to be a heartthrob who’d charm countless girls—just a bit too skinny.
Then there was the little girl beside him, Yueyue, with her big, glossy black eyes and a pitiful, endearing look. She’d been crying, her eyes still wet, soft and adorable—the kind of sight that instantly tugged at your heartstrings.
Such an adorable pair of twins, yet the original owner of this body had neglected them, letting Jiang Qinghuan’s family bully them all this time. What a fool.
But that didn’t matter anymore. These two kids were her Jiang Tang’s children now!
“Mom, my sister and I didn’t steal the meat buns…” Chaochao tried again, not giving up, looking at Jiang Tang cautiously, afraid she wouldn’t believe him.
Jiang Tang spoke gently, “Chaochao, Mom believes you. My children wouldn’t be thieves.”
Just that one simple sentence made Chaochao’s little face light up instantly, and even Yueyue looked at Jiang Tang with surprise.
Mom actually believed them!
Jiang Tang spun around and, catching Jiang Qinghuan off guard again, slapped her hard twice more.
Smack! Smack!
After finishing, Jiang Tang even rolled her wrist.
Jiang Qinghuan’s face was now even more swollen and red. She pointed at Jiang Tang, trembling, “You… you… you hit me again!”
“I hit you, so what? Do I need to pick an auspicious day for it?” Jiang Tang retorted without mercy. “Those two slaps just now were for Chaochao and Yueyue—for your lies, for slandering a five-year-old child!”
“Meat buns or no meat buns, my Jiang Tang’s children would never steal from anyone.”
“And even if they did, so what? Everything in this house is mine. Everything in the kitchen is mine. Is there any problem with my children wanting to eat meat buns? And you—Jiang Qinghuan—that floral dress you’re wearing, those lambskin high heels on your feet—wasn’t every single thing bought with my money? So tell me, do I have the right to hit you or not?”
“If you feel wronged, leave your things behind and get the hell out of this house!”
Jiang Qinghuan was stunned speechless by the fierce, domineering Jiang Tang before her. She had been so stupid before—believing anything Jiang Qinghuan said whenever she sowed discord. How had she suddenly changed into a completely different person?
Jiang Tang could obviously see Jiang Qinghuan’s shock, but she had no intention of hiding it. After all, this was still the original owner’s body, and no one would ever guess something as incredible as “time travel” had happened.
She sneered, “Jiang Qinghuan, are you getting out or not?”
The commotion in the kitchen was loud enough to draw the attention of Jiang Dehai and his wife, Ding Yuqin.
Or rather, the two of them had been able to hear what was happening in the kitchen all along. Earlier, when Jiang Qinghuan wasn’t the one being wronged, they pretended not to hear a thing. Now that they saw the situation had turned, they put on a show of rushing in, looking flustered.
Ding Yuqin said in an exaggerated tone, “Oh my, what’s going on here? Why are you two sisters fighting? Qinghuan, did you make Tangtang angry? Apologize to Tangtang right now.”