Shen Qi had returned to the Shen Family full of joy and anticipation, believing they would welcome her, love her, cherish her dearly, and compensate her for the hardships she had endured over the past seventeen years.
But reality fell short of her expectations.
She couldn’t understand why the Shen Family regarded Shen Baozhu as more important than her, or why, whenever conflicts arose between her and Shen Baozhu, everyone assumed she was the one bullying the other.
Was it simply because Shen Baozhu knew how to cry and shed tears?
The young Shen Qi didn’t understand, and even in her thirties, Shen Qi still didn’t comprehend.
But it didn’t matter anymore—she was no longer that timid, submissive girl who instinctively sought to please others in everything she said and did.
Her experience of an early death in her previous life had taught her that one should focus on oneself and not care too much about others.
If someone made her uncomfortable, she would simply confront them. Whoever made her unhappy would be made unhappy in return.
Shen Qi quickened her pace, feeling immensely grateful for her rebirth.
Heaven still had a conscience—it must have been displeased with the suffering she endured in her past life, which was why it granted her a second chance.
In this life, she would definitely live well and make up for the regrets she had failed to address in her previous one.
Suddenly, Shen Qi heard the call of a street vendor selling candied hawthorns. Without hesitation, she headed over.
In her past life, she had also wanted to eat candied hawthorns, but no one had bought them for her. In this life, she wouldn’t wait for anyone else to buy them—she could buy them for herself!
After purchasing a stick of hawthorn candied fruit, Shen Qi ate it as she walked back toward the Compound.
The sweetness in her mouth made her thoughts even more lively.
She remembered that on this same day in her past life, she had eagerly gone to the skating rink to find Fang Yi, only to see him hugging and holding Shen Baozhu. Furious, resentful, and jealous, she hadn’t dared to confront them directly. Instead, she went to complain to Grandpa Fang.
Naturally, Grandpa Fang took Shen Qi’s side.
After all, it was he who had arranged the engagement between Shen Qi and Fang Yi.
He liked Shen Qi very much, believing the young girl had a good heart and wanting her as his granddaughter-in-law.
Unfortunately, his health was declining day by day, and he didn’t have much time left.
Grandpa Fang criticized Fang Yi, telling him to stop associating with Shen Baozhu. But instead of complying, Fang Yi argued back, saying he would take off his military uniform, head south, and make his own way in the world. He didn’t want to stay at home and continue being controlled by Grandpa Fang.
This infuriated Grandpa Fang so much that he nearly passed away on the spot, struggling to catch his breath.
Fortunately, he was revived, but his health grew increasingly frail, and his spirits deteriorated day by day.
After this incident, Fang Yi didn’t dare talk back anymore and behaved obediently for a while.
But he grew to dislike Shen Qi even more.
If it weren’t for Shen Qi tattling, Grandpa Fang wouldn’t have ended up in such a state.
Finishing the last hawthorn, Shen Qi arrived at the Fang residence.
Grandpa Fang held a high rank and lived in a standalone Western-style House within the Compound. He and Grandma Fang had two sons and a daughter, but only one remained—Fang Yi’s father, Fang Hongjun.
Shen Qi knocked on the door, and someone answered quickly.
“It’s Xiao Qi. Come on in.” Mother Fang, Ding Mengshu, offered a strained smile, her eyes filled with unmistakable disdain.
Running into her mother-in-law from her previous life so abruptly, Shen Qi paused briefly before raising her small face and saying, “Aunt Ding, I’m here to see Grandpa Fang.”
Ding Mengshu let her in and invited her to sit in the living room. “Grandpa Fang is still napping, but he should wake up soon. Have some tea and wait a while.”
Shen Qi nodded. “Okay.”
While preparing the tea, Ding Mengshu glanced at Shen Qi several times.
She didn’t like Shen Qi.
It wasn’t that she disliked her from the very beginning, but rather after Grandpa Fang had decided on the marriage between Fang Yi and her that the dislike began.
While Shen Qi’s circumstances were indeed worthy of sympathy, and she was grateful that Shen Qi had saved the old man, was it really necessary to repay the debt of gratitude with her son’s lifelong happiness?
However, the household was ruled by the old man, and as a daughter-in-law, she couldn’t possibly challenge her father-in-law.
Ding Mengshu’s eyes flickered, and she forced a smile as she walked into the living room.
Shen Qi stood up and took the tea from Ding Mengshu’s hands. “Thank you, Auntie.”
“Xiao Qi, are you free tomorrow? Would you like to accompany me for some shopping?”
Shen Qi looked over, slightly surprised.
She knew Ding Mengshu didn’t like her, looking down on her for being uneducated, unfit to be seen, and inexperienced.
So why would she invite her to go shopping?
This hadn’t happened in her previous life.
But in her previous life, she had been provoked by the sight of Fang Yi and Shen Baozhu embracing, rushed to the Fang family, ignored Ding Mengshu’s attempts to stop her, and burst into Grandpa Fang’s room to pour out her grievances. Then Fang Yi was called back, grandfather and grandson had a huge argument, and Grandpa Fang ended up in the hospital for emergency treatment.
Shen Qi hadn’t expected things to escalate so badly. Knowing she had caused trouble, she didn’t dare face the Fang family.
It wasn’t until Grandpa Fang was discharged from the hospital that she gathered the courage to visit the Fang family.
“I’m sorry, I already have plans for tomorrow.”
If it were the Shen Qi of before, she would have been overjoyed to be invited shopping by the mother of the person she admired.
But the current Shen Qi had no interest in trying to please Ding Mengshu anymore.
Ding Mengshu’s expression stiffened. She had condescended to invite Shen Qi, thinking it was a sure thing.
And now she was actually being rejected!
She really was someone who couldn’t be brought into proper company!
No wonder the Shen Family preferred to dote on an unrelated outsider rather than spare her a second glance. She deserved it!
Feeling her pride wounded, Ding Mengshu couldn’t be bothered to entertain guests any longer and made a random excuse to return to her room.
Shen Qi knew she was unhappy, but who cared?
Was there any law that said if you invited someone, they had to accept?
While waiting, Shen Qi organized her thoughts.
Grandpa Fang was one of the few people who had been kind to her. She didn’t want to hurt the old man, but she also didn’t want to have any further involvement with Fang Yi.
Fang Yi was a scumbag, a bastard, someone who deserved to die a thousand deaths.
She would never forget how, after marriage, Fang Yi always used work as an excuse to delay consummating their marriage, leaving her in a living widowhood.
She had humbled herself in the Fang family, lowering her head and trying to please her in-laws for their approval.
But no matter what she did, her father-in-law would only shake his head at her, while her mother-in-law would always find fault.
The most unexpected thing was that Shen Baozhu also married into the Fang family, becoming Fang Yi’s sister-in-law.
Fang Yi’s elder brother was often away on missions, returning only a few times a year. Under the pretext of looking after his sister-in-law, Fang Yi frequently spent time with Shen Baozhu.
Shen Qi couldn’t stand it and hinted about it to her mother-in-law once, only to be harshly scolded, told that her mind was dirty so she saw others as dirty too!
Life was bitter, without a hint of sweetness. Shen Qi’s heart felt like dead water, thinking that maybe muddling through like this would be fine.
But she never expected that one day, when Shen Baozhu accidentally injured someone, Fang Yi would actually demand that she take the blame.
“This is what you owe Baozhu!”
“Baozhu is so delicate. If she goes to prison, she won’t survive.”
“Baozhu’s child is still so young. If she goes to prison, what will happen to the child? She absolutely cannot go to prison!”
“Shen Qi, as long as you’re willing to serve Baozhu’s prison sentence, I’ll become your real husband when you get out.”
After saying this, Fang Yi gave Shen Qi a forceful hug.
Shen Qi’s mind was in turmoil, but Fang Yi had already pulled her along to confess voluntarily to the arriving police.
“My wife made a mistake. We’re turning ourselves in…”
Just like that, Shen Qi was sentenced to five years and found herself bewildered in prison.