At night, flames shot high into the sky, and billowing black smoke nearly blanketed the entire area above Gouzi Village.
The courtyard gate was tightly shut. Shen Xiuhe stood with her hair disheveled, looking like a vengeful ghost as she stared at the Li family members who had been engulfed in flames. A trace of satisfaction appeared in her eyes.
Even if she died, she would make the entire Li family accompany her to the grave!
“Shen Xiuhe, you crazy woman!”
Li Tiezhu’s agonized roar came from within the sea of flames.
Crazy woman?
Shen Xiuhe’s expression was numb. She allowed the raging fire to engulf and consume her entire body without making the slightest attempt to struggle.
Ever since the day she had been violated by the beast Li Tiezhu in this lifetime, she had already gone mad!
She had originally been introduced to Li Jianguo, a military officer, with marriage in mind. Instead, she had been deceived into marrying his older brother, Li Tiezhu.
Li Tiezhu was old, ugly, and crippled!
As if that were not enough, the Li family spread rumors that she had seduced Li Jianguo. They even led the entire village in condemning her as an immoral woman, leaving her unable to hold her head up in public.
But the man she had originally been introduced to was Li Jianguo!
Later, Li Tiezhu locked her in a woodshed and brought elderly bachelors from the village to violate her, treating her as a tool for making money.
The Li family members stood guard and facilitated these filthy transactions. To make even more dirty money, they expanded their business to neighboring villages and towns.
As long as someone had money, anyone was allowed to come!
If she hadn’t contracted that disease, if her entire body hadn’t become covered in sores that festered, rotted, and reeked of decay…
She hated them so much. Every single member of the Li family deserved to die!
“Help! H-Help me!”
“Can someone save my son?!”
No matter how frantically Sun Guifang screamed, she couldn’t put out the fire. All she could do was watch helplessly as her son, Li Tiezhu, burned to death.
By the time anyone discovered what was happening, the entire Li family home was already engulfed in flames.
It was too late to save it.
Everyone in Gouzi Village stood frozen, staring blankly at the Li family’s gate. One agonized, bloodcurdling scream after another pierced through the blaze, ringing out with horrifying clarity and sending chills down everyone’s spines.
“Xiuhe, the Li family’s second son has really made something of himself! He’s already a military officer at such a young age!”
“If you agree to this marriage, the good days are still ahead of you!”
Shen Xiuhe stared blankly at the woman standing in front of her, whose eyebrows slanted upward at the outer corners. Her gaze settled on the smooth skin around the woman’s eyes, completely free of wrinkles.
“Eldest Sister-in-law?”
Hadn’t she perished alongside the entire Li family?
No. Something wasn’t right.
Shen Xiuhe suddenly jumped to her feet and looked around. Shock filled her eyes.
Liu Damei’s eyes shifted as she observed Shen Xiuhe’s dazed expression. Thinking that the girl was simply too happy to speak, she continued.
“You think he’s a good match too, don’t you?”
“Wait a moment. I even managed to get his photograph for you.”
“Here, take a look! He’s tall, strong, and well-built. If I weren’t already married to your older brother, even I would be tempted.”
Shen Xiuhe glanced at the clothes on her body, which were patched with pieces of fabric. Her gaze then fell on the photograph in Liu Damei’s hand.
Just as in her previous life, her sister-in-law was introducing her to the second son of the Li family, a military officer, and showing her the very photograph that had captured her heart.
Shen Xiuhe stared at Li Jianguo’s photograph, feeling strangely empty inside.
In her previous life, just one glance at this man had been enough to make her blush.
Yet now, looking at him again, she felt absolutely nothing.
Now she was certain.
She had truly returned to the past!
In this lifetime, she hadn’t married into the Li family or been raped by Li Tiezhu.
The Li family hadn’t yet smeared her reputation or spread malicious rumors everywhere, claiming that she had seduced that ugly, perverted monster, Li Tiezhu!
Her reputation… hadn’t yet been completely ruined, and her body was still healthy.
Remembering everything that had happened after she married into the Li family in her previous life, Shen Xiuhe took a deep breath.
This time, she absolutely could not repeat the same mistakes.
“People naturally strive to climb higher, while water flows downhill. Since this man has such good qualities, why would he be willing to marry a country girl like me?”
Holding the photograph, Shen Xiuhe looked at Liu Damei.
“Eldest Sister-in-law, if you were him, would you agree to this marriage?”
Liu Damei froze for a moment. When she recovered, she let out an awkward laugh.
“Xiuhe, what nonsense are you talking about?”
“Of course your sister-in-law would agree! You’re kindhearted, hardworking, and capable. And as for your looks…”
Liu Damei looked Shen Xiuhe up and down, her gaze traveling over her from head to toe…