This matter brought no honor to the Village Head either. As a dignified Village Head, he had actually allowed Xiaocun Village to fall into such disarray. If this were to spread beyond the village, how could he ever save face?
Through this incident, he finally saw the true nature of the Su family. It was laughable how he had once believed them to be kind and virtuous, never expecting them to be such hypocritical beasts who devoured people without spitting out the bones. What angered him most was that he had become in-laws with such people.
If Su Hao hadn’t just given birth to a son for their Wang family, he would have driven this woman out immediately. With such viper-hearted maternal relatives, Su Hao’s character must certainly be flawed as well!
As for He Juren, it was better that he ran away. What use was there in such a person passing the provincial exam? Someone so ungrateful would never care about the villagers of Xiaocun Village even if he became a high-ranking official!
Definitely not!
Fuming, the Village Head flicked his sleeves and dismissed the villagers.
Finally, he glanced at the old Su family residence. Those three siblings had suffered many grievances over the years. He would go back and have a good talk with his wife, asking her to bring some supplies to check on the three siblings.
The meticulously orchestrated grand play finally concluded. Su Juan linked arms with Su Ying as they returned home. When the commotion outside died down, the two sisters couldn’t help but excitedly embrace each other.
Su Ying was particularly thrilled.
He Changchun held the status of a Successful candidate in the imperial exam at the provincial level and was engaged to her. Though she knew he wasn’t a good match, she couldn’t openly break off the engagement. Now, his character had become evident to everyone in Xiaocun Village. She believed he would be too ashamed to bring up this marriage proposal again.
This was just as well. From now on, they would go their separate ways in marriage—he could take his broad road, and she would cross her single-plank bridge. This suited her perfectly.
Moreover, the true faces of the Su family had been exposed. Thinking of Mrs. His embarrassing escape earlier was truly satisfying!
Additionally, that meddlesome Taoist priest’s interference indirectly revealed that the rumors about the three siblings carrying a Killing Aura were not simple. From now on, the three siblings could hold their heads high in the village.
One grand play, multiple targets with one arrow—Su Ying couldn’t help but admire her own cleverness.
Su Mo had stayed inside the house from beginning to end. Su Juan and Su Ying, afraid that his poor acting might ruin the effect of the grand play, hadn’t allowed him to participate.
Puffing out his cheeks, he was extremely dissatisfied with his sisters looking down on him like this, but there was nothing he could do. Channeling his frustration into energy, he grabbed his tools and eagerly headed to the back hill to hunt wild game as a reward for his two sisters.
At the Su family’s new residence.
Mrs. He and Su Changdong scrambled back in embarrassment, only to receive a fierce, scathing reprimand from Shao Shi.
She was furious with Mrs. He. Originally thinking she was shrewd and clever, Shao Shi never expected her to be so foolish as to take action without even verifying whether the girl was pregnant.
Mrs. He’s face flushed crimson under the scolding, but she didn’t dare utter a word in response. Besides resentment, all she felt was regret.
She resented the old lady for being all show—clearly she had swapped Su Ying’s fate with that Jinx’s, so how could Su Ying still cause such a huge stir?
She also regretted not listening carefully from the start, mistakenly believing Su Ying was pregnant. Upon careful reflection, this claim made no sense. He Changchun had only returned a little over half a month ago; no matter how fast it was, morning sickness couldn’t possibly occur so soon. She had been foolish, walking right into Su Ying’s trap.
Trap?
The moment those words escaped her lips, Mrs. He immediately panicked.
“Mother! This Su Ying is definitely not simple—how did she suddenly gain such capabilities? Mother, do you think she might be possessed by some evil spirit? Since we failed to drown her in the pond today, our reputation is already ruined. It’ll be harder to control her from now on—what should we do?”
Shao Shi was equally agitated. She had schemed for so long just to secure a better life for her descendants, never expecting to stumble at the critical moment and watch all her efforts vanish overnight.
Su Ying’s Destiny was extraordinarily noble. If she managed to turn things around, the third branch’s family—no longer suppressed by Su Ying’s Destiny—would surely drag them all down. How could she accept this?
After a moment’s thought, her eyes glazed over with frost.
“Even if she’s possessed, we can’t publicize this further. Since that girl has some tricks up her sleeve, I’ll have to use a Curse to end her!”
Truthfully, she could have used the Curse against them long ago, but the process consumed immense vitality. Besides shortening one’s lifespan, it would invite a Backlash. Yet now, she could no longer afford to hesitate.
Just as she prepared to return to her room and make arrangements, Su Miao came weeping before them.
“Grandma, Father, Mother—look at my face! I just woke up from sleep, and now it’s covered in red bumps! They get itchier the more I scratch! Have I been disfigured? What should I do?”
“I can’t stand this! You must heal my face right now!”
Su Miao cried and screamed, hopping around in hysterics.
When Mrs. He and Su Changdong saw their beloved daughter’s face densely covered with large red bumps, they were horrified.
“How did this happen? What did you come into contact with?”
The two panicked helplessly. Su Miao was their only trump card for a prosperous future—her Destiny had been swapped with Su Juan’s, meaning their food, clothing, and livelihood would be secure by clinging to her. But if her face was ruined, how could she ever marry into a good family?
Though Su Miao wasn’t a breathtaking beauty, she wasn’t bad-looking either. Especially with two years of good nourishment, she’d grown fresh and delicate, attracting no small interest from neighboring families.
With a precious Destiny and a passable face, there was still hope for great fortune ahead. But if her face was destroyed, that Destiny would be wasted in her hands!
Frantic, they turned to Shao Shi. “Mother, please examine Miao’er’s face! She still needs to marry well—we can’t let anything happen to it!”
Shao Shi studied Su Miao’s face, her brow furrowed deeply. She asked the sobbing girl, “What have you touched recently?”
Clutching her face and weeping bitterly, Su Miao suddenly remembered something. She sprang up, her expression twisting viciously.
“Yesterday I wore clothes bought by Su Ying! It must be her—she’s the one who ruined my face!”
Hearing this, Shao Shi grew cautious. “Bring me that garment to inspect!”
Knowing Shao Shi had skills, Su Miao hurried off with renewed hope and fetched the clothes.
After examining them, Shao Shi tossed the garment aside and snorted. “I truly underestimated that girl. She actually smeared Herb juice on these clothes. Your face is likely suffering a Backlash—ordinary ointments won’t cure it.”
Both those who alter others’ Destiny and those who accept such alterations will suffer some Backlash, though the former receives greater Backlash. The latter won’t face serious consequences as long as they maintain good intentions and perform virtuous deeds—but clearly, Su Miao was not a kind-hearted person.
Upon hearing this, Mrs. He and Su Miao felt their legs go weak.
“Mother, what should we do? You must have a solution, right? Whatever you say, I’ll follow your instructions—just please help cure Miao’er’s face!”
Mrs. He tugged at Shao Shi’s trousers, pleading with her.
Su Miao also gazed at her through tearful eyes, full of hope.
“What can I possibly do in such a situation? Don’t think I’m omnipotent, capable of handling everything. This is Backlash—do you understand what Backlash means? I’ve warned you repeatedly to act carefully, yet you still didn’t take precautions. How is this my fault?”
Shao Shi looked coldly at the second branch of the family, suddenly feeling exhausted and powerless. She had expended so much of her vitality for them, yet they completely failed to understand her devoted efforts!
Shao Shi’s attitude panicked Mrs. He and agitated Su Changdong. When Su Miao realized there was no solution, she immediately snatched the clothes from the floor and rushed out.