The reason Ye Wen doted so much on her third son was simple: she believed he was naturally gifted and destined for greatness.
He only began studying at twelve, yet by fifteen he had already passed the county-level exam and become a tongsheng. At this pace, wouldn’t passing the xiucai exam before twenty be just around the corner?
The third son, Wen Xiangbei, also knew how to please his mother. Every day he painted grand illusions for her, constantly saying things like, “When your son places first in the imperial exams, I’ll definitely earn you a noble title.” All empty promises.
Because of this hope, the original owner placed all her expectations on the third son and treated the rest of her children as worthless.
But what was the reality?
Wen Xiangbei never truly focused on studying.
In the county town, he spent his days mingling with spoiled rich youths, drinking, gambling, and indulging in excess.
Kind villagers once tried to warn the original owner, saying they had seen Wen Xiangbei spending money recklessly in town. Instead of listening, she scolded them viciously, accusing them of being jealous of her son’s talent. Over time, no one dared speak up again.
In her eyes, her son was a young prodigy with a bright future. Everyone else was simply spreading malicious rumors out of envy.
But from Ye Wen’s perspective, the original owner’s bias was far too strong. The villagers were likely telling the truth—Wen Xiangbei was probably squandering the family’s hard-earned money.
The memories Ye Wen received abruptly stopped. At the moment the original memories cut off, a transparent screen suddenly appeared before her eyes, flashing scene after scene.
On the screen, the scene from Jiang Lian’s room replayed—but this time, the “her” on the screen drowned Jiang Lian’s second newborn daughter alive in a chamber pot.
Jiang Lian went mad on the spot and never regained her sanity.
To prevent the insane Jiang Lian from causing trouble, the original owner and Wen Xiangdong tied her up in a room with ropes.
Obsessed with having a son, Wen Xiangdong soon impregnated her again…
The scene changed to Jiang Lian’s difficult labor.
Years of abuse had destroyed her body. Wen Xiangdong knelt and begged Ye Wen to hire a doctor, but the original owner coldly replied, “Women give birth all the time. She’s not that delicate. She’ll get through it.”
In the end, Jiang Lian died with her unborn child, full of resentment. Little Xiaocao, who witnessed everything, was terrified and developed a high fever that same day.
After Jiang Lian’s death, the family had already been drained dry by the third son. There was no money to remarry the eldest son. Without a wife, he couldn’t have a son. He became increasingly withdrawn and lost motivation to work the fields.
The entire family depended on a few poor acres of land. With no one tending them properly, the harvest was terrible, and famine soon struck the Wen household.
At this critical moment, the original owner still insisted on giving the family’s last string of copper coins to the third son for his studies. The second son finally snapped and brought the village head to demand a division of the household.
Although “a family must not split while parents are alive” was ancestral law, Ye Wen’s favoritism was notorious throughout the village. This time, not only did no one criticize the second son, they all supported him.
Fearing that the eldest son would follow suit and leave her without anyone to support herself and the third son, the original owner ignored the village head and elders and forcibly kicked the second son out with nothing.
The second son’s family left Wen Family Village just like that.
Xiaocao had fallen ill from fright the day her mother died and never recovered. With the family now out of food, her condition worsened rapidly, and she was on the brink of death.
The eldest son wanted to take his daughter to see a doctor but had not a single coin. Desperate, he went to the original owner to ask for money.
She refused outright, insisting the money had to be saved for the third son’s exams.
With no other options, the eldest son went to the city to borrow money from the second son, who had started a small business. Instead of helping, the second son’s family mocked him coldly.
Though she was “just a girl,” Xiaocao was the eldest son’s only bloodline.
With no money for treatment, Xiaocao soon died.
Broken and devastated, the eldest son eventually went mad. On a snowy, stormy night, he froze to death beneath the city wall.
The second son’s family lived comfortably for a while thanks to their business, but their fortune didn’t last. Within a year, they were framed and lost everything, becoming beggars.
The fourth child, Wen Xiannan, succeeded in becoming a wealthy official’s concubine. But relying on beauty never lasts. In the end, she was framed by the main wife for theft and illicit affairs and was drowned as punishment.
The most valued child, Wen Xiangbei, continued his debauchery in the county town. Together with his spoiled companions, they bullied men and women alike and even beat a little beggar’s legs until they broke.
During the provincial exam, this group obtained the exam questions through family connections. Wen Xiangbei benefited and passed the xiucai exam as well.
While they were celebrating, the cheating scandal was exposed.
The beggar they had abused turned out to be the lost Seventh Prince.
Years of hardship had twisted his temperament. After returning to the palace, his first act was revenge.
The spoiled youths were imprisoned. The Seventh Prince ordered them to be turned into human livestock (renzhi), and after venting his hatred, had their families executed publicly.
The Ye Wen family suffered collateral damage and was completely wiped out.
When the screen showed the original owner being beheaded, Ye Wen instinctively clutched her neck. The bloody scene was so vivid she could almost feel pain slicing through her throat.
Why had such a massive transparent screen appeared out of nowhere?
As she was confused, a cold mechanical voice sounded in her mind:
“Hello, Host. I am System No. ****.”
Ye Wen’s heart jumped. “As expected!”
As a seasoned web-novel reader, she knew this trope well. A transmigration wasn’t complete without a system.
Before she could think further, the voice continued:
“Welcome to the Reform System. Your task is to correct your children’s flawed values, guide them onto the right path, and transform the fractured Wen family into a harmonious household where siblings support one another and daughters-in-law live in harmony.”
“System Notice: For every improvement in family relations, the host will receive corresponding exchange coins. These coins can be used to purchase items in the System Shop.”
“If the task is completed successfully, the host will return to the real world after a natural death. All remaining exchange coins will be converted into real-world wealth at a one-hundredfold rate.”
Ye Wen’s eyes lit up instantly.
One hundred times?!
Wouldn’t that mean ten thousand coins would turn her into a millionaire?
With that thought, she suddenly felt that going back to work would be a waste of life. The first thing she’d do upon returning was fire her boss.
Even as a small manager, who wanted to live forever under someone else’s mood swings?
Still, her workplace experience kept her cautious. High rewards always came with high risks.
“So… what happens if the task fails?” she asked.
The mechanical voice replied coldly: “As shown in the video, you will be executed along with the entire Wen family.”
What?!
Failing meant death?
Ye Wen blurted out, “Cancel this!”
Cancel subscription. This garbage system—unsubscribe immediately!
“Sorry. Once bound, the system cannot be removed. Forced removal will trigger the elimination protocol. Do you wish to proceed?”
This was outright tyranny.
Holding back tears, Ye Wen could only accept her fate.
After calming herself, she decided to clarify the rules first. “System, what exactly can exchange coins buy?”
As soon as she finished speaking, a transparent panel appeared.
The shop was dazzling: daily necessities, clothing, food, medicine—even exaggerated items like the Nine-Turn Resurrection Pill.
These were legendary items straight out of novels!
The rarer the item, the more exchange coins it required. Common items were cheap; rare items were expensive.
“Newbie Gift: 5 exchange coins. Please confirm receipt.”
Ye Wen clicked confirm with a pout, silently cursing the system for being stingy. Five coins couldn’t even buy ten pounds of flour.
“Please begin the reform mission immediately. When each member of the Wen family reaches 100% reform progress, you may return to the real world. Tutorial complete.”
Thinking of the hundredfold return, Ye Wen finally regained her energy.
Since she couldn’t escape, she might as well do it properly.
If she could save up ten thousand coins… no, a hundred thousand—she’d be financially free the moment she returned!
Teaching a few problem children? She was a management major with a psychology minor and had helped raise her sister’s kids for three years. She could handle a few ancient-era brats easily.
Her stomach suddenly growled.
Rubbing her belly, Ye Wen decided to solve the food problem first.
As for the reform plan…
You need energy to work—so eating comes first.