“Ahhh, why is our Liu family so unlucky?! We raised you little bastards, and you even brought death upon your own parents! A bunch of jinxes! All you know how to do is eat — worthless money-losing trash! Staying alive is just wasting food. You’d be better off dead!”
“Mother, Eldest Girl is already thirteen this year. If she really dies, what are we supposed to use to get a bride price?”
“Why isn’t this little bitch moving? Don’t tell me she’s actually dead? Eldest Daughter-in-law, hurry and check on her.”
“Big Sister, wake up!”
“Big Sister, you can’t leave me and little sister behind!”
“Big Sister, please wake up!”
Half-conscious, Liu Qingyan could hear nothing but noisy shouting around her.
An old woman’s shrill, ear-piercing scolding was especially unbearable. Words like “little bastard,” “bitch,” and “jinx” rang endlessly in her ears. There was even talk about exchanging her for a bride price. Mixed among the curses were anxious cries calling for “Big Sister.”
What was going on?
She clearly remembered carrying out a dangerous mission when a drug trafficker shot her in the head. After that, everything went black.
Could this be the underworld?
She desperately tried to open her eyes, but her eyelids felt as heavy as lead. After several exhausting attempts, she finally managed to pry them open.
The first thing she saw was a little boy and girl sprawled across her body, crying their hearts out while calling her “Big Sister.” Their sobs were full of grief and helplessness.
A woman bent down to look at her. The moment she saw Liu Qingyan’s eyes open, she jumped in fright.
“This damn brat nearly scared me to death!”
Then she turned to the old woman and reported, “Mother, the little bitch isn’t dead. She woke up.”
“Big Sister, you’re finally awake! That’s wonderful!”
Liu Qingyan stared blankly at the sudden scene before her.
Where was she?
The underworld shown on television definitely didn’t look like this.
In her original family, she was the younger sister and only had one older brother. She had never had younger siblings.
And looking at the people before her, their clothes were ragged and worn, clearly resembling ancient-style clothing.
Just as confusion overwhelmed her, a flood of unfamiliar memories suddenly surged into her mind like a tidal wave.
Little by little, the memories belonging to Liu Daya became clear.
This family also carried the surname Liu. She was called Liu Daya, the eldest daughter of the second branch of the Liu family.
When the imperial court conscripted soldiers, her grandmother hadn’t hesitated for even a second before sending the second son — her father — off to war.
Later, news of his death arrived.
Her mother had been a woman her father picked up from elsewhere. Gentle and soft-hearted, she dearly loved the children.
But after hearing the news of her husband’s death, her mother fell seriously ill almost immediately.
The grandmother refused to spend money on treatment, and the illness worsened day by day until her mother finally passed away, leaving behind three children.
Liu Daya was thirteen years old.
Her younger brother, Erhu, was eleven.
Her younger sister, Liu Sanya, was only nine.
Ever since their father left to become a soldier, the second branch of the family had been disliked by the old woman. She beat and cursed them whenever she pleased.
Their mother had been weak-tempered and submissive. She woke earlier than the chickens and slept later than the dogs. All the laundry for the entire extended family rested solely on her shoulders.
Every day was endless work.
The three children were constantly ordered around too, never getting a moment’s rest.
Their mother’s collapse was partly due to the devastating news of her husband’s death, but also because years of overwork had completely ruined her health.
Now that both parents were gone, the grandmother despised the three children even more. She constantly forced them to work and often refused to feed them.
Even when they were given food, it was usually leftovers from other people’s meals.
The children frequently went hungry and cold.
This latest incident happened because Sanzhu, the eldest uncle’s son, insisted that Third Sister had stolen an egg.
The moment the grandmother heard this, she immediately grabbed Sanya and raised a stick to beat her.
Terrified, Daya rushed forward and grabbed the old woman’s arm to stop her.
Who would have thought the grandmother would shove her so violently?
Daya lost her footing and crashed backward, striking her head heavily against a stone in the courtyard.
Poor Daya was still just a child herself.
How could she possibly have much strength, especially after years of starvation?
Thin and malnourished, she couldn’t withstand the push at all.
The moment her head hit the stone, she died on the spot.
And because of that, Liu Qingyan had transmigrated into her body, inheriting all of Liu Daya’s memories.
Only then did Liu Qingyan fully understand—
she had transmigrated.
As for which dynasty this was, the original owner had no idea either.
Daya had spent her entire life buried in housework and had never even left the village. She knew absolutely nothing about the outside world.
The original owner had sacrificed her life to protect her little sister.
Now, the responsibility of protecting the younger siblings had fallen onto Liu Qingyan’s shoulders.
Since things had already come to this, she could only accept it.
Still, this start was truly miserable.
The most urgent matter now was to completely sever ties with this bizarre family. Otherwise, endless trouble would surely follow in the future.
And the current situation seemed like the perfect opportunity.
As Liu Qingyan silently considered her next move, the old woman’s sharp, vicious voice rang out again:
“You little bitch! Since you’re not dead, hurry up and get to work! Lying there pretending to be weak — who are you trying to fool?
Raising you lot isn’t even as useful as raising dogs! Every single one of you is an ungrateful beast!”
Her curses made Liu Qingyan’s head pound violently.
Subconsciously, she reached up and touched the back of her head.
Her hand came away sticky.
The pain was so intense that she sucked in a sharp breath.
Looking down, she saw her palm covered in bright red blood.
She raised her eyes toward the person still shouting at her.
The speaker was an old woman in her fifties with graying hair.
Her skinny face was covered in wrinkles like cracked tree bark.
Her eyes were small and sharp, piercing people like awls, full of cruelty and calculation.
The corners of her mouth drooped downward, and her cheekbones jutted out harshly, giving off an unbearable air of bitterness and meanness.
As for the eldest daughter-in-law, Madam Zhao, she stood nearby fanning the flames.
Fat as a small hill, with greasy, messy hair carelessly tied into a bun, a few loose strands hung over her round face.
Her triangular eyes darted constantly, making it obvious she was someone full of schemes and calculations.
Below her flat nose, thick lips kept moving nonstop. A large black mole at the corner of her mouth sprouted several long hairs that trembled as she spoke.
The sight was so ridiculous it was almost laughable.