As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was stunned, looking at her as if she were insane, thinking she was talking nonsense.
Chen Xingyun looked worriedly at Chen Xinghai and whispered, asking if Mother had been hit in the head by a tile and lost her mind.
Chen Xinghai shook his head, indicating he didn’t know either, but it seemed somewhat likely.
Still, as long as she wasn’t selling them off, having her mind damaged like this didn’t seem so bad.
Chen Zhangshi and the other villagers gasped in shock. Such a dowry was probably something only a legendary princess could afford.
Although they felt sorry for Xingyun, this was simply too audacious.
They soon realized that Xiao Ying was deliberately refusing.
Wang Ergou was so furious he almost choked. Had this woman gone mad? Did she even know what she was saying?
“Aunt Xiao, have you lost your mind?” Wang Ergou finally replied coldly after a long pause.
If she didn’t want to sell, she could just say so. Why resort to such insults?
“Get lost. In any case, I’m not selling,” Xiao Ying said, not bothering to waste words on him. She wasn’t the deranged woman from before—why would she sell her own children? She had already endured enough scolding from everyone for no reason.
“Hmph, do you think you can dismiss me with just a ‘not selling’?” Wang Ergou’s anger flared, and a fierce glint suddenly appeared in his eyes. He was not about to let it go.
“I sold off my family’s possessions to scrape together these five taels of silver, all to marry Chen Xingyun.
“Let me tell you, whether you agree or not, you’re selling her today!”
With that, he reached out to grab Chen Xingyun’s arm, determined to take her away today.
With just an orphan and a widow, he didn’t believe they could stop him!
Everyone was shocked, never expecting things to turn out this way. Just when Xiao Ying had finally decided not to sell her daughter, Wang Ergou was unsatisfied.
As Wang Ergou was about to seize Chen Xingyun, who was already crying in terror, a bony, emaciated hand suddenly clamped onto his wrist.
With a sharp twist, the sound of a bone cracking echoed, and Wang Ergou immediately screamed in agony.
“Ah…”
Xiao Ying followed up with a fierce kick, sending Wang Ergou flying two meters away before he landed with a heavy “thud,” unable to get up for a long time.
The siblings were once again stunned, staring at their mother in disbelief. Since when had she become so formidable?
The villagers also widened their eyes, thinking they were dreaming. What had just happened?
Xiao Ying, though dressed in tattered clothes and looking frail, now seemed to radiate a dazzling brilliance.
At that moment, everyone couldn’t help but gaze at her with admiration, as if looking up at a towering mountain.
“Don’t make me say it a third time. Get lost!”
Her eyes held a trace of disgust. Originally, because of the debts left by her predecessor, even if the other party showed up, she had only intended to refuse.
After all, the silver was still in his hands, and no one was at a loss. She never expected him to try to force a sale.
Since that was the case, she wouldn’t hold back either.
“You…”
Meeting those cold, disdainful eyes, Wang Ergou shuddered involuntarily.
She was just an ordinary village woman, yet she seemed more terrifying than the bandits he had encountered before.
No wonder she was the notorious shrew everyone in the village despised.
Gritting his teeth against the pain in his wrist, he shot Xiao Ying a resentful glare and slowly stood up.
“Hmph, you vicious shrew, do you really think I, Wang Ergou, am easy to bully? Just you wait!”
Before leaving, he gave Chen Xingyun another lingering glance, clearly unwilling to give up.
Xiao Ying slightly raised her chin. It seemed this Wang Ergou wouldn’t yield until facing dire consequences. If he dared cause more trouble, she wouldn’t hold back.
As Wang Ergou left clutching his wrist, the villagers who had gathered to watch the spectacle gradually dispersed. Yet they continued excitedly discussing the incident along the way, ensuring it would soon spread throughout the entire village.
Everyone was astonished. Xiao Ying, known for her gambling addiction and greed, seemed like a completely different person today—she hadn’t even batted an eye at five taels of silver.
Could she have set her sights on some wealthy family, planning to sell Chen Xingyun for an even higher price?
As for Chen Zhangshi’s threats, nobody took them seriously. If threats had worked, the first two children wouldn’t have been sold off.
A small number of people focused on Xiao Ying’s strength. Despite her frail appearance, she had beaten Wang Ergou so severely.
The thought sent chills down their spines, and they silently vowed to avoid provoking her unless absolutely necessary.
Compared to these outsiders, Chen Xinghai and his sister felt the change more acutely. Their mother was acting strange—very strange!
“Mother…”
“Why are you still calling her that?”
Chen Xingyun’s words were cut off by Chen Zhangshi.
The old woman pulled her up discontentedly, her face full of pity.
“She didn’t sell you today because the money wasn’t enough, not out of any motherly affection. Don’t let her deceive you.”
Chen Xingyun didn’t dare speak, only stealing sidelong glances at her mother.
Chen Zhangshi glared at Xiao Ying with exasperation. “Hmph! Don’t think this matter is over. As long as I’m alive, I’ll be watching you!”
Xiao Ying felt speechless. Watch all you want.
After comforting Chen Xingyun a few more times and secretly slipping her an egg, Chen Zhangshi finally left, closing the wicker gate behind her.
Soon, only Xiao Ying and the two siblings remained in the yard. Xiao Ying glanced at them, and they immediately stiffened, bowing their heads and not daring to move, like two little quails.
“Do you think I’m acting strange?” Xiao Ying asked.
The siblings nodded, then quickly shook their heads.
Xiao Ying chuckled. “Your feeling is correct. I am indeed not myself.”
“To be honest with you, your mother is already dead. I am not your mother.”
At these words, the siblings abruptly looked up, staring at her in disbelief, their eyes filled with shock and fear.
What was Mother saying?
Their mother was dead? This person wasn’t their mother?
For a moment, their heads spun, and they nearly fainted, countless thoughts flashing through their minds.
Possessed by a ghost? Taken over by a monster?
Was the person standing before them even human?
“Scared?” Xiao Ying asked, amused by their expressions.
Not bad—they hadn’t fainted outright.
She had no intention of becoming someone’s mother for no reason, nor was she willing to mimic the original owner’s behavior.
It was better to tell them the truth from the start and let them decide for themselves.
“Then who are you?” Chen Xinghai asked, his face pale and grave as he regained his composure.
“My name is also Xiao Ying,” she replied truthfully. “I come from a place thousands of times more beautiful and prosperous than here, where one can learn all kinds of spells and supernatural abilities, with power reaching the heavens.”
“Due to an accident, I was reborn in your mother’s body. If I had a choice, I wouldn’t have wanted this.”
She had already noticed that this world’s spiritual energy was extremely scarce. Without the Xianfu, she probably wouldn’t even have a chance to build her foundation in this lifetime.
Who would willingly end up in such a place?
Chen Xinghai and his sister listened as if hearing a celestial tale, imagining the place Xiao Ying had described. Could such a wonderful place truly exist in this world?
Strangely, they felt little sorrow over their mother being replaced.
To them, that mother had been a demon. The thought that they would no longer suffer her beatings and scolding even sparked a faint sense of relief.
But soon they grew wary, staring intently at the person before them. Would this person be just like their previous mother?
“Aren’t you afraid we might spread this?” Chen Xinghai asked.
“Feel free.”
Xiao Ying replied indifferently. So what if they knew? Would they try to tie her up as a monster and burn her? They would need the capability to do so.
With the Xianfu by her side, she had no fear of these villagers.
The siblings’ hearts skipped a beat. This new mother was truly bold. Recalling how she had dealt with Wang Ergou, they understood she genuinely had the confidence to back it up.
“And in the future…?”
Chen Xinghai wanted to know what she would do next—or rather, he was more concerned about what she might do to them.