Regret, huh?
Tao Niang didn’t use to regret it!
If she had any regrets, it was only that she hadn’t cut the grass and pulled out the roots earlier, letting the other party return to the capital.
But after suffering inhuman abuse for over two years, along with the Feng family’s curses and condemnation, she gradually began to imagine…
If she hadn’t swapped the children back then, what would her life have been like?
If she hadn’t swapped the children, her life would have been pretty good too, right?
Feng Er was a good-for-nothing, but he listened to her, and he knew how to care for her.
She hadn’t given birth to a boy, but she earned quite a bit as a wet nurse, so the Feng family didn’t dare do anything to her.
And the young miss she had nursed and raised herself—
The young miss would surely have treated her as half a family member, and wouldn’t have let her grow old with no one to rely on, no one to care for her.
San Ya, Si Ya, and Wu Ya would have grown up in Taohua Village.
The people of Taohua Village were simple and kind. At most, the three girls would have picked up a few little schemes, but they wouldn’t have been blinded by the wealth of the capital, losing all conscience and ignoring even their own biological parents…
She even thought that even if she hadn’t become the Sheng family’s wet nurse, her life wouldn’t have been too bad.
Because she still had her embroidery skills. Relying on those skills, she didn’t have to do heavy work in the Feng family.
Every day she’d embroider a bit, and when tired, she’d go out for a stroll, listening to gossip from various households…
That kind of life didn’t seem bad either.
Maybe, if Heaven saw her turn from evil to good, it would even grant her a son…
So, did she regret it?
Tao Niang actually did regret it.
Unfortunately, there’s no medicine for regret in this world.
Tao Niang’s tears poured out, running rampant across her wrinkled face.
As if apologizing to Sheng Minmin, telling her of her regret.
Sheng Minmin nodded, stood up, and lightly patted her sleeves, saying,
“Let’s go.”
She walked elegantly outward. When she reached the door, her foot about to cross the threshold and leave this place, she turned back.
Sure enough, Sheng Minmin saw in the Feng family’s eyes the look of having escaped a calamity.
At that moment, that look froze in their eyes.
Very comical.
Very pitiful.
She suddenly burst out laughing.
“Hahaha…
“Hahaha…”
Sheng Minmin laughed loudly.
She hadn’t laughed so freely in a long time.
“You didn’t really think I came just to say a few words to you, did you?
“Hahaha…
“You’ve become so naive…
“Hahaha…”
Sheng Minmin laughed so hard her shoulders shook, and tears of laughter came to the corners of her eyes…
Her expression was somewhat deranged.
“You tell me, if we pull out their fingernails, will they die?”
“If Madam doesn’t want anyone to die, then I won’t let anyone die,” Qingdai replied.
At that moment, Tao Niang’s throat emitted “ah ah ah…” sounds.
Tao Niang truly did regret it, but her earlier expression also had an element of performance.
Tao Niang wanted her expression to please the person in front of her, so as to escape physical punishment.
The other Feng family members were also acting, hoping that by “playing dumb” they could suffer less.
Now that they realized the other party wasn’t going to let them off, all the Feng family members who could speak began begging for mercy, tears and snot streaming down their faces…
Sometimes giving someone hope, then ruthlessly extinguishing that hope—
This kind of punishment is more painful and despairing than torturing them from the start.
The slow-witted Jiaojiao brought over a pair of pliers…
And then, Jiaojiao witnessed Madam’s methods.
If the Third Young Master’s methods were sinister and ruthless, and the Seventh Young Miss liked to toy with her enemies, then Madam was truly both direct and crazy.
The more miserably the Feng family wailed, the more the stench of blood filled the air, the brighter the smile on Madam’s face…
Sometimes when the Feng family’s blood splattered onto Madam’s face, she looked even more excited…
In the end, Madam personally pulled out two of the Feng family’s fingernails, and pulled out every single one of Tao Niang’s fingernails…
During this, Tao Niang fainted multiple times, only to be immediately woken up by Qingdai.
Because Madam wanted her enemies to feel the pain clearly, one by one…
“Leave the toenails for next time.”
Madam left these words before departing.
Jiaojiao looked at the Feng family members on the bed, barely breathing, and felt a rare trace of pity in her heart.
But when she thought about what these people had done, she felt they deserved it.
If Jiaojiao knew that in her previous life, Sheng Minmin had crawled desperately on the ground, trying to get close to her child to save them—
To the point that her fingernails peeled off one by one, blood pouring like a stream…
She might then understand Sheng Minmin’s actions today.
———
The weather grew hotter and hotter.
When it’s hot, people inevitably get a bit irritable, and Sheng Mingjian was even more so.
He didn’t know what was wrong with his body.
He had lost the ability to be a man.
He nearly went mad. Some time ago, suppressing his disgust, he went to that kind of place, wanting to try being the one on the bottom…
But still felt nothing…
Instead, it made the problem down there even worse.
Sheng Mingjian truly wanted to kill someone.
At this moment, he couldn’t help but recall Yu Wen’s words.
Yu Wen said that he too had once only “recognized” Qingxin, and suggested he try Qingxin again… What if it worked?
Yu Wen’s words seemed to have taken root in his mind, echoing endlessly.
Yes, what if Qingxin could cure him?
Moreover, Qingxin was originally someone his mother had given to him.
Father had secretly taken the person away and kept her outside—it was Father who wronged him first…
The more he thought, the more he couldn’t sit still. He had Yu Cheng and Yu Gong keep an eye on Qingxin.
To notify him the moment there was an opportunity.
Sheng Mingjian didn’t expect the opportunity to come so quickly. A few days later, he quietly left the residence, even using the oldest carriage in the household…
Qingxin liked to go out shopping—various jewelry, rouge shops, fabric shops…
But Qingxin was afraid of being recognized by the Sheng family, so she didn’t dare bring too many people. Usually just a coachman and a maid.
She also didn’t dare go to the busiest streets, mostly staying around the West Market.
Today, Qingxin had just bought two dresses she liked at a clothing shop. When she stepped out the door, she came face to face with Sheng Mingjian.
Sheng Mingjian was dressed very ordinarily, not like a young master from an official family, but Qingxin wouldn’t mistake Sheng Mingjian’s face.
She was instantly scared half to death, nearly screaming out loud.
“Come with me, or you know the consequences.”
Sheng Mingjian said in a low voice, his tone extremely cold, with a murderous aura.
His eyes were also red, as if burning with rage, or as if desperately craving something.
Beside Sheng Mingjian were two strong, burly servants…
Qingxin’s legs went so weak she could barely stand, and Xiaogue beside her steadied her.
Today Qingxin was very fortunate to have brought Xiaogue out.
“Cousin Young Master, I didn’t expect to see you here…”
Xiaogue was also nervous and terrified, but she felt they couldn’t attract attention at this moment, so she deliberately pretended Sheng Mingjian was Qingxin’s cousin.
Sheng Mingjian understood the meaning and forced out a smile.
“Cousin, long time no see. Join your cousin for a meal…”
He also casually sent Xiaogue away, telling her to go “soothe” the coachman waiting for them not far off…
With three men on the other side, Qingxin had no choice but to follow.
She was extremely terrified, following behind Sheng Mingjian with her head down, using what little rationality remained to think about how to “talk her way out” and escape.
When they arrived at the destination, Qingxin discovered it wasn’t a private room in a restaurant, but a guest room at an inn.
Then, Sheng Mingjian said something to her.
That nearly turned Qingxin to stone on the spot.
