Reborn in Each Other’s Bodies: A Mother and Daughter’s Deadly Revenge - Chapter 101

Jiang Fengqing had quite the spectacle to enjoy today.

If the setting had been more appropriate, he would have loved to munch on melon seeds while sipping hawthorn tea to aid his digestion.

Sheng Yong probably never expected the young girl to see right through his intentions, causing him to miss his chance to kidnap her first.

Even more unexpectedly, Madame Huang firmly acknowledged the girl as her own, refusing to side with him.

As the birth mother, once Madame Huang recognized the child, the public naturally believed her.

Subsequently, Sheng Yong was outmaneuvered by the young girl. Even though he was internally seething, probably wishing he could strangle the little wretch, he dared not make another reckless move openly!

Hahaha, the look on Sheng Yong’s face earlier was truly a sight to behold!

Jiang Fengqing had always looked down on Sheng Yong—a man who climbed the social ladder in the first half of his life by relying on his wife, yet failed to respect her, instead favoring his concubine and neglecting his lawful wife.

In the latter half of his life, he wanted to rely on a fake daughter to soar to great heights, even going so far as to plot the murder of his real daughter.

What a vicious, ungrateful, and morally bankrupt scoundrel!

A case like “human trafficking” could be handled as a major or minor issue; Jiang Fengqing could have easily refused to get involved.

But he found Sheng Yong an embarrassment to men and was determined to handle this matter properly.

Now, the constables had already been sent to Taohua Village to arrest the Feng family, and the young girl logically followed Madame Huang back to the Sheng residence.

The capital was in for some more excitement.

…..

While Huang Yaning was delivering an award-winning performance at the Capital Prefecture, Sheng Mingzhu was enjoying the flowers in the garden.

The physician had told Sheng Mingzhu that her foot injury was healing remarkably well. If she went for a fifteen-minute walk every few hours each day, she would recover fully within half a month, no different from anyone else.

Therefore, Sheng Mingzhu had servants carry her to the garden every day, where she would stroll slowly and admire the flowers.

By now, many servants in the residence had heard the news that Sheng Mingzhu might actually be Aunt Tao’s biological daughter, as Sheng Minmin had rushed out of the residence in such a frantic hurry that she made no attempt to conceal her purpose.

Aunt Hong and Aunt Bai secretly sent people out to gather information, getting the freshest gossip firsthand.

Aunt Bai had always held a grudge against Sheng Mingzhu for causing the death of her child, leaving her with no one to rely on in her old age and cutting off her lineage. She hated Sheng Mingzhu to the core.

Previously, her plot to make Sheng Mingzhu fall and injure her leg was discovered by Sheng Yong, who issued her a stern warning.

Later, as Prince Qi and Sheng Mingzhu grew closer, Aunt Bai seethed with resentment but could only curse in her room, hoping Sheng Mingzhu would become crippled, not daring to take any action.

Now, upon hearing this wonderful news, Aunt Bai laughed until tears streamed down her face in her room. Overjoyed, she went to the garden to share this “good news” with Sheng Mingzhu.

Sheng Mingzhu stood frozen for several breaths before processing what she had just heard. She let out a piercing shriek.

“Ah—
“You vile creature—
“How dare you spout such nonsense! I’ll have someone tear your mouth apart!
“Who do you think you are, daring to spread lies about me?
“I’ll tell Father to have you sold off—you lowborn woman from a brothel…”

Sheng Mingzhu was completely hysterical, her demeanor frenzied.

Aunt Bai had never been subjected to such insult!
Provoked, her face flushed and paled alternately. She clutched her handkerchief tightly, her eyes glaring at Sheng Mingzhu as if filled with poison.

If not for her fear of Sheng Yong, Aunt Bai would have rushed forward to slap Sheng Mingzhu’s face. She spat in disgust.
“Pah—a pheasant usurping a magpie’s nest, what kind of trash are you?
“The real young lady of the Sheng family is on her way back to the residence right now. If you don’t believe me, go wait at the main gate—”

The color drained from Sheng Mingzhu’s face, leaving it as white as a sheet.

The few personal servants attending to her had also just heard this shocking news and stood dumbfounded.

Seeing the Sixth Young Miss stumbling erratically into a run towards the outside, two loyal maids hurriedly rushed up on instinct to support her…

Just as Sheng Mingzhu reached the main gate, she saw her own mother step down from a carriage, holding a young girl’s hand with a look of “loving affection” on her face.

When she saw that girl’s face, Sheng Mingzhu felt as if she had been plunged into an icy abyss!

Even she could tell, just by looking at that face, that this girl was her mother’s true biological daughter—

Her world spun, and Sheng Mingzhu completely fainted away.

Sheng Mingzhu didn’t know that Sheng Minmin had noticed her arrival and had intentionally acted affectionate towards Huang Yaning.

Sheng Yong, however, rushed forward in several large strides, picked up Sheng Mingzhu, and ran inside, anxiously ordering someone to fetch the imperial physician using his personal name card.

He set the servants scrambling in all directions, making sure everyone in the residence knew that even if Sheng Mingzhu was a fake, she would not fall out of favor.

For a moment, only Sheng Minmin, Huang Yaning, and a few of Sheng Minmin’s maids were left at the main gate.

With no outsiders around, Sheng Minmin didn’t feel like acting anymore. She let go of Huang Yaning’s hand and quietly gave Qingying a few instructions.

Qingying’s face showed a flicker of surprise, but she still accepted the orders respectfully.

After arranging matters, Sheng Minmin adopted a look of weakness and exhaustion. Qingxiang and Qingzhu promptly supported her as she returned to the Peony Court.

Huang Yaning stepped forward, intending to follow, but was blocked by Qingying.

“Young Miss, the Madame is overwhelmed with grief and discomfort. She instructed this servant to take you to your own courtyard. Please rest for now. There will be time for reunions later…”

Huang Yaning knew Minmin didn’t want to see her, loathed the sight of her. Her heart ached terribly, but she understood she couldn’t rush things now and nodded in agreement.

Everything in the residence felt both unfamiliar and strangely familiar. Following Qingying—her second-rank maid in her previous life—for a stretch, the Pear Blossom Court came into view.

This was the very courtyard she had assigned to Minmin in her past life.

The courtyard was small, containing only a main hall, a master room with an adjacent anteroom, and four side rooms…

The Sheng residence wasn’t overly large. Almost all the other courtyards were occupied, leaving only three or four that hadn’t been lived in for years.

Among them, the Pear Blossom Court was relatively remote and cramped, but it was also the newest of the remaining options.

In her previous life, she had originally intended for Minmin to stay in the Pear Blossom Court temporarily while another courtyard, the Hibiscus Court—which was in a better location and more spacious but had fallen into disrepair—was renovated for Minmin to move into later.

But then… too many things happened, and Minmin ended up staying in this courtyard the whole time.

Stepping into the Pear Blossom Court, a flood of memories from her past life overwhelmed Huang Yaning. Her eyes stung again with the urge to cry, and hatred surged within her—hatred for all the Sheng family members, except for Minmin!

Just then, Qingzhu arrived leading over a dozen young maids and ten sturdy matrons, instructing Huang Yaning to choose her servants. If none suited her, they could have a procurer send more over in a couple of days…

Huang Yaning’s eyes immediately found a familiar face in the crowd: Qing Tian.

Her heart turned cold. She was afraid that in their past life, Qing Tian had done many things to wrong Minmin; otherwise, Minmin wouldn’t have kept Qingying but not Qing Tian.

By leaving Qing Tian behind and sending her here, Minmin wanted her to take Qing Tian in!

After a moment’s thought, it became clear. Qing Tian’s family held useful positions within the residence. Having Qing Tian by her side could also serve as a weapon against Sheng Mingzhu!

“You, and you all—”

Huang Yaning pointed at Qing Tian from the crowd. She didn’t choose any other maids but kept all ten sturdy matrons.

On her very first day back, Minmin was already sending her people. The intention was all too obvious.

Huang Yaning dismissed Qingying and Qingzhu, sat down in the main hall herself, and called Qing Tian forward.
“What’s your name? What can you do?”

“This servant is Qing Tian. I was originally a first-rank maid serving the Madame. I am literate and can manage affairs; I understand some arithmetic and account-reading… My parents, brother, and sister-in-law also work in the residence…”

“Good. From now on, you are my first-rank maid.”

Qing Tian was ecstatic!

Ever since Sheng Mingzhu accidentally broke her leg, the Madame, to protect her, had been forced to demote her to a third-rank maid.

These past few months, she had suffered immensely! Her engagement had fallen through too; no one dared offend Sheng Mingzhu by marrying her.

If not for her family’s standing within the residence, she might have been trampled into the mud.

Qing Tian thought her life was over, but unexpectedly, fortune had turned.

Sheng Mingzhu was actually a fake young mistress! And she had become the first-rank maid of the real young mistress. She was so happy she could almost cry.

“Go keep an eye on that mountain pheasant. If my father leaves her courtyard, come and notify me immediately. Understood?”

Qing Tian saw something indescribable in the young mistress—as if she had crawled out from a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, yearning to devour Sheng Mingzhu alive!

That aura excited Qing Tian, giving her goosebumps of thrilling anticipation.
“Young Mistress, this servant understands—”

Once Sheng Yong had finished comforting Sheng Mingzhu and left for the Peony Court, Huang Yaning gathered her ten sturdy matrons and “marched” on the Begonia Court.