Reborn in Each Other’s Bodies: A Mother and Daughter’s Deadly Revenge - Chapter 110

If Huang Yaning were truly just a simple farm girl, these gifts might have dazzled her. But she wasn’t.

“Father thinks he can fob me off with such trifles?”

“Young Miss, the Master nearly emptied his private coffers to prepare these gifts for you…”

How could Huang Yaning not know Dongsheng was spouting nonsense?
Sheng Yong was far wealthier than she had imagined!

In her past life, all her focus had been on Sheng Yong and their children; she hadn’t placed much importance on money. The Huang family’s businesses had been taken over and managed by Sheng Yong, who said he would return them to Xianjie’er (her niece, Huang Minmin) when she married.

When she occasionally asked about them, Sheng Yong would just say the returns were poor and they were losing money year after year. Once or twice, she had considered taking over management herself, but Sheng Yong sweet-talked her, saying he didn’t want her to tire herself out, and so on. Foolishly swayed, she had let it go.

After Xianjie’er grew older, Sheng Yong suggested she marry into the Sheng family. Deep down, Huang Yaning had a vague sense that Sheng Yong just didn’t want to relinquish the assets he had swallowed up, and that Sheng Mingjian and the others also needed those businesses to maintain their lavish lifestyles. None of them wanted to give those things back to Xianjie’er.

But she lacked the courage to confront Sheng Yong outright, and she didn’t want to upset her sons either. She could only deceive herself, telling herself that her husband and sons needed funds for official networking, trying to maintain the facade of family harmony. Another reason was she feared pushing Sheng Yong too far might lead to something happening to Xianjie’er…

So, in the end, she chose to let Xianjie’er be the one to suffer…

It pained her deeply, and she wanted to compensate Xianjie’er. At the time, she planned to have Xianjie’er marry either Sheng Mingyi or Sheng Mingbo. Unfortunately, both refused. Sheng Mingyi was too cunning for her to force, and Sheng Mingbo would vanish at the mere mention of Xianjie’er, even threatening to go to the borderlands…

It left her distraught. Later, Sheng Yong proposed Xianjie’er marry Sheng Mingli. She asked for Xianjie’er’s opinion, and Xianjie’er said she would abide by her decision. Huang Yaning thought that although Sheng Mingli was a son of a concubine, his looks and character were decent, and he had no major vices. Marrying Sheng Mingli would at least make Xianjie’er her daughter-in-law, and she could watch over her closely, ensuring Xianjie’er a stable life—

She never expected…

When Xianjie’er died, she hadn’t even left behind a child of her own.

In her past life, she had failed Xianjie’er too much…

Her elder brother had only left Xianjie’er as his sole descendant, and she hadn’t even protected her!

She deserved to die!

What in the world had she been doing in her past life?!

At this moment, Huang Yaning felt she deserved to kowtow herself to death before the memorial tablets of her parents and her brother and sister-in-law. A tidal wave of guilt and remorse washed over her, causing a wave of dizziness. Her eyes and the tip of her nose stung fiercely, and tears nearly fell.

Huang Yaning took a deep breath, trying hard to suppress her emotions.
She hated herself, but she hated Sheng Yong even more!

“If Father wants to keep that pheasant (imposter) and give her the nominal title of legitimate daughter, and wants me to remain silent about it, that’s not impossible—” Dongsheng’s face lit up with hope, but it immediately froze.

“—But I demand fair compensation! Father can forget about fobbing me off with a few pieces of junk!”

“What does the Young Miss mean?” Dongsheng’s heart leaped into his throat.

“Haitang Courtyard was prepared for me, the true legitimate daughter of the Sheng family. Tell that pheasant to move out!
“Aside from her clothes, she is not to take a single needle, thread, flower, plant, piece of jewelry, or ornament from Haitang Courtyard.
“Also, I’ve heard Mother has been preparing my dowry since I was born, and there are already over ten chests ready? Those belong to me too!
“Furthermore, I want two estates near the capital. Each must have at least 500 mu of fertile land!” (Note: 1 mu ≈ 0.165 acre, so 500 mu ≈ 82.5 acres)

The demands about the courtyard and the dowry were one thing, but the last demand made Dongsheng’s face turn completely pale.
Estates near the capital were expensive and hard to come by. For the Seventh Young Miss to ask for two large ones right off the bat…

He wanted to say a few words on the Master’s behalf, but the Seventh Young Miss’s eyes were blazing intensely.
It was as if they were saying, “I know Father is very rich and just likes to pretend to be poor. You can fool others, but don’t try to fool me! Otherwise, I can’t guarantee what I might say…”
It scared him into swallowing his words.

No wonder the Seventh Young Miss had survived in Taohua Village and returned safely to the capital to appear in court. If she were even a little bit more foolish or weak, she would probably be dead long ago!
The Master probably wanted to nurture her because of her exceptional talent…

“This servant understands the Young Miss’s meaning. This matter must be reported back to the Master.”
“Good. I’ll await your good news—”

Dongsheng respectfully agreed and made to leave with his men and the gifts.
Then he heard the Seventh Young Miss’s voice, full of mockery.

“What? You have the nerve to take these paltry things back?
“If you take them back, will you then compensate me for all the monthly allowances, living expenses, food, clothing, and lodging I should have received over the years, calculated at the same standard as that pheasant?”

Thunderstruck!
What was he hearing?
If they had to compensate the Seventh Young Miss based on the Sixth Young Miss’s standard of living all these years, the things he brought wouldn’t even be enough to fill the cracks between her teeth!
The Master would truly have to empty his private coffers then! And he would surely skin him alive upon his return!

Dongsheng inwardly lamented his misfortune and quickly slapped himself several times across the face.
“This servant was foolish! These things naturally belong to the Young Miss as well—”

He was utterly terrified that the Seventh Young Miss might casually say something else that would scare him out of his wits. After efficiently giving himself a few more slaps, he fled swiftly.

…..

“Are you certain?”

Sheng Mingjian lay on his stomach on the bed, his eyes fixed intently on Qingxin, asking word by word. The anger radiating from him was almost tangible.

“Young Master, this servant confirmed it several times…” Qingxin shrank her neck slightly.

“How dare she be worthy of Haitang Courtyard? Father is really—” Sheng Mingjian almost said ‘Father is really crazy!’
He barely stopped himself in time.

That wild brat had some nerve!
She dared to seize Mingzhu’s Haitang Courtyard, snatch the part of the dowry Mother had prepared for Mingzhu, demand two estates, and greedily keep all the gifts Father sent!

Haitang Courtyard was where Mingzhu had grown up; it was filled with so many beautiful memories. How heartbroken Mingzhu would be when she heard the news—
Even if Father wanted to nurture the wild brat, he couldn’t be so cruel to Mingzhu!

Sheng Mingjian was now starting to suspect if that wild brat might also be having prophetic dreams?
Otherwise, how could a seven-year-old girl raised in the countryside be so formidable?

Dammit, why hadn’t Xiong San sent any news back yet?
If he found any flaw in that wild brat, he would make sure she died without a place to be buried!

Sheng Mingjian’s face was livid, his gaze sinister and truly frightening.
This scared the kneeling Qingxin, making her hesitant to report the rest, afraid of angering the Young Master further.

“Is there something else?” Sheng Mingjian sharply detected Qingxin’s hesitation.

Qingxin trembled and could only brace herself to speak.
“Young Master, after the Master sent gifts to the Seventh Young Miss—to the one in Lihua Courtyard—the Mistress also sent many valuable gifts over…
“They were no less than what the Master sent. Later, several concubines, the Young Masters from concubine lines, and the Cousin Young Miss all sent gifts over…”

The implication was crystal clear.
Even though the ancestral hall hadn’t been opened yet and her name wasn’t in the register, she was a daughter acknowledged by both the Master and the Mistress. Naturally, others had to send gifts to show their regard.
Now, probably no one in the Sheng Manor would dare to look down on the occupant of Lihua Courtyard.

In stark contrast, Sheng Mingzhu in Haitang Courtyard seemed all the more miserable and pitiful.