Reborn in Each Other’s Bodies: A Mother and Daughter’s Deadly Revenge - Chapter 12

Suppressing the overwhelming urge to kill and the hatred burning in her chest, Huang Yaning slowly sat up and spoke coldly:

“I’ll work, but I demand a seat at the table. I eat what the rest of you eat.”

“Who do you think you are? A worthless brat like you, daring to ask for the same food as my son?!” Xiao Li-shi was so enraged by Huang Yaning’s words that she forgot Old Feng’s earlier warning and exploded in fury.

“You’ve got a death wish! I’ll teach you a lesson you’ll never forget—”

Her words were abruptly cut short.

Because the girl on the “bed” had picked up a firewood axe beside her, staring at Xiao Li-shi with icy, murderous eyes—as if the next word out of her mouth would send the blade straight to her throat.

Has this wretched girl been possessed?

Why does she look like a demon today?

Old Li-shi was also startled, but her shock quickly turned to fury.

How dare this pathetic girl, whom she had crushed underfoot for years, suddenly rebel—even threatening her? Old Li-shi would never tolerate such defiance.

“You ungrateful little bitch! You think you can scare me? I’m your grandmother!”

“If you don’t obey, I’ll sell you to the filthiest brothel—let you be ridden by thousands, trampled by tens of thousands—”

“What are you doing?! Put that axe down! I’m your elder—!”

Huang Yaning already knew that aside from Tao-niang, Sheng Mingzhu, and Feng San-ya (who were cunning), and Old Feng (who was sinister), the rest of the Feng family were nothing but stupid and cruel.

But she hadn’t expected their hearts to be this rotten—worse than wild beasts!

Tao-niang had never revealed Min-min’s true identity; the Fengs had always believed she was their own flesh and blood.

Yet Old Li-shi, this venomous hag, could say such vile things to her own “granddaughter”?

Rage erupted from the soles of Huang Yaning’s feet, shooting straight to her skull. In that instant, reason abandoned her.

She hurled the axe at Old Li-shi with all her strength.

Right now, she wanted nothing more than to see this wretched crone dead.

If this body had been a few years older, with more strength behind the throw, Old Li-shi might have truly met her end then and there.

But Huang Yaning was too weak. The axe flew too slowly.

Old Li-shi scrambled out the door, shrieking for her life.

The two women’s terrified screams echoed across half of Peach Blossom Village.

By the time they reached the gate, the Feng men—rushing home in a panic—met them head-on.

Clutching their husbands like survivors of a massacre, Old Li-shi and Xiao Li-shi wailed hysterically, crying about the “mad girl” who’d tried to kill them.

It was the hour when villagers returned from the fields, and the commotion quickly drew a crowd of onlookers.

“Feng family, which ‘girl’ are you talking about?” someone asked.

“Who else? The sixth girl!” Xiao Li-shi howled.

“Xiao Li-shi, are you sure? Your sixth girl is one of the most obedient children in Peach Blossom Village,” another villager said skeptically.

Murmurs of agreement followed. Feng Liu-ya was known as the hardest-working, meekest girl in the village—a child who labored from dawn till dusk, doing more than kids twice her age.

Even the Feng men couldn’t believe it.

Feng Er-lang hesitated. “Mother… Liu-ya’s always been timid. She wouldn’t dare defy you—”

SLAP!

Old Li-shi struck him across the face, then rained blows on his shoulders.

“You dare doubt your own mother?! Ungrateful wretch—I’ll beat you to death—!”

“Mother, stop! You’ll hurt your hands! I—I believe you!” Feng Er-lang stammered, though his tone betrayed his disbelief.

Old Feng and Feng Da-lang frowned too. Feng Liu-ya? The girl who never fought back, never even raised her voice? Killing someone?

Seeing their husbands’ skepticism, Old Li-shi and Xiao Li-shi nearly choked on their fury.

“Father, Da-lang, Er-lang—it’s true! That little demon tried to chop Mother’s head off with an axe!” Xiao Li-shi cried, indignant. For once, she wasn’t exaggerating—why wouldn’t anyone believe her?

Just then, someone spotted Feng Liu-ya (now Huang Yaning) emerging slowly from the woodshed.

Old Li-shi shrieked, “Quick! Beat that bitch to death—!”

“Old Li-shi, enough of your nonsense!” Granny He, a respected elder from a prosperous family, snapped. “That girl’s so thin a strong breeze could knock her over. Who’s fool enough to believe she’d kill anyone?”

The crowd studied Feng Liu-ya closely.

The child was skeletal, draped in threadbare rags, her face streaked with tears, nose red from crying. She looked pitiful—not remotely like a murderer.

“Liu-ya, what really happened?” Granny He asked gently, stepping forward.

Huang Yaning had been waiting for this.

With a trembling voice, she whimpered:

“Granny He… Auntie wanted to send my cousins to school in town, but Grandfather refused. She was upset…”

“She beat me this morning. I thought I’d die…”

“Grandfather saved me, but Grandmother and Auntie wouldn’t feed me…”

As she spoke, she “accidentally” revealed her arms—stick-thin limbs covered in fresh welts and old scars.

The villagers gasped.

“Such a small child, beaten like this…”

“Liu-ya’s six, isn’t she? She looks no bigger than a four-year-old…”

“Her clothes are all hand-me-downs from her sisters, poor thing…”

Some openly mocked Xiao Li-shi: “A grown woman, bullying a niece—how shameless!”

Others glared at the Feng family with outright disgust.

Huang Yaning continued, sobbing:

“I know I’m useless. Every day, I just boil water, feed the chickens, tend the pigs, clean, cook, wash everyone’s clothes, gather firewood—”

“I’m so useless. I can’t farm. I can’t carry water. And I waste food by eating half a bowl of porridge in the morning and night… Waaah… I’m worthless…”

The crowd erupted.