Reborn in Each Other’s Bodies: A Mother and Daughter’s Deadly Revenge - Chapter 20

“Sixth Sister, I understand if you’re hungry and want to eat, but how could you sneak into our room and steal Mother’s private savings?”

At noon, Feng Sanya took advantage of the others being out working in the fields to slip back home. Tiptoeing into the woodshed, she confronted Huang Yaning.

Earlier that morning, Huang Yaning had caused a scene before retreating to the woodshed to rest. With the rest of the Feng family gone, only she and Feng Sanya remained in the house.

Feng Sanya carried a chilling aura of resentment with her. Huang Yaning slowly sat up from her “bed,” her icy gaze fixed on the intruder.

So, Feng Sanya actually has the nerve to come asking about the money.

“Feng Sanya, what nonsense are you spouting? Whose private savings? Since when does anyone in the Feng family have private money?”

The Feng family had abused her Minmin for years. If Huang Yaning had the means, she would gladly hang every last one of them upside down, slit their arteries, and watch them bleed out in agony!

Feng Sanya was fuming. After breakfast, she and her sisters had returned to their room, hoping to snack on some pastries to calm their nerves—only to find that the treats and the pocket money their mother had left them were all gone.

Instantly, Feng Sanya suspected “Liuya.” Recently, “Liuya” had been acting like she was possessed by some evil spirit, even daring to threaten their grandparents. Stealing money was absolutely something she’d do!

But what puzzled Feng Sanya was—how did “Liuya” know they had money? Even their grandmother was unaware of it. How did “Liuya” find out?

Regardless, Feng Sanya had to try to get the money back.

She took a deep breath, forcing down her anger.

“Sixth Sister, I’m your own flesh-and-blood sister. In this family, we should stick together—”

“Hah!” Huang Yaning let out a mocking laugh.

“My own sister? Where were you when I was up before dawn feeding the chickens, slopping the pigs, cooking meals, and washing all your clothes until my hands were raw?

“Where were you when you all ran off to play, stuffing your faces with treats behind closed doors?

“Where were you when I was beaten, cursed at, humiliated, starving and freezing? Oh, my dear, dear sister—where were you then?”

The more she spoke, the angrier Huang Yaning grew.

When Minmin was still a swaddled infant, Qiaoniang had left for the Sheng household. Back then, Old Lady Li, seeing that Qiaoniang could bring in money for the Feng family, hadn’t treated Minmin too badly—she’d sent the baby to a neighboring woman who had just given birth.

For one egg a day and half a pound of brown sugar per month, the woman breastfed Minmin.

But after just three months, Old Lady Li grew too stingy and switched Minmin to watery rice gruel…

At the time, the villagers thought Qiaoniang would raise hell when she returned and found out. Yet when she did come back, she ignored Minmin completely.

This only emboldened Old Lady Li, who began treating Minmin like a slave. Little Lady Li also grew bolder in her cruelty.

If not for the kindness of some village women and elders who occasionally slipped Minmin food, the child would have starved to death long ago.

Of course, Minmin had only learned these things by chance, overhearing the villagers’ gossip.

By the time Minmin was old enough to remember, Qiaoniang had returned to the Feng household three times—each time bearing gifts for everyone except Minmin.

Qiaoniang never once showed Minmin a shred of kindness. She never even allowed the child to step foot inside the main house…

Her poor Minmin, thinking she had done something wrong to anger Qiaoniang, had wept alone countless times…

If not for Qiaoniang’s blatant disdain, the Feng family wouldn’t have dared to treat Minmin so horribly…

Qiaoniang.

Qiaoniang—ah!

Even if you had an ounce of humanity left, you should never have treated Minmin this way.

One day, Huang Yaning would personally carve out Qiaoniang’s heart and see whether it was black or red!

And of course, a vile woman like Qiaoniang could never raise kind-hearted daughters.

The second branch’s girls had never lifted a finger to help Minmin—instead, they took every chance to stomp on her, as if grinding her into the dirt would somehow elevate their own status and secure them better marriages.

Every night, Huang Yaning dreamed of her past life and relived Minmin’s suffering in this one.

Each time that helpless, gaunt, sallow little face appeared in her mind, her heart twisted like a knife was lodged in it. The pain was so intense her entire body trembled…

When she woke, her body was drenched in cold sweat, and the straw beneath her head was often damp with tears…

She was at fault. She had failed as a mother. She hadn’t protected her child. She had mistaken a worthless pebble for a pearl.

She deserved to die—but Qiaoniang, Sheng Mingzhu, and every last member of the Feng family deserved it more!

And her husband, her three sons—they could all rot in hell!

In this life, she would spare none of Minmin’s enemies. Not even… herself.

Feng Sanya had been fuming over how the “sixth sister” had suddenly become so sharp-tongued—until she noticed the girl’s eyes darkening, tinged with something blood-red, her face twisting into something almost inhuman…

She looked like she wanted to eat someone.

Feng Sanya, still young, was terrified. She fled the woodshed as if her life depended on it.

Even outside, she could still feel that icy, piercing gaze burning into her back. Her teeth chattered.

That wretched girl is definitely possessed by evil spirits!

Losing a few taels of silver was unfortunate, but Feng Sanya valued her life more. She decided it was best not to provoke the “sixth sister” anytime soon.

After Feng Sanya left, Huang Yaning forced down the raging hatred and regret in her heart and stepped out as well.

She had spent the morning planning her next move—finding someone who could take her to the capital.

Many from Peach Blossom Village worked in the capital, but few were both kind-hearted and bold enough to meddle in others’ affairs while also being familiar with the city.

So far, she could only think of three possibilities: the Li Scholar’s family, the village chief’s family, and Granny Hua’s household.

Scholar Li was the only educated man in the village, running a small private school. He was upright and principled.

His wife, Madam Wang, was gentle and dignified. She had once lived in the capital with her aunt and still visited every New Year with her husband and son to pay respects.

As for the village chief’s youngest son, he worked as a waiter at an inn in the capital—a clever and worldly young man.

If either family was willing to help, they could safely escort her to the capital. But given Scholar Li and the village chief’s cautious natures, they would never act recklessly.

Even if the Feng family tried to sell her off, they’d likely just pressure Old Man Feng into reconsidering. They wouldn’t defy the family’s wishes to take her away.

And there was no way the Fengs would ever agree to let her go to the capital.

After much deliberation, Granny Hua seemed like the best option.

The matchmaker, in her forties, had once lived in the capital with her husband, working odd jobs before returning to the village. With her silver tongue, she’d become the most sought-after marriage broker in the region.

Granny Hua often traveled for work and even owned a ox-drawn cart.

Huang Yaning figured that if she appealed to Granny Hua’s emotions and dangled a tempting reward, she might convince her to make the trip.

If all else failed, she’d have to sneak to the county seat alone and find a way to the capital from there.

But that was a last resort—a child traveling alone was easy prey for traffickers.

With her mind made up, Huang Yaning headed to Granny Hua’s house. Unfortunately, luck wasn’t on her side—the matchmaker was out arranging another marriage.

Anxious, Huang Yaning paced near the village entrance. But as the sun dipped below the horizon with no sign of Granny Hua, she had no choice but to return to the Feng household.