Reborn in Each Other’s Bodies: A Mother and Daughter’s Deadly Revenge - Chapter 30

“Was there anything unusual in the courtyard today, or anyone who shouldn’t have been there?”

Sheng Minmin couldn’t be bothered to watch the Sheng men comforting Sheng Mingzhu, so she spoke up again.

This question, however, triggered an immediate reaction. Yun Jin, Sheng Mingzhu’s personal maid, suddenly turned deathly pale, her eyes filled with terror, standing out starkly among the other maids and servants.

Sheng Minmin raised an eyebrow. So, there was something going on?

This little drama was getting more and more interesting!

Sheng Yong, Sheng Mingjian, and Sheng Mingyi all noticed Yun Jin’s strange behavior, their gazes sharp enough to kill. If the hot-tempered Sheng Mingbo had still been here, he would’ve already kicked Yun Jin straight in the chest.

“Master, Madam… this morning… I saw Mama Tao…”

“She suddenly appeared in the courtyard, wanting to see the young miss. I stopped her, but then she tried to get me to pass on a message…”

“I didn’t do it, though! After that, Mama Tao left…”

Yun Jin stammered through her explanation, nearly collapsing in fear.

Hearing this, Sheng Minmin almost laughed out loud.

Oh, Tao Niang, Tao Niang… I was just thinking of finding an excuse to give you a few more lashes, and here you are, delivering yourself to me.

Though inwardly delighted, she put on a furious expression and slammed the teacup in her hand onto the table.

The servants trembled in fear.

“A thieving, manipulative servant who poisons her mistress’s mind and drives a wedge between her and her family! I showed mercy by merely sending her to the laundry—yet she dares to come back and pester Sixth Miss? How shameless can she be?!”

Then, as if suddenly realizing something, she stiffened and turned to Sheng Mingzhu with a look of shock.

“Don’t tell me that wretched woman deliberately set you up to get hurt, just so you’d remember her ‘kindness’ and beg to have her back in Haitang Courtyard?”

“N-No! Mother, my nanny would never harm me—”

Now genuinely panicked, Sheng Mingzhu burst into tears—this time with real emotion.

Sheng Minmin fired back angrily:

“That woman swindled you out of tens of thousands in silver and valuables! She acted like she owned the place, lording over Haitang Courtyard as if she were the mistress of this house! Is there anything that wretch wouldn’t do?”

“Just now, lying in bed, you kept calling for her. If you begged your father and brothers to bring her back, do you think they’d refuse? And wouldn’t that just give that scheming servant exactly what she wanted?”

Sheng Mingzhu, still only six years old, paled at these cutting words, unable to retort.

It was true—after her fall, she had considered using the opportunity to plead for her nanny’s return.

Her father and brothers were so heartbroken over her injury that if she asked, they’d surely relent. Even if her mother objected, as long as her father and brothers agreed, her mother would eventually give in. That was how it had always been.

Her mother always yielded to her father and brothers.

Because of this, Sheng Mingzhu had long prioritized winning her father’s and brothers’ affection over her mother’s.

But before she could even speak, her mother had blocked her path.

And hearing her mother call her nanny “that wretch,” “shameless slave,” and “scheming servant” stung deeply.

For some reason, deep down, she trusted her nanny more than anyone—even more than her parents or brothers.

Seeing his precious daughter’s guilty expression, Sheng Yong’s fury surged.

So, she really had planned to bring that woman back.

In the past, out of consideration for his daughter, he had given Tao Niang some respect. But now, realizing how deeply Tao Niang had sunk her claws into his daughter’s heart, he was disgusted.

Even if Tao Niang hadn’t harmed Sheng Mingzhu, the mere fact that she held such sway over his daughter was enough to make him loathe her.

“Someone!” Sheng Yong barked. “Bring that wretch here—now!”

With the household master’s order, Tao Niang was soon dragged in, along with Xu Mama, the laundry supervisor.

Tao Niang wore a thin, rough-spun blue dress, her hair pinned up with a wooden hairpin. Her face was haggard, her eyes red from crying.

The moment she entered, she threw herself at Sheng Mingzhu’s feet, sobbing.

“Young Miss! How is your foot? When I heard what happened, I was beside myself with worry! If I could, I would take your place in suffering—”

Her display of devotion might have moved people under normal circumstances.

But now, in the servants’ eyes, Tao Niang was the villain who had caused Sheng Mingzhu’s injury—and nearly gotten them beaten for it!

They glared at her with hatred, wishing they could tear her apart.

As for Sheng Yong and his sons, they saw only a vile woman who had manipulated and deceived Sheng Mingzhu—even to the point of possibly hurting her just to return to Haitang Courtyard.

Disgusting.

Noting the hatred and revulsion in everyone’s eyes, Sheng Minmin exchanged a glance with Qing Chi and ordered coldly:

“Slap her.”

Qing Chi’s eyes lit up with excitement as she stepped forward.

Madam had already instructed her: As long as you don’t kill her, hit her as hard as you want.

So she raised her small hand—

SMACK!

At twelve years old, Qing Chi was just tall enough to face the kneeling Tao Niang at eye level, making it easy to deliver the blows.

Sheng Mingzhu begged and cried, but Sheng Yong and his sons steeled themselves, refusing to intervene.

It’s just a little maid—how much damage could she do?

But they were soon proven wrong.

This was no ordinary little maid.

This was a freakishly strong little maid.

Two slaps in, Tao Niang’s lips were already split and bleeding.

A few more, and her face turned a grotesque mix of purple and red.

By the tenth slap, her face was on the verge of being beaten to a pulp.

“Qing Chi.”

Only then did Sheng Minmin call a stop, savoring the sight of Tao Niang’s ruined face.

In her past life, shortly after returning to the Sheng household, Sheng Mingzhu had insisted on serving her tea in Haitang Courtyard—only to “accidentally” scald her own hand.

When Huang Yaning rushed over, Sheng Mingzhu and Tao Niang put on a performance, accusing her of deliberately burning Sheng Mingzhu—and even trying to steal Haitang Courtyard!

Back then, Huang Yaning had slapped her hard across the face and forced her to kneel on broken porcelain for an entire hour.

Good. Today, I’ll pay Tao Niang back double for that suffering.

Meanwhile, Tao Niang’s ears rang from the beating. Her face throbbed, her teeth ached—she could feel two of them loose in her mouth, the metallic taste of blood flooding her tongue.

She spat out a mouthful of blood—sure enough, two teeth came with it.

That little brute knocked out my teeth!

Rage burned in her chest, but thoughts of her precious daughter and future wealth forced her to bow her head, hiding the venom in her eyes.

The servants, finally snapping out of their shock, gasped at Tao Niang’s condition, some even flinching at the sight.

Madam’s maidservants… Qing Ying was already terrifying when she glared, but this seemingly harmless Qing Chi is a monster!

From now on, they vowed: Never, ever cross Madam or her people.

Unbeknownst to Sheng Minmin, her standing among the servants had just risen another notch.