Reborn in Each Other’s Bodies: A Mother and Daughter’s Deadly Revenge - Chapter 66

Huang Yaning turned toward the back courtyard of Scholar Li’s house. As she approached, the rich aroma of rendered lard wafted through the air.

The Li family didn’t raise pigs themselves, but at the end of the year when other households slaughtered theirs, they would buy some fatty meat to render into lard.

At any other home, a crowd of children would be gathered outside, pitifully begging for the crispy cracklings. But the villagers held Scholar Li in such high esteem that parents sternly warned their children not to cause trouble at the Li residence—any misbehavior would earn them a sound beating when they got home.

The repeated warnings had instilled a sense of fear in the village children, so the back door of the Li house stood empty. This might also explain why Li Mingzhi had so few playmates.

Huang Yaning knocked a few times, and after a moment, Wang Shi came to answer.

Wang Shi had delicate, refined features. With no in-laws to serve and no need to toil in the fields, she had aged gracefully. Even now, with a ten-year-old son, she still looked youthful and lovely.

“Oh, it’s you, Liuyá! How’s your ear? Come in and warm yourself by the fire.”

When Wang Shi saw Liuyá, her face lit up with concern. She warmly invited her into the kitchen, even pulling out a small wooden stool for her.

Though the Li family was well-off, they were still down-to-earth. They didn’t hire servants—Wang Shi did the washing and cooking herself. Of course, with only three people in the household, chores weren’t overwhelming.

At that moment, a large pot of fragrant lard was bubbling in the kitchen, the cracklings inside already a perfect golden brown…

Wang Shi fetched a bowl and a small spoon, then scooped out a portion of cracklings, sprinkled them generously with sugar, and handed the bowl to Huang Yaning.

“Go on, eat. Fresh cracklings with sugar are the best,” she said with a smile.

Huang Yaning felt a little embarrassed—Wang Shi probably thought she’d come to beg for food.

“Madam Scholar, I didn’t—”

“I know. I just wanted you to try my cooking.”

With that, Wang Shi scooped herself a bowl, drizzled sugar over it, and sat down on another stool to eat.

Seeing this, Huang Yaning thanked her and took a bite. The cracklings were rich, crispy, and seemed to melt in her mouth—paired with sugar, they were irresistible.

She couldn’t help but take another spoonful before speaking.

“Madam Scholar, I came to tell you something…”

Then, Huang Yaning recounted everything she had just witnessed.

As she listened, Wang Shi’s cheerful expression darkened into something almost frightening. Huang Yaning understood—Wang Shi only had this one son, and anyone who dared scheme against Li Mingzhi would face her wrath.

“Good child, I’m so grateful you told me this…”

Huang Yaning feigned shyness and said softly, “Madam Scholar, I just thought it was wrong for Third Sister to deceive Brother Mingzhi, so I wanted to let you know.”

“She lied to my son?”

Huang Yaning nodded gently. “Third Sister told Brother Mingzhi that she has to do a lot of chores at home and take care of her sisters…

“But in the past, I was the one doing all the work. Now, it’s split between me, Fourth Sister, and Fifth Sister…

“Third Sister hardly lifts a finger…

“And that pouch—Third Sister doesn’t like needlework. She’s never made one for anyone before…”

This only confirmed Wang Shi’s suspicion: Feng Sanyá was a habitual liar, cunning and shameless.

The thought of such a person latching onto her son made Wang Shi’s temples throb with anger. She rubbed them wearily.

“Good child, you’ve done me a great favor today. I’m truly grateful.”

She pulled out a small pouch and pressed two taels of silver into Huang Yaning’s hand.

If not for the fact that this girl’s family was so treacherous and calculating, Wang Shi would have preferred to help Liuyá in other ways over time. But she wanted no further ties with the Feng family—silver was the cleanest way to settle the debt.

After a few polite refusals, Huang Yaning accepted the money. Not wanting to waste the remaining cracklings, she wrapped them in a handkerchief and left.

Just then, Li Mingzhi returned home, and Wang Shi immediately confronted him with a stormy expression.

The interrogation lasted a full hour. Only after confirming that Feng Sanyá had never given him anything—nor taken anything she shouldn’t—did Wang Shi finally relax a little.

When Scholar Li finished tutoring Uncle Zhao, Wang Shi told him everything.

The couple itched to storm into the Feng house, demanding why they’d targeted their son. They wanted to expose the Feng family’s disgusting schemes for all to see.

But they also knew making a scene would harm their son’s reputation—and might even give Feng Sanyá the opening she wanted.

Wang Shi snatched the pouch Feng Sanyá had given Li Mingzhi and threw it into the fire.

“Mother! What are you—”

Li Mingzhi thought her reaction was excessive. Sanyá had only given him the pouch as a token of gratitude, treating him like an older brother.

If he didn’t wear it outside, no one would even know. Destroying it felt like trampling on someone’s sincere feelings, and he couldn’t agree with that.

“Sanyá’s had a hard life. She didn’t do anything wrong…”

Wang Shi nearly had a heart attack. Pointing at her son, she snapped, “You—you’d count the money for the person who sold you!

“Today, it’s a pouch. Tomorrow, a handkerchief. The day after, socks or shoes. If you keep accepting gifts, sooner or later you’ll use one in public—and then she’ll have proof of an ‘improper exchange’ between you!

“And once she’s given you so much, she’ll start asking for favors—a handwritten note, a painting. Will you refuse?

“Then, when the time is right, the Feng family will come banging on our door, saying you’ve ruined Sanyá’s reputation and must marry her. What will you do then?”

Li Mingzhi paled. “Mother, Sanyá wouldn’t do that to me. She—”

“You fool! Why gamble your future on someone else’s ‘goodness’? What if she’s not good?”

Wang Shi was so furious she wished she could shove him back into her womb and start over.

Scholar Li spoke solemnly, “Mingzhi, you’re still young. You haven’t experienced the cruelty of human nature. When you’re older, you’ll understand—the wickedness in people’s hearts runs deeper than mountains, wider than oceans, darker than the abyss.

“Your mother is doing this for your sake. A wise man does not stand beneath a crumbling wall. In life, one must guard against potential dangers before they arise, lest one be caught unprepared.”

Seeing her son beginning to waver, Wang Shi pressed on.

“My son, if you accept her gifts, you’ll only invite trouble.

“Think about the Feng girls. Liuyá is as thin as a stick. Siyá and Wuyá look a little better, but they’re always as busy as the other village girls…

“But Sanyá? She dresses better than her sisters, her skin is fairer, she does less work, and she even has time to learn characters from you…

“When she claims she does so much at home and cares for her sisters, she’s lying to you.

“A child who lies so easily—staying away from her is what’s best for you.”

Finally, Li Mingzhi felt as though scales had fallen from his eyes. Now that he thought about it, Feng Sanyá was the fairest and best-dressed of the Feng sisters.

He’d considered her a friend, yet she’d deceived him—used him!

His eyes reddened with anger. Right now, he hated Feng Sanyá.

Seizing the moment, Wang Shi warned him never to be alone with Feng Sanyá again, to speak to her as little as possible—better yet, to avoid the Feng family altogether.

Li Mingzhi nodded firmly.

Scholar Li, realizing how close his son had come to disaster, decided it was time to prepare a lesson on “proper boundaries between men and women.”

He had several promising students in his school, and he couldn’t let them fall prey to someone like Feng Sanyá.

Little did Scholar Li know how glad he’d be for this decision in the future.

Two of his top students had already caught Feng Sanyá’s eye.

Thanks to his teachings, they became experts at spotting manipulative behavior, seeing right through her schemes—and she never got her way.

Meanwhile, when Uncle Zhao returned home and learned that Feng Liuyá had asked to accompany them to the capital, he grabbed a few scallion pancakes and hurried back to the county town.

Yesterday, he’d already sent word to the capital about the Zhang family’s “suicide” in the neighboring village. The madam had instructed that any incident involving the Feng family or Feng Liuyá’s acquaintances—big or small—must be reported.

The Zhangs had nearly become Liuyá’s in-laws, and now the entire family was dead. He considered this major news and had someone draft a letter to inform the madam. He wasn’t sure if she’d received it yet, but he hoped she wouldn’t think him long-winded…

Huang Yaning had no idea that once Sheng Minmin learned of the Zhang family’s deaths, it would confirm she was reborn.

At that moment, Huang Yaning had finished gathering firewood and was heading back to the Feng house along a small path near a pond.

The road by the pond was wide and dry, seemingly harmless—until a sudden force shoved her from behind…

With a loud splash!, Huang Yaning was pushed into the water.

“Help—!”

She flailed wildly, screaming for help. Icy water rushed into her mouth and lungs…

The suffocation grew worse…

She couldn’t accept this!

She couldn’t die yet! She refused to die! There was still so much left undone—she hadn’t even seen Minmin again…