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◎The First Day of the King of Scrolls◎
The icy touch spread from his fingertips all the way to Jiang Wanzhou's heart.
Jiang Wanzhou suddenly opened her eyes, her gaze focused, and she held a rough earthenware bowl in her hand.
The dark brown liquid in the bowl swayed slightly, and the aroma of hawthorn wafted out.
In an instant, my mind felt like it was being forcibly stuffed with a jumble of thoughts, which then exploded with a "boom"!
She transmigrated into a 1970s novel about a stepmother.
The bowl in her hand is called "gender-changing medicine," but it's actually hawthorn water.
However, pregnant women and postpartum women should not drink it.
In the original book, the deceased first wife drank it and died from postpartum hemorrhage.
The female protagonist of the novel, Su Xiaomei, extremely dislikes her sister-in-law, Jiang Wanzhou, and uses this as an excuse to nail Jiang Wanzhou to the pillar of shame and send her to prison.
Jiang Wanzhou ultimately died tragically in prison, and no one felt sorry for her!
"Hiss..." Jiang Wanzhou gasped, her blood freezing instantly.
How did I become the wicked sister-in-law who started out with a murder and ended up with a tragic fate?!
She raised her head stiffly.
On the earthen bed, a young woman lay weakly, her face pale and her belly protruding.
His forehead was soaked with cold sweat and stuck to his cheeks.
Her eyes were tightly closed, and her lips were chapped.
She was the cannon fodder sister-in-law in the original book, whom he was about to send to the underworld with his own hands.
The bowl of hawthorn water in his hand, which he claimed was meant to "care" for his sister-in-law, was clearly a death warrant!
"Sanya... what are you standing there for? Hurry up and take it to your sister-in-law! Whether your brother can have a son depends on you!"
A sharp, urging female voice rang out from the doorway. It was the original owner's mother, Jiang's mother.
Her eyes held a mixture of expectation and a subtle, almost imperceptible calculation.
"Your second brother went to great lengths to get this gender-changing medicine from the county. It's very precious! Drink it... drink it and this baby is guaranteed to be a big, healthy boy!"
Second Brother! Jiang Husheng!
Jiang Wanzhou's heart pounded with alarm bells, and her sharp gaze swept towards the shadows by the door.
Sure enough, a tall, thin man—Jiang Husheng—was standing there with his back hunched over.
His eyes darted around, a fake smile plastered on his face, but his eyes were icy cold, like a venomous snake waiting for its chance to strike.
"Little sister, hurry up and go, your sister-in-law is waiting." His voice was both coaxing and contained an undeniable threat.
This is the person!
The real culprit who instigated the original owner to drug the body in the original story!
He swallowed most of the wages sent back by his elder brother Jiang Renzhou, and in order to completely control the family fortune and get rid of Shen Xinglian, a "burden," he did not hesitate to use his sister's hands to kill people!
cannot!
We absolutely cannot let Shen Xinglian drink it!
Otherwise, you'd be the undisputed murderer!
There are even people waiting to find fault with themselves and send themselves to jail!
The instinct for survival instantly overwhelmed the dizziness of the journey.
No! Absolutely not!
Just as Jiang's mother was about to impatiently take a step forward, a sinister glint flashed in Jiang Husheng's eyes—
Jiang Wanzhou quickly drank the bowl of "gender-changing medicine".
"Ah!" Jiang's mother screamed in fright, slapping her thigh and jumping away. "You brat! Are you crazy?! These are such precious things! You wasteful brat!"
Jiang Husheng's fake smile froze instantly, his eyes turning so dark they seemed to drip water as he stared intently at Jiang Wanzhou.
Jiang Wanzhou pretended to be kind: "Mother, it really is hawthorn water. Second brother was fooled, wasn't he?"
Jiang's mother indeed went to find Jiang Husheng.
"Sister-in-law! Sister-in-law, wake up!" She rushed to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and grabbed Shen Xinglian's cold wrists with both hands.
The original story states that Shen Xinglian fainted from hunger, and her sister-in-law gave birth prematurely because of the hawthorn medicine.
Jiang Wanzhou knew that Shen Xinglian still had milk powder in her room, but she certainly couldn't take it in front of her mother.
The Jiang family...
Jiang Wanzhou rushed to the chicken coop and happened to grab an egg.
Then she took out her secret stash of brown sugar from her room and made it with lightning speed.
Jiang's mother and Jiang Husheng went inside and talked about something, but neither of them came out to stop her.
Jiang Wanzhou blew on the cool air and gave it to Shen Xinglian.
Shen Xinglian's eyelashes trembled violently as she struggled to open a crack in the open.
His eyes were initially unfocused and filled with pain, carrying a deathly numbness.
The next second, he met Jiang Wanzhou's face, which was filled with panic and guilt.
"You..." A short gasp escaped her throat, and then her body arched sharply.
The intense pain caused her to curl up instantly, her face turning ashen white as paper.
Large beads of sweat rolled down his face, and the old mattress beneath him quickly became warm and damp, the sweat spreading rapidly!
Where is this?
Jiang Wanzhou quickly fed her, "Eat a few more bites, she's probably about to give birth."
After Shen Xinglian finished eating, Jiang Wanzhou hid the bowl and went out to call for help.
When he returned, Jiang's mother and Jiang Husheng were already at the door.
"She's going into labor! Quick, call the midwife!" Jiang's mother screamed, her voice trembling with tears, completely panicked.
Jiang Husheng's expression changed, his eyes flickered, and he subconsciously took a step back, growling, "Your sister-in-law is about to give birth, where have you been?"
Shen Xinglian, whose consciousness was blurred and who was in excruciating pain, had dilated pupils.
An absurd thought, like lightning, cleaved through her chaotic consciousness. Clinging to her last shred of clarity, she called out with all her might, "Jiang! Wan! Zhou!"
Her lips moved slightly, her breath barely audible, as she managed to squeeze out a secret code that only the two of them understood, a code that transcended time and space.
"...Zhou...? You...did you...take my five million...bubble tea money...?"
Boom—!!!
Jiang Wanzhou was struck dumb, her body stiffened, and her mind went blank.
She had the best midwife in the village deliver her baby.
Standing to one side, she stared wide-eyed at Shen Xinglian's pale, pained face.
Enemy honey?!
Shen Xinglian?!
She...she transmigrated too?! Transmigrated into the body of her sister-in-law, the one she "wanted to kill"?!
They hadn't seen each other for twenty years, and she hadn't forgotten her former sworn enemy.
Even enemy confidants around twenty years old are not this thin and miserable.
She felt a sense of familiarity but didn't dare to recognize it.
Ignoring Jiang's mother's wailing and Jiang Husheng's sinister gaze, she tightly gripped Shen Xinglian's hand.
Jiang Wanzhou spoke incoherently, her voice trembling with sobs as she growled, "Shen Xinglian! Shen Xinglian, do you hear me! You better hold on! You can't die! What will I do if you die? This time, I'll fight you to the death! Xingxing! Xing oh Xing—!!!"
At that moment, outside the dilapidated wooden window of the earthen house.
A cool, inquisitive gaze silently pierced through the chaotic crowd and swirling dust.
His gaze fell on the young village girl inside the house, who was trembling all over, her face pale, but she was tightly gripping the wrist of the woman in labor.
Zhou Qingyu stood at the edge of the group of educated youth who came after hearing the noise, his white shirt standing out awkwardly against the drab rural background.
He precisely caught the fleeting look of immense shock in Jiang Wanzhou's eyes.
This "notorious" Jiang family aunt seems a little different...
In that panic, I asked him to help me find the team doctor so I could call a midwife myself.
Zhou Qingyu's eyes flickered slightly, even though he was not usually one to meddle.
He subconsciously took a step forward, but then turned his back.
“Zhou Qingqing, what are you looking at? It’s creepy…” Wang Weiguo, a fellow educated youth who came with Zhou Qingyu, sidled up to her.
He followed Zhou Qingyu's focused gaze, only to see a chaotic scene inside the Jiang family's house. He couldn't help but click his tongue and say, "Tsk, I heard that Jiang family's younger sister-in-law is no pushover. Could it be that she caused this sister-in-law's difficult childbirth..."
Zhou Qingyu also told Wang Weiguo to turn away and not look.
He didn't respond to Wang Weiguo's gossipy question, but simply asked calmly, "The mother's condition is critical, has the doctor arrived?"
"Here he comes! Old Qi ran all the way here, he's panting heavily!" Wang Weiguo said, pointing to a spot not far away.
A thin old man carrying a medicine box was seen running towards them, panting heavily.
However, none of them can run as fast as a young person like him.
Zhou Qingyu remained silent.
Inside the room, Jiang Wanzhou was still reeling from the shock of Shen Xinglian's arrival when she felt the stench of blood around Shen Xinglian growing stronger.
The most urgent task is to save Shen Xinglian and her child's lives.
"Sister-in-law, you must hold on! I won't let anything happen to you!" Jiang Wanzhou's voice was choked with tears, but it conveyed an undeniable firmness.
She turned to Jiang's mother and Jiang Husheng, who were standing idly by, and roared, "What are you all standing there for! Go boil some water and prepare some clean cloths! If this continues, my sister-in-law and the child will be in danger!"
Jiang's mother was stunned by her imposing manner. After a moment of hesitation, she reluctantly pulled Jiang Husheng towards the kitchen, muttering, "What's wrong with this brat..."
Jiang Wanzhou didn't care about them.
The midwife, Aunt Hu, gave instructions based on her experience.
Jiang Wanzhou nodded, gently brushed Shen Xinglian's hair aside, and whispered comforting words in her ear: "Xingxing, don't be afraid. Try to take deep breaths and follow Aunt Hu's rhythm."
Shen Xinglian bit her lip tightly and tried her best to do as Aunt Hu said.
Every breath was accompanied by excruciating pain, but she could feel Jiang Wanzhou's hand conveying a kind of strength to her.
Just then, the team's doctor finally arrived, panting heavily.
He frowned as soon as he entered the room, muttering, "Oh dear, this postpartum hemorrhage is going to be difficult to handle!"
Jiang Wanzhou rushed forward and grabbed the doctor's hand: "Grandpa Qi, you must save my sister-in-law and child! No matter what it takes, money is no object!"
Dr. Qi glanced at her, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. In this remote and impoverished area, few people were willing to spend a lot of money on a pregnant woman.
He nodded and said, "Then I'll try my best."
The midwife got busy.
Time ticked by, and the atmosphere inside grew increasingly tense.
Shen Xinglian's cries grew weaker and weaker, and Jiang Wanzhou's heart leaped into his throat.
She held Shen Xinglian's hand tightly, constantly encouraging her in her ear: "Xingxing, hang in there a little longer, the baby will be out soon! You can do it!"
The midwife shouted, "Push! Push harder!"
A loud cry broke the silence in the room.
"It's a boy! He's born!" the midwife exclaimed excitedly.
Jiang Wanzhou was so excited that tears welled up in her eyes. She looked at the weak Shen Xinglian and whispered, "Xingxing, you did it! You and the baby are both safe and sound!"
Shen Xinglian slightly opened her eyes and looked at Jiang Wanzhou.
She said weakly, "Zhouzhou, thank you..."
Just then, Jiang Husheng and his mother heard the child crying and rushed in.
Jiang Husheng looked at the baby in the swaddling clothes, a glint of greed and calculation flashing in his eyes.
He said insincerely, "Oh, congratulations! My Jiang family has finally welcomed a big, healthy baby boy!"
Jiang Wanzhou gave him a cold look, becoming wary.
She knew that Jiang Husheng wouldn't let this opportunity slip by easily; he would definitely try every means to squeeze more money out of his elder brother.
"Second brother, my wife has just given birth and is still very weak. She needs to rest. Whatever you need, we can talk about it after she recovers," Jiang Wanzhou said without any hesitation.
Jiang Husheng's expression changed, and he was about to lash out, but when he saw Jiang Wanzhou's cold eyes, he swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.
He snorted coldly and said, "Hmph, I'll see how long you can protect them!"
After saying that, he stormed out of the house.
Watching Jiang Husheng's departing figure, Jiang's mother glanced at Jiang Wanzhou and muttered, "That brat is getting more and more outrageous!"
Then he followed them out.
The room finally quieted down. Jiang Wanzhou sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), looking at Shen Xinglian and the child, her heart filled with mixed emotions.
She needs to take good care of Xinglian and the child until her older brother returns.
Once the elder brother returns, he will expose Jiang Husheng's true colors.
At that moment, Zhou Qingyu, who was standing outside the house, heard the child crying and was about to leave.
Jiang Wanzhou got out of bed, checked the window, her body trembling slightly.
She seemed to have keenly sensed something, and unexpectedly bumped into Zhou Qingyu's calm yet inquisitive eyes outside the window.
Across the chaotic scene inside and outside the house, their eyes briefly met in the air.
Jiang Wanzhou's heart skipped a beat, as if it had been gently touched by an invisible hand.
The young man standing under the tree, wearing a white shirt, looked out of place in the surrounding drab and dilapidated environment.
He had a handsome face, with features that looked as if they had been meticulously sculpted, but his eyes... were far too calm.
That gaze carried a penetrating power that seemed to see through everything, making Jiang Wanzhou feel as if all her pretense had been stripped away in an instant, leaving her nowhere to hide.
She turned her head away abruptly, as if burned by scalding hot coals.
A chill ran through me, mixed with a nameless fear.
Who exactly is this person? How much did he actually see?
The postpartum care work inside the house is still in full swing.
The barefoot doctor, Old Qi, was covered in sweat, with large beads of sweat rolling down his forehead and soaking his tattered clothes.
While skillfully inserting the needles, he forcefully pinched Shen Xinglian's philtrum.
Shen Xinglian's breath was weak.
I don't know how much time passed, but time seemed to stand still, and every second felt incredibly long, like an eternity.
Old Qi finally wiped the sweat from his face and said in a hoarse voice, "The life... the life has been saved for now! But the woman's vital energy has been depleted, and her condition is very dangerous! She must not get angry or cause any more trouble in the future, and she must take good care of herself! She must not get pregnant again within three years, otherwise, the chances of her survival are slim."
Upon hearing this, Jiang's mother first breathed a sigh of relief, then immediately began to grumble and complain, "She finally laid an egg, and now she can't have any more! Isn't this going to cut off the Jiang family line?"
That sarcastic tone made it seem as if Shen Xinglian was merely a tool for having children.
Jiang Husheng's face was ashen, like the sky before a storm, terribly gloomy.
He snorted coldly, turned and left the room. Before leaving, his sinister gaze swept over Jiang Wanzhou and the dying Shen Xinglian on the kang again, full of warning and resentment.
It was as if they were saying silently: You just wait!
[Author's Note]
"The Legendary Female Teacher's Timid Daughter" will be released in January. Pre-orders are welcome!
Yan Zhengnu devoted her life to studying and admiring Yan Lan, the legendary female teacher who emerged from prison and pioneered women's education.
In an unexpected turn of events, she transmigrated into the body of the legendary female tutor's cowardly yet vicious daughter, who climbed the social ladder by clinging to the powerful and stepping on Consort Li.
The character's initial infamy includes being insulted by his adoptive sister and his mother being wrongfully imprisoned.
Historically, it took the foster sister three years to exonerate the female teacher.
Outside the palace gates, Yan Zhengnu bumped into Xie Hui, the young general who was on the verge of death and was being punished by the emperor to kneel as a form of punishment for Consort Li.
She was also Yan Zhengnu's nemesis, and after Consort Li's death, she made things difficult for her in every way.
The system buzzed with messages: 【Get on his good side! This is the fastest shortcut to power!】
Yan Zhengnu knelt down and massaged him to relieve the intense pain from his old battlefield wounds.
He looked up, his eyes filled with disgust: "What reward do you want?"
Everyone thought she would seek a better future and wealth.
Yan Zhengnu bowed her head, her voice clear:
"General, would you dare to investigate the arson case thoroughly?"
He was stunned.
Yan Zhengnu wanted to personally push Yan Lan onto the path to fame and fortune, making her journey less arduous.
Years later, when Yan Lan was famous throughout the world, she stood on the platform of the academy, pointed to Yan Zhengnu who was smiling below the stage, and declared to the world: "My most outstanding work in my life is my daughter."
Xie Hui silently draped a cloak over Yan Zhengnu's shoulders: "Your Majesty, it's time to go home."
—
Yan Zhengnu:
I know how history will record my infamy, and I also know that it is the only stain on my mother's life.
But this time, I will join forces with my nemesis's blade to cleave this cannibalistic situation open.
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