Chapter 1
Tao Zhi lay quietly on the bed, waiting for her soul to return to its place.
She made a deal with the King of Hell, exchanging the merits of the past thirty years for a chance to be reborn.
She had been working diligently in the underworld just to ascend to heaven. But on the day she went to chat with Meng Po, she stood in front of the Wangxiang Terrace and took a look, and she almost got so angry that she came back to life.
Within two years of her death, the family broke up.
The old man married a beautiful new wife and separated himself from the family. His eldest daughter-in-law took charge and began to bully his two younger sisters-in-law. His eldest daughter, forced into early marriage, suffered domestic violence due to poor judgment and no one to support her. His youngest daughter, leaving high school unfinished, went to work in another city, only to be defrauded of her money and her life by a scumbag. His youngest son was a bright and capable child, the most promising of the bunch. Unfortunately, he was so devoted to his wife's family that he completely ignored the plight of his brothers and sisters, let alone offered a helping hand.
When Tao Zhi saw this, she exploded. In other words, even if someone whipped her corpse, she wouldn't be so angry, since she'd been dead for decades. But if someone mistreat her children, Tao Zhi would just want to skin that person alive.
She went to find the King of Hell, and Meng Po couldn't stop her.
The King of Hell asked her, "Are you really willing to give it up?"
Tao Zhi's face was full of pain: "Who told me to be a mother?"
With her extraordinary connections and eloquence, she persuaded the King of Hell to not only agree to her request but also grant her an extra thirty years of life.
Tao Zhi bid farewell to Meng Po and the ghosts she was friendly with in tears, and she jumped off the Cliff of Reincarnation without hesitation.
With this jump, she returned to 1995, six months before she was angered to death in her previous life.
She wiped the corners of her eyes and sat up with a smile. It was neither too early nor too late, and there was still time for everything.
At this moment, the door was pushed open, and a person blew in like the wind, yelling: "Mom - Mom -"
The man ran too fast, and she tripped over her left foot and fell with a thud.
Tao Zhi was startled and subconsciously wanted to hit her, but Cheng Man climbed up with a smile and hugged her hand directly.
Tao Zhi said, "Let go."
Cheng Man said coquettishly: "Oh, Mom, I was not careful. I will let you go if you promise not to hit me."
When Tao Zhi thought of her little daughter's suffering, her heart ached like a burning fire. She couldn't bear to hit her. She nodded: "I won't hit you."
Cheng Man let go of her hand, squatted down with her butt sticking out, and looked under the bed.
"What are you looking for?"
Cheng Man said: "My slippers flew in."
Tao Zhi asked, "It's pitch black, can you see clearly?"
Cheng Man shook her head, "I can't see it."
Tao Zhi had no choice but to stand up and look for a flashlight, then grab the clothesline, and hand them both to Cheng Man. "Use your brain for everything."
Cheng Man took the tools: "Thank you, Mom." She knelt down, shone the flashlight, and used a stick to reach out. She swept out the shoes and a spinning bottle.
Cheng Man picked up the bottle and glanced at the words on it. "Look, Mom, you're still always scolding me. Your medicine is under the bed."
Tao Zhi took it and said, "No, my medicines are all in the drawer, neatly arranged." Then he opened the cabinet.
Cheng Man leaned over curiously, "Hey, Mom, the medicine is gone."
Tao Zhi looked carefully and saw that the heart pills in the drawer, which had been placed there safely, were all gone.
She turned around and saw that the medicine was still on the dressing table, so that she could remember to take it every day.
Speaking of the dresser, the old man made it for her after they moved in. He said, "If others have it, you should have it too. If you want something others don't have, I'll find it for you." Later, when she died, she heard gossip about how she'd enjoyed too much: a mother-in-law who doted on her, a loving husband, and filial children. Tao Zhi had enjoyed all her blessings before her, so shouldn't this man die first? She was so angry that she spat at the man's ancestors.
Tao Zhi glanced at her daughter and asked, "Have you touched my medicine box?"
Cheng Man was anxious, "Mom, am I that kind of ignorant person?"
"Who could it be?"
Cheng Man looked at the bottle in her hand and said, "Mom, let's see how much is left. If it's not enough, we have to go to the hospital immediately."
When they opened it, they were both dumbfounded. It was empty, not a single pill inside.
Tao Zhi realized that this was no longer a prank. She then began to think, could it be that in her previous life, it wasn't the end of her life span, but an accident orchestrated by someone?
She warned Cheng Man, "Don't tell anyone about this for now, just keep it between the two of us."
Cheng Man also felt something was wrong. She nodded heavily: "Mom, don't worry, I won't tell anyone."
"Including your dad?"
Cheng Man nodded seriously, "Including my dad."
Tao Zhi threw the bottle back under the bed. "Okay, let's just pretend nothing happened." She clapped her hands. "Why are you in such a hurry? What do you want from me?"
Cheng Man slapped her head and said, "I forgot, there's a group of people coming from my sister-in-law's family. Dad wants you to go over and take a look."
"What did your father say?"
"He said: Those who come here have bad intentions."
Tao Zhi's heart tightened. Could it be that because of her rebirth, the course of events had changed?
Eager to verify, she hurried out the door, clutching the clothesline, and asked, "Where are they now?"
Cheng Man replied, "My dad took them to the office on the second floor."
Tao Zhi turned around and said, "Don't follow me. Stay on the first floor. If your brother or sister comes back, help stop them."
Cheng Man felt her brain was not enough, "Are they trying to cause trouble?"
Tao Zhi patted her head: "Little fool."
Cheng Man held Tao Zhi back: "Then you can't go. There are so many of them. What if they accidentally bump into you?"
Tao Zhi laughed: "Your dad is still upstairs."
"Dad is a grown man, he can't take a big loss."
"You're such a leaky little cotton jacket. Be careful or I'll tell your dad about this."
Cheng Man pouted: "You won't even go if you file a complaint."
Tao Zhi pulled his hand out and patted her shoulder. "Put your heart back in your stomach. Today I will let you see your mother's style."
Cheng Man hesitated to speak, but seeing that she couldn't persuade him no matter what she did, she rolled her eyes and ran to the workshop to find a steel pipe. "Mom, take this. If they are rude to you, beat them up like you beat me."
Tao Zhi gave her a slap on the face: "Where did you learn these perverse ideas? Do you think my life is too long?"
Cheng Man threw the steel pipe away, touched her red forehead, and muttered, "Isn't this because I'm worried about you?"
"You're on the first floor. Just be a good boy. Don't do anything else."
Cheng Man said, "I understand."
Thanks to the extra life she'd earned, Tao Zhi felt resilient and full of energy, like she'd been in her twenties. She was incredibly grateful to the King of Hell, seemingly having earned another twenty years.
She took two steps at a time and went up the stairs. Just as she reached the corridor on the second floor, she heard the sound of someone slamming the table.
She took two quick steps and saw that there were a row of people sitting on the sofa. The old man was sitting alone opposite him, with two people guarding him on his left and right. It was just like a three-court trial in ancient times.
When Tao Zhi walked in, the Qin family glanced at her and saw that she was holding a clothesline. They didn't think much about it and thought she had just collected clothes.
She smiled before she spoke: "Oh, the in-laws are here? Why didn't you tell me before you came?"
I saw the person opposite me had an embarrassed look on his face.
The eldest daughter-in-law replied: "I thought you went back to the village."
"You've come all this way, and we're being rude if we don't make the bed ready for you." Then he changed the subject: "What brings you here this time, in-laws?"
Tao Zhi's flurry of punches had nearly gotten the Qin family overwhelmed. Now that Tao Zhi had opened her mouth to ask, they climbed up the pole and quickly picked up the topic: "Mother-in-law, ever since my daughter married into our family, she's been filial to her parents-in-law and respectful to her husband. Now she's even given you a big, fat grandson. So, we'd like to ask, what are your plans?"
Tao Zhi sat next to the old man and asked him, "Where is Cheng Hui?"
Cheng Xiangqian replied: "I went out to deliver goods early in the morning."
Tao Zhi turned to the Qin family and asked, "You see that there's no one at home, so you come here to call me to task?"
Old Man Qin said, "What are you talking about, mother-in-law? Even if Li Min didn't have any merit, she still worked hard. Considering how hard she worked to give birth to your eldest grandson, as grandparents, you should at least show some appreciation."
"Excuse me, as your eldest grandson, how much is your family prepared to give?"
Tan Limin's brother, Tan Dabao snorted coldly: "His surname is Cheng, not Tan."
Tao Zhi leaned back leisurely: "I don't mind him changing his last name to Tan."
Qin Limin was in disbelief, "Mom——"
Tao Zhi waved her hand and interrupted her: "I respect the ideas of you young people. There is no need to discuss this matter with us."
Old Man Qin's face darkened: "Mother-in-law, don't change the subject."
Tao Zhi was no longer polite: "If you have something to say, just say it. If you have to fart, fart quickly."
"I heard that you call Li Min her sister-in-law and are going to take the college entrance exam after finishing high school?"
Tao Zhi nodded: "Of course."
Old Man Qin slapped his thigh and said, "A girl will get married sooner or later, so why should she study so much?"
"I have money, and I can spend it however I want."
Old Man Qin was choked and slammed the table in anger: "Mother-in-law, don't blame me for speaking harshly. Is that your money? That's Cheng Hui and the others' money."
Tao Zhi glanced at the cracked coffee table and said, "Didn't Cheng Hui give all his money to you? A full 100,000 yuan, and you got married, but you didn't bring back a penny."
Qin Dabao pointed at her nose and said, "My sister said that was her betrothal gift. Don't even think about taking it back. She has already given it all to me."
Tao Zhi shook her head. The Qin family was beyond saving. An educator, yet they had raised such a jerk. Every time he came home, he never called anyone, just sat down and ate, taking whatever he saw. He had no manners at all. Perhaps people thought that this was his eldest sister's home, and that these empty formalities were not important. Tao Zhi had seen it with her own eyes. Qin Limin constantly siphoned money from the Cheng family to support his extravagance, feeding his appetite. When his exorbitant demands were not met, he would beat up his parents and eldest sister. Alas, this was karma.
Tao Zhi glanced around and was about to start cursing, but the Qin family was thick-skinned and didn't care at all, even looking complacent. Her gaze lingered on her eldest daughter-in-law, and Qin Lili felt like she was being stared at by a wild animal. She shuddered suddenly and a layer of white sweat broke out on her back.
Qin Limin quickly hid behind her mother to avoid her mother-in-law's sight.
Tao Zhi touched his chin and said, "That's right. If the top beam is crooked, the bottom beam will be crooked too. No one in this family is good."
Old Man Qin felt that Tao Zhi was being unreasonable and didn't want to talk to her anymore. He turned to the old man and asked, "Brother Cheng, what are your thoughts? Tell me."
Cheng Xiangqian replied in a gentle voice: "In our family, the old woman has the final say, and we all listen to her."
Old Man Qin looked incredulous: "You own a factory, you're a boss, you make so much money, and you listen to her?"
Cheng Xiangqian nodded as a matter of course.
Old Man Qin pooh-poohed him: "You are really bringing shame to us men."
Tao Zhi sneered and laughed: "A man like you who sells his daughter for fame is called a man?"
Old man Qin became furious and stood up and slapped him.
Tao Zhi swept over with the stick with such force that a red mark immediately swelled up on the back of Old Man Qin's hand.
The young and strong men of the Qin family gathered around, and Cheng Xiangqian stood in front of Tao Zhi.
Old Man Qin said proudly, "My dear relatives, a woman's virtue lies in her lack of talent. To tell you the truth, if you want to use Cheng Hui's money to support her sister-in-law's education, our family will not agree. Unless you divide the family, there is no room for negotiation."
Tao Zhi pulled over a chair and sat down leisurely, as if she was not the one who had just hit someone.
She smiled and asked, "Oh, how do you want to divide this family?"
Seeing Tao Zhi like this, Old Man Qin thought she was scared. And indeed, could a woman really turn the tables? He smiled with a confident smile and waved his hand, telling his nephews to disperse.
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