Chapter 1: Seeking Justice

“Heavens above, how can there be such heartless people in this world? In broad daylight, shamelessly dragging a chaste and innocent girl into a haystack, and when caught in the act, turning the blame on her instead! My poor foster sister, how can she be so ill-fated? Not only cheated out of her money and virtue, but now also accused of seducing others and throwing money at them—what kind of tragic scapegoat is this?”

A dark-skinned, skinny girl wailed at the top of her lungs, tears and snot streaming down her face as if performing a grand opera.

Beside her stood her plump, pale foster sister Wan Yu, hands covering her face, ready to sob. Her expression was blank, her mind ringing—this little wretch, what nonsense is she spouting?

She couldn’t keep up the act and hurried forward to intervene.

“Xiao Shun, wait, listen to me, it’s not like that.”

But how could she possibly stop her now? Wan Shun was no longer the pliable and obedient girl from her past life, shaped and manipulated at Wan Yu’s whim, carrying her burdens, and falling into ruin as a result of her schemes.

Heaven had granted her a second chance at the pivotal turning point of her life—she wouldn’t squander such kindness.

Dodging Wan Yu, she raised her voice even louder.

“And now, even the donkeys in the production team think my foster sister is shameless, with such perverse tastes that she only goes for the old and flabby leftovers—a rotten patch of greens at that. How is anyone supposed to live like this? How?”

Wan Shun beat her chest and stamped her feet, wailing with more grief and outrage than when her foster parents had died.

Wan Yu tried several times to cut in but couldn’t get a word edgewise, nearly coughing up blood from rage.

Was this little wretch deliberately insulting her? Had she grown wings and become uncontrollable?

Seeing Wan Yu’s face twist with fury, Wan Shun wiped her tears and snot, gripped Wan Yu’s hand tightly, and declared with sincere conviction, “Sister, don’t worry, we can’t just let this go. We can’t let someone take advantage of you for nothing. I’ll go settle accounts with that old turtle right now. Do they think the Wan family has no one to stand up for it? Not on my watch.”

Wan Yu nearly choked, her eyes rolling back.

Idiot, must she shout so loudly?

She wanted nothing more than to smack her dead on the spot.

Finally seizing an opportunity, she blurted, “Wait, wait, Xiao Shun, don’t be hasty, let me finish. I’m being wronged here—nothing of the sort happened, and it’s certainly not Brother Wang Zheng’s fault.

I was just talking with Brother Wang Zheng when Widow Sun barged in, didn’t see anything clearly, and started shouting all over the place.

You know how nasty the gossips are in our village—they can turn the dead into the living. A perfectly innocent matter gets twisted beyond recognition.”

The more Wan Yu spoke, the more aggrieved she seemed, as if she were truly suffering a great injustice. “Sister-in-law Wang is hot-tempered—if she finds out it was me talking to Brother Wang Zheng, she’ll kill me for sure.

My mother is arranging a marriage for me—if my reputation is ruined, how can I ever marry? My life would be over.

Xiao Shun, you have to help me. Besides you, I have no one else to turn to.”

Her eyes reddened and her voice choked with emotion. It was exactly this pitiful appearance that had doomed Wan Shun in her previous life.

“So it was Widow Sun who started all this?” Wan Shun exclaimed indignantly. “How vile! They were clearly just chatting, yet she insists on spreading rumors of infidelity. If you can’t get married, is her son going to take responsibility? Oh my, is that what she’s really after?”

Suddenly Wan Shun slapped her thigh. “Well, isn’t she calculating! Turns out her idiot son fancies my rotten-patch sister, so she’s using these tricks. Not a bad eye for a match; you two would be perfect for each other.”

Wan Yu was speechless.

The only unmarried son in Widow Sun’s family was mentally impaired from encephalitis—drooling, eating his own snot, incontinent. That little wretch was deliberately humiliating her.

Wan Yu felt her scalp about to split and wanted to tear Wan Shun apart.

Wan Shun leapt to her feet. “Of course, we can’t allow such evil to flourish. Wait here, I’m going to demand justice for you.”

She had promised to seek justice, so not a moment could be wasted. Like a wild horse off its reins, she charged out at once.

Wan Yu nearly fainted from rage—was the little wretch deaf? Had she not heard a word Wan Yu said?

“No, Xiao Shun, that’s not what I meant, wait… wait for me…” Wan Yu shouted hoarsely, chasing after her.

Up ahead, Wan Shun’s skinny legs were flying, kicking up sparks as she ran—wait? Over her dead body.

In her past life, when Wan Yu and Wang Zheng were caught in an affair by Widow Sun, though the latter hadn’t seen clearly who the woman was, it didn’t stop her from spreading rumors all over the village.

Fearing exposure, Wan Yu wept before Wan Shun, begging her to take the blame.

Wan Shun had no intention of doing so, but Wan Yu’s incessant tears softened her heart, and she didn’t refute the rumors Wan Yu set loose.

At the same time, the Wan family spread stories about her being unchaste, even seducing her foster father and brother at home.

Wang Zheng testified that she had seduced and harassed him repeatedly.

From then on, she was stuck with the labels of shameless and cheap—reviled by all, shunned even by dogs.

Whenever gossip of scandal arose, everyone pointed to her.

Ruffians and scoundrels, all sorts of unsavory characters, flocked around her.

Her life plunged into hell.

She’d never expected that, after growing weary of it all and destroying that hell, life would give her another chance.

She’d been reborn.

Reborn at the very moment she had fallen into that abyss.

The mistakes of her past life—she would never repeat them.

Those who died for her, she would protect.

And those who had ruined her life would, of course, get a taste of everything she once endured.

At Widow Sun’s doorstep, Wan Shun tried to suppress her excitement and cleared her throat with a couple of coughs.

“Widow Sun! Get out here! What right do you have to claim my foster sister was naked with Wang Zheng in the haystack? They were clearly just standing and talking, but your mind is filthy, your heart malicious, with ulterior motives. If you don’t give me an explanation today, I’ll strip your idiot son naked and shove him into the latrine. Once my aunt and uncle hear what you’ve spewed, they’ll skin you alive!”

It was midday in June or July, the sun blazing overhead. Every household had returned from the fields and was preparing lunch.

The village was so quiet that only the cicadas screamed.

Wan Shun’s shout drew all the villagers within a mile to their doors.

Under the scorching sun, even the chirping insects and birds seemed to hush.

All craned their necks to see what was happening.

Wan Yu wanted nothing more than to turn and flee, but gripped the stomping Wan Shun tightly.

“Let’s go home—let’s go home first.”

Wan Shun shook her off, chin jutting out, eyes fixed on Widow Sun’s house with the air of someone ready to fight to the death.

“Don’t be afraid, sister. We have the truth on our side.”

Wan Yu felt a stabbing pain in her heart—truth, what truth?

Widow Sun emerged, spatula in hand, her old face a mix of confusion and annoyance. Who was hollering at her door at noon—was this madness?

“Shun girl, what are you shouting about? Nothing better to do than make trouble at my doorstep?”

The sound of stir-frying from the kitchen had drowned out most of the commotion—she hadn’t heard clearly.

Wan Yu felt a moment’s relief and rushed to pull Wan Shun away. “Widow Sun, my little sister’s just hungry and babbling—don’t mind her, I’ll take her home right away.”

But then Widow Sun’s five-year-old grandson, who was playing naked in the yard, ran over, little bird flapping. “No, Grandma—Shun-jie asked why you said her foster sister and Wang Zheng were naked in the haystack, when they were just standing and chatting. She says you’ve wronged her sister and wants an explanation, or she’ll strip Uncle and shove him into the latrine.”

The runny-nosed boy spoke clearly and logically, black eyes winking at Wan Shun—he was one of her staunch allies.

Small in size but sharp-witted.

Wan Shun flashed a big toothy grin—well done.

Wan Yu’s scalp prickled with dread; she sensed imminent disaster.

Sure enough, Widow Sun froze for a second, then her temper flared.