Chapter 1: Kill One for Me to See

“Sigh—”

Wen Ye lay on the bed, staring up at the dilapidated, moldy thatched roof, letting out a deep, bitter sigh.

She couldn’t sleep. Absolutely couldn’t sleep!

Because it was far too noisy outside, where the most clichéd plot of a farming novel was unfolding—the treacherous grandmother selling off her granddaughter!

“Don’t sell my Lan!” her mother Lin insisted.

“What do you mean sell? She’s old enough now, it’s time to marry her off,” her wicked grandmother Wen retorted.

Wen Ye’s head buzzed as she turned over, covering her ears, unwilling to pay attention, her heart heavy with frustration.

She had originally been the heiress of the Wen family, a commercial empire in the imperial capital of the 21st century—a top-tier existence at the pinnacle of the food chain.

But all because she choked on water, she died! At the age of 23!

And then she transmigrated into a book!

Now, she was a thirteen-year-old poor village girl in Qingshui Village of the Great Qi Dynasty, living at the very bottom of society—pitiful and humble.

Her village household was large, with many people living together in several rooms.

Her third room was the dullest and most laborious, eating less than chickens and working harder than oxen.

Five days ago, the original owner of her body, suffering from chronic malnutrition, had fallen face-first into the washing water and died.

When they pulled her out, Wen Ye became her.

She had been here for five days, lying in bed all that time, hoping it was all a dream.

But every time she opened her eyes, it was the same broken thatched hut.

She had to face reality—there was no going back!

Wen Ye gave up completely.

Working was impossible! Resisting was impossible!

After all, she had no interest in this era whatsoever.

She only wished to die soon and be reincarnated anew.

From her memories, the original body had about a year left to live.

She would just go through the motions and finish the story.

As for her impoverished family, they were all destined to die early as cannon fodder.

But… what did that have to do with her?

She was just a minor background character, why bother changing the story?

The current plot was this—the wicked grandmother wanted to sell her half-sister Wen Lan to the town, as the eighteenth concubine of a sixty-year-old old gentleman.

“Grandma, you can’t be so heartless! Sister-in-law, you also have daughters, please persuade grandma!” someone pleaded.

“Third younger brother’s wife, Lan has fallen into a lucky nest. The Liu family is wealthy, with over a dozen servants,” the grandmother sneered.

“If it’s such a lucky nest, why doesn’t your daughter go? Boohoo—”

The bickering outside continued.

Though Wen Ye held a mindset of ‘die early, reincarnate soon,’ the chaos still made her restless.

Wait—why hadn’t she heard a single word from Wen Lan?

Wen Ye thought of Wen Lan.

Over these days, whenever she opened her eyes, besides the moldy thatch above, there was always Wen Lan’s thin, delicate face—pretty but still youthful—always gazing at her with worry, her voice crisp:

“Ye, are you feeling better?”

Or:

“Ye, this is steamed egg custard. I’ll feed you.”

At those moments, Wen Ye would hear her grandmother scolding Wen Lan for stealing eggs.

Wen Lan would smile softly: “It’s nothing. Before, grandma would hit me if I took eggs. These days, for some reason, she only scolds without hitting. A few harsh words don’t hurt. Eat quickly.”

Whether scolded or beaten, Wen Ye paid no mind.

At that time, she was numb all over, instinctively opening her mouth to eat the egg custard Wen Lan fed her, driven by hunger.

Thinking of this, Wen Ye suddenly sat up.

She suddenly understood why Wen Lan had been stealing eggs in recent days and why her grandmother only scolded without striking—because today Wen Lan was going to be sold.

The eggs she ate were, in a twisted way, part of Wen Lan’s price for selling herself!

Wen Ye stared blankly outside for a moment, then got out of bed, slipped on her shoes, and sluggishly headed out.

No, she, Wen Ye, hated owing anyone.

She pushed open the door; sunlight fell on her yellowed, thin face.

The noisy quarrel outside finally sounded vivid and real in her ears.

Wen Ye’s gaze swept coldly across the surroundings—

The courtyard was crowded with people, along with a cart full of betrothal gifts, and curious villagers gathered outside the bamboo fence.

Grandmother Wen clutched twenty taels of silver, smiling like an old chrysanthemum.

Wen Lan, the one being sold, sat dazed to the side, as if her soul had fled.

She had just reached the age of marriage; though thin, she was pretty and delicate.

Lin held Wen Lan, weeping bitterly.

A short, plump middle-aged man spoke to Grandmother Wen: “It’s settled then. The bride will be picked up in five days.”

“Five days is too long. Tomorrow is an auspicious day; she can be taken then.” Grandmother Wen, afraid the man would change his mind, seemed eager to deliver the ‘goods’ immediately.

Manager Liu nodded: “Okay, then tom—ow!”

Before he could finish, Manager Liu suddenly lunged forward like a starving dog diving on a bone.

He ended up falling with his rear raised, hitting the wall and scraping his mouth with dirt.

“Ah—” the crowd gasped.

Grandmother Wen, Lin, and the others widened their eyes in shock.

They turned to see Wen Ye striding forward with no regard for kinship, stopping at Manager Liu’s original spot.

She crossed her arms, her face taut and silent, as if she hadn’t just kicked someone.

Everyone present sucked in a sharp breath.

Good heavens—this was the steward of the Liu household! And she, she actually dared to send Manager Liu flying with a kick!

Lin and Wen Lan were so stunned they couldn’t close their mouths.

The usually quiet Ye, who spoke no louder than a mosquito’s hum, after five days of illness, had just gotten up and suddenly…lost her mind!

Grandmother Wen was the first to recover, shouting in horror: “You little devil, don’t want to live anymore?”

She lunged forward to strike.

But before she got close, Wen Ye kicked her in return.

“Ow—” Grandmother Wen instantly flew back, tumbling in a heap with Manager Liu.

Manager Liu cried out in pain, shoving Grandmother Wen off him.

Before he could even get up, Wen Ye silently took three strides and approached Manager Liu, casually picking up a firewood knife from the ground.

She bent slightly, squatting, pressing the blade to Manager Liu’s neck, her voice cold:

“Hey, I don’t agree to Wen Lan’s marriage. Go back and tell Old Master Liu, this marriage is off!”

She pressed the knife a little harder.

Blood immediately spurted from Manager Liu’s shoulder.

“What—” Manager Liu’s eyes widened in pain; after a long moment, he seemed to lose it a little: “Hey… young lady, if you have something to say, just say it. Why start kicking and threatening with knives right away?”

What the hell was this?

He was just a servant, sent to deliver betrothal gifts!

Just buying a concubine for his master!

Why suffer such bodily harm?

Even if the young lady disagreed, wouldn’t it be enough to say so?

Usually, when people negotiate, they intimidate with gestures first and only fight in desperation.

But she, she started with fists and knives without a word! Kicking and pressing a blade to his neck, drawing blood!

What kind of madness was this?

Wen Ye said, “Take the gifts back. We don’t agree to this marriage. Now leave!”

“Alright, alright, we’ll leave! It’s off! It’s off!” Manager Liu was nearly terrified to death.

He hadn’t taken this village girl seriously before.

But Wen Ye now... acted without rules, like a madwoman!

The kind who loses her mind at the slightest provocation!

He’d been bitten by a mad dog before, and he was scared!

Grandmother Wen looked at Wen Ye in disbelief: “Cannot back down! This is rebellion against heaven!”

Was this possessed by a vengeful spirit? Usually beaten and too scared even to cry, today she dared not only to kick but to try killing?

But now wasn’t the time to dwell on that; the marriage was what mattered!

She glared: “You little devil, don’t scare me! If you kill someone, you’ll pay with your life! I dare you, kill one for me to see!”

Manager Liu under the blade: “...”

Wen Ye looked at him, negotiating: “What do you think?”

Manager Liu: “...”