Chapter 25: Something’s Happened!

Bao Shanyan frowned, as if weighing the truth of what Gu Jianing had just said.

In fact, Gu Jianing knew her words weren’t exactly reliable, but she was certain Bao Shanyan would be tempted.

Sure enough, the next second, Bao Shanyan asked, “How are you going to help me?”

A sly glint flashed in Gu Jianing’s eyes. She leaned in and quietly laid out her plan.

When Bao Shanyan finished listening, her face was tense, clearly not in agreement. Gu Jianing said, “If you want to go through the normal marriage process, you should know that Wen Zhuqing will never marry you.”

“So, we have to use unconventional means.”

“But I think the process doesn’t matter. The result is what’s important.”

“As long as you’re married and she’s living in your house, everything will be under your control.”

Seeing Bao Shanyan’s frown slowly relax, Gu Jianing knew she’d hit the mark.

But Bao Shanyan didn’t agree right away.

“Fine. I’ll give you one day to think about it. Give me your answer by this time tomorrow.”

Gu Jianing wasn’t in a hurry for Bao Shanyan’s reply, but she added a sense of urgency. “Of course, if you refuse, I’ll just find someone else to work with.”

With that, Gu Jianing turned and left.

She didn’t look back as she walked away, but she could feel Bao Shanyan’s gaze fixed on her the whole time.

Only when she turned the corner did that intense stare finally disappear.

Gu Jianing let out a sigh of relief.

She figured there was an eighty or ninety percent chance Bao Shanyan would agree.

After all, as someone reborn, she knew just how much Bao Shanyan liked Wen Zhuqing—a kind of obsessive, almost twisted infatuation with that type of person.

In her previous life, Bao Shanyan had held back only because of the Gu family’s deep roots in Hua Hua Village, so she hadn’t dared make a move on Wen Zhuqing, whom she liked.

After Gu Jianing married Wen Zhuqing, it became even more impossible.

But…

Bao Shanyan settled for second best and targeted someone else.

In other words, that person became a stand-in for Wen Zhuqing in Bao Shanyan’s eyes.

As Gu Jianing walked past the educated youth spot, she happened to see a slim, delicate-looking young man carrying a bundle of firewood inside.

When he saw Gu Jianing, he nodded and gave her a shy, polite smile.

Gu Jianing nodded back, watching his retreating figure.

This young man was Lu Weixian, seventeen years old.

In her previous life, not long after she and Wen Zhuqing got married, Lu Weixian somehow ended up marrying Bao Shanyan—and even moved into the Bao family as a live-in son-in-law.

Lu Weixian had come down to Hua Hua Village at age fifteen as part of the “sent-down youth” movement. Two years had passed since then.

It was said that after coming to the countryside, he spent all his time reading, always believing the college entrance exam would be reinstated, and hoping to get into university and return to the city.

So no one expected he’d marry Bao Shanyan, let alone as a live-in son-in-law.

And what happened to Lu Weixian in her past life?

He died…

Not long after the college entrance exam was reinstated, he was found dead in the mountains—an “accident.”

It wasn’t until years later, when Bao Shanyan committed another crime and was arrested, that the truth came out: Lu Weixian had actually been beaten to death by Bao Shanyan.

The Bao family had a history of bipolar disorder, making it hard to control their tempers. When they had an episode, they’d lash out violently.

During the years Lu Weixian was married to Bao Shanyan, he was constantly abused by her and her mother, Bao Yingzi.

Lu Weixian tried to resist, but he was no match for the mother-daughter duo.

He couldn’t find anyone to stand up for him, either.

The last time, it was because Lu Weixian said he wanted to take the college entrance exam. Bao Shanyan, afraid he’d get into university and escape her control, flew into a rage, lost control, and beat him to death.

Afraid of being found out, she carried his body into the mountains and staged it as an accident.

As for Lu Weixian, the reason he’d been sent down to the countryside in the first place was because he was the neglected, unloved child at home, sent in place of his older brother.

No one cared whether he returned to the city or how he was doing.

Even when he died in the countryside, not a single member of the Lu family came for him.

So his death was ruled an accident, and only years later, when Bao Shanyan was arrested for another crime, did the truth come out.

As for why Lu Weixian became Bao Shanyan’s live-in son-in-law, that too was all part of her scheme.

Gu Jianing thought to herself: Wen Zhuqing, Bao Shanyan—both are scum.

If these two pieces of trash could end up together, at least they’d only harm each other instead of other people.

She was curious: would Wen Zhuqing end up beaten by Bao Shanyan, or would Bao Shanyan be fooled by the sly, hypocritical Wen Zhuqing?

Actually, before approaching Bao Shanyan today, Gu Jianing had been conflicted.

Although Wen Zhuqing had been a complete scumbag to her and her family in her past life, in this life, nothing had happened yet.

Should she strike first against Wen Zhuqing for things that hadn’t even happened yet?

What if this life’s Wen Zhuqing turned out to be different?

It wasn’t that Gu Jianing felt soft-hearted toward Wen Zhuqing, but she couldn’t help hesitating.

But soon, something happened that erased all her doubts.

That very afternoon, after her talk with Bao Shanyan, her mother, Yao Chunhua, suddenly rushed home in a panic.

At the time, Gu Jianing had just finished giving her sister-in-law, Yang Manman, an acupuncture treatment and was coming out of her room when her mother grabbed her hand.

Yao Chunhua’s face was full of anxiety and worry, her hands trembling. “Jianing, what do we do? Something’s happened—the pigs I’m raising, something’s wrong with them!”

Gu Jianing quickly stepped forward and patted her mother’s back. “Mom, don’t panic. Take a breath and tell me slowly—what happened to the pigs?”

Yao Chunhua took a deep breath, then clutched her daughter’s hand and explained.

There was a small pig farm in Hua Hua Village, raising about ten pigs each year. In recent years, the farm wasn’t privately owned, but belonged to the village collective. At the end of each year, half the pigs were handed over to the commune, and the rest were slaughtered or sold for money to share among the villagers.

Raising pigs at the farm wasn’t considered hard labor. You could earn ten work points a day, and at year’s end, you’d get a few extra pounds of pork.

Because Gu Jianing’s father was the village chief, his wife, Yao Chunhua, got the job.

All Yao Chunhua had to do was feed the pigs, clean the pen, and tend to them. It wasn’t hard work, and she still had time to go home to cook or rest.

Back then, plenty of people envied Yao Chunhua for landing this job.

She’d been working at the pig farm for three years. At first, some villagers complained about her getting the job, but as the pigs grew fat and healthy each year, no one could say anything.

For three years, Yao Chunhua had done a great job, and nothing had ever gone wrong.

But today…

When Yao Chunhua arrived at the pigsty, she noticed that nine of the pigs seemed off.

They were listless and sluggish, not lively at all. At first, she thought they were hungry, so she hurried to get them some pigweed.

But the pigs, who usually fought over the food, wouldn’t eat!

Some forced down a few bites, only to spit it back out.

If that was all, Yao Chunhua wouldn’t have panicked.

[PK ongoing—please vote for me, give monthly votes, and five-star reviews~]"