Chapter 1 Fashionable Reborn

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“Mom, is she dead? If she’s dead, where are we going to find another idiot like her to do all the chores?”
The girl’s voice was crisp and clear, without a hint of sadness—she was more concerned about who would handle the housework from now on.

The older voice was full of irritation and contempt.
“Dead, my ass. Useless bitch is probably too stubborn to die. You just gave her a light push and she dropped to the floor, pretending to be dead. Is she trying to give me attitude? Bah!”

“Then… then why isn’t she waking up? Honestly, if she died, that might be better. At least my brother wouldn’t have to—”
“Shut up! Don’t spout nonsense. What does this have to do with your brother? You better keep that to yourself. If she ever hears it, you think this mess will just blow over? Listen to your mom—when she wakes up, you better apologize properly. She’s always had a soft spot for you. If you say sorry and act sweet, she won’t do anything to you.”

The girl grumbled, “Why should I? That’s not fair…”
“Because she does all the housework and serves me without complaint. If she’s gone, it’ll all fall on you. You figure out how to make money and take care of me in my old age. You said it yourself—where else are we going to find a dumb girl like her to work like this? I’m not doing it, so are you going to? Are you willing to do the laundry in the freezing cold and get chilblains all over your hands?”

That final word from the elder was like the nail in the coffin. The girl was angry and unwilling, but when she looked at the woman lying on the floor, her hands covered in chilblains, she finally gave in with a pout.
“Fine, I get it.”

The noise in her ears was like a flock of ducks quacking, endless and loud. The old and the young seemed afraid that the unconscious woman might wake up, but they made no effort to lower their voices.

Song Nanting had been through a lot of distressing things, and had developed some depression—manageable, but still there. Ever since her beloved partner Lu Jian’an passed away, her health had gone downhill. Not even fifty, she had entered menopause early, and the symptoms were worsening: insomnia, irritability.

Even the old friends in the compound said she had become more temperamental, even aggressive. The most serious incident was when she saw a young man in the courtyard harassing a girl—she spoke up, and he snapped back with something nasty. She responded by knocking one of his teeth out. Since then, the guy avoided her like the plague.

Last night, she’d had another bout of insomnia, tossing and turning for hours before finally falling asleep. Who the hell was making such a racket, waking her up now?

Was it that neighbor Zhang’s daughter-in-law scheming again? No… the voices were familiar.

As she strained to recognize them, a sudden chill ran down her spine. That sounded like Wei Danni! But that old hag was already dead, wasn’t she?

Song Nanting tried to open her eyes, but her eyelids felt glued shut.

“Mom, what if we splash her with water? In this cold weather, one splash on her face and she’ll definitely wake up.”
The older voice didn’t answer, which basically meant approval.

Footsteps came and went. The girl’s excited voice followed:
“Should I do it?”
“I think so…”

I think your dad’s dog head!

Song Nanting had had enough. With a sudden burst, she pushed herself off the ground. Even though her eyes were still closed, her hand flew out and slapped hard.

The crisp sound of the slap stunned the girl standing by the bed, and also knocked over the basin of cold water.

It was freezing—fresh from the water jar. The ice-cold water soaked through her coat and clung to her skin like knives. The girl couldn’t stop shivering.

Pan Shiying froze for a moment, then shrieked.
“Song Nanting, what’s wrong with you?! Are you insane?”

As she screamed, she jumped in place, but her only coat was drenched. She was like a person thrown into an ice cellar, trembling violently.
“Song Nanting, I’m not done with you! What gives you the right to treat me like this?”

Her shrill voice made Song Nanting’s ears buzz, and her already foul mood boiled over. Another slap landed.
“Shut up,” she growled.

The shrieks stopped abruptly.

Pan Shiying clutched her face, staring at Song Nanting like she was a madwoman.

The world finally quieted down. Song Nanting exhaled.

The cold air began to calm her rage.

She opened her eyes and looked at the seventeen- or eighteen-year-old girl in front of her. She froze.

That was Pan Shiying!

How was she seeing the younger version of Pan Shiying again?

“Nanting, what’s wrong?”
The old woman held back her anger and forced a concerned expression.
“Nanting, didn’t you see clearly? That’s Shiying. She’s Shifeng’s beloved sister!”

The voice, the tone—too familiar. She had spent half her life under its control.

Just the memory of it made Song Nanting tremble.

She turned and came face-to-face with a thin, sharp-featured face pretending to show worry.

It really was Wei Danni. That old hag—wasn’t she long dead?

She looked down at her own hands, calloused and covered in chilblains.

She touched her face—rough fingertips made the skin sting. But she didn’t need a mirror to know how beautiful she looked.

She glanced at the calendar on the wall.

December 25, 1974. Five days before the New Year.

She was only twenty-two then—right in the prime of her youth.

Did she just get a second life, trendy style—rebirth?

Seeing that Song Nanting wasn’t speaking, Wei Danni felt humiliated and her anger flared. She reached out and tugged at Song Nanting, saying:

“Nanting, I know you’re upset because Shiying accidentally pushed you, but she’s still a child. You’re her sister-in-law—can’t you just be a little more tolerant? It’s the middle of winter, and you just poured a whole basin of cold water on her. What if she catches a cold or gets a fever?”

Song Nanting snapped out of her thoughts and looked at this fake old hag with a cold sneer.

“Oh, so you do know it was cold water? But when you two were about to splash it on my face just now, did you worry about me getting a fever? I was already pushed to the ground by Pan Shiying on purpose. Even though my head wasn’t cracked open, what if that cold water really had killed me?”

Wei Danni was momentarily speechless.
“You…”

She had originally tried to take the moral high ground and guilt-trip Song Nanting, but what could she say now? Song Nanting had finally shown her true colors—so all that past show of filial piety had been just that: a show.

Wei Danni had even started to feel a little guilty before, but now? That guilt was completely gone.

“Nanting, that kind of talk really upsets your aunt. How can you speak like that?”

“You what? Since when does how I talk need your permission?”

Song Nanting used to be very submissive toward her in-laws. But after she got together with Lu Jian’an, he spoiled her because he felt she had suffered too much. He let her do whatever she wanted, and with his high-ranking position, practically no one in the compound dared to speak harshly to her.

Over time, her temper grew. If someone messed with her, she wouldn’t rest until she cursed them into the ground.

Now, Song Nanting pressed forward, looking at the shocked mother and daughter. She spoke slowly and clearly:

“And another thing—what do you mean ‘just a child’? Eighteen-year-old girls are out there getting married and having kids. And your eighteen-year-old nearly killed me and didn’t even say sorry. Now you’re telling me she’s still a child? If she’s a child, then go ahead and stuff her back in your arms to nurse—what’s she doing out here causing trouble?”

At some point, a crowd had gathered at the Pan family gate. Everyone was shocked to see Song Nanting arguing with Wei Danni and her daughter.

After all, in everyone’s eyes, Song Nanting was known for being sensible, capable, kind-hearted—and most importantly, filial. She treated her future mother-in-law, Wei Danni, with nothing but respect.

Even on her wedding day, when the groom ran off before the ceremony, she stayed in the Pan household—and stayed for four and a half years. She handled everything inside and out, constantly working odd jobs to make money. When she came home, she still had to cook and clean—there was nothing she couldn’t do.

Later, when news came that Pan Shifeng had gone missing and was supposedly dead, she still didn’t leave the Pan family. Instead, she stayed and took care of Wei Danni and Pan Shiying in his stead.

Some people called Song Nanting foolish. Anyone else would’ve left long ago—after all, they hadn’t even consummated the marriage; she was still a virgin.

Back then, Song Nanting thought: even if Shifeng never came back, at least he’d once treated her well. Having a mother-in-law who accepted her as family wasn’t bad—certainly better than returning to her own miserable home and being sold off again.

But in the end, it was all a lie.

There’s no such thing as kindness without reason. What she got instead was endless betrayal.

The story about Pan Shifeng “disappearing before graduation” was fake. During his time at the Workers, Peasants, and Soldiers University, he had been charming and sociable. He met the daughter of a high-ranking official, and the two quickly got together. As soon as he graduated, he stayed in the capital and became a cadre.

The idea that Wei Danni had “lost all contact” with her son was also a lie. After Pan Shifeng got married in the capital, he and his mother frequently exchanged letters.

The only one left in the dark—was her.

All the while, Wei Danni kept repeating:
“Shifeng was still thinking of you in his last letter. It’s such a pity he never came back. From now on, I’ll treat you like my own daughter. We’re a family. You said your parents never treated you well. Just stay here, and if someone good comes along, I’ll think of you first.”

Because of those words, Song Nanting willingly stayed, working like a mule, caring for the elderly, and even saving up a hefty dowry to send Pan Shiying off to be married.

Pan Shiying had always been spoiled and willful. She never showed Song Nanting a shred of respect.

Wei Danni, though infamous outside as a harsh, mean old woman, would act sweet and soft-spoken at home.

Back then, Song Nanting thought none of that mattered. What mattered was that she had a home—a mother-in-law who treated her better than her own mother ever had.

But the truth was that Wei Danni’s kindness was just a ploy to get more out of her. She never saw her as family—just a fool, a servant to use and discard.

The past was soaked in blood and pain.

It took Song Nanting nearly her whole life to discover the truth in her previous life.

Only then did she meet Lu Jian’an, who pulled her out of that hell. He stayed by her side when she reported Pan Shifeng and helped her see the downfall of the Pan family mother and children.

But in this life, she would not repeat those mistakes.

She would face all that filth head-on, avoid the detours, and take the fastest path—
to get to Lu Jian’an.