Chapter 2: Let’s Take Down These Two She-Devils Together

Qin Nian quickened her pace and reached the gate of “her” courtyard.

Through the low wall, the first person she saw was the original body’s maternal grandmother—who was, in fact, now her grandmother too.

The old woman was very thin, her withered body resembling a shed snake skin. She leaned on a wooden stick for support—her entire figure looked skinnier and weaker than the stick itself.

Standing opposite her were a man and a woman, both middle-aged and equally skinny, with unkempt hair, dirty faces, and tattered clothes. They looked like the lowest-ranked beggars in some wandering sect.

The grandmother came from the Li family on both her parents’ and husband’s sides. Everyone in the village, young and old, called her “Granny Li,” and she rather liked being called that.

Granny Li’s eyes were blazing with fury as she shouted at the pair:

“You two beasts, get the hell out of here! Don’t think I’m too old to deal with you.

Make me mad, and I’ll give you a good beating with this stick—bust your heads open! Don’t think I won’t do it!”

As soon as she finished cursing, she attempted to swing the stick at them.

But once she let go of the stick for support, her body swayed dangerously. She quickly put the stick back down, barely managing to steady herself and not fall over.

The middle-aged woman curled her lips and said:

“Mother, don’t blame me for speaking bluntly. You’re already on the brink of starving to death, and you still won’t let Xiao Nian come home?

If you ask me, you only care about yourself. You keep Xiao Nian here to dig wild vegetables for you to eat while ignoring whether she lives or dies.”

Granny Li was so furious that she spat in her direction:

“Sixteen years ago, when you gave birth to Xiao Nian and saw she was a girl, you and your husband immediately decided to dump her in the woods behind the village to feed the wolves.

I heard about it and rushed to bring her back. She barely escaped death that day.

And now you dare accuse me of not caring about her?”

The middle-aged man chimed in:

“Mother, stop pretending you’re still tough. You’re falling apart. Take off your shoes and socks tonight, and you probably won’t be able to put them back on tomorrow morning.

Let Xiao Nian come back with us. Once you kick the bucket, I promise we’ll let her come collect your corpse.

If you’re dead before that, I’ll just throw you into the woods behind the village for the wolves too.”

He paused and added:

“Xiao Nian must come with me today. I’m her father. She has to obey me.”

Granny Li was shaking with rage, even the wooden stick trembled with her:

“You beasts, don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to. It’s a famine year—no one has food.

You’ve already sold off anything worth money. Now you’ve got nothing left, so you’ve set your sights on Xiao Nian.

Bringing her back? You just want to sell her off to get a few coins for food.

As long as I, this old woman, still draw breath, no one will touch a hair on Xiao Nian’s head.

Even if I die, Xiao Nian won’t be at your mercy. Stop scheming and get the hell out!”

Granny Li had a fiery temper. If she weren’t so weak from hunger, she would’ve already rushed over and beat them herself.

Qin Nian had inherited all of the original body’s memories. She knew who these two were: her biological father, Qin Rongsheng, and her biological mother, Li Dahua.

Sixteen years ago, right after she was born, Qin Rongsheng and Li Dahua—disappointed that she was a girl—conspired with the mother-in-law to dump her in the forest at the foot of the mountain behind the village.

That forest had wolves. Families who didn’t want baby girls often secretly abandoned them there to be eaten.

Granny Li heard the news and rushed over to rescue her, raising her by her side ever since.

In those sixteen years, her parents had only shown up a few times—always with an agenda, never out of concern. They never brought food or clothing, never even acknowledged her, acting like she didn’t exist.

Now they wanted to take her back just to sell her for food to keep themselves alive. Truly a well-planned move.

Qin Nian sneered as she stepped into the yard and walked up to Granny Li, handing her a small basket.

“Grandma, I dug up a whole bunch of dandelion greens. Go wash them and eat a few to pad your stomach.”

A slow smile spread across her grandmother’s gaunt face. It had been days, and they’d finally managed to dig up some wild vegetables—what a relief.

Right after, the smile disappeared from her grandmother’s face, replaced with wariness:

“Xiao Nian, those two beasts came to take you back. They want to sell you. Don’t fall for it—don’t go with them.”

Afraid her grandmother might starve, Qin Nian kept urging her:

“I won’t fall for it. You go eat the wild greens—now!”

Granny really was too weak from hunger. She slowly turned around, leaning on her wooden stick, staggering into the house to wash the dandelions.

Qin Nian coldly fixed her gaze on the man and woman across from her, speaking with chilling sharpness:

“Before I lose my temper, you’d better leave.

If you don’t, don’t blame me for being nasty.”

With that, she turned around and grabbed a wooden shovel standing by the windowsill, glaring at the two like a tiger ready to strike.

Li Dahua took a step forward, putting on a fake smile:

“Xiao Nian, your father and I came to take you home.

Your big brother and two younger brothers all miss you. If it weren’t for your grandmother meddling, keeping you here to keep her company, we would’ve reunited long ago.

Now she’s too old to care for you. Stop suffering here—come home with Mom.”

Qin Nian narrowed her eyes:

“She’s too old to care for me, which is exactly why I need to stay and take care of her.

Go with you? What are you to me? Why should I follow you?”

Qin Rongsheng roared:

“Xiao Nian! Is that any way to talk to your mother?

It’s your grandmother’s bad influence that made you this way.

If I’d known this would happen, I should’ve raised you myself and not let you stay here with her.”

Qin Nian sneered:

“What did you say? That I stayed here because you let me? Stop lying—I know the truth.

If not for my grandmother, I’d have been wolf food ages ago.

Oh right, it was you who threw me there, wasn’t it?

And now you stand here, acting all righteous, calling yourself my father? Don’t you feel the slightest bit ashamed?”

Exposed so bluntly, Qin Rongsheng was furious:

“There are no bad parents under heaven! Even if I did toss you away sixteen years ago, I’m still your father!

No one can change that fact.

You’re coming home with me today, like it or not!”

Qin Nian shot back:

“If there are no bad parents, then how do you two have the nerve to accuse my grandmother? Isn’t she your mother too?”

Qin Rongsheng couldn’t win the argument. His face turned beet red, and he lunged toward her with an outstretched hand:

“You wretched girl—are you rebelling!?”

Qin Nian stepped back two paces and swung the wooden shovel in her hands, aiming straight for his head.

With a loud “crack!” it landed squarely on his right ear.

Qin Rongsheng stumbled back several steps, clutching his buzzing ear in disbelief.

This shovel was made of sturdy oak—hard as iron. If the original host hadn’t been so weak and malnourished, that blow might’ve cracked his skull open.

Li Dahua stared in shock:

“You dare hit your father?!”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

Qin Nian pointed the oak shovel straight at her:

“Let me say it again—Qin Rongsheng is not my father, and you’re not my mother.

Get out of here. If you try anything again, I’ll beat the both of you.”

“Well done!”

Granny Li emerged from the house, chewing on a strand of dandelion, leaning on her stick with a proud smile:

“When it’s time to strike, strike hard—beat the beasts till they crawl.

Xiao Nian, raising you wasn’t in vain. You’ve got your grandma’s fire when it counts!”

She walked over, rolled up a few freshly washed dandelion leaves, and stuffed them into Qin Nian’s mouth.

“You eat some too—build up your strength to whack them harder.”

That made Qin Nian nearly laugh out loud. This grandmother of the original host was truly one of a kind—life with her was sure to be interesting and lively.

Qin Rongsheng and Li Dahua exchanged glances. As a couple, their thoughts were in sync. Qin Nian was sixteen; her grandmother was fifty-six. Both of them were so skinny they looked like walking ghosts.

They themselves were thin too—but still in their prime. How could they not overpower this one old woman and one scrawny girl?

As long as they dragged Qin Nian back, they’d have silver in hand by tomorrow.

Qin Rongsheng rubbed his still-ringing ear and ordered Li Dahua:

“Let’s go together—take down these two she-devils!”

And with that, he charged at Qin Nian.