“Qin Wan, is this true?”

Qin Fu looked sharply and painfully at his niece Qin Wan, unable to believe he had raised a hidden threat under his roof.

After all, Qin Wan was still only a nineteen-year-old girl.

Being glared at by Qin Fu made her guilty, but with her precocious mind she quickly put on a pitiful expression.

“No, Uncle, it’s not true. How could I possibly have such dirty thoughts? Elder Sister, I know you despise me for freeloading at home. I’ll agree to Madam Wang’s marriage proposal right away, marry the old bachelor from the neighboring village, and repay Uncle’s years of raising me with the bride price. Don’t accuse me just because you want to cover up your own crime of harming your own children.”

One had to admit—Qin Wan’s “white lotus” act was impressive.

With just a few words, she splashed dirty water over the entire Qin family.

She implied that the original Qin Nian despised her, that Qin Fu(Qin Father) and Qin Mu(Qin Mother) raised her only for the sake of her dowry.

In a moment, ten years of the Qin family’s care was twisted into self-interest.

And Qin Wan happened to have that delicate, pitiful beauty that evoked sympathy.

Seeing her cry like pear blossoms in the rain, those around her immediately felt protective.

“Qin Nian, don’t throw filth onto Qin Wan. Even your own son says you pushed the siblings into the water. We won’t believe your lies.”

“Secretary Qin, Qin Wan is only nineteen. Forcing such a young and pretty girl to marry an old bachelor—your family’s heart is too black.”

“A heartless man like him doesn’t deserve to be the village secretary. Let’s go to town and report him for demanding a high bride price and forcing his niece into marriage!”

Faced with the accusations, Qin Fu and Qin Mu hurried to explain, but no one believed them.

On the contrary, people began to make a scene, openly siding with Qin Wan.

Because Qin Fu had raised three excellent sons, the villagers had long been envious.

Bringing Qin Fu down from his secretary position was what they most wanted to see.

Seeing everyone stand on her side, a trace of pride flickered in Qin Wan’s eyes.

Though she didn’t know how Qin Nian—who should have already died—had suddenly come back, she could still ruin Qin Nian’s reputation.

As long as the two children were willing to follow her to the army to find Xie Zhengnian, it would work.

She believed that once she saw Xie Zhengnian, she could definitely charm him into divorcing Qin Nian and marrying her.

Thinking of this, Qin Wan grew impatient and immediately looked at the children with tears in her eyes.

“Fantuan, tell everyone—who pushed you into the water?”

In fact, the original Qin Nian only plotted for her daughter to fall into the water, not her son.

She knew that if her daughter fell in, her son would unhesitatingly jump in to save her.

Qin Nian looked at Fantuan expectantly, hoping to see at least a shred of motherly affection in his eyes.

But in Fantuan’s gaze there was not the slightest bit of mother-child affection—only hatred and wariness.

“Aunt Wan, it was that bad woman who pushed me and my sister into the water. She wanted to kill us so we wouldn’t get in the way of her pursuing happiness.”

Xiaobao pouted his little lips, like one could hang an oil jug on them, and angrily echoed his brother.

“Bad Mama, bad Mama.”

From her own children came the most brutal blow, hammering Qin Nian mercilessly.

“Qin Nian, you heard that. Even your own children call you a bad woman. How dare you slander Qin Wan?”

“A woman who would harm her own children doesn’t deserve to be a mother. We should report her to the police.”

“Secretary Qin, even if it’s your daughter, you can’t cover for her.”

Qin Fu felt as if he were being roasted alive.

Qin Nian was his daughter.

Even if he lost his position, he had to protect her.

“Please, everyone, give—”

Qin Nian’s clear voice cut him off.

“Report it to the police. Hurry up and call them. Perfect timing—they can take away this pair of scumbags who tried to kill me.”

She then leaned close to Qin Mu and whispered a few words.

Seeing Qin Mu walk into the house, Qin Wan suddenly felt uneasy.

But then she reassured herself. That thing was hidden very well—Qin Nian couldn’t possibly know. Her expression calmed.

Just as her face relaxed, she saw Qin Mu come out holding a black cloth bundle smeared with dirt.

Qin Wan’s face went pale.

She rushed forward to snatch it, but Qin Fu grabbed her.

Qin Mu handed the bundle to Qin Nian.

Qin Nian didn’t open it immediately but instead looked at Fantuan with gentle eyes.

“Fantuan, didn’t Qin Wan tell you she would take you and your sister to the army to see your father in three days?”

In Fantuan’s memory, his mother had never smiled at him.

Seeing her smile so warmly now, he was briefly shocked, then quickly turned his head away, refusing to answer.

Noticing Fantuan’s rejection, Qin Nian thought to herself that the original Qin Nian had hurt her children too deeply. To rebuild closeness would take time and effort.

She opened the black bundle, revealing a train ticket and a letter of introduction.

“Everyone, look—this is a train ticket for the day after tomorrow. This is the introduction letter Qin Wan obtained in town, saying she would take my two children to the army for a visit. Tell me, even I, their mother, haven’t gone to the army—what right does a cousin, who isn’t even my real sister, have to take my children there for a ‘family visit’?”

The crowd stared at the ticket and letter, stunned.

No one refuted her again, though neither did they insult Qin Wan the way they had cursed Qin Nian.

For in their hearts, all they wanted was to bring down the most successful Qin family.

In her previous life, Qin Wan had married Xie Zhengnian and used his power to betray the Qin family, framing Qin Fu and sending him to prison.

Even his three sons were punished.

Qin Mu, left alone in the village, was bullied and insulted until she finally fell into depression and committed suicide.

Now that Qin Nian had taken over the original’s body, she would not allow the tragedy of the Qin family to repeat.

A white-eyed wolf should be driven out of the house early.

“Qin Wan, your father died when you were nine, and your mother remarried. We raised you as our own daughter for ten years. Yet you try to harm your sister and steal her husband—how could you be so vicious at such a young age?” Qin Mu cried angrily.

“I—I—I didn’t!”

Her scandal being exposed before everyone left Qin Wan pale and stammering.

Through her tear-filled eyes, she spotted Fantuan and a light flashed in her gaze.

“I didn’t want to steal my brother-in-law. I just saw how much Fantuan and Douya(Xiaobao) missed their father—especially Fantuan. Whenever he saw other kids call out ‘Dad,’ he would secretly wipe away his tears. But Elder Sister doesn’t like Brother-in-law, and forbids Fantuan to even mention him in front of her. So I wanted to secretly take them to see him. Once they relieved their longing, I would immediately bring them back.”

Her words instantly softened Fantuan, who had been standing there with his neck stiff like a defiant little rooster.

His eyes grew tender as he looked gratefully at Qin Wan and even stepped forward to defend her.

“Aunt Wan is right. My sister and I missed Dad too much, so we begged her to take us to see him secretly.”

“See Dad. Aunt Wan takes us to see Dad. Dad good, Aunt Wan good, Mama bad.” Xiaobao said.

No wonder she was the novel’s heroine—she knew exactly how to manipulate children’s longing for love.

Faced with yet another hammer blow from her own children, Qin Nian felt as though her face had been slapped again and again.