At this time, Zhu Chaozhang pleaded anxiously,” Officer Yang please be merciful, I have seen this child Sangwan grow up surely there must be a reason for the incident just now…”

Ye Sangyan also frantically explained, “Yes,Yes ! Theses officers who came to report the death of their family members wanted to do bad things to me and my sister….”

Ye Sangwan calmly stated, “ These officers saw us orphans easy to bully, so they wanted to rob our home and take advantage of us sisters so I had to take extreme measures in self-defence. Beside, they didn’t die but just temporarily fainted.”

Although Officer Yang didn’t know what it meant to act in ‘self-defence’ he had a rough guess when he saw the men with naked half-body and additionally the girl in front of him didn’t seem the type to dare to kill people. So he raised his hand’s signalling his subordinates to put down their swords and step back.

Free from the grip of official’s Ye Sangwan pointed to another room from which she previously rushed out,’ “ There are still people in that room.”

After the three naked criminals were dragged away, the onlookers cast sympathetic glances at Ye Sangwan and Ye Sangyan. Their family’s tragic fate was known to all, but today’s incident only made matters worse.

One officer stepped forward, his voice steady yet filled with a hint of admiration. “These people were frauds. They are notorious criminals in town. You have done a great service by exposing them. Our superiors have been hunting them down for months.”

Ye Sangyan’s heart pounded. “Then the news they spread about my father and elder brother’s death—is that false too?” Her wide eyes shimmered with hope as she awaited his response.

The officer’s gaze wavered. He hesitated, his fingers tightening around the small pouch at his waist. In a swift motion, he pulled out three silver ingots and placed them in her trembling hands. “Miss, my condolences.”

The silver felt like molten lead in Ye Sangyan’s palm. In an instant, she hurled it to the ground, her voice cracking with anguish. She turned and clung to Ye Sangwan, sobbing uncontrollably. “Eldest sister, I don’t want silver! I want Father! I want my elder brother! These officials must be lying!”

Ye Sangwan held her sister tightly, her own grief buried beneath a mask of composure. She stroked Ye Sangyan’s back until the younger girl sobbed herself into exhaustion and fainted. As servants carried her inside, Ye Sangwan stood motionless, staring at the abandoned silver ingots. A storm of emotions churned within her. She was staring at the silver thrown on the ground while analysing the situation with the help of original owner’s memory.

The harsh reality of Tianshan Kingdom was inescapable. Conscription stole men from families, leaving the elderly, women, and children to fend for themselves. With heavy grain taxes and insurmountable debts, survival was an endless struggle. And now, to make matters worse, the truth was staring them in the face—there was no coming back from this loss.

Since their father—a skilled hunter—had been conscripted, their family’s primary source of income had vanished. Their grandmother, Zhao Juhua, showed no mercy, treating them as burdens rather than blood relatives which made their already difficult life more miserable.

Suddenly, frantic footsteps disrupted her thoughts. A panicked voice rang out. “Sangwan! Sangyan! Hurry! Your sister-in-law is bleeding heavily!”

Hearing the shout Ye Sangwan subconsciously sprinted outside and saw a frail young woman skinny to the bone but with bulging stomach was being carried in, her face ghostly pale, her legs soaked in crimson.

Without hesitation, Ye Sangwan led the group inside. A maiden’s voice quivered with sympathy. “Miss Sangwan, we all heard about your father and elder brother. Stay strong. Your sister-in-law… she slipped in the vegetable garden after hearing the news. The child…” Although she stopped midway but the implication was clear just thinking of the timid and suppressed nature of the two sisters, she could only shake her head and leave helplessly. Every family has it’s own troubles especially now in times of chaos so it is not easy to help others deal with their problems.

The unspoken words chilled Ye Sangwan to her core. She wasted no time, pressing trembling fingers to Xu Dani’s wrist, her pulse faint and erratic. A child—the original owner’s elder brother’s only bloodline—was slipping away.

Grinding her teeth, she grabbed a silver needle and began acupuncture to halt the bleeding. Beads of sweat drenched her forehead, her vision blurring. When she finally withdrew the last needle, her body swayed from exhaustion.

The child was saved, but the ordeal came at a cost. Xu Dani had to remain bedridden, her condition fragile. With medical expenses looming, the Ye family’s dire financial situation worsened.

Five years ago, the imperial court enforced mass conscription. Every household had to send a male member to war. As the eldest son, her father was the obvious choice, especially since Zhao Juhua favored her second and third uncles.

Two years later, grief struck again—her mother, tormented and overworked, succumbed to illness.

Six months ago, history repeated itself. This time, Zhao Juhua secretly submitted her elder brother’s name, ensuring her favored sons and grandsons remained safe. The matter was a foregone conclusion in order to protect his wife and younger siblings, befor leaving for the front lines, her brother pleaded for their house to be separated from the main Ye estate and move to the dilapidated house of Ye family at the foot of the mountain to settle down, hoping to shield them from further mistreatment.

But separation meant nothing to Zhao. She still exploited them, working them to the bone yet denying them even a sip of water from the main household on the ground that they had separated the family. Their little harvest was stolen and snatched away for various reasons on grounds of seniority with their dignity trampled.

It is said that the eldest sister-in-law is like a mother. Even though this sister-in-law was pregnant, she tried her best to rush to work fearing that they would be tired from overwork but still Zhao showed them no kindness instead she became more and more screw like constantly berating and complaining about them. Also as months of pregnancy progressed Xu Dani gradually became more unable to do what she wanted.

And now, as Ye Sangwan pieced together the truth, her blood boiled.

Zhao Juhua had been lurking during the commotion, thinking of something Ye Sangwan hurriedly got up and went out. The moment Ye Sangwan entered the courtyard, she realized something was missing.

The hen who laid eggs-gone.

The funeral silver that their family got after the sacrifice of her father and elder brother —vanished.

Who else could have done such an immoral thing except the original owner’s shameless grandmother Zhao ? The sense of substitution was too strong especially after digesting the original owner’s memory, Ye Sangwan quickly acknowledged her new identity.

A surge of fury overtook her. She grabbed a kitchen knife, draped a linen cloth over her shoulders and hung another piece at the door signifying mourning period and stormed out. Her steps were quick, her rage unchecked.

“Sangwan, where are you going? And that to with a bloody knife”

“Someone stop her! She’s lost her mind!”

Ignoring the villagers’ shouts, Ye Sangwan reached the Ye family mansion. The rich aroma of chicken stew hit her nose—a sickening contrast to her sister-in-law’s suffering who was forced by Zhao to grow vegetables with big belly and almost had a miscarriage. It would have been fine if the Ye family didn’t help, but even the old hen that was supposed to be left for her sister-in-laws nourishment was stolen by Zhao.

With a powerful kick, she slammed the door open.

Zhao Juhua emerged, a spatula in hand. Her triangular eyes narrowed menacingly at the intruder”What nonsense is this, you wretched girl? Are you trying to die? How dare you—”

Before she could finish her self-righteous speech , Ye Sangwan lunged forward, gripping the old woman’s collar. “Give me back what you stole.”

Zhao’s eyes flickered with guilt before she spat, “What are you talking about? I raised your father and elder brother! That money is mine! And the chicken? I’m your grandmother! You should be honoring me!”

Ye Sangwan’s lips curled in disgust. “Honouring you? Zhao Juhua, ask yourself in your heart ! Among all the Ye family members who is not living comfortably? My father’s hard-earned money from hunting over the years built this house. My eight-year old brother hunted every day so you could feast while we starved and he is still in the mountains picking firewood and catch games for you old Ye family and if he doesn’t catch a pheasant every day, you won’t let him come back! My mother was tortured by you—she died because of your cruelty while pregnant because you forced her to wash sheets with cold water causing her to fall ill ! And now, my sister-in-law nearly lost her baby because of you who is lazy and inhuman enough to force a heavily pregnant women to grow vegetables.!” Her voice shook with rage. “And you dare to steal from the dead?”

A murmur rose among the gathering villagers. Everyone knew Zhao Juhua’s greed, but hearing it laid bare sent ripples of outrage through the crowd.Afterall, if Ye family’s bad things were to be told separately, would take three days and three nights to finish.

Zhao, however, remained unfazed. “What do you mean stolen? Your father was my son. His money is mine! And I already sent the rest of the silver to your Third Uncle. If you want it, go beg him!”

If you want to get money from her, Zhao Junua dream on.

This is the first time that Ye Sangwan has met such an unreasonable person since be born. She glared at Zhao with red eyes and a belly full of anger that shook her body to the core, still Zhao didn’t seem to know her fault at all. Instead she looked down on her with her chin high like a proud rooster. Ye Sangwan could no longer bear it and rushed towards Zhao with knife in her hand holding it across Zhao’s triple chin and star at her from sides.

Ye Sangwan’s grip tightened. “A barefoot person is not afraid of those wearing shoes! You’ve taken everything from us form the newly harvested grains, the old hen for my sister-in-law who is now lying on bed breathing out but not breathing in to funeral money of my father and brother. I Ye Sangwan, have only one life which is miserable enough so I don’t mind death but I swear, if you harm my family again, I will make you pay!”

She pressed the blade against Zhao’s throat as she spoke. A thin line of blood appeared on Zhao’s neck.

“Ah! Murder! My granddaughter is trying to kill me!” Zhao screeched, but her body trembled, the foul stench of urine filling the air. But Ye Sangwan didn’t seem fazed instead she straggled Zhao’s neck more tightly making Zhao feel as if she was seeing the king Yama staring at her from underworld waiting to claim her life. Zhao didn’t understand why Sangwan a little girl who was easy to bully before suddenly became so terrifying! Never in million years would she guess that Sangwan is no longer the same Sangwan who was previously easy to bully.

Sangwan emphasised again,” Bring the things.”

”Bring it , I will take it out don’t kill me”Zhao begged and quickly urged her second son Ye Dasheng, who was as dumbfounded as a chicken since the moment Sangwan appeared like a hurricane,” Second son, go get the silver quickly! Hurry up!”

Ye Dasheng always obeyed his mother’s orders and it only took a blink of an eye for him to go and get the money . Reluctantly, he threw the purse to Zhao who clutched the money tightly as if it was not money that the purse held but instead her heart. Silently Sangwan tilted the blade letting it’s glint shown to Zhao.

Fear finally broke through her arrogance. “Fine! Take it! Just don’t kill me!” She shoved a pouch toward Ye Sangwan, her hands shaking.

Ye Sangwan snatched it, her eyes scanning its contents. One ingot was missing.

Her gaze snapped back to Zhao like an arrow . “Where’s the rest?”

Zhao shuddered with fear but still answered truthfully “That’s all I have. The rest is with your Third Uncle. Take it or leave it.”

Ye Sangwan’s lips pressed into a thin line. This wasn’t over.

Not by a long shot. Today she is going to settle these money grubbing ghouls not matter what!

(Translators Note : Hello ! 🙂

This is my very first attempt at translating, and I’m excited to share it with you. I hope you find this translation engaging and clear. As someone still learning the craft, your feedback is invaluable to me. I encourage you to read through and share your thoughts, suggestions, or any constructive criticism you may have. Your input will help me improve and refine my skills. Thank you for reading, and I look forward to hearing from you! )