Chapter 1

When the last ginkgo leaf fell in Changle Town in late autumn, the weather had already turned very cold. The bleak northern wind suddenly picked up, hitting people’s faces like a dull knife, causing a stinging pain.

The sky had not yet fully brightened, and while most of the shops on the street were still closed, some, like the breakfast shops, had already opened early for business.

“Madam Huang, you’re up early today?” Madam Zheng, who sold groceries, smiled and asked as she saw Madam Huang with a basket, ready to go out.

“Don’t even mention it. Last night, my daughter-in-law drank too much cold water and felt unwell this morning. She’s bedridden and can’t get up, so I’m heading to the butcher to get some meat.” Madam Huang explained with a sigh.

“No wonder. I usually see your daughter-in-law getting the meat, but it’s you today. When the weather turns cold, you can’t be careless. Even young people, despite being healthy, should still be cautious. Just look at Old Wang from the east side; he was only in his thirties but passed away suddenly, leaving behind his widow and children. Without the head of the household, the family suffers.”

“Exactly. The saddest part is that Old Wang’s wife is still pregnant. He may be at peace, but it’s hard for the young and the old. And with Old Wang’s mother being so biased, that family is bound to face hardship.” Madam Huang sighed as well.

The two women exchanged a look of sympathy and shook their heads.

“There’s a saying, ‘Widows face many troubles.’ With a widow and orphans, life is bound to be difficult. Old Wang was a good person, but why did he have to die young?”

“That’s the truth. Now we can only hope Old Wang’s wife’s baby is a boy. If she gives birth to another girl, Old Wang’s mother might drive her away.” Madam Huang added.

Not only in wealthy families but any mother-in-law wishes for a grandson. Old Wang’s wife had already given birth to four daughters, and now, with her husband gone, if she had another daughter, their line would end.

There’s an ancient saying that among the three major unfilial acts, having no descendants is the worst. Continuing the family line is crucial. As long as the man is alive, he can father more children, but with him gone, Old Wang’s wife can’t have more children, no matter how much she wishes. So, this child of Old Wang’s wife is of utmost importance.

“Poor thing. Old Wang’s wife has always been kind-hearted. Indeed, good people don’t live long. Now we can only hope for the Buddha’s blessing.” Madam Huang rambled on until the sky brightened, hurriedly bid farewell, and rushed to the butcher.

Madam Zheng watched her leave, then turned around to see a weary yet smiling girl. Quickly, she put on a smile and said, “Oh, Yuan’er, where are you headed so early?”

Wang Yuan’er, carrying firewood, replied, “There’s a big market today. I wanted to sell the firewood early and then go home to work.”

“Well, you better hurry then!” Madam Zheng waved her on.

Wang Yuan’er nodded with a smile, mentioned that she might bring shoes to sell later, and headed to the market.

Chapter 2

Wang Yuan’er sat behind her bundle of firewood, staring blankly at it, lost in thought. She lifted her pant leg and saw the nearly dried blood on her knee, which brought her back to reality. She remembered that when she was fifteen, her father had passed away less than a month ago, and her mother cried almost every day, nearly blinding herself. As the eldest daughter, she had to take on the responsibility of supporting the family.

Just like in her previous life, she went up the mountain early in the morning to chop firewood, planning to sell it at the market to earn money for the family. However, the mountain was slippery from the recent autumn rain, and she fell heavily, losing consciousness for a moment.

In her previous life, she discovered her leg was injured after waking up. As a farm child, she was used to getting hurt and didn’t think much of it. She carried the firewood and left.

At that time, she sold the firewood, but her aunt and grandmother took the money. She was upset, but her mother advised her that since the family hadn’t split, it was natural for the money to go to her grandmother.

She had always been obedient and let it go. However, because she had no money, her mother couldn’t get proper care after a difficult childbirth and passed away without even completing her postpartum recovery. This left her and her siblings truly orphaned.

Later, her second uncle, aunt, and grandmother arranged for her to marry an old man from the Li family as a concubine to bring good fortune. She was gentle and kind-hearted, and they convinced her that marrying into such a family would ensure her siblings’ well-being. But that wasn’t the case.

The Li family was wealthy but stingy, treating her like a thief. They didn’t let her manage the household and only gave her a small monthly allowance. She secretly saved money to send to her siblings, but she found out on her deathbed that none of it had reached them.

Her younger brother, malnourished, fell into a well and drowned at the age of three. Her second sister married a bad-tempered husband and had a miserable life with unkind in-laws. Her third and fourth sisters disappeared without a trace.

As for herself, although she had enough to eat and wear after marrying into the Li family, her life was worse than that of a dog. The old man treated her as a tool for his desires, hoping she would bear him a son. But despite his youthful indiscretions, he couldn’t father any more children. His foolish son couldn’t find a wife, so he forced her to sleep with him to continue the family line. She refused, and upon hearing that her family had perished in a sudden flood in Changle Town, she lost all hope and killed the foolish son before taking her own life.

Surprisingly, when she opened her eyes again, she returned to the moment she fell off the mountain. The pain confirmed it was real, and she couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed with emotion. This must be the Buddha’s mercy, allowing her to return to the past.

Suppressing her excitement, Wang Yuan’er looked at the bustling street, her hands clenched tightly. In her previous life, she was gentle and virtuous, but it led to a lonely death, and her siblings met tragic ends.

In this new life, she was determined to do everything to protect her siblings and overturn the misfortunes of the past. If being virtuous and kind didn’t lead to a good end, she would rather be selfish and cold-hearted, as long as she could protect her siblings and those she cared about.

“Miss, how much for this firewood?” a man in long clothes asked, bending down.

“Uncle, I’m in a hurry to get home, so I won’t charge you much. This big bundle is just twelve coins,” Wang Yuan’er replied with a bright smile.

She couldn’t wait to go home and see her mother and sisters.