Chapter 2 : Beat up the scum

Su Xieqiu gritted her teeth, her smile cold and sharp.  

“This family is truly remarkable. So many people gang up to bully a 17 or 18-year-old girl sent to the countryside. Aren’t they afraid of karma?”  

The original owner of this body was such a pushover. Her boyfriend in the city cheated on her with her own sister, and her family had completely abandoned her.  

Yet she still clung desperately to that cheating scumbag and her indifferent family back in the city.  

She endured so much suffering in the countryside,what could I even say about someone like her?  

Touching the wound on her forehead, still wrapped with a handkerchief by the original owner, Su Xieqiu sighed.  

She stood up and scanned the narrow adobe house.  

It was tiny, with only a dirt kang bed and a narrow walkway. On the kang stood an old cabinet with a mirror attached.  

She picked up the mirror and looked at the reflection. An oval face stared back, framed by curved eyebrows, and eyes as dark as onyx.  

Her complexion was sallow, likely from malnutrition, but the features were good. With proper care, she could become a beauty, no less attractive than she had been in her previous life.  

Su Xieqiu was satisfied with this face. It looked at least ten years younger than she had in her past life, so it wasn’t a bad deal.  

Putting down the mirror, she prepared to step outside for a look.  

But just as she approached the door, she overheard two voices outside.  

“Second sister-in-law, that little wench Su Xieqiu didn’t leave the house today. You don’t think something happened, do you?”  

It was Han Meili, the original owner’s sister-in-law and the person responsible for her death.  

Another voice responded, “It shouldn’t be anything serious. She just hit her head, and there wasn’t much blood. She’s probably hiding in the house to slack off.”  

The speaker was Zhang Qianyun, another of the original owner’s sisters-in-law. An educated youth herself, she had married Han Zhenhua, the original owner’s brother-in-law, the previous year.  

Zhang Qianyun had always been jealous of Su Xieqiu’s beauty and harbored a deep dislike for her. Though she acted respectful in public, she privately used the most venomous words to insult and mock her, cutting deeper than any blade.  

Su Xieqiu smirked coldly, pressing a hand to her aching head.  

“I don’t know why I ended up in your body, but rest assured I’ll make sure those who bullied you get what they deserve. Even if it means using your body to settle the score, though I’d rather not.”  

Thinking of the uncanny connection between their identical names, she suspected they had somehow swapped souls. To the original owner, she silently explained:  

“If our souls really did switch, don’t worry. I bought that house myself, and I still have some savings in my bank account. You’ll be able to live well there.  

But you must toughen up. You can’t stay as weak as you were. Only when you’re strong will others stop daring to bully you.”  

With that thought, she climbed off the kang, stretched her stiff body, and scanned the room once more for anything useful.  

Finding nothing, she finally opened the door and stepped outside.  

Zhang Qianyun and Han Meili, washing clothes in the yard, turned their heads at the sound of the door.  

When they saw her emerge, they both rolled their eyes but looked relieved.  

Good thing this woman was still alive. If she’d actually died in the house, Han Zhenyu would never forgive them when he returned.  

Han Meili smirked and said mockingly, “Oh, you’re willing to come out? I thought you’d gone and died in there.”  

She tossed the clothes in her hand into a basin and snapped, “Hurry up and wash these clothes, or I’ll make you regret it.”  

Su Xieqiu ignored her. She was starving and needed to eat first. She’d deal with these two scumbags after she was full.  

Han Meili was furious when she saw that Su Xieqiu, who had always been timid and obedient, dared to ignore her.  

“You bitch, didn’t you hear me? Get over here and wash this basin of clothes!”  

Su Xieqiu didn’t even glance at her and walked straight to the kitchen.  

Who on earth was this family guarding against? The kitchen was practically bare, save for a salt shaker.  

She headed to the chicken coop out back.  

There were four chickens at home, and now was the time they were laying eggs.  

Seeing two fresh eggs in the nest, she grabbed them without hesitation.  

Then she went to the old woman’s room and found a bowl of flour, planning to make some egg pancakes.  

Han Meili and Zhang Qianyun, who were still washing clothes, were dumbfounded when they saw her actions.  

Was Su Xieqiu really this bold today?  

She dared to steal eggs and fine grains from the family stock. This was outright defiance!  

“You wretched girl, how dare you steal food from my mother-in-law’s room! And those eggs, do you think you’re worthy of eating them?”  

Han Meili stormed over, cursing, and snatched the eggs and flour from Su Xieqiu’s hands.  

But before she could react, Su Xieqiu kicked her. Caught off guard, Han Meili fell flat on her back.  

“You kicked me!” Han Meili exclaimed in shock.  

The Su Xieqiu she knew was a coward who never fought back, never talked back. But today, she not only stole eggs and flour but also dared to fight back? Was she possessed?  

Su Xieqiu, stomach growling from hunger, didn’t bother wasting energy on her.  

She decided to eat first, then deal with everything else afterward.  

She poured the flour into a bowl, cracked the eggs into it, and mixed them together.  

Heading back to the old woman’s room, she found an oil can, scooped a generous spoonful of lard, and dropped it into the pan.  

Before long, the rich aroma of four golden-brown egg pancakes filled the air.  

Su Xieqiu devoured them in one go, finally feeling somewhat satiated, though her throat felt dry.  

As she remembered the flour, she recalled spotting half a can of malted milk in the cupboard.  

This body is too weak and needs proper nourishment.  

Without hesitation, she made a large bowl of malted milk and drank it while sitting in the yard.  

As she sipped the warm drink slowly, she listened to Han Meili’s relentless, venomous cursing.  

Even after she finished drinking, Han Meili showed no signs of stopping. Her insults grew filthier and more malicious, targeting not just Su Xieqiu but even her ancestors.  

The words spilling from her mouth were vile, the kind of language no teenage girl should ever utter.  

Meanwhile, Zhang Qianyun continued washing clothes at a leisurely pace, a smug grin plastered across her face. She was clearly enjoying the show without lifting a finger to interfere.  

Her expression was steeped in malice, relishing the chaos but staying uninvolved.  

Han Meili, who bullied the weak but cowered before the strong, kept her distance after being kicked earlier. Instead, she sat far off, hurling insults to maintain her false bravado.  

Su Xieqiu set the empty bowl down casually, grabbed the fire poker from beside the stove, and stepped out of the kitchen.  

Han Meili momentarily fell silent when she saw Su Xieqiu emerge holding the poker, but her anger reignited as she recalled the earlier kick.  

Throwing the clothes into the basin, she stood with one hand on her hip and pointed accusingly with the other.  

“You shameless hussy! To marry into this family, you stripped in public just to seduce that scoundrel Han Zhenyu. Now you’ve got what you wanted, but you refuse to work, stealing eggs and flour instead! Just wait until my mother gets back, she’ll make you regret this!”  

Before she could say more, Su Xieqiu abruptly raised her right hand and slapped Han Meili hard across the face.  

Han Meili was too stunned to react before Su Xieqiu struck her four or five more times in quick succession. Then, without hesitation, she began beating her with the fire poker.  

Su Xieqiu didn’t utter a word, her actions speaking louder than any threats.  

Han Meili’s screams pierced through the yard as she tried to run, but Su Xieqiu grabbed her by the hair, yanking her back.  

With the poker in hand, Su Xieqiu mercilessly struck her legs and buttocks, the sound of the blows echoing in the air.