Chapter 1
“As expected of a girl raised on rice and flour, she is indeed fairer and more delicate than those who eat bran and beans.
Ten taels of silver, and I’ll quietly sell her off to Jiangnan, guaranteed to be without anyone knowing.”
Ling JinSui’s scalp throbbed. It seemed she was quite badly injured in the explosion at the medical research institute.
A low, hoarse old woman’s voice reached her ears, and then her face was scratched twice with fingernails.
Usually calm, she didn’t rush to open her eyes but quietly listened to the people in front of her talking.
She instinctively felt she wasn’t in a hospital. While the situation was unclear, she needed to be patient.
At this moment, another shrill-voiced woman said:
“Ten taels? My niece is an official’s daughter! Less than twenty taels, and we won’t sell.”
The old woman sneered:
“An official’s daughter? Her County Magistrate father has already been sentenced to death. Your sister-in-law and nephew are exiled to the bitter cold Yandi, likely frozen to death on the way.
She’s lucky she didn’t follow her parents to the capital, or she would have been sent to the pleasure quarters long ago, and you wouldn’t get a single coin.
If you don’t sell, I’ll leave. If the government office finds out Magistrate Ling still has a daughter, you’ll be guilty of harboring a fugitive!”
At this moment, hurried footsteps approached, and then a middle-aged man said in a low voice to the woman:
“Forget it. What if Grandpa Ling comes looking for her tomorrow?”
The woman said fiercely:
“Old Man Ling is going to Yandi to find his grandson. If you send this jinx to our house, and don’t sell her far away, do you want to bring disaster upon us?
If you can’t bear to part with your nephew, you can go eat prison food with her. Don’t implicate me and the children.”
The man glanced at Ling JinSui on the bed and sighed with pity.
In the few words the three exchanged, fragmented memories flashed through Ling JinSui’s mind, memories belonging to another Ling JinSui.
She shared the same name, the daughter of a County Magistrate who had just reached the age of marriage in February. Her family had suffered a sudden disaster, and her grandfather had sent her to her maternal uncle’s Jiang Family to escape misfortune.
It was hateful that this maternal uncle, Jiang Youzhi, and his wife, Madam Zheng, had promised Ling Grandpa countless times in front of him that they would take good care of her.
But as soon as Ling Grandpa left, Madam Zheng treated the Original Owner like a servant, not only being harsh with food and scolding her with words.
In the Central Plains, in Shencheng, the March wind was sharp and the frost was heavy. Before dawn, the little girl was made to do farm work.
The Original Owner had been doted on by her grandfather at home. When had she ever suffered such hardship? After only two days of farm work, she fell ill.
When the news of Father Ling’s execution arrived, the two immediately changed their tune. They invited a human trafficker and intended to sell her to the pleasure quarters of Jiangnan.
They didn’t know that, to reassure Grandpa and let him go north to find his mother and younger brother with peace of mind, that kind and gentle little girl
had already passed away and returned to the Yellow Springs, her body now occupied by a person from another world a thousand years later.
And she, though sharing the same name as the Original Owner, had a completely different personality.
Ling JinSui sorted out her thoughts. The transmigration was hard to accept, making her feel like she was dreaming or that her injuries were too severe, causing hallucinations.
But no matter which situation it was, she would not allow herself to fall into despair.
She quietly waited for the Original Owner’s maternal uncle to make up his mind, whether he would soften his heart and keep her, or resolutely sell her.
She didn’t have to wait long, nor did she fall into a dilemma. Jiang Youzhi said with a pitying but firm tone:
“Fifteen taels! Give us fifteen taels, and you can take her away immediately.”
Madam Zheng said happily, “Master, you’ve finally shown some backbone.
I agreed to keep this girl initially because I wanted her to be a wife for our eldest son.
Now that we sell her for silver to use as betrothal gifts, eldest son can marry a girl with a clean family background.”
The old woman gritted her teeth and said, “Deal! It’s a fixed price, but to prevent her from speaking nonsense if she wakes up, you must give her a mute medicine.”
Madam Zheng did not hesitate in the slightest, saying with the momentum of an arrow already shot from the bow, “Alright, bring the mute medicine, I’ll administer it myself.”
Ling JinSui sneered inwardly, “Very good, my dear maternal uncle and aunt.
If you are unrighteous, don’t blame me for being unrighteous!”
She seized the opportune moment. When the old woman handed the mute medicine to Madam Zheng, and Madam Zheng asked Jiang Youzhi to fetch water, she moaned twice, pretending to have just woken up.
Madam Zheng quickly pushed the old woman out: “Quick, don’t let her see you.”
The old woman whispered, “I’ll have people waiting outside. You drug her, tie her up, and leave under the cover of darkness tonight.”
When Jiang Youzhi brought water in, he had a worried and affectionate look on his face, acting out the pretense and hypocrisy with perfect skill.
He even told the newly awakened Ling JinSui to rest well after taking the medicine and that she wouldn’t have to do farm work anymore.
Ling JinSui ‘weakly’ thanked her maternal uncle, saying shyly, “Could Maternal Uncle please go out first? Sui Sui’s body aches, I want Maternal Aunt to take a look.”
Jiang Youzhi quickly winked at Madam Zheng, signaling that the human trafficker was ready and urging her to act quickly.
Madam Zheng understood immediately. As soon as Jiang Youzhi left, she went forward and closed the door, saying enthusiastically:
“Where is Sui Sui uncomfortable? Let Maternal Aunt have a look, but you should drink the medicine first.”
After closing the door, she turned around and saw Ling JinSui standing in the room, looking at her with a smile. Her expression, a mix of teasing and coldness, was one Madam Zheng had never seen before.
Her heart skipped a beat. Could this damned girl have overheard her conversation with the human trafficker just now?
She quickly asked, “What, what’s wrong with you, Sui Sui?”
Ling JinSui extended her hand and asked with a smile, “Maternal Aunt wants me to drink medicine, where is it?”
Madam Zheng quickly handed her the mute medicine, her doubts gradually fading.
She thought to herself, this damned girl is like she’s possessed by a ghost. Considering you’re worth fifteen taels of silver, I won’t curse you.
Ling JinSui took the medicine under Madam Zheng’s expectant gaze, slowly opened the medicine packet, and after just a light sniff, she knew it was indeed a poison that could burn the throat and cause lifelong muteness.
Giving Madam Zheng one last chance, she asked softly:
“Does Maternal Aunt really want Sui Sui to drink it?”
Madam Zheng’s expression didn’t change at all, and she nodded quickly: “Drink it quickly, and you’ll get better.”
Ling JinSui’s smile didn’t fade. Without giving Madam Zheng any chance to react, she moved with lightning speed, grabbing Madam Zheng’s neck with one hand and forcing the medicine into her mouth with the other.
Madam Zheng was greatly alarmed and was about to scream when she felt a sharp pain in the back of her neck, her vision went black, and she lost consciousness.
Ling JinSui quickly poured water for her to ensure the medicine’s effectiveness. Then, she nimbly swapped their clothes, laid Madam Zheng on the bed, and covered her face with a thin quilt.
She herself wrapped her head with a piece of cloth, leaving only her eyes exposed.
Looking around, the narrow, dilapidated room contained nothing of value. Seeing the oil lamp stand on the table, she picked it up and put it in her sleeve.
She opened the door. The sun was setting in the west, and the moon was rising in the east. From a distance, faces couldn’t be clearly seen.
Jiang Youzhi hurried over from the main hall. Ling JinSui mimicked Madam Zheng’s posture and quickly waved at him, signaling him not to come closer.
Jiang Youzhi didn’t suspect anything and turned back into the main hall, looking dejected, as if selling his niece had pained him greatly.
Ling JinSui felt disgusted. She hated wicked women like Madam Zheng, and even more so, she despised scoundrels like Jiang Youzhi.
The human trafficker was at the courtyard entrance. Outside the gate, a Big Green Donkey was pulling an old cart, driven by a young and strong man.
Ling JinSui made up her mind instantly and cleared her throat.
In her previous life, she had learned to imitate others’ voices from an old neighbor. It was useless if she didn’t become a voice actor, but she never expected it to be so useful now.
She imitated Madam Zheng’s voice and said, “Quick, the dead girl is tied up.”
The old human trafficker grinned, revealing a silver tooth, and beckoned to the coachman, “Carry the person out.”
Ling JinSui stepped forward and extended her hand: “Silver.”
This is a fictional work, please do not scrutinize it. Thank you, readers.
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