Had She Transmigrated?

When Zhou Wanwan opened her eyes, she saw an old woman sitting in a grand armchair. "I said we're selling her today, and sell her we must. She'll fetch ten sacks of grain."

Liu Su'e wept. "What gives you the right to sell my daughter? Your eldest, second, and third sons all have daughters. Why don't I see you selling theirs?"

The eldest son's wife spoke indifferently. "Who told your daughter to be a mute?"

Liu Su'e shouted, "Why don't you sell your girl to Pockmarked Liu? She's clearly the oldest."

The eldest son's wife sneered:

"My girl is educated and well-mannered. She's going to marry a nobleman in the palace someday.

Mother said it herself: your girl's life is fated to be short, and she's a calamity star who'll get our whole family killed."

The old woman nodded.

"In a few days, a plague of locusts will strike, and a drought will follow. Ordinary folk like us barely have a way to survive as it is.

Someone like her wouldn't survive a year of disaster anyway. We might as well exchange her for some grain."

A sharp pain pierced Zhou Wanwan's head. She really had transmigrated, into the body of someone also named Zhou Wanwan.

Old Madam Zhou had been reborn. In her previous life, her sons had all died during the years of disaster, along with her grandchildren, so she believed all their misfortunes had stemmed from Zhou Wanwan.

If the mute hadn't been so pretty and drawn the attention of a group of people, nothing could have happened to their family. For that reason, she hated Zhou Wanwan to the bone.

She had four sons: the eldest, Zhou Fu'an; the second, Zhou Fukang; the third, Zhou Fuyu; and the youngest, Zhou Fusheng, who was also Zhou Wanwan's father.

Liu Su'e looked at her. "Mother, our family still has several mu of land. There's no need to sell my daughter, is there? In any case, my daughter isn't for sale."

The old woman snorted coldly.

"Madam Liu, let me tell you, I'm giving you face by discussing this with you.

Zhou Wanwan must be sold today, or your whole family can get out!

I've divined that she's our family's calamity star. With her here, our family is doomed never to know peace."

Zhou Wanwan saw Pockmarked Liu from the village walk in. "Auntie, busy, are you? I've brought the ten sacks of grain. Shall I take Wanwan away now?"

Zhou Wanwan was dumbfounded. She knew people married young in ancient times, but surely they couldn't marry at five?

Besides, Pockmarked Liu was already in his thirties. His face was covered in pockmarks, he was missing two front teeth, and scraps of food were lodged in his gums. Flecks of spit carrying a foul smell flew toward people's faces.

Frightened, Zhou Wanwan ducked behind Liu Su'e. She had transmigrated from modern times. If she really had to marry someone like him, she would rather die!

Liu Su'e cried, "My daughter isn't for sale! No matter what, I won't sell her to someone like him."

The old woman snorted coldly. "In this family, my rules are the rules. Whether she wants to be sold or not, she's being sold today."

Zhou Wanwan went "ah, ah, ah" several times and found she still couldn't speak. She shook her head at once, and Liu Su'e drew her into her arms. "Our Wanwan won't be sold to Pockmarked Liu. No matter what, she won't marry him."

Pockmarked Liu blushed. "Mother-in-law, I'll cherish Wanwan. You can entrust her to me without worry!"

Liu Su'e trembled with anger:

"Pockmarked Liu, you're more than thirty years apart. Do you think that's appropriate?

Get away from me! Don't touch my daughter with your filthy hands."

Pockmarked Liu cursed, "I bought your daughter for ten sacks of grain. Why can't I touch her? Not only am I going to touch her, I'm going to sleep with her tonight."

He charged forward and tried to grab Zhou Wanwan, but she bit his hand hard. Pockmarked Liu cried out in pain. "You little bitch! You're my wife now, so you have to come home with me."

The old woman watched Zhou Wanwan coldly from the side. "You're going with him now. In any case, there's no place for you in the Zhou family anymore."

Liu Su'e looked at her coldly.

"Mother, ever since I came to the Zhou family, I've worked like an ox and a horse for this family.

Now I ask you for just one thing: spare my daughter. Otherwise, I'd rather leave the Zhou family. Zhou Fusheng, what do you say?"

Zhou Fusheng quickly declared his stance. "Wife, where could you go if you left the Zhou family? Wherever you go, I'll go. We won't sell our daughter."

Zhou Fusheng limped over. "Mother, our family has never made a practice of selling daughters. There's no way we're selling her. If you want to divide the family and send us off, then do it!"

The old woman shook with anger.

"Since none of your family knows what's good for you, don't blame me.

Pockmarked Liu, take your ten sacks of grain back! We'll be dividing the family shortly."

Pockmarked Liu cursed. "Come on! Didn't we agree on this? How can you go back on your word? Ah!"

Only after he left did the old woman look at Zhou Fusheng.

"Zhou Fusheng, are you really going to defy my orders for a mute?

I'm telling you, if you don't do as I say, your whole family will die miserable deaths. This mute will drag your family down in the future.

You and your wife will be killed, and this mute will be captured and eaten.

And your three sons will be burned alive because of her.

We'll be dragged down by her too. In my previous life, our whole family died because of her.

Even knowing that, do you still want to take her with you?"

Liu Su'e said loudly:

"Mother, haven't those things yet to happen?

You knew in advance that these things would happen. We have a chance to change them!"

The old woman snorted coldly.

"Womanly compassion! Do you really think fate is so easy to change?

Since you want to change your fate, go ahead and try.

But I'm telling you, even though we're dividing the family, there isn't much we can give you.

You can have the old house over there to live in. The rest is up to you."

Liu Su'e said anxiously:

"Mother, that old house doesn't even have a roof. How can we live there?

And there are six of us. How can you not give us any grain at all?

A few years ago, my Fusheng earned quite a bit of money too..."

Old Man Zhou smoked his dry tobacco and looked at them.

"You're the ones who insisted on separating from the family. That has nothing to do with us. Take her and leave tomorrow!

From now on, your family's affairs have nothing to do with ours."

Zhou Wanwan rolled her eyes. The Zhou family had several mu of land, yet now they wouldn't even give them a single sack of grain. They wanted to starve them to death.

That old house was completely unfit to live in, too.

After Old Madam Zhou and Old Man Zhou had said their piece, they returned to their room. Old Madam Zhou sneered.

"I've been reborn. That wretched girl is a calamity star, and Fourth Son's whole family can't see things clearly. We'd better stock up on grain.

When the years of disaster come, we'll shut our doors and live our own lives. I'd like to see how long they can survive."

Zhou Wanwan had sharp ears. Although the voices in the room were kept very low, she still heard some of it.

So Old Madam Zhou had been reborn? Then there really might be a drought before long. The situation was unfavorable for their whole family.

Early the next morning, they arrived at the old house. Zhou Wanwan was dumbfounded. The place was in a sorry state.

The walls were plastered with mud, and cracks ran through them in many places.

Most of the roof had collapsed, and she could see the sky when she looked up. Having this house was no better than having none at all.