"Madam Chen, hurry up, stop dawdling. Zhiliao is probably not going to make it. If we don't send her away now, leaving her here with the Old Xia family means she'll just lie there waiting for the end, and she likely won't last another few days! The child's life is what matters!"
An older woman's voice commanded coldly. Perhaps because she spoke in such haste and the cold wind blew in, her words were accompanied by a fit of violent coughing.
"Mother... But I can't bear to part with her!" The younger woman's voice choked with tears, laced with a hint of entreaty.
"No 'buts'! The child's life comes first. As long as my granddaughter can live, that's all that matters! Jinjuan's classmate is from a scholarly family, not bad people at all. Zhiliao is going to live a good life. Go quickly and borrow a flatbed cart from the east end of the village!"
"Mother... Mother... Oh..."
Xia Zhiliao slowly opened her eyes inside the room. Through the faint shafts of light filtering into the dim little room, she looked around.
Madam Chen?
The Xia family?
Jinjuan?
Aren't these the names of supporting characters in the novel *The Empress's Exclusive Favor: All Villains Must Die*, which she had only read a bit of last night?
The reason she had picked up the book in the first place was that one minor supporting character shared her exact name, Xia Zhiliao. That character hadn't even appeared in person; she was merely a name muttered by her own deranged mother, who kept babbling that if she didn't send the child away, she would meet a toxic end.
So, had she—an inheritor of a traditional Chinese medicine lineage who had spent twenty years studying and finally managed to graduate with a doctorate in agricultural science—really died such an untimely death?
And furthermore, she had transmigrated into a cannon-fodder character who was mentioned by name only? And she was a tiny toddler of three or four years old!
The awkward part was that because the book was poorly written, she hadn't made it past the first few chapters and had merely skimmed the ending.
All she knew was that everyone in the Old Xia family turned out to be a major villain.
Xia Zhiliao's father, Xia Jinjuan, studied diligently by the dim window for ten years. Once he finally gained power, he caught the eye of the prime minister's daughter and was taken in as a son-in-law, abandoning his first wife, Madam Chen, and embezzling disaster relief grain funds. When the scandal broke, he was stoned to death by an enraged mob.
After being abandoned and constantly harboring resentment toward her mother-in-law for giving away her daughter—which led to mother and daughter being forever separated—her mother hacked the old lady into mincemeat, then ran off deranged and wandered outside where she was abused and bullied.
These massive upheavals also caused her three older brothers to undergo drastic changes in personality. The eldest brother became a merciless murderer and was executed at the vegetable market without anyone to collect his corpse.
The second brother became the leader of a rebel faction, only to choose surrender for the sake of the female protagonist, resulting in a death by a thousand cuts.
Meanwhile, the third brother turned into a womanizing degenerate who bullied countless women, indulging in wild debauchery until he finally contracted a foul disease and suffered excruciating pain with only a skeleton left of him.
Her aunt, who had become an imperial concubine, murdered an imperial heir and was forced to drink poisoned wine sent by the newly enthroned male protagonist.
As for her other uncles, aunts, and cousins, they all served as burial sacrifices. It could be said that not a single person in this family met a good end.
Thinking of all this, Xia Zhiliao couldn't help shivering.
Darn it, even though she had transmigrated before the original owner's death, she still couldn't escape the fate of dying!
Footsteps drew closer. Xia Zhiliao moved, but her whole body lacked strength; even turning over took immense effort. She parted her lips, wanting to say she was still alive, but not a single sound came from her throat.
The door curtain stirred, and a man stepped inside. He wore a cyan scholar's robe washed to a pale hue, with a few ink stains on the sleeves, yet it failed to conceal his handsome and refined bearing.
There was only one scholar in the Xia family: her father, Xia Jinjuan.
*[Father is so handsome!]*
Xia Jinjuan paused, looked back over his shoulder with a bewildered expression. Neither of his sons had returned, so who had just called him "Father"? A daughter?
That couldn't be right! His daughter was three years old and had never spoken a word. Besides, she was so sick she was practically at death's door—where had such a sweet voice come from?
Had he studied so late into the night that he was hallucinating?
Xia Jinjuan looked at his daughter on the brick-bed, her face pale, only a pair of dark, grape-like big eyes rolling around. Father and daughter locked eyes.
*[Handsome Father, I am your biological daughter, your precious darling! If you send me away, no one will warn you that your entire family is about to suffer a terrible disaster.]*
Xia Jinjuan kept staring at his daughter, certain she hadn't moved her lips to speak. So whose voice was that?
Could it be a telepathic bond between father and daughter?
Even though his daughter couldn't speak, could she communicate with him heart-to-heart?
Xia Jinjuan was overjoyed, but what was this about the whole family suffering a terrible disaster?
Besides, he remembered a traveling Taoist priest saying that once his daughter could speak, the Old Xia family's good days would finally arrive.
Could this count?
"Mother! Mother, come over here quickly and look, Zhiliao has woken up!" Xia Jinjuan shouted loudly toward the outside.
"What nonsense are you talking about? That child has been burning with fever for several days; how could she wake up without taking medicine? Don't tell me it's a flash in the pan before death." Thinking of this, Old Lady Xia hurried inside as fast as her legs could carry her, terrified she wouldn't catch a last glimpse of her granddaughter.
"Zhiliao, you poor thing! You've grown this old without ever speaking a word, and you haven't even tasted anything good. Ah, at such a tender age, my poor granddaughter! Heavens, you are blind!"
Old Lady Xia wiped away tears as she entered the room.
Xia Zhiliao remembered from the novel that Old Lady Xia was an overbearing person who oppressed her daughters-in-law, but the old lady's current murmurings caught her somewhat off guard.
*[So Grandma actually cares about me this much!]*
Old Lady Xia glanced at her son with a face full of suspicion. She wasn't shocked that her granddaughter had woken up; rather, she was shocked because she seemed to have heard her mute granddaughter call her "Grandma"!
And the child had even said she treated her well! What a conscientious little child!
But that wasn't right! The child couldn't speak! She was watching closely, and the child's lips hadn't moved an inch.
She looked at her son again, but he showed no particular reaction. Could it be that only she could hear it?
As expected, grandmother and granddaughter shared a bond of hearts!
Still, this was rather frightening. Better keep it to herself to avoid being mistaken for an old demon.
Xia Jinjuan assumed his mother's reaction stemmed from seeing the child awake, feeling that the daughter was close to her. Others probably couldn't hear it, but since such a joyful event had arrived at their doorstep, why was his daughter muttering about the whole family facing disaster?
No, he had to get to the bottom of this.
"Mother, Zhiliao looks like she's getting better. Why don't we not give her away?" Xia Jinjuan pleaded.
Old Lady Xia naturally thought of the Taoist priest's words as well. As the head of the household, the fact that she could hear her granddaughter speaking meant their good days were coming. Besides, the girl's eyes were clear and blinking brightly, which didn't look like a flash before death.
"We won't send her away. Whoever wants to give her away, I'll fight them to the death," Old Lady Xia said decisively.
Just for the sentiment that her granddaughter let her alone hear her voice, even if it cost her old life, she would keep her granddaughter.
Xia Jinjuan breathed a sigh of relief.
"Old Sister-in-law, are you home? I've found a wonderful match for your Jinxiu! You couldn't find a better marriage proposal even with a lantern."
Old Lady Xia and Xia Jinjuan exchanged glances, the corners of their mouths curling upward uncontrollably.
Hadn't good fortune just arrived?
*[It's a lie! Grandma, Father, you mustn't believe her! A matchmaker's mouth is a deceiving ghost!]*
*[That man is a perverted old geezer who has already killed seven wives! The one who came to be looked over today is an impostor playing his son, and on the wedding day, the one who comes to marry her will be that rotting old man.]*
Old Lady Xia frowned. Someone actually dared to cheat her daughter?
True or false?
***
### Chapter 2: Pah, Liar
Old Lady Xia looked at her second son. Since he was a scholar among her five sons, he was the one she relied on the most. She always felt that whether she could live a good life in her old age depended entirely on this son.
Xia Jinjuan naturally heard his daughter's "words" as well. While he didn't know if they were true, this concerned his sister's happiness after all.
"Mother, a matchmaker's mouth is full of deceit. How can we assume it's good just because she says so? We still need to ask around carefully. Our family's Jinxiu is pretty and it's not like she can't get married—we should pick and choose properly."
Hearing her granddaughter's words, Old Lady Xia figured what did a little tot know anyway, but she still took it to heart. Yet seeing her son say the same thing, she thought: *Look at that, my son is truly brilliant. No wonder they say scholars are different!*
Her Jinjuan was the only scholar in the entire village, though his wife was a bit lacking.
Once her son made something of himself, he could cast the wife aside. For now, they would just make do.
While they were talking, a plump matchmaker walked into the courtyard accompanied by a young, sturdy man, chatting away about how well-off the man's family was.
Inside the house, Xia Jinxiu pretended to go into her second brother's room to fetch something. She walked across the courtyard with lowered head, stealing a glance at the man's face. He was quite handsome, and coincidentally, the man looked over at that moment, making her blush instantly.
"Second Brother, are Second Sister-in-law's shoe patterns in the room? I'm coming to get them."
Whether it should be said or not, Xia Jinilao felt that this little aunt of hers was quite shrewd. She had both stolen a peek at the man and put on a show of being virtuous and capable of doing chores. Unfortunately, this man was a swindler.
In the original book, the Xia family had agreed. On the wedding day, when they saw the old man, they realized they had been conned. Amidst weeping and howling, they managed to return the betrothal money and break off the engagement, but Xia Jinxiu's reputation was ruined. She had to wait until Xia Jinjuan passed the imperial examinations and entered the capital before she could turn her life around.
"She really woke up?" Xia Jinxiu glanced at Xia Zhiliao after entering the room, then turned to rummage through the cabinet. "Feeling uncomfortable?"
Xia Zhiliao shook her head, wanting to speak, but before she could part her lips, Xia Jinxiu interrupted, "All right, you couldn't speak before you got sick; are you going to be fine just because you fell ill once? You... Once Auntie collects the betrothal gift, I'll have your father take you to see a doctor. Such a pretty girl, what a pity you can't speak."
*[Little Aunt is in such a hurry to get married just so she can pay for me to see a doctor? How touching!]*
With her back to Xia Zhiliao, Xia Jinxiu shuddered all over, then whipped around in shock to stare at the child.
Only then did Xia Zhiliao catch sight of the future downfall-of-a-country imperial concubine's beauty. Although she was dressed like a village girl right now with patched clothes, one had to admit that her little aunt was truly a natural beauty with an innate charm that no man could fend off.
*[No wonder Little Aunt becomes a noble consort later on! Absolutely the number one great beauty in the world!]*
Looking at the toddler, Xia Jinxiu swallowed hard again and again. The niece clearly hadn't spoken, so what was she hearing?
And what was that about her becoming a noble consort?
A noble consort—wasn't that just an emperor's woman?
She raised a hand to touch her face, exuding a unique allure.
*[Don't do that, Little Aunt, you're too pretty, I can hardly handle it.]*
This time, Xia Jinxiu was certain: she could actually hear Zhiliao's voice.
Before she had a chance to call anyone over, she heard Xia Jinjuan's furious roar coming from next door.
"Scoundrels! Your family is utterly devoid of conscience! My sister is seventeen years old; how can you marry her off to an old man? Go! Don't talk about ten taels—even twenty taels of silver and we won't take it! Get out! Liars! You're defrauding people!"
At this time, Xia Jinjuan still retained the integrity of a scholar, preferring to starve to death rather than push his sister into a fire pit.
Without stopping to think, Xia Jinxiu rushed outside just in time to see the man and the matchmaker running away in a disheveled panic like chased dogs, complaining as they ran about how the secret had leaked.
"Second Brother, what happened?"
Xia Jinxiu wasn't worried at all. After all, hadn't her niece just said she could become a noble consort?
Even if it wasn't true, with this pretty face of hers, even if she couldn't be a wealthy man's legitimate wife, becoming a concubine wouldn't be bad either.
"Jinxiu, don't be sad. I kept my guard up just now and questioned them a bit more. It turns out they weren't proposing for that young punk just now, but for his seventy-year-old father! Truly black-hearted wretches."
Old Lady Xia also doted on her youngest daughter. "That's right, Jinxiu, you're pretty, you don't have to worry about finding a husband."
Both mother and daughter had seen Xia Jinxiu blush shyly just moments ago, assuming she had taken a fancy to that bastard youth.
Instead, Xia Jinxiu smiled. "I'm not sad. Why would I be? With this face of mine and my cleverness, could I possibly fail to marry?"
Thinking of her niece's words, her heart blossomed with joy. "Mother, Second Brother, who knows? In the future, I might even marry a high-ranking official! Just wait to enjoy the blessings. When the time comes, I'll find the best doctor in the world to examine our Zhiliao, and she'll definitely get better."
"Right, just now in a daze, I almost thought I heard Zhiliao talking. Did you guys hear it?"
Old Lady Xia and Xia Jinjuan shook their heads in a hurry. One was afraid of being treated like an old demon, while the other was afraid his daughter would be treated like a monster, so neither dared to admit it.
Besides, after what had just happened, both of them felt it was bizarre: how could little Zhiliao possess foresight?
It was downright eerie.
"You... actually heard it?" Xia Jinjuan probed tentatively.
Xia Jinxiu was very clever, full of craftiness. "No, I probably misheard. None of you could hear it, so how could I, right?"
Mother and son nodded in unison.
Inside the room, Xia Zhiliao sat on the brick-bed, feeling puzzled.
Things seemed different from the plot of the novel. In other words, from the moment she transmigrated, everything had changed—and it could be changed?
"Who was talking just now? I just saw the matchmaker leading someone running out of our place like they were chased by dogs. Mother, what happened?"
"Nothing!" Old Lady Xia glanced at her eldest daughter-in-law, her face sagging. "Eldest Daughter-in-law, where did you go? How come I haven't seen you all this time?"
The woman's eyes rolled around. "Mother, wasn't I feeling bad for Second Family's Zhiliao? I thought I'd go back to my maiden home to see if I could scrape together some money. But times are hard, my parents didn't have any either, and I just got a scolding for only knowing how to milk my maiden family and never bringing anything back."
Old Lady Xia sighed. "Is that so? You've had it hard, Mother appreciates your efforts!"
"Mother, family members don't speak of two different families. Wasn't I just feeling for the child? Eldest left early, and I didn't bear any children, so I've treated all these kids as my own."
"Eldest Sister-in-law, with those words from you, if they ever dare to be unfilial to you in the future, I'll beat them to death."
*[Pah! She really has the nerve to say that! What getting money—I bet she went back to her maiden home to meet her lover! Who was that lover again? Hiss... Her cousin! That's right, her very own cousin! The one who always comes to our house to see his 'cousin'!]*
Just as Madam Zhang was feeling proud, she noticed the expressions of the three people in front of her suddenly shift. Harboring a guilty conscience, she felt a bit panicked. "What... what's wrong?"
***
### Chapter 3: The Black-Hearted Eldest Sister-in-Law
Old Lady Xia looked at her eldest daughter-in-law, hesitating over her little granddaughter's words.
After all, the eldest daughter-in-law had been married into the family for less than two years when the eldest son was crushed to death by a boulder while repairing river embankments. Over the years, she had kept a low profile at home and never had any unseemly rumors linking her to other men.
Yet what her little granddaughter had said just now had indeed come true.
*[Hmph, Grandma and the rest of them must have been tricked by her! Later on, she's the one who's going to collude with that man to steal the family's land deed, almost starving the whole family to death!]*
Hearing Xia Zhiliao's inner voice, the faces of the family members darkened even further.
Madam Zhang grew increasingly guilty. "Mother, is everything really alright? If something's the matter, you must tell me. Eldest is gone, so I must fulfill filial duties in his stead."
*[Fulfilling filial duties means sneaking around behind Grandma's back to hook up with a man, cursing Grandma as an old hag, and even forgetting to pray to the Buddha for Grandma to die sooner when she goes to pray at the temple!]*
Xia Zhiliao sighed. This eldest aunt was all talk; although widows were pitiful, she was the one who chose not to remarry, holding a status in this family second only to Grandma because Grandma thought she was righteous.
But in reality, she was lazy and sly, relying entirely on a sweet tongue while all the dirty and exhausting work was done by her mother, Madam Xia Chen. Yet her mother never got a shred of credit.
She had just recalled the plot points, and what she thought of turned out to be spot on.
*[How am I supposed to tell Grandma that she's hiding a man's handkerchief inside her bodice? That's a token of affection given to her by her cousin. Ever since the two of them hooked up, she's kept it hidden against her chest the whole time!]*
Hearing this, Old Lady Xia's sharp gaze fell squarely onto her eldest daughter-in-law's chest. "Eldest Daughter-in-law, how are you wearing your clothes all lumpy like that? Are you hiding something inside your bodice?"
Frightened out of her wits, Madam Zhang almost peed herself. She shook her head frantically. "No... nothing, Mother, you must be seeing things. I... I'll go change my clothes. Dinner hasn't been made yet, right?"
Old Lady Xia didn't stop her. After all, if there was nothing there, word of stripping off clothes to search would ruin her eldest daughter-in-law's reputation entirely.
Still, seeing the way her eyes darted evasively, Old Lady Xia kept her guard up. Even if there was something amiss, she needed concrete evidence first; there was no need to startle the snake in the grass just yet.
Watching her sister-in-law run off in a panic, Xia Jinxiu said with certainty, "Mother, if Eldest Sister-in-law hasn't done anything shameful, why's she running away with a guilty conscience? Who knows what kind of treasure she's hiding in her bodice."
As a man and a scholar, Xia Jinjuan felt it inappropriate to meddle in women's affairs, but he cared deeply about their reputation and wanted to get to the bottom of this. After all, his daughter wouldn't talk nonsense.
When the frail Madam Xia Chen dragged the flatbed cart back, her eyes were red-rimmed and her voice still slightly trembling. "Mother... I borrowed the cart."
"Send it back!" Old Lady Xia rolled her eyes at her, holding her daughter-in-law in utter contempt no matter how she looked at her.
"Send... send it back?" Madam Xia Chen froze. Ordinarily timid and lacking opinions of her own, she looked toward her husband.
Xia Jinjuan was quite satisfied with his wife's docility; she served him well, worked without a single complaint, and though her background was a bit humble, he was a man—having ability was enough.
"Go send it back. Zhiliao woke up, and Mother said we aren't giving her away after all. She's staying home to be raised."
Madam Xia Chen burst into tears of joy and wiped her eyes. "Mother, really?"
"Nonsense! How old are you that your ears are failing you? The seed of the Old Xia family has no business being raised outside! From now on, nobody better mention sending Zhiliao out again—it's shameful!"
Accustomed to her mother-in-law's stern glares, being able to keep her daughter was paramount; whether she was beaten or scolded didn't matter to her anymore.
Lying on the brick-bed, Xia Zhiliao looked outside, regretting that she could only see the frail back of her mother dragging the flatbed cart away.
*[Though my mother is slow of speech, Grandma, my mother is the one who is truly filial to you. If you don't believe it, just wait until you fall seriously ill and become bedridden—you'll see then. The one who cleans up your shit and piss will be my mother.]*
Xia Jinxiu had already gone back to her room by then, so only Old Lady Xia and Xia Jinjuan heard those words.
"Second, it's freezing cold and your wife is just a woman—are you really going to just stand there and watch? Go lend a hand so people don't go around saying our Xia family abuses our daughters-in-law."
At that moment, images of his wife's usual kindness toward the old lady flashed through Xia Jinjuan's mind. Even though his mother treated her poorly, she had never uttered a single word of complaint to him.
"Mother, you wouldn't even have to tell me, I was already thinking of it. I'm going."