Chapter 1: The Tagalong

"Woo…woo… how could I have been so blind? So many decent men with good prospects, yet I had to pick you, you wretched scoundrel! You talked a good game back then, boasting of your two taels of silver in monthly wages and promising that if I married you, my daughter and I would never go hungry. But look at us now! It’s only been a few days, and you got into a fight and crippled your leg…

To heal your leg, we spent every last bit of our savings and are now drowning in debt. Chen needs money for his studies every year. Xiao is a sickly child, always needing medicine—a bottomless pit! I've prided myself on my wits all my life, yet I’ve ended up trapped by the likes of you. I can’t go on… woo…"

Qin Huiyin sat beneath the eaves, mending a patched and tattered garment. From inside came the sound of a woman’s weeping and cursing—every word a complaint, but the tone was soft and coy, more like she was seeking attention from her husband. The honest, simple man inside tried to placate her, begging her forgiveness, his attitude humble.

Two months ago, the mother of this body, Peach Blossom Li, married the widower Daifu Tang from the village.

The original owner of the body had knocked her head while moving things. When she next woke, her soul had changed, and she had become Qin Huiyin, a web influencer from the twenty-first century.

This world was one she knew from a book she had read. In it, Qin Huiyin was a minor character, the stepsister of the grassroots male lead, Yichen Tang.

Creak! The door opened. Peach Blossom Li, dressed in brand-new clothes, sauntered out, swaying her slender waist. Seeing Qin Huiyin mending clothes, she snatched the garment from her hands and tossed it aside, poking her in the forehead and scolding, "Who told you to do this kind of work? Where’s Green Mist Tang? These ragged clothes should be her job, not yours. If you prick your finger, I’ll skin her alive!"

Green Mist Tang was Tang’s daughter, the male lead’s younger sister. The youngest child in the Tang family was Smile Tang, a sickly boy.

Yichen Tang was fourteen this year, Green Mist was twelve, the original owner was eleven, and Smile Tang was nine.

All the Tang siblings' names had been changed. Country folk rarely have such elegant names; their old names were as ordinary as any other village child—something like Dog or Blossom. Yichen Tang’s name was changed by his teacher after he began his studies; he, in turn, gave new names to Green Mist and Smile.

When Qin Huiyin first merged with the body, the memories of the two souls clashed fiercely, causing days of splitting headaches—she lay in bed for ten days or half a month. Since the coma had been caused by a head injury, her complaints of pain raised no suspicion.

After assimilating the memories, Qin Huiyin determined not to reveal her true identity. She spoke little, keeping mistakes to a minimum, and appeared rather dull. In the original novel, the character had always acted diligent and obedient to help Peach Blossom Li marry into the Tang family—saying little and never causing trouble. Only after Peach Blossom married in and her new husband’s leg was broken did the true nature of both come to light.

Lately, Peach Blossom Li had begun sowing chaos. With Daifu Tang’s leg crippled, he lay in bed all day, their money gone, and debts mounting. Peach Blossom dropped her sweet facade, behaving like a typical wicked stepmother, making Green Mist Tang do all the chores. Smile Tang, unable to bear his stepmother tormenting his sister and finding no help from his father, could only assist his sister with the housework.

As for Yichen Tang, he attended a private school in town, seldom returning due to the distance. He disliked his stepmother, but his father, blinded by beauty, wouldn’t listen. With only two days off each visit, and his siblings never complaining, he had no idea how malicious Peach Blossom was behind closed doors.

Peach Blossom drew Qin Huiyin aside and whispered, "The doctor says Daifu Tang’s leg is likely ruined. We must plan for ourselves, just the two of us."

Qin Huiyin regarded the beautiful woman before her with a complicated expression.

Though a rural woman, her skin was as delicate as fresh petals. Her voice was sweet enough to melt any man’s resolve. Her eyes and brows carried a hint of flirtation, always restless.

Whatever kind of woman she was, she had journeyed far from home with a young daughter, surviving hardship without selling her child for food as others did. Her affection for the original owner was genuine. Since she had become the original owner, Qin Huiyin resolved to live well on her behalf, to care for Peach Blossom Li, and to help her escape the fate laid out in the book, never opposing the male lead.

"So, Mother…" Qin Huiyin asked, "are we leaving the Tang family?"

"I’ve signed a marriage contract with Daifu Tang. Unless he dies and I remarry as a widow, there’s no way out. But if I keep remarrying, and every husband dies, people will say I’m cursed! If Daifu Tang really dies, I’ll be branded a jinx. Ah, my fate is sealed—what can I do but endure? Woo…" Peach Blossom wiped her tears again.

Qin Huiyin: "…"

Suddenly, anxious shouts rang out beyond the fence—the voice belonged to Mrs. Zhang, the gossipy neighbor. Her calls grew nearer until she reached the gate, and only then did everyone understand her words.

"Daifu’s wife, your girl fell in the river—she’s not breathing!"

At this, Peach Blossom hurried to the gate, her voice weak and gentle, "Auntie, my Huiyin is right here. Why do you say such things?"

Mrs. Zhang glanced at Qin Huiyin behind Peach Blossom, curled her lip, and snapped, "I’m talking about Green Mist. Didn’t you send her to do the washing? She fell in, and by the time they found her, she was already gone."

Hearing this, Qin Huiyin’s mind cleared, and details about Green Mist Tang surfaced. In the book, the male lead’s mother died early, and after his father remarried, he neglected his children. His sister drowned, his brother died of illness—all linked to their stepmother. After their premature deaths, the stepsister took over the household, and as the male lead prospered and grew ever more handsome, she even tried to seduce him. Driven away with nothing, he fled by night to the capital to pursue his studies. When he returned in glory, the first thing he did was deal with the wicked mother and daughter, having them torn apart by wild dogs.

As for his father, being his blood, he wasn’t killed, but neither was he spared. The male lead gave the clan a sum of silver, had Daifu Tang expelled, confiscated his land, and drove him from the village to beg for the rest of his life in repentance for his children’s tragic deaths.

Green Mist Tang drowned in this very incident. This was the beginning of the male lead’s vendetta against the mother and daughter.

Good heavens—Qin Huiyin broke out in a cold sweat. Her mother still acted as if nothing had happened. A life was at stake, and yet her mother was so indifferent—she truly fit the role of a doomed supporting character.

Qin Huiyin dashed outside, calling back, "Mother, I’ll run ahead and check on Sister!"