Chapter 2: Memories of Blood and Birth

After indulging in the exquisite sweetness of the tomatoes, with a subtle savory and sour twist, Jing Huiyuan's taste buds couldn't help but revel in delight. These tomatoes far surpassed any she had tasted in her previous life, even the ones served in the luxurious salads of 5-star restaurants before the devastating snow apocalypse. A satisfied smile crossed her face, her mind already weaving plans of selling these remarkable tomatoes to the local restaurants in the town market.

Upon leaving her space and her family's house, she couldn't help but notice the rustic, technology-free surroundings. It was a stark reminder that she had truly reincarnated into a world where scientific progress had yet to take root.

Walking toward the foot of the mountain, where she knew her parents would be, she reflected on the knowledge passed down from the previous owner of this body.

However, her introspection was abruptly interrupted by a coarse, unpleasant voice. Jing Rui couldn't resist the opportunity to taunt Jing Huiyuan, as he always had. He sneered, "Look who's here, the family jinx. It's like bad luck follows you everywhere." He chuckled at his own mean-spirited words. The two boys behind him also laughed along. 

To his shock, Jing Huiyuan didn't react as she used to. She didn't tremble, didn't display fear or sadness. It was as if his words fell on deaf ears, and this departure from her usual reaction unsettled him. Jing Rui continued, his voice dripping with cruelty. "Your family's so pathetic, living like beggars near the mountain. What's the point of your father protecting you from being sold to a brothel if you're all going to live like dogs on the street?" This made the trio laugh until their stomachs ached.

Despite his harsh words, Jing Huiyuan maintained a cold, unwavering gaze. She stared at him, her eyes devoid of the fear that had been his source of amusement for so long. Infuriated by her lack of reaction, he pushed further, "Do you even know what it's like to have real food, or are you stuck with those miserable vegetables?" he insulted when he saw some wild vegetables in her hand. These wild vegetables were picked by Jing Huiyuan along the way to make it appear that she had been gathering them, reducing further questions about the tomatoes later on. There were neighbors watching, after all. They were not the only family struggling, but at least these neighbors had it better, with decent homes and occasional meat on their table.

To Jing Rui's surprise, despite all of his efforts, his insults seemed to have no effect. Finally, Jing Huiyuan couldn't take it anymore. As she approached with an unsettling gaze, Jing Rui's limbs trembled. He couldn't help but question his own reactions. He was supposed to be the older, stronger one, and yet, in this moment, he felt a fear he couldn't explain.

Jing Rui felt a shiver running down his spine as Jing Huiyuan's lips curled into an evil smile. She continued walking toward him, each step deliberate and filled with authority. This wasn't the timid girl he had known.

It was as though a lion had taken over Jing Huiyuan's body, and this realization filled him with dread. "Why is she looking at me like this?" he thought, unable to make sense of the situation. He was accustomed to seeing her trembling in his presence, but now, that familiar fear had vanished, replaced by something entirely unexpected.

Jing Huiyuan then felt it was a waste of time to deal with this child. Despite being the reason for the original owner's demise, he was still just a child. She made a considerable effort to muster the little patience she had and decided to walk away. Her demeanor from earlier left Jing Rui utterly shocked, rendering him momentarily unable to move even after Jing Huiyuan left. Yet, he quickly regained his composure, pretending that nothing had happened, unwilling to appear embarrassed in front of his two friends.

Upon reaching the back mountains, she was warmly greeted by her mother. "Huiyuan, my dear, you shouldn't be wandering around. You are still recuperating." Her voice was filled with genuine warmth and concern.

Jing Huiyuan then replied with a smile, "I'm fine, Mother. I picked some wild vegetables." She held up the bundle of greens she had gathered along the way. As Madam Su Lan saw this, her heart ached, and she was moved to tears. How could she have such a sensible daughter? Even her son is looking for wild vegetables with her. How could she deserve such a family? 

Because the mountains are close by, these areas have just the right amount of humidity for wild plants to grow. Also, these greens come back quickly. But over time, families like theirs became more and more dependent on these wild greens for their daily needs, which made them tougher to find.

Looking at her mother, she once again described how thin she was and how life must have been so hard for her. Based on the previous owner's memories, she had no information about her mother's past or even about where she came from. They were originally treated badly because, aside from their father being not the favorite child, his wife had unknown origins. "What if this unruly woman was a criminal's child, right?" That was the thought circulating inside the family.

She then recalled a memory of her mother who had just given birth to her. Wait, what's happening? Why is she having a memory of the original owner when she was birthed as a baby? It was impossible for a baby not even a day old to have such vivid memories, right? This unexpected recollection left her bewildered. How could the original owner, as a mere infant not even a day old, hold onto such clear and detailed memories? 

Jing Huiyuan didn't think much about it. It must be just a coincidence. In her recollection, she found herself lying on a bed with blood... a lot of blood, her tiny hands clenched into fists. She was crying really hard and it was not even because she was uncomfortable, which would have been valid as her head had just been squeezed going out of the tunnel. 

Jing Huiyuan's attention was drawn to the cloth beneath her mother, its surface saturated with blood. But the alarming sight didn't end there; her mother continued to bleed profusely, even though more than two hours had passed since her birth. This was far from the norm, and Jing Huiyuan, the previous owner of her body, sensed that something was seriously wrong with her mother. Overwhelmed by fear and concern, she cried out loudly, her desperate cries reaching the ears of her grandmother.

Granny Zhao, her grandmother, couldn't tolerate the disruption, especially when it interfered with her afternoon rest. In her frustration, she seized a broom and began to strike the wives of her older sons, adding chaos to the situation. Granny Zhao even attempted to hurl a pot at them, further exacerbating the turmoil. This prompted her sons to step in, intervening to prevent their mother from causing any further harm.

That made her even angrier. She sat on the floor and slapped her thighs while crying out loud, "Bah! Huhuhu!" The room filled with Granny Zhao's furious voice as she wept and cursed, lamenting her fate. "Ungrateful wretches! I raised you all, and this is how you repay me?" Her words dripped with anger and despair. "Why did I birth such ungrateful sons! Huhuhu... It would be better if I were gone than to have raised these unfilial children."

Originally, the daughters-in-law were fortunate enough to escape Granny Zhao's temper, which was exclusively reserved for Madam Su Lan, Jing Huiyuan's mother. Their usual routine involved more gossiping than actual chores. It was Madam Su Lan who shouldered the considerable burden of household tasks, encompassing everything from laundry to general cleaning, except for kitchen duties. Her exclusion from kitchen work wasn't due to a lack of willingness to assist but was rooted in Granny Zhao's accusation that she might steal food from there. As a result, the three daughters-in-law focused on the kitchen, a significantly lighter workload than the array of tasks handled by Madam Su Lan.

When another cry echoed from the newborn's room, Jing Cheng's concern grew, and he swiftly went to check on his wife, Madam Su Lan. When he asked how she was feeling, she said she was fine but he couldn't help but notice that her face was noticeably pale. Given that this was their first experience with giving birth and that Jing Cheng was ignorant of what to expect, he assumed that this was normal.

Meanwhile, Jing Huiyuan's loud cries heightened Jing Cheng's anxiety, and he went to check on their daughter. To his relief, he found a lively and seemingly healthy baby. However, an unsettling thought crept into his mind—was his daughter trying to communicate something about her mother? As he turned back to Madam Su Lan, he realized that she was experiencing excessive bleeding. Panic took over, and he urgently requested for some copper coins from his parents to summon a doctor. His parents only scoffed, telling him that those whose fate is to die will die. Then he begged on his knees. Seeing that there were neighbors peeping, of course, his parents did not want to appear like bad people and have rumors spread about them. So they yielded to his requests.