Chapter 2

In my previous life, I had pitied Gu Ningcheng for suffering such an undeserved catastrophe.

Not only had I sent Qingyue to deliver a thousand taels in banknotes,

I had also hired the finest physician to treat him.

In little more than half a month, his wounds had healed completely.

This time, without my help, Gu Ningcheng’s impoverished family could afford only ordinary physicians.

Even that did not satisfy me.

I secretly instructed Qingyue to hire away every doctor among them who had a decent reputation.

All that remained for Gu Ningcheng were quacks with several deaths on their consciences.

Under their tireless care,

the last of the Gu family’s possessions vanished into their pockets.

Far from healing, Gu Ningcheng’s wounds began to fester and rot until living maggots bred inside them.

Qingyue nearly vomited while telling me about it.

In her panic, Gu Ningcheng’s mother failed to catch her breath and died on the spot.

After I married into the Gu family in my previous life, that old harpy had tormented me without mercy.

Knowing I came from a distinguished family, she feared she would not be able to control me.

The moment I entered her household, she imposed endless rules on me.

When I paid my morning respects, I had to kneel obediently outside her room for an hour.

Once she finally stirred awake,

she would allow no servant to help her dress, relieve herself, wash, or comb her hair.

I had to attend to every task personally.

At meals, I was forbidden to sit at the table and had to stand beside it serving the dishes.

The old harpy deliberately ate at a crawl to wear me down.

I often stood there for one or two hours at a time.

If anything about the food displeased her, she would unleash a torrent of abuse.

Most revolting of all,

whenever she tasted a dish she disliked, she would spit it out and force me to catch the filth in my bare hands.

Every memory from that former life made me grind my teeth with hatred.

That was why, as soon as Gu Ningcheng came to grief, I hired a group of people to jeer outside the Gu home, splash it with excrement, and point and gossip about his mother.

She had lived as a widow for many years and raised Gu Ningcheng alone.

She had always taken immense pride in her brilliant son,

convinced that he would one day become a high official and make a fortune.

She therefore looked down on everyone around her, and the neighbors detested her.

Now that disaster had struck, not one neighbor spoke in her defense. Instead, they all gloated over her misfortune.

Gu Ningcheng’s mother had fought to save face all her life. How could she endure such humiliation?

The breath caught in her chest, and she dropped dead.

When I heard the news, I felt almost disappointed.

They said good people died young while scourges lived a thousand years.

In my imagination, that old harpy should have lived to a hundred, suffering every torment under heaven before meeting a miserable end.

For her to die so cleanly and quickly was hardly satisfying.

So be it.

With the old creature dead, I had only one target left—Gu Ningcheng.

I wanted to see whether this paragon of filial devotion and romantic constancy could still pursue his so-called true love without a trace of resentment after that love had cost him his mother’s life.