My gambling-addicted father pushed me off a balcony, and I landed right on top of my grandmother, who was returning from grocery shopping. We both died instantly. When I opened my eyes, I was lying in a hospital bed, getting an ultrasound. Two little girls were standing beside me, looking up with wide eyes and calling me "Mom!" I had been reborn as my own grandmother! So the baby in my belly was... my dad?! The doctor smiled, holding the ultrasound report. "The baby is very healthy. Four months along." I breathed a sigh of relief. Good, there's still time. "Doctor, I want an abortion." 1 Everyone gasped at my words. My "husband"—that is, my grandfather from my previous life—grabbed my hair and started slapping me right there in the hospital. "Sir! This is a hospital! If you touch her again, we'll call the police!" Doctors and nurses rushed to stop him. I was grateful, but part of me wished they hadn't intervened. Let him beat me until I miscarry. Save me the trouble of birthing that monster. My in-laws—my great-grandparents—quickly stepped in. "Lana! Don't talk nonsense! It's a boy! You can't abort a boy!" "Exactly! Let's just take her home and talk some sense into her!" And so, I was dragged home. The whole way back, I kept chanting to myself: [I am Lana Zhang. Lana Zhang is me. Jane Qi is gone. I am gone...] When we got home, I realized "talking sense" meant tying me up. I was tied to the bed for over three months. Eating, sleeping, and relieving myself all in one room. My great-grandparents came in once a week to empty the chamber pot. As for my "husband," I never saw him. They tried to persuade me: "Lana! Don't blame us. You kept shouting about abortion. We can't let that happen. It's a boy! You've already had two girls; this one must be born!" I was emaciated and sore all over. Yet, my great-grandmother still complained: "Eats like a pig. You've already gone through thirteen pumpkins..." I did the math. Even though this was my third pregnancy, I was only twenty. I had my first daughter at sixteen. Turns out my grandmother suffered like this in her youth. But that didn't stop her from abusing me and my mom later on. It was hell, but I knew it would end soon. Because my husband—my grandfather from my previous life—was about to kick the bucket. 2 In my past life, Grandma told me this story. When she was seven months pregnant with my dad, the village was doing roadwork, digging pits everywhere. Grandpa was often away working in the city and didn't know about it. One night, he was going to a buddy's house to play cards. Grandma specifically warned him about a pit on his route, so he avoided it. She always bragged about saving his life. This time, I wasn't going to say a word. Great-grandpa and Great-grandma went to bed at dusk, so they wouldn't know he went out. Finally, the day arrived. A villager shouted from outside: "Lana Zhang! Come out quick! Your man fell in a ditch!" My in-laws stumbled out half-asleep. As for me, I was still tied up, unable to move. It wasn't until they were wailing over the body that someone asked about me. "Where's Lana? Her husband's dead and she won't even come out?" A moment later. "Oh my god! The Qi family are animals! Tying a pregnant woman to the bed!" When the villagers carried me out, my legs wouldn't even bend. Seeing my grandfather's body covered with a white sheet in the yard, I let out a fake wail. "Oh, my husband! Why did you leave me?!" I buried my face in my knees to hide my laughter. In my past life, he lived into his sixties and tormented us endlessly. He gambled away the family money and even bought a house for a mistress in his old age, causing my eldest aunt to cut ties with the family. Once, he even touched my mom inappropriately with his dirty hands! Now he's gone early. My life should be much easier. Two months later, I gave birth. It really was a boy. He looked exactly like my dad. Bad luck. I didn't even want to breastfeed him. My in-laws couldn't do anything to me now. Since the neighbors knew they tied me up, they checked on me frequently. The old couple didn't dare try anything extreme again. But then, another wave hit. My husband's younger brother—my Second Grandpa—came to take the house. 3 "Lana, don't blame us for being heartless. My brother is dead, and you two never legally married. You have no right to live in his house." I turned to my in-laws: "Mom, Dad, what do you mean? You're kicking me out too?" They looked away guiltily but sided with their second son. After all, they relied on him for their old age. "Lana, just go peacefully. Take the two girls with you." "No. I gave birth to three. If I go, they all go!" "You can't take the boy! He's the eldest grandson!" My in-laws exploded. "Screw that! Who said he's yours? I named him Qi Xin!" Right after my confinement month, I was kicked out with my bags. Before leaving, I extorted a good sum of money from them. I threatened to roll on the ground and scream if they didn't pay. "Neighbors! Come look! I gave them a grandson, and now they want us dead!" Second Grandpa wanted to settle things quietly and paid up. Besides, he had his own son and didn't want to raise his brother's kids. So he let me take all three. I walked out, holding my four-year-old eldest daughter's hand on the left, my two-year-old second daughter's hand on the right, and carrying my not-yet-one-month-old dad on my back. We marched toward the county town. On the way, we hitched rides on donkey carts or walked. By the time we reached the town, we weren't hungry, and we actually had more food than we started with. Kind villagers along the way stuffed food into my arms. "Lana, you've had it hard!" "Not hard. My good days are ahead!" Leaving the crazy Qi family, my good life was just beginning. 4 In town, I got busy renting a place, setting up a stall, and stocking goods. My four-year-old eldest daughter, Big Girl, was busy at home. She cooked for Second Girl, fed milk to my dad (Little Fatty), and brought me meals at the stall with her little legs. Watching her tiny, three-foot frame carrying a lunch box through the streets... once she tripped in her hurry. I jumped up, but she scrambled to her feet quickly. "I'm okay, Mom! The food didn't spill!" "Silly child, I was worried about you breaking, not the food!" "Don't worry, Mom! I'm a tough kid. The ground was just joking with me." I wiped the dirt off her face. Just as I was about to hug her, she ran off. "Mom, I gotta go! Little brother and sister are at home!" Watching her small back disappear, my nose stung. I shoveled a few mouthfuls of rice. Such a good kid. If only she doesn't fall for a punk later. In my past life, Big Girl was tricked by a blonde punk. She eventually divorced him, but lost everything in the process. This time, I'm going to watch her like a hawk... Six or seven years passed. My business grew from a street stall to a shop. I even bought a three-bedroom apartment in town. Life was getting better every day. Just when I was happiest, my dad started acting up... Over the months, I noticed money missing from the piggy bank. After searching the girls' drawers, I locked my gaze on my dad. "Yes! I stole it!" "Grandma and Grandpa found me. They said I'm a Qi, and I'll have to go back to the village eventually. I should spend the money now." I didn't hesitate. I slapped him so hard he flew two meters. "How much did you steal?" "Not... not much..." He teared up. "Mom, why hit me? You spent hundreds on Big Sis and Second Sis for school. Can't I steal a few tens?" "No! You can't! Steal a needle today, steal gold tomorrow!" I pulled out a clothes hanger and whipped him until he cried for his ancestors... 5 When I got tired, I handed the hanger to Big Girl. "Your turn." "Mom, I don't need this." Big Girl took off her slipper and charged. After that, money never went missing again. But peace didn't last. A neighbor came knocking. He said his puppy's leg was broken. My dad stepped on it. I grabbed the hanger again and pointed it at my dad's face. "Why did you hurt the neighbor's dog?" "I just thought it was ugly! Called 'Teddy' or whatever, hideous!" "Even if it's ugly, you can't break its leg!" The neighbor, standing by, muttered, "Actually, he's not ugly..." After another beating, my dad behaved for a few days. But I underestimated his creativity. Because of the dog incident, he held a grudge against the neighbor next door. When no one was looking, he scooped all their goldfish out of the tank and smashed them on the floor. This was too much! I finally understood the power of genetics. Even though I took him away from that toxic environment, the rot in his bones was hard to cure. He was becoming more like my grandfather every day—selfish and violent. This time, I didn't beat him. I called the police. The officer looked at the seven-year-old boy, troubled. "Um, ma'am, this is a family matter." "Intentional destruction of property is a crime!" "It's not that serious..." "I don't care! Arrest him! I can't handle him anymore!" Maybe the uniform scared him, or maybe he really thought I didn't want him anymore. He refused to leave. He knelt and apologized to me, then to the neighbor, and finally even kowtowed to the policeman. He was truly scared.
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "387110", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel