Quick Transmigration: Refusing to Be a Victim's Child

"No, I won't allow it!"

Shao Mingzhu interrupted sharply, glaring at her mother with furious eyes, and shouted:

"If Shao Zhili is in this family, then Shao Mingzhu can forget about being here."

"If you insist on bringing that disgraceful beast back, then don't blame me for disowning you as my mother!"

"What did you say? Say it again if you dare!"

The old lady could hardly believe her ears. She never expected that her usually considerate and obedient daughter would speak to her like that.

She was so angry that her vision blurred for a moment. If the nanny next to her hadn't caught her quickly, her head would probably have hit the ground hard.

Shao Mingzhu couldn't care less about her mother's thoughts at that moment. She only had one thought in her mind: she absolutely could not let Shao Zhili come back.

Seeing her mother's grip loosen, she snatched the gold hairpin, threw it out the window, and shouted angrily in a delicate voice:

"If Mother continues to threaten suicide like this, I don't want to care anymore."

We've said everything we could to you, but you just won't listen. You're determined to die. How can we, your children, stop you?

It would be better to do as my elder brother said and simply have the Emperor strip us of our titles, so that our whole family can end up on the streets.

I just don't know if Mother will have the face to meet the ancestors of the Shao family in the underworld!

After saying that, she turned and left angrily, completely ignoring the old lady who was standing there, who was so angry that she vomited blood and fainted, her face pale.

This looks much more real than the pale complexion she used to fake with makeup.

"Oh! Madam, what's wrong?"

"My lord, the old lady has fainted."

"Madam, please wake up!"

……

The Shou'an Hall instantly descended into chaos, with a group of maids and servants running around in a panic, like ants on a hot plate.

Some people rushed up to Shaolin Shen in a panic, anxiously asking him questions.

"What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and fetch a doctor! What good are you looking at me for? A bunch of useless trash!"

After saying that, Shaolin Shen patted his behind and left.

*

Time flies, and three days have passed in the blink of an eye. Night falls like ink, slowly enveloping the earth.

Inside Shou'an Hall, candlelight flickered.

An old woman dressed as a servant, her head bowed low, walked hurriedly and slightly hastily towards a side gate in the backyard.

Just before leaving, she turned her head slightly, looked at an old woman waiting by the side door, her expression tense, and asked in a low voice:

"Have you really investigated thoroughly? Are you sure Zhili is in Huai Shu Lane?"

The old woman nodded hurriedly, and replied cautiously in a low voice:

"Reporting to Master, this old servant has inquired and confirmed that the Second Young Master is indeed currently living in a small courtyard in Huai Shu Lane."

These past few days, this old servant hasn't dared to relax for a moment; I've been keeping a close watch on things. There's no mistake."

Hearing this, the old lady felt somewhat relieved. She then tightly gripped the small bundle in her hand and hurriedly slipped out through the side door.

Little did she know that shortly after she left, the old nanny who had been standing respectfully by the door waiting to receive her turned around and knelt down in front of the artificial hill.

Behind the artificial hill, Shaolin Shen walked out with steady steps.

His expression remained calm as he looked at the old woman on the ground, nodded slightly, and said in praise, "Not bad."

Immediately, he waved to the butler behind him and gave the order:

"Reassign her an easier job."

The old steward bowed his head in agreement.

After the old nanny left, full of gratitude, Shao Linshen narrowed his eyes slightly, a cold glint flashing in them for a moment, like a hidden blade under the night sky, exuding an unfathomable chill.

……

Deep in the narrow alley, sewage splattered by the locals, mixed with a putrid smell and dampness, permeated the air like an invisible mist.

The bluestone path was trampled into mud and filth. The old lady clutched her handkerchief tightly, covering her mouth and nose, and carefully avoided the filth with the tips of her embroidered shoes.

For the first time in her life, she had stepped into such a filthy place. When the hem of her skirt inadvertently brushed against the moss in the corner of the wall, her fingertips trembled slightly.

The thought that her second son, who had been pampered and privileged since childhood, would now have to live in such a place made the old lady's heart ache as if it were being pierced by countless needles.

Her hand holding the lamp swayed unconsciously, and the dim candlelight flickered and cast dappled shadows on the damp, cold brick wall.

She walked and stopped, groping her way through the winding, narrow alley for a long time, until she finally saw where her second son lived. The old lady quickened her pace and gently knocked on the door.

inside the house.

Shao Zhili leaned against the simple wooden bed, his injured leg firmly secured by a crude wooden frame.

The youngest son, Yuan'er, beside him had his face covered in ash, and his once gorgeous brocade jacket was now frayed. He no longer resembled the noble young master of the Marquis's mansion.

Previously, Shao Zhili went to the princess's residence, intending to ask Princess Ruihe for help. Unexpectedly, the princess's face turned extremely ugly the moment she saw Yuan'er. Not only did she ruthlessly kick him out of the residence, she also strictly forbade him from visiting her again.

Shao Zhili naturally understood that the other party was hating the house because of the crow, and seeing Yuan'er reminded him of Jiang Shi.

But now, that poor woman has already lost her life due to Shao Lin's cruel treatment.

How could he possibly abandon this child?

It seems that to appease Princess Ruihe, I will have to wait until I recover from my injuries before making any further plans.

Fortunately, he still had one or two close friends. Although they were pressured by their elders to avoid much contact with him, they secretly lent him some money.

However, the injury to his leg was quite serious, and if he did not want to be disabled in the future, he would have to use the best medicine.

However, the medicinal herbs were expensive, and Shao Zhili had been unable to move around easily for some time, requiring others to take care of him in his daily life. He also had a five or six-year-old child with him.

Left with no other choice, he had to lower his expectations and rent this simple house to save some money to hire someone to take care of his and his son's daily needs.

Just as he was pondering this, the knocking on the door sounded particularly abrupt and jarring in the quiet courtyard.

Shao Zhili frowned – who else would come to this place besides those old friends who secretly helped him?

Could it be that heartless beast Shao Linshen sent someone to cause trouble?

Shao Zhili assumed the other party had come to the wrong place and ignored it.

But after waiting a while, the knocking on the door continued relentlessly.

He even faintly heard his mother's voice!

"Zhili, Zhili, are you inside? Your mother has come to see you."

A cold wind howled outside, occasionally punctuated by the barking of dogs. The old lady huddled by the door, looking somewhat uneasy, and called out softly.

Shao Zhili sat up abruptly in bed. He glanced at his right leg, which was immobilized by a wooden board, then gently nudged his slightly haggard-looking son and said in a low voice:

"Yuan'er, wake up, Grandma is here to see us. Don't you always love He Xiang Zhai's pine nut and lily pastry the most? Grandma is outside, go open the door quickly."

"Lily pastry?!"

The chubby boy opened his eyes instantly. As soon as he heard his grandmother bringing him food, he didn't need anyone to urge him; he immediately crawled out using both his hands and feet.

"hiss--"

Shao Zhili gasped in pain when the boy carelessly touched his wound.

Seeing that his son didn't care about him at all and only cared about putting on his shoes and rushing out, Shao Zhili couldn't help but frown. He secretly blamed Jiang for failing to raise her son properly and spoiling him into being so selfish.

The chubby boy didn't care what his father was thinking; he had long been fed up with the days of wandering.

If he had known that this father was so useless, he shouldn't have listened to his mother and fed the other father medicine.

Perhaps, out of consideration for his cuteness and obedience, that person might keep him in the Marquis's mansion and let him continue to be his young master.

"Bah-"

The door was opened from the inside, and the old lady immediately saw her grandson, who was standing on a stool and trying his best to open the door for her.

She was so frightened that she quickly hugged the child to her arms, afraid that the child might fall to the ground and get hurt.

The chubby boy smelled the familiar scent of incense on the old lady, and his nose stung with tears. He immediately hugged her and burst into tears.

"Waaaaah, Grandma, Yuan'er missed you so much! Why did you only come to find Yuan'er now? Waaaaah, Yuan'er doesn't want to stay here anymore. Please take Yuan'er back to the Marquis's mansion!"

The old lady's eyes reddened, and she gently lifted the child in her hand, finding him much lighter than before. A sudden pang of pain shot through her heart.

Upon hearing her grandson's words, the old lady instinctively wanted to agree.

But the next second, the image of her eldest son's fierce face suddenly flashed into her mind, startling her so much that she quickly shut her mouth and handed a bag of lily cakes that she had prepared beforehand to her grandson. Then, she led the child into the house.

The chubby boy stared at the pastries in his hand, swallowing his saliva incessantly. He was no longer the spoiled boy who used to be a picky eater and needed several maids to feed him.

Inside the room, the oil lamp's flame was as weak as a bean, its dim yellow light illuminating Shao Zhili's haggard face.

The old lady looked at her second son lying on the wooden bed. She noticed that he had grown dark stubble on his chin, and his usual brocade robes had been replaced with coarse cloth shorts.

Her nose tingled, her eyes welled up with tears, and she couldn't help but grab the other person's hand, choking back sobs as she said, "My child, you've suffered so much!"

Shao Zhili gently shook his head, still maintaining his gentle and submissive demeanor, and said:

"It's all the son's own fault, he has no one to blame but himself. It's just that he's unfilial, causing his parents to worry about him at their age."

As he spoke, Shao Zhili raised his hand to slap himself.

The old lady was heartbroken and quickly took her second son's hand, gently stroking it in her palm, saying:

"What are you talking about? You can only blame that bitch Jiang. If she hadn't seduced you, why would you have turned down so many noble ladies and gotten involved with her?"

Shao Zhili lowered his eyes slightly, neither affirming his mother's words nor responding.

Only after the old lady had finished complaining did she open the small bundle that she had been clutching tightly in her hand.

Inside the bundle were several silver notes, each worth one hundred taels, and a few inconspicuous pieces of jewelry.

Shao Zhili looked surprised and quickly declined, saying, "No, this is my mother's retirement money, I can't accept it."

"When did I ever say it was for you?"

The old lady forcefully shoved the bundle into the other person's arms, and said with a stern face:

“Mother knows you don’t want to rely on others for help, but this is money that I’m giving to Yuan’er. It’s one thing for you, an adult, to suffer from hunger and cold, but I can’t let the child suffer.”

After much persuasion from the old lady, Shao Zhili finally managed to reluctantly accept the valuables.

She chatted with the father and son for a while longer, but seeing that it was getting late, she had to say goodbye and prepare to leave.

The chubby boy cried and fussed for a while when his grandmother was about to leave, until the old lady promised to come and see him again in a few days, at which point he finally stopped.

Unexpectedly, no sooner had the old lady left than a large group of burly men stormed into the courtyard. Without saying a word, they beat Shao Zhili severely and tried to drag him to the authorities.

"You little brat, you don't even know who I, Master Liu, am before daring to steal from me! If I don't break your other leg today, I'll write my name backwards!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the child's scream, mixed with the sound of bones cracking, pierced the night sky. The stray cat under the wall was startled and darted into the darkness, its claws scraping the muddy ground with a piercing sound.

-

Meanwhile, inside the Jing'an Marquis's residence.

The old lady, who had returned to Shou'an Hall, was completely unaware that the valuables she had left for her second son had been secretly switched before she left.

Because of this, the father and son, who originally had a place to stay, were now forced to compensate the thieves. Not only were they kicked out of the courtyard, but the little silver they had left was also taken away.

Left with no other choice, the father and son were forced to spend the night in the dilapidated temple.

The old lady, completely unaware of this, was still gloating over how she had easily escaped from the Marquis's mansion right under the noses of her two children. She was even planning to give her second son more money next time so that he would have something to rely on.

As she was pondering this, a young maidservant hurried in from outside and respectfully announced, "Madam, the eldest young lady has arrived."

Upon hearing this, the old lady instinctively felt a throbbing pain in her head, frowned, and said irritably:

"Let her go back. I don't want to see her right now."

The young maid looked troubled and hesitated in place. Before she could speak, a girl in a lotus-colored dress rushed in.

The young woman saw her elderly mother reclining on the soft couch, being massaged on the shoulders and back by a maid, and curled her lip in disdain. She then casually sat down in a chair and said:

"Mother, are you tired of your daughter? Poor daughter is still worried about your health. I was afraid that you would be upset by your elder brother, so I got up early this morning to personally cook you a nourishing soup."

As Shao Mingzhu spoke, she waved to the maid behind her.

The maid skillfully lifted a food box, took out a bowl of ginseng soup, carefully ladled out a bowlful, and handed it to her mistress.

Shao Mingzhu took the soup, and even stirred it gently with a spoon, testing the temperature. When it felt just right, she leaned over to the old lady and fed her the soup as if presenting a treasure.

The old lady was still angry about the incident where the girl colluded with her eldest son, so she turned her head away and refused to pay any attention to her.

"Mother~" Shao Mingzhu pouted, unwilling to give up.

Seeing that the mother and daughter were at an impasse, Granny Wang quickly stepped in to smooth things over, gently advising them:

"Madam, Miss has never cooked for anyone before. It's clear she knows she was wrong, which is why she's come to apologize to you."

Please, for the sake of her filial piety, at least try the soup.

"There's no such thing as a grudge that lasts overnight between a mother and daughter. When Miss was away, you were worried about her marriage every day, so why are you silent now that you see her?"

"Hmph, I'm just worrying for nothing. She has a capable brother to back her up now, so why should this old woman like me have to worry about her?"