The gloomy weather chilled the wind, and the entrance to the shabby low grass cottage resembled a dark hole. A blood-stained hand and half of a shockingly red bridal gown that was showing were enough to frighten anyone to the core.

Zhao, the butler, scurried into the carriage, urging the coachman to hurry and not forgetting to lift the curtain to yell at Madam Jiang Chen, "Old hag! Wait till I deal with you when we return!"

Madam Jiang Chen was frozen in place, her gaze fixated on the entrance. Seeing Jiang Xi in a red dress slowly emerging, she repeatedly called out, "Nanny, Nanny!"

With a horrifying scream, Madam Jiang Chen covered her head and fled, running insanely back to the old mansion.

Only when Madam Jiang Chen was gone did Jiang Xi slowly retreat. When she collapsed onto the bed, her whole body was shaking intensely. The room was filled with a heavy stench of blood which was nauseating.

Jiang Xi didn't care about the injury on her head and after a while, she went on the ground to examine Madame Qu's injuries, the sight of the bloodstain under Madame Qu's body made her heart leap.

In the original owner's memory, Madame Qu was nearly three months pregnant, she must have had a miscarriage now.

The wickedness of man was vividly displayed in all she saw, made even more nakedly apparent.

She had died due to her family's power games, a death justified by pursuit of financial gain. But this peasant girl, Jiang Xi, had lost her life for paying off gambling debts for her fourth uncle.

It was ridiculous, and pitiful.

"Miss Jiang?" A stranger's inquiry came from outside the door. Jiang Xi cautiously approached the entrance and saw a familiar man with a medicine box on his back standing outside the gate, peering into the courtyard. It was Doctor Qiao who lived at the foot of the mountain.

Now, saving Madame Qu was the priority, and Jiang Xi stepped forward.

Doctor Qiao was shocked internally. He had already realized when taking the pulse earlier that the person was undoubtedly going to die. But having seen the fleeing carriage and Madam Jiang Chen, he had courageously come back, betting that there was a slim chance of saving the patient.

After some hesitation, he walked in: "Quickly get inside, let me examine your injuries."

Jiang Xi was perplexed as to why Doctor Qiao would take the initiative to make a house call, but there was indeed a need for a doctor at this moment. She thanked him and followed behind Doctor Qiao, "My mother might have had a miscarriage, save her first."

Joe the physician gave a silent sigh, lamenting the misfortune that had been created. He helped Jiang Xi support Madam Qu to the bed and after taking her pulse, he shook his head, "The situation is critical, there's nothing more I can do. I can provide some medication to help nourish her body."

"Thank you," Jiang Xi watched as Joe brought out a piece of soft cloth and some medicine powder from his medicine box. She knew that he was doing his best to help her, and besides being grateful, she did not think much more.

"I will stop the bleeding and bandage you up. I've already sent Xun Zhong to get your father," Joe instructed Jiang Xi to sit down as he inspected the wound on her head. He couldn't help but add, "Even the most significant issues should not lead you to recklessly endanger your life."

"You're right, I was thoughtless for a moment," Jiang Xi also felt the original host was too harsh on herself. What could she achieve by dying? As long as she's breathing, she should fight back! What's the worst that could happen?

Joe the physician applied a clotting powder on Jiang Xi's wound and then, Jiang Xi used a bandage to cover the wound herself.

Jiang Fusheng arrived home, panting heavily. Upon seeing the scene, his legs gave out. Jiang Xi noticed Jiang Fusheng, who was barely holding himself up against the door. She felt a wave of bitterness welling up in her heart and hid it by sharply lowering her gaze.

"Jiang Second Brother needs to hang in there, I shall take my leave," Joe the physician didn't want to get involved with the Jiang family's affairs. He had done everything he could to help, and thought it improper to stay longer.

Jiang Fusheng bent over to see Joe out, then turned back and asked, "What happened?"

"The elderly of our house want me to become a ghost bride for the son of the county magistrate who passed away. Didn't you know this?" Jiang Xi raised her head and asked.

The original host held the impression that their father was loyal and filial, but regardless of which trait, neither seemed to help the current situation. Jiang Xi had to gauge Jiang Fusheng's stance on this.

As for the two younger ones who were taken away by the elderly, she didn't have the luxury of worrying about them at this time. She was, after all, a foreign soul experiencing severe adaptation difficulties.

Jiang Fusheng turned pale, took a few steps in and said, "I didn't know about this, I was working at Li's house yesterday."

"Mother had a miscarriage, Shi An and A Yuan were taken by the elderly, you need to think of a way." Jiang Xi busily changed Madam Qu's bloodied clothes, intentionally placing the blood-covered clothes in front of Jiang Fusheng.

"I'll go get Shi An and A Yuan back." Jiang Fusheng could no longer stand still after seeing the blood-soaked clothes and he turned to leave.

Jiang Xi watched Jiang Fusheng's receding figure, silently cleaned up Madam Qu, and sat by the bed to think about her next moves.

The sound of sobbing interrupted Jiang Xi's thoughts. She looked towards Mrs. Qu, whose eyes were tightly shut, and quietly asked, "Are you awake?"

Thrashing her eyes wide open upon hearing Jiang Xi's voice, Mrs. Qu saw a well-dressed young lady seated by her bed and immediately sobbed and lunged at Jiang Xi, whimpering "Don't worry, my child. Mommy is with you. Mommy is with you."

The unexpected embrace from a stranger made Jiang Xi feel uncomfortable. She reached out to hold Mrs. Qu and create some distance between them, "I'm not dead."

"Not dead?"

Mrs. Qu believed they were both destined for the underworld. Upon hearing Jiang Xi's response, she stretched out her trembling hand to touch Jiang Xi's face. Feeling the warmth, she was momentarily stunned. As a reality check, she pinched her own arm so hard it drew a gasp of pain.

"Good. It's good that you're not dead. It's good," Mrs. Qu wanted to get out of bed but froze at the realization that she was not dressed. The lapse was brief. She quickly pulled the blanket over herself and acted as if to get out of bed again.

Jiang Xi held the corner of the blanket tightly, "You can't move around right now. If you need something, let me get it for you."

"No. Ah-Yuan and Shi-An will be sold off. I must go to the old house to redeem them." Mrs. Qu pushed Jiang Xi's hand aside.

Jiang Xi frowned, "I... My father has already gone to fetch them."

It was not easy to utter the word "father", but it was part of the commonplace here. The most important thing was that she mustn't let this family discover that their daughter had been replaced. Otherwise, she might face death again, and she didn't want to die.

Mrs. Qu paused, "Your father has returned?"

"Yes, he has returned." As Jiang Xi's words fell, someone burst in from the outside, "Auntie, something bad has happened. Uncle Fusheng's leg is broken!"

It was Xun Zhong, the apprentice of Doctor Qiao, a young orphan.

Winded, Xun Zhong reached the doorway, "Auntie, quickly..."

Upon seeing Jiang Xi in her red dress, Xun Zhong stepped back and lowered his head, "Sister Jiang, please hurry to the old house. The fight there is fierce. Ah-Yuan, Ah-Yuan's screams are bone-chilling."

Jiang Xi turned to Madame Qu and said, "Don't move recklessly, let me go and see."

As she spoke, she moved towards the door with Xun Zhong following behind her.

"Go and call Li Zheng over, and please ask your master to come as well," Jiang Xi instructed Xun Zhong.

With a nod in agreement, Xun quickly ran off.

Picking up what Madame Jiang Chen had dropped, Jiang Xi oriented herself at the doorstep before heading straight towards the old house.

She wasn't usually keen on helping others out of the goodness of her heart, but it involved her survival now, so it was imperative to act.

This family resided in the most remote corner of the northern side of the village, with no neighbors in sight, while the Jiang old manor was situated in the heart of the village. As Jiang Xi swiftly made her way, the villagers who saw her elegantly dressed for her wedding couldn’t help but express their curiosity, so they followed her in groups.

As soon as she entered the village, she could hear a young but piercing shout. The monosyllabic shouts, filled with grief, were loud and harsh against her ears, leaving Jiang Xi with an inexplicable discomfort. These were not her emotions.

Jiang Xi sprinted all the way to the entrance of the old house, and saw its large door wide open, and within it was Jiang Fusheng, limping and holding a little girl.

The little girl was covering her ears and screaming as loudly as she could. A young boy stood next to her, holding a blood-stained kitchen knife, trying to block some of the burly men, but was continually forced to retreat.

Almost too many onlookers encircled the scene, yet no one dared to approach. Seeing a strong man raise a stick, as thick as a child's arm, to strike Jiang Shi An, Jiang Xi swiftly approached, her dress hiked up around her legs. She swung a forceful forty-five-degree downward chop from the left...