Chapter 27

Chapter 27: You Are a Ugly, Poisonous Woman! Why did the entire Jia household know of this matter, yet she alone remained in the dark? In her past life, she had never once doubted the authenticity of this memorial tablet. She never expected that Song Jiaojiao's outburst would expose the truth about the real and fake tablets. She didn't understand. Her mother had been the Madam of the Hua family—the legitimate wife her father had married with full ceremony. Why was it that even after death, her memorial tablet wasn't worthy of a place in the ancestral hall? Grandfather—why was he so ruthless and merciless? That grandfather who sat in the Buddhist shrine all day, chanting sutras and praying for longevity and peace, who wore a kind and benevolent face toward the Jia descendants—he couldn't even tolerate the dignity of a dead person. How utterly ironic! "Why? Do you think this is unfair?" Song Jiaojiao's eyes were full of smug satisfaction. She loved watching Jia Qingcheng cry and fall apart, because in that state, she was truly hideous. Naturally, it was also unforgettable—everyone would forever remember Jia Qingcheng's ugly display. She wanted everyone to despise her, and in doing so, highlight her own beauty. She would keep Jia Qingcheng trampled beneath her feet for the rest of her life, never allowing her to rise again! Jia Qingcheng stared blankly up at Song Jiaojiao, who wore a face full of triumph. "There's something else you probably don't know either. Have you ever wondered why Brother Wuliang suddenly announced our marriage, and the Pei family raised no objection at all? I'm an adopted daughter of the Jia family. By all rules, I have no qualification to marry into the Pei household as its matriarch. Don't you want to know why?" Song Jiaojiao had already ordered her maidservant to bring the hemostatic sanqi powder. Soon, the blood on her forehead stopped flowing. In fact, she even bandaged herself, as if she'd done it a hundred times before. Everything Song Jiaojiao knew of medicine had been taught to her by Father and by Jia Qingcheng herself. But now, the wolf they had raised had grown up—and it was about to turn and bite its masters. "What?" "Sister, you would never guess that before this, I was despised by the Pei family. Do you know why they suddenly came to like me?" Jia Qingcheng suddenly lifted her head to meet her gaze. Yes—this question had plagued her for two lifetimes. In her past life, she remembered Song Jiaojiao had been married off to Prince Chu. But in this life, why didn't the Pei family oppose the union between the two? If status mattered, she was the legitimate daughter—her marriage to Pei Wuliang would carry far more weight than Song Jiaojiao's. Song Jiaojiao was merely an adopted daughter of the Jia family, with no one to rely on. Why would the snobbish Pei family so readily agree to this match? This was something she had never considered. "Because my congenital infertility has been cured." "What did you say?" Jia Qingcheng's eyes flew wide open, staring at Song Jiaojiao in utter disbelief. She had assumed the Pei family had only relented because they knew Song Jiaojiao would be added to the Jia family registry. But she never expected that Song Jiaojiao had been born infertile? Song Jiaojiao didn't mind her knowing the truth. "Surprised? Before this, I couldn't bear children, so the Pei family could never accept a woman like me—one who couldn't produce heirs—as their matriarch. But now, things are different..." Song Jiaojiao paused. "Brother Wuliang—he obtained the prescription. My infertility was cured by him." Pei Wuliang! Jia Qingcheng drew in a sharp breath of cold air. So that was it. No wonder he had chosen her as his wife in the past life—it was because Song Jiaojiao couldn't bear children. And in this life, Pei Wuliang had actually cured her? No, that couldn't be right. The prescription for infertility was in her hands, and she had never taught Pei Wuliang how to prepare it. How had he obtained the formula? "But merely being able to bear children wouldn't satisfy the Pei family. After all, my status is still that of an orphan, so..." Song Jiaojiao curled her lips, her eyes brimming with pride. "Brother Wuliang spared no expense in hiring a great master to perform Fate-altering for me. From now on, any children I bear will be noble offspring. Only children born from my womb will be noble—only they can restore the Pei family's former glory and keep it standing for a hundred years. That is why the Pei family was willing to marry me. Sister, do you know where you lost?" Fate-altering... the infertility prescription... Jia Qingcheng was struck speechless by these revelations... She knew the prescription had always been in her possession, never shared with anyone. Could it be that during her past life with Pei Wuliang, he had been scheming all along to steal the secret formula she kept hidden? He had stolen the formula, but Song Jiaojiao had already married Prince Chu and become a widow. In that past life, he never had the chance to change Song Jiaojiao's fate. Now, reborn, he had no choice but to use the formula he'd stolen in his previous life to cure Song Jiaojiao's infertility? All the mysteries were finally unraveled. But why, in her past life, had she noticed nothing? It was her fault—her fault for trusting that faithless husband too much! "Sister, add my name to the family registry. I've been kind enough to tell you everything." With that, Song Jiaojiao had someone bring the family registry, then personally handed the brush and ink to her. "Write. Write the name Song Jiaojiao. Hurry!" Song Jiaojiao pressed Jia Qingcheng to write down her name, but Jia Qingcheng was already wounded beyond repair by the truths of her past life. Fine, Pei Wuliang—you deceived me cruelly! She had no tears left—they had all been shed dry because of Pei Wuliang's betrayal. All that remained was a belly full of hatred and unwillingness to accept her fate! "Write it now!" Song Jiaojiao had lost her patience and immediately tried to grab her hand to force her signature, but Jia Qingcheng, drawing on some unknown strength, suddenly shoved her away... "Dream on!" "Ah!" With a thud, Song Jiaojiao fell to the ground again—and at that very moment, Pei Wuliang, who had come looking for the two sisters, happened to witness the scene... "Jiaojiao!" Pei Wuliang rushed forward in a single stride and quickly embraced Song Jiaojiao. "Jiaojiao, are you alright?" Seeing that Pei Wuliang had arrived, Song Jiaojiao immediately switched her demeanor, looking at him with pitiful eyes full of innocence and grievance. "Brother Wuliang, don't blame sister. It was my own carelessness that made me fall." "Jiaojiao, you're injured. Don't speak. Someone—quickly, summon a physician!" Song Jiaojiao was escorted by the maidservants to see a doctor, but no one paid any attention to the blood covering the back of Jia Qingcheng's hand... It was a wound from being pierced by the broken wood shards during the struggle just now. Pei Wuliang looked at the hideous, ugly Jia Qingcheng, and in that moment, his anger blazed even hotter. He wished he could rush forward and strangle her to death. What had gone wrong? In the previous life, Jia Qingcheng had clearly not been like this. Why, in this life, had she become so utterly unreasonable? Now, he grew more disgusted with her by the day—not only because she was ugly, but also because she was not just ugly, but venomous as a snake at heart. "You ugly thing, why can't you tolerate Jiaojiao? She's just a weak woman who has never stood in your way. You've spent years together, day and night—surely there should be some bond between you. But what have you done to her? She's about to be married, and you've injured her. Jia Qingcheng, have you gone mad with jealousy?" Jia Qingcheng looked at the Pei Wuliang before her who was rebuking her, and in that moment, she recalled the words Song Jiaojiao had spoken. Everything clicked into place. This despicable husband had married her in the previous life, and his so-called devoted husband persona had all been a lie. Jia Qingcheng thought that if she had a knife in her hand, she would plunge it deeply into that worthless husband of hers. But she held back, saying nothing, and forced herself to stand up. Chunyan quickly stepped forward to support her. "Miss, your hand is injured. We need to stop the bleeding at once." "It's nothing!" Jia Qingcheng's voice was hoarse. Perhaps realizing she had been thoroughly schemed against, she wanted to flee this place. She could barely breathe. She wanted to reinvent herself...