With her resentment festering, Jacqueline Spann’s dislike for Tang Xiao’nan had evolved into pure loathing. She kept it buried deep inside, never letting it show, but secretly wished for Tang Xiao’nan to meet with misfortune. Her hatred even extended to Adrian Hawthorne, and by association, to Old Master Tate and Rosalind Green as well.

’My hope is gone, and it’s all their fault. I wish they’d all suffer some terrible misfortune!’

Wade Golding didn’t think much of it and said with a grin, "Everyone says that, not just my grandma. In fact, I think you’re the real goddess come down to earth, Jacqueline. Tang Xiao’nan is so ugly, how could she possibly be a fairy?"

Jacqueline Spann felt a bit better, but then her eyes fell on Tang Xiao’nan, who was riding piggyback on Jim Thorne and holding that glaring piece of paper. She watched as Adrian Hawthorne reached out to tug one of Xiao’nan’s little braids, only to have his hand slapped away. Adrian wasn’t even angry. The scene was so harmonious and joyful—a warmth she had never experienced.

Jealousy and resentment flooded Jacqueline Spann’s heart. She was only ten, and her thinking wasn’t yet fully developed. With a bleak future, a miserable life, and no hope in sight, Jacqueline’s pessimism caused her hatred for those who had crushed her dreams to intensify, and her mind began to twist.

After Tang Xiao’nan’s group left, Adrian Hawthorne went to a patch of land and lit a bamboo root on fire. Thick smoke billowed out, carried by the mountain breeze right toward Jacqueline Spann and her companion, making them choke and cough.

A thought sparked in Jacqueline Spann’s mind. She asked, feigning nonchalance, "Wade, I heard my Aunt Mandy say your family is preparing to clear some land on the mountain to plant soybeans. Is the plot ready yet?"

"Not yet. My aunt said we need to clear a bigger plot. My oldest cousin is getting married next year, and we need to plant more soybeans to make tofu for the wedding banquet."

Jacqueline Spann gave a faint smile and glanced again in Adrian Hawthorne’s direction. Her smile grew colder as she bypassed the Hawthorne family’s land and headed down the mountain.

***

Not long after Jim Thorne got home with Tang Xiao’nan on his back, a gentle drizzle began to fall. The cool droplets felt wonderful on her skin. Tang Xiao’nan purposefully ran out into the courtyard to stand in the rain; it felt incredibly pleasant. She had loved walking in the drizzle in her past life.

"Get back in here! Don’t you come crying to me when you get sick and need a shot. Who was it that was crying with snot running a foot long last time?"

Raina hoisted Tang Xiao’nan under one arm and carried her back into the house, giving her a few heavy pats. Her smacks were nearly as strong as Phoebe Huxley’s. Tang Xiao’nan pouted. ’Can’t she stop bringing up the "snot a foot long" story every other day? Don’t I have a reputation to maintain?’

"Grandma, I want steamed egg custard." 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Tang Xiao’nan was placing her order. It was payback for her grandma bringing up that embarrassing story.

"So picky. I don’t know who you get that from. You won’t eat this, you won’t eat that... Don’t move your head! If I don’t dry it, you’ll get lice, and that’ll be mortifying..."

Raina scrubbed Tang Xiao’nan’s head as if it were a rubber ball, even yanking out a few strands of hair in the process. Tang Xiao’nan clenched her teeth against the pain. ’I’m young and have no power. I’ll just have to endure it!’

When the scrubbing was finally over, Raina combed out Tang Xiao’nan’s hair. She had undone the braids, planning to tie them back up once it was dry. Tang Xiao’nan had thick hair that cascaded down like a waterfall when unbound. Everyone in the Thorne family was blessed with exceptionally abundant hair—dark, dense, and glossy. Byron Thorne, now in his early sixties, didn’t have a single gray hair. Judging by its volume and color alone, you would mistake him for a young man.

The one downside to the Thorne family’s hair, however, was that it was coarse, wiry, and had a slight natural wave. Phoebe Huxley, on the other hand, didn’t have as much hair, but it was dark, straight, and silky. Tang Xiao’nan had inherited the best of both her parents, blessed with hair that was dark, thick, long, straight, and smooth.

Her facial features were also a combination of her two families’ best traits: thick eyebrows, large eyes, and fair skin. Her chubby cheeks made her as cute as a porcelain doll. It was just that later in life, the baby fat grew too thick, turning her into a bloated, clumsy fool.

"Grandma, no green onions in the egg custard!"

Raina headed to the kitchen to start cooking, with Tang Xiao’nan trailing behind and shouting her request.

"Want to eat farts instead?" Raina shot back, glaring at her harshly. "You won’t eat this, you won’t eat that. You’re just spoiled. Starve for a couple of meals, and you’d be willing to eat shit!"