The mistress just wanted to be bad, but she took off after being replaced

The filial piety of the eldest brother and his wife was praised by neighbors and villagers. They returned home to visit every now and then, and each time they never forgot to bring back many precious gifts. This glamour and honor once again pushed the Zhang family to the forefront of the village.

In comparison, Zhang Yuanshun looked particularly bleak.

He had neither the talent nor the learning of his elder brother, nor was he able to take on the heaviest farm work.

The woman who had planned to spend the rest of her life with him eventually chose to leave because she could not accept a partner without knowledge and fame.

His wife, however, had a hot temper and was full of disdain for her half-husband Zhang Yuanshun, who was born to the same mother but was far inferior to her eldest brother.

Her choice was more out of respect and admiration for her elder brother.

Zhang Yuanshun knew that he was once a talented young man in the Great Sheng Empire. Even though his youth was gone, his talent had made him the center of attention.

He tried to prove his worth by reciting poems from memory, but found that those beautiful sentences that he once could recite effortlessly were now buried in the sands of time and were difficult to find.

He seemed to be forgotten by everyone, including his wife. In their eyes, there was only the brilliance of their eldest brother.

At this moment, he finally stood in the position he had always dreamed of - away from everyone's attention, but he also lost the glory of being noticed.

There was no joy in his heart, but instead he was filled with an indescribable sense of loss.

He missed the time when he was surrounded by people, missed those ardent gazes, and those heavy expectations.

What's worse, he missed the time when he was carefree and didn't have to rush for life.

Whenever he expressed his feelings about the hardships of life, someone would always respond calmly: "Who hasn't gotten through this?"

There was a hint of teasing and helplessness in his words, as if reminding him that compared with most people of this era, he was already lucky enough.

After all, in this era of frequent famine, there was never a lack of food on the Zhang family's table. Even the simple meals were enough to make many people envious.

Zhang Yuanshun stood on the ridge of the field, looking at the busy figures in the distance, feeling mixed emotions.

He realized that life might be like this, losing and gaining at the same time, and all he can do is to continue writing his own story on this land, even if that story is no longer glorious, it is real and tenacious.

In comparison, other families may have to survive on black, tasteless batter, or rough-tasting wild vegetable bran porridge that barely fills their stomachs.

For Zhang Yuanshun, days like this always make him feel mixed emotions.

He thought to himself that he should not have fallen to this point. All the wealth and glory that his elder brother had should have belonged to him!

Sadly, his complaints and resentment were like bubbles in the wind. No one was willing to believe them, not even his closest relatives - his parents.

Whenever he tried to appeal for the injustice in his heart, he was always greeted by his parents' eyes full of suspicion and disappointment. Those eyes seemed to silently question why he had such a ridiculous idea, full of helplessness towards a person who deceived himself.

The mother's eyes, which had experienced many vicissitudes of life, gazed deeply at him and slowly uttered a meaningful sentence: "In this world, everyone has to pay a corresponding price for every choice they make."

These words struck his heart like a heavy hammer, forcing him to silently endure the erosion of time and grow old during countless days of inaction.

Although his children are relatively filial, their family is poor and they do not have the extra energy to change the current situation.

A sudden serious illness came like a bolt from the blue, making the already poor family even worse off. Faced with the high medical expenses, they were helpless.

Zhang Yuanshun could only lie in bed, helplessly feeling the flame of life dying out bit by bit. Finally, in endless pain and regret, he bid farewell to this world that he both loved and hated.

When he was dying, a thought flashed through his mind like lightning - if the learned teacher in the private school had been able to discern and cultivate him, would everything be different now? However, there is no if in life, time cannot flow back, and all assumptions can only turn into nothingness.

Just when Zhang Yuanshun thought he would be trapped in darkness forever, a beam of warm light suddenly penetrated the surrounding haze. He suddenly opened his eyes, and what came into his sight were Sheng Junwei's gentle and smiling eyes, and the figures of those relatives who had been deeply hurt by him.

He breathed in the air greedily as if he had been reborn, his heart filled with indescribable relief, it turned out that all this was just a suffocating nightmare.

However, this relief did not last long. Sheng Junwei's voice sounded clear and cold, like ice piercing the bones: "You have been contaminated with fifteen innocent lives in your life. You must reincarnate fifteen times in the animal realm before you can be reborn as an ordinary farmer. Aren't you tired of the high hopes others have for you? Heaven has complied with your wish and made you live a mediocre life."

Her smile was bright and a little ironic: "Congratulations, your wish has come true."

Zhang Yuanshun was horrified, his eyes widened, and he shook his head desperately: "No! I refuse to accept such mediocrity! I can't do nothing!"

He, who used to be so proud and conceited, now knelt on the ground without hesitation and begged with tears in his eyes: "Sir! No, Fairy! Please have mercy and don't be so harsh on me! I know I was wrong, I really know I was wrong!"

His repentance instantly dissipated the resentment in the hearts of the Zhang family's deceased souls. Their figures gradually became softer and returned to their appearance before death, with neat clothes, neat hair, handsome faces, and full of tranquility and relief.

They bowed deeply to Sheng Junwei and said gratefully: "Thanks to the Taoist priest's help, we are freed."

Sheng Junwei silently chanted a mantra for salvation in her heart. As her words fell, an ancient and deep door appeared in front of everyone in the courtyard. Bursts of cold air came through the gap in the door, making people shudder.

The seven people from the Zhang family walked into the door without any hesitation. The door then closed tightly, taking Zhang Yuanshun away.

Although there is no direct evidence to prove that Zhang Yuanshun was the culprit behind the poisoning of the Qin couple, his fate had already been determined.

Sheng Junwei would never tolerate any evil deeds, let alone such a cruel crime.

Soon after, not only was the definitive evidence of the Qin couple's poisoning found, but the whole truth about Zhang Yuanshun's planning to kill Li Zhang's parents and deliberately crippling Li Zhang was revealed.

Seven days later, due to the conclusive evidence, heinous crimes and bad influence, Zhang Yuanshun was publicly executed at Caishikou and had no chance of escape.

Sheng Junwei had cast an immobilization spell on him in advance, so he could hardly move except for the most basic physiological needs. The spell would only last for a quarter of an hour each time. This arrangement ensured that even if he wanted to escape, he could not get far.