Chapter 1: Transmigrated as a Mother-in-Law by Accident

The setting sun hung low, casting long shadows of the two figures carrying a bamboo stretcher. When they reached a fork in the road, they stopped.

Yang Datou wiped away tears as he looked back at Yang Erdan. "Which way do we go?"

To the left was the path to town to find a doctor to save Mother; to the right was the path up the mountain to dig a grave and bury Mother.

Yang Erdan burst into tears. "Big Brother, is there really no way to save her?"

Yang Datou wailed along with him. It wasn't that he didn't want to save her; it was that the family couldn't even scrape together five copper coins. What could they use to save her?

Jiang Ning regained consciousness amidst the crying. The dim light of the setting sun stung her eyes, making it impossible to open them. Subconsciously, a faint sound escaped her throat, and her head moved uncomfortably.

Seeing this, Yang Erdan shrieked, "Big Brother! Look! Mother is awake!"

"What nonsense are you spouting?" Yang Datou turned back to look at Jiang Ning on the stretcher. Seeing her eyelashes actually flutter a few times, he forgot to cry. He stared at her for a long moment, and once he confirmed she was truly awake, he immediately broke into a silly grin.

Yang Erdan was the first to react. He hurriedly asked, "Big Brother, where do we go now?"

Yang Datou came to his senses, gritted his teeth, stomped his foot, and changed direction. "Let's go! We're going home first!"

Since they couldn't afford a doctor, they couldn't go to town, and since Mother wasn't dead, they couldn't just carry her up the mountain.

The brothers turned back with Jiang Ning. The villagers chatting at the entrance of the village were all astonished to see them.

"Datou, weren't you taking your mother to see a doctor? Why are you back?"

In this day and age, no one would seek a doctor unless they were truly on the brink of death. Seeing the Yang brothers carrying Mother Yang out of the village earlier, they had assumed she was a goner. They hadn't expected her to be brought back!

Another old woman pulled a long face and said, "If she's dead, just carry her up the mountain. Don't bring a corpse back home; it's bad luck! Be careful, or your grandfather and grandmother will turn on you!"

"You're lying! My mother is fine, she isn't dead!"

Yang Erdan’s tone was sharp.

The old woman lost face and spat on the ground. "I offered kindness and got treated like a donkey's lung—what a piece of work!"

The brothers didn't bother arguing with the village women. They were about to head home with Jiang Ning when they were blocked by their Second Aunt, Qian Shi.

"Second Aunt, please move. My mother isn't dead; we're going home." Yang Datou stared blankly at the woman whose eyes were darting around.

Qian Shi refused to budge. She glanced at the stretcher and shook her head decisively. "Datou, logically speaking, since your father is gone, you are the head of the eldest branch. Let's settle this right here. Even if your mother hasn't breathed her last, she's not far from it. If you bring her home and bring bad luck upon the whole family, who’s going to account for that?

Not to mention, your grandfather and grandmother aren't young anymore. If something happens to them, can you two brothers take responsibility?"

Yang Erdan was stubborn. "I don't care! I'm taking my mother back!"

"Hah! You brat, you're being unreasonable! I'm telling you! If you dare bring your eldest aunt back today, we are splitting the family!" Having exhausted her patience, Qian Shi put her hands on her hips and assumed the posture of a shrew.

The brothers didn't know how to handle her. They hurriedly set the stretcher down, and Yang Erdan ran past Qian Shi toward the old house to seek help.

Qian Shi chased after him, looking as if she wouldn't give up.

The moment Jiang Ning was set down, she felt the world spinning, as if she had suffered a secondary trauma. Although she couldn't open her eyes during the journey, her consciousness had been clear. No matter how slow-witted she might be, she understood her current situation.

She hadn't expected that one moment she was wearing a beautiful dress and exquisite makeup, chatting idly with a blind date in a café, and the next, she had transmigrated. Transmigration was one thing, but she had skipped marriage and gone straight to being a widow. Being a widow was one thing, but she also had at least two burdens to look after. Judging by what the children said, the family couldn't even afford her medical bills—how poor must they be?

Jiang Ning was so struck by this information that she couldn't even be bothered to struggle. Just let it all be destroyed!

At this moment, the atmosphere in the courtyard of the old house was tense.

Old Man Yang and his wife, Li Shi, listened silently to Qian Shi’s clamor, punctuated by Yang Erdan’s occasional wails. They felt a headache coming on.

Old Man Yang took a puff of his pipe, his expression grave as he looked at his two sons. "What do you say?"

The second son, Yang Lao'er, subconsciously looked at his wife. After being glared at fiercely by Qian Shi, he sniffled and said weakly, "Father, what the children's mother says isn't without reason..."

"What about the third?" Old Man Yang looked at his youngest son.

The third son and his wife were both dull-natured people who couldn't even let out a fart if they tried. They wanted to help the eldest branch, but they feared Qian Shi, so they remained silent.

Old Man Yang didn't expect any insight from this son. Finally, he turned his gaze to Yang Datou. "Datou, your father is gone. You are the head of the eldest branch. Do you really want to bring your mother back?"

Yang Datou nodded.

Qian Shi grew anxious and started to speak, but after a glare from Old Man Yang, she unwillingly shut her mouth, muttering under her breath.

Old Man Yang pondered, "You've seen the situation at home, and you've heard what your second aunt said. If your mother dies at home and the rest of the family suffers bad luck, what will you brothers do then?"

Yang Datou hadn't thought that far ahead. Under Old Man Yang's intense gaze, he lowered his head.

Li Shi spoke up, "If you insist, then let's split the family!"

"Grandmother! If we split the family, where will we live?" Yang Santie, who hadn't spoken until now, suddenly jumped out.

Li Shi looked at Old Man Yang and said, "Our family only has this courtyard. Your grandfather, your second uncle, your third uncle, and the rest of us will stay in the old house. There are two rooms on the hillside east of the village; you can live there."

Yang Santie frowned. "Grandmother, the roofs of those two rooms are half gone. How can we live there?"

Li Shi’s face flushed. "Grandmother knows those rooms are a bit dilapidated. As compensation, the two acres of paddy fields and four acres of dry land east of the village will be given to you."

"Mother! Those are prime, fertile fields! My children's father worked so hard to cultivate them. Why should they all go to the eldest branch? I don't agree!" Qian Shi immediately began to throw a tantrum.

Li Shi’s face darkened. "If you don't agree, then get out! I'm not dead yet! It's not your place to call the shots in this house!"

Qian Shi’s eyes turned red. She stomped her feet in frustration, but there was nothing she could do.

Li Shi looked at the three brothers of the eldest branch. "Are you satisfied with this division?"

To be honest, the three Yang brothers hadn't expected to get those fields east of the village. The unexpected joy was so sudden that they didn't know how to react. It wasn't until Yang Datou’s newlywed wife, Liu Ye, gave him a nudge that he finally agreed.

And so, the news that the old Yang couple had split the eldest branch off spread throughout Banyan Tree Village.

A group of people left the old Yang house with their meager belongings and a few tattered bundles. When they arrived at the two rooms east of the village, they were all stunned.

They knew the rooms were dilapidated, but they didn't expect them to be *this* bad! It was literally leaking from five sides. Standing inside, one could look up and see the bright sky. If it rained outside, it would rain inside. The roof might as well not have been there at all!