Letting My Family Eat Poison

I have been reborn.

I am back to the time when my grandmother was brewing poisonous weeds for my father and my younger brother.

The local herbalist said this root is a treasure! We must boil it to strengthen the men in this house!

I look back at my past life.

It was a miserable existence caused by my own foolish kindness.

I make a choice.

In this life, I will not stop them from walking straight into their own graves!

"You useless brat! What are you staring at? Get over here and help!"

The long-forgotten, sharp voice pulls me out of my trance.

I look at my grandmother, who is years younger, and scan the familiar yet haunting house.

Through the hazy window, I realize I am only thirteen years old again!

I stare at the glass, trembling as I touch my own face.

Am I reborn?

Seeing that I am motionless, my grandmother rushes over and slaps me across the face.

"You brat! Are you deaf? You are lazy and good for nothing! I should have gotten rid of you the moment you were born!"

The sting is sharp, but my heart is filled with joy.

I am reborn!

I finally have the chance to change the tragedy of my life!

In my past life, my grandmother was swindled by a charlatan who called himself a shaman.

She was told that the toxic pokeweed was a miracle ginseng root.

Because my teacher had once lent me a book on local flora, I recognized it as poisonous.

I tried desperately to stop her, but she wouldn't listen.

In the end, I dumped the brew down the drain.

I expected gratitude for saving their lives.

Instead, I was met with violent beatings and venomous insults.

"You wretch! Are you jealous of your father and brother? You are pure evil!"

"You said it was poison? The shaman gave it to me himself! You are a pathological liar who slanders others! Your heart is black!"

"That was such a precious gift, and you ruined it! I am going to beat you to death!"

"Sister is the villain! Hit her, Dad! Hit her hard!"

Because of that incident, I was beaten until I lost the sight in one eye.

Later, my grandmother claimed that since I was half-blind, there was no point in me attending school.

They took away my right to study and locked me in the house, forcing me to do the filthiest chores while they beat me at their whim.

Eventually, to save money for my good-for-nothing brother's tuition, they married me off to an elderly widower in the village with a history of domestic violence.

In his house, he beat me every single day.

I suffered broken legs, fractured ribs, and the loss of my unborn child.

In the end, he beat me until my soul left my body.

Thinking of that nightmare, I watch as my grandmother carefully places the poisonous pokeweed into the pot.

I offer a cold, hollow smile.

If you are so eager to die, then I will gladly grant your wish!

I hand the bowl to my grandmother, and she grabs it roughly.

"Cheap trash, you only learn when you are beaten! If you dare to slack off again, I will deal with you properly!"

She carefully pours the soup into a bowl and turns to me with a glare.

"Go call your parents and your brother to eat!"

I obey.

My father and mother are working in the fields, and my younger brother is playing with the other village kids.

"Dad, Mom, Tyler! Grandma says it is time to eat!"

Back home, I serve the rice and scrub the table clean, waiting for the soup to be served.

"Why is this brat so diligent today? Doing chores without being asked?"

My mother glances at me, confused.

"She likely provoked me today and is trying to suck up to us!"

My grandmother points a crooked finger at me.

"She insisted that the ginseng the shaman gave me was poison and wanted to throw it away! Such a waste. You really gave birth to a drain on our resources!"

My grandmother's taunts make my mother's expression sour.

She slams the table and yells at me.

"Get out and stand by the door! You are not eating tonight!"

I stand up silently and walk out.

I offer no explanation and no plea for mercy.

I know that because of my birth, she has been mistreated by my grandmother for years.

My grandmother even once suggested my father should find another wife because my mother only gave birth to a daughter.

Only after Tyler was born did her life become easier.

Thus, she treats my brother like a diamond and me like dirt.

If child abandonment were not a crime, she would have tossed me into the river years ago.

"Enough, just eat! Why are you arguing?"

My father, the only adult male in the house, has absolute authority.

When he speaks, no one dares to challenge him.

"Fine, fine. Forget the brat. This is high-quality ginseng. Son, drink it while it is hot to get your strength up."

My grandmother serves my father a large bowl and turns to my brother with a doting smile.

"Our little treasure gets some too. Grandma boiled this just for you. Drink up so you can grow up big and strong!"

I stand outside, watching the happy family through the window. My heart remains calm.

The trauma of my previous life has destroyed any hope I once had for family affection.

After dinner, they all go to sleep, leaving me to clean the kitchen on an empty stomach.

As I finish and head to my room, I hear a strange sound coming from my brother's room.

It is faint, and if the house weren't so quiet, I would have missed it.

I glance at his room with cold indifference and go to sleep in my own bed.

They brought this upon themselves.

I will never be soft-hearted again!

At the crack of dawn, my grandmother beats me until I wake up.

"You lazy brat! Why are you still sleeping? Get up and cook!"

I crawl out of bed, feeling weak, and follow my grandmother to prepare breakfast.

Having woken me up, she immediately returns to her room to sleep some more.

"Dad, Mom, Tyler, Grandma, breakfast is ready!"

I shout to wake them up.

"Brat, are you calling for ghosts at this hour?"

My mother scolds me before turning to nudge my father.

"Henry, get up!"

After several tries, my father doesn't respond. My mother leans in to check on him.

One look turns her face deathly pale.

"Henry! Henry!"

Hearing her screams, my grandmother rushes out of her room.

"What is it? What happened to my son?"

"Mom, Henry is unconscious!"

My mother cries, and my grandmother's face drains of color.

Her lips tremble as she stammers.

"What are you waiting for? Get him to the hospital!"

"Right right!"

My mother stumbles out to find help to carry him, while my grandmother sinks to the floor, staring blankly.

Suddenly, she seems to remember something and rushes toward my brother's room.

A sharp, piercing shriek erupts from within.

"Tyler! My precious baby, what is wrong?"

I want to step inside to see what is happening.

But as I reach the door, my grandmother storms out, clutching my brother.

Seeing me in her way, she kicks me aside without a second thought.

"Out of my way, you brat!"

With that, she rushes off with my brother.

I brush off my scraped hands and sit at the table with a blank expression.

Soon after, my mother returns with neighbors to carry my father to the hospital.

Throughout the chaos, not a single person cares about my safety.

I pick up a bun I made earlier, eating slowly.

When I am finished, I grab my school bag and head to class as usual.

To me, these people are no longer worth a single emotion.

Only learningDonly educationDcan give me a way out of this hell.

That evening, when I return from school, the house is brightly lit, and funeral banners hang from the doorway.

I understand immediately: my father and brother are gone.

As I step inside, my mother slaps me to the floor.

Her hand is heavy; my lip splits, bleeding, and my ears ring violently.

"You cursed omen! You are the one who took your father's life!"

Her eyes are bloodshot and wild.

"You knew it was poison! Why didn't you dump it? You killed your father, and now your brother is still in the hospital fighting for his life!"

I spit out blood and laugh coldly.

"Mom, it was Grandma who killed them. She was the one who insisted on feeding them those weeds. Why are you blaming me?"

I know the truth, of course.

The house is in my grandmother's name. With my father gone, if she fights with my grandmother, she risks being kicked out with nowhere to go.

Ha!

To keep her place in this house, she is quick to pin all the blame on her own daughter.

She is as selfish as she always was.

"Shut up! It is all your fault! If you had explained it clearly, I would have listened! You wanted to destroy this family, you little wretch!"

Hearing me mention her, my grandmother, fueled by terror, loses control.

She grabs a stool and swings it at me.

"You jinx! I will beat you to death for talking back!"

The heavy wood slams into me. I instinctively reach out to block it.

I hear the sickening snap of my own arm, and waves of agony crash over me. Sweat pours down my face.

But my grandmother and mother do not stop. They unleash a storm of kicks and blows.

They are hitting me with intent, as if they truly want to kill me.

No, not as if.

Through the blood obscuring my vision, I see the murderous glint in their eyes.

I realize they want to kill me and frame me for my father's death.

That way, the village won't point fingers at them!

I try to fight back, but what can a thirteen-year-old girl do against two grown, hateful women?

I curl into a ball to protect my vitals.

When they pause to catch their breath, I scramble to my feet and bolt toward the door.

My body is covered in wounds, and every movement sends fresh blood flowing.

Between the pain and my broken arm, I don't get far.

I collapse, and my mother drags me back by my hair.

"Run, you brat! Let's see where you can go now!"

She drags me by my hair, pulling me toward the house.

Is this the end?

Even with a second chance at life, am I destined to die the same fate?

I was dragged back inside. Perhaps because I had caused such a scene, my mother feared legal trouble if she actually killed me.

She threw me into the pigpen, leaving me there to survive or die on my own.

I grit my teeth against the pain, curling into the corner to preserve my body heat and avoid hypothermia.

"If I can just make it until morning, Mr. Sterling will come to save me!"

I repeat this mantra, clinging to it as my only hope.

Mr. Sterling was the new volunteer teacher in the village this year.

He was a kind, diligent, and responsible man.

In my past life, when my leg was broken and I was forbidden from attending school, he came to my house time and again to plead for my education.

Even after my father drove him away, he had prepared to go to the police in the county town to use the law to help me.

Sadly, whether it was my bad luck or his, Mr. Sterling died in a car accident on his way to the county.

I am certain that when he sees I am not at school tomorrow, he will come to my house to check on me.

Then, I will be saved!

At the crack of dawn, a rock hits me, jolting me awake.

I open my dazed eyes and look outside the pigpen.

It is Tyler, my brother, throwing rocks at me with a look of pure malice.

He recovered in just one night?

He truly has the luck of a cockroach.

"You dog! You are the reason I felt so sick!"

"You killed Dad! And Dad promised to buy me a toy that he never got to buy!"

Hearing his cold, selfish words, I am not even surprised.

In my past life, I had already seen Tyler for the heartless parasite he was.

I do not bother explaining. I know you cannot wake someone who is pretending to sleep.

I endure the agony and the hunger, saving my strength for Mr. Sterling.

But Tyler is not done.

"You made me suffer so much, I will never forgive you! I am going to stone you to death, you dog!"

He throws rock after rock, aiming for my head.

I have nowhere to hide, so I try to protect my most vital parts.

Thud!

A rock strikes my forehead, and warm blood trickles down. The sharp pain hits me seconds later.

"Ha! You dog, does that scare you now?"

I say nothing, only shielding my head more tightly.

This seems to infuriate Tyler, and he starts throwing larger stones.

Eventually, I have to struggle to dodge, terrified I will actually be killed.

"You dare to dodge, you dog!"

He looks around until he finds a rock the size of half his head, holding it high. In my terror, I see him swing it toward me.

"Let's see you dodge this!"

I am backed into a corner with nowhere left to run, so I close my eyes in despair, waiting for death.

Suddenly, a voice roars at Tyler.

"Stop! What are you doing!"

I look up and gasp. It is Mr. Sterling.

"Mr. Sterling please save me"

I reach out a bloodied, trembling hand, begging for rescue.

But because my injuries are so severe, the moment the tension leaves my body, I lose consciousness.

When I wake up, I am in a hospital in the county, and Mr. Sterling is sitting by my side.

"Evelyn, you are finally awake! How do you feel? Is anything hurting?"

Seeing my eyes open, he asks with a mix of relief and concern.

"Mr. Sterling, you came to save me!"

I grip his hand, tears spilling over.

Finally, I have survived.

"Child, don't cry. Everything will be okay."

With his gentle comfort, I cry until I have no tears left.

"Teacher, I don't want to go back. Can you help me sue my mother for child abuse? I need to leave that place."

His eyes are filled with sorrow.

"Child, if you do that, you will have no family and no one to support you. Are you sure?"

I look at him with unwavering resolve.

"Teacher, even if I have to live by scavenging trash, I would rather die than return to that cage!"

He sighs and gently pats my head.

For the next few days, I don't see my so-called family.

Then, one day, Mr. Sterling hands me an adoption agreement.

"Child, would you be willing to let me be your father from now on?"

Fifteen years later.

"Ms. Evelyn, our company's revenue has grown by another twenty percent this year, and our overseas branches are on track"

As soon as I step off the plane, my assistant calls to report the status of the company.

My name is Evelyn.

My fatherDthe man who was once Mr. SterlingDgave me that name.

He said he wanted my future to be as brilliant as a precious jewel.

Today, I have lived up to his expectations.

I am the CEO of a multinational logistics company, no longer the broken, nameless girl from a mountain village.

Years ago, to rescue me from those monsters, my father paid them a hundred thousand yuan to sign the adoption papers.

Back then, that sum was his entire life savings.

After he took me away from the village and returned to the county town, we struggled, but we persevered.

He was an educator, and he taught at a primary school to keep us afloat.

I once felt immense guilt for the money he spent on me.

But he simply told me: "You are a treasure wrapped in rock. Trading a hundred thousand for a gem? I made a profit!"

That was the first time in my life someone valued my worth.

To honor his trust and to ensure I would never be bullied again, I studied as if my life depended on it.

I eventually gained admission to the best university in the country.

Once there, I didn't slack off.

I seized every opportunity to learn and conducted market research, laying the foundation for my future business.

I noticed a massive gap in the logistics and courier industry.

Even while trapped in the mountain village, I knew how advanced the world's logistics network had become.

I knew there was money to be made.

Without hesitation, I drafted a plan and spent days pitching to venture capital firms.

Years of hard work later, my company handles eighty percent of the domestic courier business, with a market value of over ten billion!

With the domestic market captured, I turned my sights abroad.

I am here now to inspect our international operations.

"Tell the marketing department to conduct more research and adjust our strategies, as local customs abroad are quite different from ours"

I stop mid-sentence.

I see a man standing at the airport exit, waiting for meDthe light of my life.

Seeing me, my father opens his arms wide.

"Evelyn, welcome back."

I run into his embrace, clinging to him like a little girl.

"Dad, it's been a while! I missed you so much! I want your chicken soup!"

He lets go, gently stroking my hair.

"I knew you would say that, so I've already got it simmering. Let's go home; it will be ready just in time."

I hook my arm through his, skipping toward the exit.

In front of others, I am the cold, capable CEO Evelyn. Only in front of him am I the girl he pulled from the fire.

"The financial news channel is interviewing you tomorrow. Are you ready? Try not to freeze up like last time!"

I say confidently, "How could I? Dad, do you think I am still a little girl?"

Years ago, when the company was just starting, I gave a speech at our annual meeting.

I had been so nervous I stood at the podium for three minutes without uttering a word.

Thankfully, Dad led the applause, giving me the courage to speak.

"Just wait and see, Dad. This time, I will make sure the whole world knows the name Evelyn!"

I say it with bravado, but I regret it later.

The world did indeed know my name.

Including my family, whom I desperately wanted to forget.

10

When I see two women and a man blocking my company entrance, I wish I had never done that interview.

"Evelyn!"

My mother spots me and rushes forward, but the security guards hold her back.

"You dogs, how dare you stop me! Do you know my daughter is the CEO of this company?"

"You dogs! If you touch my mother, I will have my sister fire every one of you!"

"I am an elderly woman! Touch me and see if I don't collapse on the floor right now!"

Looking at their familiar, grotesque faces, I feel a wave of nausea.

"I do not know these people. Get them out of here," I tell the guards directly.

As the guards move, my mother breaks free and rushes to me, swinging her hand at my face.

"You treacherous wench! I am your mother! How dare you say you don't know me!"

Her sudden movement startles the guards. My brother and grandmother seize the chance to surround me.

"We didn't know you had become so rich until we saw the news! You didn't even send money home! Don't you know I need money for a house and a car?"

"And you need to give your brother a job here! And those shares you have? Transfer them to your brother! He is the legacy of our family!"

"If you behave, we might let you come back to the family. At least you will have a place to be buried when you die."

Looking at their delusional, greedy faces, I almost laugh out of pure disbelief.

"I would rather burn every cent I own than give a penny to you! Mom, have you forgotten? You sold me for a hundred thousand yuan! I have no relation to you!"

My mother shrieks and lunges at me, but the guards tackle her to the ground.

"I gave birth to you! I handed you over to that teacher, and that is the only reason you have this success! You ungrateful wretch!"

I refuse to reason with such irrational people and order the guards to remove them.

As my mother is dragged away, she screams into the air.

"You brat! You will always be my daughter! You will never escape us!"