(Historical Fiction + Transmigration + System + Career-Oriented Female Lead + Non-Virgin Leads + Family Drama)

Nan Sheng transmigrated into a novel, becoming the infamous "wicked stepmother" Nan Sheng.

In the original plot, she married a divorced military officer just to scrape together money for the male lead’s return ticket, neglecting her stepchildren and obsessively fawning over the male lead.

In the end, her family fell apart, her husband divorced her, and she died consumed by guilt—while the male lead and female lead lived happily ever after, popping out a bunch of kids!

Well, isn’t that just infuriating!

Now that Nan Sheng has become this stepmother, she’s inherited the original’s fiery temper and zero tolerance for nonsense.

Misbehaving stepkid?

Spank!

Uncle’s family bullying the kids?

Storm their house and beat them senseless!

Village women trying to scam her out of money?

Let’s see how well they handle a thrashing!

Nan Sheng just wants to complete her mission and go home, while making up for the original’s mistakes. But when her military officer husband returns, he’s having none of it!.

Please this is not my book. Just sharing a book I enjoy. I do not know the name of the original author, or I would have included it.

PLEASE DO NOT REPORT

What is the happiest thing in the world?

Answer: Winning a five-million-dollar lottery jackpot!

And what is the most painful thing?

Answer: Just after hitting the jackpot, before spending a single cent, you suddenly receive a time-travel package. Yep, that’s the kind of terrible luck I have—me, Nan Sheng!

As the saying goes, extreme joy often leads to sorrow; I’ve now experienced that firsthand!

Oh, and don’t get me wrong—I’m not some flawless, perfect heroine from a novel, a shining white lotus in a prosperous world. No, I’m the cold-hearted, ruthless stepmother!

The system told Nan Sheng that as long as she unlocks the entire storyline of this book, she can choose to stay or leave. Thinking about the countless zeros in her bank account, Nan Sheng was filled with determination.

Back! I absolutely have to go back!

To help her get into the groove quickly, the system generously unlocked the first three chapters for free. After just browsing through them, a dirty little girl suddenly appeared in the courtyard.

“Mom, I dug up some vegetables. Can we have an egg for dinner tonight?”

Siqi looked up at her stepmother, her big eyes glistening with tears. She held a small basket filled with wild greens—she must have spent quite some time gathering them.

Nan Sheng, a grown woman who had never married, used to only drool over kids through a screen. Now, seeing such a well-behaved child, her eyes instantly gleamed green with excitement.

“Of course! Mom will fry you an egg right away!”

Nan Sheng turned and headed to the kitchen, ready to work hard. But when she scooped out the porridge, she realized it wasn’t porridge at all—more like corn mush so bad that even a fly would slip and slide in it.

Is this even food?

Lin Sizhe, the stepson, also came back from work. The system prompted Nan Sheng that he was the key person she needed to win over to unlock new chapters.

Sizhe had just turned ten and had already started earning work points for the commune. Seeing his little sister so filthy, he immediately called her over to take care of her.

“Siqi, don’t put away those wild greens just yet. I’ll take you to wash your face.”

In his heart, he swore that once his father came home, he would definitely kick the stepmother out!

Nan Sheng was unaware of what was going on outside. She was about to pour the porridge back into the pot and add some cornmeal to cook, but got stuck at the first step—how the heck do you light a fire under this old rural kang bed?

She asked the system, but it was useless!

No wonder intelligent technology can never replace humans; sometimes this thing is just downright useless.

Sizhe washed his sister’s face in the courtyard and braided her hair. The siblings went inside together, expecting a meal that was already prepared—but it was just plain broth, thin and tasteless.

But when they entered the room, the table was completely empty. What was this? Did someone just save them the trouble of going to the bathroom?

Sizhe thought to himself, even if he was going to get beaten, today he had to make sure his sister ate her fill. Just as he was bracing himself, he heard Nan Sheng call him over.

“Big one, come help me with something.”

Suddenly, she sounded polite!

Sizhe didn’t respond but walked over directly. Seeing Nan Sheng’s face, a flash of hatred crossed his eyes. Was she about to hit him?

“Here? Hurry up and light the fire. I’ll cook the porridge and fry the dishes.”

Nan Sheng didn’t bother being polite to her stepson. Kids are kids; when it’s time to boss them around, you can’t be soft-hearted. If you raise someone clueless about farming, you’ll suffer in the end.

Starting a fire is definitely better than getting beaten, Si Zhe silently crouched down and lit the firewood.

Nan Sheng kept watching him, feeling that she had finally learned how to do it, then began cooking the porridge. Her mistake was adding too much firewood right after lighting the fire, which almost smothered the flames.

Nan Sheng continued issuing orders, “Big one, you get the other pot going too. Then go to the vegetable garden and pick a few cucumbers, wash them clean. I’ll use them later to stir-fry some eggs.”

Nan Sheng gave an order, and Si Zhe followed it exactly. When he returned with the cucumbers, he kept staring at his stepmother.

His unusual behavior made him suspect that Nan Sheng wanted to poison him and his sister so she could run away.

As Nan Sheng cooked, she recalled the events of the previous three chapters with a sense of disbelief. The original protagonist and the male lead in the book had been dating, but to save money, they starved themselves and their children until they looked like walking skeletons.

When people are this hungry, tempers flare. So the two kids got beaten even though they hadn’t eaten enough. Maybe adding a couple of eggs at noon would help them recover a bit...

The meals were simple and didn’t take long to prepare.

When Nan Sheng finally brought the food to the table, her daughter Mei said, “Mom, you really did fry eggs! Qi Qi still has to go to the field this afternoon to dig up more wild vegetables!”

Wow, this daughter of hers looked quite handsome after washing up.

“So capable! When the New Year comes, I’ll kill a chicken for you to eat!”

Nan Sheng praised her generously, shaking her head in admiration at the child’s beauty.

Siqi was still very young. After sitting down at the table, despite the porridge just coming off the stove, she bent down to eat immediately. Seeing this, Nan Sheng flicked her arm with a chopstick.

She instantly regretted it, sure she had hurt the child. Damn muscle memory—she quickly tried to make up for it.

“Siqi, be good. The porridge just came off the stove; it’s too hot. Let it cool down a bit before eating.”

Siqi nodded vaguely, wiping away tears and obediently sitting back in her chair to wait.

Si Zhe touched the edge of his bowl to check the temperature but said nothing. Instead, he quietly took his sister’s bowl and stirred it quickly with his chopsticks.

The porridge, made from cornmeal, was thick and creamy. The plate of cucumber stir-fried with eggs was piled high. Si Zhe glanced at it—at least six eggs had been used.

What kind of shock did their stepmother take to be willing to spare food for them?

Once the porridge cooled, Si Zhe fed his sister spoonful by spoonful. He didn’t dare just give her eggs; he fed her mostly cucumber.

After Siqi finished eating, she rubbed her round belly and tilted her face to one side. “Tummy’s full!”

Nan Sheng, who had been starved for a long time, couldn’t eat much herself. She only drank a bowl of porridge, letting Si Zhe eat the rest.

Later, he even felt a bit guilty, wondering why he hadn’t fed his sister a few more bites of eggs.

In the afternoon, Si Zhe still had to go to work. After Nan Sheng washed the dishes, she sat on the kang bed, lost in thought. Next to her, Qi Qi was sleeping soundly.

She summoned her system, and a book slowly opened in front of her, but only the first three chapters were unlocked.

Chapter One: The male lead actively seduces the female supporting character Nan Sheng, and she falls in love at first sight.

Chapter Two: The male lead, a sly playboy, deliberately plays the victim. The supporting female character sells herself to raise money to help him return to the city and marries the wealthy, two-kid father Lin Han.

Chapter Three is even more heart-wrenching—throughout the whole chapter, it’s all about how the children are being mistreated. Watching it made her feel deeply sorry for the two kids; this kind of romance is really tough on them.

After finishing a hearty meal, Nan Sheng checked the affection meter. It was pitch black—so touching in its own way. She sighed deeply; this was truly a difficult task to complete.

Sizhe was busy working, weeding at a speed that rivaled adult women, yet because of his young age, he could only earn six work points.

The villagers saw such a small child having to work and cursed Nan Sheng silently for not sparing the kids.

Grandpa Lin, worried about his grandson, sent his eldest grandson, Lin Sizhong, over to bring some steamed buns made from cornmeal to his younger brother. But Sizhe refused, saying, “Big brother, please take the buns back.”

Every family was struggling to get by, and those buns were saved from the mouths of Grandpa and Grandma. He didn’t want them, and besides, his eldest aunt would scold him if she found out.

“Just take it for now. My mother is talkative, but she means no harm.”

Lin Sizhong was eighteen this year, old enough to marry. His family was living frugally to save a bride price for him, so much so that they hadn’t eaten meat for months.

Sizhe was proud. Once, when he was starving, he went to Grandpa’s house for a meal but was pushed away by his eldest aunt. He would rather go hungry than go there again.

“Big brother, please take it back. I really don’t want it. I ate well at noon.”

Sizhe was stubborn. After saying this, he bent down and continued working. Lin Sizhong had no choice but to leave. He had been out too long, and the villagers working alongside him would start to complain.

As the sun set, everyone rushed toward the scorekeeper when they heard a whistle.

Sizhe wore a cold expression. If it weren’t for his little sister still being young, he wouldn’t want to go home at all.

Lately, every time it rained, he prayed for a thunderbolt to strike and kill his stepmother.

When he got home, the meal was already prepared, and Nan Sheng’s tone was gentle.

“Big boy’s back? Wipe yourself off and get ready to eat.”

Sizhe said nothing, suspecting that his stepmother might be ill.

Nan Sheng placed the dishes on the table. Besides a large plate of steamed buns, there was a dish of scrambled eggs with tomatoes. Each bowl was thoughtfully filled with cool boiled water, in case anyone choked while eating.

Seeing Sizhe standing still by the table, Siqi, who had already taken a bite of a bun, called out to him.

Her eyes sparkled. “Brother, come eat!”

Sizhe sat at the table, tentatively reaching for a steamed bun. Good—his stepmother wasn’t watching, so he could eat. The sweet and sour stir-fried tomatoes and eggs were appetizing, pairing perfectly with the buns. Siqi’s bowl had also been thoughtfully filled with half a portion, allowing her to scoop the food into her mouth with a spoon.

Even though his stepmother had changed, Sizhe still didn’t dare eat too much. After two buns, he set down his chopsticks. Nan Sheng, unsure of his appetite, cautiously asked, “We’re out of alkali noodles, so the buns taste a bit sour. Do you not like them, Sizhe?”

Sizhe frowned and glanced at her. In these times, having enough to eat was already a blessing—who cared if the food was sour? He was just afraid that if he ate too much, his stepmother would start beating them again.

When her son didn’t respond, Nan Sheng didn’t press further. Instead, she pushed the remaining two buns toward him. “Eat up. It’s hot out, and leaving them overnight will spoil them.”

Her reasoning was simple: a full stomach meant a better mood, and a better mood would surely boost their affection for her.

Seeing her sincerity, Sizhe finally dug in, devouring the buns and even wiping the plate clean with the last one to soak up every bit of the tomato and egg sauce.

Lin Han had joined the military at fourteen, back when his family was poor and he needed a way out. Before marriage, he had saved up money, which Father Lin and Mother Lin used to build three rooms—the very ones they lived in now.

The eastern and western rooms were for sleeping, while the middle one served as the kitchen and a small living area.

Nan Sheng stayed in the eastern room. She retrieved the small box where the original owner had hidden money, unlocked it, and found a pile of cash and ration tickets inside. After counting, it totaled over 800 yuan—all hers now!

Five hundred of it was Lin Han’s savings, given to her before he returned to the military. As a soldier, he wasn’t one for schemes. Since the original owner had agreed to care for his children, he had entrusted her with everything.

The remaining 300 yuan was the betrothal gift from the Lin Family to the Nan Family, also paid by Lin Han himself, meant for buying a sewing machine and a watch. But the original owner had refused to purchase anything, so her parents gave the money back to her as a dowry. They had been deeply unhappy about her marriage to Lin Han, nearly cutting ties over it.

The rest was a mix of Nan Sheng’s frugal savings, Lin Han’s military stipend from the past two months, and the money she made from selling eggs.

The male lead was a schemer—he didn’t like the original owner and only wanted to swindle her out of her money, even pretending to be in a relationship to deceive her.

Nan Sheng was amused. Seriously, were toxic male leads trending these days?

“Dreaming of returning to the city? Keep dreaming!”

That night, Nan Sheng slept deeply. Her body was still weak and needed recovery. By the time she woke up, Sizhe had already left for work, but Siqi was rubbing her empty stomach, whimpering.

“Mom, I’m so hungry!”

Nan Sheng smiled. Kids were easier to win over—just a little kindness, and they’d start acting sweet. How adorable!

She fetched a basin of water, washed up, then cleaned Siqi’s face and hair. The little girl stayed still, sensing that her stepmother was different today.

With only cornmeal and coarse grains at home, Nan Sheng couldn’t whip up anything fancy. She made a simple porridge and stir-fried greens, making do with Siqi for the meal.

Since she had chores to do, Nan Sheng sent Siqi out to play. The girl hesitated. “Mom, don’t I need to gather wild vegetables?”

Nan Sheng patted her head. “There’s enough for the chicks. Take the day off and go play, okay?”

“Yay!”

Siqi was thrilled—she loved playing with her cousin at Third Uncle’s house.

Nan Sheng reminded her, “Stay away from the mountains and the river. And if you visit a friend’s house, don’t take their food. Got it?”

Siqi nodded. She understood—food was precious, and she shouldn’t impose. “I won’t wander, Mom. I’ll just go to Third Uncle’s to play with my cousin.”

Nan Sheng was naturally tidy, and since the original owner had neglected the kids, she had to step up.

She cleaned the siblings’ room, washed their dirty clothes, and only remembered the lack of alkali noodles for buns when it was almost time to cook.

That wouldn’t do. After some thought, she headed to a neighbor’s house. “Granny Zhang, are you home?”

The system was reliable when it came to simple social interactions—as long as it didn’t involve major plot points, it would remind her how to address people.

The Zhang family was out working in the fields, leaving only the frail Granny Zhang at home to handle chores. Hearing the call, she opened the door and was visibly surprised to see Nan Sheng.

“Oh, Lin Han’s wife! Come in, come in!”

The villagers whispered that Lin Han’s wife mistreated the children, but Granny Zhang believed she was just young and inexperienced—time would help her bond with them.

“Granny Zhang, I’ve run out of alkali noodles. Could I borrow some? I’ll return them after I buy more in town.”

Kind-hearted, Granny Zhang led her to the kitchen. “No need to talk about borrowing among neighbors. Take what you need.”

Nan Sheng had brought a small bowl, and Granny Zhang poured half a bowl’s worth from her alkali noodle bag. “Sizhe’s gone to work again? That boy should be in school—he’d have a brighter future.”

Sizhe was a top student, always scoring first in exams, well-known in Xiangyang Village. Granny Zhang wanted to persuade Nan Sheng to let him return to school.

“He dropped out on his own, stubborn as he is. But after working these days, he’s probably regretting it. I’ll send him back to class in a day or two.”

Nan Sheng mixed truth with lies to salvage her reputation. Sizhe had indeed quit school—afraid his stepmother would starve Siqi if he wasn’t around.

The original owner, seeing him idle, had forced him to work for extra rations.

Granny Zhang was delighted for Sizhe and warmed up to Nan Sheng. “Good, good! We’re close neighbors—come to me if you need anything.”

Back home, Nan Sheng started kneading dough. In this heat, the buns would be ready to steam in under an hour after adding the alkali noodles.

With time to spare, she also made porridge and stir-fried green beans. But Sizhe had already returned from work—where was Siqi?

Assuming his stepmother had sent her to gather vegetables again, Sizhe turned to leave, but Nan Sheng stopped him.

“Check Third Uncle’s place. Siqi said she was going to play with her cousin.”

At this hour, if she wasn’t back yet, Third Aunt might assume she was there for a free meal.

Relieved to hear Siqi was at Third Uncle’s, Sizhe left—but he didn’t return either. Nan Sheng figured they must have stayed for dinner.

As she ate, a boy rushed in—Lin Sicheng, Eldest Brother Lin’s second son.

“Auntie, it’s bad! Sizhe got beaten by Third Uncle, and Siqi was slapped twice by Third Aunt. You’d better go see!”

Nan Sheng’s blood boiled. “What happened? Why did Third Brother hit my kids?”

She grabbed a thick stick from the firewood pile on her way out.

Lin Sicheng said, “I don’t know. Maybe Third Aunt hit Siqi first, then Sizhe went to reason with Third Uncle and got beaten too.”

Xiangyang Village had over 300 households. Third Brother Lin Jianshe lived about 200 meters away—a short sprint.

A small crowd had gathered outside Lin Jianshe’s house. Inside, Eldest Brother Lin’s family stood protectively in front of the children.

When Nan Sheng arrived, Third Brother Lin and his wife barely paid her any attention—they all knew the second sister-in-law wasn’t particularly invested in her children.

Sizhe was currently shielded between Eldest Brother Lin and his son, with two cane marks on his arm and his clothes covered in dirt. He wasn’t crying, though, instead glaring defiantly at Third Brother Lin.

Siqi was cradled in the arms of her eldest aunt, rubbing her eyes and calling for her mother, clearly having suffered quite a bit of distress.

Before anyone could react, Nan Sheng swung a stick straight at Lin Jianshe. "How dare you lay a hand on my kids? Don’t you have your own? If you’ve forgotten how to act like a decent human being, I might as well send you straight to your next life!"

No one had expected Nan Sheng to react this way, and before Lin Jianshe could dodge, he took several hard blows. As he stumbled back, the stick struck his face. His wife, Sun Qian, snapped out of her shock and lunged forward, ready to fight Nan Sheng.

"You’ve got a death wish! How dare you hit my man!"