After Killing Her Husband and Son, the Fierce Vicious Woman Was Reborn

Ji Jinyu, a formidable butcher's daughter known for her extraordinary strength and fierce temperament, stands before the vermilion gates of the Kangle Marquis Mansion in the freezing snow. She has remained there for three days, sharpening a bone cleaver, while her eldest son Dou Yingliang and the corrupt official Dou Shichang attempt to persuade her to return home. Dou Yingliang accuses his mother of madness and reminds her of her subservient status as a concubine's husband, ignoring the suffering of their youngest siblings. Ji Jinyu’s youngest daughter, Ji Yingjun, had been forced into the mansion as a dowry maid after being raped, and her youngest son, Ji Yingming, had been sold into slavery and became a catamite. Upon hearing Dou Yingliang blame the victims for their own ruin, Ji Jinyu drives her cleaver into his chest, killing him instantly. She then reveals that Dou Shichang had sold Ji Yingming into the mansion, and she brutally murders him as well, avenging her children who had already been broken and killed by the Marquis.

Having lost her hope in life, Ji Jinyu retrieves the mutilated corpses of her twins from the mansion. In a state of absolute grief, she binds their bodies to her own and prepares to die alongside them. However, the narrative shifts as Ji Jinyu awakens in her own home, realizing she has been reborn to the past, specifically to May eighteenth of the twenty-third year of Wencheng, before the natural disasters and her tragic journey north. Her eldest daughter-in-law, Yu Huilan, is alive and young, and her parents and younger siblings are all present. Ji Jinyu, armed with the memories of her previous life, knows that an earthquake and subsequent flood will destroy their hometown, leading to famine and plague. She resolves to change their fate and save her family from the horrors that befell them previously.

Ji Jinyu immediately takes control of the household, summoning her family to divide the estate. She confronts Dou Yingliang, who has just returned from work, and strips him of his place in the family, forcing him to change his surname back to Dou and leave. She also confronts her second son, Ji Yingcai, who had previously aided Dou Shichang in his shady dealings. Although Ji Yingcai attempts to stay by her side, claiming loyalty, Ji Jinyu demands he hand over his private savings, which he reluctantly provides. She then announces that the family will move to Fuzhou in three days, a decision driven by her knowledge of the impending disaster. She instructs her youngest son, Ji Yingming, to draft a legal complaint against Dou Shichang for abandoning his wife and committing various crimes, aiming to tarnish his reputation and hinder his political career.

As the family prepares to sell their assets and purchase grain and carriages, the Dou family arrives to confront Ji Jinyu, furious that she is divorcing their brother. Ji Jinyu stands her ground, wielding her cleaver and threatening legal action. She reveals that she holds the marriage contract and evidence of Dou Shichang’s infidelity and corruption. She demands five thousand taels of silver as compensation for the divorce, knowing the Dou family will struggle to raise such a sum. Her actions disrupt the Dou family’s plans and set the stage for a long-term conflict. Ji Jinyu’s primary goal is to protect her remaining family—her parents, Ji Yingcai, and the twins, Ji Yingming and Ji Yingjun—from the disasters ahead, while simultaneously striking back at those who wronged her in her past life.

The story follows Ji Jinyu as she navigates the immediate aftermath of her rebirth, managing the family’s finances and preparations for the journey south. She trusts her father, Ji Shan, and her mother, Wang Sijin, to handle the sale of their properties, while she focuses on organizing the move and ensuring the safety of her children. The twins, now young and healthy, are under her direct care, and she is determined to prevent the tragedies that led to their deaths in her previous life. Ji Yingcai, though pragmatic and money-minded, begins to align himself more closely with his mother, recognizing her changed demeanor and decisive leadership. The narrative establishes a tense atmosphere as the family prepares to flee their hometown, unaware of the exact timing of the disaster but confident in Ji Jinyu’s foresight. The conflict with the Dou family remains unresolved, with Ji Jinyu’s lawsuit looming as a potential threat to Dou Shichang’s career. The story sets the stage for a struggle against both natural calamities and human antagonists, with Ji Jinyu at the helm, driven by maternal love and a desire for retribution.