After Exchanging Husbands With My Twin Sister - Chapter 15

Everything below this line is just so that I can post it, as this site wasn’t allowing me to post the above feedback I wanted to post.
Btw its a new novel I’ll be translating.

Snow fell relentlessly for three days straight, blanketing the ground in a thick, unbroken layer. The north wind carried tiny shards of ice, howling as it whipped across the land, stinging every face it touched like needles.

It was dusk. At the eastern edge of Da Huang City, in the desolate outskirts, a decrepit courtyard stood in silence, its gate tightly shut. From inside, heart-wrenching cries echoed repeatedly.

“Let me go! I want my Elder sister!”

“Elder sister… Elder sister, please wake up!”

Two small children knelt on the icy snow, their frail bodies trembling. They clung to a motionless young girl, their frostbitten hands shaking her desperately. Their little faces were beet red from the cold, smeared with snot and tears.

The young girl lay still in the snow, her complexion ashen gray. Snowflakes settled on her body, frosting her long eyelashes, making her seem lifeless.

“Stop wailing, you brats! If you don’t shut up, I’ll tear your mouths off!”

An older woman dressed in a red plum-patterned jacket stepped forward. Her appearance was sharp and jarring against the snowy backdrop. Her slanted, triangular eyes glinted with malice. She glared at the girl laying in the snow, unmoving, her anger surging further.

“Playing dead won’t work! Those two little ones must be sold to pay off your debts today!”

As she spoke, she stomped down on the girl’s hand, grinding the back of it harshly beneath her shoe.

“You’re useless anyway! Not even married yet! Who knows if that scoundrel Li Ge Nian will even pay the bride price? And if he backs out, who am I supposed to go to for my money?!”

Nearby, the younger boy, Yu Lannian, narrowed his eyes with fierce determination. Like a wolf cub, he lunged at the old woman, biting down hard on her hand, growling through gritted teeth, “You can’t hurt my sister!”

“Ah! You little wretch!”

The old woman screamed in pain and staggered back a few steps. Her fan-like hand retaliated, slapping Yu Lannian repeatedly.

Amidst the commotion, no one noticed the faint flutter of the girl’s eyelashes.

Why is it so noisy?

Yu Landong’s eyelids trembled as she struggled to open her eyes. A bone-deep chill struck her entire body. Her limbs felt numb and stiff, as if rusted shut, impossible to move.

A searing pain throbbed in her head. Slowly, she raised a stiff hand to touch it and winced at the swollen bump which was a remnant of her fall against the stone ground.

She had transmigrated.

The realization struck her like a thunderclap. She had somehow ended up in the body of a sixteen-year-old girl who shared her name.

Sorting through the memories of this body, Yu Landong began piecing together her circumstances.

This girl had originally lived in Luoyang, but her life was upended when the new emperor ascended to the throne. Traditionally, a new ruler’s coronation would signal a general amnesty, but in this case, the Yu family headed by her father, the imperial prime minister became the first target of the emperor’s purge. Their estate was confiscated, while the family exiled to Da Huang City, a barren and desolate frontier town, to serve as an example and consolidate the emperor’s power.

During the arduous journey, the girl’s father had overworked himself, striving to protect his wife and children. His health deteriorated rapidly, and he collapsed entirely upon arriving in Da Huang City.

Winter had just begun, the days bitterly cold. The family faced severe hardship, their home devoid of even the barest essentials. Hunger and cold pressed them into dire straits. After lingering on his sickbed for weeks, the girl’s father finally succumbed.

The girl’s mother, heartbroken by her husband’s death, fell gravely ill shortly after.

With her family on the brink of collapse, the girl had no choice but to shoulder the burden. She borrowed money from whomever she could, desperate to bury her father and pay for her mother’s treatment.

And now, here she was, her father dead, her mother sick, her younger siblings helpless, and the family shattered.

As for the woman ranting about selling the children? That was Granny Wang, the moneylender from whom the original Yu Landong had borrowed.

Granny Wang was a matchmaker by trade. She had taken a liking to Yu Landong’s beauty and had always treated her with feigned kindness. Naively, Yu Landong thought Granny Wang had a kind heart and, in desperation, agreed to her matchmaking proposal in exchange for the loan.

It wasn’t until later that Yu Landong realized Granny Wang had more sinister motives.

Now, Granny Wang had arrived, determined to sell Yu Lannian and Yu Lansui, the twin siblings, to repay the debt. When the original Yu Landong tried to resist, a scuffle ensued, and Granny Wang shoved her violently. She hit her head on the ground and died on the spot.

And thus, Yu Landong’s spirit had inexplicably taken over this body.

As Yu Landong sorted through these memories, Granny Wang was already tying up the younger twin, Yu Lansui, with a coarse rope.

“I only lent your sister money out of the goodness of my heart,” Granny Wang muttered as she worked, “but she’s been dragging her feet on repaying it. I just want a peaceful New Year, but I have no choice. Blame the ones who sent you here, not me!”

Yu Landong gritted her teeth and tried to sit up. She managed to lift herself a few inches off the ground before collapsing again. The icy air burned her lungs as she took a deep breath.

Her gaze shifted to the woodpile nearby. Gritting her teeth, she crawled over, her trembling hand reaching behind the stack. She pulled out a small hatchet, relying on sheer willpower to haul herself to her feet.

Her glare locked onto Granny Wang, sharp and unyielding.

“Stop!”

Her voice came out dry and rasping, barely audible. Frustrated, she grabbed a handful of snow from the pile and shoved it into her mouth. The freezing cold shocked her body, but it worked.

“STOP!”

Granny Wang froze mid-turn, her eyes widening in terror.

Yu Landong staggered forward, her hair disheveled, blood streaking her face. Her eyes burned with fury, as fierce as bronze bells. In her right hand, she gripped the hatchet, advancing on them stiffly like a vengeful spirit.

“D-Dong girl… Dong girl, what are you doing? Put the hatchet down! Let’s talk this out!” Granny Wang stammered, her voice quivering as she stumbled back.

Yu Landong endured the scratchy pain in her throat and rasped out, “Release Lansui and Lannian, and I’ll put down the hatchet. Otherwise, I don’t mind us all crossing the Naihe Bridge together.”

Granny Wang faltered for a moment, her confidence shaken. But soon she recovered, her tone growing sharp and condescending. “A debt must be repaid; it’s only right! If there’s no money, selling these two brats to settle it is perfectly fair!” She smirked, certain that a little girl wouldn’t dare go through with her threat.

Calming herself, Granny Wang added slyly, “Not willing to part with them? Fine. Wasn’t your Yu family once rich and powerful? I heard Master Yu left behind a jade pendant before he passed…”

“Jade pendant?” Yu Landong’s fingers moved instinctively to her sleeve, pulling out a piece of white jade.

Granny Wang’s eyes locked onto it, her greed laid bare.

The pendant was lustrous, its surface smooth and flawless like snow. Intricately carved with a design of mandarin ducks playing in water, it exuded an air of extraordinary value, worth no less than a hundred taels of silver.

Yu Landong smirked mockingly. “Granny Wang, your sources are impressive. If I really use this to pay the debt, would you accept it?”

Granny Wang’s confidence wavered, her suspicion evident. “Is it real? Don’t you dare try to fool me!”

Yu Landong, sensing the woman’s growing greed, nodded. “If it’s fake, feel free to come back and find me.”

Granny Wang’s eyes darted calculatingly. Seeing her chance to secure such a treasure, she grinned and reached for the pendant. “You said it yourself, since you’re giving it to me, I’ll take it fair and square. No stealing, no cheating!”

Fair and square? Yu Landong nearly laughed aloud. This woman had extorted money from the family when Master Yu was in desperate need of burial funds, then resorted to threats and coercion to force repayment. Calling her actions “fair and square” was laughable.

Still, Yu Landong knew that the jade pendant was too valuable for their family’s current circumstances. Her father had entrusted it to the original owner before his death so there had to be a reason. But in their current state, protecting the pendant was impossible. Better to use it now and get rid of this parasite.

Just as Granny Wang’s fingers were about to touch the jade, Yu Landong abruptly pulled it back. “Wait.”

“You’re going back on your word?” Granny Wang’s hand tightened on the rope binding Lansui, her eyes filled with a mix of suspicion and menace. “What’s this? Don’t want your own sister anymore? Hah! Figures. You rich families are always coldhearted; turning on your own blood without a second thought.”

Yu Landong rolled her eyes, tired of the woman’s incessant blabbering. “The IOU. Hand it over.”

Terrified she might change her mind, Granny Wang hurriedly pulled out the debt note, her hands trembling as she handed it over.

Yu Landong took the IOU, then quietly watched as Granny Wang scurried away, the pendant clutched tightly in her hands like a thief fleeing the scene.

The moment the door slammed shut, Yu Landong felt her strength leave her. Her vision went black, and she collapsed to the ground.

—–

When she regained consciousness, she found herself lying on a makeshift bed fashioned from an old door panel. A stiff quilt stuffed with coarse, aged cotton covered her, its sour smell faintly unpleasant. Beside the bed, an open clay jar glowed with red embers, two cracked cloth shoes propped up near it to dry.

Her eyes roamed around the space, taking in what could barely be called a home. The memories of the original owner grew clearer in her mind.

Though she now possessed the girl’s memories, everything about the Da Wei dynasty felt foreign, unfamiliar, and distant.

A gaping hole in the thatched roof above her head allowed snowflakes to drift lazily into the room. The only piece of furniture was a broken wooden table, one of its legs propped up with uneven tiles to keep it from collapsing.

There were no other furnishings. Not a single decent object in sight.

A home stripped to the bone.

A chill wind seeped through the wound on her head, causing her to wince.

Grumble…

Her stomach rumbled loudly, reminding her of her hunger.

Wrapping herself tightly in her clothes, she shuffled toward the kitchen. Her worn cloth shoes flopped noisily with every step, the holes in the soles exposing several frostbitten toes.

In the kitchen, her younger siblings were busy at the stove. Hearing her footsteps, they dropped what they were doing and ran toward her.

“Elder sister!”

The force of their hugs made Yu Landong stumble back a few steps. Looking down at their greasy little heads, she hesitated for a long moment before patting them gently. “Good kids.”

Her gaze swept across the stove and the surrounding area. Even though she had mentally prepared herself, she was still shocked. The kitchen was barren.

“Elder sister, are you hungry? The food will be ready soon,” said Lannian earnestly.

Yu Landong peered into the pot and saw the so-called “meal.” It was watery rice soup, with barely a handful of rice grains floating in it. She was at a loss for words.

Seeing her expression darken, Lannian quickly tried to reassure her. “Elder sister, don’t worry. Tomorrow I’ll go up the mountain to look for food. Let’s make do with this for today.” Though only six years old, he spoke with a maturity beyond his years, volunteering to shoulder the burden of providing for the family as the only boy.

“I’ll go too!” Lansui chimed in, her big eyes shining with determination. “I won’t be a burden to Elder sister.”

Looking at the two of them, Yu Landong felt a pang of warmth and sadness. She could see the fear in their eyes; fear that she might view them as burdens and sell them off, just as Granny Wang had threatened.

Her heart softened. Though life had been cruel to her, these two children were clinging to her as their only source of security.

I won’t let them suffer.

Looking at the two six-year-old children nervously watching her, their wide, innocent eyes blinking with both fear and hope, Yu Landong felt a wave of tenderness flood her heart.

These two little ones… They’re probably afraid I’ll see them as burdens and sell them off, aren’t they?

Her chest ached at the thought, and she couldn’t help but recall her own past life.

In her previous life, she had no family. Orphaned at a young age, she grew up in a welfare institution. Fear of abandonment had driven her to constantly overachieve, always volunteering for chores and responsibilities. She had even learned to cook at the tender age of five, determined to prove her worth and avoid being discarded.

Later in life, as social media platforms boomed, her outstanding cooking skills unexpectedly earned her popularity as a food blogger. Through her hard work, she became self-reliant and independent, but deep down, she always longed for the warmth of a family she had never known.

Now, having transmigrated into the body of the original Yu Landong, she thought bitterly to herself, Perhaps this is heaven’s way of giving me a second chance by repaying me for the loneliness of my past life.

She had always yearned for a harmonious and happy family, to grow up surrounded by love and care. Now, with these two little siblings before her, she finally had the chance to create that life.

Yu Landong glanced around the kitchen, her gaze falling on the shabby cupboard, two large water jars in the corner, and a few cracked clay pots atop the stove. That was it; there was nothing else of use.

Lannian had explained that the household’s food supply consisted of only ten eggs, half a jar of coarse rice, and a pitiful amount of rough flour barely enough for one person, let alone three. At most, their rations could last half a month. They didn’t even have white flour; their so-called “flour” was coarse and unrefined, a single mouthful barely enough for one meal.

As reality settled in, Yu Landong fully grasped how harsh her new life would be.

Just then, her mind went blank, and a cold, mechanical voice echoed in her head: [Debt successfully repaid. Activating Culinary System…]

Culinary System?

Her heart skipped a beat. What is this?

The voice continued: [Would the Host like to bind the system?]

Yu Landong’s eyes lit up. As someone familiar with novels about transmigration, she immediately recognized the significance of a cheat system. Without hesitation, she replied in her mind, Yes!

[System bound. Welcome, Host. Please diligently complete the tasks assigned to you.]

The mechanical voice continued: [Your first task is to prepare a dish rated S-grade. Upon completion, you will receive a reward.]

“A reward?” Yu Landong muttered aloud, suddenly intrigued.

However, the system’s monotone response provided no details: [Host will learn more after completing the task.]

Lannian and Lansui, watching Yu Landong shift from somber to hopeful, furrowed their brows in concern. They assumed her strange expressions were due to hunger.

Lannian hesitated for a moment, then tugged at her sleeve. Sniffling, he pulled out half a steamed bun from his pocket and offered it to her. “Elder sister, eat this. I secretly saved it. It was meant for Mother, but you can have it.”

Lansui stood beside him, her big eyes blinking earnestly. “Elder sister, you eat it.” She opened her mouth to speak further, but a string of drool slipped down to her collar.

Looking at the two children, so young yet so thoughtful, Yu Landong felt both heartache and amusement. They had fallen from a life of comfort and privilege into these dire circumstances, yet they remained sweet and obedient.

She smiled warmly and patted their heads. “Why don’t the two of you split it? I’ll make something delicious for Mother later. She’s sick and can’t eat food this hard.”

Lannian tried to argue, but Yu Landong shook her head, unwilling to reject his thoughtful gesture. “Alright, let me divide it for us. We’ll share it together.”

Taking the bun, she pretended to tear off a piece for herself and popped it into her mouth before breaking the remainder into two pieces. She handed the larger portions to the siblings.

“Thank you, Elder sister!” Lansui beamed as she stuffed her piece into her mouth, chewing happily.

Lannian, however, stared curiously at his piece of the bun. It was only the size of his thumb, yet somehow, it seemed… larger than it should have been after splitting it three ways.

Frowning, he glanced at his sister. There’s no way she ate that much. How is my piece this big?

He looked up at Yu Landong, suspicion flickering in his sharp little eyes. But seeing her calm expression and kind smile, he kept his thoughts to himself and quietly nibbled on the bun.