Chapter 1: The Malicious Supporting Actress Shen Zhiyu? A Joyful Surprise!

"Shen Zhiyu, you're too much!"

"Do you know how hard my son works to earn a bit of money? And you spent it all in one go!"

"You wretched woman!"

"Why did I ever choose someone as troublesome as you?"

"Oh heavens, how can I go on living like this!"

…

Amidst the melodramatic cries and wails, Shen Zhiyu’s consciousness slowly returned to clarity.

Shen Zhiyu?

Yes!

That’s me!

A wretched woman?

Who?

Me?

Shen Zhiyu shook her head, and the hazy memories in her mind began to take shape.

She had transmigrated into a novel!

She had become the villainous supporting character who shared her name in a period drama.

She existed solely as a foil to the female lead—utterly detestable, the lowest of the low, unworthy of life.

The female lead was gentle, virtuous, diligent, frugal, respectful to her in-laws, and treated her stepchildren as her own.

The villainous supporting character was lazy, gluttonous, ill-tempered, defiant toward her in-laws, ignored her husband’s hard work, and only knew how to indulge herself.

In the end, the villainous woman was thrown out of the house and froze to death under a bridge.

Her husband, meanwhile, quietly protected the female lead, ensuring the happiness of the main couple.

Now fully awake, Shen Zhiyu looked at the old woman wailing on the ground—her mother-in-law, Zhou Cuihua.

How did the book describe this mother-in-law?

Kind and honest! Only when pushed too far would she lose her composure.

But in the memories Shen Zhiyu inherited, Zhou Cuihua was “pushed too far” every other day, and it was always because of her daughter-in-law, Shen Zhiyu!

Well, now she was Shen Zhiyu!

Shen Zhiyu carefully tried to recall what she had done this time. Honestly, not much. She’d just bought herself a dress, a pair of little leather shoes, a bit of meat, and a box of face cream.

Listening to Zhou Cuihua’s wailing, Shen Zhiyu grew more and more irritated and couldn’t help but roar, “Enough!”

“You—you’re yelling at me?”

“Is this how you act as a daughter-in-law?”

Zhou Cuihua stared at her in disbelief after being shouted at.

She slapped her hands on the ground, ready to complain further.

Shen Zhiyu, however, turned and went back into the house, ignoring her fuss. A moment later, she came out with a basin of water and dumped it right on Zhou Cuihua.

It was summer, so such a dousing wouldn’t make her sick.

But Shen Zhiyu’s act completely infuriated Zhou Cuihua.

She rushed towards the courtyard gate and flung it open.

“Come and see, everyone! My daughter-in-law is bullying her mother-in-law!”

Shen Zhiyu’s reputation was already poor, and Zhou Cuihua’s shouting quickly drew a crowd.

“Come judge for yourselves, is it easy for me?”

“I raised my son with great effort, put him through school, got him a job in the city, and found him a wife—yet this daughter-in-law is unfilial!”

“My son just sent money home and she spent it all in one trip. I only said a few words to her, and she poured water all over me! Please, everyone, judge for yourselves!”

After Zhou Cuihua’s pitiful tale, the crowd immediately grew indignant, ready to see justice done for her.

But before they could enter the yard, a basin of water was splashed right at them.

“Shrew!”

“Sister-in-law, you’ve really suffered!”

Soaked, the crowd felt all the more sympathy for Zhou Cuihua.

Shen Zhiyu strolled out of the courtyard, cracking sunflower seeds leisurely.

“Shen Zhiyu, you’ve gone too far!”

“No one acts this way as a daughter-in-law!”

“That’s right!”

The crowd began to scold Shen Zhiyu.

Shen Zhiyu spat out a seed shell, rolled her eyes, and replied calmly, “What? What do you all know? Just running your mouths!”

“Do you even know what happened?”

“You know nothing, yet you sit here playing judge—who do you think you are?”

“Shen Zhiyu, of course we know. Didn’t you squander money and get scolded by your mother-in-law?”

“Exactly! She kindly taught you how to manage the household, and instead of being grateful, you drenched her with water. How can you still argue?”

Two women, thinking themselves smart, chimed in.

Shen Zhiyu sneered, “Right, right, you’re all so right!”

“So, when the time comes, let your own mothers-in-law take the money your husbands earned and give it all to your sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law. That’s what it means to manage a household properly. Make sure you’re grateful, won’t you?”

“Shall I go tell your mothers-in-law, your sisters-in-law, and your brothers-in-law about your ideas?”

With Shen Zhiyu’s sarcastic words, the women who had just been siding with Zhou Cuihua instantly scattered, keeping their distance from her.

Their own money wasn’t enough for themselves, much less for their in-laws—did she think they were fools?

“Shen Zhiyu, you’re slandering us!”

“You’re falsely accusing me!” Zhou Cuihua would never admit to her actions, protesting her innocence at once.

If these things were confirmed, she would lose all face in the village.

“Falsely accusing you?”

“Come, let’s swear together. If I, Shen Zhiyu, have wronged Zhou Cuihua, let me be cursed never to bear a son!”

“Zhou Cuihua, you swear too—if you’re lying, let your younger son never have a son, and your daughter never bear a son for the rest of her life!”

Strike where it hurts most!

Shen Zhiyu didn’t care whether she had a son, and besides, she was telling the truth.

As for Zhou Cuihua, her precious twins—her youngest son and daughter—meant everything to her. How could she risk their futures on a vow?

“I—I—I’m not talking to you!” Feeling the accusing stares of the crowd, Zhou Cuihua fled in embarrassment.

Shen Zhiyu rolled her eyes and spat. “Pathetic. With skills like that, you think you can challenge me?”

The onlookers now understood what had happened. Realizing Zhou Cuihua had used them, they hurried to apologize to Shen Zhiyu, explaining they’d been deceived and promising to speak up for her in the future.

Anyone else would have smiled and graciously accepted, saying “to err is human.”

But Shen Zhiyu was not like anyone else.

Faced with their apologies, she sneered, “No need to apologize. I don’t accept it!”

If she hadn’t come here, her predecessor would never have received a single word of apology, even in death.

Now they wanted to wipe away the past with a few words?

Wishful thinking.

She returned to the yard and closed the door behind her.

Outside, the group of women looked at each other, feeling uneasy.

They’d wronged her, but Shen Zhiyu’s attitude only made them angrier. What kind of person was this? They’d already apologized and been deceived too—why wouldn’t she let it go?

Little did they know, Shen Zhiyu saw right through them and acted this way on purpose.

If they made her suffer, she’d make sure no one had it easy.

That was who she was—Shen Zhiyu.

Of course, Shen Zhiyu’s boldness was also thanks to her system’s hint.

Her system, called Joyful Airdrop, allowed her to summon a daily airdrop. The happier she felt, the better the reward.

Having just dealt with her malicious mother-in-law and those so-called good neighbors, Shen Zhiyu was in the best mood she’d ever been in.

So, she decided to open her airdrop.

“System, summon an airdrop!”