The Village Girl Who Jinxes Her Husband Is Filthy Rich Chapter 5 - The Origin Story

Lin Xinlan stared in profound shock while crouching by the riverbank, observing the clear reflection gazing back at her.

The vessel she now inhabited appeared to be a young girl of seven or eight years. Her hair resembled wilted grass, and her countenance was sallow and gaunt. Though her underlying features were pleasant enough, they were concealed by severe malnutrition; her eyes were sunken with prominent lids, and her lips remained drained of all color.

‘Good grief, even the most desperate refugees look healthier than this,’ Lin Xinlan muttered. Yet, this frail form was now hers.

Judging by the fragmented experiences she had gathered since transmigrating into this world, the original child had led a wretched existence. However, since Lin Xinlan had assumed control, she resolved to cherish this body and restore it to vibrant health.

Feeling an intense itchiness crawling across her skin, she decided to bathe in the shallow stream.

However, the moment she attempted to rise, her vision blurred, and the world seemed to tilt violently. Summoning every ounce of her willpower, Lin Xinlan gripped her head, fighting the dizziness. She forced herself to remain upright, terrified that if she collapsed into the water, she might lose her life a second time.

After an extended interval, she lowered her hands, her eyes burning with icy indignation. Memories of the original host’s final moments had just flooded her consciousness.

Now, she finally understood why the local children branded her a jinx and had even attempted to beat her to death.

The child had been targeted simply because, while walking with her gaze cast downward, she had accidentally brushed against the sleeve of the village bully. The arrogant boy deemed this a terrible omen of misfortune.

Consequently, the bully bribed the other village children with a dime, rallying them to intercept Lin Yuelan on her way home and subject her to a brutal assault. The girl was already skeletal from starvation, and after a full day without sustenance, the savage beating proved too much for her fragile system.

When Er Gou Zi delivered a final, crushing kick to the girl’s chest, she breathed her last. It was at that precise moment of death that Lin Xinlan had arrived to claim the body.

Why, she wondered, was she labeled such a curse? Where was her family hiding? And why would mere contact with someone's sleeve trigger such a murderous response?

The tragedy traced back three years to the encounter with an enigmatic old Taoist master.

This was the Lin family village, the place the host’s kin called home. The household head was Lin Laosan, and the girl was his granddaughter, Lin Yuelan.

Lin Laosan lived with his wife, Li Chuihua. They had raised four sons—Lin Daniu, Lin Erniu, Lin Sanniu, and Lin Siniu—as well as a daughter named Lin Xiaoxue.

Lin Daniu had two sons of his own: the eldest, Lin Daguang, and the youngest, Lin Dazong.

Lin Erniu fathered two daughters and a boy: Lin Dahua, Lin Xiaohua, and Lin Dayao.

Lin Sanniu had two sons and two daughters: the eldest, Lin Yuelan, followed by her brother Lin Dazu, her sister Lin Yueru, and their youngest brother, Lin Darong.

The youngest son, Lin Siniu, remained a bachelor.

Grandparents Lin Laosan and Li Cuihua doted almost exclusively on Lin Daniu and Lin Dazong.

Lin Daniu was their firstborn pride, while Lin Dazong was the only grandson within the clan pursuing an education. His perceived intelligence made him the family’s golden ticket to achieving the status of an elementary scholar.

As such, the elders idolized Lin Dazong, squandering half of the entire family’s income to satisfy his every whim.

Of the remaining funds, most were sequestered away by Li Cuihua, leaving very little for basic household necessities.

Lin Yuelan’s father, Lin Sanniu, was the target of Li Cuihua’s deepest scorn; she often treated him with the animosity reserved for a mortal enemy. This stemmed from a difficult birth; because of the baby’s position, Li Cuihua had nearly perished. She blamed Lin Sanniu for this misfortune, consistently abusing him and treating his wife and their children as nothing more than household slaves.

The entire family's labor fell upon the shoulders of Lin Sanniu’s kin. Every grueling chore in the house was forced upon his wife and daughters.

Constant toil and severe malnutrition left them all looking like walking ghosts. Lin Sanniu’s wife, Chen Xiaoqing, was forced back to the fields mere days after giving birth to Lin Yuelan, which permanently ruined her health. By the time her youngest son was born, she was withered and weak, yet she was denied access to a doctor or even the simplest medicine.

Every cent was clutched in Li Cuihua’s greedy fists. Since the matriarch despised them, she would certainly never provide funds for Chen Xiaoqing’s medical treatment, secretly hoping that the entire family would just fade away.

Despite this, the foolishly filial Lin Sanniu continued to hand over every coin he earned from his labor to his mother. Whenever his wife became too ill to move, coughing incessantly, he could only offer her empty advice to endure the suffering.

The host, Lin Yuelan, fared no better under the scrutiny of her grandparents. At least, so long as she provided labor, they begrudgingly provided her with enough food to prevent immediate starvation.

But three years ago, an old Taoist master stopped by their gate to request a drink of water. Only young Lin Yuelan was present.

In those times, such practitioners of the Dao were held in high reverence.

Lin Yuelan obediently brought the old man a bowl of water.

After finishing, the priest studied her features and furrowed his brow, asking, "Little girl, what is your age?"

"Nine years old!" the girl replied in a crisp voice.

The priest held his horsetail whisk in one hand while stroking his long, snowy beard with the other. A solemn nod followed as he spoke, "Receive this, child. You will require its protection in the days to come."

Bewildered, Lin Yuelan accepted a yellow talisman. "What is this for?"

The priest spoke with grave intensity, "Girl, your fortune is shrouded in darkness. Your high cheekbones and wide eyes are the mark of a jinx destined to lead her husband to an early grave. Wear this charm around your neck. With luck, by the time you reach fifteen, your calamitous destiny may be averted!"

A neighbor, known for her incessant gossiping, had overheard the entire exchange.

By the time the old master vanished from the village, the rumor mill had turned. It was common knowledge that Lin Yuelan was cursed to destroy any husband she might ever marry.

Within half a day, the tale had spiraled out of control; she was no longer just a jinx to her future spouse, but a harbinger of doom who would bring certain death to her parents, siblings, and every relative in her bloodline.