The Rise of Butcher Ning

Ning Jiang, a famous weight loss blogger of the 21st century, met a tragically comical end: starvation after a three-day, three-night fast to maintain her figure. Just when she thought it was over, fate played a cruel trick, transporting her soul into the body of a mother with the same name in ancient times.

When Ning Jiang opened her eyes, she found herself in a coffin amidst distorted cries of grief.

“Elder Brother, Mother seems to be stirring! Could it be that Mother is angry that we couldn’t afford a proper coffin and is resurrecting to beat us?”

“No, Mother will never wake up again.”

In her state of shock, Ning Jiang realized she was a “reanimated corpse.” The impoverished surroundings, the shabby coffin, and the scared, emaciated faces of the three boys made her confused: “Tsk, where is this place? Is this still Đại Việt? Did I starve so much that I’m hallucinating?”

She jumped up, climbed out of the grave, and confronted the three trembling figures—two sons and an older foster son named Song.

“I beg you, is this reanimated corpse a human or a ghost? She’s crawling out of the grave to harm people! So scary, run now, run fast!”

The terrified screams of the villagers and the sheer fear of the three boys—who she now realized were her future villain sons—left Ning Jiang reeling. One of them stammered: “Mother, are you a human or a ghost?”

“Who are you calling Mother? Who is your mother?” Ning Jiang, driven by modern instincts, immediately ordered amidst her hunger and confusion: “You, go and cook for me! The old woman has no rice, why tell me if you have no rice? Go now! And you, wash all the clothes, dead or alive, for me. If you don’t finish, don’t even think about eating, sleeping, or resting! And you, clean the latrine thoroughly. If you don’t scrub it clean, just sleep in there for me! Get out!“

In a moment of horror, Ning Jiang realized the brutal truth: She had transmigrated into a novel she once read, becoming “Butcher Ning”—the vicious mother of three future villains. These three Song brothers would commit countless atrocities and eventually meet a tragic end, being dismembered, a fate that would also befall the original owner of this body.

“No! Now, while the three future villains haven’t yet embarked on the path of evil, I must take the initiative to educate them, lead them onto the righteous path, and change my own outcome!”

The decision was made. She, a modern woman of the 21st century, must accept her fate and survive in this backward ancient era.

Her new life began with extreme hunger. The house was so poor that there was “nothing to eat, not even a full stomach of rice.”

Ning Jiang collapsed, exhausted, when she heard innocent voices:

“Mother must be hungry after being tired all night. Second Brother, go and cook the rice.” “Alright, I’ll go cook.” “Mother, I’ll fetch water for you. Mother, please drink.”

The filial piety of her two sons (Second Brother Song Chengyan and Third Brother Song Chengwan) touched her deeply. She thought: “Fortunately, I still have two obedient sons. It seems if I want to change the fate of these villains, I must get closer to my villainous sons.”

“Mother, this is the last portion in our house, please eat more.”

The first mantou (steamed bun) after starving to death filled Ning Jiang with overwhelming happiness. She shared: “You two eat too.”

“We’ll just eat the coarse bread. Mother, you eat more.”

“I told you to eat, so eat! Is there no vegetable in this house at all?”

Ning Jiang couldn’t understand why the original owner had beaten and cursed these sweet children. “But since I’m here now, I certainly won’t mistreat them anymore.” She resolved: “Eating mantou all the time is not good either. After eating, we’ll tidy this place up a bit. Tomorrow, Mother will take you two to catch fish.”

The next morning, Ning Jiang led her two sons to the riverbank.

Old Lady Li, who always sought reasons to provoke the original owner, appeared: “Chengyan, Chengwan, what’s wrong? Can’t handle life anymore? Your mother brought you two here to jump into the river and commit suicide!”

Ning Jiang immediately retorted: “What nonsense are you talking about? We’re here to catch fish, not what you claim.”

“Catch fish? You two are truly foolish. Who doesn’t know that there are absolutely no fish in this Western section of the river?”

But Chengyan and Chengwan defended their mother: “Mother bringing us to the Western section must have her reasons. Mother said there are fish in the Western section, and I believe there will be.”

Ning Jiang, relying on a hunch, picked up a large stone and threw it into the water.

“By the heavens! Mother, you are too powerful! You hit so many fish with just one stone!”

It was an unprecedented bounty. While catching fish, Chengyan quickly pulled her back from slipping: “Mother, be careful. Mother, are you alright?”

Ning Jiang remembered that in the book, the Second Son Song Chengyan was a famous hunter with bad luck, eventually forced to become a villain. She praised him: “Well done! As expected of Mother’s son.”

Chengyan beamed: “Mother, you are truly lucky today. I usually come here to fish ten times and fail nine. I never expected a great haul today.”

“Hmph, of course! Your Mother here carries Carp Luck with her. Let’s go home, Mother will cook the fish for you to eat.”

Back home, the first fish meal was a celebration. “Mother, you really know how to cook fish? You are so amazing.”

“Hush, go and eat. If we have meat in the future, we will eat it together. Mother promises that from now on, we will live good days, with meat every single day.”

As the rainy season approached, fish would be scarce. Second Brother Chengyan suggested going hunting in the mountains.

Ning Jiang, recalling the plot, intervened: “Don’t go tomorrow. Go to Yan Mountain. Mother has a hunch that Yan Mountain will definitely have good prey.”

The next morning, Chengyan left with a strange look in his eyes: “Third Brother, when I’m not home, you must take good care of Mother, understand?”

Old Lady Li reappeared, her face full of glee and rage:

“Ning Jiang! Did you force your son to go to Yan Mountain? If so, then what?”

“That Butcher Ning, you truly have a vicious heart! There is a giant, man-eating python on Yan Mountain! Sending your son there is no different from sending him to his death!”

Ning Jiang was stunned. “What did you say? There’s a giant, man-eating python on Yan Mountain? No wonder, no wonder when my Second Son left, his eyes looked so strange. It turns out he was saying his last farewell to me. My foolish child!”

The villagers’ anger boiled over, and they rushed to seize Ning Jiang: “We must drown this disaster in the pigsty! Drown her! Drown her in the pigsty!”

In the midst of the chaos, Chengwan protected his mother: “Release my Mother! You are not allowed to bully my Mother!”

Suddenly, a powerful voice rang out: “What are you doing? Tell me you are fine. You are not allowed to bully my Mother!”

Chengyan had returned! Not only was he alive, but he had also hunted a large wild boar.

The villagers dispersed in disappointment and astonishment. Ning Jiang pulled Chengyan inside, her anger soaring.

“I ask you, yesterday when I told you to go to the mountain, did you know there was a giant man-eating python there?”

“No.”

“You didn’t know, yet you still went? It was so dangerous, why didn’t you tell Mother?”

“Mother, didn’t you know?”

“Nonsense! Of course I didn’t know! That’s a giant, man-eating python! Would my mind be so rotten that I would send my own son to his death!?”

Ning Jiang’s heart ached: “I told you to go and you went, without the slightest concern for your own safety. Tell me, do you deserve to be beaten?”

“Your foolish son asks for Mother’s punishment.” Chengyan knelt.

Ning Jiang pulled her son up: “What fault is yours for me to punish you? Get up now.”

She decided to cook the wild boar meat to nourish her two sons.

4. Selling with a “Bad Reputation”

The next morning, Old Lady Li spied, waiting for Ning Jiang to fail with the wild boar.

Ning Jiang took Chengwan to the county market. Old Lady Li spread rumors: “That’s Butcher Ning from Liu Juren Village. Aren’t you afraid of buying her meat? I heard that if she dies, the whole village will set off firecrackers in celebration. I won’t buy it, I won’t buy it!”

Everyone turned away. Chengwan worried: “Maybe we should come tomorrow, the pork won’t be fresh then.”

Ning Jiang smiled: “I will deliberately use my bad reputation to sell all this pork and give her a good slap in the face. Later, you do this, understand?”

She made Chengwan stand and shout: “Sell! Selling pork here! Pure and natural, harmless to the public. Don’t stutter! Sell it well, if you don’t sell out, you’re not allowed to eat even a single bite of rice today!”

The crowd was outraged by Ning Jiang’s cruelty towards her child: “Is this her real mother? Abusing such a small child! Truly vicious!”

A kind woman took pity on the poor child: “How can you be so cruel? Do you want to watch this poor child go without food? Come here, little one, sell me a piece.”

The tactic succeeded! People scrambled to buy the meat out of pity for Chengwan.

“607, 608, 609… We sold for over 600 copper coins! We’re rich!”

Ning Jiang bought candied haws for Chengwan and Chengyan, and three new sets of clothes for all three brothers.

5. The Third Son’s Vindication

While shopping, Squire Li Yang appeared and shouted: “Squire, this brat must have stolen your money, don’t let him go.”

Chengwan was badly beaten: “Let me go, I didn’t steal!”

“Ning Jiang, your son stole the Squire’s money, we caught him red-handed, and now we will take him to the Yamen!”

Old Lady Li chimed in: “This isn’t the first time your son has stolen. Take my advice, pay back the money, maybe you can avoid the disaster of imprisonment.”

Ning Jiang held her son’s hand: “Chengwan, tell Mother, did you take their money?”

Chengwan was disappointed: “Forget it, even if I say I didn’t steal, you won’t believe me.”

Ning Jiang looked deep into his eyes: “I believe you. As long as you say you didn’t steal, Mother will believe you.”

Ning Jiang’s logic was sharp: “You claim my son stole money, what evidence do you have? So you have no evidence, right? As far as I can see, you are the one who is crying thief! The money was mine to begin with!”

The Squire said the money was in his sleeve, but Ning Jiang, remembering her pork sales, issued a challenge: “I just earned this money, and it all came from selling boar meat. The money must be stained with pork grease. Just one basin of water can prove whose money it is.”

Water was brought. A layer of pork grease floated to the surface.

“Everyone, look! A layer of grease is indeed floating in this basin of water. This money belongs to us! My son did not steal your money!”

The disgraced Squire had to apologize to Chengwan.

Ning Jiang told her son: “A gentleman does what must be done and refrains from what must not be done. I believe that you would not do such a thing, and I believe in the integrity of my son.”

6. Chengwan Goes to School

That evening, Old Lady Li dragged her son, who had been bitten by a snake, to Ning Jiang’s house to cause trouble.

“It’s all because of your black-hearted self! I listened to your words and let my son go to Yan Mountain to hunt! Now my son is bitten by a venomous snake! If anything happens to him, I will be your sworn enemy!”

Ning Jiang’s reply was cold: “When did I say Yan Mountain had wild boars? I clearly see that your greed clouded your judgment, you brought this upon yourself!”

“Your son also went to Yan Mountain, he hasn’t returned yet, perhaps he’s already dead there!”

Just then, Chengyan returned with a pheasant hunted from Qi Mountain.

Ning Jiang decided on her next move. She boasted to Old Lady Li: “My son will go to school on his own, and he will attend the best academy in the village, Ju’an Academy.”

Old Lady Li scoffed: “Are you crazy? Is that Ju’an Academy a place common folk like us can go? Do you have enough money for him to study there?”

Ning Jiang remembered that in the book, the master of Ju’an Academy had once offered to take Chengwan as a free student, but Chengwan had missed the opportunity.

She took Chengwan to Ju’an Academy.

“Greetings to the Headmaster. I heard the Headmaster is open-minded and accepts talented students, so I specifically brought my seven-year-old son here to seek education.”

“What is your name?”

“Reporting to the Headmaster, Song Chengwan.”

The Headmaster was surprised: “Song Chengwan… Who is Song Chengyu to you?”

“He is my Elder Brother.”

“Ah, the teacher has been waiting for you for a long time! Let’s decide this now. I will arrange a room for Chengwan immediately. He will stay here today.”

Ning Jiang instructed her son: “Look how highly the Headmaster values you. You must study diligently, listen to the Headmaster, and strive to become as outstanding as your Elder Brother in the future.”

Chengwan choked up: “Mother, Chengwan will definitely study hard.”

7. The Elder Brother Returns

Old Lady Li scoffed again: “I think you’ve already sold your third son!”

“Mother, did you really sell Third Brother?” Chengyan was suspicious.

“Yes, the kind treatment I showed you these days was all a deception, to find an opportunity to sell you all.”

Just then, Song Chengyu (the Elder Brother), who was studying at the academy, returned.

“Elder Brother, this is the Song Elder Brother, Song Chengyu. I’ve heard his name for a long time. Seeing him today, he is indeed calm and handsome.”

“Mother, what happened to you? I heard you passed away, and I rushed back before the exam results.”

Old Lady Li told Chengyu: “She sold your third brother!“

Chengyu turned to his mother: “Mother, is what Old Lady Li says true?”

“Chengwan went to Ju’an Academy to study, you must trust Mother.”

Chengyu’s trust in the original owner was depleted: “Mother, tell me, where exactly is Chengwan?”

“Elder Brother, you must believe Mother, Chengwan is definitely studying at Ju’an Academy! Yes, you will see him in five days when he has a break.”

“Five days? In five days? Your brother might have already been sold to a distant land.”

Chengyu was nearly despairing: “Chengwan, come back quickly!”

Just at that moment, the carriage of Ju’an Academy appeared. The Headmaster personally escorted him!

“Mother, Elder Brother, Second Brother, I’m home!”

The Headmaster said: “Your mother said he needs his own bedding at home to sleep, so I brought him back to collect it. He is still a child. Thank you, madam, for bringing the child here. It’s alright if Chengwan stays home for another day. I will personally supervise him to return to the academy tomorrow.”

Chengyu witnessed everything. That evening, Chengyan brought back a pheasant, and Chengyu went to the kitchen: “Mother, you haven’t eaten yet, let your son go to the kitchen to prepare the meal.”

Ning Jiang stopped him: “No need, no need. You must be tired from your long journey. Sit down quickly and eat.”

Chengwan told his Elder Brother about going to school: “Elder Brother, if it weren’t for Mother leading me to acknowledge a teacher, I wouldn’t be able to study at the academy and become your junior.”

Chengyu said: “Thank you, Mother, for expending so much effort.”

The next morning, shocking news arrived: Song Chengyu had passed the Imperial Examination as a Xiucai (Scholar)! And he was an Anshou (top scholar)!

“Village Chief, this is what I should do.”

The Village Chief and elders rewarded the Song family with two plots of land. Chengyu was surrounded by admiration.

“You can’t forget me! I am the mother of the most talented Xiucai in Đại Yến, understood!” Ning Jiang was proud.

Many famous teachers came to recruit Chengyu, including Juren Chen.

“Greetings to Teacher Juren Chen!”

Ning Jiang recalled: “In the original work, after Song Chengyu passed the Xiucai exam, he studied under Juren Chen, chose the wrong faction, and his official career was hindered. He constantly faced difficulties caused by others.”

She couldn’t let that happen.

“Chengyu, greetings to Juren Chen. Chengyu, I ask you directly today, are you willing to accept me as your teacher?”

Chengyu did not refuse, but Ning Jiang intervened: “I do not agree!”

“Butcher Ning, don’t be unreasonable! This is the esteemed Juren!”

“Chengyu, does Mother have any worries in her heart?”

Ning Jiang was firm: “I don’t care how you curse me, Chengyu is absolutely forbidden to take Juren Chen as his teacher. Don’t say that the boy needs to think, his conclusion can only be to disagree.”

Everyone left in anger.

Chengyu asked: “Mother, why do you disagree with me taking Juren Chen as my teacher? He is a Great Juren, why doesn’t he take an official position but insists on taking me as a disciple? Have you considered the strangeness in this matter?”

“Alright, your son will listen to Mother.”

“Chengyu, why do you trust me?”

“I believe Mother will certainly not harm me.”

They went to see the two plots of land they were rewarded with. It turned out to be a stretch of sandy soil, where nothing could grow.

“It’s a pity that this dynasty doesn’t have watermelons. If there were watermelons, planting them in this sandy soil would be perfect.”

Chengyu suddenly remembered: “When your son went to the county to take the exam, a friend in the county gave me a packet of watermelon seeds. Look.”

“Watermelon seeds?”

“Mother, what is a watermelon?”

“Watermelon is known as the King of Melons, the most delicious fruit in the world. Fruit? But ordinary people don’t even have enough to eat, who would buy fruit?”

“It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter if the common folk can’t afford it, we can sell them to the aristocracy!”

The mother and her three sons looked at each other, their eyes burning with the fire of hope. Fate had begun to change. Ning Jiang, from a starving blogger, had become the guiding mother for her future villain sons. The life of “Butcher Ning” had opened a new chapter, where maternal love and modern wisdom would confront a harsh destiny.