Ha!
So that was it. No matter how foolish the original owner was, she wouldn't have turned a fake hanging into a real one. It turns out there was a vicious younger sister who truly wanted her dead, and even dragged her feet to keep others from saving her.
Based on the conversation she overheard, Fu Yurou identified who was who.
The vicious one was Fu Yurou’s half-sister, and the one pretending to be the voice of reason was Zhang Pan, the daughter of Huang Meifeng’s ex-husband.
She had initially thought her stepmother, Huang Meifeng, was a decent person.
But hearing that dialogue, she couldn't help but reflect deeply.
Zhang Pan’s "counsel" seemed well-meaning, but she never hit the mark, and instead, she stoked the flames at every turn. Knowing full well that Fu Yuqing had a terrible relationship with the original owner, she kept bringing up "sisters," intentionally trying to make Fu Yuqing even angrier.
She kept her own hands clean while sending Fu Yuqing to the front lines.
Could Huang Meifeng really be unaware of this?
The original owner might not have liked her siblings when they were young, but the fact that these twins and Zhang Pan—the girl Huang Meifeng brought into the family—were so close while viewing the original owner as an enemy? That was clearly a problem.
"Yurou, is it time to eat?"
Huang Meifeng’s voice sounded by her ear, and Fu Yurou opened her eyes.
For a split second, she caught a flicker of disgust in the depths of Huang Meifeng’s eyes. She blinked, and Huang Meifeng looked as kind and gentle as ever, as if it had been a hallucination.
But Fu Yurou was an expert at reading people.
In her past life, lying in a hospital bed with nothing to do, she had spent her time studying others.
She didn't believe for a second that she had misread that look.
This stepmother was truly faking her kindness. Then again, she thought, how many stepmothers were actually good?
"Coming."
She got up and walked out, finding the table full of people. The whole family had returned from work for dinner.
A thin, middle-aged man sat at the head of the table. His brow was etched with deep vertical lines—clearly, he was the type to frown often. That must be her father, Fu Aiguo.
The seat to his left was empty, reserved for the stepmother. Next to that was a delicate-looking young woman who nodded and smiled when she looked over; that was Zhang Pan.
To the right sat two younger people with similar features—a boy and a girl—the twins.
"You have to be begged and pleaded with just to eat? You really think you’re some high-born young miss?"
As soon as Fu Yuqing spoke, her face was twisted in impatience.
Fu Yurou sat down at the last remaining chair without a word of apology and fired back immediately:
"I am the eldest miss, and you are the second miss. We’re in the same boat."
She wasn't the type to swallow her pride and keep quiet.
"Don't lump me in with you," Fu Yuqing stood up.
"We have the same father. If you hate being associated with me so much, why don't you leave the Fu family?"
"If anyone is leaving, it’s you!" Fu Yuqing roared.
"Bang!"
A palm slammed onto the table, and everyone fell silent.
It was Fu Aiguo. His face was cold and grim. "What are you arguing about? Keep it up, and you can all get out."
Fu Aiguo was a typical patriarch; he ignored minor details but had the final say on major issues, allowing no room for rebuttal.
"Aiguo, you’re scaring the children," Huang Meifeng stepped in to mediate.
She then chided Fu Yuqing: "Yuqing, show some grace to your sister. She just came back from the hospital and hasn't recovered."
She didn't say a single word about Fu Yurou.
This stepmother was truly skilled. If she really wanted to stop the fight, why wait until after Fu Aiguo had spoken? And by mentioning the hospital, she was just dredging up old wounds.
Predictably, Fu Aiguo took the bait. He turned to Fu Yurou and said, "The neighborhood committee has sent notice. Get yourself ready over the next few days. When the time comes, you’re going to the countryside. If you cause another scene, get out of the Fu family."
"I can go to the countryside, but you have to give me what I’m owed," Fu Yurou said calmly.
She knew the whole family was forcing her to the countryside. If she had actually died, that would be one thing, but since she was alive, there was no escaping it. She might as well get something practical out of it.
"You're actually willing to go?" Fu Jianye looked at her with curiosity.
She had caused so much trouble before just to avoid it—had she finally come to her senses?
Fu Yurou glanced at her cheap brother. There was only astonishment in his eyes, not a shred of reluctance; it seemed he wanted her gone too.
"Willing or not, what choice do I have? My mother is dead, and since I have a stepmother, I might as well have a stepfather. Even when I try to hang myself, no one cares. What else am I supposed to do?"
Fu Yurou’s sarcastic tone made everyone look uncomfortable.
Huang Meifeng explained, "Yurou, your sister Panpan has a job; that’s why she doesn't have to go to the countryside."
"That’s simple. Have her give me her job, and she can go to the countryside in my place."
Fu Yurou struck right at the heart of the matter. Huang Meifeng fell silent.
Fu Yuqing protested, "Why should my sister give her job to you?"
"For the simple reason that she doesn't even share the Fu surname—she’s just a hanger-on."
"You..."
"Enough," Fu Aiguo interrupted his younger daughter, frowning. "What do you want? Anything the family can provide, we will give you."
"As expected of a stepfather—you’d rather provide for someone else’s child than your own," Fu Yurou sneered before stating her demands.
"Everything my mother left behind, plus two thousand yuan. Otherwise, there’s nothing to talk about."
At those words, everyone’s expression shifted.
Without waiting for a response, Fu Yurou continued, "If you don't give me what’s mine..."
She didn't finish the sentence, but with a cold, mocking smile, she reached out, grabbed the only plate of scrambled eggs, dumped them onto her rice, added some other dishes, and turned to walk to her room.
She slammed the door shut, sat on her bed, and began to eat.
She listened to the commotion outside as background noise for her meal, finding the sound of Fu Yuqing’s outrage particularly pleasant.
"Why should we give her so much money? I don't agree!"
Fu Jianye added, "Dad, does our family even have that much?"
In this era, one hundred yuan was a significant sum; two thousand was like a fantasy.
But Fu Yurou knew the Fu family had it.
The real fortune was what her mother had left behind. Speaking of which, she suddenly recalled something. Her mother had been the daughter of a capitalist, and Huang Meifeng had been her mother's personal maid. After liberation, they had each married. Huang Meifeng had always acted devoted to her mother.
It wasn't until the original owner was three and her mother died from an accidental injury that Huang Meifeng started coming over to take care of her. Seeing that Huang Meifeng’s husband had died and that she was so attentive to the girl, Fu Aiguo had married her.
But men change after remarrying and having new children.
If the original owner had gone to the countryside or died, wouldn't everything her mother left behind have gone to Huang Meifeng and her children?
The original owner was indeed dead.
Even though she wasn't the original, she was in this body now, and she had to do something. At the very least, she wouldn't let those things benefit others.
After finishing her delicious meal, she opened the door and walked out. No one had touched the food on the table; clearly, no one was in the mood to eat.
Fu Yurou placed the empty plate back on the table and looked at Fu Aiguo.
"Have you considered it?"
Fu Aiguo looked at her with complex eyes, as if he didn't recognize this daughter. Before, even when she made scenes, they were just petty temper tantrums that he didn't take to heart. But now, she was attacking the foundation of the house.
"Your mother’s things cannot be handed over. You wouldn't be able to carry them anyway. I will keep them for you. And the family doesn't have two thousand—I can give you five hundred."
Hearing this, Fu Yurou tapped her nails. "So, that means we haven't reached a deal. In that case, I’ll go talk to the director of the furniture factory tomorrow."
"What are you going to do?" Fu Aiguo’s face changed.
Fu Yurou replied, "Nothing much. I’m just going to cry a little about my tragic circumstances."