As the morning sun rose over Wansheng Village, Liu Fang and Wang Zhaodi were chatting by the river while washing clothes.
"I wonder how that girl Su Qianli is doing after falling into the water last night," Liu Fang said. "Even if she’s sick, she brought it on herself. We elders can’t be blamed for not caring—she was just too vicious. Thinking about the state Wang Ergou was in, it was enough to scare a person to death!"
Wang Zhaodi agreed, "You’re telling me. If that girl Li really is in trouble, it’s just karma. A young woman like her, getting so much blood on her hands—heaven won’t let her off the hook."
Auntie Zhao had just arrived behind them. When she heard these words, the washbasin in her hands clattered to the ground.
*Li fell into the water yesterday!!!*
Before she could think further, she heard the two women continuing to curse Su Qianli. Auntie Zhao roared, "What kind of nonsense are you spouting? If there’s any karma, it’ll strike you two black-hearted wretches first. And Wang Zhaodi, what is Wang Ergou, exactly? Haven't you had your own bottom pinched by him? Why were you fighting tooth and nail to keep him away back when you were a young girl?"
Wang Zhaodi hadn’t expected Auntie Zhao to be standing right behind her; she felt so guilty she didn't dare lift her head.
Auntie Zhao kept firing away. "Liu Fang, and you call yourself an elder! I’m warning you: if anything happens to Li, I won’t let this go. I’ll go straight to report you. Don't think nobody knows about the shady things you’ve been up to. If it comes to that, you’ll be the one suffering!"
With that, Auntie Zhao gathered her laundry and basin and hurried home.
***
"Knock, knock, knock..." A series of knocks echoed outside Su Qianli’s door.
"Li, are you up?" It was Auntie Zhao.
In the past, Auntie Zhao had been very close to Grandma Su. After Grandpa Su and Grandma Su passed away one after the other, Auntie Zhao frequently came to check on Su Qianli, taking great care of the girl.
At that moment, Auntie Zhao was holding a large bowl of hot ginger, brown sugar, and egg soup.
When Su Qianli opened the door, Auntie Zhao’s heart ached at the sight of her pale face.
"That godforsaken Wang Ergou, he’s no human being, look what he’s done to this child." Her eyes turned red as she spoke. "Quick, drink this while it’s hot. Your grandparents went to such lengths to pull you back from the gates of hell; you can’t let anything happen to you!"
Auntie Zhao hurriedly brought the bowl to Su Qianli’s lips, her eyes filled with pity and concern.
Su Qianli looked at the elder, who was shorter than her, and felt too embarrassed to be fed. She took the bowl immediately and said, "Thank you."
Auntie Zhao reached out to touch Su Qianli’s forehead. Confirming there was no fever, she whispered a prayer of thanks.
As Su Qianli drank the soup, she caught a glimpse of a figure skulking toward them. When she looked over, the figure immediately hid behind a nearby tree. It was none other than her two-faced, hypocritical aunt, Liu Fang. In this era, there wasn’t another woman in the surrounding villages with a build like hers.
Auntie Zhao noticed Su Qianli’s expression darken and turned to follow her gaze. She caught sight of the fat body only partially obscured by the tree, dressed in a green outfit that made her look like a giant turnip—it was an eyesore.
Auntie Zhao was speechless that the woman had actually followed her here. Clearly, she was terrified of having her secrets exposed. Auntie Zhao couldn't help but roll her eyes.
However, when she turned back to Su Qianli, her face was full of regret. "It’s all my fault. I went to the county yesterday and came back too late. I thought that scoundrel Wang Ergou had just been given a beating, which he deserved. I never imagined you would fall into the river. When I heard this morning, it terrified me. How could your body handle that icy water? Look, you’ve suffered so much. Drink up, go back inside, and lie down. I’m going to go get Village Doctor Fang to come take a look at you."
Without waiting for a response, Auntie Zhao turned to leave in a hurry.
Su Qianli grabbed her arm and shook her head. "No need, Auntie Zhao. I’m fine."
Auntie Zhao looked worried. "If you won't see a doctor, will your body be able to hold up?"
Su Qianli nodded obediently. "I’m already feeling much better."
Auntie Zhao thought to herself that the child was truly pitiful—she must be worried about the cost. After the old couple passed, their eldest son, Su Zhiguo, had used his status as an uncle to constantly come over and "seek handouts." He had carried away every valuable item in the house, piece by piece, and likely pilfered whatever money Li had left for herself. That wretched man had even had the audacity to boast to everyone that Li was alone and didn't need those things, so he had "taken them off her hands."
*Bah, shameless.*
Su Qianli watched the shifting expressions on Auntie Zhao’s face as she sipped the ginger soup. It was quite interesting. However, having just suffered through a high fever, her mouth tasted bitter, and she had little appetite despite the rich, sweet aroma of the soup.
It was true: the illnesses rooted in her childhood had taken a heavy toll on this body, and the original owner had died because of it. According to her memories, she hadn't even started her period yet; Su Qianli didn't want to imagine the agony she might face when that day finally came.
At this moment, Su Qianli couldn't help but scream internally.
*Transmigration, a low-probability event, has already happened to me—so where is the standard-issue golden finger from the novels? Where is my Spirit Spring? Where is my Space? If I had those cheats, wouldn't all these health issues be solved instantly? Heaven, how can you be so unfair?*
But then she thought about the ending of her previous life—*CRACK!*—it seemed there wasn't much she could do about it.
Su Qianli closed her eyes in disappointment. She couldn't dwell on it; it was too heart-wrenching.
Auntie Zhao assumed Su Qianli felt upset because of Liu Fang and urged her to drink the soup. "Don't look at that turnip demon, she’s bad luck!"
Seeing the loving gaze of Auntie Zhao, a wave of warmth washed over Su Qianli. After a while, she finished the soup, her face now flushed. Seeing this, Auntie Zhao felt her heart settle, and after telling Su Qianli to go back to bed and rest, she went off to work.
Su Qianli hadn't been lying on the kang for long before she drifted into a deep sleep.
Fragments of information began to surface in her mind—all of them descriptions from the book regarding Zhao Hongxing, Auntie Zhao’s youngest son.
Because Zhao Hongxing was a son Auntie Zhao had longed for years to have, he was the treasure of the family from the moment he was born, spoiled beyond measure. But when he grew up, he helped a local hoodlum in the county. In gratitude, the man took him out to eat, and gradually, they grew close. The hoodlum belonged to a small group that made money by reselling goods, and seeing that Zhao Hongxing had some nerve, they brought him along to mess around in the Black Market.
At first, Zhao Hongxing lied to his family, claiming he was doing odd jobs, and would often bring home money and goods, which made Auntie Zhao incredibly happy. She finally thought her son wasn't the good-for-nothing others called him.
But good times didn't last. During a sudden crackdown in the county, Zhao Hongxing was used as a scapegoat and arrested, later receiving a death sentence. Auntie Zhao was so traumatized she fell ill and passed away shortly after. Her husband spent money and pulled strings, only to accidentally discover the truth behind their son’s conviction. He prepared to go to the county to report it, but halfway there, he was intercepted, dragged into an alley, and beaten to death. As for Zhao Hongxing’s three older sisters, they had nowhere to turn for justice. Their in-laws began to mistreat them because of the scandal, eventually subjecting them to domestic violence and forcing divorces. Their fates were all tragic.
Meanwhile, that hoodlum went on to become a famous entrepreneur in the county, partnering with large factories in Beijing and gaining the favor of county leadership.
*Beijing.*
*Heh, what a coincidence.*
Su Qianli gritted her teeth in the dark. In this life, she would absolutely protect Auntie Zhao and her family. After all, in these lean times when everyone was struggling to eat, they still took such good care of a stranger who shared no blood relation with them.
She owed them this, and she would repay it.
It wasn't until the shouts signaling the end of the morning shift rang out that Su Qianli woke up, feeling much more energized.
She began to recall the key moments in the original owner's life—the revelation of her identity and being reunited with her biological parents. Su Qianli remembered it was because her uncle went to the county to handle a dowry for his son and accidentally met someone from Beijing. Later, that person followed him back to Wansheng Village and became incredibly agitated the moment he saw Su Qianli. After an investigation confirmed she was the kidnapped twin daughter of the Su Family in Beijing, she was taken back.
But why did her uncle have to go to the county to raise money for a dowry? She had never heard of him having connections there.
Su Qianli couldn't figure it out, so she would have to wait and investigate the cause later. She had just turned eighteen this year, which meant she would meet her biological parents in the autumn. Her time was tight; she had to prepare for "returning home" in advance.