Just as Si Nian was waking up, trying to digest the unfamiliar memories, she heard the sound of a woman crying.
"What else can we do? Are you suggesting we let our own daughter marry an old man with three kids?"
"Sob... She's already endured over a decade of hardship. It's not that I don't care about Si Nian, but she's our biological daughter after all."
Si Nian's blurry gaze swept over the two people by the bed: a middle-aged couple in their forties. The man was smoking, his brows furrowed, while the woman was wiping tears from her face.
It had been two days since Si Nian transmigrated into this world, but she was still struggling to wake up fully due to the original host's physical condition, and she was trying to digest the melodramatic memories swirling in her head.
She had transmigrated, yet it seemed she was stuck in the backward 1980s. And still, she was a fake wealthy daughter.
Just a month ago, the real wealthy daughter had shown up at their doorstep, claiming her rightful identity. After a thorough examination, it turned out she was indeed the real one. The original host's status became precarious.
The real wealthy daughter had grown up in a poor rural family. Si Nian, not wanting to endure a life of poverty, had thrown tantrums and refused to leave, fearing her parents would drive her away. Moreover, she was engaged to the son of the chief of the military district, about to marry into a wealthy family. But the sudden appearance of the real wealthy daughter disrupted her plans.
The original host was furious, and she grew to hate the real wealthy daughter. Even if it's just a pet, there's still affection after over a decade, let alone a living, breathing person.
Originally, the family had thought of letting both of them stay since the Si family had been officials for three generations and could afford it. But unexpectedly, the real wealthy daughter's parents in the countryside had also arranged her marriage, wanting her to marry an old man who had been divorced and had three children, running a pig farm.
The real wealthy daughter, of course, refused to accept it. The Si family's parents were heartbroken to see their biological daughter suffer for over a decade and then have to marry an older divorced man. They couldn't bear to let her go through with it. But to their surprise, the real wealthy daughter's parents from the countryside took the money and ran away, leaving her with no choice but to marry.
After much deliberation, they came up with the idea of having the fake wealthy daughter take her place. Although it sounded unpleasant, the Si family felt that since they had raised the girl for over a decade and she was doing so well, it was only reasonable to ask her to help out. Besides, she wasn't their biological daughter, so if they let her marry into that family, they would lose out. The good should be kept for their own daughter.
Upon learning of this, the original host was overwhelmed with anger and despair, and she attempted suicide by jumping into the water.
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The incident caused a lot of gossip, and even the Si family lost face. They began to feel a bit disgusted with the original host. People had always commented on how the child didn't resemble her parents, which made the couple feel embarrassed. Their daughter also had a rude and unreasonable personality, nothing like a proper young lady. They wanted to get rid of her as soon as possible.
Si Nian blinked her eyes.
Although the original host attempted suicide, she didn't die. In fact, because of this incident, her family thought she was too extreme and immediately sent her to the countryside.
After the original host married the older divorced man, she blamed all her faults on him, abused his children, and finally, when he couldn't bear it any longer, he divorced her.
The fake wealthy daughter ended up becoming a destitute beggar and tragically died on the streets, ending her melodramatic life.
It's truly an unbelievable plot.
For the past few days, Si Nian has been lying on the bed, barely alive, wishing it were all just a dream. She had finally saved up a down payment of three hundred thousand, only to have it disappear after paying the deposit. It infuriated her to the point where she couldn't sleep at night.
Now, seeing the mother of the female lead discussing the matter, she couldn't avoid it any longer. Clearly, her family was biased towards the real wealthy daughter. Staying would only bring embarrassment and dependence, making life difficult. It might be better to leave voluntarily, perhaps earning a good reputation.
So Si Nian spoke up, "Don't cry anymore, I'll leave."
The room fell silent for a few seconds before Zhang Cuimei realized her daughter was awake. Her expression briefly showed embarrassment before she spoke with guilt, "Nian Nian, don't blame us for being heartless. It's just that your mom is really helpless."
Si Nian nodded faintly, "I understand. If I stayed, I might end up competing with Lin Si Si for the military officer fiancé, which wouldn't be good."
Her words were too straightforward, making the two adults feel a sense of shame as if their secret had been exposed. After all, it was because Si Nian was pretty that they had agreed to the engagement in the first place. But they both agreed that it was definitely because of their own status.
"I have a hundred yuan here, enough for you to get by for a while. If you encounter any difficulties, you can call us."
Yes, call, not come over. Clearly, they had already planned to distance themselves from her. But a hundred yuan was still acceptable. After all, in the 1980s, a hundred yuan was equivalent to a thousand yuan in the future.
Si Nian didn't push for more. Since she wasn't familiar with them and her identity as a fake wealthy daughter was embarrassing enough, it wouldn't be wise to demand more. After being raised by them for over a decade, causing trouble and lingering on would only make them resent her more.
She took the money and exchanged a few words with them, then they told her to pack up early as they would send her over tomorrow. They left one after another, afraid she might change her mind.
Tomorrow was the wedding day. Although they said it was a wedding, a second marriage in this era was never honorable, so they didn't plan to hold a wedding ceremony. Sending the person over would be enough.
Si Nian got up, surveying the room. It wasn't large, but it was well-furnished with a beautiful iron bed, a desk, a wardrobe, and a vanity mirror. A room like this would be beyond the means of an ordinary family. The Si family had treated the original host reasonably well, at least in terms of providing food and clothing. So the original host had quite a few clothes, including some lovely French and Chinese dresses, accessories, and plenty of pearl necklaces. On the table were trendy skincare products of the era, such as "Pond's" and "Snowflake Cream." Due to the pre-engagement with the chief's son, the Si family spared no expense in her upkeep. Consequently, the original host was pampered and had the appearance of a fair-skinned, beautiful, and well-to-do daughter from a wealthy family.
Having become accustomed to such a luxurious lifestyle, she naturally didn't want to marry an older man. Si Nian packed up all the good things and left the next day, carrying her suitcase onto the bus.
It was unexpectedly easy to send her away, leaving the Si family feeling a bit disoriented. After all, for a month since they found out she wasn't their biological daughter, Si Nian had been causing various troubles, insisting on staying. Suddenly, her departure felt too straightforward, making them feel uneasy. After raising her for over a decade, their daughter was simply gone. Who wouldn't feel upset about that?
Seeing their parents' slightly reluctant and guilty looks, the real wealthy daughter, Lin Si Si, with red eyes, said, "Dad, Mom, did I do something wrong? I didn't mean for this to happen. Should we bring Nian Nian back?"
Immediately, the parents averted their gaze, looking at their frail biological daughter with guilt in their hearts. "Nonsense, you did nothing wrong. Nian Nian is eighteen now; she should leave. We can't support her for the rest of her life."