Summer, 1975.
On the walls of the Capital Military District compound were written the Chairman’s quotations:
*“Nothing in the world is difficult, if one is willing to climb.”*
In the family residential area, on the second floor of the Su family’s small two-story house, Su Qingyue—fair-skinned and beautiful—lay unconscious, her brows tightly knit.
Su Qianqian sat at the bedside, the jealousy and hatred in her eyes undisguised. She stared at the exquisitely beautiful face on the bed and ground her teeth.
“Su Qingyue, you owe me seventeen years. How are you going to repay them?!”
She grabbed Su Qingyue’s chin hard, then shoved her other hand beneath the quilt and viciously pinched Su Qingyue’s thigh, using all her strength.
“Ah!”
The pain made Su Qingyue curl up as she jolted awake, frowning deeply.
Su Qianqian was startled. She immediately adjusted her expression, putting on a gentle and considerate smile.
“Qingyue, you’re finally awake. Hurry and take the painkillers.”
Su Qingyue rubbed her head. The moment she remembered how she had fallen, her face turned cold.
“Leave the medicine. Please go out.”
Su Qianqian let out a mocking laugh and slammed the water cup down with a bang.
“Su Qingyue, you fell at my recognition banquet and made the Su family lose all face. I haven’t even settled accounts with you yet, and you dare give me attitude?!”
With that, she turned and left, the sharp, hurried clicks of her little leather shoes echoing on the wooden floor.
In Su Qianqian’s eyes, so what if this fake heiress was beautiful as a fairy? She was still stupid as a pig and easy to manipulate.
She, Su Qianqian, was the Su family’s real daughter. Sooner or later, she would take back everything that belonged to her!
Tomorrow, once they went out, she would make Su Qingyue completely disgraced.
Without her purity, let’s see how she could still marry into the Shen family!
……
A month earlier, the Su family had finally reunited with their real daughter, Su Qianqian. The whole family wept with joy and showered her with affection.
Because she had occupied the magpie’s nest for seventeen years, Su Qingyue was overwhelmed with guilt and planned to return to the countryside. However, a sudden mountain flood blocked the roads.
Song Qingyan and her husband, along with the two older brothers, persuaded her to wait until the roads reopened. The family treated her just as before, so Su Qingyue stayed with peace of mind.
Knowing that Su Qianqian had suffered greatly, Su Qingyue tried her best to give way to her in food, clothing, and daily necessities. She taught her table manners, bought her skincare products, taught her how to ride a bicycle—doing everything she could to make up for her.
At first, Su Qianqian was easy to get along with. But at some point, she changed.
Su Qingyue clearly gifted her a brand-new dress, yet what Su Qianqian opened in public was a tattered skirt.
The snowflake cream Su Qingyue gave her caused pimples to break out on Su Qianqian’s face.
When Su Qingyue asked if she wanted to study cultural subjects, rumors spread throughout the military compound that Su Qingyue was mocking Su Qianqian for being uneducated.
Last weekend was Su Qianqian’s recognition banquet. Su Qingyue deliberately kept a low profile and prepared a white shirt and black trousers in advance.
But Su Qianqian took the initiative to find her.
“Those outsiders are just jealous of how harmonious our family is. Don’t mind the gossip, little sister.”
“For the recognition banquet, I want us to wear the same outfit. Let them all see how close we are—then the rumors will collapse on their own.”
As she spoke, she handed over an exquisitely beautiful red dress, looking at Su Qingyue with pleading eyes.
The Su family elders had always demanded upright conduct from their children. Hearing Su Qianqian’s sweet words, and wanting to dispel the rumors of sisterly discord, Su Qingyue eventually agreed.
But when she appeared after changing clothes, she saw Su Qianqian wearing a simple white dress instead. Like all the guests, Su Qingyue widened her eyes in confusion.
The next second, a strong force struck her from behind. Su Qingyue tumbled down the stairs in utter disarray.
The guests erupted in uproar. Su Weixin and Song Qingyan’s faces darkened on the spot, and the household fell into chaos.
This incident further cemented the rumor that Staff Officer Su’s fake daughter was jealous of the real one.
After that, Su Qingyue lay in bed for a full week. Su Weixin, harboring resentment toward her, never came to visit even once.
No matter how slow Su Qingyue might be, she finally realized that everything had been Su Qianqian’s doing.
She was not as naive and innocent as outsiders thought. After all, she had grown up in the capital, and she had seen plenty of the twists and turns of high society—she had simply chosen not to get involved.
Worldly, yet not cynical. She was about to return to the countryside anyway, but she hadn’t expected Su Qianqian to be so excessive, framing her again and again.
Looking at the bruises on the inside of her arms and thighs, all her guilt and apologies toward Su Qianqian vanished completely.
As Su Qingyue angrily applied ointment, she thought of the past incidents. She had never admitted to any of them, yet Su Qianqian always played the victim.
The family tacitly assumed Su Qingyue was at fault. Even the two brothers who had doted on her since childhood began to look at her with unfriendly eyes.
Hmph. If that’s the case, then she might as well play along. If the tiger didn’t bare its fangs, did they really think she was just a kitten?!
Su Qingyue finished packing and stood at the top of the stairs, looking down at the harmonious scene of the family of five below. Her heart was filled with mixed emotions.
In the spacious living room, Su Qianqian was talking about her recent studies. Su Weixin wore a rare expression of fatherly affection.
“Qianqian is smart—she learns things quickly.”
Song Qingyan held Su Qianqian’s hand.
“Tomorrow, Mom will take you to buy a few more outfits and hire a dance teacher for you, okay?”
Su Qianqian nodded obediently.
“Thank you, Mom.”
Su Chen handed her a stack of money and ration tickets.
“Qianqian, this is a Phoenix-brand bicycle ticket and ten big bills. When you’re free, Big Brother will take you to buy a bike.”
Su Yuan hurried to add,
“Qianqian, this is the pastry and popsicle tickets Second Brother saved up. Buy whatever you like!”
In a sweet, cloying voice, Su Qianqian complained playfully,
“Big Brother, Second Brother, you already gave me a watch and a radio. Why are you giving me more gifts~”
Su Chen laughed heartily.
“Because you’re our little sister.”
Su Qianqian’s eyes curved into crescents. Then she suddenly saw Su Qingyue coming downstairs, and triumph filled her gaze.
“Qingyue, you’re awake! Are you feeling better? We were all so worried about you.”
She stood up and reached for Su Qingyue’s hand.
“Come have some fruit. Tomorrow let’s go shopping together.”
Su Qingyue subtly withdrew her hand. Facing the living room, she bowed deeply to everyone, her voice trembling.
“Dad, Mom, Big Brother, Second Brother—I’ve brought shame to the Su family. I’m sorry. During this time, I was so scared. I was afraid that once my sister came back, you wouldn’t like me anymore. So I—I did many foolish and wrong things. I’m sorry for betraying the kindness with which you raised me.”
The air fell silent. Everyone exchanged looks.
After speaking, Su Qingyue knelt down. Her delicate nose was flushed red, tears shimmering in her peach-blossom eyes. Having been bedridden for days, the bruises from her fall had not yet faded. She looked like a jasmine battered by wind and rain—fragile and beautiful.
Su Yuan, who loved this sister the most, spoke first.
“No one’s blaming you. Just don’t be so willful in the future.”
Su Chen smiled as well.
“That’s right. You’re still our sister.”
Then realizing something, he hurriedly added,
“Both Qianqian and Qingyue are our sisters.”
Song Qingyan tried to keep things balanced—one was her biological daughter, the other a daughter she had raised for seventeen years.
“Silly girl, get up quickly. Your brothers are right. You and Qianqian are both Dad and Mom’s good daughters. From now on, you sisters must get along well.”
Su Qingyue stood up and smiled through her tears, her eyes dark and bright. She then turned to face Su Qianqian.
“Lastly, I want to apologize to my sister. Qianqian, I’m sorry. The previous incidents were all because I was immature and caused you embarrassment. This is a dress Mom bought for me before. I’ve never worn it. It suits your figure very well—I want to give it to you. I hope you can forgive me.”
She bowed again, bending at a full ninety degrees, holding the dress with both hands as she offered it to Su Qianqian.
Su Qianqian nearly dug her nails into her palms. Why should she forgive this fake? She had stolen seventeen years of her life—did she think a single apology and a dress could make up for it?
But no matter how much she despised Su Qingyue inside, on the surface she always maintained a sensible and gentle façade.
She quickly accepted the dress and helped Su Qingyue up, putting on a perfectly measured smile.
“Little sister, I’ve never blamed you. If anything, I only blame my bad luck. When I was little, I was actually very happy with my foster family in the countryside. Everyone treated me well. Every time we weeded the fields, Father would give me the flattest plot. During harvest season, my older brother would help me cut wheat. We often didn’t have enough to eat. One winter, my younger sister and I were starving and secretly roasted sweet potatoes in the field. Father caught us—but he didn’t beat me! When we got home, he even made me a bowl of steamed egg custard. That was the first time I ever ate it. It was really so fragrant…”
Before Su Qianqian could finish, Song Qingyan pulled her into her arms.
“Qianqian, it’s all Mom and Dad’s fault. You’ve suffered so much, my child!”
Song Qingyan’s voice choked as tears streamed down her face. Su Qianqian gently patted her mother’s back, forcing strength through her sobs.
“Mom, I really think I was very happy. I don’t feel wronged at all.”
As she spoke, tears poured down like a broken dam.
Both brothers’ eyes reddened. Su Chen sat on the left handing over tissues, while Su Yuan cracked jokes on the right to make them laugh.
Su Weixin immediately instructed the nanny in public.
“Auntie Chen, from now on, make a separate bowl of steamed egg custard for Su Qianqian at every meal. Change it up each time.”
“And Qingyue, it’s good that you know your mistakes and can correct them. Your mother is right—you are both daughters of the Su family.”
He glanced at his two daughters, then his tone shifted.
“But Su Qianqian is the Su family’s biological daughter. I will not allow anyone to bully her!”
A chill crept into Su Qingyue’s heart. She nodded obediently.
Her gaze met Su Qianqian’s. The other woman curled her lips into a smile, her eyes full of mockery.