“Su Nianxi seems to be upset. Go comfort your adopted daughter. As for going out—am I allowed to walk the streets alone?” Su Nian’an looked at Su Aiguo, asking with a faint, knowing smile.
Su Aiguo mused that even if Su Nianxi tagged along, she’d never be able to keep an eye on Su Nian’an.
He knew the daughter he’d raised better than anyone. If they really went shopping, Su Nianxi would be busy browsing for herself—she’d never spare Su Nian’an a single thought.
Besides, Su Nian’an’s household registration papers and ID were all in his hands. She couldn’t possibly run away. He planned to hand those documents over to the Gu family tomorrow when they met.
“Very well. Go then, and be back early,” Su Aiguo said.
“Fine. But aren’t my ID and household registration book with you? And I don’t have a letter of recommendation either—how could I possibly board a train? Are you still afraid I’ll vanish?” Su Nian’an met his gaze, tearing away the last thin veil of pretense between them.
What an old fox! Even now, he still put on an act of the loving father and dutiful daughter. It was utterly ridiculous.
What Su Nian’an didn’t know was that Su Aiguo hadn’t yet given up on winning her over. He sensed his biological daughter was no ordinary girl. Who knew? If Su Nian’an rose to prominence one day, the Su family would stand to benefit from her success. That was why he continued to feign kindness toward her.
Su Aiguo coughed awkwardly. “Go on then. Return early.”
Su Nian’an nodded and walked out of the Su family compound.
The moment she was gone, Su Nianxi stormed out of her room.
“Father! How could you let that little hussy Su Nian’an leave? What if she runs away?” Su Nianxi protested, staring indignantly in the direction Su Nian’an had gone.
“Nianxi! The older you grow, the more willful you become,” Su Aiguo frowned, increasingly bewildered. How could the daughter he’d raised with such care be so utterly devoid of sense?
Meanwhile, his own biological daughter… What a pity things had turned out this way!
“Willful? Su Nian’an means us harm! She took such a large sum of money from our family, and yet you call me willful? Father, you’ve changed! Now that you have your biological daughter back, you’ve grown tired of your adopted daughter, haven’t you? Fine! I’ll leave! I won’t stay here unwanted—if you want, I’ll just go!”
With that, Su Nianxi turned and marched back to her room.
Su Aiguo shook his head at her retreating figure. In the end, his worry got the better of him, and he followed to soothe her.
Meanwhile, Su Nian’an—finally free of the Su household—felt a surge of excitement.
Beijing in this era was vastly different from what she knew in her time. The architecture was largely traditional, with narrow alleys and courtyard homes stretching far and wide. Though the city lacked modernity in its buildings, it was undeniably vibrant and bustling.
People filled the streets. Su Nian’an had no interest in aimless wandering. She walked for a while, observed how others hailed transportation, then flagged down a three-wheeler—known colloquially as a “bouncy cart” in this decade.
The driver pulled over. Eyeing her tattered clothing, he asked skeptically, “Young lady… do you actually have money for the fare?”
Su Nian’an fell silent.
Truly, the Su family were stingy to the core. She’d been here days, yet not a single new garment had been purchased for her.
“Yes, I need a ride. Rest assured—I can pay you,” she replied, thoroughly exasperated.
The driver dropped her off at Beijing’s largest trade market. Stepping down, Su Nian’an’s first thought was to buy clothes. After all, how could she appear so shabby when she married the male lead?
Her mind was set: she had to get her hands on his jade spatial bracelet. The only question was—how?
Since they were destined to be husband and wife, what could be simpler or faster than seduction?
First impressions mattered. She must dress well, make him fall for her at first sight.
That was the plan. But once inside the market, she found hardly any ready-made clothes worth buying. This place seemed intended for common folk. She ought to go to a proper department store instead—where most goods were imported from Hong Kong or elsewhere, sold ready-to-wear.
Here, most stalls sold only fabric. One would then need to find a tailor, and the whole process would take at least a week. It was already late afternoon. Su Nian’an sighed as she looked around the still-thronged market.
“Goodness, young lady—what are you looking for? You’ve been standing there ages without buying a thing. Tell Auntie what you need, and I’ll take you there,” a kindly middle-aged woman stepped forward, smiling warmly.
“You’ll take me?” Su Nian’an asked.
“Certainly! Whatever it is you want, I’ve got connections—prices unbeatable. Come with me, dear. I promise you won’t regret it.”
Most people in this era were honest and simple, yet evil existed too. The woman before her seemed benevolent enough, but Su Nian’an’s instincts screamed danger.
“No thank you, Auntie. I’m afraid what I’m looking for isn’t what you have,” Su Nian’an declined. Newly arrived in this world and still unfamiliar with its ways, she had no wish to stir up trouble.
She judged there was roughly a seventy percent chance this woman was a human trafficker. Yet she was in a hurry to find the male lead, and in her current guise as a simple country girl, she had neither the standing nor the desire to take on such criminals. She only wished to decline politely and go her separate way.
The woman, however, had no intention of letting her go.
“Now, now, little sister—how can you say I don’t have what you want before you’ve even looked? Come along! Everything I sell is priced at cost! I saw how plainly you dress—one can tell money is tight at home. I only wish to help a struggling family such as yours. Don’t waste your coin on expensive goods—listen to Auntie. Everything I carry is sold at wholesale prices, just to lend a helping hand to good children like you.”
Hearing this, Su Nian’an’s suspicion hardened into certainty. This woman was definitely a trafficker.
Her expression turned icy. She folded her arms and spoke sharply: “I told you—I’m not going with you! I wish to browse on my own. I’m not interested in your goods. Is that so hard to understand?”
She then turned her gaze toward a burly young man at the stall beside them and raised her voice:
“Sir! This aunt of yours is poaching customers right at your doorstep! I was just here looking at yarn—couldn’t decide on a color—and she’s been pestering me nonstop, trying to drag me away to her stall! If she dares steal your business in broad daylight today, tomorrow she’ll drive you out of business entirely! Sir, are you going to stand for this? I’ve told her no, yet she insists on forcing me to go with her! Who has ever heard of such unfairness?”