“Baili, how can you give up such a good marriage arrangement to your sister? What’s so good about that Cheng Jiawen?”
“Dad, this was originally Sister’s engagement. Now that Sister has recovered, it’s only right that I return it to her.”
“If it weren’t for you saving your sister back then, she wouldn’t even be alive today. Isn’t it only right that this marriage is given to you as compensation?”
……
Inside the dilapidated mud-brick house, Su Wanyin sat alone on one side of the table, on a worn wooden bench.
Across from the table, a middle-aged couple sat with a young girl between them, persuading her earnestly.
The young girl wore a floral dress, her thick hair tied into a ponytail with a pink silk hair tie. Her delicate face was streaked with tears as she looked toward Su Wanyin, her expression full of guilt and apology.
“Sister, don’t worry. This engagement is yours. Now that your health has recovered, I shouldn’t keep it anymore.”
Before Su Wanyin could speak, the wrinkled middle-aged man across from her frowned and said disapprovingly, “What do you mean she’s ‘keeping it’? Clearly it was meant as compensation for you.”
“Hey, Old Su, what are you saying…” the woman in a red striped shirt beside him tried to smooth things over, then turned to Su Wanyin and blinked with fake warmth.
Su Wanyin averted her gaze, her eyes landing on Su Baoli, who was insisting on returning the engagement.
If she wasn’t mistaken, Su Baoli had also been reborn.
And perhaps even earlier than she had.
Otherwise, how could she have already gotten involved with Cheng Jiawen before the engagement was even properly arranged?
In her previous life, Su Wanyin married Cheng Jiawen, the youngest son of the village Cheng family.
Su Baoli married the eldest son of a military commander’s family.
Later, Cheng Jiawen rose to become a wealthy tycoon under Su Wanyin’s support, and she herself became a wealthy madam admired by everyone.
The couple was deeply in love and became a model marriage, frequently featured in newspapers, envied by all.
As for Su Baoli’s marriage into the commander’s family, not long after, they were investigated and sent down to the countryside for re-education.
It was said that Su Baoli not only refused to go with them, but also ran off with the last of their remaining wealth.
“Sis, Mom, Dad—if you don’t let me return this engagement to my sister… I-I won’t have the face to live anymore!”
Seeing persuasion fail, Su Baoli immediately resorted to threatening them.
This instantly panicked the couple.
Su’s father turned and glared at Su Wanyin. “You tell us—do you want your sister to return your engagement or not?”
“I wouldn’t dare. This is my sister’s engagement. I wouldn’t even think about it.”
Su Wanyin shrank her thin shoulders, lowering her head as she spoke timidly.
Her lowered fringe hid the amused, mocking look in her eyes.
Su’s father nodded in satisfaction and turned back. “See? Your sister won’t mind. Just marry in and enjoy a good life.”
Su Baoli felt a lump in her chest, her fingers tightening until they turned white.
What do you mean “enjoy a good life”? Marrying into that family meant becoming a political liability and living a hard life!
She stared at Su Wanyin’s timid, mouse-like appearance with frustration.
If your engagement was stolen, shouldn’t you stand up for yourself?
In her previous life, if Su Wanyin had been a little stronger, she wouldn’t have had to suffer in her place.
Su Wanyin met her shifting gaze with innocent wide eyes and, under the table, curled her lips slightly in amusement.
Are you anxious?
Be as anxious as you want.
Su’s father, unable to persuade his younger daughter, turned his anger toward the silent girl sitting across from them.
“What are you sitting there for? Go cook lunch!”
Su Wanyin glanced at Su Baoli, who was still sitting there drinking sweetened sugar water, then stood and walked toward the kitchen.
She and Su Baoli were half-sisters from different mothers. Their mother had died shortly after she was born, and later Su Baoli’s mother married into the family.
After Su Baoli was born, there was no longer any place for Su Wanyin in the household.
Everything good at home was given to Su Baoli. Only Su Baoli was allowed to study, while she was left to do housework like a servant.
Even the marriage arranged by her late mother was taken from her.
As a child, she had been pushed into the river by Su Baoli, two years younger than her. Barely surviving, she managed to crawl out—only to be scolded by Su’s father.
“You’re so careless! You fell into the river and still expect your sister to save you!”
No matter how she tried to explain, no one believed her. Su Baoli, with her sweet tongue and innocent appearance, always seemed more believable.
Later, Su’s father simply gave her engagement away to compensate Su Baoli.
For years after, they used that “saving grace” to justify all her suffering.
Thick black smoke rose from the earthen stove, stinging her eyes until they turned red and teary.
Su Baoli stood at the doorway, watching. Seeing her distressed, she suddenly brightened and ran over.
“Sister, you still want this engagement, don’t you?”
She crouched beside Su Wanyin, looking up eagerly.
Su Wanyin tossed a piece of dry firewood into the stove, turned her head, and smiled sweetly under Su Baoli’s hopeful gaze.
“No. This engagement is yours. Why would I want it?”
Her smile struck Su Baoli like a slap. Instantly, Su Baoli exploded.
“This is your engagement! How could it be mine?”
“Didn’t you all say I was compensating you?” Su Wanyin replied innocently, as if stating a fact.
Su Baoli’s throat tightened. After a few emotional shifts, she suddenly forced out a few tears.
“Sorry, sister… it was all my fault. I’ll return the engagement to you immediately.”
“That won’t do. You saved me back then. It’s only right that I compensate you with the engagement.”
Hearing her so firmly insist, Su Baoli stiffened, unsure whether she was being sarcastic or truly had been broken by their treatment.
After a moment of hesitation, she squeezed out more tears.
“Sister, I was young and ignorant. I accidentally pushed you into the river, and I was too scared to admit it…”
“Oh, so you were too scared to admit it.”
Su Wanyin’s expression didn’t change, but her gaze drifted past Su Baoli toward the half-visible gray sleeve at the doorway.
Su Baoli didn’t notice, continuing eagerly, “Sister, I’ve already admitted my mistake. I won’t fight you for this engagement anymore.”
Su Wanyin followed the disappearing figure with her eyes, then looked back at Su Baoli with a faint smile.
“You know I suffered… and you think just saying sorry is enough?”
Su Baoli hesitated, scanning her face, clearly not expecting the usually timid girl to be so sharp and vengeful.
Thinking of her future as a wealthy commander’s wife, she took a deep breath and forced herself to stay calm.
“What do you want?”
“All the things the Fu family sent you over the years—you should return them to me.”
“Fine.” Su Baoli nodded stiffly, then added, “But what’s already been spent, I can’t return.”
Over the years, her comfortable life in the village had all been supported by the Fu family’s gifts—clothes, food, money.
Still, thinking she would soon become a commander’s wife, she didn’t care much about that loss.
Su Wanyin watched her gradually relieved expression and knew exactly what she was thinking.
A faint, mocking smile flashed in her eyes.
She was now certain—Su Baoli had died early in her previous life and had no idea what came after.
Later, the Fu family was reinstated within two years after being sent down, and Fu Shimò even became a powerful military officer.
Unfortunately, the Su family had someone who once took all their wealth during their downfall—Su Baoli—and because of that, the Fu family never treated them kindly again, refusing to allow any Su family members into public events.
That was why Su Baoli didn’t even know what Fu Shimò looked like. She only remembered hearing that he was once seriously injured and unconscious for three years, and that a rural girl appeared and saved him with a necklace.
Thinking of this, Su Wanyin suddenly remembered something. She looked up at Su Baoli, her gaze falling on her neck.
“My mother’s necklace—you should return that too.”