Zhao Daxiong had originally intended to have the driver take Sheng Qianyu there, but she refused, asking only for enough money to take the bus before leaving without looking back.
Zhao Daxiong knew that his adopted daughter had always been proud and independent since childhood. In the past, he had taken pride in this, but now he felt a pang of reluctance. He even wished she had been more selfish and stayed with the Zhao family.
But that was just wishful thinking. With their biological daughter back, if they didn’t make the switch, it would be impossible to treat both daughters equally in the future, and that could lead to trouble.
His adopted daughter’s decision was the best outcome for both families.
Qin Fang, seeing her husband return alone, couldn’t help but ask sadly, “Has Qianyu left?”
Zhao Daxiong was also in low spirits and nodded. “Yes.”
“Why is that child so stubborn? She left without taking anything. How will she manage in the future…”
Zhao Daxiong replied, “How will she manage? Xiao Yu’s adoptive parents are both working professionals, and they’ve been allocated a decent-sized courtyard. The family doesn’t worry about food, and besides, she has two older brothers who dote on their only younger sister. Just look at how healthy Xiao Yu is… you don’t need to worry about anything else.”
Healthy was an understatement.
It was 1963, just after the great famine. Most ordinary people looked thin and gaunt, and those who were slightly plump were a rarity. Even someone with a normal appearance could be seen as coming from a well-off family.
Qin Fang still felt heartbroken. After all, she had raised this girl for over a decade, showering her with love and care. How could she not be her own flesh and blood?
Zhao Xiaoyu came downstairs and saw Qin Fang crying so hard she was gasping for breath. She quickly handed her a handkerchief and comforted her, “Mom, you still have me.”
On the other side.
Sheng Qianyu sat on the bus, lost in thought.
In her memories, the original host had never taken a bus before. Whenever she went out, she rode in the car assigned to Zhao Daxiong by his superiors.
As a wandering soul with no memory of her origins or where she was meant to go, she could only focus on living well in the present. She had never seen a bus before either, but she adapted quickly, feeling a vague sense of familiarity.
She didn’t dwell on it further. After transferring buses once and walking for half an hour, she finally found the courtyard allocated to the Sheng family by the meat processing plant.
The door was opened by an elderly woman. When she saw Sheng Qianyu, her cloudy eyes flickered with surprise, and then an innate blood connection drew the old woman to her. Even though it was their first meeting, she looked at Sheng Qianyu with kindness and asked, “Young lady, who are you looking for?”
Half an hour later.
Everyone in the Sheng family had gathered, except for the two older brothers of the original host.
The Sheng family was relatively simple. Sheng Qiang, as the only son, had always lived with his parents. After Zhou Dahua married into the family, Grandma Sheng handed over her job to her and began enjoying her retirement at home.
Grandpa Sheng, a Third Level worker, was nearing retirement and had already arranged to pass his job to his eldest grandson, Sheng Jiandang, who had just graduated from high school.
With three workers in the family, and Sheng Qiang serving as the director of the meat processing plant, life was much better for them than for ordinary people, even with three children to raise.
But no one had expected that the little daughter they had loved for twelve years, upon learning her true identity, would inform the family and leave without hesitation to reunite with her biological parents.
After explaining the whole story, it wasn’t the original host’s biological mother, Zhou Dahua, who cried the hardest. Instead, Grandma Sheng wept so intensely she began gasping for breath, causing Sheng Qiang’s expression to change. He quickly tried to calm the two elders, saying, “Mom, Dad, take it easy, especially you, Mom. Your health isn’t good…”
No sooner had he spoken than Grandma Sheng fainted from crying.The house was thrown into a flurry of activity. Sheng Qiang carried Grandma Sheng on his back and rushed her to the hospital. Grandpa Sheng, trying to keep his emotions in check, gathered Grandma Sheng’s medicine. Zhou Dahua didn’t stop either, following anxiously behind while supporting Grandpa Sheng.
In the chaos, they completely forgot about Sheng Qianyu.
By the time she realized what was happening and chased after them, the Sheng family had already disappeared without a trace.
She glanced back at the wide-open gate and chose to wait by the entrance.
Why didn’t she go inside and sit down? After all, she wasn’t yet a member of this family—without their acceptance, she was still a stranger. It wouldn’t make sense for a guest to wait inside when the hosts weren’t home, would it?
Employees from the meatpacking plant passing by noticed Sheng Qianyu and curiously asked about her. She spoke little, only saying she was a relative of the Sheng family, offering no further explanation.
Even without her saying much, those around her quickly guessed Sheng Qianyu’s identity.
Whispers began to spread among the workers’ compound.
“I always said the Sheng family members are all good-looking and top students, so how come Xiao Yu is plain and struggles in school? It’s the complete opposite. Turns out that child really isn’t a Sheng by blood.”
“Keep your voice down. Even if Xiao Yu isn’t a Sheng, her biological father is from the military compound. That’s not a place we can just waltz into, let alone the fact that her father holds a high position.”
“No wonder, then. She found out about her background and left without looking back.”
…
Sheng Jiandang had excellent grades, but he narrowly missed getting into university.
His grandfather worked in an office at the oil factory. If he didn’t take over his grandfather’s job, the family would have to sell the position. And if he retook the exams for another year, there was no guarantee he’d pass.
Overall, Sheng Jiandang knew his nerves weren’t up to it—retaking the exams might yield worse results than the first attempt—so he decided to take over his grandfather’s job.
Today was the day for settling matters, so he returned home later than usual.
Sheng Jianjun was fifteen this year, a high school freshman. He only got the news about the family situation after school and hurried back home.
Meeting this unfamiliar biological younger sister, Sheng Jianjun felt a bit awkward.
It wasn’t anything else—she was just too beautiful.
The original host’s looks were a combination of all the best features of Sheng Qiang and his wife, enhanced by years of cultivated elegance, making her as aloof and untouchable as a flower on a high peak. Not to mention, since Sheng Qianyu had taken over this body, her aura had become even more striking.
It wasn’t just Sheng Jianjun—even Zhao Daxiong, who had fought on the battlefield, admired his adopted daughter’s demeanor.
Sheng Qianyu briefly explained her identity. The eldest son, Sheng Jiandang, politely invited her inside and courteously asked why she hadn’t waited indoors for the elders to return.
Sheng Qianyu: “Even though we share a bloodline, we’ve only just met today.”
Partly out of shyness, partly to avoid causing trouble.
Sheng Jiandang frowned and said, “You don’t need to be so formal in the future.”
“…Alright.” She agreed, but Sheng Qianyu still kept her distance.
While the two brothers observed her, she also sized them up.
They didn’t seem difficult to get along with.
That was Sheng Qianyu’s initial conclusion.
Sheng Jiandang seemed to remember something and stood up. “You must be thirsty, right? Let me make you a cup of malted milk. Xiao Yu always loved drinking it…”
He suddenly stopped, as if realizing something, and glanced guiltily at Sheng Qianyu. Seeing that she wasn’t affected, he breathed a sigh of relief.
“No need, I don’t like malted milk.” In these times, every household treated sweet treats as precious nourishment, but neither Sheng Qianyu nor the original host had a sweet tooth.To avoid any misunderstanding, Sheng Qianyu added, “I really don’t like him. Also, you don’t need to avoid mentioning Xiao Yu in front of me. Even though we’ve switched back, the twelve years of feelings we shared weren’t for nothing, so we’ve decided to treat each other’s families as relatives and keep in touch.”
Hearing this, Sheng Jiandang and Jianjun both breathed a sigh of relief in their hearts.