A few more days passed, and the college entrance exam results were released. Sheng Qianyu was the provincial top scorer, beating the second-place candidate by several dozen points. It was said that her essay had earned her extra points.
As for what she wrote and why her score exceeded the perfect mark, it wasn’t until Sheng Qianyu’s essay was printed alongside an interview in the national daily newspaper that all doubts were silenced.
The journalist conducting the interview came from a respectable background and maintained professionalism, making no mention of Sheng Qianyu’s family background or personal struggles. Instead, the questions focused on her insights and chosen fields of study.
Sheng Qianyu: “I’ve applied for several majors and plan to pursue multiple academic disciplines during my time at university. First is agricultural science. In 1959, due to my family circumstances, I didn’t experience hardship firsthand. But after the exams, I traveled to many places, witnessing the beauty of our motherland’s landscapes as well as the gaunt conditions of the people. I hope everyone can have enough to eat and wear warm clothes. I hope to contribute to building more beautiful landscapes, to help our motherland stand tall, and to prove wrong those foreign friends who look down on us.”
Once this newspaper issue was published, ridicule poured in from abroad, especially from the United States of America, which claimed that China was living in a dream, citing the nationwide disaster of 1959 as evidence. They particularly mocked Sheng Qianyu, saying she was young but spoke boldly, and that after facing repeated failures, this daily newspaper would become evidence for their mockery of China!
Her words successfully provoked several countries, and even the journalist who interviewed Sheng Qianyu faced reprimands from superiors: “She’s thirteen, but are you also thirteen? Don’t you know how many countries have been watching China since its founding, waiting to find faults and seize opportunities to mock us? Her bold claims have drawn attention, and even higher-ups are taking notice… Alright, you’re off important interviews for now. Take a few days to cool down and reflect.”
Was Sheng Qianyu affected? Certainly, as her words concerned the future face of the nation, they inevitably drew scrutiny.
However, she didn’t expect that after the results came out, Zhao Daxiong, whom she hadn’t been in contact with for a long time, would take the initiative to call her.
…
Sitting on the bus, Sheng Qianyu recalled the encounter with Qin Fang before the college entrance exams and guessed that Zhao Xiaoyu didn’t like her much. The other party never said it outright, but her resistance was evident in her actions, forcing Qin Fang to compromise.
Not wanting to put her adoptive mother in a difficult position, Sheng Qianyu had entered the examination hall early.
So why was her adoptive father reaching out to her now? Wasn’t he afraid of Zhao Xiaoyu’s resistance?
The security office at the military compound had received the news in advance and granted her entry. Even without prior notice, they wouldn’t have given Sheng Qianyu a hard time—after all, they had watched her grow up. Now, at just thirteen, she had taken the college entrance exams and become the top scorer.
It was said that the Zhao family’s biological daughter, who had been recognized recently, also took the exams but only managed to get into a junior college.
There was no helping it—the mix-up of children a year ago had drawn significant attention in the military compound. With both girls being thirteen and taking the exams at the same time, people couldn’t help but compare their results.
If not for the Zhao family’s adopted daughter, the biological daughter Zhao Xiaoyu would naturally have shone brightly, radiating brilliance. But now, with Sheng Qianyu’s provincial top scorer title leading the way, Zhao Xiaoyu’s junior college admission seemed somewhat lackluster.
Who in the military compound wasn’t talking about it with great interest now?However, no one said that Zhao Daxiong was penny-wise and pound-foolish. After all, if they were in his shoes, they would also dote on their own biological daughter. Swapping back was the best choice for both families. As for the nurse who made the mistake back then, after being investigated, she lost her job just before retirement, forfeiting her pension, let alone passing it on to her children.
As soon as Sheng Qianyu entered the courtyard, she was met with Qin Fang’s doting gaze. “You’ve lost weight, you’ve lost weight again. Come inside quickly, child.”
She pinched her own cheek, feeling a moment of self-doubt.
Lost weight?
She didn’t know her origins or remember her past, but whenever she wanted to do something, a complete and systematic chain of knowledge related to it would form in her mind.
For example, when she accidentally took Grandma Sheng’s pulse and realized how seriously ill she was, she used medical books as a cover while many medicinal recipes and cooking methods gathered in her mind. This allowed her to gradually restore Grandma Sheng’s health, including that of the original owner’s body.
Once her health improved and her nutrition caught up, she no longer looked as frail as before.
Both her adoptive mother and Grandma Sheng viewed her through rose-tinted glasses, believing that if they didn’t see her for a day, she must have suffered and lost weight.
Understanding this, Sheng Qianyu’s gaze softened considerably as she followed Qin Fang inside.
Zhao Xiaoyu wasn’t at the dining table, but she didn’t ask about it.
Zhao Daxiong, however, didn’t hold back and spoke openly. “Xiaoyu always feels that we don’t care about her, so she hasn’t been calling you much lately. Qianyu, you don’t blame us, do you?”
Sheng Qianyu shook her head.
Seeing her unchanged expression, Zhao Daxiong and Qin Fang both breathed a sigh of relief, inwardly blaming Xiaoyu for her immaturity. But when they thought about Xiaoyu’s failure in the college entrance exam…
They couldn’t help but exchange glances and sigh.
Daughters were nothing but debts.
Qin Fang began serving Sheng Qianyu food. “Xiaoyu failed her college entrance exam and stayed cooped up at home for a long time. Then she went out to have fun with Chen Zhou and the others.”
Sheng Qianyu listened without much reaction.
Chen Zhou was similar to her adoptive parents—at first, he called several times a day, then every few days, and eventually, there was no contact at all.
The original owner was just Chen Zhou’s friend. With Zhao Xiaoyu’s engagement to him, she naturally cut ties decisively, ending things as they should. If her adoptive parents invited her, she would come, but as for Chen Zhou, she avoided him whenever possible. Gradually, the two stopped interacting.
Over time, childhood feelings inevitably faded.
Thinking of this, Sheng Qianyu took a bite of the food and found the taste off. She couldn’t help but frown.
Qin Fang, being attentive, noticed her expression and asked with concern, “What’s wrong?”
Sheng Qianyu asked, “This wasn’t made by Aunt Zhang, was it?” Aunt Zhang was the nanny hired by the Zhao family.
Qin Fang sighed. “Xiaoyu just came back not long ago. She and her father had a private chat, and afterward, Aunt Zhang was dismissed.”
Zhao Daxiong’s expression darkened. “Don’t talk nonsense. Dismissing Aunt Zhang has nothing to do with Xiaoyu.”
Qin Fang muttered a few irrelevant words and continued serving Sheng Qianyu food, completely unlike the cold treatment she had received after Zhao Xiaoyu entered the exam hall early before the college entrance exam.
However, Sheng Qianyu wasn’t angry. After all, Zhao Xiaoyu was their biological daughter, and she understood the bond of blood.
She took a few more bites, but the taste… was truly mediocre.
Sheng Qianyu said, “I’ll help you in the kitchen tonight, Mom.”
Knowing that Qin Fang had cooked the meal and considering that the couple had invited her to stay for a few days, she offered proactively.
Qin Fang was surprised. “Qianyu, you know how to cook now?”As if recalling something, Sheng Qianyu’s expression softened considerably. “Mom is a very good cook. I probably inherited that from her, so I’m not bad at cooking either.”
Compared to her adoptive parents, she had spent more time with her biological parents. As for the original host’s memories, she treated them as fleeting glimpses. The reason she was still sitting here now was because of the debt of gratitude she owed for being raised, which she couldn’t easily refuse or repay.
Qin Fang knew that the “Mom” Sheng Qianyu referred to was from the Sheng family. Seeing the subtle expression on her face, a pang of pain struck Qin Fang’s heart, as if something was quietly slipping away. Even though her adoptive daughter offered to help with the cooking, Qin Fang had lost her spirit.
When she saw Sheng Qianyu again in the afternoon, Qin Fang seemed somewhat listless and unwell.
Sheng Qianyu placed her hand on Qin Fang’s forehead and said, “Mom, are you feeling sick? Let me check your pulse.”
Qin Fang forced a faint smile. “You know how to diagnose illnesses too?”
Sheng Qianyu nodded without hiding anything. “You know I’ve always been a fast learner since I was little. After moving to the Sheng family, I noticed Grandma wasn’t in good health. Even after seeing doctors, her condition remained the same, so I started reading medical books and slowly helped her recuperate.”
Qin Fang opened her mouth to speak but ended up sighing instead. “Oh, you child…”