April, 1970, Imperial Capital.
The Shen family old residence.
“Shen Qingran, since you drew the lot to go to the countryside this time, you must go! No arguments!!”
“Don’t think you can avoid it by locking yourself in!”
Shen Qingran opened her eyes, looking around, taking in the scene of the room.
Something’s wrong!
Wasn’t she supposed to have starved to death in the mountains after being sent to the countryside in her previous life?
How did she end up back here?
The old wooden bed in the room, the writing desk by the window, and the familiar wardrobe—everything looked so familiar.
The old-fashioned calendar nearby… everything was exactly as she remembered.
Shen Qingran glanced at the calendar, pinched her own cheek, confirming one thing: she had truly been reborn.
Back three years, at the time her family was planning to send her to the countryside.
In her previous life, she was the second child, with an elder brother, a younger brother, and a younger sister.
By right, the eldest brother should have been the one to go, but for some reason, just yesterday, her stepmother Zheng Xiuyu insisted on drawing lots.
Shen Qingran had been skeptical at first, but her father and stepmother were resolute.
“To be fair, let heaven decide.”
Perhaps heaven was not kind, and she drew the lot to go to the countryside.
Her brother Shen Ci, younger brother Shen Wei, and sister Shen Yulian secretly exhaled in relief, thinking they had escaped.
In her previous life, Shen Qingran had been brainwashed by her stepmother, believing it was her fate to be the one to sacrifice.
But she never expected that after going to the countryside, her father and stepmother would embezzle all the family’s wealth and flee overnight to the beautiful foreign country.
Even worse, before leaving, they arranged a marriage contract between her and the young master Wan from the neighboring military compound.
Why this contract was made, Shen Qingran didn’t know in her past life.
It wasn’t until she became a ghost that she learned the truth: when the Shen family tried to flee abroad, some people had stopped them.
The Shen family, being a medical family, shouldn’t have been on the list of families forbidden to leave.
But somehow, they were included.
After learning this, her father hurriedly discussed with her stepmother, because the family had some connections from treating high-ranking clients in the capital.
The Wan family next door was originally far beyond the Shen family’s reach.
The young master Wan, said to be a mischievous troublemaker in his childhood, had grown into an outstanding man in the military by age twenty-eight. Many girls from military compounds had long admired him, yet somehow Shen Qingran was chosen.
The Wan family insisted on selecting Shen Qingran.
Her father, Shen Tang, used this connection and bribed some officials with gold coins to smooth things over.
But in her previous life, Shen Qingran had been persuaded by her family—especially her sister Shen Qinglian—that the young master Wan was “problematic.”
She even mistakenly thought he had a hidden illness, which led her to go south instead of to the military compound where Wan Ning was stationed.
She also ignored her grandmother’s advice and did not arrange the Shen family’s affairs in advance.
Yes, her father Shen Tang had married into the family, even taking the family surname later with her mother.
But her mother had died in an accident ten years prior, and this stepmother had boldly taken her place.
Shen Qingran inherited her mother’s delicate and beautiful looks, which caught the village head’s son’s attention as soon as she arrived in the countryside.
Shen Qingran refused resolutely, and eventually, on a rainy day, she was abandoned in the mountains and starved to death.
Later, Shen Qingran became a wandering ghost among the living.
After her unjust death, everyone in her family lived in fear and no one dared to speak on her behalf.
Her father and stepmother fled with the other children, ignoring her completely.
Only Wan Ning braved mountains and rivers to vindicate her, punish the villains, and even returned her remains to the Shen family grave, giving her peace.
Thinking of this, Shen Qingran felt a mixture of sorrow and determination.
In her previous life, she had been too naive and soft-hearted.
Now, heaven had given her a second chance—she would not waste it.
With that thought, Shen Qingran leapt up, washed up, and looked at herself in the mirror.
Once ready, she finally opened the door.
“Dad, I want to talk to you about something!”
At the doorway, stepmother Zheng Xiuyu and father Shen Tang were both surprised, exchanging glances.
Since drawing the lot to go to the countryside, Shen Qingran had stayed inside all day.
Finally opening the door, as long as there was room for discussion, it was a good thing.
They nodded and went to the living room.
“I can go to the countryside, but it will be hard!” she said.
“Should the family prepare anything for me?”
Ah, that was it. Shen Tang exhaled quietly. Good, good!
Anything that money could solve was not a problem.
Zheng Xiuyu raised her brows, looking unfriendly. The family was about to flee to the foreign country, and Shen Qingran didn’t know yet.
If she got even a little money now, it would be less for later. And there would be plenty of other expenses in the future!
The stepmother hurriedly interjected, “Ah, don’t worry. Your parents are thinking of you! Everything you need will be provided. Just focus on the countryside!”
She took out a small box, containing bills and 500 yuan.
“These are the ration tickets and oil tickets your mother saved over time. Look!”
She theatrically placed the items on the table, spreading them out for effect.
Shen Qingran didn’t even glance at them.
She knew exactly what kind of person her stepmother was—always putting on a show, and in her previous life, she had fallen for it.
Her father would always think she was being unreasonable, while the stepmother secretly called her a fool.
Shen Qingran remembered a TV drama she had watched in the afterlife: “Everyone in Bianjing praises little Madam Qin!”
Looking at the 500 yuan in the box, she wanted to laugh. It sounded like a lot, but she was going to the countryside, with no idea when she would return. In truth, this money was barely enough to give to a beggar!
Since childhood, she had been told to be tolerant and care for her siblings—but who truly cared for her?
In her previous life, her mind had been poisoned by such doctrines!
This life, one must look out for oneself, or perish!
Shen Qingran pushed the box aside.
“Dad, Mom, I know my siblings don’t want to go to the countryside. And we don’t know when I will return!”
She spoke the truth, and her father and stepmother nodded.
However, what she said next shocked them both…