Su Man stood at the doorway, listening to the voices of her uncle and aunt coming from inside the room. A cold smile curled at the corner of her lips.
“Factory Director Zhang’s family already agreed to give an 800-yuan bride price. Their conditions are so good—Su Man will be living a life of comfort if she goes there. Once Su Man gets married, she can also give up her job to our son. Otherwise, are you really willing to let our son go to the countryside?”
Uncle Su Ercheng hesitated a little. “My elder brother just passed away. If we marry Xiao Man off so soon, wouldn’t that be inappropriate?”
“What’s inappropriate about it? That niece of yours only looks honest. Before, she so easily handed over the money and tickets your elder brother left behind to us—I thought she was easy to fool. Who would’ve thought she’d turn around and steal the money back?”
“I don’t even know where she hid it. I searched the entire house and couldn’t find it. And I don’t dare make a big fuss, otherwise people will say that you, as her uncle, are plotting to seize your niece’s property.”
“Are you sure Xiao Man stole it? Couldn’t it be that you took it back to your maiden home?” Su Ercheng muttered.
Aunt Xia Hongxia’s voice immediately rose several degrees. “That’s several hundred yuan! Do you think I’m that foolish?! If it weren’t for your reputation as her uncle, I would’ve already forced Su Man to cough it up! You heartless man, and you even suspect me!”
“Alright, alright. Right now, we should first think about how to coax Xiao Man into marrying Factory Director Zhang’s son.”
Su Man quietly walked away, recalling this part of the plot from the book.
The Original Owner’s father, Su Dacheng, had been a pig butcher who raised the Original Owner alone. In the 1970s, he had been a rare good father, doting on her dearly. Unexpectedly, Su Dacheng suddenly fell ill and passed away. The Original Owner became seriously ill because of this, and it was at that moment that Su Man transmigrated into this body.
Su Ercheng and Xia Hongxia had actively and enthusiastically handled the elder brother’s funeral affairs. During the Original Owner’s illness, they showed concern and care, and in the process, tricked her out of the family property Su Dacheng had left behind.
According to the original storyline, Factory Director Zhang’s son, Zhang Tianci, was not only lustful but also abusive. Because the Original Owner was good-looking, he had taken a fancy to her. After Su Man was deceived by her uncle and aunt into marrying Zhang Tianci, she was beaten almost every day.
Even in modern times, many women who suffered domestic violence could not get divorced, let alone in that era. The Original Owner’s life had been extremely difficult.
“Su Man, what are you sneaking around for?”
Her cousin Su Lan had just finished washing clothes and entered the courtyard when she saw Su Man walking past her parents’ door. Su Man had just recovered from illness, yet she showed no signs of weakness—her appearance had become even more delicate and gentle. Her already fair skin now seemed to glow under the sunlight.
Su Lan had always disliked Su Man. Clearly, everyone favored sons over daughters, yet Su Man had been treated like a treasure by their eldest uncle. Since childhood, everything Su Man ate, drank, and wore had been better than hers—and she was even prettier.
Finally, the eldest uncle had died, and Su Man had become an orphan. Yet her own parents still went out of their way to treat Su Man well. During this time, Su Man had been staying in her house, and her parents wouldn’t let her do anything.
Why was Su Man’s life so good!
Su Man looked at this cousin who always liked to compare herself to her. Her eyes shifted slightly, and a hint of shyness appeared on her face. “Yesterday, Uncle and Aunt said they wanted to introduce me to someone. It’s Factory Director Zhang’s son. I wanted to ask about it, but I felt a bit embarrassed.”
Su Lan’s small bean-like eyes widened in shock. She couldn’t believe that such a good marriage opportunity hadn’t been considered for her first—she was their biological daughter!
Seeing Su Lan’s shocked and angry expression as she dropped the washbasin and rushed off to find Su Ercheng and Xia Hongxia, Su Man leisurely returned to her room.
She didn’t know what Su Ercheng and Xia Hongxia said to Su Lan, but she faintly heard Su Lan’s tearful voice and Su Ercheng’s scolding. Lying on the bed, Su Man paid no attention.
When lunch was ready, Su Lan called out twice with no response. She walked in to call Su Man to eat, her eyes still red, and said in a strange tone, “The young lady is served—time to eat.”
Thinking about how her parents had scolded her, and seeing how Su Man did nothing yet still needed to be called to eat, Su Lan gritted her teeth in resentment. Why did Su Man have such a good fate!
Su Man lazily and calmly got up, glancing at her indifferently, completely ignoring the sarcasm in her words. This attitude made Su Lan stomp her foot in anger.
At the dining table, Xia Hongxia eagerly picked up food for Su Man, fussing over her. “Xiao Man, you’ve gotten thinner. Eat more and nourish yourself.”
Su Ercheng also chimed in, saying with concern, “That’s right. Now that your father is gone, we are your only remaining family. If we don’t take good care of you, I won’t have the face to meet your father in the future.”
The Original Owner had been deceived just like this. After her father’s death, she had truly trusted Su Ercheng as her uncle. Using the excuse that it wasn’t safe for a young girl to hold so much money and so many tickets, Su Ercheng had persuaded her to hand them over to Xia Hongxia for safekeeping.
Su Man picked out the meat and eggs to eat. Normally, it was all vegetables every day, leaving her mouth tasteless. Now, she wasn’t about to be polite with them.
Su Ercheng’s family was poor, and meat was rarely seen. Su Lan also wanted to eat meat but didn’t dare say anything. Even without Su Man, it wouldn’t have been her turn. But her cousin Su Yuan had always been favored at home. Seeing that most of the meat and eggs had been eaten by Su Man, he immediately complained loudly.
With a single glance from Su Ercheng, Su Yuan shrank his neck and fell silent.
His father usually had a good temper and rarely got angry, but when he did, it was terrifying. Although he didn’t know why today was different, Su Yuan wisely chose to keep quiet.
Xia Hongxia scolded lightly, “You child, Xiao Man just recovered from illness. This meal was specially made to nourish her. Besides, whether you have to go to the countryside or not still depends on Xiao Man’s help. How can you be so insensible?”
As she spoke, she looked at Su Man’s expression, only to find that Su Man was just eating quietly as if she hadn’t heard anything. After waiting for a long time without a response, the smile on Xia Hongxia’s face stiffened.
What was wrong with this wretched girl today? Just the day before yesterday, she had said she was willing to help with Su Yuan going to the countryside.
Su Ercheng’s expression also turned unpleasant, and he gave Xia Hongxia a look.
“Xiao Man, about the marriage with that Zhang family’s son—have you thought it over? Your aunt and I can’t bear to marry you off so soon, but we also don’t want you to miss such a good opportunity,” Xia Hongxia said earnestly, as if she were truly thinking for her sake.
A trace of mockery flashed through Su Man’s eyes. When she looked up, however, her face was full of shyness. “I know Uncle and Aunt treat me well. Now that Father is gone, I can only rely on you. I trust your judgment.”
Su Ercheng and Xia Hongxia exchanged a glance, overjoyed. They hadn’t expected things to go so smoothly.
“But I’ve heard rumors that Zhang Tianci is lustful and even peeps at female workers bathing in the factory. What if it’s true?” Su Man said with some concern.
Xia Hongxia replied, “Of course it’s fake! If it were true, he would’ve been arrested long ago. The crime of hooliganism carries a heavy sentence. And no female worker has come forward to accuse him. It must be someone jealous of Factory Director Zhang, deliberately spreading rumors.”
Su Ercheng also nodded, not thinking much of a man being lustful. “Even if it were true, Xiao Man, you’re so beautiful. Once he marries you, he’ll settle down.”
Su Man let out a long breath and smiled. “That makes sense.”
Su Lan grew anxious. She had thought that Su Man was proud and wouldn’t agree because of Zhang Tianci’s bad reputation. Then her parents would naturally think of her. But now it seemed they were about to finalize it. “Dad! Mom!”
Xia Hongxia shot her a glare. What kind of good match was Zhang Tianci? All the persuasion from the morning had been wasted. She directly scolded, “If you don’t want to eat, go do some work!”
Su Lan ran out crying.
“Maybe we should give this marriage to Cousin instead,” Su Man said, as if she couldn’t bear it.
Xia Hongxia smiled and picked up food for Su Man. “That girl doesn’t have Xiao Man’s good fortune. The Zhang family has set their sights on you—they want no one else.”
“Then Aunt, give me the money and tickets my father left me now. You said before that you’d keep them safe until I got married,” Su Man said calmly, but her words stirred up a storm.
Xia Hongxia’s chopsticks froze midair as she looked at Su Ercheng, whose face had turned solemn. Su Yuan, not understanding what was happening, even softened the sound of his chewing.
Only Su Man continued eating at an unhurried pace, as if she noticed nothing.
Xia Hongxia cursed inwardly, but she had no choice but to force a smile. “I’ll give them to you on the day you get married. Don’t worry—when has your aunt ever lied to you?”
She thought this would fool her, but Su Man suddenly put down her bowl and chopsticks heavily, wiped her mouth, and said, “If you don’t give them to me today, then I won’t get married.”