The familiar sensation of the thick, soft mattress beneath her stirred Su Wanqing awake.
This old-fashioned spring bed had been her mother’s dowry.
Decades later, it still supported her body comfortably—infinitely better than the cold earthen bed in the countryside.
She opened her eyes.
A thin layer of dust covered the carved glass lampshade on the ceiling, casting a dim, yellowish light.
The air smelled faintly of white orchid soap—her mother’s favorite scent.
Everything felt so old, so unreal.
Wasn’t she supposed to be in the cellar?
Crushed to death by that bastard Lu Zhenting?
“Qingqing, you’re awake?”
A gentle, tearful voice came from beside her.
Shen Manyun had been keeping watch by the bed, her eyes swollen and red. Seeing her daughter’s eyes open, tears slipped down her cheeks again.
“How do you feel? Is your head still dizzy? I made you some porridge—get up and eat a bit.”
She reached out to support Su Wanqing, her touch as light as could be.
Su Wanqing’s nose tingled.
In her previous life, her mother had kept watch over her just like this.
Lin Zhaodi and Lu Zhenting had colluded, claiming that Lin was pregnant with her second brother’s child.
Her parents had tried to arrange for her second brother and Lin Zhaodi to return to the Su household.
Only Lin Zhaodi came back.
She said her second brother had caught a cold and died.
Her parents were devastated; her mother fell seriously ill.
Yet even so, the family treated Lin Zhaodi well.
Lin Zhaodi, however, turned against them, falsely accusing her mother of being a malicious mother-in-law. She had colluded with Lu Zhenting to seize the Su family’s property.
Lu Zhenting secretly contacted her father’s political enemies, branding the Su family as “Black Five Categories.”
Their home was confiscated.
Her mother, in an effort to protect her and her eldest brother, was pushed to the ground, hit her head on a stone pillar, and died on the spot.
Her father and brother were arrested.
Not long after, news arrived that they had committed suicide in prison.
Lin Zhaodi produced a divorce certificate with her second brother and severed ties with the Su family.
And her?
She had been locked in the cellar by that bastard Lu Zhenting.
Thinking about it, Su Wanqing couldn’t stop the tears from flowing.
“Mom, I’m fine.”
To avoid worrying Shen Manyun, she took her mother’s hand and spoke softly.
“Mom, nothing will happen to me. You have to believe in me.”
“When the time comes, my brother will achieve something in the military and can bring me back!”
[Yes, yes! She can come back—believe in the country, it’s just a matter of time!]
[Don’t be afraid, Xiaoqing, I’ll be with you.]
She wasn’t afraid.
In her previous life, her family had protected her. This time, it would be her turn to protect them.
[Our soft, gentle heroine is so obedient! She has to go; otherwise, how will she meet that person?]
The comments in her mind buzzed frantically.
Su Wanqing felt an inexplicable confidence rising within her.
She didn’t know who was sending her these messages, but they had taught her a lot.
She needed to broaden her horizons.
The door opened, and her father Su Hongyuan and eldest brother Su Mufeng stepped in.
Overnight, Su Hongyuan’s back had become hunched, and dark circles framed his eyes. He looked at his daughter, opened his mouth, but no words came out.
“Wanqing… Dad has failed you.”
He sighed heavily, pulling a thick envelope from his chest and placing it in Su Wanqing’s hands.
“Here’s five hundred yuan, plus all the remaining national ration tickets and cloth tickets. Take them with you. When you go to the countryside, don’t treat yourself poorly. Handle what you need to. If money runs out, write home.”
Five hundred yuan!
In a time when the average worker earned just over ten yuan a month, this was a fortune.
It was nearly everything the Su family could spare.
“Dad, it’s too much—I can’t take it!” she instinctively pushed it back.
“Take it!”
Su Hongyuan insisted, pressing her hand down.
“You’re taking the place of your two brothers in hardship. This is the least we can do to compensate you.”
Su Mufeng stepped forward, placing a Hero-brand fountain pen and several brand-new notebooks on her bedside.
“Sister, even in the countryside, don’t abandon your studies. Knowledge in your mind is something no one can take from you.”
He paused, adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses, his voice hoarse.
“I don’t know if we’ll get to the day when the college entrance exams resume.”
Su Wanqing wanted to tell her brother they would, but she couldn’t.
“Brother, you just have to believe, and it will happen.”
Her family’s unconditional love wrapped around her fractured heart.
This time, she wouldn’t just survive—she would make sure they all lived well and with honor.
After sending her family off, Su Wanqing immediately locked her door.
It was time to start her “stockpiling plan.”
Her beautiful carved wooden box lay quietly on the dressing table.
She reached out and touched it, focusing her thoughts. A semi-transparent interface appeared before her eyes.
This, too, had been mentioned by the comments.
They said it was a space.
It was empty now.
But soon, it would be filled by her.
[Here it comes! My favorite part: hoarding! Anyone who understands this thrill knows—it’s amazing to clear out the whole world!]
[Xiao Wanqing, go to Mom’s room first. Grab those jade bracelets—they’re imperial green and spring-colored… they’ll come in handy later.]
[And Dad’s study has some paintings and calligraphy. I think some are genuine works of Tang Bohu! Take them!]
[Upstairs, don’t go overboard! This is the heroine’s home, not a supply warehouse! Don’t raid it like invading soldiers!]
[And in the backyard, dig at the corner wall. There’s gold and jewelry hidden there. That couple wanted to rebuild the Su ancestral home, and they accidentally found it—grab it!]
[Also, in the old temple in the south of the city, there are four locust trees. Under the second on the right, there’s a bundle with a surprise!]
…she had to take these.
The temple, huh? She would go tomorrow.
If the comments were right, the Su family’s previous ending had been total destruction. If she couldn’t escape that fate, these items were their lifeline.
They absolutely could not fall into the hands of those bastards.
Following the comments’ guidance, Su Wanqing packed her mother’s jewelry and her father’s porcelain and jade into the space—every single item.
As for what she needed to bring to the countryside, her parents had already prepared it.
Tomorrow, she planned to visit the southern temple.
“Knock, knock, knock.”
It was Su Muyang.
“Sister, may I come in?”
Su Wanqing quickly put the wooden box away and tidied her hair.
“Second Brother, come in.”
Su Muyang entered, carrying an army-green canvas bag.
He set the bag on the floor, looking at Su Wanqing, his lips moving slightly.
“Wanqing, be honest with me. Have you really thought this through? It’s not too late to change your mind—I’ll go tell Mom and Dad.”
This fearless man’s face now showed complete reluctance.
Su Wanqing’s heart warmed, and she shook her head.
“Second Brother, I’ve decided.”
She walked to Su Muyang, looking up at him, speaking clearly and firmly.
“Brother, you must stay in Shanghai. It’s important, and only you can do it!”
“What’s so important?” Su Muyang was stunned.
Su Wanqing lowered her voice.
[The strategist team is in position! High-alert ahead!]
[Quick! Tell him you overheard Mom and Dad arguing and discovered a clue! Shift the focus to them, using the information gap!]
[Start investigating ‘Hengtong Shipping,’ which handled the Su family’s transport back then! The owner’s surname is Zhang, and he’s distantly related to Lu Zhenting’s father!]
Su Wanqing composed herself.
“Second Brother, what I said before I fainted wasn’t nonsense.”
“The other night, when I got up, I accidentally overheard Dad arguing with Mom in the study. He was drunk and said that the batch of seized contraband wasn’t ours at all.”
“It was Zhang from Hengtong Shipping. He swapped the shipping documents and framed our family.”
Su Muyang’s expression instantly changed. His body tensed.
“Hengtong Shipping? Zhang?”
“Yes.”
Su Wanqing nodded firmly.
“I also heard Dad say that Zhang seemed to be close with… a cadre named Lu.”
She didn’t explicitly say Lu Zhenting’s name.
Being too clear would arouse suspicion.
Just enough for him to understand.
Sure enough, Su Muyang’s fists clenched, veins bulging on the backs of his hands.
“Lu… alright, I got it.”
He exhaled and looked at his sister. This time, his gaze was no longer simple indulgence—it carried deep respect.
“Wanqing, you’ve grown up.”
He reached out and ruffled her hair.
“Go with confidence. Leave the family matters to me. I’ll get to the bottom of this and clear Dad’s name!”
“Second Brother, once this is over, you can go join the army.”
[Exactly! Second Brother should join the military! That scumbag from last life was terrible—our good second brother deserves better! Sob.]
“All right! I promise you.”