They accused the Shen family of practicing favoritism, even slapping them with the label of “backward thinking” and “indulging their children in evading national policy.”
The matter was about to escalate into charges of disobeying Party leadership and having an unstable political stance.
Concerned about the potential impact, Shen’s father agreed to send his younger daughter to the countryside.
Originally, with Shen’s father holding a high-ranking position in the Capital Military District, no one would have dared say anything even if none of his children went down to the countryside.
But ever since Old Master Shen passed away, things had changed. Once a person is gone, the tea grows cold.
The Shen family had many political enemies. Shen’s father himself was mediocre in talent and lacking in ability—he had climbed to his current position largely because of Old Master Shen.
Unable to catch any major faults, those enemies lurking in the shadows began attacking over trivial matters instead.
No matter what, the Shen family had to send at least one child to the countryside to receive re-education from the poor and lower-middle peasants.
Left with no choice, the Shen family agreed.
On the surface, they claimed to be responding to policy and sending their younger daughter to the countryside.
In reality, they had Shen Yueru pretend to be ill, hiding at home to avoid the storm.
And so, the matter of going to the countryside had been dragged out until now.
It was at this exact time that the original host appeared.
When the Shen family saw the girl who bore a striking resemblance to Shen’s mother, they were shocked.
They immediately launched an investigation.
Back then, Shen’s mother and Wen’s mother had delivered their babies in the same hospital—on the same night, at the same hour.
The key point was that Wen’s mother still had a longevity lock, claiming it had been found in the infant’s swaddling clothes years ago.
That said it all.
Shen Guiyuan also had an identical longevity lock. Their aunt had specially commissioned the pair for the twins.
Shen’s mother had placed one in each baby’s swaddling blanket.
Later, the second son’s was still there—but the younger daughter’s was gone.
They searched the entire hospital ward and found nothing.
Shen’s mother assumed it had been lost and had no choice but to let it go.
She never imagined the babies had been switched.
After discussion, the two families decided to keep both daughters.
Although Shen Yueru was not the Shen family’s biological child, they had doted on her for eighteen years and couldn’t bear to let her leave.
As for the original host, she had to stay as well.
She needed to go to the countryside.
She was the Shen family’s legitimate daughter. According to policy, it should be her turn.
She had grown up in the countryside and was used to rural life.
For her, going “down to the countryside” was nothing more than moving from one village to another.
Besides, the trick of pretending to be sick couldn’t be used a second time.
Given Shen’s father’s current position, arranging for her to be assigned somewhere with good conditions—or even a relatively easy military reclamation farm—would be effortless.
With enough money and ration coupons sent monthly, she wouldn’t suffer much there.
After calculating it over, Father and Shen’s mother settled the matter.
When the original host learned of it, she felt both wronged and heartbroken.
Though their identities had been swapped back, it was obvious both families favored Shen Yueru wholeheartedly.
The Wen family could be excused—they weren’t her biological parents.
But what about the Shen family? Bound to her by blood, and yet on the very first day of recognizing her, they demanded she go to the countryside.
Timid and gentle by nature, she didn’t dare resist. She simply locked herself in her room and sulked in silence.
All of this existed in the novel’s plot.
What puzzled Wen Qiao was—where had the original host gone?
In the novel, the original host had successfully gone to the countryside and, one year later, died in the Great Northwest.
Not now.
Up to this point, she hadn’t received any of the original host’s memories.
The original host’s disappearance was mysterious. And her own transmigration into this book was just as inexplicable.
Still, the original host had truly lived a miserable life.
She hadn’t enjoyed a single day of fortune—but she hadn’t missed a single day of hardship.
Shen Yueru had delayed for over two years without going to the countryside. Yet when it came to the original host, she had only just arrived and was immediately being forced to go.
The difference in treatment couldn’t have been more obvious.
Since this novel was written with her as the prototype, and she had now completely taken over this body, then the original host was her—and she was the original host.
The old original host may have endured humiliation and hardship.
But she absolutely would not.
Not even in her dreams.
Wen Qiao swiftly put on her shoes, got out of bed, and with a snap, opened the door.
In those few minutes, she had already sorted through the plot in her mind.
The baby-switching incident was practically common knowledge within the military compound.
She was now the Shen family’s biological daughter.
Of course, she could imitate the female lead—claim to be frail and sickly, hiding at home to avoid going to the countryside.
The female lead was purely pretending.
But the original host wasn’t.
The original host’s body looked fine on the outside but was already in ruins internally.
Long-term malnutrition had caused severe anemia.
From the moment she woke up, Wen Qiao felt palpitations and shortness of breath—clear signs of insufficient qi and blood.
If she went to the hospital for certification, she could certainly stay.
Besides, it was already 1975. The “Up to the Mountains and Down to the Countryside” movement was nearing its end.
If she stalled a bit longer, she might not have to go at all.
But she didn’t want that.
If you transmigrate into a novel, you’re supposed to be the empowered heroine—the cool, overpowered heroine. Who has the patience to stay here and fight petty battles with the female lead?
Right now, the female lead was the Shen family’s darling. Their favoritism was practically overflowing.
In terms of affection, she and the Shen family were merely strangers connected by blood.
In contrast, Shen Yueru, though not biologically related, had eighteen years of upbringing and closeness.
To put it bluntly, family affection has nothing to do with blood. Titles don’t determine closeness.
So Shen’s mother’s favoritism? Wen Qiao could understand it.
Shen’s father treating her like a tool? She could accept that too.
After all, blood ties are merely biological connections. The blood of the Shen family flowing in her veins only established a link.
There was no need to compete for that affection.
And she certainly wouldn’t wrong herself.
Better to change maps and go somewhere she could eat and drink well.
Of course, the prerequisite was a bulging wallet.
With money, you can travel the world. Without it, you can’t move an inch.
A generous bank transfer beats hollow words of concern.
As long as the money was sufficient, who cared about their cheap warmth?
Wen Qiao made her decision instantly.
She was penniless. Back in the Wen family, not to mention money or ration coupons—having enough to eat each day had been a luxury.
Right now, direct confrontation would only leave her at a disadvantage.
While the Shen family still felt guilty toward her, squeezing out more benefits was the most important thing.
Other accounts could be settled slowly in the future. There would always be opportunities.
Shen’s mother saw that she had finally opened the door.
She stepped forward and grasped her hand.
Her voice was soft and mournful.
“Qiaoqiao, we’ve wronged you. You’ve suffered all these years.”
“I understand you have resentment in your heart. But going to the countryside cannot be changed. Please try to understand.”
A beautiful middle-aged woman with neat ear-length hair stood before her, eyes red-rimmed.
“Elder Sister, it’s my fault. I took your place all these years. I’m willing to go to the countryside for you. Please don’t make things difficult for Mom and Dad.”
Shen Yueru also stepped forward, taking Wen Qiao’s hand and subtly separating her from Shen’s mother.
Wen Qiao glanced at her lightly, then forcefully shook off her hand, rubbing her own clothes vigorously as though something dirty had touched her.
She spoke calmly.
“You’re right. For eighteen years, you’ve been feasting in the Shen family while I was eating husks and swallowing vegetables in the Wen family. You do owe me.”
“Fine. You said it yourself—I didn’t force you. Since you’re willing to go, then go.”
Shen Yueru choked, instantly rendered speechless.
Why wasn’t this wretched girl following the script?
She had only said some polite, beautiful words to maintain her image as kind and virtuous.
She had never truly intended to go suffer in the countryside.
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