During those few minutes in the room, Jiang Si had already thought things through. She knew she would have to make a scene eventually—just not now.
She would have loved to act as recklessly as the original owner of this body, cursing heaven and earth without a care, but the circumstances simply didn’t allow it.
On the surface, the original owner carried the title of a capitalist’s daughter, but ever since Jiang Si’s mother passed away, the family’s assets had largely fallen into Shen Xiuwen’s hands.
And the original owner, driven by the plot’s demands, had always been arrogant and domineering. When her temper flared, she wouldn’t hesitate to curse even her own father.
Over time, Shen Xiuwen’s favor naturally shifted toward his other children—especially with the help of her stepmother, Lin Yueru.
Because of that explosive temper, the original owner had suffered more than a few losses at Lin Yueru’s hands.
Not to mention, Jiang Si had just realized that all the money and ration coupons she had on her now amounted to barely a hundred yuan.
And her household registration was still tightly controlled by her scumbag father.
If she chose to confront him head-on now, the only one who’d suffer would be herself.
With that in mind, Jiang Si suppressed her disgust and turned teary eyes toward her father.
"Dad, what did you promise when Mom died?"
"You said you’d protect me for the rest of my life. But now you’re hitting me over an outsider!"
"I don’t blame you for hitting me—you’re my father, the only family I have left in this world."
"But do I not have the right to cry when I’ve been slapped for no reason? Am I not allowed to feel wronged?"
As she spoke, she subtly tilted her face to reveal the red, swollen mark on her cheek.
Truthfully, Shen Xiuwen’s slap yesterday hadn’t been that hard.
But the original owner had fair, delicate skin—the kind described as "smooth as jade"—thanks to a lifetime of the finest care this era could offer. Even the slightest pressure left a visible mark.
Sure enough, the moment Shen Xiuwen saw the bruise on Jiang Si’s face, the anger in his heart instantly cooled.
But apologizing? That was beneath his dignity.
"Jiang Si, I—"
Jiang Si sneered inwardly but kept her expression neutral.
Compared to empty apologies, she preferred something more practical.
"Dad, I wasn’t behaving well yesterday either. Let’s just leave it at that. Besides, Aunt Lin already said you had your reasons."
Then, feigning concern, she added, "Did something happen at home?"
Seeing her worried expression, Shen Xiuwen felt even more conflicted.
But the guilt didn’t last long.
In the end, he blamed the Educated Youth Office. If they hadn’t been cracking down so hard recently, he wouldn’t have had to resort to this.
Ah, well. Once things settled, he could always send for her later.
She was still his flesh and blood, after all. How could he not care?
"Let’s go downstairs and eat first. You haven’t had anything all day. We’ll talk after."
"Okay."
Jiang Si nodded obediently.
On the way down, she even looped her arm through Shen Xiuwen’s, maintaining the act until they reached the dining table. Only then did Lin Yueru snap out of her stunned silence.
What was going on?
Since when had this brat changed her temper?
That girl had always been a firecracker, stirring up chaos until the whole household was in shambles—only then would she be satisfied!
Lin Yueru had been ready to pour oil on the flames, but the brat had just… let it go?
Shen Qingyue and Shen Qing'an, on the other hand, barely reacted. They simply took their seats on either side of Shen Qingqing the moment Jiang Si sat down.
They stayed out of family drama—unless Jiang Si dared to bully their sister.
Then they’d be the first to retaliate.
Shen Qingqing was just as puzzled. Somehow, though it had only been a day, Jiang Si felt like a completely different person—especially after that glance she’d given her on the stairs.
But now wasn’t the time to dwell on that.
The city’s Educated Youth Office had issued a notice yesterday: If the graduates of '67 didn’t secure employment within a week, they’d be forcibly sent to the countryside.
No matter what, she had to secure that job today.
Luckily, she didn’t even have to ask. She was her parents’ precious darling!
Even her two brothers combined couldn’t compare to how much they doted on her.
So what if Jiang Si was the Jiang family’s eldest daughter? Anything Shen Qingqing wanted, Jiang Si would have to hand over.
And once they reached Hong Kong, all those beautiful jewels and accessories would be hers to wear however she pleased.
Just thinking about it made her eyes sparkle with delight.
"Sis, I made this braised pork especially for you. Try it!"
Just like her mother, Shen Qingqing was a master of superficial kindness.
But Jiang Si was in no mood to play along with this sisterly act.
Her sharp tongue wasn’t exactly a secret anyway.
She hadn’t snapped at her father earlier because she still needed to negotiate.
But everyone knew she and Shen Qingqing didn’t get along.
"Stop. My mother only had one child—me. Don’t come here pretending to be family."
"And take that pork away. I can’t afford it."
"Yesterday, all I did was drink a cup of tea you poured, and suddenly my job was up for grabs."
"If I eat this meat today, will you devour me until there’s nothing left?"
The moment those words left her mouth, everyone at the table froze, chopsticks hovering midair.
They exchanged glances, their expressions all saying the same thing:
There she is.
"Sis, you’ve got it all wrong. That’s not what I meant—"
Shen Qingqing bit her lip, her face the picture of pitiful sorrow.
And honestly? With that delicate, doll-like face and those teary, trembling eyes, she really did look heartbreaking.
No wonder the book’s title called her a "delicate beauty."
Though, admittedly, the novel’s flattery was a bit excessive.
Aside from the name and gender, Jiang Si couldn’t see any resemblance between the character and the real Shen Qingqing.
Enough. She’d eaten, she’d snapped—now it was time to get down to business.
Though Shen Xiuwen was displeased with his daughter’s attitude, he knew priorities came first. After offering a half-hearted attempt to smooth things over, he launched into his prepared speech.
"Jiang Si, your mother left us too soon, and you’re the Jiang family’s only heir. If there were any other way, how could I bear to send you to the countryside?"
"But I’ve received reliable information. By next month at the latest, another round of purges will begin—and our family is on the list."
Lin Yueru chimed in, "That’s right, Jiang Si. I may not be your birth mother, but I’ve watched you grow up. I truly can’t bear to see you go."
"But your father’s right. Going to the countryside is still better than being sent to a labor camp!"
Listening to their duet, Jiang Si felt sick to her stomach.
She wanted nothing more than to demand, "If you know I’m your own flesh and blood, how can you lie to me like this?"
But she couldn’t.
After a long silence, she forced herself to look conflicted.
"Then… what will happen to you if I leave?"
"At this point, you shouldn’t overthink it. I’ve already made up my mind—once you’ve settled in the countryside, Aunt Lin and I will get a divorce."
"She’s taken care of you all these years. Even if there’s no great merit, there’s been effort. I can’t drag her down with me."
"As for me, don’t worry."
"If it really comes to that, I’ll see if I can arrange to be sent to wherever you are."
"Jiang Si, time won’t wait. You need to make a decision soon."
Shen Xiuwen spoke with such earnest sincerity that, had Jiang Si not known the truth of the situation beforehand, she might have fallen for his act.
After pretending to deliberate for a few minutes, Jiang Si nodded.
"Alright, I’ll listen to you."
As she said this, she deliberately glanced at Shen Qingqing sitting across from her.
Noticing how the other woman could barely suppress the smirk tugging at her lips, Jiang Si scoffed inwardly.
"Wait! I haven’t finished speaking."
"I can go to the countryside, but—"
