The two children seemed accustomed to such scenes, quietly eating their noodles with bowed heads. This had been a common occurrence in the Lin Family before.
Back then, Lin Sisi’s bowl would always have an extra egg compared to theirs.
Mother said girls were physically weaker and needed more nourishment.
Boys were different—they were naturally stronger than girls, so eating a little less didn’t matter.
The rule was simple: be good to their sister and let her have the best.
After all, she was the only girl in the family.
Though their household was different from others, the boys never resented their mother and always treated their sister well, giving her whatever they had.
But their sister turned out to be ungrateful. The moment she learned she wasn’t their biological sibling, she abandoned them without hesitation.
The two boys cried under their blankets for days.
Even with a new sister now, they couldn’t bring themselves to be happy.
Though this sister’s cooking was delicious…
Perhaps the silence became unbearable, as the usually talkative Lin Yu finally spoke up.
"Mom, you wouldn’t believe it—there are two kids at our school who are so popular. Their dad has this really cool motorcycle and drops them off every day."
His face was full of envy as he spoke.
"Before, they used to be really poor. I even saw his little brother picking up discarded biscuits from the ground!" He shook his head in disbelief.
Si Nian paused, lifting her gaze to him. "Are you talking about Zhou Yuehan?"
Lin's mother had also been feeling sorry for the child, but hearing this, she stiffened, realization dawning on her.
She had visited the Zhou Family a few times and had seen those two children before—they were always withdrawn, turning away whenever they spotted her.
Could they be the ones her son was talking about?
"I... I don’t know..." The two boys had started school late, still in second grade at ten years old.
Zhou Yuedong, the same age, was already in third grade.
So they only ever saw them from afar and didn’t know which class they were in.
Lin Yu hadn’t expected Si Nian to suddenly engage with him and grew nervous, stumbling over his words.
"Is their motorcycle black?" Si Nian asked.
Lin Yu blinked and nodded.
"And is their father tall and strong?"
He thought about it. He only ever heard the motorcycle in the afternoons, sneaking glances from a distance.
By the time they arrived in the morning, the father was already gone—everything he knew was from classmates’ gossip.
His attention had always been on the bike and the two boys, so he wasn’t sure what their father looked like. Still, he nodded hesitantly.
Si Nian fell silent.
It was definitely Zhou Yuedong and Zhou Yuehan.
Hearing that the younger boy had been scavenging for discarded biscuits made her heart ache.
Suddenly, she wanted to go back.
After sending the boys off, Lin's mother noticed her daughter’s somber expression and knew it was because of what her son had said.
It was heartbreaking—if those had been her own sons, she would’ve been devastated.
Her daughter had always been kind to that little girl, so she must’ve treated the other two children just as well.
The Zhou Family’s circumstances had seemed stable, but who knew things were actually like this...
For a moment, Lin's mother’s mood grew complicated.
That day, Si Nian and her family planned out the things they needed to buy. Lin's mother also took her measurements, saying she would make her a wedding dress.
Distracted, Si Nian spent the day in a daze. Perhaps because she had transmigrated directly into the Zhou Family and spent most of her time there, she had only been back home for two days and already missed it.
Just as she was considering returning the next day, the police arrived at the Lin Family in the afternoon.
News of the Lin Family’s biological daughter returning—and her upcoming marriage to Zhou Yueshen—had spread. Many had even come to offer help upon hearing Si Nian was back.
Now, as they sat in the yard chatting and sewing shoe soles, the sudden appearance of the police startled everyone.
Had the Lin Family gotten into trouble?
Si Nian also looked over in confusion until the officers explained their purpose.
"Don’t be alarmed, folks. We’re here to investigate the theft of the three-thousand-yuan betrothal gift."
The crowd froze.
Before, everyone had suspected the Lin Family of hiding the money and refusing to return it.
But now the police were actually here—if they had stolen it themselves, they wouldn’t have dared to report it, right?
So the money really had been stolen?
The realization left everyone stunned.
Si Nian was also surprised. She had worried the police wouldn’t take the case seriously due to the distance, but they had actually come.
The officers asked about the incident and inspected the Lin Family’s home.
According to Zhou Suisui, she had been out working that day while Lin Sisi stayed home. By the time she returned, the money was already gone.
Lin Sisi had claimed she went to meet a classmate, but no one knew who.
The Lin Family had hidden the money carefully—her father had even bought a lock for the door and always secured it when leaving.
But that day, Lin Sisi said she had forgotten to lock it, leading to the theft.
Since returning, Si Nian had learned much about Lin Sisi from her family—like which classmates she was close to or who she frequently interacted with.
Hearing this, she suddenly turned to the police. "Can we speak privately?"
The officers exchanged glances before nodding.
In the city, Lin Sisi was in high spirits after learning that Si Nian and the others had transferred their household registration.
She had deliberately avoided bringing it up to maintain her image of being selfless and long-suffering.
Now that Si Nian had taken the initiative, it worked perfectly in her favor!
With the registration settled, the Si Family immediately invited the Fu Family over to discuss wedding arrangements.
But just as the guests arrived, the police showed up at their doorstep.
The Fu Family was baffled.
"Wh-who are you looking for?" Si's Father and Mother stammered in shock.
Having the police show up at their home was shocking no matter the circumstances—especially since they were a military family!
The officers replied directly, "We’re here to speak with Lin Sisi. Is she here?"
Lin Sisi froze. "Me?"
The Fu Family turned to her in confusion.
Then the police continued, "Yes. We need to ask you some questions regarding the theft of the three-thousand-yuan betrothal gift from the Lin Family."
Lin Sisi’s mind went blank.
Hadn’t this matter already been buried?
Why were the police here now? Had the Lin Family actually reported it?
But even if they had, the police wouldn’t bother investigating something so trivial from such a remote village, right? At most, they’d just go through the motions.
So why were they at the military compound?
A terrible premonition seized her—one that told her things were spiraling out of control.
Under her family’s questioning gazes, she quickly put on a concerned expression. "Has there been progress in the case? I’ve been so worried about my foster parents that I haven’t been able to eat or sleep."
The policeman shook his head. "There's no progress for now, which is why we came to ask you. According to your sister-in-law, you were the only one at home at the time, and later you went out to meet a classmate. When you returned, the money had been stolen—is that correct?"
Lin Sisi felt a pang of nervousness and quickly nodded. "Y-yes, that's right. I never expected the thief to be so bold. It's all my fault!" she said guiltily.
Si's Mother immediately pulled her into a comforting embrace. "How can it be your fault? You didn’t steal the money!"
The policeman glanced at Si's Mother before continuing, "We questioned some of your close classmates, and one of them, a girl named Yang Xiaoxue, confirmed that you were indeed with her that day. Is that true?"
Lin Sisi was momentarily stunned. Why had they gone to her classmates before questioning her?
Yang Xiaoxue had indeed been her closest friend in the past, but the story about meeting a classmate had just been an excuse—she hadn’t actually had time to see anyone that day! However, Yang Xiaoxue had come to console her that afternoon after the incident. Was that what they were referring to?
Without giving it much thought, Lin Sisi nodded. "Yes, I went to see her."
This would directly prove her alibi—how clever of her!
Just as Lin Sisi began to relax, her blood ran cold the next second.
"Comrade Lin Sisi, I never said you were the one who went to find her."
