She was wrapped in the blanket he had bought for his child, so he assumed she was his daughter.
But she was just an imposter.
Indeed, she looked nothing like himself or his wife. They should have doubted it sooner.
If not for his friend who had gone to the northeast to procure sweet potatoes for the factory and seen a girl who looked exactly like him, he would never have found his real daughter.
And she—his real daughter—would have suffered her whole life in that hellhole.
Thinking about it, anger surged toward Su Miao Miao.
That wild girl wasn't his daughter at all.
"Hello, hello?" The voice came from the other end. "Are you still listening, Su Cheng De?"
"Yes, yes. Thank you, Wen brother. I will invite you to dinner in a state-owned restaurant in a few days to express my gratitude.
I need to visit her in the guest hotel right now. You said her name was 'Su Ran Ran,' right?"
"Yes, yes. And no need for the dinner, Su Cheng De. Don't be polite with me. We've been friends and colleagues for years.
Alright, I won't say more. You're busy. Let's talk later." He hung up.
Telephone bills were expensive, and even though both were high-ranking officials in the factory, they couldn't afford to spend too much.
Su father asked for leave and hurried to the guest hotel.
At the front desk, he asked about Su Ran Ran.
The receptionist nodded. "Wait a minute. I'll call her down. Who should I say is looking for her?"
"Tell her, it's her father," said Su father.
The girl nodded and went upstairs.
When Su father saw Su Ran Ran coming down the stairs, he froze.
This girl looked similar to not only himself but also to his wife.
And Su Ran Ran also looked at him.
She thought to herself, so this was my biological father. Looks rich.
Su Ran Ran knew long ago that the parents who had raised her were not her real parents.
She had overheard them whispering that she wasn't their biological child, that they had only taken her in with hope of giving birth to children of their own.
They had heard that heaven would bless those raising other's child with their child.
At first, they treated her well.
But, once they had children of their own, her position in the household dropped.
She was treated like a servant. Every day, she was ordered to do endless chores. She hated it, but at least they gave her food to fill her stomach.
And really, who didn't do housework at that time in the village? Her life wasn't unbearable—except for the constant work.
She was even sent to school, though she didn't like studying at all and would rather roam around doing nothing.
On her way to and from school, she became acquainted with a few delinquents.
They weren't good company, but they were useful. As long as she gave them what they wanted—sometimes food, sometimes favors—they would help her do dirty work. It made her life more convenient.
So, when she was suddenly told she would be sent away, she resisted fiercely.
She didn't want to go to some strange place where she knew no one.
But when she saw the unfamiliar but rich-looking man who came to fetch her, claiming to be her biological father's friend, she stopped resisting.
She packed her small bundle of patched clothes, tucked away her meager private savings, and followed him to the train station.
He arranged for one of his subordinates to escort her to A City, where she was placed in a guest hotel.
There, she was given food and water on time.
She wasn't mistreated, but she was terribly lonely. She didn't know a single soul in the city, and she was afraid to go out.
Two long days passed before someone finally came to fetch her.
When Su Ran Ran stepped into the light and saw the man waiting for her, her heart beat wildly.
He looked just like her.
His brow line, his jaw, even the faint crease between his brows—it was as if she were looking at a male version of herself.
"Ran Ran…" His voice trembled.
Su Ran Ran froze. No one had ever called her that before.
For years, she had only been "girl," "wild child," or "that one."
Hearing that name made her throat tighten. Her eyes burned hot
.
The man stepped forward and patted her thin shoulder gently. "Child, you've suffered."
Those simple words broke through all the defenses she had built towards strangers.
She bit her lip, refusing to sob in front of her real father, but tears rolled down her cheeks uncontrollably.
She felt that heaven's were unfair, even though she had a rich father, she had been suffering in the countryside for fourteen years.
Su father's expression grew more distressed by the second.
He took the bundle of clothes she was carrying from her hands and said, "You are my daughter. From today on, you will no longer be bullied or starved. Father will take you home. Let's go home, okey, Ran Ran? "
Home.
The word struck her like thunder. Did she finally have a home? A real one? With real parents?
Her tears came harder. She nodded desperately, wanting to cling to his sleeve afraid he would vanish and this was all a dream.
Su father's heart ached. Looking at her patched clothes and thin figure, he thought of how she must have suffered—doing chores, eating leftovers, dressed in rags.
His real daughter had lived like this, while that imposter Su Miao Miao under his roof had enjoyed comfort.
His eyes hardened. That mistake would end today.
"Come," he said gently. "Father will take you to meet your mother. She will be glad to see you."
Su Ran Ran wiped her tears and smiled faintly.
She couldn't imagine what kind of mother she would meet.
Would she be kind? Would she accept her?