No matter what, she would no longer be the abandoned child of a village family.
She had dreamt of having real parents when she found out the parents who were raising her were not her biological parents.
But as she grew older, she got accustomed to her environment and tried to live one more day.
But now, when she wasn't expecting, she found her parents.
She was the Su family's daughter.
Su father led her out of the hotel.
On the way, he took her to state owned restaurants and bought her braised pork and two steamed buns. "Eat," he urged.
The aroma made her nose sting. She hadn't tasted meat in so long that she devoured it hungrily, tears dripping as she ate.
Seeing this, Su father hated himself. How could he have failed to search for his real daughter all these years?
When they reached home, he seated her on the sofa and rushed to call his wife. "Wife, take leave and come home at once. Something urgent has happened."
His voice sounded urgent. Su mother panicked and rushed home after taking leave.
When she arrived, she was stunned to see a thin, ragged girl in the living room. She looked almost like a beggar.
She asked, confused, "Who is this?"
Su Ran Ran timidly greeted, assuming this was her mother, "Mom, I am Su Ran Ran."
Su mother was shocked. What was going on?
Su father led her into the study and explained everything.
Su mother was shocked. "Ran Ran? Our real daughter? What about Miao Miao?"
Su father's face hardened. "She isn't ours. The one rescued from trafficker was not our real daughter but her. I've confirmed it. Ran Ran is the real one. Go, make her feel at ease. Wife, we haven't cared for her for fourteen years. We have ro make up for it."
Su mother's body trembled.
She descended the stairs slowly with Su father behind, her eyes fixed on the girl.
The moment she saw Su Ran Ran clearly, her heart skipped. The face before her carried her own features.
There was no mistake—this was her child.
Motherly instinct kicked in. Tears welled up.
She rushed forward and held Su Ran Ran's hands. "Child… you've suffered so much."
Su Ran Ran's tears fell again. She lowered her head, gripping Su mother's hands tightly.
Su father's eyes softened, but his tone was firm. "From now on, Ran Ran is our only daughter. We must cherish her. She is our blood."
Su mother nodded through her tears. "Yes, yes, you are right. She is our real daughter."
But after a pause, she whispered, "But…What about Miao Miao? After all, Miao Miao grew up with us for fourteen years. We can't just… Have you found her biological parents?"
Su father's face darkened.
He slapped the table. "Enough! Have you gone blind? What Miao Miao? Why would I search for her real parents? She stole the life of our real daughter.
Look at our real daughter—so thin, so pitiful, dressed in rags.
And think about how that fake has lived under our roof, eating well, wearing clean clothes.
Don't say such things in front of Ran Ran. She will feel unbalanced. She was the one who took her rightful place. She stole fourteen years that belonged to our child!"
Su mother's body trembled. She turned to look at her daughter's tear-stained face. Pitiful, timid, her lips bitten from holding back words. Her heart melted.
Yes. Her husband was correct.
Ran Ran was their real daughter. They should focus on Su Ran Ran, not the imposter Su Miao Miao.
Her gaze hardened. "You're right. I will treat Ran Ran better. And try to make up for the fourteen years of love we couldn't give her."
Su father nodded with satisfaction. "Good. And listen—we can't just abondon her. If we sever ties, people will talk. Let's tell her everything but agree to treat her as always.
After some time, let's send her to countryside, or else, Ran Ran won't feel balanced seeing her here all the time."
Countryside? Su mother's heart clenched for Su Miao Miao but when she looked at Su Ran Ran's pitiful appearance, she agreed silently.
Her own daughter was so pitiful. She sould care about Su Ran Ran and not that imposter, Su Miao Miao.
Su Ran Ran sat quietly beside them, listening to everything.
So, this Su Miao Miao had been living her life for all these years.
Hatred toward Su Miao Miao brewed inside her, but also—for the first time—she felt cherished.
That afternoon, Su father returned to work, since he had only taken the morning leave.
Su Mother had taken the whole day leave so she stayed to care for Su Ran Ran.
She bathed the girl, dressed her in one of Su Miao Miao's old dresses, then took her to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative.
Though she had only a few fabric tickets left, she used them all to buy cloth for Su Ran Ran's new clothes.
After all, others at home had enough clothes right now. It was Su Ran Ran who lacked everything.
On the way home, they ran into Su father.
The three of them walked back together, chatting and laughing.
Just as they reached home, Su Miao Miao returned from high school.
She looked at the same scene of theee as she had in her past life, but this time she didn't feel uneasy.
Today had been a good day for her.
She had met old classmates who treated her warmly, grateful for her help in their studies.
She was the youngest at just fourteen, while the others were sixteen, seventeen, even nineteen. They doted on her.
She carried her graduation certificate, job placement letter, and fifty yuan prize. But she slipped them into her space and entered the house quietly. She had no intention of showing them to her family.
She only wanted to go to her room and plan what to do going forward.