But everything has to be clear. Let's sever the ties so that none of us holds each other back. I am also a citizen of this country. I will go to the countryside to work for the nation."
Her father froze. "What? Sever ties? No… no, that can't be done."
Su Miao Miao replied firmly, "Why not? Dad—I mean, Su Uncle—I know you are not my biological parents. There's no point in me holding onto something that isn't mine. Let me go as if I were never your daughter."
She thought to herself, I don't want to call him father any longer. I also need to make sure I sever ties with them. I don't want to be implicated if they ever get into trouble. The trouble I could bring upon this family…
Seeing Su Father deep in thought, she thought, "I don't have all day to wait for you to decide."
But she needed him to decide, so she decided to push him with someone else's help. She knew Su Ran Ran was eavesdropping. "Think about it, Fa.. Su Uncle. If I sever ties with the family, Su Ran Ran will be the sole inheritor of the Su family assets. I won't claim anything that belongs to me."
Su Father, of course, had never planned to leave anything for Su Miao Miao. Everything was for his biological children.
He was so deep in thought, weighing pros and cons, that he didn't even notice Su Miao Miao had already changed how she addressed him—from "father" to "Su Uncle."
Su Miao Miao left Su Father to ponder. She had things to do.
"Think more. I have some things to do. Let's talk in the evening." After saying that, she didn't even wait for Su Father's reply and went out to buy seeds and other necessary items.
Hearing what Su Miao Miao said, Su Ran Ran realized she might have to share the family assets with her if Su Miao Miao remained a legal daughter.
She stepped out from her hiding place and walked over, her voice smooth but firm. "Father, isn't it better to let Su Miao Miao sever ties with the family? That way, everything will stay within the family for me. She won't take anything, and you won't have to worry about disputes later. It's safer for everyone if she goes her own way, don't you think?"
Su Father looked at Su Ran Ran and said, "She will be in the countryside—how can she come back to fight with you for inheritance? Don't listen to her. Everything in the Su family will be given to you when the time comes. She has no share."
"But Dad, she isn't going to the countryside forever, no? What if the policies are loosened and she comes back. She will have a share in the things. And if you leave her with nothing when she is your legal daughter, your reputation…
Also, if we sever ties, then when she goes to the countryside, even if we don't prepare anything for her, no one will say anything bad about us. Think about it. The food, money, coupons to buy fabric, her bedding, her clothes, grains—everything costs money." Su Ran Ran was racking her brain to convince Su Father to sever ties with Su Miao Miao.
She didn't want Su Miao Miao to have any safety net. She wanted her to suffer in the countryside. She wanted her to pay for the life she had stolen. Her expression was twisted with hatred and jealousy, but Su Father, deep in thought, didn't notice her face.
The things Su Ran Ran said didn't make much sense, but Su Father thought to himself: if she goes to the countryside, whether the tie is severed or not, it might not make much difference.
Still, it would be better to sever ties. That way people wouldn't talk badly about the Su family even if she suffered and they did not help. Yes, it would be better to sever ties, he decided.
On the other hand, Su Miao Miao needed to buy some items. The 265 yuan she had right now was a large sum, but she needed more to feel secure.
She went to the supply and marketing cooperative to use up the coupons she had—the food coupons, the fabric coupons; they were about to expire, so she had to use them soon. She bought some sweets and pastries from the food section.
She went to the fabric section. The colors available were too dark—black and dark blue only—but she didn't mind and bought fabric with all the coupons she had.
She needed to buy seeds but she didn't have a grain coupon. She couldn't buy anything from the cooperative without coupons.
She went to a secluded spot and hid the things she had bought in the warehouse of her space.
She needed to visit the black market to try and sell the fruits she had collected. She could also sell meats—rare commodities that would fetch good money. She made sure no one was around, then entered her space.
She had collected lots of fruits in the warehouse. She packed them in large bags ready to be delivered and went to the hills to decide what would sell best.
Wild boars were perfect. She spotted a few wild boars and, just like yesterday, as she thought of killing them, a group of boars—some as large as 200–300 jins and a few smaller ones around 80–100 jins—dropped dead on the ground.
She moved them to warehouse, went into the cottage, and rummaged around until she found tools and medicinal herbs used to alter appearances.
There were many makeup tools kept for changing looks. She looked in a mirror and, with the changes, she could pass for a young man in his twenties; if she hadn't altered herself, she might have even fooled herself.
She searched among the medicinal books and herbs until she found what she wanted: a small porcelain bottle labeled "Voice changing pill — young man."