After a long while, Xia Tianxiu's gaze finally focused once again on every brick, tile, blade of grass, and tree in the courtyard.

And she had an idea in mind.

For the rest of the day, she ransacked the courtyard, digging up every inch of the ground.

But, they really couldn't find even a single penny more.

Xia Tianxiu touched her pocket.

Aside from the two yuan and thirty-eight fen she had managed to swindle from her two sons' pockets these past few days, the only other thing in the house was a sticky thirty-seven yuan found in the old lady's smelly, close-fitting pocket.

However, nearly forty yuan should be enough for her travel expenses to get to where she wants to go.

Summer Xiusheng started a fire and stewed the two dried pheasants that the old lady had planned to eat for the New Year.

While tearing off a chicken leg and chewing it heartily, he went over his plan again and again until he felt it was foolproof.

Afterward, she burned her blood-stained clothes, changed into an old woman's old clothes, blackened her face, and dressed herself up as a typical mountain woman.

They then dismantled all the bedding in the Yang family's house and, using the best cloth they had selected, managed to sew a makeshift cloth.

They took out all the dried meat and provisions from the Yang family from the cellar and packed them all inside.

Seven days later, at the entrance of the Qi Family Compound in Beijing.

Xia Tianxiu looked at the two antique Chinese characters on the wooden plaque—Qi Residence—and a relieved smile appeared on her face.

She no longer wanted to recall how she left that wooden cabin deep in the Greater Khingan Mountains during those seven days, or how she struggled her way to Beijing.

The city was already experiencing a cool autumn breeze, but her coat had been stolen, leaving her only in thin summer clothes, and she hugged her arms tightly.

Her baggage was gone, and even one of her shoes was missing.

She took a deep breath, raised her hand, and rang the doorbell.

Soon, footsteps could be heard.

Summer Xiu nervously swallowed.

The newcomer was a thin, middle-aged man wearing glasses, with a refined and cultured appearance. He was Qi Yuan's eldest son, Qi Yasheng.

Seeing the disheveled woman in front of him, who looked like a half-mountain dweller and half-beggar, he was clearly taken aback: "Who...are you looking for?"

Xia Tianxiu naturally recognized Qi Yasheng; this person was her nemesis in her past life!

But she didn't show any displeasure. Instead, she smiled and said, "I'm looking for my mother. Her name is Qi Yaqin."

"..." Qi Yasheng froze almost instantly. He stood there for a full minute before asking in a trembling voice, "You...you say that again?!"

“I’m looking for Qi Yaqin. I’m her daughter who was stolen fifteen years ago,” Xia Tianxiu said again.

In the mid-1990s, Qi Yaqin's discovery of her daughter, who had been missing for thirty years, was a sensational and landmark event throughout China.

Qi Yaqin's daughter, Qiao Tianyue, was stolen by a heartless nanny before she was even a month old.

The Qi family is a prestigious family and a meritorious family in China. Qiao Tianyue's mother and maternal grandfather have never given up searching for her.

Persistence pays off, and they finally found her when Qiao Tianyue turned thirty.

At that time, she was already married and had children.

She, her husband, and even her in-laws were all brought from a small, impoverished mountain village to live in Beijing.

The grand family reunion was broadcast on television.

Xia Tianxiu happened to have just bought the only imported neon color TV with the largest screen in the entire Haicheng. She invited her relatives and friends to her home for a small gathering to show off.

A group of people were sitting around the TV and watching this program.

When the camera zoomed in on the lucky Qiao Tianyue, everyone gasped in surprise.

Because Qiao Tianyue looks almost exactly like Xia Tianxiu!

Summer Xiu fell silent the moment she saw that face.

Beijing, Qijia!

Her mind immediately started working.

A week later, she went to Beijing.

The Qi family was also incredulous when they saw her.

Xia Tianxiu was originally an adopted daughter of the Xia family, and her background was unknown.

The Qi family investigated for a long time but still couldn't figure out who the real Qiao Tianyue was.

Xia Tianxiu lived in the Qi family's house for more than half a year.

During this time, she also introduced Su Yin to the Qi family. Su Yin obtained several major projects in Beijing, and her net worth rose to another level.

The Qi family ultimately decided to recognize both her and another woman as members of their clan.

Just two weeks before the ancestor recognition ceremony, Qi Yasheng, a professor at Peking University, received a call from a student in the United States who had heard about the situation. The student said he could do paternity tests for her family, a technology that was already well-established in the United States.

Therefore, the ceremony was postponed.

Two months later, the results came out.

That woman is the Qi family's biological daughter, while Xia Tianxiu has absolutely no connection with the Qi family!

After enjoying six months of maternal love, Xia Tianxiu was kicked out of the Qi family compound.

Although Qi Yaqin warmly saw her off when she left, saying, "Come visit anytime you want in the future," Xia Tianxiu never stepped into the Qi family compound again in her previous life.

In this life, I'm sorry, she's going to beat me to it!

Xia Tianxiu sat on the sofa in the Qi family's living room, with a cup of hot tea in front of her.

Sitting opposite her, Qi Yasheng was even more nervous than her, and had even started sweating.

Qi Yasheng asked her many questions, and she answered them all fluently.

In her previous life, she was fully aware of these matters and would not make the slightest mistake.

After asking her question, Qi Yasheng still stared at her, unable to believe it.

The dark-skinned woman in front of him bore absolutely no resemblance to his delicate, beautiful younger sister! And was she really only fifteen years old?

Xia Tianxiu picked up the teacup, and only then did she see her face reflected in the tea, which startled her.

She then realized that she hadn't washed her face for days, and the soot from the bottom of the pot on her face hadn't been removed. With the expressions she had made these past few days, the soot had formed deep wrinkles, making her look like a slovenly old woman!

She quickly said to Qi Yasheng, "Can I borrow your water to wash my face?"

Qi Yasheng nodded in agreement, led her to the water pipe in the middle of the courtyard, and handed her a bar of soap.

Summer Xiuzai washed her face carefully.

After taking the towel from Qi Yasheng, she dried her face and smiled brightly at him: "Thank you!"

Qi Yasheng looked at the person in front of her and instantly transformed from a mountain village aunt into a lively young girl. She was so shocked that she opened her mouth wide and couldn't say a word.

At this point, he was convinced that the girl was definitely his sister's biological daughter.

He turned and ran into Qi Yuan's bedroom, rummaged through drawers and cabinets for a while, and took out a few photos.

The photo is very blurry, but you can still tell that the person in it looks very much like Xia Tianxiu.

Although Xia Tianxiu was a bit dark-skinned and thin, having experienced two lifetimes, she no longer had the timid and submissive demeanor of her previous life. The noblewoman's temperament that she had cultivated in her previous life unconsciously shone through.