Late August, the heat of midsummer.
Jiang Nian took a train for a day to travel from Yao County, a remote mountainous area, to Jiangcheng.
Before she could even take a sip of water, her stepmother, Chen Fulan, couldn't wait to reveal the purpose of bringing her here from the countryside.
“Niannian, it’s not that I, as your stepmother, want to marry you off to the Si family. It’s just that your birth date and time are compatible with that person in the Si family.”
"Although it's like marrying a dead man, it's still like rising to the top and becoming a wealthy young lady. The Si family even promised to invest five million in our family."
Jiang Sheng, who was standing next to her, took a drag of his cigarette and looked at Jiang Nian: "Jiang Nian, agree to this, and consider it as repaying your father for raising you."
The debt of gratitude for raising and nurturing?
Upon hearing these four words, the pale-skinned girl raised her eyes.
His eyes, though hidden behind thick black-rimmed glasses, still revealed a hint of irony and coldness.
Her mother died after she was born, and Jiang Sheng left her with relatives in the countryside to be raised. He came to Jiangcheng to remarry and have a daughter, and has ignored her for seventeen years.
If it weren't for the fact that Si Boye, the heir of the Si family, died in a plane crash, and Madam Si hadn't arranged for her only son to return to his family, Jiang Sheng probably wouldn't have even remembered that he had such a daughter.
"Guarding the spirit tablet" means that she must marry Si Boye's memorial tablet and spend the rest of her life guarding it.
A person who would not hesitate to ruin his own daughter's life for five million yuan has the nerve to utter the words "gratitude for raising her."
Jiang Nian's face remained expressionless.
With a hint of sarcasm, she said, "Since it's such a good thing as marrying into a wealthy family and becoming a young mistress, why isn't it Jiang Ranran who should go?"
“I remember that before my mother passed away, she arranged a marriage for me when we were children. I was already engaged to Song Wenjing, the young master of the Song family in Jiangcheng.”
Jiang Ranran, her stepsister.
The Jiang family's daughter, who was pampered and spoiled by Jiang Sheng and Chen Fulan since childhood.
Chen Fulan's expression changed when she was surprised that Jiang Nian knew about this.
"What era are we living in? Childhood betrothals still count? The Song family is a powerful family in Jiangcheng. Why would they want someone like Niannian who grew up in the countryside!"
"To tell you the truth, Niannian, Wen Jing already has someone he likes, Ranran. They're getting engaged soon."
Just now, when Jiang Nian mentioned Song Wenjing, Jiang Ranran glared at him defiantly.
"Sister, someone like you, a country bumpkin, wouldn't actually dare to dream of marrying Brother Wenjing, would you?"
Jealousy flashed in Jiang Ranran's eyes.
They called Jiang Nian a country bumpkin, but apart from her thick, ugly black-rimmed glasses, Jiang Nian didn't have a trace of the rustic charm of a country girl.
She had a small, delicate face, a high, straight nose, and exquisite features. Despite growing up in a dirty, dilapidated rural area, her skin was even whiter and smoother than hers, which she had carefully maintained since childhood, and she exuded a cool and aloof aura.
But so what if her face is smaller and her features and skin are better? She's still going to marry a dead man soon.
Thinking of this, Jiang Ranran immediately felt relieved.
Jiang Nian suddenly raised her hand and slapped Jiang Ranran across the face!
With a sharp crack, the entire room fell silent.
Jiang Ranran covered her burning face and screamed, "Ah!"
Jiang Sheng and Chen Fulan stared in disbelief as they saw their beloved daughter being beaten: "Jiang Nian! How dare you hit Ranran?"
Jiang Nian said coldly, "He stole my fiancé and even dared to yell at me. Shouldn't I hit him?"
"You!" Jiang Sheng's chest heaved with anger. "I never imagined that after all these years in the countryside, you'd developed such a character! If it weren't for the fact that you were going to marry into the Si family..."
He would definitely pull it back for his precious daughter immediately.
Jiang Nian had long seen through the ulterior motives, selfishness, and greed of the people in front of her.
"No need to say so much, I can marry into the Si family and get investment for you."
"Really?" Jiang Sheng and Chen Fulan's eyes lit up, their anger vanished, and they revealed expressions of secret joy.
“Of course there are conditions,” Jiang Nian said, looking at the two people in front of her. “I want to sever ties with the Jiang family.”
Jiang Nian wants to sever ties with the Jiang family?
I heard that Jiang Nian was ranked last in his class at his rural high school. He was a good-for-nothing who got into fights and committed crimes, and was recently expelled.
Compared to their daughter Ranran, whom they have carefully nurtured into an outstanding and all-around talented woman who brings them honor and pride, the difference is like heaven and earth.
They've been itching to get rid of this burden for a long time, and now Jiang Nian is actually using it as a condition?
Jiang Nian took out a termination of relationship agreement from her bag, threw it on the table, and uttered two words: "Sign."
"Okay!" Jiang Sheng was afraid that Jiang Nian would change her mind, so he signed the document on the spot. He looked at Jiang Nian very warily and said, "Let me make this clear first, once you sign the document, you will have no relation to the Jiang family from now on. Don't regret it and beg to come back later!"
This was to prevent her from eyeing the Jiang family's small fortune and competing with Jiang Ranran for it.
Jiang Nian gave a mocking smirk.
Before leaving, I could still faintly hear conversations coming from inside the house.
"I knew it! A girl who grew up in the countryside could marry into a wealthy family, even if she ended up as a widow to a dead man. They'd be lining up for her. How could she possibly be unwilling?"
"Jiang Nian can bring our family five million, and we don't even need a dowry. It's a sure-fire deal. Honey, you're amazing..."
Jiang Nian only brought a backpack when she came.
After leaving the Jiang family, my phone rang, and I answered it casually.
"Sister Nian, did you manage to get rid of your scumbag father?"
Jiang Nian remained aloof as always, replying with a simple "Mm".
The boy on the other end of the phone scoffed, "Your dad's an idiot, he treats Jiang Ranran like a treasure, he has no idea that you, Sister Nian, are the real bastard..."
Jiang Nian asked, "Did you post the message I asked you to post on the missing persons website?"
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