April, 1970, Beijing.
The Shen family's old residence.
"Shen Qingran, since you've been selected for this rural assignment, you have to go. There's no room for discussion!!"
"Don't think you can get away with it just by locking the door!"
Shen Qingran opened her eyes, looked around, and took in the scene inside the room.
That's not right!
Didn't I starve to death on that hill behind the village where I was sent to work?
How did I end up here?
Inside the room, there was an old wooden bed, a writing desk by the window, and a familiar large wardrobe.
The old-fashioned calendar beside it—everything felt so familiar.
Shen Qingran glanced at the calendar, then pinched her cheek, confirming one thing: she had truly been reborn.
I went back to three years ago, when my family was arranging for me to go to the countryside.
In my previous life, I was the second child in my family, with an older brother, a younger brother, and a younger sister.
Originally, the older brother was the eldest, so logically, it should have been the older brother who went to the countryside.
However, for some reason, just yesterday, my stepmother Zheng Xiuyu insisted on drawing lots.
Shen Qingran was still suspicious at first.
However, the father and stepmother were very firm in their stance.
For the sake of fairness, let God decide.
Perhaps it was just bad luck that I was chosen to go to the countryside.
The older brother Shen Ci, the younger brother Shen Wei, and the younger sister Shen Yulian all secretly breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that they had escaped a disaster.
In her previous life, Shen Qingran was brainwashed by her stepmother and came to believe that this was her fate and that someone in the family always had to make sacrifices.
However, what I never expected was that after I went to the countryside...
The father and stepmother actually ran off with all the gold, silver and silk in the house and fled overnight, even making their way to the United States.
What's even more outrageous is that before leaving, she arranged a marriage between herself and the young master of the Wan family in the neighboring military compound.
As for why this was decided, Shen Qingran from her previous life didn't know.
It wasn't until after he became a ghost that he learned that the Shen family had been stopped from going abroad by some people.
The Shen family was originally a family of doctors, and in principle, they should not be among those to be removed from the list of families to be investigated.
I just don't know why the list includes the Shen family.
When the father found out, he quickly discussed it with his stepmother. Since they had helped some important people in the capital with their medical treatment, the Shen family had some connections.
The Wan family next door was someone the Shen family couldn't even dream of befriending.
It is said that Young Master Wan was a troublemaker when he was young, but he became an outstanding member of the army when he grew up.
He had been gone for ten years and was now a 28-year-old young man. Many girls in the military compound had their eyes on him, but somehow he ended up with Shen Qingran.
Wan Jia insisted on choosing Shen Qingran.
It was through this connection, along with the gold coins, that Father Chen Tang managed to smooth things over.
In his previous life, he was persuaded by his family, especially his younger sister Shen Qinglian, who kept saying bad things about that young master Wan.
This led him to mistakenly believe that Young Master Wan had a "hidden illness!" That's why he changed his route and headed south instead of going to the place where Young Master Wan's troops were located.
She herself did not listen to her maternal grandmother's advice and did not make arrangements for the Shen family's business in advance.
That's right, my father, Chen Tang, married into the family.
Even the surname was changed later, following the mother's example.
However, after her mother died unexpectedly ten years ago, this stepmother brazenly moved into the house.
She resembled her mother in appearance, being pretty and delicate. As soon as she arrived in the countryside, she was noticed by the village chief's son.
Shen Qingran resolutely refused and was eventually abandoned on the back mountain on a rainy day, where she starved to death.
Later, Shen Qingran became a ghost and wandered among humans.
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