Volume One, Chapter One: Reborn at the Start—Applying to Work in the Countryside, Eccentric Family Stay Away

"Volunteering to go to the countryside—what a model comrade, truly responding to the call of the times!"

Su Ningxia was reborn in 1973, the very year Su Tingsnow returned home. The first thing she did upon awakening was to sign up to be sent to the countryside.

"Comrade, how soon can I leave?" Su Ningxia fixed her burning gaze on the woman before her.

The woman looked up, giving her a brief glance. "One month."

One month.

In just one month, she could finally leave that disgusting home behind.

Only after stepping out of the neighborhood committee office did Su Ningxia have a chance to digest the reality of her rebirth.

This year, she was about to turn eighteen.

For more than a decade, everyone in her family had doted on her, indulged her, cherished her as if she were a princess. She never had to do any chores; she wasn't even allowed into the kitchen. Since childhood, her hands had never touched a drop of cold water.

She remembered once, when she had a fever, the whole family stayed by her side. Her eldest brother, not even bothering to put on shoes, carried her on his back to the county hospital. Her second and third brothers kept vigil by her side for three days and nights, terrified that something might happen to her.

They always said, "Xiaxia is the heart and soul of the family. If anyone dares to bully her, we’d fight to the death to protect her!"

But everything changed after Su Tingsnow was found.

When Su Tingsnow returned with proof of her identity, she was dressed in thin, shabby clothes, small and frail, bearing bruises from abuse. The whole family embraced her, crying with a mixture of heartache and excitement, overcome with guilt for what she'd endured.

Su Ningxia stood off to the side, feeling completely out of place.

That's when she learned she wasn't the Su family's biological daughter, but had been switched at birth.

Watching the family tightly embrace one another, only one thought echoed in Su Ningxia's mind.

All the love and favor she had received was now destined for Su Tingsnow.

That day, Father Su held both their hands and said, "Xiaxia, Xiaoxue, from now on you are both daughters of the Su family. As the elder sister, Xiaxia, you should take care of your little sister."

Su Ningxia took his words to heart.

Out of guilt, she gave way to Su Tingsnow in everything—good food, nice drinks, whatever she wanted, she yielded to her.

At first, Su Tingsnow seemed to get along with her, but later...

When she saw the beautiful clothes, shoes, and hairpins in Su Ningxia's wardrobe—all tangible evidence of the family’s love—she thought, these should have been mine!

Su Tingsnow began using petty tricks to draw the family's attention. Discovering how much they cared, she became even bolder, determined to claim all their affection for herself.

She started targeting Su Ningxia in every way, gradually destroying her image in the family's eyes.

Then, time after time, she framed Su Ningxia, painting her as malicious and jealous, until she was neglected and ignored at home.

When she turned eighteen, Su Tingsnow told her their third brother had gotten into trouble at the black market.

Terrified, she rushed there, only to be arrested as soon as she entered, accused of illegal trading.

The whole family was summoned to the detention center.

In Mother Su’s arms, Su Tingsnow wept bitterly, "Sister, I told you not to go to the black market, why did you have to go..."

"I didn’t—it was you who said third brother was in trouble, I only—"

"Su Ningxia! What trouble could I possibly be in? To avoid blame, you’d say such a thing! We used to think you were just a little jealous, but at least you had a good heart. Who would have thought you'd do something so shameful!"

Even her usually calm eldest brother said, "Yes, Xiaxia, this time you’ve been so foolish."

"How disgraceful! You’ve humiliated the whole Su family!"

"From this day on, our family has no daughter like you!"

No matter how hysterically Su Ningxia tried to explain, no one listened. They simply left her in the detention center.

Later, though it was proven she hadn’t been selling anything, forbidden items purchased from the black market were found on her, so she was detained for seven days as a warning.

Su Ningxia knew Su Tingsnow had planted those things on her.

But what she couldn’t understand was why her family didn’t believe her—didn’t they know what kind of person she was after all these years?

After her release, she desperately tried to regain her brothers’ trust, doing everything she could for them.

By chance, she saved the life of a high-ranking officer, and used that favor to help her eldest brother get promoted.

Knowing her second brother wanted to study medicine, she sacrificed her own reputation, frequenting the cowsheds every day to help him find a master.

When her third brother fell into the river and the family was helpless, it was she who leapt in without hesitation, pulling him to safety with a rope...

In the end, the family took her third brother home, leaving her, soaked to the bone, behind.

She suffered from chills ever after because of it.

She thought that after all she’d done, they would see it...

But all it took was a single remark from Su Tingsnow: "Sister is doing all this so our brothers will forgive her. If only I had her abilities, I’m sure our brothers would dote on me too."

They concluded that everything Su Ningxia did was just to compete for affection.

They even said: "It’s your duty, since our family raised you all these years. Even if you give your life, it’s only right."

Later, Su Ningxia returned home, on the condition that she give her university admission letter to Su Tingsnow.

Su Tingsnow went to university.

And she—

She stayed home, working herself to the bone as a servant for the entire family.

At twenty-eight, she fell ill. The doctor diagnosed her with mid-stage liver cancer—illnesses left from saving her eldest brother’s benefactor and her third brother from drowning, combined with years of overwork.

But it was still treatable—with surgery and active follow-up, she could recover.

Su Ningxia thought, after everything she’d done for this family, surely there would be some shred of compassion left for her.

But lying gaunt and frail in her hospital bed, she overheard her brothers and parents talking.

"The surgery costs are too high."

"Yes, and Xiaoxue called the other day, saying she’s graduated and wants to start a business. She needs some capital from the family."

"So what do we do? If we help Xiaxia, we won’t be able to support Xiaoxue."

"That’s right. Cancer is so hard to fight, and do we want to slave away taking care of her for the rest of our lives?"

"Maybe we should just let it go. Treating her would only be a burden. Better to give the money to Xiaoxue—starting a business is tough for a girl alone."

Su Ningxia watched their retreating backs, her heart clenching with pain.

Why...

Why had she done so much for this family, for every one of them, and yet they still wouldn’t save her...

What had she done wrong?

Even as she died, she never understood.

When her body could endure no more, she lay on her back, each breath costing all her remaining strength.

Her third brother came to see her.

He looked down at her from above, eyes devoid of emotion. "You brought all this upon yourself. Even Heaven is punishing you. For the harm you did to Xiaoxue, now you’re paying with your life."

But she had done nothing...

She thought he was her last hope, her savior.

She never expected he’d turn out to be her executioner.

If she had another chance, she would never live that way again!

Su Ningxia died filled with hate.

The bitterness surged within her—she could still feel the despair and sorrow of her final moments.

She clenched her fists, forcing herself to quell her resentment.

In her last life, she had given everything to that blind and heartless family—yet what had it brought her in the end?

She took a deep breath.

This life, she would never let the same fate befall her. She would never again do anything just to move herself.

She only had one month left before she left. And before she went, she would make sure this family would know no peace.

Didn’t Su Tingsnow love to act, to play the victim, to claim she was bullied?

Very well.

This time, she would truly bully her!

What did it matter what the Su family thought of her?

Old grudges and new would be settled, one by one, in this final month.