Chapter 4

Ning Lan stared at her older sister with wide eyes. Ning Qian met her gaze coldly. She knew that this girl had already begun to suspect her. But it didn't matter. Sooner or later, the truth would come out anyway. In the end, Mother Ning spoke up. "That's settled, then. The two of you will switch marriage partners." Her eldest brother glared fiercely at her. "Big sister, if you don't agree..." Ning Qian said calmly, "Sure, I have no objection. But whether Xue Yunkai is willing to marry me is another matter." Why would she refuse? She couldn't be happier about it. Seeing that her scheme had succeeded, Ning Lan gave Ning Qian a smug look. Ning Qian, so what if you've been reborn? You can't change what's happening now. Just wait and become a widow for that short-lived Xue Yunkai! Ning Qian grabbed Ning Lan and pulled her into the room. She heard her eldest brother shouting from outside, "Don't even think about bullying your little sister, or you'll have to answer to me!" "You're hurting me..." Ning Lan complained. She hadn't expected her sister to have such a strong grip. She remembered that her strength hadn't been this great before. Ning Qian couldn't help laughing inwardly. When she had first started her business, she had carried even the heaviest things herself to save money. How could she not have developed some strength? She released Ning Lan and said coldly, "Ning Lan, I'm warning you. Zhou Jianan is not a good man. Don't think you've found yourself some kind of treasure!" Although Ning Qian didn't have much affection for this younger sister, they were still blood relatives. She couldn't help wanting to warn her. Ning Lan immediately laughed. She folded her arms and curled her lips smugly. "Hah! Do I need you to pretend to warn me? You just want me to give Brother Jianan back to you, don't you?" "Your disgraceful behavior will be known by everyone tonight. Even if I wanted to give him back to you, Brother Jianan wouldn't want you anymore!" Hmph! Do you think I'm stupid enough to believe you're doing this for my sake? Zhou Jianan might only be an ordinary factory worker right now, but in a few years he'll rise to prominence. Don't think I don't know that! And you're still pretending in front of me. Seeing that Ning Lan refused to listen, Ning Qian didn't want to say anything more. "Suit yourself. But if you ever scheme against me again, you'd better watch yourself!" After saying that, she picked up her toiletries and prepared to wash up. Ning Lan suddenly blocked her path, staring at her with a sly look. "Big sister, have you been reborn too?" Ning Qian frowned slightly. "What are you talking about? I don't understand." Ning Lan was furious. "Stop pretending! The current you isn't the same person you used to be!" "Oh, so you're practicing tongue twisters now? If someone else heard this nonsense of yours, they might think you needed to be sent to a mental hospital. Be careful." She mockingly patted Ning Lan on the shoulder before slowly walking out. Even if Ning Lan had figured out that she had been reborn, Ning Qian would never admit it. She simply wanted to see her sister's frustrated reaction. There were no private bathrooms in those days, so everyone washed up in the kitchen. The house hadn't even had an indoor toilet before, though it had been renovated in the 1980s. There was no separate sink either. The same basin was used for both washing up and washing vegetables. The sink was a square stone trough that looked extremely sturdy. After washing up, Ning Qian returned to the room. Ning Lan stared at her coldly. "After doing something so filthy, you're not even going to take a bath?" "Say that again?" Ning Qian walked up to her, her expression turning cold. "So what if I say it again?" Ning Lan refused to back down. But in the end, she didn't dare repeat herself. The icy look in Ning Qian's eyes frightened her. She muttered, "I can't be bothered with you," before slipping out of the room. Ning Qian curled her lips. All bark and no bite, yet she still loved making trouble. Pathetic. Ning Qian looked around the room. It was exactly as she remembered. There was a cement floor and lime-plastered walls, with no sign of any proper decoration. The house was an old brick-and-concrete structure built in the 1950s. The walls had already begun to peel, leaving them mottled and unsightly. Several posters of contemporary celebrities were crookedly pasted onto the walls, including Liu Xiaoqing, Chen Chong, Zhang Yu, and Tang Guoqiang. The celebrity everyone was most obsessed with during this era was Liu Xiaoqing, because she was a local star from the mountain city. Ning Qian remembered that she had once even taken time off work to watch her and Chen Chong co-star in the movie Xiao Hua. The film had been incredibly popular at the time. Looking toward the window, she saw curtains made by stringing together circles rolled from cigarette boxes. This had been extremely fashionable during the 1980s. Especially in girls' bedrooms. A wardrobe painted red stood in the corner. There was a crack in the mirror on its front. It had been accidentally damaged when they moved previously. A large section of paint had also been scraped off one side. In another corner stood a dark-yellow wooden table with several stacks of books neatly arranged on top. The two sisters shared a single bed. Wooden frames stood at all four corners, with white linen mosquito netting hanging from them. Both ends of the mosquito net were held up by hooks. Ning Lan's quilt had a peony pattern and looked almost brand-new. Ning Qian's quilt, on the other hand, was so worn that its original color could hardly be made out. It was gray and dingy, with several patches sewn into it. She couldn't help giving a bitter laugh. Back then, she had foolishly believed that there was nothing wrong with an older sister making a few sacrifices. But what had those sacrifices gotten her? Endless chores, casual beatings and scoldings from her parents and brother, and betrayal from her own sister! Her previous life had truly been a failure. This time, she had to stand on her own feet. She would be the one in charge of her life. She would never again allow other people to control her destiny. ... The next morning. Ning Qian was still asleep when her mother's booming voice rang out. "You lazy girl! It's already past seven, and you're still sleeping! Get up and make breakfast!" Ning Qian rubbed her eyes and replied sluggishly, "I'm working the middle shift today, so I'm not having breakfast." "You don't want to eat, but we do! Get up right now!" Mother Ning grumbled as she left the room. Ning Qian heard a muffled laugh. She turned around and saw Ning Lan hiding under her quilt, secretly giggling. Unable to stand it, she yanked the quilt off her. "What are you laughing at? Get up and make breakfast with me!" In her previous life, whenever she was at home, she had always been the one cooking for the entire family. Did they really think she would continue being their servant in this life? No chance! Ning Lan frowned. "Big sister, Mom told you to make breakfast. She didn't tell me!" Ning Qian sneered. "Fine. Then none of us will eat." With that, she got out of bed. Her mother would probably come back to call her again soon, so she decided to get out of the house. She opened the battered double-door wardrobe and looked at the pitiful few outfits she owned. She couldn't help feeling a headache coming on. Normally, in this era, younger sisters were the ones who inherited their older sisters' clothes. But with the two of them, it was the other way around. Ning Qian had always worn the clothes left behind by her younger sister. She really didn't know how the old her had endured such humiliation. After searching for a long time, she still couldn't find a single decent outfit. Everything either had patches or an unpleasant color. Her salary should have been enough to live on, but her mother always found various excuses to take most of it. Then she would turn around and use the money to support her eldest brother and younger sister. Ning Qian chose a gray short-sleeved shirt and black trousers. Both had been washed so many times that their colors had begun to fade. But it didn't matter. In her previous life, people had deliberately distressed clothes to make them look faded. She could simply treat it as fashion. Although it was summer, she didn't have any sandals. She only had two pairs of cloth shoes, both faded from repeated washing. One pair was black, while the other had a dark-red floral pattern. She chose the black pair. Ning Qian initially wanted to tie her hair into a high ponytail, but after hesitating for a moment, she decided on two braids instead. After all, most girls in this era either wore their hair in braids or kept it short. She stood in front of the cracked mirror and looked at herself. At twenty-two, she was still full of youthful collagen. Even she wanted to pinch those fresh, delicate cheeks. When Mother Ning saw Ning Qian about to leave, she froze. "Where are you going?" Ning Qian smiled. "Mom, I've gained some weight these past few days, so I'm skipping breakfast to lose weight." "Lose... weight?" Mother Ning repeated, unable to process the idea. After all, people in this era were eager to eat as much as they could. Who would ever think about losing weight? "You ungrateful girl! You don't want to eat, but we do! How can you be so selfish?" As she spoke, her hand came swinging toward Ning Qian!