"Isn’t it true that the first time Hongen said ’aunt,’ he was calling Nianhua."
Remembering that scene, Su Xi now felt that in the midst of her past jealousy, there was a sense of destiny at play. She looked at Hongen and asked, "Hongen, do you think of Nianhua as your real aunt?"
"Aunt, indeed." Su Hong’en lifted his head from his book briefly to respond before immediately looking back down to continue reading.
"Hongen probably feels close to Nianhua," Fang Manyin sighed and said, "Look, even Mom felt naturally close to Nianhua, despite not knowing her true identity, and she often wanted to acknowledge Nianhua as a goddaughter. Who would have thought she was her real daughter?"
Fang Manyin was aware of this younger sister; though she was gone shortly after birth, she always had a presence in the Su Family. Over the years, as Fang Manyin married into the Su Family, the in-laws always cherished this sister who died young. They often donated to libraries and helped orphans, saying it was for the blessing of the young sister so that she might have a good rebirth!
"I feel like there is a thread in the dark, pulling us closer," Su Xi said with a smile. "Sister Manyin, speaking of it, the first time I met Nianhua, I felt an extraordinary sense of closeness. Jiayi would often boast that they stayed in the same dormitory. Now it’s fine because Nianhua is my first cousin!"
...
In the police station, Jia Sufen faced Jiang Wanru, sobbing uncontrollably.
"I, I was really just momentarily confused." Jia Sufen covered her face with both hands. It was pure jealousy—jealous of her cousin’s good marriage, being cherished by their grandmother, and how even her cousin’s husband was very accommodating. Facing her cousin always brought a sense of inadequacy to her heart.
Although her cousin helped her, it always felt like charity, and later, as her own marriage deteriorated, her cousin and her cousin’s husband remained loving, especially during the time her grandmother was seriously ill in South City, her heart was extremely unbalanced.
On the day of childbirth, Jia Sufen watched Jiang Wanru laboriously give birth. Outwardly she was comforting her, but inwardly she felt she deserved it—why insist on having another child when she already had two sons!
That day was particularly hectic. Jiang Wanru went through a difficult labor, and there was another woman who was also having difficulties, but at that time, she was the only doctor on duty.
Jiang Wanru passed out as soon as she gave birth to a daughter without even seeing her face. The sight of this daughter fueled Jia Sufen’s already frenzied jealousy!
Why should her cousin have everything?
It was at that moment that Jia Sufen noticed Fang Yue had given birth to a stillborn child. An evil thought arose, and impulsively, Jia Sufen swapped the two children!
She gave the nurse back then a sum of money, and this incident seemed to be buried forever.
After Jiang Wanru gave birth to a stillborn, she was crushed. Her cousin’s husband continued to comfort her softly, and seeing Jiang Wanru in such pain made Jia Sufen inexplicably feel a sense of satisfaction!
Without the child, Jiang Wanru didn’t even want to stay in the hospital longer; she left early, and Fang Yue disappeared as soon as she got a daughter.
Over the long years that followed, as Jia Sufen calmed down, she sometimes regretted her impulsive actions. But the deed was done, and lacking the courage to reveal the truth, it just remained hidden for twenty-two years. In the dead of night, she often dreamed of the child she switched and frequently dreamed of Jiang Wanru seeking her child.
"Spare me your confusion—it’s been twenty-two years! If it weren’t discovered, would you have ever spoken the truth?" Jiang Wanru sobbed uncontrollably. The more of the truth she understood, the colder her heart became.