Chapter 5 – Fostered

This situation really wouldn’t take much investigating to uncover. Song Zhenzhen bitterly regretted it now—had she known, she never would have agreed to take Song Ziyi away for Bai Qingxia just for some money.

“Hurry up and speak!” Song Weiguo lost all patience and barked at her.

Song Zhenzhen trembled and had no choice but to tell the truth.

When Song Weiguo learned that Song Zhenzhen had indeed given Song Yun’s biological younger brother away—openly, without even trying to hide it, making it easy to trace—he shut his eyes in fury, his chest heaving. Realizing Song Yun was still waiting outside for an answer, he hurriedly asked,
“Did you take money for it?”

Song Zhenzhen shook her head.
“No. That family said Song Ziyi was too old and hard to manage—they didn’t want him. I gave them ten yuan to convince them to take him. They didn’t pay me anything.”

Once Song Weiguo confirmed she hadn’t taken money, he finally let out a sigh of relief. If there was no money received, it wasn’t considered child trafficking. Since she had paid them instead, at most it could be labeled as “fostering.”

Now feeling more confident, Song Weiguo brought Song Zhenzhen outside and explained the situation to Song Yun.

Song Yun looked coldly at the shameless father and daughter, sneering,
“I’ll know whether it’s human trafficking or not once I see the person. You think you can change trafficking to fostering just by flapping your lips?”

Song Weiguo, always shrewd, now understood exactly what Song Yun wanted. He immediately turned to Song Zhenzhen and said,
“What are you standing around for? Give her the address where the child was fostered!”

Zhenzhen didn’t want to, but she knew if this wasn’t resolved, she might really end up with a criminal record for trafficking. So she silently prayed that the family hadn’t gone too far—at least that they hadn’t killed the boy. As long as Song Ziyi was still alive, no matter how cunning Song Yun was, she couldn’t do anything to her.

Song Yun got the address as she wanted—but she didn’t leave right away. She turned to Song Weiguo and said,
“Your precious daughter sent my little brother to the rural outskirts. I’ll need an introduction letter to go look for him.”

Since he wanted to clear his daughter’s name of any suspicion of child trafficking, Song Weiguo immediately agreed and promised to sort out the introduction letter for her.

Then Song Yun turned her gaze on Song Zhenzhen.
“When my real parents gave you the money, my little brother was present, wasn’t he?”

Zhenzhen’s expression changed again.

This was one of the main reasons she’d been so desperate to get rid of Song Ziyi. Of the three portions of money she’d received, only one was actually hers. If Song Ziyi and Song Yun met, two-thirds of the money would be gone. But if Song Ziyi was out of the picture, she could keep it all.

Seeing her expression, Song Yun knew she’d guessed right.
“So—are you giving me the money now, or should I wait until I find Song Ziyi and have the Public Security Bureau send you a summons?”

When Song Weiguo heard his daughter had taken money from the old capitalist couple, and that the matter might involve the Public Security Bureau, he panicked. If word got out that their family was connected to capitalists, someone might report them—and then the Song family would be finished.

“If you really took their money, hand it over immediately! How dare you even accept money from people like that?”
Recently, the Revolutionary Committee had been arresting people everywhere. Some were even dragged off and beaten without solid evidence—crippled or killed, and no one cared. If it was discovered that their family had ties to capitalists, not only would they lose their jobs—they might lose their lives.

Song Weiguo glared at Song Yun, his voice low and furious.
“You have the address now, and I’ll make sure Zhenzhen gives you the money. But starting today—you must sever all ties with our family!”

Previously, no one knew Song Yun’s true background, and her foster family wasn’t anything special. If she married Ding Jianye, they’d get a fat bride price and support for their precious son.

But now she was about to go find the son of a rightist? If this got out, it would be disastrous. He couldn’t take that kind of risk. He had to cut ties immediately.

Bride price, support—none of that mattered compared to survival.

When Song Yun heard this, her eyes lit up—what a deal!

But she couldn’t agree too quickly.

“Have Zhenzhen return the money my real parents gave her—every last cent. If even one fen is missing, I’ll go straight to the Revolutionary Committee and report it. The country is vast—I’m sure there are still plenty of cold, remote cowsheds available. I bet they’d love to assign one to your whole family.”

Zhenzhen screamed like she’d been shocked,
“I’m not going to a cowshed! I’d rather die!”
She still remembered the suffering she endured there. No way was she going back.

Song Weiguo clamped a hand over her mouth.
“What are you shouting for? Do you want to die?” He didn’t know if the gossipy neighbors had heard.

Even Li Shulan, slow as she was, now understood what was going on. Furious, she pointed at Song Yun and shouted,
“You ungrateful wretch! We raised you for eighteen years—this is how you repay us? If I’d known you were this rotten, I never would’ve fed and clothed you!”

Fed and clothed her?

Song Yun’s memories said otherwise.

She immediately shot back,
“Is your idea of good food and clothing the scraps left after your whole family ate? Or making a twelve-year-old wash the laundry in freezing water in the middle of winter? Or pulling me out of school to take care of your precious son? If it weren’t for Auntie Gu going to the factory leaders to speak up for me, I wouldn’t have even finished elementary school.”

The only reason she made it to high school was because her grades were genuinely excellent and the school repeatedly pleaded with the family. Even then, she didn’t get out of chores—up at 4 AM to cook for the whole family, wash their clothes, clean the house. She barely ate and barely slept. Malnutrition and exhaustion were what caused her to die so easily after hitting the table corner.

She had long suspected she wasn’t really their child. Her looks had always been too striking—neither Song Weiguo nor Li Shulan were attractive, especially not Shulan, who was downright homely. Song Yun, by contrast, had always been known as the prettiest girl in the textile factory neighborhood. And given how the couple had treated her over the years, practically abusive, her doubts only deepened.

Now being scolded face-to-face, Li Shulan grew even angrier. She pointed at Song Yun and roared,
“No matter what, we raised you—even without a drop of blood relation! You’ve eaten for free all these years. If you won’t repay us, fine—but calling the police and threatening reports? Where’s your conscience?”

Song Yun nearly laughed aloud at the twisted logic. She pointed at Zhenzhen and said,
“And what about your precious daughter? You think she grew up on air? Look at her soft, pampered hands, then look at my hands—covered in calluses. You have the nerve to say I ate for free? Ever since I can remember, I did all the chores! Even your underwear—I washed it. When I was shorter than the stove, I was cooking meals for the family. If I’d been working as a servant or a maid, at least I’d get food in return.”

The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. No wonder the original Song Yun had been so desperate to marry and leave this house.

Song Yun took a deep breath, not wanting to argue further.
“Enough talk. Hand over the money my real parents gave you. If one cent is missing, I’ll deliver a report to the Revolutionary Committee myself.”

Song Weiguo’s expression was murderous. His fists were clenched, and he wanted nothing more than to beat this sharp-tongued girl to death. But he didn’t dare. Too many ears were listening outside. A few doors down lived the nosiest woman in the entire family compound—if he made a move, it would be impossible to cover it up.

“Give it to her!” he growled at Song Zhenzhen.