Zhou Suisui wiped her hands and hurried to open the door.

"Who is it?" she asked.

As soon as she opened the door, she was stunned. It was actually Lin Sisi's biological parents. But what surprised Zhou Suisui even more was that the Si parents, who had been so arrogant and haughty the last time they visited, now looked drastically different. Their faces were sunken, making them look like they had aged ten years. She also didn't see a car outside.

The two were carrying some items in their hands. Zhou Suisui was puzzled and asked, "Who are you looking for?"

Seeing Zhou Suisui's suspicious gaze, Si's father and mother were visibly embarrassed. Last time they had come to the Lin family, they had shown disdain and condescension. But now, they were showing up at the door, trying to ingratiate themselves. For them, this was a huge insult.

However, they couldn't show their discomfort and could only awkwardly ask, "Are Sisi's adoptive parents at home?"

Over the past few days, they had been seeking mediation from the police, but the responses had all been refusals, with the message being that the matter should be handled as it is. Even with the Fu family and Fu Yang stepping in, it was to no avail.

If this incident had happened privately without such a public outcry, given their connections, Lin Sisi would likely have been sorted out easily. Unfortunately, the matter had become widely known, with the entire military compound aware of it.

Si's father had even been summoned by his superiors for questioning. Although Lin Sisi had been raised in the countryside for over a decade, and technically his responsibility was minimal, the scandal caused by a direct family member being imprisoned was a severe blow to his position as an official.

The military was now monitoring his handling of the situation closely. This meant that Si's father couldn't leverage connections, use his influence, or offer bribes to the Fu family to seek help from Fu Shouzhang.

With only one daughter, a precious only child, he couldn't bear to watch her life be ruined. To repay the 3,000 yuan, he even sold his prized car. In the past few days, he had lost his appetite and sleep, visibly aging by over a decade.

However, they couldn't show their discomfort and could only awkwardly ask, "Are Sisi's adoptive parents at home?"

Over the past few days, they had sought mediation from the police, but the responses had been refusals, with the message being that the matter should be handled as it is. Even with the Fu family and Fu Yang stepping in, it was to no avail.

If this incident had happened privately without such a public outcry, given their connections, Lin Sisi would likely have been resolved easily. Unfortunately, the matter had become widely known, with the entire military compound aware of it.

Si's father had even been summoned by his superiors for questioning. Although Lin Sisi had been raised in the countryside for over a decade, and technically his responsibility was minimal, the scandal caused by a direct family member being imprisoned was a severe blow to his position as an official.

The military was now monitoring his handling of the situation closely. This meant that Si's father couldn't leverage connections, use his influence, or offer bribes to the Fu family to seek help from Fu Shouzhang.

With only one daughter, his precious only child, he couldn't bear to watch her life be ruined. To repay the 3,000 yuan, he even sold his prized car. In the past few days, he had lost his appetite and sleep, visibly aging by over a decade.

The couple realized that this situation couldn't go on, so they decided to visit the Lin family. Although they were unsure about how Lin Sisi's adoptive family had treated her in the past, they had raised her for eighteen years, and there must have been some bond.

Since Si Nian had now accepted Lin Sisi's adoptive parents, if they were willing to make concessions, it was likely that Si Nian and Zhou Yue Shen wouldn't be too opposed. That was their hope in coming over.

From their previous interaction, the Lin family appeared simple and honest, so they believed the matter could be handled relatively easily.

When they arrived, Lin Mama came out and was momentarily stunned to see them. She then asked in confusion, "Do you need something from me?"

"Comrade Lin, please save Sisi!"

Before Si's father could speak, Zhang Cui Mei frantically rushed forward, grabbing Lin Mama's hand, her eyes bloodshot. "That dead girl Si Nian wants to harm Sisi! She's determined to have Sisi imprisoned. Wuwu, my poor daughter!"

Lin Mama was startled and stammered, "Sisi? What happened to Sisi?"

"Si Nian is trying to ruin Sisi's life! She's hell-bent on sending Sisi to jail. My poor daughter..." Zhang Cui Mei recalled how, just half a year ago, Lin Sisi had returned home, and they hadn't even had a chance to enjoy a happy life together before she was arrested. Zhang Cui Mei was heartbroken, thinking of her daughter on her knees, crying and begging for help, pleading that she was wrong.

Although Zhang Cui Mei felt her daughter's actions were wrong, she could understand her feelings. After all, who would want to see eighteen years of a good life taken away? Her daughter had simply gone astray in the countryside, and it shouldn't have resulted in jail time!

Lin Mama was unaware of the details, as the Si family lived so far from the village, and the news hadn't reached her. Apart from Zhou Yue Shen and Si Nian, no one in the village knew about Lin Sisi's situation.

Confused, she asked, "What are you saying? How could Si Nian want to harm Sisi?"

Zhang Cui Mei explained, "It's because she holds a grudge against Sisi for taking away her identity and pushing her to the countryside. That's why she's trying to ruin Sisi!"

"I know Sisi took the three thousand yuan, and that's wrong, but we've already promised to return the money. Sisi knows she's at fault. Why does Si Nian still want to ruin her?"

"Si Nian must have spoken ill of Sisi to you, so now that Sisi is in trouble, you're ignoring it, right?"

"No matter what, you raised her for eighteen years, and she truly considered you as her parents and was respectful. How can you be so cruel just because of a few bad things Si Nian said?"

Zhang Cui Mei's voice was sharp, seemingly pouring all her resentment toward Si Nian onto Lin Mama.

Lin Mama and Si Nian did share some resemblance. It was strange—living in such a rural place where everyone had wrinkled, dull faces, Lin Mama's features were strikingly beautiful. Even though she was aging, her face remained more refined than most, exuding a timeless elegance.

Zhang Cui Mei felt increasingly uncomfortable.

Lin Mama, initially stunned, grew darker in expression as Zhang Cui Mei's accusations against Si Nian continued. She had long harbored doubts about the three thousand yuan issue. The visit from the police and subsequent guesses from her daughter had left her feeling uneasy.

Lin Mama wasn't naive; she simply didn't want to believe that the child she had cared for so deeply would treat them this way.

Even though Lin Sisi's behavior was increasingly disappointing, Lin Mama had never blamed her nor spoken ill of her in front of others. But now Zhang Cui Mei was denigrating her daughter, blaming Si Nian for harming Sisi when it was clearly Sisi who had stolen the money? It was absurd!

"Lin Sisi stole the three thousand yuan?" Lin Mama's tone was unexpectedly calm.

Zhang Cui Mei was taken aback and then realized the gravity of the situation, her face darkening. "What are you pretending for? Didn't Si Nian tell you?"

Lin Mama was infuriated and laughed bitterly. "Nian Nian is busy every day taking care of the children and bringing meals. How could she possibly have time to tell us about such things? I didn't even know until now that it was truly Lin Sisi who stole the money. I actually comforted her back then, believing her lies."

When the money was stolen, Lin Sisi had cried inconsolably. Lin Mama, heartbroken, reassured her that everything would be fine and even gave her more money to go to the city, worried she might be depressed.

Now, it seemed that Lin Mama had been completely fooled by her adopted daughter, making her look like a fool. The three thousand yuan had become a heavy burden on their family, making every breath feel difficult.

Her husband seemed to age ten years overnight, and her son worked several jobs a day just to scrape together the money. Yet, despite all that, the village still spread rumors about them. The two kids and their daughter-in-law couldn't even step outside without being pointed at and gossiped about. Only Lin's mother knew how their family had endured during that time.

And now, Zhang Cuimei simply says it's all Si Nian's fault?

What did Si Nian do wrong? She was swapped at birth—if anyone's at fault, it's the adults. How can they blame her?

Moreover, because of that stolen three thousand yuan, Si Nian has to bear the consequences of Lin Sisi's crime! She's the real victim here!

Zhang Cuimei was left speechless. Lin's mother's accusation that Lin Sisi had stolen the money was like a stinging slap to her face. Proud by nature, Zhang Cuimei now found herself being mocked by a country woman—a situation that left her looking rather grim.

"Lin Sisi stole the money—three thousand yuan. That's no small amount. As her mother, you should know that, right? Do you even understand what Si Nian had to endure because of that money? Her adoptive parents know better than anyone. What right do you have to blame her?"

"Yes, Si Nian took away eighteen years of happiness from Sisi, but was that her choice? We both made the mistake of swapping our children. We were the ones who changed their lives. Why should Si Nian be blamed for that?"

Zhang Cuimei was left speechless, her face turning red with anger. After a long pause, she finally retorted, "That's because of your poor upbringing! If you had raised her well, how could Sisi have developed the bad habit of stealing money?"

"Our Lin family has always been honest and clean. We've never taken anything that wasn't ours. My eldest son didn't go to school because he gave up his opportunity so Lin Sisi could go. My two younger sons only started first grade last year because we saved everything to send Sisi to high school. She's had a better education than anyone in our family, and you say we didn't raise her well?"

"Go and ask anyone in Linjia Village—whose daughter had it better than Lin Sisi?"

Zhang Cuimei wanted to say more, but Si's father stopped her. He awkwardly said, "Nian Nian's mother, Cuimei is just upset. That's why she said those things. Please don't hold it against her."

"I don't ask for much. We'll repay the three thousand yuan, every cent of it. We only hope you'll give Sisi a chance. She's only eighteen. If she goes to prison, her life will be ruined."

"I'm sorry, but I can't help you with this."

They had thought that Nian Nian's mother would be soft-hearted, but this time, she didn't hesitate to refuse. This left Si's father stunned.

He was incredulous. "Why? Isn't Sisi your child too? How can you just stand by and watch her suffer?"

"Comrade Si, you care about your daughter, and I care about mine. Why should I make my daughter suffer for the sake of yours?" Lin's mother said calmly.

"This situation is Lin Sisi's fault. When she did something like this, she should have known what the consequences would be. She's not a child who doesn't understand the law."

"You say that my Nian Nian ruined her life, but all she might face is two years in prison. My daughter, on the other hand, has lost the happiness of a lifetime."

Si Nian had already heard the commotion outside. Initially, she was worried that Lin's mother might not be able to handle the situation or might soften her stance. But now, she was genuinely surprised. She hadn't expected such words from someone like Lin's mother.

Standing inside the house, a gentle warmth flickered in Si Nian's eyes. It wasn't in vain that she had treated the Lin family well. It seemed her efforts hadn't been wasted after all.

"As for the gifts, we don't need them. Please, both of you, leave," Lin's mother said firmly.

She felt that this situation had affected not only the Lin family but that the real victims were Si Nian and Zhou Yue Shen. Si Nian was already married, so how could they have any say in changing the outcome of this matter?

After all, her daughter had initially involved the police to protect the Lin family's reputation. If they were to now turn around and forgive Lin Sisi, how would they be any different from traitors?

So, even if Lin Sisi were to face the death penalty, Lin's mother wouldn't lift a finger to help. Any affection she had for Lin Sisi as her adopted daughter had long been worn away.

Lin's mother directly asked them to leave, showing no politeness despite their status. Father and Mother Si's faces turned red with embarrassment, clearly uncomfortable. They were about to say something more when Si Nian suddenly stepped out.

The two of them froze in place.

"What are you doing here?" Father and Mother Si asked in surprise.

Just moments ago, they had been bad-mouthing Si Nian, and now, here she was. It was as if she had been waiting to catch them in the act, making them feel even more uneasy.

Before they could say anything else, Si Nian's eyes welled up with tears, and she started to cry, her voice choked with emotion, "Uncle Si, do you not want to see me? Even though I'm not your biological daughter, I've always treated you with sincerity. You raised me for eighteen years, and I've never done anything to disappoint you."

Father Si was at a loss for words. "That's not what I meant, it's just that Sisi..."

Si Nian wiped her tears as she continued, her voice tinged with sadness, "You're all blaming me for what happened with Lin Sisi, but the truth is, she did steal the money. It's not that I can't forgive her, but this has become a public matter. So many people know she took the money. What do you think will happen when they find out that Lin Sisi wasn't arrested and was let off without any punishment?"

Father and Mother Si didn't quite grasp her meaning. "What do you mean?" they asked.

Si Nian's expression grew serious as she explained, "People will think that the Si family used their power to bully others, that Lin Sisi got away with stealing because of her connections. Your status is already sensitive. If people start believing that you abused your power for personal gain, what do you think will happen? Uncle, aren't you about to get promoted? If this incident comes to light, your competitors will surely use it against you. You're not young anymore, and getting promoted isn't easy. If this ruins your chances, the Si family might never have another opportunity to rise."

Father and Mother Si were stunned, their faces turning pale as the gravity of the situation dawned on them. In the chaos of the past few days, they had been so overwhelmed that they hadn't considered this angle.

"But!" Si Nian suddenly raised her voice, "If you cooperate with the police on this matter and refrain from using your status to intervene, leading by example with integrity, the military district will have no reason to criticize you."

"Even though Sisi might have to go to jail, she'll only be there for a year or two at most. But in exchange, Dad could get a promotion. I don't think that's a bad trade-off at all," Si Nian said.

Father Si's eyes brightened at this, while Zhang Cuimei fell into silence.

When Lin Sisi learned that the Lin family parents were unwilling to help, her face turned green with fury. She was absolutely livid. She had assumed that once her parents knew about her situation, they would never let her go to jail. But to her shock, despite them personally pleading for help, the Lin parents still refused to intervene.

Si Nian must have said something to them!

"Sisi, don't worry," Zhang Cuimei tried to reassure her. "We've already made the necessary arrangements. Even if you do have to go inside, you won't suffer, and you'll be out soon enough."

Upon hearing this, Lin Sisi lost control of her emotions entirely, almost going mad with rage. "What? You're not going to help me? You're really going to let me go to jail? How could you? Do you have no conscience? I'm your only daughter!"