As soon as they left, Wu Caiwei was the only one left at home. She propped her head on her hand and sat by the table, quietly absorbing the memories of the original host.
The moment she opened her eyes, she couldn't help but sigh for the original host. She was originally a young lady of the Bai family, but she was displaced by war. At that time, Madam Bai and Master Bai were truly in love. Seeing his wife heartbroken every day, Master Bai brought home a young girl from outside, claiming she was their daughter.
Madam Bai, seeing that the girl bore some resemblance to her, believed it to be true. She named the girl Bai Shuxue. Feeling extremely guilty for having lost her own daughter, she poured all her love onto the adopted girl, cherishing her as if she were made of sugar and afraid of dropping her.
Master Bai knew her true identity and his feelings for her were ordinary. It was incredibly difficult to find someone in the vast sea of people, but he never gave up searching for his daughter.
Fifteen or sixteen years later, he finally found her, the original host, now named Lin Lan. If nothing unexpected happened, she would have been renamed Bai Yulan upon arriving at the Bai family.
If it were just this, the original host wouldn't have harbored such resentment, and Wu Caiwei wouldn't have come. After all, she had been separated from her family due to the chaos of war. Moreover, during her years with the Lin family, though they lived in poverty, the Lin parents treated her well, and she was deeply grateful.
The problem lay with the original host's mother, Madam Bai. Over the years, all her emotions had been invested in Bai Shuxue, and she couldn't retract them. Not only did she refuse to acknowledge her birth daughter, but even her own brother, Bai Shuming, sided with Bai Shuxue.
In the cold and indifferent Bai mansion, only Master Bai, Bai Tianpeng, offered her a sliver of paternal affection. However, Bai Tianpeng was often not in the inner courtyard, so he wasn't aware of the original host's daily life. He would only repeatedly instruct the housekeeper and his wife to treat her well.
Servants in wealthy households are often obsequious and seek favor. Seeing that the young master and madam paid her little attention, they began to mistreat her. As the three colluded to frame her, Master Bai came to believe that his daughter, having grown up in the countryside, was ill-mannered and uncivilized, and he gradually became disappointed in her.
The original host was a kind and simple girl. Since everyone believed her to be cruel and vicious, she felt it would be a disservice to their accusations not to live up to the label. Thus, she began causing chaos in the mansion, even scratching Bai Shuxue's face when she wasn't paying attention.
This completely enraged Madam Bai, who immediately found her a husband and married her off far away. Unlike Madam Bai, Master Bai had inquired about the groom's family. Seeing that their household was simple, the groom was ambitious, and their family background was not weak, he believed that with his support from above, the groom would surely treat his daughter well.
The original host also looked forward to this marriage. After all, her life in the Bai family was unhappy, and she yearned for a good life with her husband. Who knew that on their wedding day, her husband would be cold and distant? She attributed it to their lack of familiarity and thought it would improve with time. However, she accidentally discovered a portrait of Bai Shuxue in her husband's study.
At that moment, she felt the sky collapse. She spat a mouthful of blood onto the painting. She even sent someone to ask her father why he had found her such a husband.
When Master Bai learned of this, he was filled with regret. He had only considered the family's social standing and relationships, not realizing that the groom's heart still belonged to the fake daughter of their family.
He personally rushed to her home to comfort her, telling her that if she didn't want to continue the marriage, he could find a way to arrange a divorce. However, Lin Lan was already heartbroken and directly ordered people to carry her to her dowry estate, where she spent her final days and eventually died of grief.
Her requests were simple: first, to properly honor the Lin parents and ensure a good future for her Lin siblings; second, to honor Master Bai and remain aloof from the influence of the others in the Bai family, never marrying into her former husband's family in the future. If possible, she wished to see those who had harmed her suffer misfortune.
Looking at the original host's wishes, Wu Caiwei couldn't help but marvel at her kindness. Even in such a dire situation, the desire for revenge against the Bai family was merely an add-on, an optional condition.
After understanding these circumstances, she had no desire for her future life in the Bai family.
Upon receiving the news, the Lin parents, who had rushed back in a panic, breathed a sigh of relief as they looked at Wu Caiwei sitting there.
Wu Caiwei felt a pang of emotion. In her previous life, the original host had left without a proper farewell, and she never saw them again. They had raised the original host with great hardship; how could they not have feelings for her? It was simply that the Bai family's status and position were too high, making it inconvenient for them to visit.
"We heard your birth parents have found you?" Mother Lin asked her daughter cautiously. Although she wasn't her biological daughter, she had treated her equally all these years, watching her grow from a little child.
When she heard the villagers say that a luxurious carriage had arrived at their doorstep, asking for their young lady, her heart skipped a beat. On one hand, she was happy for her daughter, who would now have a better life and leave the farming family. On the other hand, she was deeply saddened, as their social status was vastly different, and they wouldn't be able to see each other often.
"Yes, they said I am a young lady of the Bai family in the capital and will come to pick me up around this time tomorrow." At this point, there was no need for deception, so Wu Caiwei spoke the truth directly.
A look of reluctance immediately appeared on Father and Mother Lin's faces. However, after a moment, they forced a cheerful expression and said, "This arrangement is excellent. You've suffered so much all these years. You'll have servants to attend to you, eat delicacies, and find a suitable husband. Your parents are happy for you."
Wu Caiwei sighed and comforted them, "Father and Mother, you don't need to be sad. Just think of it as your daughter getting married. Wherever I go, you will always be my parents, and I will come back to see you."
"Your words are enough for us. Live well from now on and please your birth parents. After all these years of separation, the emotional bond is naturally lacking. Regardless, you are their biological daughter. They will treat you well out of consideration for how obedient and kind you are," Auntie said, looking at her daughter with pride and relief. In her eyes, her daughter was the best.
"I will, Father and Mother, don't worry." As Wu Caiwei spoke, she took out the silver she had hidden.
Seeing her actions, Father and Mother Lin quickly stood up. "What are you doing?"
"This is what they sent to repay you for raising me," Wu Caiwei said quickly, seeing their intention to refuse. "I know what you want to say, and I know you don't want to accept it, but I want you to take it. Not for any other reason, but because you are both old, and I don't want you to work so hard. My brother is of marriageable age, and the house is dilapidated and needs repair. All of this requires money."