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Chapter 1 Rebirth_3

To demonstrate their seriousness, the Song Family sent an engagement gift that included a jade pendant, a family heirloom said to be worth a fortune. Lian Huahua was to wear this jade pendant for her wedding to the Song Family.

The problem arose with the jade pendant.

In the village, Lian Huahua was already a standout beauty, and her engagement made her the center of attention. She invited a few girlfriends over to her house to show off the engagement gifts and broaden their horizons, eventually revealing the jade pendant.

"This jade pendant could easily buy up Jinyang County Town," Lian Hua'er told her friends.

Her friends were already in awe. One of them, trying to show some knowledge, said that the pendant was supposed to hang from a golden necklace. However, the engagement gift from the Song Family did not include a golden necklace. Lian Hua'er said the jade pendant was for weighing down the hem of her skirt and showed them how. Unfortunately, she stumbled and hit the edge of the bed, leaving her unharmed, but the jade pendant broke in two.

Having just sealed the engagement and then destroying the family heirloom jade pendant would not make a good impression on the Song Family; how was Lian Huahua to enter their household? Lian Huahua was dumbfounded, but luckily her mother, Lady Gu, was much more experienced and immediately warned Lian Hua'er's friends not to speak of the incident or they would have to compensate for the jade pendant.

After that, Lady Gu and Lian Shouren went to the Prefecture City and finally found a similar piece of jade in a pawnshop that might just pass muster. However, this jade would cost at least five hundred taels of silver. Even if the Lian Family sold their house and land, they could not come up with such an amount.

So, they turned their attention to ten-year-old Lian Manman.

Sha Man slowly gathered Lian Manman's memories. Since she could no longer return to her original world, she had to survive in this one.

From now on, she was Lian Manman. (From this point on, the protagonist will be referred to as Lian Manman.)

At that moment, Lady Zhang came in with a big bowl.

"Manman, have something to eat. Mother specifically asked your grandmother for some plain flour," she said.

Lian Manman glanced at the bowl, which contained very ordinary white flour dough lumps with more soup than dough, and a few green onion flakes and oil spots floating on top. She was very hungry; this ordinary food, which she would never have eaten as Sha Man, was now very appealing to Lian Manman.

But Lian Manman still averted her gaze and turned her back to Lady Zhang. Her great-uncle and great-aunt intended to sell her, and her own parents had agreed to it.

Lady Zhang, of course, saw Lian Manman's aversion and her eyes became moist again.

"Manman, you haven't eaten for three days. Have some, Mother put two extra drops of oil in the soup when your grandmother wasn't looking. You used to love this, always fussing for Mother to make it for you," Lady Zhang sat beside Lian Manman, hugged her to turn her around to face herself, "Manman, let Mother feed you."

What was the point of this façade now? To sell their own daughter for someone else's, she didn't want such parents.

Lian Manman raised her hand, wanting to knock over the bowl of dough lumps. But as she looked down, she saw Xiao Qi leaning against the edge of the bed, blinking her big eyes and staring at the bowl of dough lumps. Lian Manman lowered her hand and turned away again, not looking at Lady Zhang.

Lady Zhang coaxed for a long time. The dough lumps grew cold, and the oil spots on top solidified into lumps, but Lian Manman clenched her teeth and refused to eat. Lian Shouxin and a few children also came to persuade her, but Lian Manman did not waver.

"I won't eat. It's cleaner to starve to death. If I fill my stomach, will I just wait for you to sell me again?" Lian Manman finally spoke up at last.

Lady Zhang's tears fell in a downpour.

"There's no other way, it's all my fault for being so foolish," she sobbed.

"Take her to the Upper Room, to her grandparents," Lian Shouxin said after a long silence.

To survive well, she couldn't be sold off. Lian Manman thought that in this family, it seemed that Old Master Lian and Old Lady Lian were in charge. Thus, to avoid being sold in the future, she needed to get approval from these two.

She couldn't rely on her parents—she had to rely on herself. Lian Manman clenched her fists in determination.

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