I Ran Away After Transmigrating as a Wealthy Daughter-in-Law  - Chapter 6

The emotions came too quickly and the acting was too real. Jiang Pan had expected a touching scene of a father and daughter reuniting, but the Second Aunt’s words had instantly frozen her.

After a long pause, she slowly let go of the Second Uncle and apologized with an embarrassed expression. She explained that she hadn’t made a mistake; she was just practicing on him.

The Second Aunt and Second Uncle subtly indicated that she didn’t need to make excuses. They said that she hadn’t come home or contacted her parents in years, and the villagers knew she was an ungrateful wretch they had raised.

 

Jiang Pan wholeheartedly agreed with them, thinking, “You tell her!”

 

The original owner was indeed an ungrateful wretch, there was no doubt about that.

 

She believed that with her return this time, it wouldn’t be long before the villagers would have a new opinion of “Jiang Pan.”

 

Of course, she hadn’t returned to fix her reputation.

 

With the enthusiastic help of the two elders, Jiang Pan carried her belongings and walked toward the house.

 

As she got closer to the front door, the original owner’s long-dormant memories of home slowly became clearer, including the faces of her parents.

 

Jiang Pan breathed a sigh of relief. The original owner, that scumbag, still had a little bit of a conscience, even if it wasn’t much.

 

However, Jiang Pan was in a bit of a predicament. Her emotions had been so genuine earlier, but now she couldn’t get them to come back.

 

The Second Aunt, acting like a loud speaker, excitedly shouted from the yard, “Cuiping, Qinghe, look who’s here!”

 

Soon, a middle-aged couple came out. They looked shocked, and then a look of disbelief appeared on their faces.

 

Jiang Pan opened her mouth, but at that moment, she just couldn’t bring herself to say the words, “Mom” and “Dad.”

“Panpan! My daughter!” Zhao Cuiping cried and hugged Jiang Pan.

 

Jiang Qinghe just stood there, mouth agape, tears in his eyes, unable to say a word for a long time.

 

The emotions of the two elders brought out Jiang Pan’s own feelings. Being hugged by her “mom,” she couldn’t describe how she felt. It was a strange feeling, but also an odd kind of warmth.

 

The original owner had only come home once, during her first-year college winter break. After that, she had never returned. This night was destined to be a sleepless one.

 

Bathed in their love, Jiang Pan slowly relaxed. She looked at her “parents.” The unforgiving years had left their mark on their faces. The fact that their daughter had cut ties with them must have been a huge blow. They looked visibly older, but the look in their eyes as they saw their daughter was bright and joyful.

 

At that moment, Jiang Pan let out a big sigh of relief in her heart. She was glad she had made the right decision.

 

As an orphan, she had always longed to have a mom and dad of her own when she was little. When she got older, she learned that having parents wasn’t something you could just have.

 

Now, she had parents for free.

 

This had to be considered a fortunate thing.

 

It seemed they had a thousand things to say, but the two elders were so cautious that they didn’t dare to ask or say much. They were afraid that their daughter, who had finally come home, would leave again.

 

Jiang Pan saw their fear and felt even more dislike for the original owner.

 

She sat at the dinner table, looking at the table full of hot dishes. She then looked at the two elders, who wanted to look at her but didn’t dare to do so openly.

 

Jiang Pan took a bite of food and sincerely praised it. “This is delicious.”

 

A relieved smile immediately spread across Zhao Cuiping’s face.

 

Jiang Pan felt like they were being a little too humble toward their own daughter.

 

She couldn’t describe the feeling in her heart. Jiang Pan took another bite and then, after a long moment, she called out, “Mom, Dad.”

 

That one phrase seemed to be enough, worth more than a thousand words. Zhao Cuiping’s nose tingled, and she turned her head away to wipe her tears. Jiang Qinghe’s eyes reddened, and he looked down to drink his liquor.

 

For all these years, they had looked for her, asked about her, and seen her, only to be ignored, left in the dark, and rejected.

 

There were times they were so angry their teeth ached and they wished they were dead.

 

But later, they came to terms with it. As long as she was alive and well, they would just pretend they didn’t have a daughter.

 

Zhao Cuiping felt like crying again. She stood up, pretending to get something from the kitchen.

 

Jiang Qinghe put a chicken leg in Jiang Pan’s bowl. “…Your mom fried it.”

 

Jiang Pan, with her excellent acting skills, smacked her lips greedily. “Dad, now I can eat a fried chicken leg made by my mom every day.” Though she didn’t actually like them.

 

Jiang Qinghe finally smiled. “Okay, your mom can make you fried chicken legs every day from now on.”

 

As soon as he said it, he realized something. He frowned and looked at Jiang Pan, confused. “Every day?”

 

Jiang Pan nodded. “Yup, I’m not leaving for now.”

 

Jiang Qinghe: “?”

 

This was undoubtedly good news. He immediately turned and called for Zhao Cuiping from the kitchen.

 

Zhao Cuiping sat down at the table and, after hearing the news, became worried. “Panpan, did something happen to you outside?”

As a mother, she knew Jiang Pan would never willingly return to the village.

 

Jiang Pan wasn’t the original owner, but she knew enough about what kind of person she was. She had to maintain the persona to avoid suspicion from the original owner’s parents.

 

“I said I’m not leaving for now,” Jiang Pan said nonchalantly while eating her chicken leg. “Don’t worry, I came back for business. Visiting you guys is a bonus.”

When it came to money, status, career, reputation, future, and vanity, the original owner’s parents were always last on her list.

 

Therefore, putting her career first was perfectly in line with the original owner’s persona.

 

In reality, Jiang Pan came here for a purpose, but she had no real emotional attachment to the original owner’s parents.

 

She was just playing a role and imitating the original owner.

 

After dinner, she put on a show of “the mother and daughter cleaning up together.” Jiang Pan’s performance was flawless.

After they finished, she came out of the kitchen and, besides the gifts, she took out two stacks of cash from her bag. This was a genuine gift for the original owner’s parents.

 

Jiang Pan hated being in debt to others. Since she was living in their daughter’s body, she couldn’t give them emotional support, but she could provide for them financially.

 

And so, Jiang Pan settled into her new “home.” She ate, drank, and had fun. She was generous with her displays of filial affection and occasionally went out with them.

Jiang Pan was an incredibly adaptable person. Since she was living in someone else’s body, it was easy for her to adapt to the original owner’s hometown.

 

So, she hoped that her next step of buying land here would also go smoothly.

 

As for why she was here to buy land, it was because, as a transmigrator, she had a bird’s-eye view of what would happen in the future.

This place would be developed in three years. In five years, economic zones, roads, subways, communities, and large amusement parks would be built. In short, it would undergo a massive transformation.

 

In two years, some people in the upper class would get wind of the news and come here to buy land. But now, Jiang Pan was confident that she knew better than anyone that the land here was about to skyrocket in value. It would be crazy to pass up on a gold mine.

It seemed that being a transmigrator wasn’t without its benefits.

 

She knew everything that would happen in advance, which allowed her to avoid losses and seize opportunities.

 

After winning the approval of the original owner’s parents and relatives, Jiang Pan could finally get to her main business.

She spent the last few days getting to know her neighbors. Since she hadn’t come home in years and suddenly came back, she was a hot topic for the “Village Intelligence Agency” members.

There were already dozens of versions of the original owner’s gossip, broadcast three times a day at the head and end of the village.

 

Because of this, the original owner’s parents had suffered a great deal emotionally.

 

Jiang Pan went to the convenience store and bought a kilogram of sunflower seeds and some candy. She brought a small stool and leisurely made her way to the intelligence agency’s meeting spot.

 

The members of the intelligence agency all looked at her with piercing eyes, the kind that said, “The moment you walk by, we’re going to start talking about you.”

 

Jiang Pan was momentarily taken aback by their gazes. After all, the aunties and uncles of the intelligence agency could instantly make you famous or make your reputation go down the drain.

However, Jiang Pan had grown up in this environment in her past life. Back then, she ate from every household and spent half the day sitting at the village entrance with the aunties and uncles. She had long since infiltrated the enemy ranks and become a senior member of the intelligence agency.

 

“Drizzling rain in March…” Jiang Pan hummed a tune. She saw the members of the intelligence agency and greeted them warmly. “You’re all here.” She carried the sunflower seeds and candy over and enthusiastically handed them out. “Come, come, everyone, have some sunflower seeds and candy.”

After the warm greetings, she put her small stool on the ground and sat with them.

 

The intelligence agency members: “…?”

 

At that moment, they didn’t realize the gravity of the situation. Jiang Pan didn’t give them a chance. She immediately brought up topics they all cared about.

 

Anyone who could join the intelligence agency couldn’t resist the urge to gossip.

 

And so, the scene became a lively and heated discussion.

 

Jiang Pan went from sitting next to them to being completely surrounded by them.

 

In the end, everyone was applauding and cheering for her. Even when Jiang Pan was about to leave, they all looked like they hadn’t had enough.

 

They all agreed to meet at the village entrance again tomorrow.

 

Jiang Pan carried her small stool back home under their admiring gazes.

 

She was secretly happy. She had a good start today and left a good impression on them. She figured it would only take three days to win them over.

 

Jiang Pan was very confident in herself.

 

Back in her past life, she had been personally taught by the head of the village’s intelligence agency. She had even gone to the town and won against everyone in a gossip competition.

 

When she got home, she was too excited to eat. She drank a lot of water. Zhao Cuiping looked at her, confused. “Where were you all morning? You’re so thirsty.”

Jiang Pan told her the truth. “At the village entrance, chatting with the aunties.”

 

Zhao Cuiping frowned. “You’re so young. Why are you chatting there instead of doing something useful?”

 

Jiang Pan said, “Chatting with them is the most important thing.”

 

Zhao Cuiping’s frown deepened. “What’s so important about that?” She sighed, unable to understand, and kindly advised Jiang Pan not to waste her youth.

Jiang Pan smiled and told her not to worry. She said she only wasted some sunflower seeds and candy. She couldn’t help but share the success of her first day of infiltrating the enemy ranks.

 

Zhao Cuiping listened with a worried expression, not saying a word.

 

The next day, Jiang Pan arrived at the intelligence agency right on time. In addition to her small stool, sunflower seeds, and candy, she brought a large thermos and appeared in everyone’s sight in high spirits.

 

The members of the intelligence agency were already waiting eagerly. When they saw Jiang Pan, some even went up to her and enthusiastically helped her carry her things.

 

“Tell me, who are we going to talk about today?” Jiang Pan cut straight to the chase.

The intelligence agency members: “…”

 

Isn’t that a little too direct?

 

“Talking about other people is boring and could be considered defamation. How about we talk about me instead?” Jiang Pan suggested sincerely and directly.

 

The intelligence agency members: “…”

 

Is that appropriate?

 

Talking about someone to their face went against the rules of their intelligence agency.

 

Jiang Pan sat on her small stool, poured herself a cup of hot tea, and pointed at the sunflower seeds and candy in the plastic bag. “Come on, let’s eat and talk.” She continued, “Don’t be shy. Didn’t you all talk about me a lot when I wasn’t here? Those versions are all wrong. Let me, the person who lived it, tell you the real story.”

Her actions made the members of the intelligence agency feel awkward, embarrassed, and even apologetic. They were silent, yet full of things they wanted to say, refusing, yet filled with anticipation. In short, their micro-expressions were a sight to behold.

 

“I got a divorce,” Jiang Pan said, dropping a bombshell that made the members’ eyes light up. They leaned in, eager to hear more.

 

This was something no one had expected. Who would willingly talk about their own divorce?

 

But the intelligence agency members were too curious. They said no on the outside, but their hearts were screaming, “Tell us! I want to hear!”

 

And so, Jiang Pan used her storytelling skills and divided the story of her divorce into ten episodes, telling them two episodes a day.

 

Her self-exposure had made the members of the intelligence agency accept her as one of their own.

 

The crowd of people waiting to hear her story was growing.

 

But the original owner’s parents were not happy about it. They felt embarrassed.

 

Jiang Qinghe got angry for the first time. “Did you leave the divorce with pride? Everyone else is afraid of people knowing, but you’re yelling it at the village entrance. Why don’t you go to the village committee and broadcast it on the loudspeaker?”

 

Jiang Pan complimented him. “That’s a good idea.”

 

Jiang Qinghe: “…”

 

This made Jiang Qinghe even angrier. He had waited for her to come home for so long, and now that she was back, she wouldn’t stop talking. She told everyone everything!

 

“Panpan!” Zhao Cuiping frowned. “Are you doing this on purpose to make your dad mad?”

 

“Of course not. I really think Mr. Jiang’s idea is brilliant,” Jiang Pan said seriously. “Mr. Jiang, don’t worry. I won’t embarrass you. I have a reason for doing this.”

 

Jiang Qinghe couldn’t argue with Jiang Pan, so he gave up. When Jiang Pan wasn’t around, he asked Zhao Cuiping, “I feel like our daughter is different now.”

 

Zhao Cuiping told him not to overthink it, but she had noticed that her daughter was different from the very first day. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but it was a mother’s intuition.