Reborn in the 1980s: I became a stepmother in the 1980s Ⅱ

Part 228 Lin Sisi's Regret

Zhang Cuimei and her husband arrived at the prison gate, their hearts heavy with anxiety.

She nervously followed her husband. "Do you think Sisi still blames us?"

Ever since they had given up their daughter for the sake of a promotion, Lin Sisi had harbored resentment towards them. Despite several visits to see her, Lin Sisi had refused to meet with them.

As her biological daughter, it pained Zhang Cuimei deeply to see their relationship deteriorate like this. She never expected Lin Sisi would suddenly request a meeting.

It was hard for her to believe. Of course, the circumstances back then hadn't been entirely their fault.

Even if they wanted to help Lin Sisi, they felt powerless.

If Lin Sisi had been raised by them and still ended up in this situation, they would have faced consequences long ago. This time, the authorities had been lenient, considering that Lin Sisi had returned from the countryside after so many years. Otherwise, they would have been held accountable for their child being imprisoned.

Si Father wore a stern expression. "If she dares to blame us, it's only because she made those mistakes herself. How can she still have the nerve to complain?"

Zhang Cuimei bit her lip. While that was true, Sisi was still their biological daughter. Si Father glanced at her. "Don't spoil her too much. It's your indulgence that has made her so rebellious."

"Look at Nian Nian. Whenever we scold her, she never dares to talk back!"

As he said this, regret washed over Si Father. Ever since he heard from Liu Dongdong that Si Nian was going to be a teacher, he felt a wave of remorse for their adopted daughter. This was the kind of life he had wanted for a capable daughter.

If only they hadn't mixed up the children back then—none of this turmoil would have happened.

Hearing his words, Zhang Cuimei's heart sank. Did her husband regret sending Si Nian away?

At that moment, Si Nian was returning to the city, while Sisi was still in prison.

Zhang Cuimei couldn't help but worry: would her husband want to recognize Si Nian as their daughter again? If Si Nian were still in the countryside, Zhang Cuimei wouldn't be concerned at all. But the situation had changed drastically.

Si Nian was coming back as a teacher, and with Zhou Yuanshen's connections to Director Li, it was possible that her husband might consider it.

But what would happen to Sisi?

Zhang Cuimei thought about her daughter in prison and felt despair. Now, it seemed she might also face abandonment from her own father.

Her heart sank. No matter how well Si Nian was doing, she was not their biological child. Sisi, despite her flaws, was their flesh and blood.

The atmosphere grew heavy and tense, filled with unspoken worries.

Soon, they arrived at the visitation room.

While they couldn't get Lin Sisi out, they had pulled some strings behind the scenes to ensure she was as comfortable as possible in prison. They spent quite a bit of money, fearing that Sisi would suffer while incarcerated. But no matter how much they spent, she was still in jail—how much better could it really be?

Seeing the environment inside, Zhang Cuimei felt her eyes welling up. Her daughter had already endured over a decade of hardship in the countryside. After finally reuniting, now she was in prison again. Why did her life have to be so difficult?

Zhang Cuimei couldn't help but blame Si Nian. If they hadn't been so insistent, Sisi wouldn't have ended up in this situation.

The couple sat on the benches, speaking to Lin Sisi through the glass partition. Soon, Lin Sisi was brought in, wearing a plain gray prison uniform, looking frail and thin.

As the couple looked up, both of them were taken aback.

Before them stood a girl with a shaved head, sunken cheeks, and a pale complexion—was this really their daughter Lin Sisi?

In just a few months, she had transformed from a vibrant eighteen-year-old into a frail, exhausted shadow of her former self, completely devoid of youthful vitality.

Upon seeing her parents, Lin Sisi's voice caught in her throat. "Dad! Mom!"

The couple snapped back to reality, their eyes red as they gazed at her. "Sisi, what happened to you? My poor daughter!" Zhang Cuimei's heart shattered at the sight, her voice trembling with anguish.

She knew prison was harsh, but even after spending so much money and pulling strings, her daughter had been reduced to this. Just a few months had passed—if this continued, Sisi might not survive.

Zhang Cuimei felt a wave of bitterness wash over her.

Tears streamed down Lin Sisi's face, but they were not tears of gratitude; they were filled with resentment. She had never expected her parents to be so heartless.

The thought of being abandoned for real sank in. After she had refused to meet with them, they had indeed stopped coming.

Lin Sisi had felt dizzy with anger several times. If it hadn't been for Liu Dongdong visiting her a couple of days ago, she wouldn't have known. Not only were her parents not planning to rescue her, but they were also looking to befriend Si Nian—just because Si Nian was returning to the city.

Everything was completely different this time; she felt utterly out of control.

Panic rose in her heart. She knew that continuing to clash with the Si family wouldn't lead to anything good. It dawned on her that her anger had pushed her parents away, leaving them disappointed. They were the kind of people who responded better to softness than toughness.

Her actions had only hurt herself.

Especially after hearing Liu Dongdong mention that Si Nian was going to be a teacher, a myriad of thoughts flooded her mind—thoughts about her own future.

She couldn't help but remember the speech she had given before.

It should have been her shining on stage, dazzling everyone.

If Si Nian hadn't gone, the teaching opportunity would have been hers. She could have used that position and the school's preferential admission policy to win over the Lin family, who were already disappointed in her.

As her thoughts tangled, she spent a long time sorting through them. Deep down, she knew the Lin family had treated her well; her two younger brothers still looked up to her.

In an instant, she began to doubt the memories of her past life, as if they had become jumbled. But Lin Sisi finally found the key insight.

It was Si Nian who had taken her chance.

Given the relationship between Si Nian and Zhou Yueshen, it was likely that she would give the admission opportunity to Zhou Zedong and Zhou Zehan to win his favor, completely ignoring Lin Feng and Lin Yu, whom she had no feelings for.

If she could tell the Lin family about this, Xiao Feng and Xiao Yu would undoubtedly resent Si Nian for it. The Lin family might even understand her good intentions and forgive her.

But now, trapped and unable to contact the Lin family, her only option was to seek help from the Si family.

Realizing this, Lin Sisi suddenly fell to her knees.