章)In early spring, the weather was supposed to be bright and cheerful, but outside, a strong wind blew, and the gusts rattled the old calendar hanging on the red-painted cabinet.
Song Zhi Zhi stirred slightly, her eyelids fluttering open as she heard footsteps outside. She instinctively frowned.
Then she heard a woman鈥檚 voice, deliberately lowered but tinged with anger, "What are you doing here?"
"I just wanted to see if Zhi Zhi was awake," came a hesitant male voice.
"The doctor said Zhi Zhi needs to rest more. How can she do that with you here?" The cold voice carried a hint of discontent.
"I thought she might be hungry after sleeping for so long," the man replied, his voice trailing off.
As the conversation faded into the distance, Song Zhi Zhi, who had been somewhat dazed, suddenly felt fully awake. The voices belonged to her parents, and she felt a complex mix of emotions.
At first, she had been thrilled to wake up as the daughter of the protagonist in a period drama. After all, being the daughter of the main character meant she would have the protagonists halo, even in the backward 1980s. She was sure she would have a good life.
Just yesterday, while daydreaming about her future as a wealthy second-generation heiress, she was abruptly interrupted by a loud voice from outside.
She recognized the voice of Mr. Wang, the teacher from downstairs, who shouted urgently, "Ms. Yan, something terrible has happened! Your son Song Qian has gotten into a fight!"
Song Zhi Zhi was momentarily stunned. The Song Qian mentioned by Mr. Wang was her father, but who was he fighting with?
Before she could think further, her body instinctively opened the door, and as she stepped outside, Mr. Wang patted her shoulder, saying, "Zhi Zhi, what are you waiting for? Your dad is fighting! You need to stop him; he always listens to you."
Mr. Wang was a fiery personality, and without waiting for a response, he grabbed Song Zhi Zhi鈥檚 arm and pulled her towards the exit of the teachers housing complex. As she was hurried along, her mind was racing with questions. According to the story, her father was supposed to be the male lead, Zheng Wenguang. Who was this Song Qian?
With these thoughts swirling in her head, she followed Mr. Wang to the open space outside.
As she arrived, she saw two men grappling with each other, exchanging heated insults. The man with his back to her shouted, "Chen Dahu, you scoundrel! You think you can take advantage of me? Are you looking to die?"
Hearing that powerful voice, Song Zhi Zhi realized it was her father. The shock of seeing her once-wealthy father now embroiled in a street fight was overwhelming.
The two men continued to argue, and it looked like things were about to escalate into violence.
Mr. Wang glanced at Song Zhi Zhi, who was staring blankly at the scene, and urged, "Zhi Zhi, you have to make your dad stop! Chen Dahu is the principals brother-in-law. If this turns into a fight, it will only cause trouble for your mother."
Chen Dahu, emboldened by his connection to the principal, had a history of bullying others. Most people put up with him to avoid complications. But now, her father was standing up to him, which could lead to serious repercussions for her mother.
Thinking about this, Mr. Wang stomped his foot in frustration and gently pushed Song Zhi Zhi forward, urging, "Go on, make your dad stop before it gets out of hand!"
Just as Song Zhi Zhi was about to step in, she was accidentally pushed into the fray, inadvertently blocking her father from Chen Dahus swinging fist.
With her sudden collapse, the fight came to an abrupt halt.
---
Reflecting on this, Song Zhi Zhi rubbed her forehead. Although she had been unconscious for a day, she vaguely remembered being taken to the hospital. Now, she found herself back in her room, unsure how many days had passed.
At that moment, the door creaked open, and her mother, Yan Yuhua, entered with a bowl in hand.
Seeing her awake, Yan Yuhuas face broke into a smile. "Zhi Zhi, youre awake! I made you some sweet eggs. Come eat!"
She placed the bowl on the nearby cabinet and came over to help her sit up, gently asking, "Are you feeling okay?"
Song Zhi Zhi instinctively shook her head, ready to speak, when she noticed a head peeking in from the doorway, cautiously observing her.
Without a doubt, it was her father, Song Qian, who had just been fighting. He looked surprisingly handsome, a stark contrast to the image of a brawler she had in her mind.
As she thought about this, Song Zhi Zhi felt a headache coming on. What was the situation now?
Yan Yuhua, noticing the tension, glanced at the doorway and then back at her daughter, her expression softening. "Zhi Zhi, eat up. After you finish, you can rest some more."
Despite her confusion, Song Zhi Zhi nodded obediently, realizing she needed to play along for now. After all, she was still a seven-year-old girl in this new life, and she didn鈥檛 want to stir up unnecessary trouble.
---
When Yan Yuhua exited the room, Song Qian was in the living room counting the money he had earned from his recent trip. Hearing footsteps, he looked up and saw Yan Yuhua walking into the kitchen.
He stared at the pearl hairpin on the table, contemplating for a long time before finally reaching for it.
Even if he gave it to her, she wouldn鈥檛 wear it, would she? Remembering Mr. Wangs earlier words, Song Qian felt a wave of bitterness wash over him.
---
Although Song Zhi Zhi had only been unconscious for a day, she felt revitalized after eating the sweet eggs.
At this moment, her previous assumptions began to unravel. She was definitely in a different world, and the story was unfolding as she had read. But what about her father?
Just as she pondered this, the door swung open again.
"Song Zhi Zhi, I heard your dad got into a fight and brought you to the hospital?" The newcomer鈥檚 voice dripped with malice.
"Yuan Yuan, how can you speak like that?" A gentle voice quickly reprimanded from outside.
"Well, I didn鈥檛 say anything wrong," Yuan Yuan pouted, clearly displeased.
Song Zhi Zhi looked at the girl before her, who seemed to be around her age. With her hair styled in a princess bun and wearing a red dress, she had an air of confidence.
Yuan Yuan assumed that Song Zhi Zhi was staring at her new outfit, and she proudly lifted her chin, "What do you think? My new dress is beautiful, right? My mom bought it for me at the department store."
Expecting admiration, Yuan Yuan was puzzled when Song Zhi Zhi didn鈥檛 respond as usual.
Seeing that Song Zhi Zhi remained silent, Yuan Yuan leaned in closer, a mischievous glint in her eyes, "I heard your dad offended the principal鈥檚 family. Your mom is going to have a rough time now. Your dad might even end up in jail."
For a seven or eight-year-old, Song Zhi Zhi initially planned to ignore her, but as she took a few steps, she suddenly recalled a plot point from the book. The lazy male supporting character, Song Qian, was indeed the father in the story.