In the mid-afternoon, Su Jiaojiao returned home carrying numerous bags and packages.
Seeing this, Liu Dongmei’s expression twitched slightly before she smiled and stepped forward to take the bags from her. “Oh, Jiaojiao’s back? You must be tired after shopping all day,” she said.
Su Jiaojiao handed her the items and collapsed onto the sofa, sighing softly. “All my life, I never knew shopping at the mall could be so exhausting. I’m completely worn out.”
Liu Dongmei smiled and said, “Walking around, stopping and looking at things while shopping is indeed tiring. Jiaojiao, if you’re tired, go rest in your room. I’ll call you for dinner when it’s ready.”
Su Jiaojiao immediately stood up, stretched, and said to Liu Dongmei, “Alright, stepmother. I’ll go rest now. Just call me when dinner is ready.”
Liu Dongmei smiled in agreement. “Sure, go get some rest.”
But inwardly, she cursed, “Rest, rest—I hope you sleep yourself to death.”
Once in her room, Su Jiaojiao took out paper and pen, intending to write a letter to her fiancé Lu Yuanchao from Lu Family Village in Yao City.
That’s right—she had childhood sweethearts. The arrangement was made by the two families’ grandfathers.
During those chaotic times, Su Qiaoshan was being pursued and nearly killed when the then-young Lu Dagui happened to pass by and risked his life to save him.
From then on, Su Qiaoshan and Lu Dagui developed a friendship and maintained contact.
When Su Jiaojiao was one year old, Su Qiaoshan took her to Lu Family Village.
Su Jiaojiao clung tightly to the six-year-old Lu Yuanchao at the time, and on a whim, Grandpa Su arranged for the two children to become childhood sweethearts.
However, because her grandfather and mother passed away suddenly, they hadn’t had time to make arrangements for this marriage before they were gone.
It was at her coming-of-age ceremony that she learned from Shen Jianguo about this fiancé. She also found out that this fiancé was a rough, uncouth brute from the countryside, five years older than her. Terrified, she immediately asked Shen Jianguo to break off the engagement.
Not long after, she was tricked into going to Yangcheng Stone Village. As for whether the engagement was actually called off, she had no way of knowing.
In her previous life, just before she died, she saw a man running toward her, shouting her name. In her blurry state, he felt familiar.
Now, thinking back, that man resembled Lu Yuanchao, the national richest man. Whether he was the same person as her former fiancé, she had no way of confirming.
But now, regardless of whether that man was Lu Yuanchao or not, she had decided to marry Lu Yuanchao.
If Lu Yuanchao turned out to be a good man, she would live a good life with him. If he wasn’t, she would simply kick him to the curb. With her space, how could she possibly live poorly?
For now, she would first write to her fiancé to inform him that she would be going to the countryside to find him and fulfill their marriage arrangement, so he could make preparations in advance.
In the evening, Liu Dongmei prepared an elaborate dinner: two vegetable dishes, two meat dishes, and a soup.
Su Jiaojiao exclaimed in surprise, “There’s fish today!”
Liu Dongmei smiled and said, “Your father received some fish coupons from the factory, and since we know you love fish, we made some. Come, Jiaojiao, make sure to eat plenty later.”
“Alright,” Su Jiaojiao replied without any hesitation, immediately reaching with her chopsticks for the fish plate.
Liu Dongmei and Shen Qingyu made no mention of the events from earlier in the day, acting as if they had completely forgotten Su Jiaojiao’s remarks about Shen Jianguo being a live-in son-in-law and Shen Qingyu being a stepdaughter.
However, their expressions darkened noticeably when Su Jiaojiao proceeded to eat almost the entire fish by herself.
Shen Jianguo’s face instantly darkened. He scolded in a low voice, “Su Jiaojiao, where are your manners? You ate the entire fish by yourself. Don’t you know you should share with your mother and sister?”
Su Jiaojiao blinked her big eyes and asked in confusion, “Dad, didn Stepmom and stepsister say before that they don’t like fish? When we offered them fish before, they only ate it reluctantly.
I’ve thought it through now – I think we shouldn’t force Stepmom and sister to eat things they don’t like. Stepmom, sister, isn’t that right?”
Liu Dongmei and Shen Qingyu forced stiff smiles and said, “Yes, that’s right, Jianguo (Dad), we don’t like fish. Let Jiaojiao have it.”
That wretched girl, is she out of her mind? They were just pretending to be polite, and she actually took it seriously.
No, wait – Su Jiaojiao used to know they were just being polite, so she would always give them the best pieces of fish. Why is she taking it seriously now?
Liu Dongmei’s eyes shifted thoughtfully as she said with a smile, “Jiaojiao, tomorrow is your coming-of-age birthday. Would you like to celebrate at home, or should our family go to the State-Run Restaurant for a meal?”
In recent years, the sisters’ birthdays were mostly celebrated at the State-Run Restaurant.
Shen Qingyu’s eighteenth birthday celebration had been held at the State-Run Restaurant, where they invited some relatives and friends, making it quite lively.
She still remembered how early that morning, Liu Dongmei had secretly given Shen Qingyu six hundred yuan to buy whatever she liked and keep the rest as dowry.
In her previous life, she had chosen to celebrate her coming-of-age birthday at home.
Just with their family.
Persuaded by them, she drank alcohol for the first time in her life.
Having never touched alcohol before, just one small cup made her head fuzzy, and then she agreed to everything they said.
The next day, Shen Jianguo and Liu Dongmei couldn’t wait to take her to the bank to complete the authorization procedures.
Three days later, she was tricked into going to Yangcheng Stone Village.
Su Jiaojiao said with a smile, “Let’s celebrate at the State-Run Restaurant. Stepmom, your cooking is better than the chefs at the State-Run Restaurant, but with more people, you shouldn’t overwork yourself. Oh, by the way, Dad, do you remember Grandpa Luo?”
Shen Jianguo asked puzzled, “Which Grandpa Luo?”
Su Jiaojiao said, “The Grandpa Luo who was good friends with my grandfather. I met him today at the State-Run Restaurant. I invited him to come to my coming-of-age birthday celebration tomorrow.”
Shen Jianguo was immediately startled, “You mean Old Master Luo Chengping?”
“Exactly,” Su Jiaojiao said smiling. “I haven’t seen Grandpa Luo for over ten years. He was very happy to hear about my birthday. Dad, you wouldn’t be unwelcoming, would you?”
Shen Jianguo forced a somewhat stiff smile, “No… of course not.”
Liu Dongmei didn’t know Old Master Luo’s identity. She said cheerfully, “That’s fine. I’ll order a couple more good dishes tomorrow to properly entertain your Grandpa Luo.”
“Thank you, Stepmom,” Su Jiaojiao said very happily.
Hearing that Old Master Luo was coming, Shen Jianguo felt somewhat uneasy. After pondering for a moment, he said with a smile,
“Jiaojiao, tomorrow you’ll be an adult. There are some things we should tell you. Before your mother passed away, she left you a substantial inheritance.
The annual 5% dividend from the Textile Factory shares – it’s been over eight years now. Before your mother died, she left a will stating that this money could only be withdrawn and managed after you came of age.”
Upon hearing this, Su Jiaojiao exclaimed happily, “Dad, is that true? Mom left me that much money? That’s wonderful! Oh, Dad, do you know how much is in the bank now?”
Shen Jianguo replied, “About a hundred thousand or so.”
“Wow, that much money! We’re rich!” Su Jiaojiao revealed a look of a little money-grubber.
Liu Dongmei looked at Shen Jianguo with a puzzled expression and tugged at his sleeve, meaning to ask why he had brought this up now when they had agreed to discuss it at her coming-of-age birthday party.
Shen Jianguo patted the back of her hand and signaled with his eyes.
Shen Jianguo said with a smile, “Jiaojiao, you’re 18 now, an adult, and you can manage this money. But do you have any plans for how to use it?”
Su Jiaojiao thought for a moment and said, “Well, I’ll save it for now and use it as a dowry when I get married in the future. With such a large dowry, even after I’m married, I can hold my head high in my husband’s family. Right?”
She waited for Shen Jianguo’s next move, curious to see what he would do.