Before Shen Qingyu could utter the words “biological daughter,” Liu Dongmei shouted loudly, “Shut up!”
Shen Qingyu looked at her mother with a pitiful expression.
Liu Dongmei sternly scolded, “Shen Qingyu, you’re just a stepdaughter I brought into the Shen family. Your father treats you like his own daughter, and your sister treats you like her own sister, but that doesn’t mean you, as a stepdaughter and stepsister, have the right to compete with your sister for your father and sister’s family assets.
Hurry up and apologize to your sister and father!”
Seeing Shen Qingyu’s pitiful state, Liu Dongmei felt extremely heartbroken.
She kept winking at Shen Qingyu, then stepped forward to take her hand and whispered in her ear,
“Yu’er, bear with it for now. That fool Su Jiaojiao hasn’t signed the power of attorney yet. We absolutely cannot let her discover the truth at this critical moment and ruin everything.
And you, silly girl, why didn’t you think? In a few days, our family of three will be going to Hong Kong City to live a good life. Even if your father writes this inheritance agreement, can that fool Su Jiaojiao actually get it?”
Hearing this, Su Jiaojiao, with her head slightly lowered, had a sharp glint flash in her eyes.
Reminded by her mother like this, Shen Qingyu immediately realized she had been too impulsive earlier.
Liu Dongmei then said loudly again, “Shen Qingyu, are you made of wood? Apologize to your father and sister.”
Shen Qingyu walked up to Su Jiaojiao, took her hand, and said very sincerely,
“Sister, I’m sorry. I never had any intention of competing with you for the Shen family’s possessions. Everything from the Shen family and father belongs to you. Rest assured, I know my place in the Shen family very well and would never compete with you.”
Su Jiaojiao patted her hand and asked doubtfully, “Sister, what are you talking about? Were the words you didn’t finish earlier about wanting to compete with me for the family property?”
Shen Qingyu and Liu Dongmei, “…”
So, were their actions a self-confession without being pressed?
However, as long as that fool Su Jiaojiao didn’t catch on, it was fine.
“No, no,” Shen Qingyu immediately explained, “I meant that you should inherit everything from the Shen family. Even though father treats me like his own daughter, I would never take what belongs to his biological daughter. Jiaojiao, please don’t overthink it.”
“Mm, I know. My stepsister and I grew up together since childhood, and we have a very good sisterly bond. You always give all the best things to me, your sister, so how could I ever doubt you?”
Su Jiaojiao said with deep affection, “Sister, thank you so much. You truly are my good sister.”
Shen Jianguo went back to his room to prepare the inheritance agreement.
When he came out, he had two copies in his hand.
Su Jiaojiao glanced at them and was quite satisfied with the terms of the inheritance agreement. Perhaps because Shen Jianguo thought she wouldn’t be able to obtain these things, he had written everything in great detail without any reservations.
Liu Dongmei looked at the wall clock and said with a smile, “It’s already ten o’clock. Let’s hurry to the State-Run Restaurant.”
The State-Run Restaurant was three streets away from the Shen family, about a twenty-minute walk.
However, the Shen family was well-off, and Shen Jianguo had managed to get two bicycle tickets through connections.
One bicycle was usually ridden by the Shen couple to work.
The other was for Shen Qingyu to ride to work.
All three family members worked at the Su Family’s former Textile Factory.
Shen Jianguo was the deputy factory director, Liu Dongmei worked in the finance department, and Shen Qingyu was in the propaganda department.
Shen Qingyu didn’t like going to school. After just a year and a half of high school, she refused to continue. Shen Jianguo then arranged for her to work in the propaganda department.
Shen Qingyu was quite pretty and had a sweet tongue. Even though she got into the propaganda department through connections, no one said anything about it behind her back.
The only idle one was Su Jiaojiao.
Fortunately, since she stayed at home, Liu Dongmei, to maintain her image as a good stepmother, didn’t make her do any chores. Up to now, she remained the young lady who never lifted a finger.
As for what she did at home?
At her age, she was still in high school, so studying was her main focus.
Secondly, when she wasn’t in school, she loved reading.
Yes, reading—she enjoyed literary books, especially romantic love literature, such as Zhang Ailing’s novels and Xu Zhimo’s poetry.
She would often become so immersed in them that she was utterly captivated.
Unless absolutely necessary, she disliked going out, which was why she hadn’t made any friends.
So, when it came to the use of the two bicycles, Su Jiaojiao had no objections.
Shen Qingyu rode the bicycle with Su Jiaojiao on the back.
By the time they reached the State-Run Restaurant, Shen Qingyu was already panting heavily.
With a dark expression, she walked into the State-Run Restaurant.
It was only a little past ten, so there were hardly any customers.
The moment waitress Wang Xiaoyan saw Su Jiaojiao, her eyes lit up.
Su Jiaojiao was very beautiful, and anyone who had seen her found it hard to forget her.
Especially after the incident yesterday at the State-Run Restaurant, where Su Jiaojiao was referred to as an adopted daughter, it left an even deeper impression.
“Comrade Su, it’s you.”
Su Jiaojiao nodded and said, “Hello.”
Wang Xiaoyan glanced at the family of four and politely inquired, “Hello, are you here to place an order in advance?”
Liu Dongmei pulled Su Jiaojiao over and smiled at Wang Xiaoyan. “That’s right. Today is my younger daughter’s birthday, and we’ve invited guests to celebrate with her.”
“Alright,” Wang Xiaoyan asked, “How many guests have you invited? How many tables do you need to reserve?”
Liu Dongmei glanced at Su Jiaojiao.
Su Jiaojiao said, “I don’t have any other friends. I only invited Grandpa Luo. Dad, Stepmom, did you invite any other guests to celebrate with me?”
Liu Dongmei and Shen Jianguo looked slightly awkward as they replied, “Well, no.”
“But Dad, Stepmom, I remember when Sister had her birthday three months ago, you invited so many relatives and friends.”
Recalling the scene that day, Su Jiaojiao continued, “You said that since it was Sister’s eighteenth birthday, her coming-of-age celebration, it should be lively. But today is my eighteenth birthday too, and I’d like it to be lively as well.
Yesterday, when Stepmom asked me whether I wanted to celebrate at home or at the State-Run Restaurant, I specifically chose the State-Run Restaurant because I was afraid there would be too many guests and didn’t want Stepmom to exhaust herself cooking so much.
But for my eighteenth birthday, the number of people…”
Her expression clearly showed disappointment.
Upon hearing this, the waitress Wang Xiaoyan nearby immediately revealed a hint of sarcasm on her face.
Yesterday, when this Comrade Su’s sister called her an adopted daughter, everyone realized that she was the biological daughter.
However, after the son of the steel factory director, Young Master Song, mentioned how the stepdaughter was treated in the Shen family, it became clear to everyone that this was a case of favoritism.
It was just that this Su girl was too naive and innocent to realize her family’s bias.
Wang Xiaoyan muttered under her breath, just loud enough for everyone to hear, “This is favoritism, and they still deny it.”
Shen Jianguo and Liu Dongmei, “…”
What’s going on with Su Jiaojiao today? One thing after another—was it unintentional or deliberate?
The two exchanged a glance.