Su Jiaojiao was born into a merchant family in Hu City. Before liberation, the Su Family operated a textile factory, owned a bank, and possessed a silver mine, establishing themselves as prominent figures in Hu City.
For three generations, the Su Family had engaged in business, accumulating immense wealth.
After the establishment of New Dragon Country, Su Qiaoshan, Su Jiaojiao’s grandfather, responded to the nation’s call and embraced the path of communist ideals by voluntarily surrendering the bank and silver mine to the state, retaining only the textile factory.
Before the age of ten, Su Jiaojiao was the cherished jewel of her grandfather Su Qiaoshan and her mother Su Yingxue, while her father Shen Jianguo doted on her as if she were the apple of his eye.
However, when she turned ten, her grandfather was involved in a car accident while on a business trip. By the time he was rushed to the hospital, Su Qiaoshan had only a breath left and entrusted all the family assets to his daughter, Su Yingxue.
After inheriting the Su Family’s fortune, Su Yingxue fell seriously ill.
During her illness, she meticulously arranged all future safeguards for Su Jiaojiao.
She handed over the textile factory and most of the antique paintings and calligraphy to the state.
First, the factory director would be appointed by the state, while the position of deputy factory director was assigned to her husband, Shen Jianguo.
Second, in exchange for surrendering the textile factory, she hoped the state would take care of her only daughter, Su Jiaojiao. Specifically, 5% of the textile factory’s annual dividends would be deposited in a bank until she turned eighteen, at which point she could access the funds. If anything were to happen to her, the money would be contributed to the state.
Third, a monthly living allowance would be provided for the child until she reached adulthood.
The wisest decision Su Jiaojiao’s mother made was not entrusting her precious daughter to her husband but directly to the state.
Perhaps her mother had sensed Shen Jianguo’s pretense back then, which was why she didn’t trust him.
Reflecting on it now, Su Jiaojiao thought that if her mother had entrusted her to Shen Jianguo, he would have long since caused her demise.
Tomorrow, she would turn eighteen.
According to her mother’s will, she would gain control over the money deposited in the bank.
In her previous life, she had been deceived by Shen Jianguo and Liu Dongmei, foolishly handing over this wealth to Shen Jianguo to manage after turning eighteen.
But now? Hmph!
Su Jiaojiao scooped a spoonful of brown sugar water into her mouth and remarked,
“Stepmother’s culinary skills are as consistently excellent as ever. This bowl of brown sugar egg soup is sweet but not cloying, and the eggs are fresh and delicious.
Stepmother, from now on, I want to have brown sugar eggs at least three times a week. Remember to make them for me.”
In the past, she had genuinely regarded Liu Dongmei as her own mother, so the term “Mom” had slipped out naturally.
But now, calling her “Stepmother” was nothing more than a prelude to revenge.
Three times a week of brown sugar eggs?
Liu Dongmei’s expression stiffened momentarily. She nodded and said, “Mm, if Jiaojiao likes it, Mom will make it for you every day from now on.”
Inwardly, she cursed, “You fool, why don’t you just eat yourself to death? If it weren’t for swindling that money from you, I wouldn’t bother serving a dimwit like you.”
As Su Jiaojiao slowly ate the brown sugar eggs, Liu Dongmei repeatedly shot meaningful glances at Shen Jianguo.
“Ahem…” Shen Jianguo cleared his throat, about to speak to Su Jiaojiao.
While eating her eggs, Su Jiaojiao watched his expression out of the corner of her eye. Just as he was about to speak, she cut in directly,
“Oh, Dad, where is Shen Qingyu? I remember the factory isn’t operating today, right? Where is she?”
She deliberately emphasized the name “Shen Qingyu,” gripping the spoon so tightly that her fingertips dug into her palm, leaving marks.
Before her death, Shen Qingyu’s contemptuous, mocking, and disdainful gaze flashed before her eyes, a flicker of anger and resentment passing through.
Liu Dongmei said with a smile, “She doesn’t have to work today, so she went out with her best friend. Jiaojiao, don’t worry about her.”
Su Jiaojiao lowered her head slightly and replied with a smile, “Oh, she went out to have fun. Then after I finish breakfast, I’ll also invite my best friend to go out.
Dad, tomorrow is my birthday, and I plan to buy myself some birthday gifts. You have to give me some money. I want to buy clothes, shoes, and snow cream. Not too much—just five hundred yuan will be enough.”
In addition to the dividends from the Textile Factory, her mother also provided her with a monthly living allowance.
Initially, it was twenty yuan per month, equivalent to the salary of a Textile Factory worker.
After that, it increased every three years.
Because she was young, this money could only be collected by her guardian, Shen Jianguo. However, when collecting the living allowance, Shen Jianguo had to bring the child along.
This was her mother’s way of protecting her as she grew up. Even if Shen Jianguo disliked her, he wouldn’t dare mistreat her openly. Otherwise, it would be discovered.
“Five hundred yuan?”
Liu Dongmei’s voice suddenly rose, sounding quite surprised.
Su Jiaojiao looked at her and asked doubtfully, “Stepmother, is there a problem with five hundred yuan?”
There was a problem, of course there was.
Five hundred yuan was equivalent to a year and a half of her salary.
Moreover, once the money entered her pocket, it was hers. Why would she give it back?
Liu Dongmei shook her head and said with a smile, “No problem, of course there’s no problem. But, Jiaojiao, it’s very dangerous for a girl like you to carry five hundred yuan.
How about this? Whatever you want to buy, Mom will buy it for you. You just stay home and be a little princess. How about that?”
In the past, Su Jiaojiao was naive and innocent, never doubting them. Even if someone told her that no stepmother in the world truly cared for her stepdaughter and advised her to be cautious, she would argue back.
Her reasoning was that her stepmother took care of all her daily needs, never scolded or hit her, and even when she had conflicts with Shen Qingyu, her stepmother always unconditionally protected, believed in, and supported her.
A stepmother like that—no one would believe she wasn’t her biological mother.
How could she have doubted their motives back then?
But now, she was different.
What she didn’t understand in her previous life, she now realized: this was called “killing with kindness.”
Listen to these words—Liu Dongmei’s words sounded like they were for her own good, for her benefit. But upon deeper thought, it was clear that Liu Dongmei was guarding against her, not wanting her to have money.
Think back to the past: even when Shen Jianguo gave her money, it was only one or two yuan as pocket money. If it exceeded ten yuan, Liu Dongmei would refuse for various reasons.
Then think about how Liu Dongmei treated her own biological daughter: on the surface, she also gave two yuan. But she spent fifteen yuan on a pair of leather shoes for Shen Qingyu.
In the past, she never doubted it. After all, she had lived a life of luxury since childhood and seemed to have no concept of money.
But after experiencing thirty years in her previous life—penniless, cold, and hungry, nearly starving to death on the streets—she finally understood that money was truly important.
Now that she was back, she had to make them spit out everything they had taken from her.
It was only the first day—no need to rush.
She would carve away their flesh bit by bit, like a sharp knife scraping meat.
Su Jiaojiao said with a smile, “Stepmother, I’ll be turning eighteen tomorrow, an adult. Why are you still doting on me like a child? Oh, stepmother, you really don’t need to treat Shen Qingyu and me differently.
Dad gives me two yuan in pocket money every month, and Shen Qingyu gets the same two yuan. But stepmother, I’ve seen you secretly giving money to Shen Qingyu several times—at least fifteen yuan each time. It breaks my heart.”
Upon hearing this, Liu Dongmei’s expression changed. She laughed somewhat guiltily and said,
“Jiaojiao, you must have seen wrong. I’ve never given Yu’er any money. She gets the same two yuan in pocket money every month, just like you.”
“Oh, really? Then last month, I saw her buy a pair of black leather shoes at the mall for eighteen yuan.”
Su Jiaojiao asked doubtfully, “Could it be that she stole the money from you? Oh dear, Sister Qingyu surely isn’t that kind of person, is she?”
Liu Dongmei’s expression was particularly amusing—she couldn’t admit it, but neither could she deny it.
Su Jiaojiao curled her lips and asked Shen Jianguo, “Dad, for my birthday this time, I want five hundred yuan to buy my own things. Just tell me whether you’ll give it to me or not.”
Shen Jianguo and his wife wanted to bring up the matter of the bank funds with her, but she deliberately refused to let him mention it.
As soon as Shen Jianguo heard Su Jiaojiao actually asking him for five hundred yuan, his face instantly darkened.