Due to Shen’s father’s seniority and his status as a cadre candidate, he was allocated a two-bedroom apartment with a living room.
During this period, there was no such thing as shared common area calculations, so the two-bedroom apartment covered a full 85 square meters.
Shen’s father and Mother Shen partitioned a section from their master bedroom and part of the living room to create a separate room for Shen Jingyao to use as her bedroom.
The other room had previously been shared by the two Shen brothers. Later, after Shen Jingyuan joined the military, it became the room for Shen Jingzhou and his wife.
Their family’s living conditions were considered quite good, as many households had seven or eight people crammed into spaces of only 30 to 40 square meters.
“Yao Yao, go back to your room and lie down for a while,” Mother Shen said directly after they arrived home, urging her to rest.
“Okay, Mom,” Shen Jingyao replied as she returned to her room.
Walking across the floor, she began to examine the room.
Though small, it was furnished completely.
There was a single bed with a mosquito net tied above it, a wardrobe on the left side, and a desk placed beneath the windowsill.
On the desk were the original owner’s books, an old-fashioned desk lamp in the corner, and a round mirror with a red plastic frame.
Shen Jingyao picked up the mirror and saw a face that bore a ninety percent resemblance to her own.
The girl in the reflection had jet-black hair, delicate eyebrows like distant mountains, sparkling translucent eyes, a high nose bridge, small lips, and a standard oval face with fair, radiant skin.
In an era when most people looked sallow and thin, the fact that the original owner had been raised to look like this showed how deeply Shen’s father and Mother Shen cherished her.
After walking around the room, Shen Jingyao felt tired. Her soul was gradually merging with this body and needed sleep to facilitate the process.
The evening sunset cast golden rays into the room. The girl on the bed furrowed her brows slightly and opened her eyes.
Faintly, she could hear voices coming from the living room outside.
“Auntie, I heard that Yao Yao has returned from the hospital. How is she now?”
“Much better. The doctor said she just needs a couple more days of rest.”
Shen Jingyao recognized the voice—it was Lin Xiaoman, the original owner’s former good friend.
However, this friend was not as innocent as the original owner had believed.
From Shen Jingyao’s memories, the reason Lin Xiaoman had befriended the original owner was that she had taken a liking to the original owner’s second brother, Shen Jingyuan, and wanted to become her sister-in-law.
Lin Xiaoman was a year older than the original owner. Her father worked as a mover in a textile factory and lived on the next street over.
She had many siblings and was stuck in the middle, neither the eldest nor the youngest, so her family paid little attention to her.
After graduating from junior high, she stopped her studies. When the time came for youths to be sent to the countryside, her family arranged for her eldest sister to go instead, allowing Lin Xiaoman to avoid it.
She usually took on odd jobs here and there. Her family wanted to find her a match, marry her off, and secure a bride price.
But she was unwilling to settle for just anyone, so she set her sights on the original owner’s second brother.
The Shen siblings were famously good-looking in the neighborhood, and Zhao Yunxiu was not the type of mother-in-law who would mistreat her daughters-in-law.
Coupled with the Shen family’s comfortable circumstances, Lin Xiaoman’s family also approved of her getting close to the original owner.
The original owner was a guileless girl. Moreover, her previous good friend, Zhang Xiaohe, had left Su City due to her father’s job transfer.
The departure of her good friend had left the original host deeply saddened. It was at this time that Lin Xiaoman appeared and offered her a string of comforting words.
Just like that, the original host was easily deceived by Lin Xiaoman’s sweet talk, believing that Lin Xiaoman genuinely wanted to be friends with her.
She often brought Lin Xiaoman home. At first, the Shen family was delighted to learn that the original host had made a new friend and treated Lin Xiaoman with courtesy.
Gradually, however, everyone noticed that this girl had ulterior motives—she had set her sights on Second Brother Shen. Their attitude toward her began to change.
Later, Shen Jingyuan enlisted in the army, dashing Lin Xiaoman’s hopes, and she gradually distanced herself from the original host.
The original host eventually realized that Lin Xiaoman had approached her with an agenda. From then on, they rarely saw each other.
Later, it was said that Lin Xiaoman’s mother had arranged a favorable marriage for her, and she had gotten married the year before last.
No one knew what her intentions were in visiting today.
Mother Shen, Zhao Yunxiu, showed no warmth upon seeing Lin Xiaoman, but since one doesn’t strike a smiling face, she refrained from directly driving her out, especially since Lin Xiaoman had brought gifts to visit her daughter.
Lin Xiaoman sat in the living room, sipping water with her head lowered, her eyes darting around.
She recalled her husband’s instructions before he left, urging her to ensure this matter succeeded.
Noticing Mother Shen’s indifferent expression, she tentatively began, “Auntie, I heard you’re planning to send Yao Yao to the countryside?”
In these times, nothing remained a secret. The news of Shen Jingyao’s impending relocation to the countryside had already spread throughout the neighborhood after the street committee’s visit yesterday to mobilize her.
At this, Mother Shen’s expression shifted. “Where did you hear that?”
Lin Xiaoman set down her cup. “Everyone’s talking about it. I heard it from Aunt Zhang next door.”
Mother Shen’s face darkened. Were these busybodies with nothing better to do than gossip all day?
Lin Xiaoman continued, “Auntie, the countryside is terribly harsh. You must find a way to help Yao Yao avoid it.”
As if they hadn’t already been trying! Earlier that morning, Shen Guorong had asked his son and daughter-in-law to inquire if anyone was selling job placements, regardless of the cost. He himself had gone to seek connections, hoping to find a way out.
But they had yet to return, and no one knew what the outcome would be.
Mother Shen replied coldly, “There’s no need for you to worry. We’ll handle it ourselves.”
Stung by the rebuke, Lin Xiaoman’s face briefly clouded over before she forced a smile.
“Auntie, I came today with good news to share.”
“What good news?” Mother Shen feigned indifference, inwardly resolving to eject her in two minutes.
Lin Xiaoman glanced mysteriously outside and lowered her voice. “Auntie, someone has asked me to propose marriage to Yao Yao.”
“What?” This topic struck a nerve. Mother Shen immediately stood up, her face furious as she pointed toward the door. “Get out! We don’t need this.”
Seeing Mother Shen’s anger, Lin Xiaoman grew anxious. “Auntie, it’s truly a good family—well-off, with stable jobs. Yao Yao would be in charge as soon as she married, and she wouldn’t have to go to the countryside!”
Mother Shen eyed her skeptically. “If the conditions are so good, why not introduce them to your own sister?”
Lin Xiaoman felt deeply humiliated. It wasn’t that she hadn’t tried, but the family hadn’t taken a liking to her sister.
The other family had taken a fancy to Shen Jingyao’s beauty, education, and the fact that her family had members serving in the military.
Moreover, the other party had promised that if this matter succeeded, they would make her husband a permanent employee.
She smiled awkwardly, “Isn’t it because Yao Yao is more likable?”
Mother Shen was puzzled, “Which family are you referring to?”