Jiang Xingyao first went to the bank and deposited the 30,000 yuan. Then she bought herself a new women’s bicycle.
She tied the front wheel of the new bicycle to the rear rack of her old 28-inch bicycle. That way, she could ride both bicycles home by herself.
By the time Jiang Xingyao entered the residential compound, it was already noon.
“Mom!”
Hearing her voice, Xu Xiangmei hurried outside, but Liu Zhilan got there first.
For once, she actually smiled at Jiang Xingyao.
“Yaoyao, you got your marriage certificate with that poor boy from the Xie family, right?”
“Yes.”
“Quick, bring it here and let me see.”
Liu Zhilan had paid 2,000 yuan for this, so Jiang Xingyao knew she wouldn’t let the matter rest until she’d seen proof.
She took out the marriage certificate and held it in front of her.
“Here. Take a look.”
“Good, good!”
Out of the corner of her eye, Liu Zhilan spotted Jiang Xingyao’s newly purchased bicycle.
“This bicycle must be part of the Xie family’s betrothal gifts, right? Perfect. Lili has been complaining that her bicycle is too old. This new one will be just right for her.”
As she spoke, she reached out to take the bicycle.
Jiang Xingyao shoved her hand away.
“Liu Zhilan, what’s wrong with you? This bicycle is mine!”
“What do you mean, yours? Don’t forget, this marriage arrangement was between the Xie family and the Shen family. Naturally, the betrothal gifts belong to the Shen family. And what’s ours belongs to Lili!
“Besides, this marriage only fell to you because our Lili looked down on it. What gives you the right to take the betrothal gifts the Xie family gave us?”
Now that the marriage certificate had been obtained, the Shen family no longer had to worry about people criticizing them for breaking off the engagement. Liu Zhilan had even less reason to fear Jiang Xingyao.
This wretched girl had better know her place.
If she didn’t, Liu Zhilan had plenty of ways to deal with her.
Xu Xiangmei wanted to say something, but she hesitated because Liu Zhilan was her daughter’s biological mother.
What if her daughter was only temporarily angry with Liu Zhilan? If Xu Xiangmei insulted her and her daughter became upset with her, what would she do?
But Jiang Xingyao had no intention of indulging Liu Zhilan.
She parked the bicycle securely and smiled slyly.
“Fine, Liu Zhilan. Since you’re shameless enough to say something like that, don’t blame me for not saving you any face.
“I’ll go to the textile factory right now and ask the factory director to judge who’s right. While I’m there, I’ll tell him all about how you got a fake medical record made so you could arrange for early medical retirement.”
Liu Zhilan had been a minor supervisor at the textile factory. The normal retirement age was fifty-five.
She was only fifty-one this year, but a few months earlier, she’d asked a distant relative who worked at a hospital to issue her a medical record claiming she had a chronic illness. She had then used it to arrange early medical retirement.
Although plenty of factory leaders’ relatives did the same thing, it was still illegal.
If the matter became public, she wouldn’t just face a hefty fine. She could also be detained, and the rest of her life would be ruined.
Liu Zhilan glared at Jiang Xingyao, fire practically shooting from her eyes.
“Jiang Xingyao, I’m actually grateful that you and Lili were switched at the hospital all those years ago. A vicious, unfilial idiot like you doesn’t deserve to be my daughter.
“If I were you, I’d kneel down and apologize right now. After all, once your biological father becomes factory director, he could easily arrange a cleaning job for you and a security guard position for your husband. Either one would be far better than the two of you farming in the countryside.
“But you’re such an idiot that you’re actually threatening me here. Do you realize you’re ruining your own future?”
Jiang Xingyao raised her chin slightly.
“Don’t worry. You’ll definitely die before me.
“Liu Zhilan, let me make one thing clear. I’m not the Jiang Xingyao you used to bully anymore. From now on, your Shen family had better keep your tails between your legs around me.
“Otherwise, not only do my fists and feet have no eyes, but my mouth doesn’t have a lock, either.
“I’ll expose every single rotten thing your Shen family has done. I’ll make sure your husband loses his job, your son can’t find a wife, and your daughter can’t get married!”
Liu Zhilan gritted her back teeth so hard they nearly cracked.
“How dare you!”
“You’re welcome to find out.”
Jiang Xingyao turned around and linked her arm through Xu Xiangmei’s.
“Mom, let’s go home. I’m hungry.”
“All right. Mom will make you some dumplings.”
“Mom, why don’t we wait until Dad and my brothers come home before making them?”
Xu Xiangmei smiled.
“I saved the filling for them. We’ll make theirs tonight. By the way, you registered your marriage with that man named Xie Jingsi. How does he treat you?”
“Pretty well. He even said he’d have someone bring the betrothal gifts in three days.”
“Looks like the Xie family isn’t taking this marriage lightly just because it was arranged when you were children.”
As she spoke, Xu Xiangmei sighed again.
“Yaoyao, what is the Xie family’s situation really like?
“If they’re truly a wealthy family, Mom will sell everything we have if necessary and prepare a better dowry for you. I don’t want them looking down on you.”
She had lived more than half her life and understood all too well that when a woman suffered in her husband’s family, it wasn’t only because her husband was unreliable. It was also because her own family didn’t have her back.
Many women endured humiliation and made endless compromises because they were afraid that, after getting divorced, they would have nowhere to go and wouldn’t be able to raise their children on their own.
If their parents and siblings were willing to help and give them enough confidence to stand on their own, how many women would really be foolish enough to keep enduring beatings and hardship from their husband’s family?
Their family wasn’t particularly wealthy, but as long as she and the children’s father were alive, they would always leave their daughter a place at the table and a roof over her head.
Jiang Xingyao smiled and handed Xu Xiangmei 1,000 yuan.
“Mom, don’t worry about this. Even if we tore down our house and gave me every brick as part of my dowry, it still wouldn’t be enough to make the Xie family think highly of me.”
“What? Is their family full of government officials or something?”
Xu Xiangmei suddenly remembered that her daughter had previously mentioned that her future husband rode around in a car.
“Could their family have made a fortune in business? Is this 1,000 yuan the bride price he gave you?”
“I don’t know how their family made their fortune, but they’re definitely from a wealthy and powerful family.
“Xie Jingsi casually gave me 30,000 yuan. This 1,000 is for you to use for household expenses. From now on, we can have meat at every meal and soup with every dinner.”
“30,000?”
Xu Xiangmei couldn’t help drawing in a sharp breath.
“Daughter, you must keep that money somewhere safe. If the Shen family finds out about it, won’t they do everything they can to take it from you?
“Mom doesn’t want this 2,000 yuan either. Your father is a Level Six skilled worker now. He earns more than 150 yuan a month, which is enough to support our family. We don’t need your money.”