Early morning sunlight filtered through the gap in the curtains, spilling into the room. Buried under the blanket in a thoroughly unladylike sleeping position, the woman rubbed her eyes and slowly opened them.
Her palm-sized face, bare of any makeup, still carried a trace of sleepiness.
“As expected… whether I have a job or not, getting out of bed is still the hardest part of the day.”
She glanced at her watch.
Exactly seven o’clock.
Running a hand through her hair, Lin Xiyun climbed out of bed. She ducked into her private space to brush her teeth, wash her face, and finish her skincare routine before leisurely stepping back out.
Today, she planned to see if anywhere was hiring.
After all, mountains could collapse, people could leave, and she had never been the type to rely on anyone else.
Whether before transmigrating or afterward, she was still a young woman in the prime of her life.
She absolutely had no interest in becoming someone’s stepmother.
Especially when she remembered that the two children in the novel weren’t exactly innocent little angels.
Back then, the original villainess had genuinely liked Lu Yanbei and had treated those two children incredibly well.
And what had she gotten in return?
Two ungrateful little wolves who joined Lin Xuanxuan in slandering her before Lu Yanbei.
As for the novel’s Lu Yanbei…
He had seemed almost schizophrenic.
One day he’d insist, “I’ll investigate. I won’t wrong you.”
The very next day, he’d mysteriously change his tune.
Thinking about it made Lin Xiyun want to curse all over again.
Maybe it was because she’d become the villainess herself, but now she truly understood how infuriating it all was.
A nameless fire burned in her chest.
Still…
The priority now was finding herself a stable job.
Once she had one, she’d definitely ask Lu Yanbei for a divorce.
Whoever wanted the miserable job of being a stepmother could have it.
She changed into a simple, practical outfit.
Her long black hair was braided into a thick plait that hung over one shoulder, tied neatly with a sky-blue ribbon.
Looking into the mirror, she nodded in satisfaction.
“Mm. As expected, I’m naturally gorgeous.”
There were still two meat buns left from yesterday.
Since she’d kept them inside her space, they were exactly as fresh as before—still steaming as if they’d just come out of the steamer.
She finished breakfast in a few quick bites, locked the doors and windows, and headed out while humming happily.
Her first stop was the neighborhood office and the local residents’ committee.
Those were usually the most obvious places for work-unit recruitment notices to be posted.
In her previous life, she’d graduated with a degree in Chinese Language and Literature from an ordinary university.
Jobs suited to her major had been scarce.
She’d nearly driven herself crazy preparing for the national civil service exam before finally giving up and taking a purchasing job at a soul-crushing company.
Looking back, Lin Xiyun sighed.
A stable government job really was wonderful.
I should’ve just stuck it out and kept studying.
So her current plan was simple.
Find a secure, state-owned “iron rice bowl” job first.
Then, when the national college entrance examination was restored in 1977, she’d sit for it and get into university.
In the capital.
She refused to believe she couldn’t make a successful life for herself this time around.
She’d originally considered copying the female leads from other transmigration novels by writing articles for newspapers and magazines to earn manuscript fees.
Unfortunately…
She’d arrived at exactly the wrong time.
During this period, whether it was local newspapers, central publications, or even military journals, article submissions weren’t paid.
Her first money-making plan died before it even began.
“Comrade Qian, is our machinery factory recruiting workers?”
By the time Lin Xiyun finally spotted a recruitment notice posted outside the neighborhood office, her legs were already aching.
Beside it sat a registration desk, surrounded by people asking questions.
She happened to recognize the woman there.
Her name was Qian Hongyan, an employee at the machinery factory.
Qian Hongyan glanced at the pretty young woman speaking to her.
She had fair skin, striking features, and despite wearing loose factory work clothes, she didn’t look bulky at all.
The face seemed vaguely familiar.
After studying those bright, watery eyes for a couple of seconds, she finally remembered.
The fourth daughter-in-law of Lu Aiguo from the foundry workshop.
“Oh, it’s Comrade Lin.”
“That’s right.”
“Our factory’s announcer was transferred away, and we’ve also added several quality inspector positions.”
“We’re hiring three people altogether.”
“Would you like to apply?”
Regardless of whose family she belonged to, Qian Hongyan remained warm and courteous.
“Yes.”
“I’d like to register.”
Lin Xiyun smiled and nodded.
Just as she was about to continue—
Someone interrupted her.
A young woman with twin braids standing nearby narrowed her eyes.
Her name was Hu Tao.
The moment she saw such an exceptionally beautiful woman coming to apply, alarm bells immediately went off in her head.
She sneered.
“Do you have any manners?”
“I was here first, so obviously I should register first.”
Lin Xiyun blinked.
“…All right.”
She really did have manners.
“No need to get so worked up.”
“This is a job recruitment, not a competition to see who signs up first.”
“I saw you standing here reading the notice without saying anything, so I didn’t realize.”
She calmly stepped behind Hu Tao.
“Sorry about that.”
“You go ahead.”
She waited.
And waited.
The woman in front continued asking endless questions, clearly making no effort to move aside.
Eventually, Lin Xiyun tapped her lightly on the shoulder and pointed toward the recruitment notice.
“I honestly suggest you read the requirements first before registering.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“It means the notice clearly states that all three positions require a high school diploma.”
“Judging by your reading comprehension…”
“…you don’t seem like someone who graduated from high school.”
Hu Tao: “…”
Her face instantly flushed bright red.
She’d deliberately been stalling because she’d wanted to subtly persuade Qian Hongyan to relax the education requirement.
She had only graduated from middle school.
Staring at Lin Xiyun’s gorgeous face for a long moment, Hu Tao suddenly sneered.
“Hmph.”
“So it’s you.”
“The woman who tried to seduce my brother-in-law!”
She swallowed back the word vixen because of the crowd.
But the contempt in her slanted eyes—identical to her sister Hu Xing’s—made the meaning perfectly clear.
“You’re just some country girl.”
“What are you even doing looking at recruitment notices?”
“Did you even finish elementary school?”
“Comrade Hu Tao!”
“What nonsense are you talking about?”
Qian Hongyan’s head immediately started aching.
She sharply rebuked the girl.
Was she out of her mind?
These weren’t accusations someone could casually throw around.
Hu Tao, however, remained completely unconcerned.
Her older sister had told her that Lin Xiyun was a complete pushover.
Recently she’d forced the Lu family to split up, and now even her normally domineering mother-in-law wouldn’t protect her anymore.
So what was there to fear?
Hu Tao.
Hu Xing.
Brother-in-law.
Just those few words were enough for Lin Xiyun to piece everything together.
She’d been so busy dealing with the family separation that she hadn’t yet settled the score over what Hu Xing had done to the original owner.
Now Hu Xing’s younger sister had conveniently delivered herself to her doorstep.
How thoughtful.
If she didn’t wipe out the entire Hu family in one sweep…
…then her surname wasn’t Lin.
Keeping the same pleasant smile on her face, she deliberately bumped Hu Tao aside with her shoulder.
Hu Tao stumbled backward, clutching her aching shoulder.
“Hu Tao?”
“That’s right.”
“So what are you going to do about it?”
She forced herself to stand tall.
Lin Xiyun curled her lip in disdain.
“The people I hate most are idiots surnamed Hu who think far too highly of themselves.”
Seriously…
Did I offend everyone with the surname Hu in both my past life and this one?
She glanced at Qian Hongyan and the crowd gathered around to read the recruitment notice before raising her voice.
“Everyone here, please be my witnesses.”
Witnesses?
For what?
Before anyone could react—
Lin Xiyun suddenly turned around and walked away.
Hu Tao froze for a second before bursting into laughter.
“Hahaha!”
“What a coward!”
“And here I thought she’d suddenly grown a backbone.”
“So it was all just bluffing.”
Qian Hongyan, however, didn’t look nearly as relaxed.
Something about the expression on Comrade Lin’s face as she left felt… off.
Then she looked back at the still-smug Hu Tao and silently sighed.
There was no point warning someone like that.
For someone so young…
Her words were vicious beyond belief.