Jian Ning looked at the thick stack of money and ration tickets in her hand, her nose tingling with emotion. She couldn’t help but hug Luo Susu. “Mom, thank you.”
Before coming, she had been filled with uncertainties and worries, but now all those concerns had vanished.
“Silly child, why thank me? I’m your mother.”
Luo Susu patted her back and continued, “Alright, I won’t disturb you anymore. Get some rest early.”
“Mm.” Jian Ning nodded.
After Luo Susu left, Jian Ning went to close the door.
Just as she reached the doorway, Song Hualan walked toward her and attempted to enter the room directly.
Jian Ning stretched out an arm to block the door, stopping her outside. She stared coldly at Song Hualan. “This is my room. You can’t just barge in!”
“Hah,” Song Hualan sneered, rolling her eyes. “As if anyone would want to come in!”
Then she looked at Jian Ning and asked, “Do you know who I am?”
Jian Ning frowned at her but remained silent.
Song Hualan wore an expression of disdain as she spoke again, “Hmph, it seems no one has told you yet. I am Song Yan’s sister.”
“So what?” Jian Ning replied indifferently.
Song Hualan, growing furious, glared fiercely at Jian Ning. “Let me tell you, my brother would never marry a woman like you! Our Song Family would never accept someone like you as a daughter-in-law! If you know what’s good for you, you’d better take the initiative and annul the engagement yourself. Otherwise, you’ll be the one left humiliated in the end!”
Jian Ning couldn’t help but laugh. So her hostility stemmed from this.
She had never intended to marry Song Yan in the first place, but she wouldn’t let those who bullied her get away so easily.
“What if I refuse? What can you do about it?” Jian Ning deliberately provoked her.
“You…” Song Hualan hadn’t expected Jian Ning to be so shameless. Even after she had spoken so bluntly, Jian Ning remained unfazed.
Fuming, she shot Jian Ning a venomous glare and yelled, “I’m telling you, my brother is in love with Xiao Yue! He’s going to marry Xiao Yue! Don’t you dare think you can eat Swan Meat!”
“Originally, I had no intention of eating it. But since you’re being so aggressive, this piece of Swan Meat—I’m determined to have it!”
Jian Ning met Song Hualan’s gaze firmly, enunciating each word clearly.
“You!” Song Hualan stamped her feet in rage but could do nothing.
Jian Ning gave her a cold glance, then slammed the door shut with a loud bang.
Song Hualan rubbed her sore nose, seething with anger, and couldn’t help but scream, “Ahhh! This is infuriating! I’m so mad!”
Jian Ning paid no attention to the commotion outside. After all, she wasn’t the one throwing a tantrum—in fact, she was in quite a good mood!
She first carefully put away the money and ration tickets Luo Susu had given her. Combined with the two thousand yuan she had taken from Lu Changzheng and her own savings, she now had two thousand four hundred and fifty yuan in total.
In this era, that was a considerable fortune. With money in hand, she felt secure and unshaken.
Her next goals were to lose weight, join the Arts Troupe, and eventually support herself financially.
As for the engagement with Song Yan, she would find an appropriate time to annul it directly.
In this lifetime, if she were to marry, she would find a man who truly loved her and treated her like a treasure.
The next day, Jian Ning woke up early. After washing up, she went out for a run.
To shed these extra pounds, I must not only watch what I eat but also put in some hard work. From now on, I’ll run every day, increase my exercise, and burn more calories to lose weight faster.
Meanwhile, the Xiao family had all gotten up, finished their morning routines, and gathered in the dining room for breakfast.
Xiao Yue noticed Jian Ning hadn’t come down yet. Song Hualan couldn’t help curling her lips in disdain. “Country folks will always be country folks—no sense of propriety at all. Mom and Dad are already up for breakfast, and she’s still holed up in her room sleeping in. Yesterday she made all those bold claims about losing weight and joining the Arts Troupe, but it turns out it was all just empty talk!”
Xiao Yue gently advised, “Sister-in-law, Ningning just returned from the countryside. It’s normal for her to still have some bad habits she hasn’t shaken off yet.”
Luo Susu gave Xiao Yue an approving glance. “Yueyue always knows just what to say and understands how to be considerate.”
“Yueyue may be understanding because she’s kind and sensible!” Song Hualan continued. “But in our family, everyone gets up on time for breakfast every morning—that’s a rule Dad set. We can’t make an exception just for her! She may be new here, but rules are rules. If she breaks them, she should face the consequences, just like anyone else!”
Song Hualan then looked at Xiao Zhengjun, waiting for his response.
Xiao Zhengjun frowned and said gruffly, “Qingyuan, go call her down.”
“Alright.” Xiao Qingyuan stood up and headed upstairs.
Xiao Yue struggled to keep the corners of her mouth from turning upward, forcing herself to maintain a concerned expression for Jian Ning.
Just then, she noticed her second sister-in-law, Xie Yan, sitting across from her, suddenly glance her way. Xiao Yue instinctively averted her eyes.
Xie Yan had been married into their family for nearly a year, but she was cold by nature and often stayed alone in her room, acting as if nothing concerned her.
Xiao Yue found her annoying, but she was also somewhat afraid of her—especially those eyes of hers, which seemed capable of seeing right through people. Every time she made eye contact with Xie Yan, Xiao Yue felt inexplicably nervous.
Soon after, Xiao Qingyuan hurried downstairs.
Seeing no one behind him, Song Hualan couldn’t resist saying, “She refused to come down? Well, isn’t she bold! She just got here and already dares to disobey Dad!”
Ignoring her, Xiao Qingyuan looked directly at Xiao Zhengjun and Luo Susu. “Mom, Dad, Jian Ning isn’t in her room.”
“Not in her room? Where could she have gone so early in the morning? She couldn’t be off doing something bad, could she? Or has she run away?” Song Hualan exclaimed anxiously.
Xiao Zhengjun’s expression darkened further, while Luo Susu looked worried. “Where could that child have gone?”
Suddenly recalling what Jian Ning had said to her last night, Song Hualan panicked and turned to rush back into the house.
“Sister-in-law, what’s wrong?” Xiao Yue asked curiously.
Song Hualan looked frantic and flustered. “Last night, Jian Ning told me she’s determined to have Song Yan and will do whatever it takes to marry him! I’m afraid she…”
Hearing this, Xiao Zhengjun’s face grew even more grim. He had been up since five o’clock and hadn’t seen Jian Ning come downstairs. Could it be that she had slipped out in the middle of the night…?
Xiao Yue mused thoughtfully, “Brother Song Yan has such good qualifications—plenty of girls want to marry him. It’s no surprise Jian Ning has her eyes on him. Who knows, maybe she realized Brother Song Yan isn’t interested in her, so she decided to take matters into her own hands and then…”