The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 699 - 698: I’ll Definitely Come to Your Next Wedding

Chapter 699: Chapter 698: I’ll Definitely Come to Your Next Wedding

"Xiaogao, you go wait for me in the car; I want to have a few words alone with her."

"Okay."

After sending Gao Hualiang away, Shen Baolan finally let down her guard and re-emerged with her spirited attitude:

"Shen Mingzhu, the wheel of fortune turns; what was up goes down and vice versa. A few years ago, you might have been a bit better off than me, but things are different now. My life is much better than yours."

"Houses, cars, shops, money, and even men—I have everything. For the second half of my life, I don’t need to do a thing, just lie back and enjoy my blessings."

As she spoke, she stared at Shen Mingzhu’s face, wanting to see jealousy and envy on it.

That was indeed her main reason for coming to see Shen Mingzhu today.

For years she had been outshone by Shen Mingzhu, and it had nearly suffocated her. Finally, it was her turn to hold her head high. She also wanted Shen Mingzhu to taste what it was like to be one down.

"Shen Baolan, can you stop parading around in front of me in the future? I really have no interest in your affairs. You take your sunny path, and I’ll cross my log bridge. It’s best if we don’t interfere with each other."

Shen Baolan curled her lip. "Shen Mingzhu, you must be so sour inside, aren’t you? I can understand you—struggling to run factories and do business only to find that you’re not even as well off as me, someone who does nothing."

"It’s all fate; I was just born luckier than you. No matter how hard you try, you will never catch up to me."

Shen Mingzhu was speechless: "If you’re happy with being ugly, then so be it."

Huffing, Shen Baolan returned to the car, took out her compact, and looked at herself in the mirror. She turned to Gao Hualiang in the driver’s seat and asked, "Am I ugly?"

"Not at all, you’re beautiful."

Shen Baolan felt a little better. "Then, compared with Shen Mingzhu, who’s prettier, her or me?"

Standing next to each other, she looks like a twenty-year-old girl, and you look like a forty-year-old auntie. Don’t you have any sense?

Gao Hualiang thought as much to himself, but what he said aloud was quite different:

"To me, she can’t compare with you. She might be pretty, but one can tell she has a bad temper and is difficult to serve. In choosing a wife, it’s better to find someone like you, Baolan—gentle, considerate, and charming."

Charmed by his flattering words, Shen Baolan began to talk ceaselessly about Shen Mingzhu’s faults.

Gao Hualiang listened attentively, occasionally chiming in with a curse toward Shen Mingzhu, making Shen Baolan bubble with joy.

In the past, when she argued with Shen Mingzhu, Pei Yang would always blindly side with Shen Mingzhu, but Zhou Shuhuan not only failed to protect her, he would even curse and hit her.

Talking about Shen Mingzhu’s faults at home, Zhou Shuhuan showed impatience as well.

Now, she had finally found a man who was completely devoted to loving and protecting her.

She was no less than Shen Mingzhu!

...

"Mom, let me do it. You sit down and take a break."

Gao Hualiang eagerly took the pig feed bucket from Liu Cuihua’s hand. In a few steps, he reached the pigsty, bent down to pour the feed into the trough, and then skillfully spread it with a wooden shovel so that the pigs inside could easily fight for it.

Watching Gao Hualiang’s efficient movements, Liu Cuihua’s face showed a hint of satisfaction.

When Shen Baolan first brought Gao Hualiang back to Shenjiagou, she wasn’t particularly pleased.

An outsider with an unclear background and little money, whose looks were too striking, inevitably seemed unreliable.

But after living and observing together for a while, she found that Gao Hualiang was a very down-to-earth guy.

He was attentive in all aspects, hardworking and considerate, eager to undertake the dirtiest and most tiring tasks, and was much better than the former son-in-law, Zhou Shuhuan.

Zhou Shuhuan had been her son-in-law for eight years, but the number of times he visited the house could be counted on one hand, not to mention helping her with chores.

Considering her daughter had no plans to officially marry Gao Hualiang with a certificate, there was no worry about him swindling any property, and she was growing fonder of this new son-in-law.

Soon it was the beginning of winter.

After a night of rain, the temperature plummeted several degrees. Seeing Shen Mingzhu dressed as usual in only a flannel coat, Pei Yang reminded her:

"It’s cold. Wear something thicker, or you might get chilled at the midday feast."

As she fastened her buttons, Shen Mingzhu replied, "Who said we’re going to the feast?"

"It’s the beginning of winter today. Shen Baolan is hosting the celebration. Have you forgotten?"

Shen Mingzhu suddenly realized, "Oh, I did forget."

After a pause, she added, "But I never planned to go in the first place."

"So you still agreed to her,"

"If I’d said no directly, she’d be at my door nagging me every day."

Whenever Shen Baolan was mentioned, Shen Mingzhu’s face would be filled with disdain, revealing a bit of cuteness akin to that of a young woman on her puffed-up cheeks.

Pei Yang felt an itch in his heart and couldn’t help but adjust her sweater collar, smoothly running his hand through her hair afterward.

The unpermed, black and lustrous strands were like the finest silk.

"You’ve been growing it out for so long, it’s finally gotten a bit longer."

Seeing the man’s happy face, Shen Mingzhu felt guilty for not responding.

She’d been too busy these past few months to even think about cutting her hair.

...

Today, Shenjiagou was decked out in festive lights and echoing with the sound of drums and gongs. Bright red silk ribbons and streamers hung from the entrance to the end of the village, creating an unprecedented level of excitement in the history of the settlement.

Shen Baolan sat in the wedding room, festively decorated, while a roomful of women heaped praises on her, bringing a flowery smile to her face.

She had really splurged for today’s wedding feast.

She’d bought a special wedding gown and a set of gold jewelry, and together with the large diamond ring Gao Hualiang had given her when he proposed, she looked positively radiant and luxurious.

In truth, she didn’t like the wedding gown that much—it wasn’t festive at all. But Shen Mingzhu wore a white wedding dress at her own wedding and looked as beautiful as a fairy, which had filled Shen Baolan with jealousy for many years and also with envy.

There was also the large gold bracelet that Pei Yang bought for Shen Mingzhu; Shen Baolan had coveted that for years as well.

Everything Shen Mingzhu had ever owned, Baolan wanted to possess too.

"Has Mingzhu arrived yet?"

More than the villagers’ envy, she was eager to see Shen Mingzhu’s envy of her.

"Not yet, she’s probably still on the way, early days yet."

Shen Baolan sent a female relative to watch at the entrance of the village, instructing her to bring Shen Mingzhu to her room as soon as she arrived.

However, Shen Mingzhu never showed up even after the banquet was over.

Failing to have her life-long rival witness her glory, Shen Baolan felt incredibly frustrated.

After the guests had left, she didn’t even bother to change out of her wedding dress before having Gao Hualiang drive her back to the city.

Shen Mingzhu arrived home after work.

"Shen Mingzhu!"

Seeing Shen Baolan waiting at her doorstep, Shen Mingzhu was at a loss for words for a moment.

In the bitter cold, she felt chilly even in her wool coat, while Shen Baolan was only wearing her wedding dress. However, looking at Baolan’s pale face and shivering body, it was clear that she was quite cold.

"Why didn’t you come for the wedding feast today?"

"Oh, I forgot."

"You forgot something as important as my wedding?!"

Facing Shen Baolan’s anger, Shen Mingzhu sincerely apologized, "I’m sorry, I’ll definitely remember next time."

Shen Baolan was nearly driven mad by anger.

Who the hell wishes for a next time on their big day? Isn’t that a curse?

...

After getting an earful of grievances from Shen Mingzhu, Baolan hurriedly rushed back to Shenjiagou.

She left in such a hurry that she forgot to take the gift money.

They had a total of twenty-five tables for today’s wedding feast, not to mention all the miscellaneous decorations, costing around five thousand in total. She was relying on the gift money to recoup some of the expenses; otherwise, she’d be at a significant loss.

Upon entering the house, before she could ask, Liu Cuihua took the initiative to hand over the collected gift money to her.

The gift money was packed in a flower-patterned cloth bag, which seemed heavy at first glance, but upon counting, it didn’t even amount to a thousand.

"Why is it so little?"

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