It’s a Stepmother, Not a Sister [70s] - Chapter 3

Money can’t buy foresight…

Why was I so carefree when I moved? Why didn’t I buy some yogurt, nuts, and pork jerky…

Jiang Shuangling, who had arrived in the 1970s, regretted countless times as she pounded the bed board in tears.

Honey, lard, eggs, rice, preserved eggs…

Lard? Lard was for cooking, century eggs? They were tolerable in porridge, but Jiang Shuangling couldn’t stomach them alone. Wild honey and eggs were good things. Jiang Shuangling drank a cup of honey water every day and each sibling had an egg, just barely suppressing the restless hunger within.

“In this era, lard is the most precious. If only we could move out, I could cook for myself, even stir-frying vegetables requires some oil to taste good… Even though there’s only a catty of rice, it can be replenished every day. Taking it out would be like getting a catty of rice for free every day, at least we won’t starve…”

Jiang Shuangling comforted herself in her heart to be content, but she was also eager to move out with her brother, to be the mistress of the house so she could openly use these things.

Otherwise, even eating an egg every day had to be done in secret.

This was also one of the reasons she agreed to the marriage.

The Jiang family’s courtyard was one of the more imposing brick houses in the village. In the front yard was a vegetable garden where they raised chickens and ducks. Upon entering, the kitchen was to the left, with a central hall and four rooms. Jiang Chuanfu and his wife, Li Erhua, had one room; Jiang Shuangling and Jiang Hongping shared another; Jiang Che and his younger cousin shared one room, and there was another opposite the kitchen used for firewood storage, piled with bundles of firewood.

The main gate led directly to the back door, which opened into the backyard. The backyard bordered a small hill, slightly higher in elevation. Up two simple steps were two crude adobe houses, one used for raising pigs and the other as an outhouse.

In the room of Jiang Chuanfu and his wife, there was a faint conversation taking place.

Li Erhua pulled her daughter, Jiang Hongping, into the room, glanced outside, closed the door, then turned around and immediately urged, “Daughter, do you want to reconsider? Captain Qi’s conditions are excellent.”

“They say he’s especially handsome, even better looking than Li Zhiqing in the village. You like that kind of man.”

“From what I heard from Jiang Cuiqing’s side, he has an elder brother who’s a company commander in Yuanyang. Rumor has it he’s about to be promoted to deputy battalion commander, and his sister-in-law is the daughter of the commander… He’s already a captain now, with unlimited prospects for the future.” Li Erhua didn’t really understand military ranks, but just hearing about their background made her feel they were formidable, unlike their family, who couldn’t possibly climb so high.

“Even if he’s dragging along a son as baggage, there are plenty of women who want to marry him. Those from the cultural troupe, and even the young teachers and nurses, all want someone to introduce them to him. But his family insists on finding a sturdy country girl this time, someone with a proper upbringing, who can live a solid life. Of course, she has to be pretty. My daughter isn’t just pretty; she’s got wide hips, perfect for bearing sons—”

Originally, Li Erhua didn’t want her own daughter to become a stepmother, but with this marriage falling on Jiang Shuangling, she couldn’t shake off her unease.

From what she heard, this was a good match. If it wasn’t for a distant relative from Jiang’s side mentioning it in front of the groom’s family, who happened to be looking for a pretty country girl, they wouldn’t have had this opportunity.

Men sought after by teachers and nurses, this was a promising military officer, much better than marrying a country bumpkin.

“Mom, stop it. I won’t marry him. What’s good about becoming a stepmother? Even if his conditions are good, he’s already married.”

“I don’t want him. Your cousin has agreed, Jiang Shuangling will marry.” Jiang Hongping remained unmoved, sitting on her parents’ bed, leaning to one side, and retrieving a piece of winter melon candy from a small box.

That winter melon candy was leftover from the New Year. Although it was hard and tasted awful after being stored for so long, it could at least sweeten the mouth.

The mother continued to persuade her, but Jiang Hongping paid no attention. Her mother didn’t know that she had traveled back thirty years in the future.

The Captain Qi mentioned by the other side had become quite vague in her memory. She knew he had good conditions and was a very handsome man, but not someone suitable for marriage.

In her previous life, Jiang Hongping couldn’t resist temptation and chose to marry Captain Qi, becoming a stepmother to his four or five-year-old son. After marrying him, she followed him with the army, initially wanting to be a good stepmother. However, the stepson strongly rejected her, crying, throwing tantrums, and causing trouble.

Captain Qi, being a soldier, spoke little and was cold and distant towards women. He rarely initiated conversations with her. She wanted to get close to him, to build a relationship, but the stepson always interfered. Every time she approached Captain Qi, the stepson would cry, reject her, and demand she leave.

The stepson kept her at bay like a thief, never allowing her to get close to his father, even insisting on sleeping with his father at night.

As a soldier, Captain Qi had heavy training tasks daily and spent little time at home. Whenever he returned home, he was surrounded by the stepson. After marrying him, Jiang Hongping and Captain Qi slept in separate rooms, claiming to be husband and wife, but in reality, there was no physical contact at all.

She was indeed unpopular. Those snobbish teachers and nurses eyed Captain Qi like a green-eyed wolf, saying she wasn’t worthy of him, trying to win over the stepson, and wishing Captain Qi would divorce her immediately so they could take her place.

At that time, Jiang Hongping was feeling anxious. She had to hold onto this good match and was determined to find a way to get rid of the stepson. They say where there’s a stepmother, there’s a stepfather. She thought if she gave birth to more children for him, she could win his heart over and casually torment the malicious stepson.

That four or five-year-old stepson was like a little devil, always targeting her. Jiang Hongping hated him so much she wished she could strangle him.

One day, in her frustration, without thinking, she let slip her “little schemes,” which happened to be overheard by Captain Qi.

He also found out about her other actions.

Previously, Li Erhua had advised her to do something to harm the malicious stepson’s health. If her only son became disabled, naturally, he would have more healthy children with her, and… it was common for a four or five-year-old child to pass away.

…

Not long after, they divorced, and she was sent back home, her reputation tarnished.

Jiang Hongping remarried a poor cripple, a man who was honest but had no prospects. Jiang Hongping looked down on him and harbored a deep resentment.

She lived a miserable life for half of her years, while her cousin Jiang Shuangling, whom she had always disliked, graduated from the university for workers, peasants, and soldiers and became a teacher, living off the state. Later, she married Xiao Zhenchang from the village.

Xiao Zhenchang’s family background was humble; he was a scion of a landlord family. In this era, such backgrounds didn’t bode well, often subject to discrimination. However, Xiao Zhenchang possessed a knack for business. In a few years, he ventured into entrepreneurship and swiftly rose to become the richest man in the city.

Following the tide, Jiang Shuangling and her family lived in a large house, drove luxury cars, and Xiao Zhenchang showered her with affection, dressing her in different clothes every day. Jiang Hongping would never forget the elegant sight of her cousin stepping out of the car, snow-white skin, rosy lips, and the dazzling light reflecting off the jade bracelet on her wrist when she raised her hand to adjust her hair.

With a man beside her, speaking tenderly, and mischievous children trailing behind, one of them holding a violin.

Despite being close in age, when they reached their forties and fifties, her cousin remained stunningly beautiful, while Jiang Hongping’s hands were rough and calloused, her face lined with wrinkles, and a ring of fat piled around her waist, making her feel ashamed in front of her cousin.

Jiang Hongping had envied and resented her cousin for decades.

Now, heaven had granted her a second chance. She had returned to her eighteen-year-old self, and this time, Jiang Hongping was determined not to tread the same path as in her past life.

She wanted to live the life her cousin had in her previous life!

In this life, she would marry Xiao Zhenchang.

“Mom, stop it. Who’s like you, pushing their daughter into a fire pit? I won’t be a stepmother, and I don’t fancy any captain. What does it have to do with me if they have a battalion commander brother?”

Li Erhua sighed. “Fine, fine, it’s mom’s fault. It’s just… it’s your cousin…”

“My cousin is willing, Mom. Let her marry the most suitable one.” Jiang Hongping’s face was full of smiles, and her winter melon candy seemed sweeter than ever. She wished Jiang Shuangling would marry Captain Qi immediately.

In her past life, Jiang Shuangling had lived comfortably, so in this life, she deserved to experience the life Jiang Hongping had once led.

After Jiang Shuangling married Captain Qi, she would have nothing to do with Xiao Zhenchang. That man who became the richest would belong to Jiang Hongping.

Captain Qi was not a good match. After Jiang Shuangling married him, she would definitely suffer. With such a stepson, life would be difficult. Even if she didn’t get sent back like Jiang Hongping did in her past life, she would still suffer like a widow. Disgusting!

Suffering was what made life worthwhile!

In her past life, Xiao Zhenchang became the richest man later on, while that man with the surname Qi—although she married him once, Jiang Hongping couldn’t remember his name. It seemed like Qi, Heng?

She couldn’t write the other character, nor could she recall what he looked like.

Jiang Hongping hadn’t paid attention to what happened to the man surnamed Qi in her past life. Perhaps he, like his three martyr brothers, died early as a martyr.

Seeing her daughter truly unwilling, Li Erhua sighed, lowered her head, and fell silent for a while. Still unable to resist, she whispered, “His conditions are really good…”

In their rural area, it wasn’t common to marry a man of such status.

Although he came with a son, marrying him would still be a great opportunity for a countryside girl.

That such a good opportunity fell to her niece’s lot made Li Erhua feel uneasy.

The man’s father was a war hero, his elder brother married the commander’s daughter, he graduated from a regular military academy, and at a young age, he was already a captain, rapidly advancing in the army. In the future, he would at least become a battalion or even a regiment commander. If Jiang Shuangling married him, she would become an officer’s wife…

An officer’s wife.

Looking at her daughter, who seemed indifferent to the matter at hand, Li Erhua couldn’t help but feel frustrated. “Your cousin is going to become an officer’s wife—”

And her daughter would stay in the village. Would she still have such good opportunities in the future? She could only marry someone from the village or those young educated youth. Li Erhua used to think marrying one of the educated youth wouldn’t be bad, but now, after hearing about Captain Qi’s background, she couldn’t even consider those educated youth anymore.

“What officer’s wife? She’s just a detestable stepmother. Mom, please stop bringing him up, it’s annoying.”

“Mom, it’s not like I don’t want you to find me a good match and marry a good man in the future. Or maybe let your brother keep an eye out for someone at the factory—”

“No, no, no! I don’t want that, Mom. In the future, I’m going to marry a man I find worthy.” Before her rebirth, Jiang Hongping did indeed hope her brother would introduce her to someone at the factory. But now, she had a goal.

She wanted to become the wife of the richest man!

Li Erhua’s eyes flickered. In her eyes, her daughter’s behavior was very unusual. She didn’t even fancy the men at the factory anymore?

What kind of man did she find worthy?

A sudden realization struck Li Erhua as she remembered what Mrs. Zhang said to her yesterday about seeing Hongping talking to the scion of the landlord family.

“You—”