Born in the 1980s, she was remarried and became a stepmother; a cold, rough man doted on her, pinchi

Chapter 20 I'm not family with her.
"Hey? Did you hear? I heard that Jiang Man took Wang Xiu to the city to sell breakfast."

"Really? So what? What's so special about selling breakfast? You can work yourself to death and not make much money."

"Who said that? They earn three or four hundred a month. Didn't you see those two little kids wearing new clothes? They're so well-fed and shiny."

Just then, Shi An and Shi Ning came out of school with their little schoolbags on their backs. One of the older women saw them and exclaimed, "Oh my! It's only been a short time since I last saw them, but these two kids have gotten quite chubby, and their personalities seem much more cheerful now."

"Who can argue with that? It seems that Jiang Man is indeed a good stepmother who knows how to take care of children..."

Sun Meifen was waiting at the school gate to pick up her son when she heard their chatter and became so angry that she kept snorting.

What does it mean to be good at taking care of children?
She's gained a lot of weight and her personality has improved. It's as if she, Sun Meifen, deliberately abused the child!

But how can you make so much money selling breakfast?

Sun Meifen began to think about this matter.

On the way back with Qin Hua, Sun Meifen's eyes keenly spotted Jiang He in the crowd.

Her eyes darted around, a meaningful smile curving her lips, and she led Qin Hua toward Jiang He.

"Oh my, isn't this Xiao He? You've gotten even prettier in just a few days! Look at these new clothes, Lin Zhiqing must have bought them for you, right?"

When Sun Meifen opened her mouth, her voice carried a deliberate warmth, and she wore a seemingly sincere smile, but her eyes held some unfathomable thoughts.

Jiang He wasn't particularly fond of Sun Meifen, feeling that she always had a slick and cunning side.

Hearing the compliments, she unconsciously straightened her back, a smug look on her face, and reached out to straighten her clothes. The fabric of her new clothes shimmered softly in the sunlight, as if showcasing her current superiority.

"That's right. After Yanqing and I got engaged, his mother paid for all of these clothes."

Her tone was full of boastfulness, and she raised her chin slightly, as if she wanted everyone around her to see how lucky she was.

Sun Meifen inwardly spat and muttered to herself: "Hmph, a shameless woman who stole her sister's fiancé has the nerve to show off here. Does she really think she's so great?"

But she still forced a smile and agreed, a smile that looked somewhat strained, yet she tried her best to maintain it.

After a few pleasantries, Sun Meifen subtly steered the conversation to the main topic.

"By the way, did you know that Jiang Man has started selling breakfast recently?"

Sun Meifen asked the question casually, but her eyes were constantly watching Jiang He's expression.

Jiang He recalled that she had indeed passed by and seen Jiang Man's breakfast stall twice. At the time, she was secretly pleased with herself, thinking that Jiang Man had already been reduced to selling breakfast, unlike herself, who was about to marry into a good family and would have no worries about food and clothing.

So she hadn't paid much attention to the breakfast stall, but now that Sun Meifen had brought it up, she still responded, "Yeah, I've seen it. What's up?"

Sun Meifen chuckled inwardly, but put on a mysterious expression and said in a low voice, "You don't know yet, do you? Your sister earns a lot. She makes several hundred a month, which is equivalent to several months' wages at the factory."

As she spoke, she observed Jiang He's reaction, subtly trying to sow discord within her, saying, "Why doesn't she, as the older sister, invite you, her younger sister, when something good happens?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang He's eyes widened in surprise and suspicion as she looked at her: "Are you lying? How could you possibly earn so much selling breakfast?"

In her mind, selling breakfast was just a small business, requiring working from dawn till dusk, barely enough to make ends meet. How could there be such a high income? She thought Sun Meifen was just making things up.

"See, you still don't believe me? Now everyone's talking about it!"

Sun Meifen said innocently, glancing around as if searching for witnesses to the rumors. Jiang He frowned slightly, feeling a little uneasy. She had originally wanted to see Jiang Man make a fool of herself, since she was happier the more miserable Jiang Man was, as if she had already avenged a past life's grievance.

"You'll only know after seeing it with your own eyes. Anyone can boast!"

Her resentment was completely reignited, and she decided she had to go and see for herself if what Sun Meifen said was really true.

Sun Meifen's eyes lit up; she had been waiting for this very sentence. She immediately put on a helpful act and said, "I'm going to the city tomorrow morning to buy a schoolbag for my son. Why don't we go together? We can also check out Jiang Man's breakfast stall while we're there, so you can confirm it for yourself."

Jiang He hesitated for a moment. She didn't really want to go with Sun Meifen, but she would need to pay for the bus fare if she went to the city by herself, and she didn't have much money right now.

After thinking for a moment, Jiang Manhe nodded and said, "Okay, let's go together then. But let me make this clear: if you lie to me, I'll never forgive you."

Sun Meifen quickly smiled and nodded, "Oh dear, why would I lie to you? You'll see when the time comes."

Sun Meifen smiled on the surface, but in her heart she was thinking, "Hmph, just wait until you see it, you'll be in for a world of hurt. You're so arrogant all the time, stealing your own sister's fiancé and showing off everywhere. It's time for you to taste the bitterness of jealousy."

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Sun Meifen and Jiang He agreed to meet at the village entrance.

Although Jiang He still felt some discomfort towards Sun Meifen, she was preoccupied with visiting Jiang Man's breakfast stall and didn't dwell on it.

The two hitched a ride towards the city, exchanging a few words occasionally along the way, and the atmosphere remained relatively calm.

Once we arrived in the city, there were already many early risers on the streets, and various stalls were gradually being set up, creating a lively scene.

Sun Meifen led Jiang He toward the place where Jiang Man usually set up his stall. The closer they got, the stronger the aroma emanating from the breakfast stall became.

A crowd had gathered around Jiang Man's breakfast stall. Jiang Man was deftly serving customers steamed buns and soy milk, a warm and honest smile on his face, while constantly calling out, "Freshly steamed buns, fragrant and soft, and hot soy milk too! Come and have a taste!"

They were so busy; their business seemed pretty good.

Jiang He watched from afar, and her heart skipped a beat. She hadn't expected the breakfast stall to be so lively.

She quickened her pace and walked over, standing in front of the stall to examine it closely. Looking at the steam rising from the steamers and the neatly arranged buckets of tea eggs next to them, she felt increasingly uneasy.

Sun Meifen casually remarked, "Look how good this business is! No wonder you can make so much money. Your sister is really capable; her daily income must be quite substantial."

Her words were like needles, piercing Jiang He's heart, gradually fading her smug expression and replacing it with jealousy and resentment.

Jiang He bit her lip, thinking to herself, "Why is it that Jiang Man can earn so much just by making breakfast, while I'm still waiting to get married and rely on my in-laws for a living?"

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She couldn't help but step forward and say to Jiang Man in a sarcastic tone, "Oh, sis, I didn't expect your little breakfast stall to be so successful. You've made so much money, but you don't even think about taking care of your little sister. I thought you were just barely making ends meet."

Jiang Man was busy when he heard Jiang He's voice. He turned around, paused for a moment, then sneered, "Doing business isn't that easy. It's just hard-earned money, enough to make a living. Unlike you, little sister, you're about to marry a city man. Isn't that the perfect match you carefully selected? And now you're here making a fuss about Yana?"

"Hmph, you say it's just hard-earned money. Everyone says you earn several hundred a month, which is much better than what I'm doing."

Her tone was full of sourness, and the jealousy in her eyes was almost impossible to hide.

Sun Meifen watched from the side, secretly amused, but on the surface she pretended to be a good person and advised, "Oh, Xiao He, your sister has worked hard from dawn till dusk to earn this. Don't say that. We're family, so let's not be so formal."

But her words sounded even more offensive to Jiang He, as if she were being unreasonable.

"What family? I'm not family with her."

(End of this chapter)