Lu Dezhao took the phone and, upon hearing it was his wife, tempered his tone: “What’s up?”  

An Hui launched into a rapid-fire explanation.  

The gist was that Lu Cheng had announced he was getting married to a woman named Jiang Moli, and she wanted to know if Lu Dezhao had any background information on her.  

Lu Dezhao had no answers, which infuriated An Hui. After berating him at length, she hung up.  

Despite his high status, Lu Dezhao was powerless against his wife. Swallowing his anger, he redirected his frustration toward Lu Cheng.  

…  

Mother Zhang was thoroughly pleased with her son’s decision to break off the engagement with Jiang Moli and marry Jiang Qing instead.  

“She’s lazy and gluttonous, yet she still dares to look down on our family? I’m the one who looks down on her! Xiao Qing is so much better—hardworking, virtuous, and enduring. A wife like her is what brings prosperity to a household.”  

Zhang Jiaming agreed with his mother.  

To him, Jiang Qing was superior to Jiang Moli in every way.  

Since he was often away in the military, he couldn’t personally care for his parents. Marrying a capable and virtuous wife like Jiang Qing, who could look after his parents and younger siblings at home, would give him peace of mind while serving.  

Zhang Jiaquan, Zhang Ermei, and Zhang Sanmei, the three younger siblings, were also delighted to have Jiang Qing as their sister-in-law.  

Jiang Moli was fierce and domineering, bullying them every time she visited their hometown.  

Jiang Qing, on the other hand, never mistreated them. Instead, she brought them tasty snacks and helped them with chores.  

Zhang Tiesheng watched his family’s cheerful faces, feeling a simmering frustration.  

As a man, he saw things more deeply than the women and children.  

No matter how good Jiang Qing’s character was, she was just a stepdaughter. Once married, she’d have little to do with the Jiang family.  

Jiang Peng had joined the army. If he stayed in the military, wouldn’t Jiang Dahai’s job at the machinery factory eventually go to Jiang Moli?  

Moreover, Jiang Dahai had built a wide network over years of working in the city. Zhang Tiesheng had hoped Jiang Dahai could help his own children get ahead.  

Now, with things turning out this way, his decades-long friendship with Jiang Dahai was likely over.  

…  

Jiang Moli slept until evening.  

She’d slept well, but the sticky sweat on her body was uncomfortable.  

After washing her face with cold water, she took the 5-cent refund from the returned soda bottle and headed to the convenience store.  

“Boss, got any popsicles?”  

“Sure, 5 cents each.”  

“Boss, how about a deal? Can you give me one for free?”  

The shopkeeper’s wife scowled. “No money, no popsicle!”  

“I have money, but I don’t want to spend it—because I need it for something else.”  

Hah, your money is money, but others’ money isn’t? What kind of logic is that?

[Disdain value +1. 10,000 yuan credited.]  

Hearing the notification, Jiang Moli handed over the 5 cents. “Just kidding, boss. One popsicle, please.”  

The shopkeeper took the money with a dark expression and gave her the popsicle.  

As she ate the popsicle, her mind cleared, and she remembered the 10 yuan Jiang Peng had swindled from “Zhang Jiaming.”  

After aimlessly wandering for a while, she ran straight into Jiang Qing, who was returning home.  

Though Jiang Qing didn’t have a formal job, she was diligent, working odd jobs at the match factory every day and coming home to cook at mealtime.  

Jiang Moli strode up to her. “Why are you back so late? The sun’s already set. Are you trying to starve me to death?”  

Jiang Qing glanced at the popsicle in her hand and tried to walk around her, but Jiang Moli blocked her path.  

“I want scrambled eggs for dinner.”  

Jiang Qing scoffed. “You’ve already eaten all the eggs at home.”  

Jiang Moli lifted her chin. “Then why didn’t you buy more? Do I have to teach you everything? Did you leave your brain at home?”  

“What are you standing around for? Hurry up and go!”  

Jiang Qing stared at her coldly for a moment before suddenly smiling. “Fine, I’ll go buy some now.”  

“Be quick! Cook as soon as you’re back—I’m starving!”  

Jiang Moli felt no guilt about bossing Jiang Qing around.  

After all, that scumbag “Zhang Jiaming” had toyed with her. This was just her collecting a little interest.  

“Xiao Qing, what are you buying?”  

Just as Jiang Qing reached the grocery store, she ran into Zhou Xiaoqing, who was returning from work.  

“Just some eggs.”  

Jiang Qing replied as she entered the store, with Zhou Xiaoqing following.  

“Didn’t your family already use up this month’s egg ration?”  

“Jiang Moli insists on eating eggs. Who knows what kind of scene she’ll make if she doesn’t get them?”  

“She really thinks she’s some kind of young miss, lazing around all day, picking and choosing with her endless demands. She’s taking advantage of your kindness—why do you put up with her?”  

“Whatever. Better to avoid trouble.”

It was rush hour after work, and the grocery store was packed with neighbors shopping.  

Jiang Moli’s reputation for being lazy and gluttonous was well-known to everyone.  

While people sympathized with her stepsister Jiang Qing, they looked at Jiang Moli with disdain and disgust.  

And all of this was exactly what Jiang Qing had planned.  

The more Jiang Moli acted out, the worse her reputation became—and the less criticism Jiang Qing would face for stealing her fiancé.  

[Disdain value +1+1+1. 30,000 yuan credited.]  

The “Most-Hated System” was already numb.  

Its host was completing tasks as effortlessly as playing a game.  

“System, what’s my mission progress at now?”  

[Mission progress: 46/10,000]  

From transmigrating into the book yesterday until now, roughly 24 hours had passed. In a single day, she’d collected 46 disdain points.  

At this rate, achieving the “Most-Hated” title within a year was guaranteed.  

But Jiang Moli had no intention of staying here for a year.  

Back in her original world, her grandmother’s health had been declining. Her mother had quit her job to focus on caring for the elderly woman.  

If something happened to her, not only would her grandmother and mother be heartbroken, but their financial stability would also be at risk.  

Though she had over 100,000 yuan in savings, that money had to cover mortgage payments, car loans, her grandmother’s medicine, and the living expenses of both elderly relatives. It wouldn’t last more than a few months.  

So, she needed to complete the mission as quickly as possible and return to her original world.  

…  

Jiang Qing bought 10 eggs on credit.  

Jiang Dahai was a senior technician at the machinery factory, earning 68.5 yuan a month—not including bonuses and subsidies. His income was solidly middle-class, so buying a few eggs on credit was no issue.  

On the way back, Jiang Qing deliberately brought up Jiang Moli’s marriage.  

“She said the Zhang family is very satisfied with her. They’ll come to propose in three days.”  

“She can only marry a rural guy at this point. Honestly, she might as well go to the countryside. Uncle Jiang has good connections with the factory leaders—he could probably get her back to the city within a couple of years.”  

“Exactly.”  

Zhou Xiaoqing glanced at Jiang Qing. “If you’re getting married, and she’s getting married too, doesn’t that mean no one in your family has to go to the countryside?”  

“Yeah, isn’t that great?”  

“It is great.”  

Zhou Xiaoqing forced a smile, but inside, she was seething with resentment.  

Her two older sisters had been sent to the countryside and frequently wrote home complaining, begging to return.  

If she hadn’t been lucky enough to land a job, she’d be suffering in the countryside too.  

Yet Jiang Moli and Jiang Qing could avoid going down just by taking shortcuts.  

It was so unfair.  

…  

Jiang Moli was also thinking about the countryside assignment.  

Since Zhang Jiaming would never marry her, the marriage route was closed—leaving only finding a job.  

But in this era, finding a job was harder than finding a man.  

Otherwise, the government wouldn’t have to force unemployed youths to go to the countryside for “construction and development.”  

As she pondered this, she spotted Jiang Peng sauntering over from the street.  

Jiang Moli called out from afar, “Jiang Peng!”  

Jiang Peng jogged up to her. “Sis, what are you doing here?”  

“What do you think?”  

“How would I know?”  

Jiang Moli smirked and held out her hand. “Hand it over.”  

Jiang Peng played dumb. “Sis, I didn’t take anything from you.”  

“I’ll count to three. Three!”  

With lightning speed, Jiang Moli grabbed his ear.  

“You said you’d count to three! That was just one!” Jiang Peng protested.  

She twisted harder, and he immediately yelped in surrender.  

“Sis, I was wrong! Oww, ease up! My ear’s gonna fall off!”  

“Hand it over or not?”  

“Fine, fine!”  

Jiang Peng hastily dug out all the money in his pocket.  

Jiang Moli counted it—only 7.5 yuan left.