Chapter 32

Song Mingshan lay in bed, an IV drip attached to her hand.

Seeing Feng Cuifen crying and sniffling, she rolled her eyes impatiently and said, “Alright, Mom, I’m fine, aren’t I?”

“Besides, if I didn’t pretend it was serious, how would I get Zhang Shaoxing to feel guilty and go the extra mile during the wedding banquet?”

As she spoke, she nonchalantly bit into an apple—completely lacking the look of a patient.

“Even if it’s not that serious, injuries to the muscles and bones don’t heal quickly. You’re getting married soon! How are you going to get married in this state?” Feng Cuifen asked anxiously.

Song Mingshan glared. “Why can’t I get married?”

“Song Qingdai is getting married soon too. I heard they were out shopping together in the city today. That woman has been jealous of me since we were kids. Now that I’m getting married, she’ll definitely try everything to outdo me, just to make me look like a joke.”

“You only have one daughter—me. Are you really going to let her overshadow me like that?”

“So you told Zhang Shaoxing you broke your leg?”

Feng Cuifen stared at her, wide-eyed.

Her injury wasn’t that serious—it was just a dislocated joint.

But Song Mingshan had pulled a little trick and told Zhang Shaoxing her leg was broken.

After all, the incident happened at his house.

Shouldn’t the Zhang family take at least some responsibility?

Especially since it was his three kids who pushed her, though no matter how she argued, Zhang Shaoxing refused to believe it. There wasn’t much she could do.

“What else was I supposed to do? Don’t you want to gain something from marrying into the Zhang family?”

Having lived two lifetimes, Song Mingshan knew Feng Cuifen inside out.

That woman would dive head-first into a pile of money—if there was a deal to take advantage of, she wouldn’t pass it up for the world.

“If she’s not scheming for a profit, then she’s not Feng Cuifen.”

“So? What did Zhang Shaoxing say?” Feng Cuifen eagerly asked.

Mingshan rolled her eyes again, visibly annoyed.

“He said he’ll hire a top-tier banquet team from the provincial capital for the wedding, rent a bunch of luxury wedding cars, and cover all the wedding banquet expenses on our side too. See, Mom? Didn’t I tell you Zhang Shaoxing’s a good catch? There’s no way your daughter would pick the wrong man.”

She looked very pleased with herself, practically glowing with pride.

She was already imagining just how extravagant her wedding would be.

The Gao family was so poor—what kind of wedding could they even throw?

She and Song Qingdai were getting married on the same day, yet it would be a world of difference—heaven and earth. Mingshan would be the one envied by all.

As for Song Qingdai? Let her cry.

Once Zhang Shaoxing set up his own company, everyone would see how wise her choice had been.

“Really?”

“Of course it’s true. Why would I lie to you?”

Just thinking about how poor and pitiful her wedding was in her last life made her feel bitter.

Back then, everyone assumed that marrying Zhang Shaoxing meant a life of suffering.

First, because he was divorced. Second, he had three kids from his previous marriage. And third, his mother was a nightmare to deal with.

What girl would want to marry into that mess?

But only Mingshan knew—Zhang’s family wasn’t hell. It was paradise.

“Those three little brats from the Zhang family are vicious, though. They actually pushed me! Once I marry into that family, I’ll make them pay for it.”

Mingshan seethed.

That was only her first visit to the Zhangs, and those kids already pulled something like this.

It was completely different from her past life.

Back then, when Song Qingdai married into the Zhang family, those three unruly kids miraculously turned into well-behaved angels. They loved studying, their grades soared…

Why was everything so different now that she was the one going in?

“Those little monsters are evil! If I’d known they were that bad, I wouldn’t have wasted money buying gifts to win them over!”

Just thinking about it made her blood boil. She wanted to wring their necks.

She had never suffered such humiliation before—not once, but twice—at the hands of three little kids.

It made her feel like she couldn’t even win against children.

“Mingshan, how can you say that? No matter what, those three are Deputy Director Zhang’s biological children. You can’t just treat them that way—raising kids takes the right method.”

Suddenly, Song Qingdai pushed open the door.

Seeing her come in—with Gao Han behind her—Song Mingshan swallowed the curse she was about to hurl.

“What are you doing here?” Feng Cuifen’s expression soured. “Didn’t you move out to live with that wild man of yours?”

“Shameless! You’re not even married yet and already living with a man. You don’t care about your reputation, but our Song family still does!”

Her voice was shrill and cutting.

Song Qingdai, however, wasn’t the least bit flustered.

She smiled and replied, “If we’re talking about shameless, I’m no match for you.”

“You were already sleeping with Song Yuanshan before my mom even died, and you had an illegitimate daughter with him. You should’ve been dragged out and publicly denounced so the whole town could see what kind of person you are!”

She used to be timid and afraid.

But that was the old Song Qingdai.

In this second life, if she still cowered like before, then what was the point of starting over?

A second chance was meant to give her the courage to stand up to everything she once feared.

“You—you’re spouting nonsense! Believe it or not, I’ll rip your mouth apart!” Feng Cuifen exploded in rage.

That scandal… Everyone in Hongxing Town had whispered about it behind her back for years.

And now, even this girl—this brat without a proper mother—dared to throw it in her face?

“What, you can do it but can’t take the heat? You’re that shameless and still scared of being talked about?” Song Qingdai sneered.

She knew how to hit where it hurt—dig into someone’s sorest spot and twist the knife.

As long as they were suffering, she would feel fine.

Gao Han stood silently by, watching. He had thought Song Qingdai might suffer here.

But now it seemed that if anyone was going to suffer—it was going to be everyone else.

This little lady wasn’t at all what he expected.

He remembered her being meek and submissive. Back then, whenever Feng Cuifen scolded her, she would just take it in silence, never daring to talk back.

Because if she ever did talk back, it would end in a beating.

That wasn’t unusual in Hongxing Town.

Gao Han hadn’t been around back then, but his parents had told him all about it.

Only after Qingdai began earning money did Feng Cuifen’s attitude ease up a bit.

“Alright, Mom. This is a hospital, not a market. Stop yelling and making a scene—it’s embarrassing,” Mingshan quickly stepped in, smart enough to sense the moment was getting out of hand. She grabbed Feng Cuifen’s arm to stop her.

She turned to Qingdai with a sweet smile. “Sister, you were just saying you need the right method to teach kids. So tell me—do you know how to raise them?”