“This one, this one’s perfect!”  

After rummaging through the closet for what felt like ages, Jiang Dahai finally pulled out a dress that, in his eyes and according to his taste, was the kind of bulaji (a Soviet-style dress) that men would adore.  

The light-blue fabric featured a bold checkered pattern, with a round white collar and puffed short sleeves adorned with delicate ruffles. The collar, cuffs, and hem were all trimmed with white lace, and a white belt cinched the waist, giving the dress an elegant yet gentle look.  

Jiang Moli didn’t care either way—this was all just a formality to her.  

Once she had changed into the dress, Jiang Dahai brought out a keepsake from his late wife, Ruan Rou—Jiang Moli’s biological mother.  

A pair of pearl earrings and a pearl necklace.  

The original owner of this body had secretly tried on these pieces as a child, only to be beaten harshly by Jiang Dahai. After that, she never dared touch them again.  

But today, Jiang Dahai was willing to take them out himself and let Jiang Moli wear them.  

Clearly, he had placed enormous hope and determination into marrying her off.  

After Jiang Dahai left for work, Jiang Moli changed her shoes and prepared to head out as well.  

“Big sis, it’s been so long since I’ve seen brother-in-law. Can I come with you?”  

Jiang Moli didn’t correct Jiang Peng’s way of addressing Zhang Jiaming.  

After all, since Zhang Jiaming had married Jiang Qing, he was technically her and Jiang Peng’s brother-in-law in name.  

Jiang Moli took Jiang Peng with her as they left the house.  

“Say what you will about Moli, but she’s truly stunning. From the back, she looks exactly like her mother when she was young.”  

No wonder Jiang Dahai doted on this daughter as if she were a precious jewel.  

Li Hongying sighed inwardly.  

Jiang Qing, too, watched Jiang Moli’s retreating figure, sneering at how Jiang Dahai’s cunning had backfired.  

In a working-class family like theirs, beauty couldn’t put food on the table.  

The dress Jiang Moli was wearing alone had cost Jiang Dahai a month’s salary. Add the jewelry and leather shoes to that, and her entire outfit was worth more than half a year of Zhang Jiaming’s military allowance.  

What kind of man would dare marry such a woman with her bourgeois extravagance?  

…  

The moment Jiang Moli stepped out of the house, she became the center of attention.  

In stark contrast to her notorious reputation was her breathtakingly beautiful face.  

There wasn’t a single girl in the entire machinery factory’s residential compound who could rival Jiang Moli in looks.  

The pale-blue dress made her skin appear snow-white and translucent, while the fitted waist accentuated her slender figure. Two glossy braids rested over her shoulders, tied at the ends with large pink ribbon bows.  

With her almond-shaped eyes, rosy cheeks, and radiant charm, she was so stunning that people couldn’t look away.  

Unfazed by the stares, Jiang Moli greeted everyone one by one.  

“Second Sister Zhu, your family must be eating well lately—look how snug your waistband is!”  

Second Sister Zhu rolled her eyes at her and stormed off, tugging at her clothes.  

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

“Uncle Liu, you forgot to button your fly! Hahaha!”  

Uncle Liu looked down in panic, then quickly turned around to fix his pants.  

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

“Ah, Auntie Zhang, is this your newborn grandson? Tsk, so dark and scrawny—looks just like a little monkey.”  

Her lips were as red and sweet as cherries, but the words that came out of her mouth were downright infuriating.  

As Jiang Moli walked, she collected disdainful glares left and right, and her disdain value skyrocketed.  

“Ugh, that little vixen—who knows where she’s off to now to cause trouble.”  

Wang Lianhua spat contemptuously at Jiang Moli’s retreating figure.  

Tian Guihua, who happened to be walking by with her grandson, overheard and chimed in, “What did she ever do to you? No need to be so nasty.”  

“Hmph! I was kind enough to set her up with my nephew, but she had the nerve to turn up her nose at him…”  

The moment gossip was mentioned, a crowd of aunties and grannies immediately gathered around.  

“…She said she wouldn’t settle for anything less than a house, a car, and a fat bank account, plus a monthly allowance of at least eighty or a hundred yuan after marriage. Pah! Does she think she’s some kind of golden goose? What, is her down there lined with gold or something?”  

The crude remark sent the crowd into roaring laughter.  

[Disdain value +5, 50,000 yuan credited.]

Huh?  

Was this what they called “manna from heaven”?  

The system couldn’t help but ask: [Host, how did you pull this off? You didn’t even do anything, yet you gained disdain value?]

Jiang Moli touched her face and mused, “Maybe, perhaps, it’s because this face of mine is just too devastatingly beautiful?”  

[Most Hated System: “……”]

Whether she was actually that beautiful was debatable, but one thing was certain—her skin was definitely thick.  

Even Jiang Peng, her own little brother, couldn’t handle her sharp tongue. “Sis, maybe you should talk less when we’re outside. I’m worried you’ll get beat up.”  

“That’s what you’re here for. If someone tries to hit me, won’t you jump in and take the punches for me? Otherwise, what’s the point of bringing you along?”  

Jiang Peng: “……”

If you weren’t my blood sister, I’d want to hit you myself.  

…  

At the entrance of People’s Park.  

Zhang Jiaming and Lu Cheng stood side by side, their towering heights and striking military aura drawing frequent glances from passersby.  

Especially Lu Cheng.  

At 188 cm tall, with sharp eyebrows, piercing eyes, and an icy demeanor, he wore an olive-green military shirt, dark trousers, and polished army boots. His imposing yet handsome appearance made every young woman who passed by blush and their hearts race.  

Zhang Jiaming wasn’t bad-looking either.  

Standing at 175 cm, with thick brows, big eyes, and a classic square-jawed face, he was quite the catch on his own. But next to Lu Cheng’s domineering presence, he somehow faded into the background.  

Lu Cheng checked his watch for the nth time, his cold expression barely suppressing his impatience. “Did you even confirm the time with the girl over the phone? It’s almost 10:30.”  

Zhang Jiaming wiped sweat from his forehead. “I said 10 o’clock. Twice.”  

“Good riddance to this engagement. If someone under my command had this little sense of punctuality, I’d have whipped them into shape long ago.”  

Zhang Jiaming nervously reminded him, “Sir, she’s kind of fierce.”  

Meaning: Please be polite when you meet her later. Don’t piss Jiang Moli off.

Lu Cheng scoffed. “How fierce can a woman be? Is she going to flip the sky?”  

Zhang Jiaming hadn’t seen Jiang Moli in almost seven or eight years, but the mere thought of her made him shudder.  

When they were kids, he’d accidentally hit her with a slingshot—only for her to smash a brick over his head in retaliation.  

And it wasn’t just him. Nearly every kid in the village around their age had been bullied by Jiang Moli at some point.  

Even the village dogs would get a kick from her if they passed by.  

He had never met a woman more vicious and domineering than Jiang Moli.  

Which was exactly why he’d dragged Lu Cheng along to help him break off the engagement.  

Just as his anxiety was peaking, Zhang Jiaming spotted Jiang Peng.  

Years had passed, and while Jiang Peng’s face hadn’t changed much, his height had shot up dramatically. Now broad-shouldered and muscular, he looked like someone you did not want to mess with.  

Walking beside him was a girl in a red dress.  

She had a short bob and was quite tall—but also a bit stocky and dark-skinned.  

Jiang Moli had been pretty as a child. How had she ended up looking like this?  

Then again, considering her notorious temper and the fact that she had Jiang Peng—who was fiercely protective of her—by her side, Zhang Jiaming was suddenly very aware of the danger he was in. If he brought up breaking off the engagement now, wouldn’t the siblings beat him to a pulp on the spot?  

Sure, he deserved a beating for falling for someone else, but getting thrashed in public was way too humiliating.  

“Ah—sir, my stomach hurts! I gotta run to the bathroom. They’re right over there—could you handle things for me first…?”  

Before Lu Cheng could react, Zhang Jiaming was already clutching his stomach and bolting.  

“You cowardly bastard!”  

Lu Cheng cursed under his breath, then turned to look in the direction Zhang Jiaming had pointed.  

Just as he did, the girl in the red dress walked past, revealing Jiang Moli standing half a head shorter behind her.