“You’re so kind, little sister!”  

And so stupid!!  

Yi Jing pretended to be moved, her eyes brimming with fake tears as she hugged her tightly. “Thank you, sis…”  

Thank you, you idiot, for giving up your job to me.  

“See? My little sister is the best in the world. I’ll be good to you too.”  

A flash of mockery passed through Yi Chichi’s eyes. If being “good” to her meant stealing her job and forcing her to go to the countryside, then sure—that was some kind of “good.”  

“I’m hungry.”  

She pushed Yi Jing away and pouted pitifully at Zhang Lanxiang. “Can I have a bowl of egg noodles?”  

“No—”  

“Of course!”  

Not wanting any complications before the job was officially hers, Yi Jing immediately cut off Zhang Lanxiang and shot her a meaningful look. “Mom, since little sister is giving up her job for me, the least you can do is make her some noodles…”  

Worried Zhang Lanxiang might refuse, she squeezed her hand and emphasized, “Mom, Xiao Chi is going to the countryside to suffer in my place. We should treat her well.”  

They couldn’t afford to let her cause trouble at this critical moment.  

Zhang Lanxiang sucked in a pained breath but forced herself to act generous. “Fine, I’ll make you a bowl of plain noodles.”  

“Egg noodles.”  

A bowl of plain noodles wasn’t going to cut it. This body of hers was severely lacking in nutrition—she needed something better.  

“With eggs. I want two—no, four eggs.”  

“Four eggs?!”  

Zhang Lanxiang exploded.  

Four eggs?! Did she think they were some wealthy family? Who the hell ate four eggs in one go?!  

This little brat was just looking for trouble.  

Zhang Lanxiang, heart aching over the eggs, scowled fiercely.  

Hungry and irritable, Yi Chichi shot back, “The embroidery factory job would’ve let me eat eggs whenever I wanted—heck, I could’ve even gone to the state-run restaurant for braised pork and bought new clothes. Maybe I shouldn’t go to the countryside after all. Let sis—”  

“You can have them!”  

“I’ll make it right now!!”  

Panicked, Zhang Lanxiang cut her off, helpless against her demands. She dashed to the kitchen like she was running a hundred-meter sprint.

Yi Chichi turned her gaze to Yi Jing and found the latter glaring at her fiercely.  

The moment their eyes met, Yi Jing instantly switched to a gentle, fragile smile. “Little sister, Mom isn’t being stingy with you—she’s just used to being frugal. You understand, right?!”  

“I understand.”  

Frugal, yes—but only when it came to her.  

The rest of the family may not have feasted on lavish meals every day, but they certainly indulged in meat and fish regularly.  

Eggs? They had them daily.  

With Yi Yong’s salary—not to mention his under-the-table income—they could easily afford it.  

But ever since her stepmother entered the household, the original Yi Chichi had never once tasted an egg in this house—not even the scraps at the bottom of the bowl.  

As for proper meat like fish or pork? She didn’t even dare dream of it.  

Thinking of fish and meat, she suddenly craved braised pork.  

But there was no rush. The braised pork would come. So would the trotters.  

Rubbing the swollen bump on the back of her head, she winced in pain. “Sis, my head hurts so much.”  

“You really shouldn’t have argued with Dad like that. You know how bad his temper is…”  

Seeing Yi Chichi’s displeased glare, Yi Jing suppressed her impatience and forced a helpless, soothing tone. “Alright, alright, don’t be upset. After you finish your noodles, I’ll talk to Mom and have her give you some money to see a doctor.”  

She couldn’t let Yi Chichi go to the countryside looking like this—she couldn’t afford a reputation for mistreating her stepsister before marrying into the Liu family.  

The image of Liu Qingsong, tall and straight as a young poplar in his crisp white shirt, flashed through Yi Jing’s mind, igniting a blaze of ambition in her eyes.  

She had to marry into the Liu family. No one could stop her—no one could ruin this for her.  

“Actually, never mind. I’ll go with you. After getting your medicine, we’ll head to the embroidery factory to sort out the job transfer.”  

Yi Chichi had no intention of following her plan. That job wasn’t going anywhere—at least, not to Yi Jing.  

“That sounds great! It’ll be nice to have you with me. But won’t it interfere with your plans?”  

Glancing casually at the wall clock, she feigned innocence as she added, “It’s almost noon. If I remember right, Tunnel Warfare starts in half an hour.”  

Yi Jing, “!!!”  

Her eyes widened in shock. She had completely forgotten—she had a movie date with Liu Qingsong.  

The job was important, but Liu Qingsong was just as crucial.  

Securing Yi Chichi’s job was meant to boost her prospects for marrying into the Liu family.  

But if she stood Liu Qingsong up and left a bad impression, all her previous efforts would be for nothing.  

No. Absolutely not.  

Thinking this, she quickly put on an apologetic expression. “Sorry, little sister. I just remembered I have something to do later.”  

“You should go see the doctor on your own.”  

“Don’t worry about the money—I’ll talk to Mom and make sure she gives you enough. Buy yourself some things to take to the countryside.”  

“Really?”

Yi Chichi pretended to be pleasantly surprised.  

Yi Jing nodded earnestly. “Really. Since you’re giving up your job for me and even going to the countryside in my place, I can’t treat you unfairly. Once I start working, I’ll send you five yuan every month.”  

“Don’t worry, little sister. I’m not an ingrate. I’ll remember your kindness for the rest of my life.”  

She sounded utterly sincere—whether she actually meant it, only she knew.  

Yi Chichi ‘moved’ just as sincerely.  

The two sisters exchanged a knowing smile, each hiding their own schemes.  

With the bait of the job dangling in front of them, Zhang Lanxiang and her daughter behaved exceptionally well.  

Not only did they satisfy Yi Chichi’s demand for noodles and eggs, but Zhang Lanxiang—after much persuasion from Yi Jing—also reluctantly handed over two ten-yuan bills and some ration coupons for her to buy supplies for the countryside.  

Fed, rested, and with her strength somewhat restored, Yi Chichi naturally played the part of the grateful daughter. Under the eager encouragement and hopeful gazes of the mother-daughter pair, she finally stepped out the door.  

At half past five, Yi Yong returned home from work.  

Hearing the door open, Zhang Lanxiang immediately hurried out from the kitchen, greeting him sweetly. “You’re back, Old Yi.”  

“Yeah.”  

Yi Yong casually took off his coat and handed it to her. “Is that deadbeat girl still holed up in her room making a scene?”  

“No, she went out.”  

“Went out?!”  

Yi Yong’s anger flared instantly. “When did she leave? Why didn’t you keep an eye on her?”  

“I let her go.”  

Zhang Lanxiang was the epitome of a delicate, fragile beauty—soft-spoken and skilled at playing the meek, devoted wife in front of Yi Yong. It was how she kept this chauvinistic man firmly under her thumb.  

Placing a gentle hand on his sunken chest (suppressing her disgust), she explained in a soothing voice, “Xiao Chichi agreed to give her job to Jingjing and go to the countryside instead. She’s grown now, and going far away means she needs to buy some things.”  

“I gave her fifty yuan and some coupons to settle the job transfer at the embroidery factory and pick up her supplies for the countryside.”  

“Don’t misunderstand her—I was the one who gave her the money.”  

This explanation only made things worse. The moment Yi Yong heard it, his mind immediately jumped to the conclusion that Yi Chichi had thrown a tantrum and extorted fifty yuan from Zhang Lanxiang.  

“Fifty yuan?! She needs fifty yuan just to go to the countryside?! Can’t she wear the cotton clothes we have at home? Use the blankets we already own?! Does she think we’re made of money or something?! That brat just needs a good beating—wait till she gets back, I’ll teach her a lesson!”  

The more he ranted, the angrier he got. A flicker of malice passed through Zhang Lanxiang’s eyes, but her expression remained perfectly composed as she cooed, “She’s grown now and cares about appearances. Besides, the Northeast is freezing—it’s only right she gets herself a proper winter coat.”