Chapter 26: The Annoying Villain

Watching Su Lüyun walk away with the puppy, everyone began to chatter.

“Poor dear, she still thinks Changdong can get better.”

“Isn’t that right? I never knew she had such feelings for Changdong!”

“Actually, it’s normal. Whores love money, girls love looks. How handsome is Changdong? Young girls all like good-looking young men.”

“Exactly!”

“It’s just too pitiful. If she knew Changdong wouldn’t wake up, how much would she cry?”

“Crying is fine, but what if she takes a bottle of rat poison and follows Changdong?”

“Stop talking! Are you trying to make me cry to death?!”

“…”

No sooner had Su Lüyun left than the aunties started planning out her future dramatic scenes. Who knew that in such a short time, even rat poison would come up!

Su Lüyun, leading her obviously happy-to-be-out-and-about Yuanbao, went to find Zhao Yuzhu. Zhao Yuzhu had just finished making some pastries and was surprised to see Su Lüyun. “Cousin, why are you here?”

“I brought Yuanbao out for a walk and came to visit you. What delicious things are you making? It smells quite good,” Su Lüyun said with a smile.

Zhao Yuzhu twitched her lips: “Nothing much, just made some rice cakes.”

“It’s not a holiday, why are you steaming rice cakes?”

She asked this, but she actually knew why Zhao Yuzhu was steaming rice cakes: to sell them at the factory gate. This was the initial stage of Zhao Yuzhu’s entrepreneurship. Don’t underestimate the rice cakes she made; the profits were particularly substantial! The reason she was able to save up the hundred yuan to pay her back so quickly after moving out in three months was because of these rice cakes. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to save much just from the living expenses Li Wenchuan gave her.

No one knew that Zhao Yuzhu was doing this. After all, at that time, being a private vendor truly didn’t have a good reputation. But these foolish people didn’t know how profitable being a private vendor was! She just went to the factory gate to sell rice cakes for an hour every day, which didn’t at all delay her picking up her children from kindergarten and returning home to cook for Li Wenchuan. But after a month, the money she earned was much more than people’s wages!

How could she let Su Lüyun know about such a profitable venture? Otherwise, Su Lüyun would really treat her as her personal ATM!

“I just thought there was nothing to do, so I made some to eat,” Zhao Yuzhu said, twitching her lips and prevaricating.

“You made so much, and only a little bit?”

Zhao Yuzhu could only say, “I plan to share them with the workers under Wenchuan.” This was also what she told her neighbors. She said these were going to be delivered to the construction site, so no one knew that she was actually cycling further away to sell rice cakes as a private vendor.

Because she was really tired of entertaining Su Lüyun, she wrapped two pieces in oil paper and dismissed her, “Cousin, take these home to eat. I need to prepare to deliver goods, so I won’t chat with you anymore!”

“I really like the rice cakes you make.” Su Lüyun stood still, her eyes on the rice cakes.

Zhao Yuzhu gritted her teeth and gave her two more pieces! They were steamed in small bowls, so they were about the size of a small bowl. Four pieces were barely acceptable. Su Lüyun smiled, “Then I won’t be polite.” She carried the rice cakes and went back.

Zhao Yuzhu glared at her retreating back. She really couldn’t like her even a little bit! Su Lüyun suddenly turned her head, and Zhao Yuzhu almost choked on her saliva, forcing out another smile!

“Cousin, what’s wrong?”

Facing Su Lüyun’s smiling eyes, Zhao Yuzhu was truly physically and mentally exhausted. She felt that Su Lüyun was here to torment her! Spending even a short while with her was more tiring than spending a whole day with anyone else. She waved her hand and said, “I’m fine.” She tried hard to comfort herself, forget it, forget it, making money is more important, I can’t bicker with Su Lüyun about all this nonsense!

But why hadn’t that gambler Sun Congxing come to find her?! No, after she finished her work, she had to go ask!

Su Lüyun didn’t care about her; she went home in a very good mood. She didn’t hesitate to taste her cousin’s rice cakes; they were indeed good. She didn’t feel the slightest bit embarrassed. Because compared to how the “paper person” (her original self) took care of this cousin, what were a few rice cakes?

Not to mention how she took care of this cousin when they were young, even after they both grew up and married into this area, the “paper person,” because of the unfair treatment Zhao Yuzhu, her cousin, received, sincerely stood up for her. She even once went to the Li family’s side for her and had a big fight with Li Wenchuan’s elder sister-in-law. And at that time, Zhao Yuzhu just hid behind her, acting virtuous and well-behaved, directly making the “paper person,” who already had a bad reputation, seem like a tigress.

When the “paper person” went out to a restaurant and ate something good, she never forgot to pack a portion for her to take back. The same went for buying fabric to make clothes; she had given clothes to Zhao Yuzhu before. She had also, at Zhao Yuzhu’s hint, given several pieces to her son, specifically going back to her maiden home to ask her mother for help making them! The hundred yuan she asked Zhao Yuzhu to return yesterday was only what was explicitly borrowed; the hidden contributions were much, much more! But how did Zhao Yuzhu treat her? Every single thing, did it resemble what a close cousin should do? A pure ingrate!

Su Lüyun wasn’t someone who held grudges forever. If Zhao Yuzhu was willing to get along well, then she wouldn’t break ties. But if Zhao Yuzhu still wanted to cause trouble, she wouldn’t mind letting Zhao Yuzhu hoist herself by her own petard! After all, her character was that of an annoying villain. This character was truly tailor-made for her; she could simply play herself without any effort.

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Around 5:30 PM, her in-laws arrived. Su Lüyun said, “Mom and Dad, you’re here. Please wait a moment, I just finished feeding Changdong, and I’m going to cook the noodles now.”

Chen Aihong smiled, “Shall Mom lend you a hand?”

“No need, how much work is it anyway? Oh, right, Mom, please take this bowl of chicken soup to Aunt Qian.”

“Okay.” Chen Aihong took the bowl of chicken soup, which also had several pieces of chicken. Five minutes later, she returned and went into the room with Zhou Quansheng to check on their third son. Their third son’s face didn’t even have stubble; Su Lüyun had shaved it cleanly. He was completely fresh and neat, without the slightest strange odor. The elderly couple looked at their youngest son, who was sleeping as if nothing was wrong, and couldn’t help but sigh with emotion. They truly hoped that their youngest son would one day wake up.

Zhou Changdong, of course, felt his parents’ emotions: [Mom and Dad, I will definitely get better!] Unfortunately, only his wife was telepathically connected to him.

Soon, Su Lüyun moved all the tables and chairs into the room. “Mom and Dad, let’s eat in the room, and keep Changdong company.”

“Okay.” Zhou Quansheng and Chen Aihong had no objections. They also came to help carry in the three bowls of noodles, all in large bowls, with plenty of noodles and chicken.

“You don’t need to make so much meat,” Chen Aihong said.

“It’s not that much; I still have a lot left for tomorrow,” Su Lüyun said, scooping out two-thirds, leaving one-third for tomorrow. Although it was hot now, keeping it in a basin of water overnight would prevent it from spoiling.

“Eat,” Zhou Quansheng also said. Chen Aihong then nodded.

The noodles were very chewy, and the chicken was especially fragrant; the taste was truly incomparable. “I never knew your cooking was so good, Yunyun,” Chen Aihong praised.