Chapter 23: Qian Lao’er Gets Married and the Struggle for Power Begins!

Regarding Zhao Qianqian’s job, Old Qian and the others weren’t all that jealous.

After all, Zhao Qianqian had always studied well and was liked by her teachers.

It could be considered something she had earned with her own ability.

Back then, Zhao Qianqian’s teacher had even personally come to the old Qian household to help her apply for a foreign trade job.

The Qian family didn’t care about it.

In fact, they had even hoped Zhao Qianqian wouldn’t succeed.

And in the end, things did turn out as they wished—she had passed the exam, but since she lacked connections and background, her spot was taken by someone else.

At that time, Old Qian had pretended to comfort her:
“It’s fine. Our Qian village’s work points are high. Working in the village is the same. Later, I’ll find someone to get you an easier job.”

Of course, that was only what Old Qian said on the surface.

Inside, he had been thrilled.

Why should his children still have no official jobs while Zhao Qianqian could?

Even Qian Ertian’s temporary job had required many connections and money to secure.

If Zhao Qianqian had simply relied on her own skills to get a job, it would have been enough to make people die of jealousy!

Now.

In the end, Zhao Qianqian still had an official job.

But since she had studied hard, had her teacher’s help, and it had cost money, Old Qian’s heart felt a little more balanced.

But Zhao Laoda?

Why should he?

He hadn’t even gone to school.

How could he get an official job?

Qian Sanya watched her family gripe endlessly without hitting the main point.

She was almost dying of frustration.

If the topic didn’t get pulled toward money, how could she expose Zhao Saihua’s real face?

So she spoke again, intending to reveal that Zhao Saihua had a stash of hidden savings.

She smiled sweetly and asked in a soft voice:
“Zhao Mama, what kind of job did Elder Brother Zhao get?”

Seeing her pleasant tone, Madam Zhao let down her guard and replied:
“A railway job.”

“What?” Qian Sanya widened her eyes. “A railway job? I heard that’s an excellent job, costing at least 1,000 yuan to secure. Heavens… Zhao Mama, you must be so rich!”

Her words sounded envious, but what she truly meant only she herself knew.

What?

The Qian family was stunned.

1,000 yuan?

A railway job cost at least that much.

And with Zhao Qianqian’s job as well, that was nearly 2,000 yuan altogether.

Did Madam Zhao really have that much money?

Even if Zhao Qianqian’s job had cost less, or Zeng Cheng had helped, Madam Zhao still had to have at least 1,500 yuan on hand.

Even Old Qian didn’t have that much money.

This time, Old Qian couldn’t keep up appearances anymore.

Or rather, he no longer wanted to.

“Where did you get so much money?” Old Qian asked sharply, his tone almost accusatory.

Before Madam Zhao could answer, Qian Ertian chimed in with a snide remark:
“Where else? Obviously from skimming off our monthly household expenses. Looks like I was wrong when I said there were five yuan left each month. It must be at least ten yuan. That’s more than 120 yuan a year. Add in her work points, and that’s about right.”

Qian Sanya was very satisfied.

Her second brother was indeed calculating.

With just a small hint from her, he had already guessed the source of Madam Zhao’s money.

What?

Over 120 yuan a year, more than ten years—that added up to 1,500 yuan.

Had Madam Zhao really skimmed that much from their monthly expenses?

Old Qian felt truly uncomfortable now.

He could not tolerate that the Zhao children, whom he had always thought beneath his own, were now all making something of themselves.

Of course, Old Qian wasn’t truly an evil man.

If today’s revelation had been that Madam Zhao’s family was desperately poor, unable to produce even 100 yuan, he might have given them 100 out of pity.

But what was revealed instead was that Madam Zhao’s family had more money than his own!

That stoked his jealousy—beyond control, burning wildly.

Sometimes, once a feeling like that rises, it only grows, spreading without end.

In that jealous haze, Old Qian thought again of that cunning stepdaughter, Zhao Qianqian.

She had stolen her stepsister’s fiancé out of greed for wealth.

Zeng Cheng—what an excellent son-in-law he would have been!

His father had once been Old Qian’s superior in the army, and the Zeng family background was formidable.

Most importantly, they weren’t short of money.

If his own daughter had married Zeng Cheng, Old Qian could already imagine the Qian family’s future status rising higher than ever.

But all of that was ruined—by Zhao Qianqian, that poisonous stepdaughter.

Thinking of this, Old Qian grew angrier and angrier, his chest tight as though a stone were pressing down.

Back then, he had asked Zeng Cheng for too little compensation.

He should have kept the 300-yuan dowry that belonged to Zhao Qianqian.

Actually.

Even though his favorite son, Qian Ertian, had already explained the source of Madam Zhao’s money clearly, Old Qian still preferred to believe Zeng Cheng had helped them behind the scenes.

Whatever the truth, Old Qian’s discomfort only grew stronger.

All along, the Qian family had been superior in every way, crushing the Zhao children completely.

Yet now, those he had always dismissed as lesser were surpassing his own children one by one.

How could he feel good about that?

Still.

For Old Qian, the most important matter right now was Qian Ertian’s wedding.

As for Madam Zhao’s issue, there would be time to settle it later.

“We’ll deal with this later. For now, let’s eat and finish Lao’er’s wedding banquet properly.” After speaking, Old Qian gave Madam Zhao a meaningful look:
“Before, I thought you and your children were very poor, so I took extra care of you. But now that you’re not short of money, my daughter’s marriage I paid for—so when my son gets married, as the mother, you should contribute as well. The banquet costs will be yours. And there must be at least eight dishes, with chicken, duck, and fish.”

At least eight dishes?

Chicken, duck, and fish?

And Old Qian wouldn’t pay a cent?

Heh.

Wasn’t this just a way to bleed her dry?

But.

To maintain her role as the good stepmother and good wife, Madam Zhao gritted her teeth and agreed.

After all, with her eldest son and Qianqian’s jobs exposed, her money had been revealed too.

Still—wool comes from the sheep’s back.

Whatever the Qian family gained from her, she would take back double later.

As the saying goes: “You may think you’ve profited, but I’ll never lose. In the end, it’s still the Qian family’s money being spent.”

Besides.

If she refused today, Old Qian might immediately start calculating her skimming of expenses, even driving her out with nothing.

It wasn’t that she feared divorcing him.

It was that, after buying her daughter and eldest son jobs, she truly didn’t have much money left.

She wanted to stay in the Qian family a few more years, long enough to save for her youngest son’s job as well.

For years, Madam Zhao had managed to hold her ground in the Qian family—not something they could topple overnight.

Unless she herself no longer wished to stay.

Household management was full of tricks and details!

Madam Zhao could guarantee that no one else in the Qian family could save ten yuan a month while running the household.

It wasn’t just about scheming—it required careful calculation.

After all, running a household wasn’t simple!

For example, when making clothes and shoes for the children, she could save a great deal.

On the surface, it always looked like the Qian children were dressed better than hers.

But outsiders didn’t know the hidden tricks.

Old Qian didn’t make clothes himself, so he didn’t know.

In winter, when making padded jackets, pants, or quilts, the Qian children’s were stuffed with old cotton, maybe mixed with a little new, but the outer fabric was always new and attractive.

For her own sons, however, she used entirely new cotton inside, but the outer fabric was old scraps.

Only Zhao Qianqian, as a daughter, often got to wear new fabrics.

But Zhao Laoda and her younger son had never worn new material for years.

At the time, both boys resented Madam Zhao for it.

That resentment only reinforced her reputation as a good stepmother—praised by everyone.

Back then, her relationship with Old Qian had been decent too.

Each time, he would give her a twenty or thirty yuan red envelope, saying, “You’ve suffered.”

That was Madam Zhao’s brilliance.

She had gained every benefit, yet still made Old Qian pity her, give her money, and win the praise of outsiders.

Even the Qian children always called her “Zhao Mama.”

Meanwhile, the new cotton and fabric she saved went to exchanges with villagers for money and food.

And so she saved another fortune.

Qian village had money, but neighbors lacked ration coupons for cloth, cotton, or sugar.

Old Qian’s factory job gave those benefits freely.

With her cunning, Madam Zhao could use a cotton coupon worth one yuan to trade for food worth two.

Careful scheming, thrifty living, and her hard work earning eight work points a day—

That was how she managed to save 200 yuan a year.

On the other side.

Perhaps out of guilt.

Or perhaps to please them.

This time, Madam Zhao hosted Qian Ertian’s wedding banquet decently enough.

After all, Old Qian and Qian Ertian’s father-in-law both cared about appearances.

There were sixteen tables in total.

The main courses were steamed white buns, with millet porridge on the side.