Due to the immense psychological gap and lack of security, the original host easily fell into Sheng Xinglian’s trap.

She walked further and further down the path of self-destruction, only realizing the truth after her death.

Gu Jiaojiao stared at the braised pig trotter in her bowl, feeling as if a fishbone were stuck in her throat.

She truly didn’t need the young man’s affection anymore. She really didn’t.

Seeing Gu Jiaojiao moved to tears, Sheng Shiwu wished he could slap himself.

His adopted sister was still so easily satisfied, unchanged in that regard. It was just that they had suddenly shifted all their affection to their biological sister and neglected her.

“You all eat slowly. I’ll go fry a few eggs,” said Mother Su, getting up to go to the kitchen when she noticed there weren’t enough dishes.

Seeing Sheng Shiwu’s guilty expression, Gu Jiaojiao also wanted to leave for a moment but was afraid the young man might overthink it.

So she quietly ate the pig trotter in her bowl and used the serving chopsticks to serve everyone a piece of pig trotter.

Everyone chatted happily again, and before they knew it, Sheng Shiwu had actually eaten two bowls of rice.

“Did I eat too much?” he asked sheepishly.

His adorable expression almost made Gu Jiaojiao laugh. “Didn’t you bring several pounds of rice earlier?”

“I thought you were still unconscious from saving our mom in the water yesterday. I also heard that Grandpa Gu’s family had come to your place, so I was worried you might not have enough rice to cook.”

“Third Brother, we’re really grateful for your thoughtfulness. Although Shuoci is disabled, he still has some ability to earn money. Today, we set up a stall selling cold skin noodles. After deducting costs and labor, we made over twenty yuan. Besides, he earns fifty yuan a month in wages, plus his pension, which is enough for our family to live on.”

“What? You were the ones selling cold skin noodles today? I heard from my friends that the stall was incredibly popular.”

“Hehe… it was just okay, not that popular. We only sold a little over two hundred bowls in the afternoon.”

Second Brother Gu couldn’t help but boast.
Even Father Sheng’s monthly salary was only eighty yuan at most.

“Over two hundred bowls? They said it was three mao per bowl. That means you made over sixty yuan in one afternoon!”

“We have to deduct costs and labor. Each person gets five yuan for the afternoon.”

Gu Jiaojiao said nonchalantly. She had known since she was young that if you want a horse to run, you have to feed it well.

Selling snacks had low costs, but it was hard work, so they had to pay a bit more to keep people motivated.

“Five yuan for one afternoon?” Sheng Shiwu’s eyes widened.

His face clearly showed, “I really want to help you sell snacks.”

Second Brother Gu was also shocked, but he didn’t pay much attention, thinking his sister was just saying it to provoke Sheng Shiwu.

After dinner, Sheng Shiwu reluctantly left. In those days, there wasn’t much evening entertainment, so everyone went to bed early.

Gu Jiaojiao took a few packs of honey-glazed chicken legs and some spicy strips from Su Shuoci’s backpack and handed them to Sheng Shiwu.

“Third Brother, the chicken legs were bought by Shuoci at the Overseas Chinese Store. The spicy strips are homemade. Try them. Here’s also eight yuan. You can’t sleep well without money.”

Sheng Shiwu initially wanted to refuse, but when he saw Su Shuoci, he obediently accepted them and ran off with tears streaming down his face.

Gu Jiaojiao glanced at Su Shuoci. “What’s wrong with him?”

“He’s crying from being moved.”

The two exchanged a smile, their sweetness was self-evident.

Gu Jiaojiao’s smile was so beautiful that Su Shuoci was mesmerized, and a feeling he had never experienced before began to sprout in his heart.

Sometimes, emotions are like lotus seeds. They can lie dormant in a pond for two years without any sign of life.

But once they sprout, they grow uncontrollably, quickly filling the entire pond…

At this moment, however, Su Shuoci didn’t understand love. He only thought of Gu Jiaojiao as his hope, believing that without her, his legs would never heal…

Meanwhile, Gu Jiaojiao was entirely focused on earning money to ensure a better life for herself and her family in this era.

She had also thought about having a romantic relationship with Su Shuoci, but how to start and when to begin, she hadn’t figured out yet.

Making a good life for herself was the priority. She had been used to carrying everything on her own since she was young.

She wasn’t the type of person who had her head in the clouds while her feet were stuck in the mud, unaware of reality.

Two people who didn’t understand love had already begun to develop feelings for each other without realizing it.

The Gu family and Su Qinchun were happily counting their money, while Father Su and Mother Su kneaded dough together.

Su Shuoci and Gu Jiaojiao were responsible for chopping meat. Gu Jiaojiao had a meat grinder in her space, and Su Shuoci deliberately chopped the ginger and garlic with loud thuds.

At the Sheng household, dinner was eaten in a hurry. Sheng Shiwu had eaten particularly fast because he wanted to visit Gu Jiaojiao.

After dinner, Father Sheng went to his study to work, while Mother Sheng was busy rehearsing for a large performance on July 1st.

At the dinner table, Sheng Xinglian had tried several times to speak but was ignored, and no one asked her what was wrong.

This was the first time since her return to the Sheng family that she had been cold-shouldered, deepening her resentment toward Gu Jiaojiao.

If Gu Jiaojiao had been there, she would have easily provoked her into acting out and being disliked.

After dinner, the Sheng family’s housekeeper cleaned up, so everyone left the table to attend to their own tasks.

Sheng Xinglian didn’t return to her room but went to her second brother, Sheng Shiwen’s room.

“Xingxing, is there a problem you can’t solve?” Sheng Shiwen asked, assuming his sister had come to him for help with her studies.

Sheng Xinglian lowered her head and quickly squeezed out a few tears that hung on her eyelashes, threatening to fall. “Second Brother~ I feel so terrible~”

“Xingxing, what’s wrong? Should I take you to the hospital?” Sheng Shiwen asked, flustered.

“Second Brother, I’m not physically unwell. I just feel terrible inside. I never thought Gu Jiaojiao could be so malicious. She… she’s deliberately opposing me. It wasn’t even her who saved Mom yesterday. She jumped into the water just to gain sympathy. Look, Mom and Dad aren’t paying attention to me anymore~ Third Brother is nowhere to be seen~”

Sheng Shiwen: …

Who would risk their life just to gain sympathy? How could Xingxing say such a thing!

“Mom and Dad are just busy. They’re not ignoring you. We’re really not ignoring you.”

“Second Brother~ Gu Jiaojiao is doing this on purpose~ She’s already married but still causing me trouble. It’s like she wants my life~”

Sheng Xinglian looked up at Sheng Shiwen with tearful eyes. Seeing that he wasn’t yet angry, she continued.

“Gu Jiaojiao set up a stall selling cold skin noodles at the textile factory gate today. She looked completely fine. Someone as delicate as her wouldn’t be bouncing around selling noodles if she had really jumped into the water~”

In truth, Sheng Xinglian hadn’t seen Gu Jiaojiao. She was just making things up.

Sheng Shiwen had also heard about a cold skin noodle stall that was incredibly popular.

He had even wanted to try a bowl, but he had no money and didn’t know it was Gu Jiaojiao running the stall.

Now, seeing his biological sister’s pitiful, tear-streaked face, the last bit of his rationality vanished.

“That damned Gu Jiaojiao is nothing but trouble. Xingxing, don’t worry. I’ll go settle things with her tomorrow.”

Sheng Shiwen roared in fury. Anyone who hurt his beloved sister would not be spared.