Volume 1, Chapter 18: Where Did All This Money Come From?

“This money was all earned by Wan Yue herself; she hasn’t spent a single cent of mine,” Lu Zetao said firmly, unable to hold back any longer.

“What? She hasn’t been working, how could she have earned so much?” Zhao Guihua was momentarily stunned.

“Auntie, I’ve recently started a small stall business,” Su Wan Yue couldn’t help but interject.

Zhao Guihua wanted to continue causing a scene, but at that moment, the elder Lu spoke up, “Wan Yue is my guest. Don’t make things difficult for her.”

“It’s getting late; you should go prepare the meal,” the elder said.

Once he spoke, Zhao Guihua dared not cause any more trouble.

“Dad, isn’t Zemin not back yet?”

Speak of the devil.

Lu Zemin came running into the room cheerfully, carrying some meat, his face glowing with joy. “Big brother! Sister-in-law!”

To be honest, if the original owner of the house had heard this, she would have been deeply moved.

But seeing Zhao Guihua’s expression, Lu Zemin realized he had said the wrong thing and quickly corrected himself by calling Su Wan Yue “Sister Wan Yue.”

Taking the meat, Zhao Guihua scowled and went into the kitchen.

After she left, the atmosphere in the room relaxed considerably.

Lu Futian and Lu Zetao talked about work and daily life, while Lu Zemin obediently listened nearby.

It was clear how much he admired his older brother.

Su Wan Yue had been chatting happily with the elder Lu, but when Lu Shufen came out of the room, her tone turned sarcastic again.

This eldest sister-in-law had been insulted and scolded by the original owner before—a classic case of offending the virtuous but especially the petty and the women.

Oh, original owner, why did you have to provoke such a tricky and thorny woman?

After a few words, Su Wan Yue could no longer bear the subtle venom and simply went to the kitchen to help Zhao Guihua make buns.

Straightforward dislike is easier to deal with.

Besides, since she was staying in their home for two days, she couldn’t just treat herself like a guest—otherwise, Zhao Guihua would surely make things unbearable.

When Su Wan Yue entered the small kitchen made of yellow mud bricks, Zhao Guihua was busy seasoning the filling and snorted unhappily upon seeing her.

“Auntie, let me help you,” Su Wan Yue said sincerely with a smile.

All the housework was done by Zhao Guihua alone; the rest of the family only knew how to eat, drink, and take care of themselves.

It was rare to see someone like Su Wan Yue actively offering help.

Moreover, since Su Wan Yue had just bought a lot of good things, Zhao Guihua no longer showed her a bad face.

“Alright then, you help knead the dough.”

In her previous life, Su Wan Yue had been self-reliant and was no delicate flower; this was a piece of cake for her.

She poured the flour, gradually added water, rolled up her sleeves, and started working.

The two were quiet for a while, then Zhao Guihua couldn’t hold back any longer.

She had a mouthful of things to say, and now that it was just the two of them, how could she not speak?

“I say, Wan Yue.”

Hearing this, Su Wan Yue looked up.

“Hmm?”

“You say, you made such a fuss to marry into our family at first, and now you’re making a fuss to divorce. What’s really going on?”

This was something even Su Wan Yue herself couldn’t explain clearly.

How could she tell her that the original owner had loved Lu Zetao deeply and thus struggled to marry him, but after she transmigrated and was reborn, she didn’t feel anything for him for the time being, and couldn’t bear to suffer, so she struggled again to divorce?

If she said that, wouldn’t people think she was a fool?

Su Wan Yue began to pour out her grievances, her eyes full of sadness, her voice tinged with helplessness.

“Auntie, I truly liked Zetao, which is why I used some means to marry him. But after coming to the Lu family, you didn’t welcome me, and Zetao’s heart was always with Jin Sitian. My life has truly been unbearable.”

“You see, now as you wish, I’ve divorced him. This time, Zetao brought the household register, and we officially registered the divorce. We’re just neighbors now, not interfering with each other. Isn’t that fine?”

Zhao Guihua put down the cleaver used for chopping meat and sighed deeply.

“Don’t blame me for looking down on you. My Zetao graduated from university and has a proper job. In these few villages, only Sitian is suitable for him. You, though you look decent, your family background isn’t good, and you’re not very smart.”

Say whatever you want, but why drag in my intelligence?

Those words struck Su Wan Yue like a sharp thorn.

She frowned slightly but said firmly, “Auntie, that’s prejudice. My family’s not well-off, and I have a troublesome younger brother, but I can earn money. In less than a month, I can pay back the two hundred yuan I owe Zetao and still provide a good life for my family.”

She smiled. “Although small businesses aren’t well-regarded now, they do make a lot of money.”

“And as for whether my mind is sharp or not, that’s not for you to decide. We’ll see in time.”

Hearing this, Zhao Guihua pursed her lips.

“What’s this? You still want to take the university entrance exam?”

You know, Su Wan Yue actually had this plan in her heart.

Once she saved enough capital, she planned to enroll in an adult college entrance exam.

With her intelligence, taking university exams in this era would be easy.

Su Wan Yue’s lips curved slightly, her eyes shining with confidence.

“That’s not impossible.”

Zhao Guihua snorted a few times.

“Really don’t know your own limits.”

Arguing with a woman like this was a waste of time.

Su Wan Yue stopped replying and focused on kneading the dough.

But Zhao Guihua was a chatterbox.

She had just finished chopping the meat filling and immediately resumed talking.

“I heard your dad recently started working at the textile factory?”

“Yes.”

“What does he do there? How much does he earn a month?” Zhao Guihua asked curiously.

This woman was truly annoying.

Is she checking the household register?

Why else ask such detailed questions?

Su Wan Yue rolled her eyes and smiled slyly.

“Nothing special, just guiding workers on operations, running some foreign trade business. How much does he make? I honestly don’t know.”

She pretended to think for a moment, then added, “But since we eat meat every day now, he must be earning quite a bit.”

Eating meat every day!

In this era, that was a luxury.

Hearing this, Zhao Guihua immediately stopped her movements.

“What? Eating meat every day?!”

She glanced outside furtively, then leaned close to Su Wan Yue’s ear and whispered, “Your dad got promoted, right? He’s a leader now?”

Su Wan Yue nodded seriously.

“Probably. He manages a few people.”

Hearing this, Zhao Guihua’s expression changed noticeably, as if secretly calculating something.

“Oh, Wan Yue, how much can you earn now?”

Su Wan Yue answered honestly.

“The business is unstable, but conservatively, I can net seven or eight yuan a day.”

“Seven or eight yuan!” Zhao Guihua’s mouth dropped open in surprise.

The most successful person in these villages was her eldest son, who earned only thirty or forty yuan a month.

And Su Wan Yue could earn nearly ten yuan in a day.