Reborn in the 1980s: I became a stepmother in the 1980s Ⅱ

Part 208 Face slap

Zhang Qian stepped out of the department store, arm linked with a man, carrying bags in her hand. As soon as she spotted Si Nian and her group standing empty-handed at the entrance, her face lit up with pride and arrogance.

Finally, she thought, she had caught Si Nian in a vulnerable position. Earlier on the bus, everyone had crowded around Si Nian, ignoring her completely, as if she were the one with a bad reputation. Zhang Qian had been fuming the entire trip, and now, by sheer chance, she had run into Si Nian again.

Seeing Si Nian standing outside the department store with her children, hesitant to even step inside, Zhang Qian immediately assumed that Si Nian wasn't as impressive as everyone in the village had made her out to be. Perhaps all those large bags she had carried home before were just for show, empty sacks used to brag.

After all, Zhou Yue Shen only ran a pig farm. No matter how successful he might be, he was still from the countryside. Would a man like that really spend so much money so freely?

Now, seeing them standing there without buying anything, Zhang Qian's suspicions grew. She figured the whole thing had been a charade. Si Nian, a former city woman now living in the countryside, was probably just putting on an act to avoid being looked down on.

How fake, Zhang Qian thought to herself, feeling a deep sense of satisfaction.

Si Nian turned her head and saw Zhang Qian walking over, swaying her hips with a man who was even shorter than her, carrying a few bags that looked like they contained clothes. Zhang's face was full of smugness, as if she had something worth showing off.

"Mom, isn't that the auntie who's in her twenties but still hasn't gotten married?" The second eldest child was clearly surprised, his mouth wide open. "I thought she was on a date—why is she with a grandpa?"

Zhang Qian almost twisted her ankle, her face darkening. Si Nian nearly burst out laughing, patting the second child's head and saying, "Maybe she's just taking her grandpa out shopping. Nothing strange about that."

Zhang Qian's face turned even blacker after hearing that, and Si Nian's comment was like adding fuel to the fire, nearly making her faint with anger. The man beside Zhang Qian also looked visibly irritated, his expression darkening.

He snapped angrily, "Qian Qian, who is this? Can they even speak properly?"

Zhang Qian glanced at the man next to her. He hadn't taken good care of himself, likely due to stress, so his hair was thinning and he looked much older. Even though he wasn't much older than Zhou Yue Shen, he appeared as if he were in his forties.

Had Zhou Tingting not told her that this man was in his thirties, Zhang Qian would have thought she'd been deceived. Still, despite his aged appearance and lack of good looks, at least he was willing to spend money on her. This trip alone, he had bought her quite a few clothes.

Originally, Zhang Qian was feeling quite pleased, but after Si Nian and the second eldest child made their comments, she also started to see the man beside her as quite old. But even so, calling him "grandpa" was really pushing it! It made her extremely angry.

"Cheng Ge, don't be mad. She's just jealous of me and is saying these things. You don't know, but this woman's life is so pathetic—she married into a pig-farming family in the countryside from the city and even takes care of three children for free. Now that she sees me with you, she's probably green with envy!"

Zhang Qian attributed Si Nian's behavior to jealousy. Despite Cheng Ge being older, he still had no children and owned a house in the city. Zhou Yue Shen's good looks were irrelevant compared to the burden of three children.