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

Part 233 Old Friends

"Dongdong, what are you looking at? Come on, we agreed you'd teach me how to cook today!" A well-dressed girl named Li Jiajia approached, holding some vegetables. She noticed Liu Dongdong standing there in a daze and asked curiously.

Dongdong snapped back to reality, surprised to run into Siniang here. She had heard Siniang was moving to the city but didn't expect them to settle in so quickly. What a coincidence!

"Hey, isn't that Siniang? Am I seeing things?" Jiajia rubbed her eyes.

"Jiajia, do you know Siniang?"

Jiajia smirked, "Of course! We went to the same school when we were kids. But I thought she married into the countryside ages ago?" Her tone dripped with a hint of schadenfreude.

Liu Dongdong's expression flickered.

That's right, Jiajia was always trailing after Fu Yang, being his loyal admirer, so how could she not know Siniang?

"You didn't know? I heard she's back in the city."

Jiajia's eyes widened in surprise. "What? She's back? Why? Didn't she marry into the countryside?"

Liu Dongdong replied with a complicated tone, "I'm not too sure, but after being sent away from the Si family, she was looking for a chance to return to the city. Now that Sisi's in jail, and Fu has no one by his side, I'm a bit worried."

Jiajia's expression shifted instantly. It was well-known that Siniang wouldn't easily give up on Fu Yang. Her determination to pursue him had been the talk of the town. With Lin Sisi in trouble, she must be eager to return and win Fu's favor.

Jiajia didn't even have to question why she thought that; she was considering the same strategy herself. That's why she had teamed up with Liu Dongdong, who was keeping an eye on Fu Yang under the pretense of helping the Si family and Sisi. It seemed Fu didn't completely dislike her either; Jiajia had checked several times and found that Fu accepted the gifts she sent.

But Liu Dongdong was just the Si family's caretaker, sending things on behalf of the Si family and Lin Sisi. Jiajia thought that if Fu Yang accepted whatever Dongdong brought, then he must be a decent cook, which was why she wanted to learn from him.

Jiajia didn't belong to the military compound, but her uncle was a regiment commander there, so she often used that connection to enter and exit the area. Of course, her own family was quite well-off; her father held a high-ranking position in the government, and they had plenty of money. As the only daughter, she was spoiled and cherished.

Yet this "princess" fell head over heels for Fu Yang, believing he was the only one for her. In school, when Siniang was in her class, Jiajia felt overshadowed. Even when they entered the military compound, everyone praised Siniang's intelligence. Despite Jiajia's own looks, she couldn't match up to Siniang's charm.

Jiajia had always felt a deep-seated resentment. When Siniang finally stepped back, she thought she had a chance. But then Lin Sisi showed up, and just when Jiajia thought the opportunity was hers again, Siniang returned. The frustration on her face was unmistakable.

Jiajia felt like a tragic heroine from a love story, reflecting on her rocky path to romance. In her eyes, Siniang was the most detestable villain—married yet still yearning for Fu Yang. This was intolerable. She vowed to keep Siniang away from him, determined to take matters into her own hands.

Liu Dongdong noticed Jiajia's resentful gaze and lowered her own. She wasn't certain of Siniang's true intentions for returning, but she had learned about Siniang and Fu Yang's past in the military compound. It became clear that Siniang had genuinely loved Fu Yang, and now he seemed to appreciate her only after losing her. Yet, pride and Siniang's marriage held him back from acknowledging his feelings, leading him to shut everyone out.

Liu Dongdong wasn't naive; she could tell that Fu Yang noticed when she made the soup Siniang used to bring him. No one was more anxious than she was about Siniang's return. Even if Zhou Yueshen had wealth, he didn't want children, and with his age and three adopted sons, it seemed that Siniang might have merely used him to return to the city. In this era, power was far more crucial than anything else.

Zhou Yueshen might have some money, but compared to Fu Yang's family background, he still fell short. It was obvious who would be the better choice, especially since Siniang and Fu Yang had grown up together as childhood sweethearts—there was no way she could easily let go. Jiajia was determined not to let Siniang return to Fu Yang. However, she had to be discreet; as long as Fu Yang didn't return her feelings, she couldn't openly show her own. Otherwise, the Siniang family would drive her away, making it impossible for her to get close to Fu Yang again.

She had to use the people around her. Jiajia saw the opportunity with Liu Dongdong, who approached her. "Come on, let's follow them! I'm curious where she lives!" Knowing her enemy was key to victory. Jiajia pulled Liu Dongdong along as they stealthily trailed Siniang and the three kids. After a short while, they spotted Siniang leading the children into the neighborhood.

"Old East Street?" Jiajia paused, surprised.

Liu Dongdong asked in confusion, "Do you know this place?"

Li Jiajia nodded, "Of course! This is the old town. In the past, the prominent figures in our city lived here."

Liu Dongdong's eyes lit up. "So, the houses here must be really expensive, right?"

She thought the Zhou family must be renting here. After all, in the city, Zhou Yueshen couldn't possibly afford to buy a house, could he? She hadn't expected it to be such a place.

"There's nothing impressive about it," Li Jiajia scoffed. "Sure, people used to live here, but now that they have money, they've all moved away. Who lives in the old town anymore? We're all in the new district now! I heard that before long, the market and the department store here will move over there too!"

"Now only those who can't afford to leave stick around in a place like this," Li Jiajia sneered.

The new district was booming, with both the government and schools relocating there. While this area was bustling, the houses were old and messy, with poor management. If it weren't for Liu Dongdong mentioning that the farmers' market here had fresh wild game, Li Jiajia wouldn't have set foot in such a dirty, chaotic place.

It really wasn't anything impressive—living in this rundown complex. As she thought about the glory of her childhood memories with Si Nian, a sense of superiority washed over her, and she lifted her chin defiantly.

"Si Nian, who would have thought you'd end up in such a situation?"

With that thought, she snapped back to reality and realized that Si Nian and the kids had already disappeared from sight.