WBSGVS Chapter 75 V2

Xiǎoyǔ nodded earnestly, taking this mission to heart and soon drifting off to sleep.

Qīnglí sighed, looking at her. Being a “single mom” was tough—balancing work, daily meals, household chores, and everything else. She couldn’t hire help yet; no one fit her standards or could match her skill in taking care of everything.

Maybe she should find a husband—someone who’d care for her and the house, and maybe even help with chores. She’d just take care of him!

Feeling this was a good idea, she casually mentioned her wish to find a live-in husband to Aunt Xiùhóng the next day.

Aunt Xiùhóng immediately understood, eagerly promising, “I’ll find you someone good!”

Knowing Aunt Xiùhóng’s loose lips, Qīnglí expected her to spread the news, and soon the whole village knew she wanted a live-in husband. People came to chat, either pitching their relatives or cautioning her about live-in husbands and potential conflicts.

Even Dùchuān sent Zhāng Shuāngshuāng over to convince her not to look for a live-in husband and to let them help with introductions, as they knew people well.

Qīnglí replied, “I only want a live-in husband. I need someone to inherit my house!”

That shut down most of the criticism.

The property her father left was well-built and valuable, and everyone knew it. If someone could marry her, their family might benefit, too.

Her requirements, however, were steep: “He must be good-looking, never married, and a little educated.”

Her criteria cut down the options significantly.

Still, some people were interested, especially since many knew she’d inherited her father’s substantial compensation. Five hundred dollars in the countryside was no small amount.

Meanwhile, Xiǎoyǔ didn’t interfere with Qīnglí’s personal life, having been reassured her sister would only marry someone they both liked. If not, she’d “swap him out.”

This bold statement shocked the little girl, who hadn’t known you could just swap husbands. Blushing, she stammered, “No, no need to swap!”

With that, Qīnglí began her search for a partner.

The first attempt didn’t go well. The man came, trying to convince her, “Sure, you have your father’s pension now, but it’ll run out eventually. You should consider a regular marriage for the future.”

Qīnglí replied, “I want a live-in husband because I’m confident I can support my family. I don’t need him to earn money—just to take care of the house. Got it?”

The man left, flustered and indignant, and Qīnglí exchanged a look with Xiǎoyǔ, who comforted her, “It’s okay, Sister! You’re so pretty; someone will want to marry you!”

“Thanks for the encouragement.” Qīnglí patted her head. “Might as well make the most of the trip since we’re here. Your shoes are too small; let’s get you a new pair.”

“Let’s get a bigger size this time,” Xiǎoyǔ advised wisely. “I’m growing fast, and they’ll last longer.”

“Good idea.” Qīnglí agreed, holding her hand as they went into town.

As they entered a store, they overheard a familiar child’s voice wailing, “You promised to buy me this dress! I want this one!”

Qīnglí looked over and immediately recognized the child.

Song Dongyun was being pulled by Da Bao, who pointed at a pink princess dress and refused to leave, throwing a tantrum on the verge of lying on the floor.

That pink dress was one Qingli had noticed on a previous visit. It had been hanging there for quite a while, costing over thirty yuan, which might explain why no one had bought it yet; after all, thirty yuan was more than a worker’s monthly salary.

This kid certainly knew how to demand things.

Song Dongyun, however, was practically in tears, clutching a few yuan in her empty hand, but her expression remained firm as she tried to reason with Da Bao, “I said I’d buy a dress, but not this one. It’s too expensive! Our family’s current situation doesn’t allow for it.”

Da Bao retorted, “You’re lying! My dad is a soldier. He earns dozens of yuan a month, so he can afford it!”

Song Dongyun held her forehead, sighing, “Your dad isn’t a soldier anymore! He’s farming at home now!”

“But he was a soldier before, and that was a lot of money! You just don’t want to buy it for me! All stepmothers are stingy!” Da Bao continued, relentless.

Song Dongyun felt deeply hurt. She had been scrimping on her own needs, focusing on buying things for the three kids—especially Da Bao, the girl. She wanted to treat her like a little princess, having already bought her several dresses and two pairs of shoes. She even took care of her skin, buying cream for her, and over time, she’d seen the kids’ complexions grow fairer and more vibrant.

Despite all that, here she was, enduring Da Bao’s accusations. As gentle as she was, even Song Dongyun felt the urge to lose her temper but knew better than to discipline a child that wasn’t her own.

Holding back her frustration, she turned away, only to see Qingli standing nearby with a little girl, both watching her. Embarrassed, Song Dongyun managed a greeting, “Here to buy clothes for the little one too?”

Because of their family ties, Qingli often heard about Xiang Lifeng’s affairs, and Song Dongyun, likewise, heard about Qingli. She knew that Qingli had adopted a child—rumor had it the girl was the orphan of a friend of Qingli’s father. The girl’s household registration had even been transferred to their family. When the grandparents objected, Qingli simply sent them away.

Qingli always had a reputation for being strong-willed, even a bit tough, in other people’s eyes. Though she wasn’t well-liked by some, many admitted she was a remarkable woman.

She seemed far more modern than others, unaffected by the typical societal expectations of their time.

Qingli smiled and nodded, “We’re just here for shoes.”

Da Bao, however, abruptly stopped her tantrum, pointing at Qingli angrily, “Stepmom, how could you talk to her? She’s a bad person! When we get home, I’m going to tell Dad!”

“Watch it, watch it!” Song Dongyun said hastily, embarrassed as she tried to pull Da Bao away. “Don’t say such things.”

But Da Bao wasn’t just saying it for attention—she genuinely believed it. In her mind, Qingli was a bad person who bullied her, and now her stepmom was talking to her. They seemed to get along, which must mean her stepmom was colluding with this “bad person”!

While those two went back and forth, Qingli had picked out a pair of black cloth shoes for Xiaoyu, who eagerly chimed in, “These will do! Let me try them on.”

“Alright,” Qingli agreed, watching as Xiaoyu tried them on before asking, “How do they feel?”

“They’re fine,” Xiaoyu nodded in satisfaction, then added to the salesperson, “Can I have two sizes bigger?”

“One size up should be enough,” Qingli reminded her. “Too big, and they’ll slip off easily.”

“No problem, I can just put in a shoe pad,” Xiaoyu replied cleverly.

The salesperson couldn’t help smiling at the sight and commented admiringly, “Your daughter is so sensible! I can’t get my kids to wear anything that’s even one size too big. They say it’s ugly.”

“She’s very sensible,” Qingli agreed, smiling as she picked out her shoes. “I’ll take these in one size up, too. Just pack them.”

“Got it,” the salesperson said, going to fetch the right size.

Seeing this, Xiaoyu bit her lip but couldn’t suppress a shy smile, “Sis, don’t be so wasteful! You haven’t bought shoes for yourself in ages.”

Qingli blinked, surprised, “You’re right. In that case, I’ll get myself a new pair too.”

Now that she had some money again, Qingli indulged herself a little and picked out a beautiful pair of leather shoes.

Things were made to last back then, with some clothes still in perfect condition after ten years, and shoes that could be worn for years. She didn’t feel guilty spending a bit on herself.

Only after seeing Qingli get something for herself did Xiaoyu smile fully.

Both of them made their purchases quickly, holding hands as they left the store.

As they passed the entrance, Da Bao was still fixated on that princess dress, and poor Song Dongyun looked as if she were barely holding it together.

The shoe and dress displays were not far apart, and the salesperson’s earlier comments hadn’t escaped Song Dongyun’s ears. Knowing that Qingli’s adopted daughter was so well-behaved, she couldn’t help but feel envious. Even if her children didn’t have to be that mature, she’d settle for them simply being able to listen.

Unfortunately, they were giving her nightmares instead.

And it wasn’t just one child.

It was all three!

She was starting to regret it; being a stepmother was harder than she’d imagined. She couldn’t scold them even if she wanted to, not because she didn’t care, but because she was terrified of disappointing Xiang Lifeng.

Without discipline, every morning when she woke up and heard those three raising a ruckus, her heart would race, as if she were back in high school, dreading the alarm clock.

Maybe Qingli’s decision had been right all along.

Yet thinking of Xiang Lifeng, she shook her head. Not necessarily—she’d at least found a good husband.

And the kids weren’t entirely impossible to reform. The youngest, San Bao, was starting to warm up to her, and while Da Bao and Er Bao still gave her a hard time, they hadn’t done anything too outrageous.

There were still many peaceful moments in daily life, though they caused constant trouble—breaking windows, picking fights, and rolling around in mud. As their stepmother, she had to mediate, while Xiang Lifeng handled discipline.

Thankfully…

Song Dongyun and Xiang Lifeng had agreed that by September, they’d send the kids to school, keeping only the youngest, San Bao, at home. That would make things much more manageable!