WBSGVS Chapter 83 V1

Dù Qīng Lí and Sòng Dōngyún had become outstanding entrepreneurs!

Xiàng Lián was reluctant to believe it, but she couldn’t deny it.

The host, holding a microphone, began talking about their entrepreneurial journeys. Both women came from a village in the town’s lower area. Twelve years ago, Sòng Dōngyún left the village to start a business in Shēnshì. She faced countless hardships, but she persevered, rising with the winds of the times. Today, she has become one of the leading figures in the fashion industry!

Dù Qīng Lí, with her sharp eye for talent, had invested a large sum of money during Sòng Dōngyún’s early struggles, giving her the resources needed to grow.

Together, they had supported each other, expanding from fashion into the growing food industry, and now they were even venturing into the information and communications sector. Despite the challenges of crossing industries, they adapted well, earning the admiration and envy of many.

Their return to their hometown to open a clothing factory was also a way to give back to the community. If the factory did well, they might consider expanding into food processing and other industries.

Furthermore, for every item of clothing sold, they would donate two cents to the country, with plans to increase the donation amount in line with inflation. Their goal was to help those who couldn’t afford food and to provide new clothes to those who couldn’t buy them.

The crowd was energized by this, and many eagerly raised their hands to sign up for jobs at the factory.

The girl standing next to Xiàng Lián was excited and jumped up, raising her hand high, shouting, “Ah! I want to join too!”

Seeing Xiàng Lián stand still, she pushed her, “Xiàng Lián! What are you waiting for? Raise your hand! If you perform well, maybe they’ll remember you and you can rise steadily in the future!”

Xiàng Lián, flustered, shook her head. There was no way she could raise her hand. She just wanted to hide.

In her panic, she glanced at the stage.

And just as she did, the two women on stage looked in her direction.

A chill ran down her spine. It felt like Sòng Dōngyún was looking directly at her. She broke into a cold sweat and, terrified, quietly slipped away from the crowd, running outside.

As she ran, she cried.

The feelings of frustration, regret, and resentment she had toward herself from ten years ago made her emotions unstable.

If only she could go back in time, she would want to beat the past version of herself to death!

How could she have been so foolish?

What was wrong with her stepmother?

Even Dù Qīng Lí, with her strict temperament, had been patient with her at first. It wasn’t until their pranks went too far and angered her that she no longer tolerated them.

And Sòng Dōngyún, with her gentle nature, had tolerated them so many times!

But everything had been ruined by her younger self!

Xiàng Lián ran a few steps but grew tired and needed a place to rest. Just then, she saw a man sitting on a tree, watching the crowd at the ribbon-cutting ceremony from afar.

It was Xiàng Lìfēng!

Her father!

Unable to help herself, Xiàng Lián walked over and mumbled, “Dad…”

Xiàng Lìfēng glanced down at her with an expressionless face, “What is it?”

With red eyes, Xiàng Lián whispered, “I’m sorry.”

It was her fault. In her youth, she had been so extreme and blind, her mind consumed by her unreasonable logic, that she had caused her father to miss out on two such outstanding stepmothers!

Since Sòng Dōngyún divorced Xiàng Lìfēng, no one had been willing to marry him.

He was no longer a soldier, had lost his appeal, and lacked any subsidies. He also had a pair of children with a reputation as bad as demons. Which woman would dare to marry him? Which woman would want to marry him?

He had remained single, not because he didn’t want to find someone, but because no one wanted to marry him.

Hearing her apology, Xiàng Lìfēng smiled faintly, his expression melancholy. “It’s nothing.”

A missed opportunity was just that—a missed opportunity.

Xiàng Lián lowered her head guiltily and continued on her way. When she was near the edge of town, she saw a boy dressed like a little gentleman from a TV drama, skipping along with the most expensive popsicle in hand.

His good looks and expensive attire caught her attention, and she couldn’t help but glance at him again.

The boy noticed her gaze, stopped for a moment, and politely called out, “Hello, sister!”

This was the first time anyone had treated her so politely, and she was flattered. She immediately responded, “Hello!”

The boy smiled slightly and continued walking in the opposite direction, away from her.

Just then, a girl in a pretty green dress came running toward them, calling out, “Sòng Dòu Dòu! You secretly bought a popsicle! I’m going to tell Aunt Sòng!”

The boy immediately looked as if he had stepped on his tail, his face falling as he turned back. “Xiǎo Yǔ jiějiě, please don’t tell! I haven’t had a popsicle in two days!”

The girl giggled, her smile showing a cute dimple, sweet and somewhat indulgent. “Okay, but Aunt Sòng said you can’t eat too many. Just take a couple of bites and save the rest for tomorrow. Didn’t Aunt Sòng buy a fridge for the factory?”

The boy pouted unhappily but nodded in agreement.

The two of them left, one after the other, and no one noticed the stunned Xiàng Lián standing off to the side.

If it had just been “Xiǎo Yǔ jiějiě,” she might not have thought much of it.

But when she saw the distinctive dimple in the girl’s smile, Xiàng Lián realized that the girl was none other than Dù Qīng Yǔ, the one she had always envied!

And the “Aunt Sòng” she mentioned…

Xiàng Lián thought about the relationship between Dù Qīng Lí and Sòng Dōngyún, and suddenly had an unsettling thought. Could that be Sòng Dōngyún’s child?

So it wasn’t just Dù Qīng Lí’s child who was well-behaved. Even Sòng Dōngyún’s son was so handsome, dressed so well, like a young master from a TV show, with fair skin and an expensive popsicle. How could he afford such luxury at his age, with so much pocket money?

Their family even had a fridge.

She had heard about those—it was incredibly expensive, and it needed constant electricity. Her family couldn’t afford one and had never been able to buy one.

Looking at Dù Qīng Yǔ, she was dressed even more beautifully.

Comparing that to her simple clothes, which still had the dust from cleaning the living room on them, Xiàng Lián felt a wave of inferiority, growing stronger with each passing moment. She just stared at their retreating figures and, with a cry of “Ah—!” burst into tears.

But this time, no one was there to comfort her.

The factory opening in their hometown was Sòng Dōngyún’s idea.

Dù Qīng Lí mainly focused on the food business, while Sòng Dōngyún had started with fashion. Now that they had money, they both had an eye on the future and, without much hesitation, decided to venture into the electronics and communications industry.

Although it was still early, starting sooner would help them get ahead.

They hit it off immediately and decided to collaborate, with Sòng Dōngyún shifting her business focus from Shēnshì to this city.

In the following years, they found they had a good rapport with each other, and their relationship grew closer. Even their children became good friends, despite the age gap between them.

Afterward, Song Dongyun decided to return to the town and open a clothing factory. Since Qingli held a 30% share in the clothing company, she informed Qingli of the decision. Although Song Dongyun had the final say on all major decisions, Qingli had the right to be informed.

Even though Qingli had left the village and lived in the city, she often returned to pay respects to her late parents. She had done well in business and frequently contributed to the town, sourcing most of her raw materials from there. She had a strong emotional connection to the place.

So when she heard about the factory opening, Qingli wholeheartedly supported it, and they both returned together.

This led to the mayor attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

After the event, Qingli got off the stage and saw Xiaoyu holding Song Dongyun’s son, Song Doudou, waiting at the factory gate. Just as she was about to approach them, a familiar, affectionate voice called out, “Qingli!”

Qingli turned around and saw Du Chuan, leaning on a cane and being supported by Zhang Shuangshuang. They were both smiling warmly, but their faces were so wrinkled, they looked like they were in their seventies or eighties.

“Why didn’t you tell us you were coming back? If it weren’t for someone in the village saying they saw someone who looked like you, we wouldn’t have known,” Du Chuan said with a smile. “You’re back, want to sit down at home for a while?”