Chapter 80 - 80 74 Open and Covert Struggle (Request for Pink)

Words : 1904 Updated : Sep 12th, 2025

80: Chapter 74: Open and Covert Struggle (Request for Pink) 80: Chapter 74: Open and Covert Struggle (Request for Pink) The first watch had passed. ————– Seeing Zhao Yucui remaining silent for a long time without a word, Zhao Yulan lifted her foot to walk away, “Yulan, we are sisters,” Zhao Yucui hurriedly grabbed her. With a hint of scornful smile on her lips, Zhao Yulan said, “Sisters? How have you treated me all these years? I call you second sister, but I never dare to really think of you as my second sister!” “For Qiliang’s sake, for the reputation of our father and mother, can we not make a scene right now?” Zhao Yucui’s eyes were filled with annoyance, “When Chuxia gets married, she will also need her family’s support.” This was a blatant threat! It meant that if she didn’t comply today, she would make things difficult for her when Chuxia got married! This was her dear second sister, who would not hesitate to stab someone in the heart the moment things didn’t go her way! “For my daughter, I could even give up my life!” Zhao Yulan stared solemnly at Zhao Yucui, “I mean what I say!” “You...” Never expecting such harsh words from her usually submissive younger sister, Zhao Yucui stood there gaping. “I’m not scaring you!” Zhao Yulan repeated every word slowly, “For my daughter, I really could give up my life!” This version of her sister, Zhao Yucui had never seen before. In her eyes, her younger sister was always a pushover, married to another pushover, and her daughter was nothing but a incapabable one prone to internal squabbles; thus, among the five siblings, she looked down on her younger sister the most. Because of this, she couldn’t accept that Jiang Yuesheng liked her younger sister and not her. Why would he like someone less smart and less beautiful than her? And so, this hatred had lasted for twenty years. Has she come to terms with it now? No! The answer is definite, this matter will always be a thorn in her throat! Therefore, she could never truly be close to her younger sister in this lifetime. Old Lady Zhao pushed the door open and entered, sizing up her granddaughters who looked like they were ready to fight, and then looking at her second daughter brooding with a somber face, she immediately became angry: “What day is it today, can I have some peace?” “Mother...” Tears appeared in Zhao Yulan’s eyes, “I...” Seeing her choking up and unable to continue, Zhao Yucui sneered, “What are you pretending for? Weren’t you the one who spoke harshly? Think you’re still a child? Is there anything else you can do apart from tattling to mother to suppress me?” “You shut up!” Old Lady Zhao shouted, her gaze shifting between the faces of her two daughters, “I don’t care who has grievances, let’s wait until today is over to discuss them. Whoever dares spoil this joyful day, don’t call me mother ever again!” “Mother, I trusted what second sister-in-law said, that’s why I was indifferent to me, so I sought her out to discuss this, worrying about outsiders gossiping, but who knew...” Old Lady Zhao cut her off, “Enough, mother doesn’t want to hear it. Both of you, even if you have to pretend today, show me a united family front. Can you do that?” “Yes,” Zhao Yucui quickly said. Despite feeling full of grievances, given today was indeed not the time for conflict, Zhao Yulan reluctantly nodded in agreement: “Yes.” “You’ve both said it, let’s go.” Zhao Yucui smiled and grabbed Old Lady Zhao’s arm, “Mother, let me help you.” “I’m not that old yet. If you have that intention, just be nicer to your younger sister,” Old Lady Zhao said, her tone full of helplessness, “You’ve known for years what kind of temperament your sister has. Why can’t you figure out who is right and who is wrong?” “Mother...” The smile on Zhao Yucui’s face faded, “From a young age, you always favored her, sometimes I wonder whether I am really your daughter.” “If I were...” Pausing, then shaking her head, Old Lady Zhao said, “Let’s not talk about favoritism, we’ll discuss it after today. Now, smile as we go outside.” As they stepped out, a stout old lady came over beaming with joy, “My dear lady, I have been looking for you everywhere, come, let’s have a good chat like in the old days.” Old Lady Zhao hurried forward, warmly grabbing her hand, “My dear lady, good to see you, how many years has it been? You still look so young, haha...” “Younger sister, this is Xiaoqiong’s grandmother, right?” Zhao Yucui warmly pulled Zhao Yulan aside and asked. The cold touch gave Zhao Yulan goosebumps, she reflexively pulled her hand but couldn’t free it, she then smiled and introduced Zhao Yucui and Old Lady Luo... To outsiders, the sisters appeared quite affectionate. With too many guests, the house couldn’t accommodate everyone, so tables were set in the courtyard. With the warm weather of May, everyone found sitting in the courtyard even more comfortable. Elderly, middle-aged, young adults, teenagers... People of all ages found others in the same age group to chat with, making the courtyard bustling and lively for a while. The Luo family had organized a lavish banquet, and as dish after dish was served, everyone’s eyes unconsciously drifted towards the table, their conversations fading as they became distracted, and the yard quieted down significantly. In that era, resources were extremely scarce, and even during the New Year, a family would only slaughter two or three pounds of meat for dumplings to satisfy their cravings. Who could imagine a scene like today, with dishes of chicken, duck, fish, and meat being served continuously? The hosts, of course, understood the guests’ thoughts. When the serving of dishes was nearly complete, Luo Xiaoqiong’s grandfather, Luo Dashan, and grandmother, Mrs. Luo, led the male and female guests respectively to start eating. In the kitchen, Fat Auntie, Zhao Yulan, and two daughters-in-law who had come to help were bustling about swiftly. Occasionally, they peeked outside to see everyone eating happily, which pleased them immensely. After the bustle, Zhao Yulan had forgotten the unhappiness between her and Zhao Yucui. With Fat Auntie intentionally bringing up joyful topics, by the time the cooking was almost done, the smile on Zhao Yulan’s face was genuinely heartfelt. This meal was the most lavish one Chuxia had had since arriving in this era. Luo family’s female cousins and Zhao family’s female cousins were sitting at the table near the east wall, with Lin Chuxia and Luo Xiaoqiong handling the guests. When young girls gather, comparisons are inevitable. Compared to other tables, this one was particularly undercurrent. Well, not just undercurrents; Zhao Qiyan, Chuxia’s cousin, was openly competitive. Holding a grudge against Chuxia, she found her even more displeasing after this incident. She felt that in terms of looks, she was better than Chuxia, in terms of work, she was better, in terms of study, still better. The only thing she was slightly inferior at was height. Why should she need to rely on Chuxia’s influence to join the army?—Even though it hadn’t worked out, that was supposed to be the case. Once the cover was opened, her attitude toward Chuxia was specially malicious. From the way Chuxia ate, to what and how much she ate, there was nothing Zhao Qiyan couldn’t criticize. On a normal day, Luo Xiaoqiong would have stepped up to defend Chuxia, but today was her engagement, a truly joyous occasion. Her mother had told her more than ten times to bear any grievances for now and discuss them later. Reluctantly, she had to endure it, and by the end of the meal, she hadn’t eaten much but was full of frustration. “Chuxia, if I had such a cousin, I really could strangle her!” Seizing the opportunity, she whispered bitterly in Chuxia’s ear. Knowing that Luo Xiaoqiong thought she was too meek, Chuxia just smiled and said nothing. Luo Lixiang, Luo Xiaoqiong’s cousin, cheerfully looked at the other girls. “Don’t think just because I’m Meiying’s direct cousin, that I take up a big place in her heart. Meiying and Chuxia are so close, closer than real sisters.” “Big sister, aren’t you and Zhong Hongying just as close?” Luo Xiaoqiong quickly retorted, unable to hold back any longer and not so polite to her own cousin. Luo Lixiang’s expression turned slightly unnatural. She knew her uncle’s family didn’t like Zhong Hongying, but frustratingly, she was best friends with Zhong Hongying. Knowing that her little cousin had grievances was one thing, but what could she do about it? Without any obvious reaction, Luo Lixiang changed the topic. “Wang Meifeng, among our classmates, you are the most successful, becoming a teacher and marrying an officer. If I come to you in the future, please don’t pretend not to recognize me.” “How could I not recognize you? If you consider me your old classmate, I would be more than happy; how could I dare not to recognize you?” Wang Meifeng responded with a restrained smile, preferring this overt form of flattery over covert bragging. Zhao Qiyan sneered. “She’s not the most successful without my second aunt. Where would her success come from without her?” “I don’t deny that my aunt helped me to where I am today. But, if I didn’t have the capabilities myself, even she couldn’t have helped. Qiyan, you should understand this feeling more than anyone, right?” “Enough, both of you should say less.” Zhao Qihui frowned. “What day is it today, and you still can’t read the room?” Although they were both defiant, Zhao Qihui’s character was something they were cautious of, so they unwillingly fell silent. “By the way, Chuxia, how are things going with your marriage?” Luo Lixiang asked Chuxia, seemingly casually. Chuxia looked up at her, “What do you mean, how are things going?” “Of course, I mean about your marriage to the Xue family.” Luo Lixiang smiled. “Every unmarried girl in the village is so envious, if you don’t hurry and set things straight, be careful or someone else might take your place.” Chuxia fixed her gaze, “Are you envious?” “Me?” Luo Lixiang pointed to her nose and laughed, “What’s the use of me being envious? They didn’t choose me.” “Indeed.” Chuxia nodded faintly, “Your envy is useless.” Luo Lixiang was left open-mouthed by Chuxia’s comment, unable to recover her breath for a long time. “Serves her right!” Luo Xiaoqiong muttered quietly, squeezing Chuxia’s hand covertly. That’s right, why always tolerate others? If a fight really breaks out, isn’t she still there? As her cousin, she’s the most cunning. If she could take the opportunity to thrash her, she’d be thrilled! “Is Comrade Luo Xiaoqiong at home?” Accompanying the inquiry, a man and two women entered the yard. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it at Qidian (qidian.com), cast monthly tickets, and your support is my greatest motivation.)

Chapter 80 - 80 74 Open and Covert Struggle (Request for Pink)

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