Chapter 55: The Evil Stepmother of the 1970s [End] New Story…

Chapter 55: The Evil Stepmother of the 1970s [End] New Story...

Later, Xu Xiuyun indeed gave birth to a son. With both a son and a daughter, and seeing that Xu Xiuyun had stopped stirring up trouble, Song Dongbo abandoned his thoughts of divorcing her.

However, he discovered Xu Xiuyun had given her family 1,000 yuan to start a business. Unfortunately, each family member was self-serving, cutting corners in their food stall business. They couldn't bear to throw out leftovers, reselling them the next day. Eventually, customers complained, and they ended up losing a lot of money.

The Xu family never reflected on their own mistakes. Instead, they blamed Xu Xiuyun for meddling, claiming that if it weren’t for her, they wouldn’t have lost face and ruined their reputation. Naturally, they didn’t return the money; what little remained was pocketed by them, and they even felt they had gotten away with something.

Song Dongbo was deeply dissatisfied with Xu Xiuyun’s actions. The passionate affection they once shared as newlyweds never returned. No matter how hard Xu Xiuyun tried to mend things, Song Dongbo always kept her at arm’s length, only providing household expenses and nothing more.

Xu Xiuyun’s life became all show and no substance. Outsiders thought she was doing well, but she alone knew the misery beneath. Yet, she was too prideful to confide in anyone, forcing herself to act happy in public.

The more she pretended, the more exhausted she became. After graduation, she took a clerical job at a state-owned factory. Resentment festered in her heart—she believed everyone looked down on her and was determined to prove them wrong by succeeding.

At first, things seemed promising. Among her peers, she stood out for her smooth talk, ability to read her superiors’ moods, and knack for playing office politics to steal credit. While her colleagues gradually grew to dislike her, her bosses appreciated her and were willing to promote her.

But the good times didn’t last. As the economy developed, private enterprises flourished, and their poorly managed factory saw declining profits. Eventually, it couldn’t make payroll and was forced to shut down. Just like that, Xu Xiuyun was laid off.

She complained endlessly at home. After days of listening, Song Dongbo grew tired of it. “I told you back then that private enterprises were the future. Even my small business earns decent money—imagine how much more a private factory could make. Some state-owned factories adapted, but those that stuck to the old ways couldn’t compete. You wouldn’t listen, insisting it was an ‘iron rice bowl.’ Now what’s there to complain about?”

To Song Dongbo, complaining once or twice was understandable, but daily grievances were too much. After a tiring day, he couldn’t even eat in peace. The tense atmosphere made their son and daughter withdraw, no longer smiling. Xu Xiuyun couldn’t hold a job, and now she couldn’t even be a proper mother?

Song Dongbo was a typical breadwinner—he excelled at providing for the family and expected his wife, the homemaker, to manage the household and children well. Yet Xu Xiuyun repeatedly disappointed him, making him regret marrying her more times than he could count.

Xu Xiuyun found this life suffocating. She tried job-hunting several times but ended up with mediocre results—either employers found her unreliable and careless or offered low wages with no room for advancement. In her eyes, none of these were good jobs.

Had she not compared herself to Xu Ziyan, she might have settled, thinking she was better off than many. Contentment would have brought happiness, and her family would have thrived in that warmth.

But Xu Ziyan’s academic achievements and success made her feel utterly inadequate. Unaware of this, she remained all ambition, no skill, chasing better jobs and opportunities, even trying to sell clothes at weekend stalls.

She wanted everything but lacked focus, so nothing worked out. Song Dongbo advised that business required at least three years of persistence, but she wouldn’t listen. Hadn’t Xu Ziyan’s parents and Song Dongbo made it big overnight? Why couldn’t she?

But times had changed. The market was saturated, far from the early days when anyone could profit. Years of fruitless hustling left her still a nobody, drained of time and energy, neglecting her children and frustrating Song Dongbo.

Their children performed poorly in school, obsessed with video games and snacks, growing more rebellious with age. In her thirties, Xu Xiuyun suddenly realized she had nothing—no fulfilling job, disobedient kids, strained family ties, and a failing marriage. The only thing she could boast about was Song Dongbo’s small company, making her the company wife.

Then, visiting the company, she noticed Song Dongbo’s young secretary—pretty, college-educated, from a good family, and smooth-talking in every way.

Panic set in. Finally, she stopped comparing herself to Xu Ziyan, but now she haunted the company, watching Song Dongbo like a hawk, treating every female employee like a criminal. Two talented women quit in frustration, infuriating Song Dongbo.

Their relationship deteriorated further. Song Dongbo eventually cheated. Xu Xiuyun threw a fit, demanding to work at his company. When he threatened divorce, she retaliated by threatening to kill herself and dragged their son into the drama.

Though they didn’t divorce, they fought nonstop, bickering daily. Their children fled home early, dropping out of high school to work in the south, rarely contacting them except to ask for money.

Drained and overwhelmed, Song Dongbo made several business mistakes, nearly going bankrupt. He had to close the company and open a small convenience store. The income was better than a regular job but nothing more. Xu Xiuyun now spent her days in the store, watching him. He wouldn’t cheat again, but her dream of being a wealthy wife was gone.

Late at night, Xu Xiuyun would lie awake, wondering how her life had become a complete mess. It felt like a chain reaction, a domino effect—starting from the day she took the Fang children to the clinic after they suffered heatstroke, everything had changed.

Years later, after reconnecting with her family, Xu Xiuyun heard that Xu Ziyan’s children had been admitted to Tsinghua and Peking University. The family was returning to their hometown to pay respects to their ancestors, so she hurried back to the village.

The village had transformed dramatically. Inspired by Xu Ziyan, many villagers had started small businesses in the city early on, while others left for jobs or vocational training. They were the first in the area to escape poverty, with modest two-story homes and properly paved roads.

The Xu Family, however, lagged behind due to their tarnished reputation from selling spoiled food. At first, they bragged that the famous author Yu Kai was their child, but after being called out to their faces for mistreating her, they never mentioned it again.

Two days after Xu Xiuyun arrived, Xu Ziyan’s family returned. The entire village gathered to welcome them—these were their hometown’s most distinguished guests. Hiding in the crowd, Xu Xiuyun caught sight of Xu Ziyan and was stunned.

At forty, Xu Ziyan’s skin was as smooth as a twenty-year-old’s, her hair glossy black. Her clothes and jewelry were elegant and expensive, and she wore a serene smile. Fang Lihai hovered protectively beside her, shielding her from the crowd. Her stepsons carried bags behind her, greeting everyone warmly and introducing their younger siblings to the villagers—clearly, the siblings were thick as thieves and had impeccable upbringing.

In stark contrast, years of unhappiness had left her looking bitter, with gray roots showing through her dye job, let alone the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. Out in public, many people called her "auntie," a term fitting for her age, but compared to Xu Ziyan, she couldn't help but feel utterly defeated.

Her clothes, which she had deliberately chosen as her best for this return, cost only three hundred yuan—barely $50. She couldn’t bring herself to spend more, as she didn’t have much money. Compared to Xu Ziyan’s clothes, she felt too embarrassed to stand out, hoping Xu Ziyan wouldn’t notice her.

And then there were the children. Fang Nan and Fang Bei had also attended top-tier universities, even studying abroad at places like Cambridge or Harvard, becoming hot commodities as overseas returnees of the time. If they chose to work, their salaries would be several times higher than others’. Yet they didn’t even need to work for others—Xu Ziyan herself owned several companies.

Now, with the twins admitted to Tsinghua and Peking University, each excelling and surrounding Xu Ziyan with filial devotion, Xu Ziyan’s smile said it all about her happiness.

Xu Xiuyun was beyond jealousy anymore—the gap between them was too vast, so vast that she finally admitted she could never catch up in her lifetime. As cousins, they had been nearly equal in their youth, yet now they were worlds apart.

"Congratulations, Host, for completing the plot: 'Cousins Worlds Apart, the Female Lead No Longer Compares with You.' This is the final original plot of this world. Reward: five skill points."

Xu Ziyan was slightly surprised and glanced around, spotting Xu Xiuyun. She had only returned with her family to pay respects to their ancestors, never expecting to trigger this plot point and gain free skill points.

After recalling the plot’s content, she understood. In the original storyline, Xu Xiuyun had lived well, hearing that Xu Ziyan had been swindled and died penniless abroad, while the Fang family collapsed and Xu’s parents succumbed to depression. The disparity between the cousins had been so vast that comparison became meaningless, leading to these thoughts.

Now, the roles were reversed—Xu Ziyan was the one living exceptionally well. The only constant was the overwhelming gap, which made Xu Xiuyun think this way, still counting as completing the plot.

Out of nowhere, five skill points, Xu Ziyan happily allocated them to her intelligence, immediately feeling her IQ break through its bottleneck to a new level—she could now ace *The Brain* every time. Unable to suppress a smile, she looked up.

Xu Xiuyun met her gaze, and seeing that smile, felt it was like a slap in the face. Her expression darkened instantly. She believed Xu Ziyan was sneering at her—she had always been superior to Xu Ziyan in every way since childhood, yet just because her marriage fell through, she had fallen so far behind.

A wave of sorrow washed over her. Heaven was truly unfair. She had once chosen an officer, so why had he died? It left her labeled a jinx, unable to marry well, ruining everything.

After Xu Ziyan’s family returned from ancestral rites, she took a leisurely stroll through the village, reminiscing about her early days in this world, finding it nostalgic. As she prepared to leave, she spotted Xu Xiuyun sitting dazedly under a tree.

Xu Xiuyun saw her too and stood up, straightening her posture as much as possible. She pasted on a smile at Xu Ziyan. "Your life is so good now, everything perfect."

Xu Ziyan smiled but said nothing, intending to walk past. Xu Xiuyun, however, took her silence as disdain and couldn’t resist a jab. "Feeling smug? You just married into a good family—a husband, in-laws, and stepsons who cherish you, giving you the freedom to thrive. If you were in my shoes, you’d be worn down by drudgery too."

Xu Ziyan sighed. "Have you forgotten how unwelcome I was when I first married? The whole village said Fang Lihai ran away on our wedding night because he despised me, calling me shameless. You think that was a good life?"

"It was me who earned respect in the village, improved my worth through writing, genuinely taught my stepsons, and treated the whole family with sincerity—that’s when they started treating me well. Everyone faces their own hurdles; you have to overcome them yourself."

"Your family was once well-off—couldn’t you afford a maid? When you graduated, a degree was golden back then. Couldn’t you have worked hard to climb the corporate ladder? If your husband was no good, many women in this era divorce and pursue new lives—isn’t that an option?"

"I don’t know how you’ve lived these years, but my happiness comes from knowing my worth, never compromising, and arming myself with knowledge. Even if I hadn’t married, I’d have thrived. Besides, there were so many opportunities in the past decades—my parents built wealth just by selling breakfast honestly after the family split."

"Honestly, you’re not doing badly either—from a poor village girl to settling in the provincial capital with a shop, you’re better off than many who stayed in the village. Isn’t that a success?"

With that, Xu Ziyan shook her head and walked away, leaving Xu Xiuyun standing there, stunned. Was this her idea of success? True, villagers still envied her—she had a city household registration (hukou), a home, a car, and a small shop in the provincial capital. But in the city, wasn’t she just ordinary? Why could Xu Ziyan reach such heights while she remained average?

As for Xu Ziyan’s words, she scoffed outwardly, but deep down, a part of her acknowledged their truth. She had lost her balance, too obsessed with comparing herself to Xu Ziyan, too restless, missing countless opportunities. Had she focused on her studies, worked hard, and advanced in her career, she might not have fallen so far.

At the very least, had she devoted herself to her family, nurturing it well, she might have maintained control over Song Dongbo as in their newlywed days, raised two decent children, and perhaps Song Dongbo could have become a successful businessman. But her mind was always on soaring high, neglecting her family until it, in turn, neglected her.

Everything had its cause and effect. The root was her refusal to accept that Xu Ziyan had surpassed her. Now, with most of her life gone, it was too late for anything.

Opportunities like Xu’s parents’ snack business were long gone. She no longer had the drive to strive, and years of trivialities had dulled her vision and insight. From now on, she and Song Dongbo would likely just eke out a living running that shop until old age.

This was the last time Xu Ziyan saw Xu Xiuyun—living in different cities, chances of meeting were slim.

Over the years, Xu Ziyan had flourished. After writing her novel about the Xu family, she penned another about a rural girl scraping by in the city as a migrant worker. It contained many practical lessons—dealing with thieves on trains, common urban scams, dodging pyramid schemes—helping many avoid losses.

It also covered workplace exploitation, unfair treatment, and how to find legitimate jobs, earning praise for being as useful as a manual.

Both books were adapted into TV series. With few domestic shows airing at the time, hers achieved record ratings, seen by almost everyone. The Xu family’s story was labeled "based on true events," sealing their shame in public memory.

Xu Ziyan made good money and used her past-life know-how to establish an entertainment company. By starting early, she got a head start, signing celebrities, producing films, and TV dramas, rapidly accumulating wealth. At the right moment, she ventured into real estate, cashing in on skyrocketing home prices to amass a fortune and achieve financial freedom.

Now that her children had grown up and could assist her in the company, she could once again become a laid-back boss, just like in her previous life. She wasn’t about that grind—everything she did was about riding the momentum. With her children taking over, she naturally shifted her focus to enjoying life. In her spare time, she even wrote a sitcom about a blended family, which, when adapted into a show, became as popular as *Home with Kids*.

Her presence helped alleviate many prejudices against "stepmothers." Most importantly, the contrast between her and Xu Ziyan’s characters in the show made many people realize that finding a life partner isn’t just about settling for someone who seems suitable—it’s about choosing someone inherently good. Only then can life be harmonious. If the other person lacks integrity or compatibility, life will only be chaotic and mutually draining.

Xu Ziyan’s works quietly changed how a lot of people saw marriage. Throughout her life, she left a profound impact and legacy in this unique era, and when her time came, she had no regrets.

Xu Ziyan said to 001, "At first, I was a little resentful toward you for binding me so casually. But now, after experiencing two worlds, I’m actually grateful. Thank you for letting me experience different lives and witness different eras. This life’s been amazing—even if I fail a mission someday, I won’t feel sad."

001 replied, "This was my first time being a system, and I didn’t do very well. Thank you for being willing to forgive me."

Xu Ziyan smiled. "Alright, no need to be sentimental. Let’s keep moving forward. Now we’re a seasoned pro and system—things will only get better from here."

001 also laughed. "Yes, the future is long, and it will definitely be even better."

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