5

During this time, Taohua worked at a restaurant washing dishes. The supervisor noticed her wearing a gold ring, silver earrings, and a shiny necklace around her neck, dressed in luxurious clothing, with makeup on, and clearly not doing any work. She was dismissed on the grounds that there were too many people. She also worked as a sales assistant at a mall selling clothes but found it too tiring, standing for long hours with a low salary. She became embroiled in office politics and, after a while, the boss easily found an excuse to fire her. There were many such incidents—too many to list. In short, she was constantly hitting walls and failing to get what she wanted.

Four or five years passed, and just when people had forgotten about her and stopped paying attention, a new opportunity appeared.

Near “Lao Wu’s” place, there was a family with an interesting dynamic. The eldest son had divorced his wife after she ran off with a contractor, and he was left raising a son and a daughter; the second son had a violent temper and dealt with problems through force, had a family of his own; the third son was more refined and held a managerial position in a company. Their retired parents lived at home, enjoying their old age.

Taohua saw the eldest son as the perfect target. She went directly to his parents and said, “We live close by, we’re neighbors. I’m divorced and living alone. I want to marry your eldest son and live with him. I will treat his children as my own. Please help me bring this about.”

The eldest son’s parents felt that they couldn’t interfere with their children’s marriages, and that the success or failure of the situation depended on the eldest son’s decision. They relayed the message to him. The eldest son, considering his second marriage and the burden of two children, realized that finding a suitable match was difficult. He reluctantly agreed to let them continue their discussions.

In truth, Taohua saw that the second son could help deal with “Lao Wu,” and the eldest son was a good place to settle down. As for dealing with the eldest son’s children and living with him, that was just a cover. She had no intention of caring for her own child, much less his. She intended to cook and do housework for his children only to maintain a facade. Her real goal was to secure a long-term position with them and stay grounded.

One day, Taohua went to the supermarket, bought some raisins, and visited the eldest son’s parents. Just as they finished their meal, Taohua rushed to wash the dishes and even tidied up the kitchen. She often visited to chat with the elderly couple, telling jokes and lifting their spirits. The elderly couple thought she was a good woman—respectful to elders, unlike the eldest son’s ex-wife, who would only talk when something was wrong.

Seeing that the eldest son, a grown man, was struggling to take care of his son and daughter without a woman’s help, Taohua decided to cook a delicious braised pork for the family. The children said, “We’re so full, there’s no space left, or I’d eat it all.” The eldest son was overjoyed, thinking to himself, “If I can spend the rest of my life with her, I’ll be happy.” On Sundays, Taohua and the eldest son went shopping and bought matching outfits for his two children. Their relationship brought happiness to what had once been a broken family. Slowly, Taohua became more integrated into the eldest son’s family.

The eldest son’s parents and brothers saw that the eldest son’s situation was improving. Even though it was a second marriage, they wanted to hold a small ceremony. Upon hearing this, Taohua immediately went to them and said, “Why spend that money? It’s just for show. Let’s just have a family gathering and share a meal.” The elderly couple felt somewhat guilty but gave Taohua ten thousand yuan, and the two younger brothers each gave her five thousand yuan. Others gave what they could, and Taohua ended up pocketing more than thirty thousand yuan.

The eldest son handed her his salary card and allowed her to manage the family’s finances.

Taohua, now that things were going her way, still continued to follow old habits. The eldest son’s children didn’t eat much, but they did have hot meals cooked by him, and the family often ate out. At home, the eldest son still cooked and took care of things himself. As Taohua put it, “I can abandon my own son, so what are you and your children to me?”

One day, Taohua had a sudden impulse to visit “Lao Wu” and stir things up. She wanted to see if her new situation was good enough to compete with him. “Lao Wu, your mother-in-law is here. Aren’t you so cocky? Let’s see today. You can’t even manage your little corner, and you still want to tie me down. Do you even know what you’re capable of? You think you can stop me from getting married? I decide who I marry, and I decide who I divorce!” This left “Lao Wu” shaken, too scared to speak. Taohua kicked the door, shouting insults, and even her own son dared not open the door. The neighbors, hearing the commotion, whispered behind her back, calling her lazy and self-serving, always scheming for her own gain. They saw her as someone who would do anything to get ahead, no matter the cost. Of course, the eldest son’s family also noticed and took it to heart.

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