Reborn in the 80s: My Whole Family Secretly Hears My Thoughts and Goes Wild with Success! - Chapter 52

The term “second wife” instantly darkened Wang Fengqin’s expression. She could hear the insinuation in Wang Yuhua’s words, but no possible response felt right, so she simply changed the subject: “I’ve come by several times but never managed to see you, sister-in-law. If I weren’t in a hurry to go home and cook for my Xiaoxiang, I’d have insisted on scrubbing your back today.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t dare trouble such a busy woman as you.”

Wang Yuhua turned to Sun Laidi instead: “Laidi, how about giving me a scrub later?”

“Of course, sister-in-law! I may not be good at much, but when it comes to scrubbing backs, I’m an expert.”

Sun Laidi and Wang Yuhua fell into casual chatter, and soon others joined in. Though Wang Yuhua wasn’t part of the factory, she got along well with both the workers and their families.

Wang Fengqin tried to interject, but aside from Sun Laidi, no one paid her any attention. She turned away, her face darkening.

After all these years, Wang Yuhua still refused to give her any respect, always humiliating her whenever they met. Without a word of farewell, Wang Fengqin gathered her things and left in a huff.

While scrubbing Wang Yuhua’s back, Sun Laidi whispered cautiously, “Sister-in-law, I know you still resent Shen Daqiang over the Shunzi incident, but he’s not the same man he used to be. It’s best not to provoke him lightly.”

“Have you heard? Both his daughters married into influential families, and they’ve even joined the cultural troupe—that’s no small feat.”

“Haven’t you heard his wife bragging lately that their daughter Liya is about to take on a leading role?”

“Wasn’t Shen Liya expelled from the troupe?”

The moment Wang Yuhua said this, the bathhouse fell so silent that only the sound of running water remained.

“Sister-in-law, how did you know that?” Sun Laidi’s eyes widened. “She really got expelled? Why?”

“I’m not entirely sure, but I heard she harmed someone.”

“Harmed someone? Good heavens! If that got her expelled, it must’ve been serious.”

“And let me tell you—Shen Liya is Shen Daqiang’s biological daughter,” Wang Yuhua pointed out deliberately. “She’s only half a year younger than his eldest, Shen Zhiqiu.”

“Half a year? So while his first wife was still pregnant, Shen Daqiang was already fooling around with this Wang Fengqin?” Sun Laidi gasped.

“Now you see why none of us can stand her, Laidi.”

“The moment Shen Daqiang married her, we all knew they’d been carrying on behind his first wife’s back.”

Wang Yuhua took Sun Laidi’s hand and patted it. “You’re different—you and your husband were properly introduced. But her? Tch.”

Her disdain was unmistakable, and the others shared similar expressions.

“Like mother, like daughter. That girl of hers is no good either. The man Shen Liya married was originally Shen Zhiqiu’s fiancé.”

“And she gave birth just eight months after the wedding—you can figure out the rest.”

“My God! And Shen Daqiang and his second wife still have the nerve to act proud? If my daughter did something like that, I’d be too ashamed to show my face.”

Sun Laidi pursed her lips. “Sister-in-law, if you hadn’t told us, we’d never have known.”

“From now on, I’m keeping my distance from Wang Fengqin.”

“Good!” Wang Yuhua spat. “Shen Daqiang and that woman are rotten to the core!”

“I won’t even bring up what happened to my Shunzi—everyone knows the truth in their hearts.”

“But do you know how they treated that eldest daughter of his?”

When Wang Yuhua revealed how Shen Daqiang and Wang Fengqin had pocketed Ye Yunlin’s money and withheld Shen Zhiqiu’s wages, the room erupted in outrage.

“Are they even human?”

“No wonder Shen Daqiang’s family lives so well! I always wondered how they managed it—turns out they’ve been leeching off their daughter!”

“And he still dares to call her unfilial? He’s just smearing her name!”

“We’ve got to let the whole factory know about this! Everyone should see their true colors!”

Meanwhile, Shen Zhiqiu wasn’t idle either. After leaving Li Guoxiang, she went to the department store to buy toys and chocolates.

Around three in the afternoon, she arrived at Tian Man’s home. Tan Jianping and the children were out, and Tian Man had just finished washing the bedsheets.

“Sister-in-law, let me help you wring these out.”

Each holding an end, they twisted in opposite directions to squeeze out as much water as possible. Afterward, they stretched the fabric taut to smooth out wrinkles before hanging it on the clothesline strung across the balcony.

Once done, they returned to the living room. Tian Man handed Shen Zhiqiu a cup of water, smiling sheepishly. “Look at this—I invited you as a guest, and not only did you bring gifts, but you also ended up helping with chores.”

Shen Zhiqiu blinked playfully. “Sister-in-law, what chores? That was nothing!”

Tian Man paused, then burst out laughing, pointing at her. “Zhiqiu, you’re too much.”

“Did you knit this, sister-in-law?” Shen Zhiqiu ran her fingers over the lace tablecloth, genuinely impressed. “It’s beautiful.”

“Oh, this isn’t knitted—it’s crocheted.”

Tian Man explained, “I’m only so-so at knitting—just basic stitches. But I’m better with a crochet hook.”

“Hold on a second.”

She disappeared into the bedroom and returned with two pairs of tiny, adorable shoes. “I made these for Yaya. I’d planned to give them at her one-month celebration, but I didn’t finish in time.”

“Wow—sister-in-law, your hands are so clever!”

Shen Zhiqiu cradled the shoes, turning them this way and that, utterly enchanted.

“Thank you so much. I absolutely love them.”

“Sister-in-law, could you teach me how to crochet these?”

“Of course! Do you have a hook?”

“No.”

Shen Zhiqiu pulled a set of knitting needles from her bag. “I only bought these.”

Tian Man retrieved a tin box from under the coffee table, filled with crochet hooks of various sizes. She selected a 2.5mm one and handed it to Shen Zhiqiu. “For beginners, this size works best.”

Starting with the basics, Tian Man patiently guided her. Shen Zhiqiu was a quick learner, mastering two or three stitches in no time.

But her fingers grew stiff from tension, so they paused to chat.

“Sister-in-law, Mingyuan mentioned you work at the evening newspaper?”

“Yes.”

Tian Man wrapped her hands around her teacup, her fingers tracing the rim. She smiled wryly. “When I was younger, I could go out for interviews. Now, I’m stuck in the office—just taking notes when people come with tips.”

“What kind of stories does your paper cover, sister-in-law?”

“The evening paper isn’t as formal as the daily. We cover a bit of everything. Sometimes, when news is slow, we’ll even run jokes or reader submissions.”

“Do you report on family disputes?”

Tian Man’s eyes lit up. She seized Shen Zhiqiu’s hand. “Zhiqiu, do you have a lead?”