I Became a Vicious Supporting Role in the '70s

Xiao Dai was washing clothes, and when she saw Shen Meng return, she immediately put on a smile. But when she caught sight of the person following behind her, she quickly withdrew her smile.

"Sis, you're back. Are you tired? Are you hungry? Should I make you something to eat?"

"I'm not hungry. Mingyang's grandparents are, just cook two bowls of hot noodle soup for them."

"Oh!"

"Make sure to poach two eggs, yeah?"

Xiao Dai was already reluctant, and after hearing Liu Sanjin's words, she even more unwillingly waved her hand and turned to walk toward the kitchen. If Shen Meng wasn't mistaken, it seemed like she rolled her eyes at Lu Changzhu and Liu Sanjin as well.

Liu Sanjin finally entered the courtyard, waltzed into the living room as if it was her own home, and poured herself two glasses of hot water. She glanced at Shen Meng, who seemed indifferent, and didn't dare to be too presumptuous.

"Where have you been all this time, Shen Meng? And Zhenping, what have you been up to? You're not going to work, not coming home. Is it because you're trying to avoid us?"

Liu Sanjin didn't want to interrogate them, but there was still no news about Lu Jiaxuan, and Zhou Jiaojiao had taken the two children to live in the factory-provided house. No one was managing the household affairs, and if the two of them didn't help Lao Si out, what future would the child have?

"Bai Shuyu from Shangjing fell ill and was hospitalized. She wanted to see Zhenping and the children. I didn't agree, so I went to Shangjing with Zhenping and just returned this morning."

"What? Shuyu is sick? Is it serious? Hey, she has always been frail, can't handle even a little headache or fever. Is Zhenping mad at her? Why didn't he take the kids to see her? After all, she is their grandmother, and wanting to see her grandchildren is only natural."

Liu Sanjin was so angry at Lu Changzhu's words that she almost fainted.

Jiaxuan's whereabouts were still unknown, yet he wasn't worried at all. But as soon as that vixen in Shangjing fell ill, he got all anxious and even hospitalized her! It would be better if she just died of her illness!

"Lu Changzhu, you old bastard, she already has a man, why do you care so much? I think it's right for Zhenping not to take the kids to see her. She still considers herself their mother. It's as if she's been dead for years, never even visiting Zhenping and the kids once, sending insincere money from afar. Pfft, what an act."

"You, how can you say such things? She helped you back then. How can you forget about her kindness?"

"What's there to remember? She did help me, but she also lured my man for so many years. Who knows how smug she feels in her heart, that shameless vixen."

"Liu Sanjin!"

"What's with the yelling? You think you're somebody because you have a loud voice? What do you want to do? Are you really going to hit me over that old witch?"

.....

The old couple kept arguing, while on the other side, Xiao Dai had already finished cooking the two bowls of hot noodle soup. She placed them on the table and left, not wanting to see these two biased old folks.

"Cough cough, both of you should stop arguing and eat. Eat first, then you can argue again later."

Lu Changzhu, who cared about appearances, stopped when Shen Meng mentioned it. He was indeed hungry, cleared his throat, picked up the noodles, and started eating. After just one bite, he couldn't help but sip some soup.

Though Xiao Dai may not be the best person, her cooking skills were undeniable. The eggs were fried to a golden brown with a crispy edge, and the noodles were cooked to perfection—chewy and smooth. Absolutely delicious.

Liu Sanjin, seeing how much he enjoyed the food, also began to eat with gusto.

After finishing two bowls, both of them were sweating but feeling extremely satisfied.

With their stomachs full, they both calmed down a bit. Looking at Shen Meng who was sitting with her chin in hand, a wave of sadness washed over Liu Sanjin. She remembered when this woman was still someone who could be easily manipulated over a bit of food. Now, in just six or seven years, she not only had money and power but also lived in the county, raising her kids exceptionally well.

Sometimes, she wondered if this woman had been struck by lightning, turning her so capable out of nowhere!

Thinking back to Jiaxuan and Jiaojiao, those two were doing well and were so filial, living such a sweet life together. How did things turn sour in just a few years? Their relationship became strained, the children were unruly, one was now missing, and the other desperately distanced themselves.

How did life turn out this way?

"Daughter-in-law, my husband and I came by about the matter of Lao Si. It has been a long time with no word. You've worked at the County Government for so many years, you must have some connections, right? Can you please put in a word and, no matter what, let us see him once?"

"Yeah, yeah. You know your fourth brother's character, always working well. He's just become the Village Chief for a few years, and everything he did was for the villagers. There must be some misunderstanding. He's a good person!"

The old couple eagerly watched Shen Meng, but they had made up their minds. If she was unwilling to help, they would head to the Provincial City to find Lu Zhenping. He's an important official, so if something bad really happened to Lao Si, it would affect his standing, and it might put his own position at risk.

Lu Changzhu didn't want to do this either, but since Lu Zhenping and Shangjing were connected, if no one else cared, Bai Shuyu couldn't just ignore it. She's a kind-hearted person who married into a good family and would surely help save Lao Si.

Shen Meng noticed their scheming eyes and raised an eyebrow.

"Fine, you two can head back to the village. I'll go ask around in the afternoon. If I hear anything, I'll visit your home."

"No way, I'm not reassured. Last time Zhenping told us to wait for news back home, and what happened? Nothing, not even a word. We won't go back; we'll stay right here. We won't leave until we get some news."

As Liu Sanjin spoke, she sat down on the ground, intending to act shamelessly.

"Fine, if you won't go back, I won't go looking for anyone. I just returned from Shangjing and am exhausted. If you want to sit there, go ahead. I'm going to take a nap."

"You, you dare, Shen Meng, you ungrateful, disobedient thing. You really dare ignore this? Do you want me to go out and cause a scene so you and your husband are embarrassed?"

Shen Meng turned her head and gave Liu Sanjin a cold stare.

After years as Secretary General at the County Government, her commanding presence made Liu Sanjin speechless. Lu Changzhu saw Shen Meng was determined not to indulge them further.

He quickly helped Liu Sanjin up.

"Daughter-in-law, your mother-in-law is just like that, like an old rural lady. If you want to rest, go ahead. But please do check in the afternoon. We haven't seen Jiaxuan in some time, and we don't know if he's eating well and staying warm. If it comes to it, let's give someone a gift. We'll cover the costs, but we must see Lao Si at least once!"

Shen Meng didn't say yes or no, but went directly into her room.