Chapter 4 Stepping Stone

Ding Jing and her daughter, Zhao Siyi, saw my former self as a stepping stone, not only stealing her family and fiance but also stepping on her to earn a good reputation. Lu Jiaxin has returned this time to uncover the true faces of Ding Jing and Zhao Siyi and to clear the former self of those groundless stains.

Lu Jiaxin said to everyone, "I swore to my mother that I must go to university one day. So even after I was betrayed and twisted my ankle, I quickly gathered myself to face the college entrance exam. But I didn't expect to soon feel a stomachache after the exam started, and in the afternoon math section, my foot began to hurt again."

Having said that, she stared at Ding Jing and continued, "My fiance was unfaithful and disloyal, and during the exams, I suffered stomach pains and foot aches. At the time, I just thought I was unlucky. But lying in the hospital bed later and thinking back, I suddenly realized something was off. Zhao Siyi and Fan Yinuo had been in a relationship for over half a year, always keeping it well-hidden, yet why did I find out just two days before the college entrance exam?"

"Also, I've always been healthy and seldom got sick, let alone stomachaches, but that day the pain was unbearable."

After finishing, she fixed her gaze on Ding Jing and said, "It was you, it definitely was you who instructed Zhao Siyi to speak loudly on purpose when answering the phone, so I'd discover it. Your purpose was to disturb my thoughts and prevent me from attending the college entrance exam. When you found out it didn't affect me, you then tampered with my food, causing me unbearable stomach pain during the test, so I couldn't finish the questions."

Although the former self had a bad temper and was arrogant, she had promised Mrs. Lu to get into university, and her grades were very good, ranking third in the whole school in humanities in the last mock exam. Meanwhile, Zhao Siyi dropped to over thirtieth place. Their grades weren't even comparable.

Ding Jing was shocked. The old Lu Jiaxin was hot-tempered, screaming and shouting whenever something didn't go her way, and she would even argue with Old Lu when she lost her temper, but back then she was no more than a paper tiger. But the Lu Jiaxin now had become a vicious wolf that could bite to death.

There was an uproar among the crowd. If true, Ding Jing and Zhao Siyi were indeed too malicious.

Ding Jing said with a sad expression, "Jiaxin, I loved you as if you were my own daughter. Siyi also treated you as close as a sister. How could you slander us like this?"

Lu Jiaxin looked at Ding Jing, teetering as if about to faint at any moment, and snickered before saying, "You say I'm slandering you. Then swear on your life, if Fan Yinuo and Zhao Siyi got together, she will die lonely in her lifetime. After death, with no one to claim her body, to be thrown onto a mountain and devoured by wild dogs."

The stomach and foot pain during the exam were fake, but the fact that the former self did poorly at the college entrance exam due to not being able to sort out her emotions after the betrayal was indeed true.

Ding Jing's eyes were full of hatred; she wished she could strangle Lu Jiaxin. Why didn't that trafficker sell her deep into the forest, why did she manage to escape?

Seeing her not swearing the oath, what else could the crowd fail to understand?

Lu Jiaxin pressed on, "Ding Jing, can you explain why all the money from my mother's savings book and all the valuable things in the house have disappeared?"

The house was bought by Mrs. Lu without Mr. Lu's knowledge, but Mr. Lu was aware of the savings book and had promised Mrs. Lu to deposit five hundred yuan every year into it. Fearing the former self was too young and would squander money, she held onto the savings book herself, but the stamp for withdrawing money was kept by Mr. Lu.

In the four years since Mrs. Lu's death, Mr. Lu had kept his promise, depositing five hundred yuan into it each year, on top of the former self's New Year's money. The accumulated amount was quite significant.

Ding Jing, containing her rage, said hoarsely, "The savings book and valuable things from your room... your father took them..."

Lu Jiaxin interrupted her and challenged, "My closet full of clothes, and over twenty pairs of shoes, but now there are only a few torn socks and two ragged outfits left. Surely you're not suggesting my father took the clothes, shoes, and socks as well, are you?"

Aunt Xue clapped her hands and said, "Ding Jing, I remember five days ago your niece came over. When she arrived, her hands were empty, but when she left, she was dragging a suitcase and carrying a big bag."

At this point, Ding Jing was filled with regret. She thought Lu Jiaxin had been abducted and wouldn't return, so she didn't stop her niece from taking those clothes, thus leaving herself open to blame. She didn't make up any excuses, but instead forced a smile and said, "Jiaxin, tomorrow I'll go with you to buy new clothes."

Aunt Xue continued, "Ding Jing, are you saying that what Jiaxin said is all true? Did you intentionally let her find out about her daughter's affair with her fiance right before the exam, and did you deliberately meddle with her food to ruin her performance?"

Lu Jiaxin was very pleased. Aunt Xue was notoriously the biggest stirrer in the family courtyard, but now she was a strong ally. Hmm, very good.

How could Ding Jing admit to such things? She said, "During those three days of exams, Siyi ate the same food as her. I couldn't possibly harm my own daughter, could I?"

Aunt Xue was relentless, "What about your daughter's affair with the Fan Family's young man?"

With tears in her eyes, Ding Jing said, "There must be some misunderstanding here: when Siyi comes back, I will make her explain everything to Jiaxin."

Lu Jiaxin wasn't about to do things by halves. Having started this, she wouldn't let this mother and daughter turn the situation around, "Misunderstanding? The year before last when I had a severe cold, I was lying in bed, groggy, and just so happened that Director Fang's mother came to borrow something, and you deliberately washed my underwear in front of her. Afterwards, the whole family courtyard was saying that I was too lazy to even wash my own underwear, leaving it for my stepmother to do. What did you tell my dad at that time? You said that Director Fang's mother misunderstood."

This mother of Director Fang was famously the biggest gossip in the family courtyard, second only to Aunt Xue herself.

"And last year, your wonderful niece snuck into my room and rummaged through my things, not only ruining my music box but also taking over thirty yuan and a Hétián jade safety buckle from my drawer. When I discovered it and asked her to return the money and the items, not only did she not give them back, but my dad also scolded me, and then everyone in the family courtyard was saying that I was overbearing and arrogant."

"Ding Jing, before you entered the family, everyone praised me for being sensible and filial. But after you came, misunderstandings happened one after another, then you and Zhao Siyi became the hardworking and kind stepmom and stepsister, while I became perceived as a bratty, temperamental girl who's lazy, arrogant, and unreasonable."

Before Ding Jing entered the family, the original person was at most criticized for being delicate. But a girl in her early teens, from a well-off family and an only child, being delicate was quite normal.

Aunt Xue was very excited and spoke loudly, "I've always said she was pretending, there's no good stepmother. You wouldn't believe me, but now you see I was right, don't you?"

Lu Jiaxin thought this statement was too absolute, there are indeed good stepmothers in the world, but relatively speaking, the proportion is lower.

Most of the people present agreed with Aunt Xue's words, but they didn't echo her, not knowing Lu Hongjun's stance on the matter.

Ding Jing knew the more she tried to explain, the more unclear it would become. With a sob in her voice, she said, "Jiaxin, I know you've suffered a lot this past month outside, but you can't slander me and Siyi like this."

Lu Jiaxin could not possibly argue with her, as arguing would only put her at a disadvantage, "You've been pretending for four years; aren't you tired? I'm disgusted."