Chapter 29: I Want My Wedding Dress to Match Su Ruan's!

Just as Su Ruan had planned, the news that the Jiang Family had commissioned a Wedding Dress for her spread quickly through every street and alley of the small town, and of course it slipped, without omission, into Su Yanhua's ears.

She was standing before the family's fuzzy mirror, trying on a half‑new, half‑old blue Dress, daydreaming about the glorious scene of becoming a Professor's wife.

Wang Juhua came back from buying groceries and casually mentioned the news as idle talk.

"…I heard that fabric is called Su Silk? It's woven with hidden patterns, and a foot of it costs several times the price of ordinary cloth! That Jiang Family daughter didn't even blink before ordering it, and she chose the most fashionable style… Tsk tsk, what a case of same people, different fates…"

Before Wang Juhua could finish, Su Yanhua's mirror in her hand went "Clang!" and fell to the ground, shattering into pieces.

She whirled around, her face ashen: "What did you say? Just because that little slut Su Ruan… what gives her the right to wear such a fine Wedding Dress? Does she deserve it?!"

Having returned via Rebirth, her greatest obsession was to trample Su Ruan beneath her feet and avenge all the "suffering" she endured in her previous life.

But now, Su Ruan not only married Jiang Ran smoothly, she even managed to lavishly commission an extravagant Wedding Dress.

It made her feel like a hopping clown, and all her scheming fell flat!

Intense jealousy and resentment gnawed at her heart like a poisonous snake.

"No way! Absolutely not!"

"I can't let her be so smug; my Wedding Dress must be better, more expensive, more beautiful than hers! I'll outshine her in front of everyone! Let her know who the truly fortunate one is!"

She abruptly halted, seized Wang Juhua's arm, her gaze feverish: "Mom, I'm going to Jinxiu to make a Wedding Dress! I'll have the best, better than Su Ruan's set!"

Wang Juhua winced from the grip, frowned and shook off her hand: "Are you crazy? Do you know how expensive that place is? Where does our family get that much money?"

"I don't care!" Su Yanhua shouted hysterically, "Where's Liu Wenbin? Make him pay! He's going to marry me; can he even spare a decent Wedding Dress? Isn't he a man at all!"

It was as if she'd grabbed a lifeline; she bolted out, rushing straight to Hongxing Elementary School to find Liu Wenbin.

Liu Wenbin had just finished a class and was grading papers in his office when the storm‑like Su Yanhua burst in, startling him.

"Wen Bin!" Su Yanhua ignored the other teachers in the office, grabbed Liu Wenbin and headed out. In a secluded corner, she instantly adopted a hurt yet urgent expression, "Wen Bin, let's go to Jinxiu to make a Wedding Dress! We need the finest material, the finest style!"

Liu Wenbin pushed up his glasses, looking uneasy: "Yanhua… isn't this a bit pricey? You know our family's situation; my parents are ordinary workers, saving money isn't easy… Moreover, there are many other wedding expenses…"

"What's so expensive?!" Su Yanhua exploded at the mention, "Jiang Ran could buy for Su Ruan; why can't you buy for me? Do you think I'm still inferior to that Su Ruan? Do you not love me at all?!"

As she spoke, tears fell, and she began to recount old grievances: "That day at my house, you left without a word, leaving me alone there—do you know how heart‑broken I was? Now you can't even spare a proper Wedding Dress for me, and I… why am I even getting married?!"

Liu Wenbin, a thin‑skinned intellectual, was thrown into a panic by Su Yanhua's crying and fussing, especially in a school setting; his face flushed bright red: "Yanhua, don't do this… I didn't mean it… How could I not love you? It's just that this really exceeds our budget…"

"I don't care about the budget!" Su Yanhua snapped, cutting him off, "I want it! When I, Su Yanhua, get married, I must not be any worse than Su Ruan! If you can't even satisfy this, then let's not get married!"

She unleashed her Killer Move, poised to leave.

Liu Wenbin was now completely panicked.

Although he thought Su Yanhua a bit vain and impulsive, he truly liked her beauty and liveliness, and they had already received their marriage certificates; if they quarreled now, he'd become a second‑time groom, and where would his face go?

He hurriedly grabbed Su Yanhua, compromising, "No, no, no! Yanhua, don't be angry! We… we'll think of a way…"

Liu Wenbin gritted his teeth, "Fine, we'll go to the place you mentioned to make the Wedding Dress!"

Only then did Su Yanhua break into a smile, tightly hugging his arm: "Wen Bin, you're so good! I knew you cared for me the most!"

So that afternoon, Su Yanhua dragged the gloomy Liu Wenbin into the Jinxiu Tailor Shop.

The shopkeeper, upon seeing them, was courteous but far less enthusiastic than toward Jiang Jiaojiao and Su Ruan.

Su Yanhua, imitating yesterday's description, strutted and pointed at the fabrics on the counter: "Bring out your finest Su Silk Satin!"

When the shopkeeper quoted the price of that piece—same model Su Ruan had chosen but in a brighter hue—Liu Wenbin gasped, his face turning pale.

That price was almost half a year's salary for him!

"Yanhua… this… this is too pricey… maybe we could look at the one next to it…" Liu Wenbin whispered, sweat beading his forehead.

"No! I want this one!" Su Yanhua declared resolutely, glowering at him, then lowly threatened, "Do you want me to be unable to hold my head up in front of Su Ruan?"

Liu Wenbin could only steel himself; under the shopkeeper's and his assistant's odd glances, he trembled as he emptied every bit of his money and even advanced part of next month's wages, barely scraping together the deposit.

Watching Su Yanhua happily take measurements, posing before the mirror, Liu Wenbin felt as if a huge stone pressed on his heart, heavy and burdensome.

He began to vaguely feel that this marriage, once thought wonderful, might not be as beautiful as imagined.

The news quickly made its way back to the Jiang Family.

Jiang Jiaojiao sneered, "Putting on a swollen face to act rich! That Shu Dai Zi Liu Wenbin will probably be drained dry by her!"

Su Ruan was calm; she had long anticipated Su Yanhua's move. Vanity and comparison are Su Yanhua's greatest weakness.

"Let her have her way," Su Ruan said evenly, "The more she focuses on comparing Wedding Dresses, the easier it is for her to overlook our real plan."

Jiang Ran hugged her, grinning proudly, "Right! When Grandpa Hu's Wedding Dress makes its debut, it'll blind her for sure!"

"What are you two saying, all this commotion?"

Jiang Nainai returned from outside, a handbag slung over her arm; lately Jiang Ran and Su Ruan's wedding celebrations had given her a rosy complexion, and everyone praised her good looks.

"Nothing, Grandma, did you just come back from dancing?"

Su Ruan walked over to support Jiang Nainai's hand, Jiang Nainai said: "Back, back, I heard your sister also went to Jinxiu to order a Wedding Dress? How about we switch to another shop; mixing with those people brings bad luck!"

"Don't worry, Grandma, we already have a backup plan, so you can rest easy!"

Jiang Ran quickly joined in, and Jiang Nainai burst into laughter, "Alright, alright, you little rascal, with RuanRuan such a clever wife, you've even learned to make a backup plan!"