Chapter 1 Being a stepmother is not as good as getting a government job
Chapter 1
At 10 a.m., the temperature gradually rose, and the honey-colored light pierced through the Monstera deliciosa, scattering dappled gold on the wooden floor.
Jin Ran sat cross-legged on a rattan chair on the balcony, with several thick textbooks spread out in front of her.
Her gaze was focused, sometimes furrowing her brow in deep thought, sometimes suddenly realizing something, her pen never stopping as she rapidly worked out calculations on the draft paper.
As she wrote, a few strands of black hair behind her ears swayed gently down to her temples, the ends of which shimmered with a faint golden hue in the sunlight.
Whether it's because of her new body or not, Jin Ran feels that her memory is much better than before, and she can remember many questions after reading them only once.
At this rate, she could take the teacher certification exam she failed in her previous life in less than half a month!
Thinking of this, Jin Ran couldn't help but laugh out loud—it had been three days, and every time she thought about her experience, she still felt like she was dreaming.
As an unlucky girl who has collected all the "anxiety factors of young people", Jin Ran experienced the winter of teacher training after graduating from normal school, the application-to-acceptance ratio of 678:1 for civil service exams, and the large-scale layoffs during the financial crisis.
When he couldn't find a job, he decided to take a long vacation. As a result, he was hit by a car and thrown onto the curb when he went out in the city.
She thought she was going to die, but when she opened her eyes again, she found herself transmigrated into a book and became a wealthy woman with the same name as her.
Coincidentally, Jin Ran had flipped through this book out of boredom during her university years.
The female protagonist is an ordinary person from a poor family. She is pure and kind-hearted. In the complicated world of the wealthy, she is like a pure white lotus flower, attracting many outstanding men to compete for her affections.
The role she played was neither a lovable female lead nor a scheming supporting character; she was merely a wealthy woman abandoned by her husband, whom the female lead mentioned briefly in casual conversation.
"She used to be a rich young lady, but she's fallen from grace now. I don't know what she did to marry President Jiang, but after the marriage, the couple slept in separate rooms for many years. She also has a fifteen-year-old stepson who ignores her. She's probably living a repressed life, and her personality is quite strange."
At that time, the female protagonist and the male protagonist were having a conflict over some things. After hearing the story of the abandoned wife, they immediately took the initiative to make up. The two had a heartfelt confession and contributed the passionate kiss under the moon that made readers scream with excitement.
Jin Ran responded, "That's wonderful!"
Graduated from a prestigious university, married into a wealthy family, with an older child and no desire for a second child—is there a better resume than this?
Especially when she learned that the most popular career path in the world was to enter the entertainment industry and film variety shows, while taking civil service exams and becoming a public servant was considered a less desirable profession...
Forget about being an abandoned wife or a stepson; what she really wants to say is that passing the civil service exam and getting a government job are the ultimate goals!
So, during the three days she was transported here, aside from wasting half a day on the first day gathering information, Jin Ran spent the remaining two and a half days in the villa, drinking bird's nest to nourish her brain while frantically working through civil service exam practice questions.
The same applies today.
However, not long after Jin Ran sat down, a clanging sound began to come from the lobby on the first floor, and upon closer listening, it sounded like people were talking.
A short while later, the butler hurried upstairs, his kind face showing some anxiety.
Jin Ran didn't take it to heart at first.
When she transmigrated, the original owner of this body had already been married for two weeks, so she was living in the groom's house. The Jiang family was a large and wealthy family, with fifteen servants alone, and Butler Cheng was the head of the household.
As for the other two owners of the villa, one is said to be away on a business trip and the other is involved in some kind of competition at school; she has yet to meet them.
To be honest, this made Jin Ran breathe a sigh of relief.
After all, she wasn't the original owner and didn't have her memories. Spending too much time together would inevitably lead to others noticing her secrets. While the life of a wealthy wife is certainly enviable, Jin Ran understood clearly that relying on others wasn't a long-term solution; only resources truly in one's own hands were real wealth.
So after much thought, Jin Ran decided to take the opportunity to take the teacher's exam.
In this way, even if she becomes a "discarded wife of a wealthy family" in the future, she can still have a job to support herself. When she gains a foothold in this world, she might even take the initiative to file for divorce.
As for now, well, I still have to rely on my wealthy family background to bolster my resume.
"Mrs."
At the top of the stairs, the housekeeper was surprised to run into Jin Ran. He hesitated for a moment, but still stopped to greet her.
He bowed slightly, a formulaic smile on his face, but his eyes unconsciously swept over the new wife.
My first impression of her was that she was young and beautiful.
This was understandable, because he had heard that his wife was only twenty-five years old this year, a young woman just entering society, with big, round eyes that shone brighter than the stars. She had delicate eye bags, a slightly upturned nose, and naturally rosy lips, with even her cupid's bow being moist and full.
It was a bit hot, and Tai Jinran was wearing a black cotton-linen tea dress that accentuated her slender figure. Her dark hair was casually tied into a bun at the back of her head, with a few stray strands of bangs peeking out and casting a shadow under her eyebrows.
Even though half a month has passed, the housekeeper is still somewhat dazed about the fact that there is now a female owner in the villa.
It wasn't that he had any objections, but rather that he had worked at the villa for many years and had never seen his husband get close to any woman.
Getting married so suddenly, especially to a wife ten years younger than himself, is always a bit puzzling.
A thought flashed through his mind, and the butler began to worry again as he thought about what he needed to do next.
Jin Ran seemed not to notice: "What's wrong?"
The butler hesitated, but ultimately didn't say anything. Instead, he looked away guiltily and said, "It's nothing, it's nothing, I just wanted to get something."
Jin Ran blinked and said directly, "Oh, I do have something to ask you."
Under the housekeeper's surprised gaze, she politely asked, "Could you help me find a car? I need to go out in a bit."
After successfully registering online for the teacher position, she had to go to the site for confirmation. She just checked the map; the location was two kilometers away from the villa, not far, but it would take thirty minutes to walk there.
The butler thought for a moment: "There's a Porsche in the garage, why don't we let Xiao Sun drive that one?"
Upon hearing this, Jin Ran was overjoyed. So the chauffeured car service for the wealthy was real! This would save her some money: "Thank you for your help!"
Without the slightest hesitation.
The butler choked for a moment, then quickly said it was his duty. After seeing that Jin Ran had nothing else to do, he said goodbye and left.
After Jin Ran happily finished tidying up the test papers on the balcony, she looked up and found that the housekeeper had already gone to the third floor.
The third floor... She thought for a moment, and it seemed that besides the entertainment room and home theater, her stepson's bedroom was also there.
/
"Why haven't they arrived yet? Were they stopped from coming?"
On the long cherry blossom path outside the villa area, several boys stood under the trees, sneaking their heads into the yard.
"Last time Brother Li rode his motorcycle, his stepmother pretended to be kind and tried to stop him, but she was actually being sarcastic and mean. Uncle Jiang didn't even do anything about it!" The boy with the bowl cut was full of indignation.
"Alright, that's enough." The others ruffled their bowl cuts. The latter realized he had blurted it out and his heart skipped a beat. He then cautiously looked at the boy next to him: "Hey, Brother Li, don't be angry. Uncle Jiang definitely values you as his son." The boy called Brother Li sneered: "After we get the car, you guys go to school first."
Okay.
Even so, because of what they said, the others started to behave quietly like quails.
Jiang Xuli noticed it, and the mockery in her eyes deepened.
He didn't really care about that woman. After all, his father wasn't a good person either. He felt that if it weren't for the law prohibiting abandonment, his father would have thrown him in the trash long ago, although now it was no different from being abandoned.
So after realizing the "hostility" hidden beneath the enthusiasm of his father's new wife, Jiang Xuli used the excuse of the competition to stay temporarily in the student dormitory.
I came back to get my car keys.
He wouldn't have cared about running into that woman; even if she said something else, he could have chosen to ignore it.
But he was afraid she would look down on his friend.
Fortunately, the thing I was worried about didn't happen.
The butler rushed over after getting the keys. Jiang Mingli took the keys, ignoring the butler's hesitant look, and went to the garage to drive her car.
Jin Ran, on the other side, had no idea that she almost met her stepson.
She carried a Hermès bag and sat in the back seat of the extended luxury car worth millions.
As expected of a luxury car worth millions, it's almost bump-free to drive, with a spacious interior and comfortable seats. On a hot summer day, a gentle breeze blows across your face, instantly dispelling the heat.
As I drove out of the underground parking garage, an Icon Sheene motorcycle also came out of the garage.
The two cars passed each other by.
The young man, wearing a helmet, leaned forward close to the back of the vehicle, tightened the throttle, and sped away, kicking up dust and wind.
Unrestrained and flamboyant.
Jin Ran looked away.
Half an hour later, thanks to Xiao Sun's superb driving skills, the car arrived steadily at Wencheng Middle School.
City A has a well-developed education system, with 280 high schools alone. Among them, Wencheng High School has the best quality and the largest area, with three campuses in the north, south, and west.
Because it was the last day for confirmation, there weren't many people at the scene. Jin Ran quickly submitted her materials, but instead of leaving, she chatted with the volunteers who had some free time.
It just so happens that the person was also a math teacher. When he learned that Jin Ran had graduated from a prestigious university and had passed the teacher qualification exam, he was very enthusiastic: "It takes at least half a year from the written exam to the official admission. If you want to accumulate experience in advance, you can apply for a substitute teacher position first."
Jin Ran thought about it for a while and thought it was a good idea.
She has already mastered the written materials very well, and does not plan to spend all her time doing practice questions—being a teacher is not just about theoretical knowledge, but also requires hands-on experience.
"To be honest, our school is going to be hiring a batch of substitute teachers soon."
The volunteer glanced around and lowered his voice, "The pay isn't as good as that of a full-time teacher, but it's not bad either. Besides, our students all got in with high scores. They're smart and obedient, so teaching them is easy."
Jin Ran had already favored Wencheng Middle School, and upon hearing the offer, she immediately flattered them, saying, "I've long heard that your school is a place of outstanding people and excellent academic atmosphere."
The two exchanged a smile, everything understood without a word.
After exchanging contact information, Jin Ran left the school with light steps.
She bought herself a cup of milk tea by the roadside. The sweet taste made her feel even more cheerful, as if she were blowing bubbles and floating lightly into the sky.
She felt that her new life was like this bubble, blooming in all directions, rising steadily, with a future full of light and not a single flaw in sight.
Thinking this, Jin Ran took another sip of milk tea and walked towards where Xiao Sun had parked his car.
Then their path was blocked by a flying branch.
In this day and age, encountering falling objects on the road is not only immoral but also quite common. However, right after that, two students sneaked out from behind the high wall.
They were wearing school uniforms, but their movements were as crisp and clean as those of high jumpers. With a slight push of one hand, they easily leaped to the ground, and one of them even shouted that it was easy.
Jin Ran: "..."
What happened to the promise of smart, obedient, and well-educated children?
For no apparent reason, a bad feeling arose in my heart.
This premonition reached its peak when another female classmate chased after them: "Jiang Xuli, if you dare to skip class, I'll tell the teacher!"
Jin Ran's smile froze.
Jiang, Jiang what?
The unfamiliar yet familiar name began to swirl in her mind. She took a deep breath and suddenly had an urge to turn around and leave.
So, after looking around, she actually ended up choosing the school for her adopted son?!
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