The beloved but ungrateful girl is reborn: This time she has truly changed.

Tang Aijun looked up with a gentle smile: "Back to your parents' home? What happened?"

That's a question that makes it seem like she can't go back to her parents' home unless something happens.

In her past life, in order to sideline her, Tang Aijun would always give her the cold shoulder for two or three days every time she went back to her parents' home and then came back.

So over time, she stopped going back to her parents' home so often.

"Nothing happened, I just miss my parents," Qi Weiwei said calmly. "It's been a long time since I've been back."

Tang Aijun's smile faded, and he frowned. "Then go early and come back early. Remember to buy something, don't go empty-handed, after all, they're relatives. Do you have any money?"

He made a gesture as if to reach into his pocket.

Qi Weiwei said, "Yes."

Tang Aijun immediately withdrew his hand.

Qi Weiwei coldly watched his little actions.

At this moment, the morning light shines obliquely through the window lattice covered with old newspapers, scattering across the cement floor of the main room.

On the table were thin porridge and steamed cornbread, with finely shredded pickled vegetables, just the way Tang Aijun liked them.

She prefers thicker, chewier pickled vegetable shreds.

However, in order to cater to Tang Aijun's taste, she ate finely salted shredded vegetables for the rest of her life.

She wanted to slap herself again.

Tang Aijun sat in the main seat, slowly sipping his porridge.

Even when sitting, he appears upright, with thick eyebrows, large eyes, a high nose bridge, and thin lips that exude a cool and aloof air when pursed.

Such a face, paired with those gold-rimmed glasses, certainly has the power to deceive people.

In her past life, Qi Weiwei was completely deceived by this beautiful appearance and those gentle and considerate facades.

"Weiwei, you look much better today." Tang Aijun looked up at her, his eyes gentle and his voice soft. "Get some rest. A good mood is the most important thing, you know?"

Qi Weiwei lowered her eyes and slowly stirred the porridge in her bowl with her chopsticks: "Mmm."

"That's good. Will you be back tonight?" Tang Aijun smiled, and before she could answer, he turned to Tang Tiantian beside him, "Tiantian, come home early from get off work today and help your sister-in-law cook. She's feeling down, don't let her get tired."

Tang Tiantian was wearing a brand-new floral print light jacket, without even a cover-up—she always did this.

So every winter, Qi Weiwei had to take apart and wash more than a dozen of her cotton-padded coats, and almost every few days she would have to spend a sleepless night sewing cotton-padded coats for her. Even so, Tang Aijun was still not satisfied, saying that her needlework was not good and that she worked slowly.

Tang Tiantian's hair was neatly combed, and she replied in a slightly coquettish voice, "Okay, brother. You can go to work without worry. I'll take care of everything at home."

That "brother" was uttered in a soft and sweet voice.

Qi Weiwei tightened her grip on the chopsticks.

Why didn't she notice the intimacy and possessiveness hidden in that "brother" in her past life?

"Grandma, I want to eat meat tonight."

Five-year-old Tang Yaozong suddenly spoke, his voice carrying his usual arrogance.

His face was still swollen, but his eyes had regained their arrogance as he stared at Qi Weiwei. "She hit me yesterday, so she has to buy me some meat to help me recover today."

Three-year-old Tang Yaozu immediately copied him, "Meat! Meat! Eat!"

Sun Xidi quickly coaxed, "Alright, alright, Grandma will go buy it in a bit. My dear grandson has suffered so much, he deserves a good meal."

As she spoke, the old lady glared fiercely at Qi Weiwei.

Tang Yaozong glared fiercely at Qi Weiwei: "Bad woman!"

Tang Aijun frowned: "Yaozong, how dare you talk to your mother like that? You have no manners."

"She's not my mom!" Tang Yaozong retorted, his neck stiff. "She hit me! She's a bad woman! Dad, I want Auntie to be my mom! Hello, Auntie!"

Tang Yaozu immediately chimed in, "Auntie! Auntie! Auntie, Auntie!"

"Shut up!" Tang Aijun's voice turned stern.

Tang Yaozong seemed a little afraid of his father, and reluctantly shut his mouth, but his eyes were still glaring at Qi Weiwei. His gaze was not like that of a five-year-old child, but more like that of a vengeful little wolf cub.

Tang Tiantian quickly smoothed things over: "The child is just being silly, brother, don't be angry. Yaozong, eat your food, your aunt will give you candy later."

Well, she got to play all the good guys.

Everyone ate breakfast with their own thoughts on the matter.

At 7:30, Tang Aijun pushed his bicycle out the door.

That Forever brand 28-inch motorcycle was polished to a shine; it was something Qi Weiwei had begged and pleaded with her father to give it to her.

She remembered that her father bought this car for his own use. His original car had a crooked crossbeam, and it would veer off course when he rode it.

However, she insisted on taking it.

Tang Tiantian naturally sat in the back seat, gently wrapping her arms around Tang Aijun's waist:

"Brother, I want to eat dumplings tonight."

"Okay, let your sister-in-law make them." He said, then called out to Qi Weiwei, "We're having dumplings for dinner tonight, chive dumplings! Dumplings take time, so come back from your parents' house early!"

The bicycle bell jingled as it left the courtyard and disappeared into the alleyway.

Sun Xidi cleared away the dishes and then patiently coaxed her two grandsons to eat.

The old lady fed Tang Yaozu spoonful by spoonful, while Tang Yaozu himself grabbed a small steamed bun and gnawed on it, his eyes fixed on Qi Weiwei with vigilance and hostility.

After feeding the children, Sun Xidi slung the worn-out bamboo basket over her shoulder and said to the two children, "Grandma is going to buy groceries. You two stay home and behave yourselves, don't run around."

After saying that, he looked at Qi Weiwei and said in a harsh tone, "You've gone too far! Keep an eye on the child and don't let him go crazy and hit people again. If I see you lay a finger on my grandson again, I'll make sure Aijun divorces you!"

Qi Weiwei did not respond.

Sun Xidi snorted and pushed the door open to leave.

The courtyard gate creaked shut.

Only Qi Weiwei and the two boys remained in the main room.

The air suddenly became quiet.

Tang Yaozong and Tang Yaozu sat side by side on the bench, their chubby little faces covered in bruises, staring at Qi Weiwei in terror.

Tang Yaozong, in particular, had already lifted his buttocks off the stool, his toes pointing towards the door, as if he were about to run away at any moment.

Because they noticed that Qi Weiwei's expression looked like she was about to kill someone.

Qi Weiwei slowly stood up.

She did have a fleeting impulse to end those two bastard children.

But she quickly calmed down—this would put her at risk; the chance to be reborn wasn't meant to be wasted like this.

She knew the policy would change in the future.

In her previous life, without any foresight, she accumulated her initial capital through hard work and several trips south as a middleman.

In this life, she seems to have gained divine insight, and she is fully capable of providing a good life for all her family members!

We can't let these two bastards ruin everything.

"You wicked woman, what... what are you going to do?"

Tang Yaozong's voice trembled, but he still forced a fierce tone, "If you dare hit me again, I'll tell Grandma! I'll tell Dad! I'll have Grandpa arrest you! Beat you! Break your legs!"

Tang Yaozu imitated him, shouting: "Hit! Catch! Hmph! Hahaha!"

Qi Weiwei took a step forward.

"Ah—!" Tang Yaozong jumped up suddenly, grabbing Tang Yaozu. "Run! Run! My mother's gone mad! Crazy woman! Bitch!"

The two boys screamed and ran out of the main room, across the courtyard, and toward the gate.

This was exactly what Qi Weiwei wanted.

She followed them out at a leisurely pace, watching the two children dart out the door like startled rabbits, shouting in the alley, "Help! The crazy woman is going to kill someone!"

A few neighbors peeked out from the alley, but when they saw it was Tang's two spoiled brats, they shrank back in—these two kids had been causing trouble for the neighbors for a long time, stealing dates and melons, bullying other people's children, and everyone was fed up with them.

Qi Weiwei walked to the courtyard gate, watched the two children run away, and then slammed the heavy wooden door shut with a "bang".

However, less than a minute later, the footsteps returned.

Interspersed with curses, the tone exactly like Sun Xidi's, coupled with Tang Yaozong's still-developing, high-pitched childish voice, it was particularly jarring: "Open the door! You slut! Open the door! In broad daylight, are you having an affair behind closed doors?"

Qi Weiwei ignored her and quickly bolted the door shut.

With a clang, the iron bolt fell into the slot, isolating the inside from the outside.

She turned around and looked around the courtyard where she had lived for six years.

The courtyard house wasn't large, but it was well-organized.

The main house had three rooms. She and Tang Aijun lived in the east room, Sun Xidi lived in the west room, and the middle room was the main hall.

There are two rooms in each of the east and west wings. One room in the east wing was used as a kitchen, and the other was used to store miscellaneous items. Both rooms in the west wing were occupied by Tang Tiantian—one as a bedroom and the other as her "little living room".

There is an old jujube tree in the yard. In winter, all the leaves have fallen, and the bare branches point to the gray sky.

There was a broken earthenware pot under the tree, with a few scallions planted inside, which had already withered from the frost.

Several clotheslines were strung up in one corner, mostly covered with Tang Tiantian's clothes—which Qi Weiwei had just washed yesterday.

Qi Weiwei's gaze fell on the tightly closed door of the west wing, then turned to the east room of the main house—Sun Xidi's room.

She took a deep breath and walked toward the room.

Sun Xidi's room door was unlocked.

Pushing open the door, a distinctive smell of an elderly person's room hits you—old fabric, mothballs, foot odor, and some indescribable musty smell.

It smells awful!