Old Mrs. Song is reborn; get out of here, you scumbag husband and illegitimate child!

"west Yang, you know your mother all too well. If I stay in Hai City now and use the US dollars you earn to buy a house and open a shop, in her eyes I'll just be a gigolo."

No matter how big my shop gets, I'm still just a lowly self-employed individual, and I'll never be able to hold my head high in front of her.

He spoke bluntly.

But it is also a bloody truth.

Liu Yukun, sitting next to him, felt like he had a nail stuck in his butt.

He chuckled dryly, "This tea is too diuretic. I'm going to the restroom. You guys chat."

Done.

They slipped away faster than rabbits.

The door to the private room was closed.

The air was so still it was unsettling.

An Xiyang looked at Zhou Fang's tense face, and the light in her eyes gradually dimmed.

She wanted to argue, to say that she was living her own life and didn't need to care what others thought.

But the words were on the tip of his tongue, and he swallowed them back down.

She knows her mother too well.

That strong-willed woman spent her whole life comparing herself to others.

They compare husbands, children, and extravagance.

When I was a child, my father was busy with work and was rarely home, so my mother took care of everything at home.

Back then, her mother would always nag her, "Your father is just a hands-off dad; he only knows how to hand over money to the family and is completely useless."

When her father came back, they started arguing, with him blaming her for not being able to do housework like other men.

But once her father gets a promotion and a raise, her mother will change her tune and praise him to the skies in front of the neighbors.

In the mother's logic, a man must have power and influence, because that's about saving face.

As for whether the inside is rotten or not, she doesn't care.

If Zhou Fang really stays in Shanghai and becomes a self-employed individual...

I doubt I'd even be able to get into my own home, and I'd be constantly subjected to my mother's veiled insults.

An Xiyang took a deep breath, forcing back the tears welling up in her eyes. She reached out and placed her hand on Zhou Fang's rough hand, patting it gently.

"sorry."

Zhou Fang grabbed her hand in return, his palm burning hot: "What nonsense are you talking about? It has nothing to do with you."

"Let's not think about that for now." An Xiyang didn't want to dwell on this deadlock anymore. "Let's finish this meal first. We'll take it one step at a time from now on."

Zhou went out and called Liu Yukun in.

Liu Yukun was smoking in the corridor, and he went over and smoked a cigarette too.

"Are you really going to the new city?"

"Okay. Keep an eye on things here in Haishi and learn a lot." Zhou Fang patted Liu Yukun on the shoulder. "It's time for you to settle down and start a family."

"I have high standards for my home; I want it to be warm and welcoming."

Liu Yukun has encountered girls who took the initiative to show their affection, and he has also met girls who made his heart flutter.

But he hasn't started dating yet.

The two went inside together.

The meal felt somewhat forced, and no one mentioned future plans. Perhaps for Zhou Fang and An Xiyang, taking things one step at a time was the best option.

Perhaps they'll drift apart as they walk along.

Perhaps the two are still together.

Life is unpredictable.

Liu Yukun was good at livening up the atmosphere, asking all sorts of questions with a witty remark.

"Sister-in-law, I heard that those foreigners in America don't drink hot water? They drink ice water even in the dead of winter?"

"Yeah, they're used to drinking iced drinks." Anxi Yang put a piece of braised pork on his plate. "But working there isn't easy. A lot of people work illegally in restaurants washing dishes for years just to get a green card. They don't dare go home."

Liu Yukun smacked his lips.

"What's the point? It's better at home, with hot meals and dishes."

An Xiyang smiled and said, "It's not easy for you to make money away from home. But there are definitely more opportunities over there, and as long as you're willing to work hard, you can make money quickly."

They said that even if you go out to work illegally for a few years, you can earn some capital to build a house and make a living.

Liu Yukun recalled how they used steel pipes to deal with street thugs.

Two horizontal lines and one vertical line make up "干" (gān).

"It's not easy for anyone."

Zhou Fang ate in silence the whole time.

Occasionally, she would serve food to Anxi Yang, listening attentively.

When we came out after dinner, it was already completely dark.

The neon signs along Huanghe Road lit up the night sky, creating a dazzling display of colors.

The streets were bustling with people, mostly young people chasing trends.

Occasionally, a few motorcycles roared past, drawing the attention of passersby.

Even more extreme, some people parked brand-new Santana cars in front of the store.

Liu Yukun stared at the car that sped away, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets. "Wow, that car is awesome. I want to ride a motorcycle too. The wind blowing through it would be so cool."

Anxi glanced at him. "You should set a small goal first: buy a motorcycle. Eventually, try to ride four wheels; that'll be truly impressive."

Liu Yukun chuckled.

"Thank you for your kind words, sister-in-law!"

Young couples were seen embracing and being affectionate on the roadside, oblivious to their surroundings.

In this era, Shanghai was always the first to embrace new trends.

An Xiyang felt a warmth in her palm. Looking down, she saw that Zhou Fang's large hand had slipped between her fingers, their fingers intertwined.

She looked up and met Zhou Fang's gaze.

……

These past few days, Chen Zui has practically become an unofficial member of the Song family, arriving every day right at mealtimes.

Holding a toy or two snacks in their hands.

Her words were as sweet as honey.

"Aunt Song, this braised pork is amazing, it tastes just like my grandma used to make." Chen Zui held his bowl, eating with gusto, his mouth full of oil, without any airs of a rich young master. "I've been dreaming of tasting my grandma's cooking."

Song Xianglan added a spoonful of braised pork to his plate. "Eat more if you like it. How long can you stay with this visa?"

"Three months? That's a long time."

Chen Zui took a bite of rice and said, "Aunt Song, I'll go grocery shopping with you tomorrow. I'll cover your food expenses for the next few days. Take whatever you want to eat; we're not short of money."

Chen Zui's clothes alone are enough to make him a millionaire.

Song Xianglan was amused by him and looked him up and down.

"Your outfit certainly reflects your wealth. But let me make this clear first, don't keep suggesting you renovate this house. My son isn't suited to your extravagant decorating style."

"understood."

Chen Zui chuckled, his eyes darting around, "Aunt Song, when you go back to your hometown, can you take me there for a couple of days? I've never been to the countryside before."

"Okay."

Song Xianglan readily agreed, "I'll take you fishing in the river and catching pheasants in the mountains. Although we're a bit poor, we're very carefree. Chickens, ducks, and geese roam freely, and there's plenty of seafood from the sea."

Erbao was lying on the ground playing with the toy car Chen Zui had given him. Hearing this, he looked up with a serious expression:

"Brother, if you come to our village, you'll definitely become the Monkey King."

"The Monkey King?" Chen Zui was taken aback.

"It's that kind of monkey that's dressed in bright colors and is surrounded by all the kids in the village," Erbao added sarcastically.

Everyone in the room burst out laughing.

We ate.

Mrs. Shen brought out a plate of mangoes, smiling and joking, "Little Chen, don't listen to Erbao's nonsense. Come visit us sometime."

"Auntie, are you from the countryside too?"

Song Xianglan laughed and said, "They see other places as rural ghosts."

"Everywhere else looks like the countryside."

Chen Zui picked up a piece of mango and stuffed it into his mouth. "Actually, it's the same where I'm from. Apart from our city, people from other places are all like monkeys in our eyes. We're all the same."

Erbao tilted his head and asked:

"What if we don't live on the mountain?"

"Even if you live by the sea, you're still a mountain monkey if you don't live on the mountain," Chen Zui explained seriously. "Anyway, all my relatives who live in other places get asked when they come home, 'I heard you're going back to the mountaintop?'"

Song Xianglan laughed until her stomach hurt, then bent down and picked up Fu Bao, who was trembling as he learned to walk, holding onto the chair legs.

"Come on, let our Fu Bao walk a few steps for her brother."

"It's Uncle," Chen Zui said with a smile.

She put Fu Bao on the ground and let go of her hand.

The little one was wearing a pink princess dress, and her two short legs were chubby.

He took three unsteady steps, lost his balance, and fell flat on his backside.

Fu Bao didn't cry either.

With its big, round eyes wide open, it looked around.

Chen chuckled mischievously, pulled the gleaming gold chain from his collar, and waved it in front of Fu Bao.

"Fu Bao, look what this is! It's sparkly!"

Fu Bao's eyes widened instantly, her mouth stretched into a grin, and glistening drool dripped down her chin.

Suddenly, her short legs gained strength, and she stood up and staggered toward Chen Zui.

That's not learning to walk.

It was like a 100-meter sprint.

The chubby little hand grabbed the gold chain, making "ee-yah-yah" noises as he desperately tried to put it on his head.

Unfortunately, I just couldn't get it on properly.

Fu Bao panicked, grabbed the chain with both hands and yanked wildly, uttering a string of baby talk that no one could understand.

Spit flew everywhere.

Chen was overjoyed and quickly put the chain around her neck. "Oh ho, it seems our little princess Song Shiyi is quite the little money-grubber. Alright, alright, Uncle will buy you lots of gold and make you a longevity lock, pure gold!"

Youbao crawled over like a little cannonball, grabbed Erbao's trouser leg, and stood up.

He also started yelling at Chen Zui.

Erbao quickly grabbed his pants. His little face flushed with embarrassment; he almost looked like a chicken to everyone.

Chen Zui was in a great mood looking at the two clowns.

"Everyone who sees it gets a share; Uncle will also give Youbao some gold."

As soon as he finished speaking, Youbao suddenly turned red in the face, turned his back to Chen Zui, and with a loud "pfft...", an indescribable smell spread out.

The entire audience remained silent for two seconds.

Chen suddenly covered his nose and fell backward.

"Damn it! Song Shiyan, you're really repaying kindness with enmity. This smell... what did you eat that stinks so badly?"

The room erupted in deafening laughter.

Song Xianglan laughed until tears streamed down her face.

Amidst the laughter and chatter, a sharp, piercing shout suddenly rang out from the neighboring yard.

It was so loud it made my eardrums hurt.

"Poor Li family, poor Guobin! Marrying you, a jinx, giving birth to a money-losing brat is bad enough, but you still act like a big shot at home, demanding chicken and duck. Don't you even take a piss and look at yourself in the mirror to see if you're worthy?"

The voice was high-pitched and thin.

Then came a young woman's tearful rebuttal: "Waaah... Mom, how can you say that?"

I've been in postpartum confinement for half a month now, and I haven't even seen a single chicken feather. I've only eaten a few eggs that my mother sent over. I don't have any breast milk, and my baby is crying from hunger..."

"Stop crying, cry, cry. Let that worthless wretch cry herself to death."

Song Xianglan's smile faded, and her brows furrowed.

She walked to the window, pointed to the wall next door, and asked Shen's mother, who was tidying up the table.

"What's going on next door? Why are they hurling such nasty insults?"