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

When Shen Huijun returned from school, she was carrying a bag of fruit and had a smile on her face.

"Mom, I've already made plans with some of my roommates. They'll all come over to celebrate Fu Bao's first birthday."

Song Xianglan took the fruit and glanced outside the door. "Where's Xiangdong again? He doesn't even go to pick up his own wife when she comes home. He's never home."

"He's busy with work," Shen's mother said, trying to smooth things over while holding a thermos. "Xiangdong is a very hardworking boy; he's often busy until midnight. I specially saved a big bowl of old duck soup for him to drink tonight."

Looking at Shen Huijun, who was playing with Fu Bao, Song Xianglan felt a pang of heartache again.

Such a well-educated and reasonable daughter-in-law is truly a blessing bestowed upon us by the ancestors.

Early the next morning.

Chen Zui came over and dug Erbao out of bed, mysteriously saying that he was going to take him to do something big.

The little guy, rubbing his sleepy eyes, heard that he was going to buy gold for his younger siblings, and happily followed Chen Zui out the door.

The two had just left.

A jeep was parked at the entrance.

Zhou Fang opened the car door and helped An Xiyang out.

"When did you get back?" Shen Huijun asked, somewhat surprised.

Anxi Yang took two red velvet boxes out of her bag. "Just arrived. These are longevity locks for Fu Bao and You Bao. I picked them out at Lao Feng Xiang in Shanghai."

When Shen Huijun opened it, she found the gold lock to be heavy and finely crafted.

"This is far too valuable."

"Take it, it's for the child." An Xiyang didn't say much, but her eyes drifted into the house, as if she was looking for someone.

Nestled in Shen's mother's arms, Fu Bao wasn't shy at all and called out in a childish voice, "Auntie."

Youbao, ever the outgoing one, climbed up Zhou Fang's leg like a little monkey, hanging around his neck and calling out, "Uncle!"

Anxi Yangtang felt a sudden pang in her heart.

Both women married men from rural areas, but Shen Huijun's life is much more comfortable than hers.

Song Xianglan poured tea, her gaze sweeping between Zhou Fang and An Xiyang. Although the couple stood together, there seemed to be an invisible barrier between them.

"Zhou Fang, Xiang Dong told you to move the construction company to the new city."

Zhou Fang nodded, took a sip of hot tea, and said, "I do have that plan. The market in Qingyang is too small, so I want to try my luck in Xincheng. I'll go and take a look tomorrow to see if I can rent a suitable place as an office."

"Stop renting, just buy it."

Song Xianglan turned and went into the study, taking out a map of the new city and spreading it on the coffee table. She picked up a red pen and drew a circle around a piece of wasteland.

"This area looks like the countryside, with vegetable fields everywhere. But let me tell you, this will be the center of the new city in the future."

"Godmother, isn't this place... a bit too remote?" Zhou Fang asked hesitantly.

"It's off-center now, but it won't be later," Song Xianglan said firmly. "If you want to expand, listen to me. As for how to acquire land, how to register the company..."

Zhou Fang also wanted to buy it, but "buying and selling is prohibited now."

She lowered her voice and tapped her fingers on the table. "Isn't your uncle who lives abroad coming back to visit relatives? Foreign investment is highly sought after these days."

"By investing in your uncle's name, not only are the procedures easier, but you can also get land at a lower price than others, and the policy approvals are smooth sailing."

Zhou Fang... How come he didn't think of this relationship?

Whether my uncle has money or not is not important; what matters is his status as an "overseas Chinese."

As long as my uncle is willing to lend his name, he can provide the funding himself, but that would completely change the nature of the situation.

Anxi Yang, who was listening nearby, was alarmed.

She had always thought Song Xianglan was just a somewhat shrewish old woman from the countryside, but she never expected that her insight was even more shrewd than that of business people from Shanghai.

Zhou Fang's eyes are now filled with ambition.

He was completely different from the taciturn man he used to be.

Around noon, the door was pushed open.

"We're back! Big harvest!" Chen Zui's loud voice rang out even before he entered the house.

Erbao followed behind him, a large gold chain around her neck and a small gold bracelet she had bought for Fubao tucked into her arms.

Erbao stopped abruptly when he saw Anxi Yang sitting on the sofa.

Her excited little face instantly fell, and the joy of seeing her biological mother was quickly suppressed by a sense of unease.

He didn't call for his mother. He ran up behind Zhou Fang, grabbed the hem of her clothes, and looked at An Xiyang with a pitiful expression, only his eyes showing.

An Xiyang's smile froze.

My hand was halfway out, awkwardly hanging in the air.

"Second baby..." her voice trembled, "Don't you want Mommy to hold you?"

Erbao huddled even tighter behind Zhou Fang's legs.

Anxi Yang's tears rolled down her cheeks instantly.

Her biological son looked at her like she was a stranger.

"Erbao, you used to love Mommy the most, you said you loved Mommy the most, have you forgotten?" Anxi Yang squatted down.

Erbao bit her lip, and her eyes reddened.

He shouted at An Xiyang, "I haven't forgotten. I want to make money, lots and lots of money for Grandma."

Everyone in the room was stunned.

Erbao wiped away her tears, "The other kids in the village are laughing at us, saying that our mother doesn't want us anymore."

Da Bao gets into fights every day, and it's always because someone insults him.

I know Grandma looks down on Dad for being poor and thinks we're country bumpkins. I want to earn money for Grandma so she can give Mom back to us.

Children speak without restraint, yet every word is piercing to the heart.

An Xiyang felt as if she had been slapped hard in the face, her heart aching so much that she couldn't breathe.

This separation left a deep scar on the child's heart.

She rushed over without thinking, pulled Erbao out from behind Zhou Fang, and hugged her tightly. "I'm sorry, Mommy was wrong. Mommy didn't abandon you."

Erbao couldn't hold back any longer.

Two little hands clung tightly to Anxi Yang's neck, and she cried loudly:

"Mom, I miss you. Da Bao and I both miss you. Please don't go."

I will be obedient, I will study hard, I will get into the best university, and I won't be naughty anymore.

This child usually hates reading.

He can't sit still because it feels like he has nails in his bottom. Now, in order to keep his mother here, he's even using his playtime to study.

Looking at the mother and son who were crying in each other's arms, Zhou Fang's eyes welled up with tears, and her throat felt like it was blocked by something.

Song Xianglan and Shen's mother exchanged a glance and sighed inwardly.

The elders who committed these sins.

"That old woman from the An family, her heart is made of stone," Shen's mother muttered under her breath. "I bet Xiao An suffered a lot when she was little. The further away you are from a mother like that, the better."

Chen Zui, who had been silent the whole time, suddenly sniffed and wiped the corner of his eye.

Chen Zui chuckled, breaking the dull atmosphere, "My father would even throw away his own son for that concubine."

Luckily, my grandfather doted on me. He said I was the eldest grandson of the Chen family, so he bypassed my father and uncles and gave me the lion's share of the shares. My heartless father still has to work for me, be subservient to me, and only get his share of the profits.

He spoke of it casually.

Everyone present could hear the bitterness in his voice.

Chen Zui clapped his hands, trying to bring the atmosphere back on track, "Money makes the world go round."

We need to make money right now. Brother Zhou, get your company up and running quickly, I want to invest too, and we'll all get rich together. Then we'll use our money to crush those who looked down on us.

After a while, everyone calmed down a bit.

Song Xianglan told everyone to get ready to go out for dinner and asked An Xiyang to wash her face and touch up her makeup.

Shen Huijun handed a new towel to An Xiyang.

The two went into the bathroom together.

The tap was running, and An Xiyang looked at her red and swollen eyes in the mirror and gave a bitter smile.

"I'm sorry to have made you laugh."

"What's so funny about that? Every family has its own problems."

Shen Huijun leaned against the doorframe, her tone calm, "I think Zhou Fang made the right decision to come to Xincheng. The domestic situation has changed a lot recently, and policies are loosening."

Zhou Fang is ambitious and capable. He's studying architectural design with a professor from the same university. That professor is one of the top experts in the country; the fact that he took notice of Zhou Fang shows he truly has potential.

Anxi Yang was stunned for a moment.

She only knew Zhou Fang was reading, she never expected him to be so unconventional.

"A professor from the same university? He started out as a bricklayer..."

"A hero's origins are irrelevant."

Shen Huijun interrupted her, "west Yang, you have to believe in his potential. And don't always listen to your mother and try to copy everything her old friends' children do. If Zhou Fang succeeds, his future is immeasurable."

Anxi Yang remained silent for a while, then wiped the water droplets from her face.

"I don't understand those big principles. I brought some of my own money with me this time. I originally wanted him to buy a small house of 20 or 30 square meters in Haishi, and then open a small shop to sell daily necessities or clothes, so that he could at least make a living."

"My mom has experience running a shop in Shanghai, so this is a viable option." Shen Huijun still approved of Zhou Fang's interest in architecture.

"Actually, Zhou Fang is in the construction industry. After graduation, you can either work for a company or start your own business. As long as you're focused on the same goal, things will get better."

The two came out of the bathroom.

The atmosphere in the living room has become much more lively.

Erbao was no longer reluctant.

Holding An Xiyang tightly with one hand and Zhou Fang's hand with the other, her little face was tilted high, looking left at her father and right at her mother, her mouth almost reaching her ears in a wide grin.

"Hehehe..."

Erbao skipped and hopped in the middle, not forgetting to turn back and make a face at Chen Zui.

"If Da Bao knew I went out for a fancy meal with Mom and Dad, he'd be so envious! Hehehe..."

Anxi Yang touched the little guy's sweaty forehead.

Hearing that carefree laughter, my heart felt heavy and suffocated, as if it were stuffed with a wad of waterlogged cotton.

"Let's go to Xingwang Hotel, it's my treat today." Song Xianglan put the folded map into her pocket and led the whole family out.

The roads in the new town have just been paved with asphalt.

Under the sun, it exudes a strong smell of tar.

A few small vendors selling popsicles and poria cocos cakes have sprung up sporadically on the street.

The hawkers' cries mingled with the bells of passing bicycles, creating a noisy cacophony.

Erbao wants to eat popsicles later.

We're going to eat Poria cocos cake in a bit.

I'll buy it and then share it with everyone.

Upon arriving at the restaurant, Song Xianglan chose a private room with a view of the street outside.

Song Xianglan flipped through the menu, pointing to the dishes: "Steamed grouper, braised pork belly, satay pork offal, fried oysters, clams and radish soup, seafood rolls, blanched octopus with sea worm jelly, and stir-fried noodles."

Chen Zui pulled out a chair and sat down. "Brother Zhou, I've thought about that idea that Godmother mentioned earlier. If you're short of money, I have a lot of dividends that I can take out anytime."

Zhou Fang didn't rush to reply.

He picked up the large bowl of tea on the table, took a sip, and his eyes fell on the location on the map that Song Xianglan had circled.

"My uncle will be arriving in the new city next month." Zhou Fang slammed his teacup down. "If we can really invest in his name, the company's status will be elevated instantly."

The waiter came in and brought two side dishes: cold jellyfish head salad and pickled peanuts.

Song Xianglan picked up a piece of cold jellyfish salad with her chopsticks. "The country is short of foreign exchange right now. When your uncle comes back, he'll be a 'patriotic overseas Chinese.' It'll be easier for you to negotiate land approvals then."

"Aunt Xianglan, that place is all wasteland. What if we invest money but can't get in?" An Xiyang couldn't help but interject.

"Xiyang, you grew up in Haichang and have seen a lot." Song Xianglan's tone was calm. "This new city will be expanded sooner or later. Where will it expand to? Of course, it will expand to flat areas with more space."

An Xiyang pursed her lips and remained silent.

Her mother repeatedly told her to keep her household registration in Haishi and never let Zhou Fang take her to some remote mountain village.

But seeing Erbao and Zhou Fang's confident demeanor, the thread in her heart had long since loosened.

The food was served piping hot.

Erbao ate with grease dripping from his mouth, and didn't forget to put a piece of meat into Anxi Yang's bowl.

"Mom, you should eat some meat too."