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

"Here's your reward," Gu Qingping said, waving his finger.

Master Tan's eyelids drooped back down. "I don't care how much money you offer. I have no reason to refuse Xiao Liu's offer."

"Ninth Master, this is a token of our respect for you," Liu Yukun said. "Qingping is a man of the underworld, but he never makes a mistake. Don't shortchange yourself on your due pay. Nobody turns down money. Don't let your skills go to waste."

Master Tan smiled.

"I'll listen to you."

The two chatted for a few more minutes about everyday things.

Liu Yukun said he had other things to do, leaving Gu Qingping behind to ask Master Tan questions before he left.

They left the Tan family's residence.

Liu Yukun hurriedly went to find Song Dong.

Song Dong went to his girlfriend's shop these past two days, but she ignored him. She even said she was busy and asked Song Dong not to bother her.

Song Dong sat in his office, dejectedly writing the other person's name on his notebook with his pen.

"Song Dong, I need to go find Sheng Ruzhi." Liu Yukun pushed the door open and came in.

Song Dong put down his pen.

"Finally figured it out?"

Liu Yukun remained silent.

"Get the hell out there and go find that girl. She's such a delicate girl, she's suffered a lot because of you. If Sheng Ruzhi is going to give you the cold shoulder and refuse to forgive you, you'd better just put up with it. Behave yourself, and stop acting like that and disgusting people. Do you hear me?"

"Nonsense. My godmother's insults are way worse than yours. If I can't marry her this time, I'm not going back to Haishi."

Liu Yukun sat opposite Song Dong.

"You were ignored too?"

Song Dong sighed, "She's busy and doesn't want to talk to me."

"Let me tell you, the woman you like is cunning and has a strong opinion of her own. She's really not right for you."

Song Dong picked up the notebook and threw it at him.

"Get out of here. You like gentle and submissive women, but I like strong, independent women."

Liu Yukun: "...It's not a problem with her being a strong woman. If you tell people you're just an accountant, she'll definitely want to find a man with better prospects. Song Dong, why don't you take her to meet your godmother?"

Song Dong also wanted to introduce her to his aunt.

But when the other party heard that Song Dong's aunt had come from his hometown, they didn't want to see her at all.

Liu Yukun: "You've broken up with your boyfriend."

He grabbed his keys and went out, the engine roaring to life.

It is more than 100 kilometers from Haishi to Sheng Ruzhi's hometown.

Liu Yukun did not squeeze onto the bus.

He went to the department store and bought a bunch of nutritional supplements. He tied a basket to the back of his motorcycle, put the gifts inside, and tied it up.

We drove down the national highway.

The wind whistled across my face.

His mind was filled with images of Sheng Ruzhi cooking for him in the house.

Sheng Ruzhi's hometown is a typical Jiangnan water town.

Stone slab bridges are everywhere in the town, and a river flows through it. The houses of the locals are all built along the riverbank. The locals huddle together talking, their accents soft and gentle, which Liu Yukun cannot understand a word of.

He found a hotel on the street corner and settled down.

Early the next morning.

The sky was just beginning to lighten.

Using the address, Liu Yukun found his way to the alleyway outside Sheng Ruzhi's house.

He didn't dare to go up and knock on the door directly.

He knew Sheng Ruzhi's temperament all too well; she seemed gentle, but when she got stubborn, not even nine oxen could pull her back.

Liu Yukun squatted under a large camphor tree at the entrance of the alley, waiting for most of the day.

It's almost noon.

Footsteps echoed through the alley.

Sheng Ruzhi carried a cloth bag and walked out.

Liu Yukun's gaze lingered greedily on Sheng Ruzhi. He really wanted to rush over and hug her, to tell her how much he missed her.

The words that were on the tip of his tongue turned into "like a branch".

Sheng Ruzhi stopped abruptly.

She took half a step back, her eyes wide open.

"Why are you here?" Sheng Ruzhi glanced into the alleyway subconsciously, afraid of being seen by someone she knew.

Liu Yukun stopped in front of her.

"Zhizhi, you've lost weight." Liu Yukun stared at her face. "I'm sick."

Sheng Ruzhi gripped the strap of the cloth bag tightly in her hand, the words to send him away stuck in her throat.

Liu Yukun looked extremely thin.

His cheeks were completely sunken, and there were two large dark circles under his eyes. The shirt that used to fit him was now hanging loosely on his shoulders, like a clothes hanger.

"Come with me." Sheng Ruzhi lowered her head and walked past him.

Liu Yukun followed behind.

The two walked along the riverbank for about ten minutes.

The further we go, the further we stray from the right path.

Finally, we went into a noodle shop that didn't even have a sign.

Sheng Ruzhi found a table at the very back and sat down. Liu Yukun pulled out a chair opposite her and sat down.

"I don't want to eat at the noodle shop near my home." Sheng Ruzhi placed the cloth bag on the empty chair, "so that the neighbors won't see it and it will reach my mother's ears. This place has good pork chop noodles."

"Okay," Liu Yukun replied.

Aside from saying "good," he dared not utter another word.

He sat opposite Sheng Ruzhi.

She had also lost weight, her chin was sharper, and she looked listless.

Sheng Ruzhi called out to the kitchen, "One bowl of pork chop noodles, one bowl of pickled mustard greens and shredded pork noodles."

A few minutes later.

The noodles were served.

Sheng Ruzhi picked up the bowl of noodles with two pieces of braised pork ribs on top and pushed it in front of Liu Yukun.

She used chopsticks to stir the pickled mustard greens in the pickled mustard green and shredded pork noodles.

Liu Yukun glanced down at the meat in the noodles.

My chest started cramping again.

The two sat facing each other eating noodles.

No one spoke.

The only sound was the crisp clinking of chopsticks against the rim of the bowl.

Liu Yukun ate without any appetite.

Back in Haishi, when the two ate at the same table, Liu Yukun would always find an excuse to joke with her.

Sheng Ruzhi glared at him while putting meat into his bowl.

Now only silence remains.

We'd only been apart for a little over ten days, but an inexplicable sense of unfamiliarity already loomed between us.

I finished the noodles.

Sheng Ruzhi pressed the money under the bowl and stood up.

The two left the noodle shop and went to a small park outside.

It was midday and the sun was blazing; there wasn't a single old man seeking shade in the park.

Sheng Ruzhi sat down on the bench.

"Why did you come here? What's wrong with you?" Sheng Ruzhi spoke first.

Liu Yukun sat down next to her and reached out to grab her wrist.

Sheng Ruzhi struggled, but couldn't break free.

"I have a heart problem. I went to the hospital and did all sorts of tests, but they couldn't find anything wrong. The doctor said there was nothing wrong. But when I got home and saw the house was empty, I started to cry with heartache."

Sheng Ruzhi's eyes instantly reddened.

Tears streamed down my cheeks without warning.

She turned her head away to wipe her face.

"Ruzhi, I'm a bastard." Liu Yukun leaned closer. "Come back with me."

Sheng Ruzhi shook her head.

"There's no going back."

"Why can't we go back? All you have to do is nod."

"Liu Yukun, the world doesn't revolve around you." Sheng Ruzhi turned to look at him. "I promised my mother I'd stay in our hometown to work."

Liu Yukun froze.

Sheng Ruzhi continued to throw knives at her, "I also promised her that I'd go on blind dates at home this year. I want her to marry a local and live a peaceful life."

Liu Yukun's face turned deathly pale.

"Are you getting married?"

Sheng Ruzhi didn't respond to his words, but instead stretched out her hands and gave Liu Yukun a hug.

Liu Yukun's whole body was tense, his hands hanging in mid-air.

"Yu Kun." Sheng Ruzhi rested her chin on his shoulder. "Time will heal our wounds. It will also make us forget each other. You're just not used to me not being by your side."

After a month or two, you'll get used to me not being around. You can also find a new girlfriend and live a carefree life like before.

Liu Yukun gritted his teeth and remained silent.

"Look at me now." Sheng Ruzhi patted his back like she was comforting a child. "I'm settling in very well. I've even secured a job."

She released her grip and stepped back.

Liu Yukun turned around and pulled her into his arms.

"I don't want to get used to it," Liu Yukun choked up. "I'll marry you. I'll go home with you to meet your parents. I'll ask them to let you marry me."

Sheng Ruzhi broke free from his arm.

She looked at Liu Yukun, her eyes becoming very calm.

"If you had told me you wanted to get married before I came back, I would have been very happy. I would have proudly told my mom that you were my boyfriend, and I would have been happy to tell her that we were planning to get married." Sheng Ruzhi's voice was very soft.

Liu Yukun looked at her.

"But you rejected me before, and I've already planned out my future." Sheng Ruzhi pointed towards the alleyway. "You won't be in my future, and I don't want to break the decision I finally made. We're both adults, and we should keep our promises."

Done.

Sheng Ruzhi stood up and left without looking back.

Liu Yukun stood under the blazing sun.

They couldn't catch up.

The sun is scorching.

The sharp pain in his chest intensified with each wave, causing him to bend over in agony.

He didn't want to let go.

He regretted it.

In this matter, he didn't want to be a person who kept his promise.

Early the next morning.

There was a knock on the gate of the Sheng family compound.

Mrs. Sheng, wearing an apron, ran over to open the door.

The door opened, and a young man I didn't recognize stood outside.

Liu Yukun carried two glistening Jinhua hams in his hands and had four large net bags of nutritional supplements hanging from his arms, smiling brightly in the sunshine.

"Hello, Auntie," Liu Yukun greeted loudly.

Mrs. Sheng stood frozen at the doorway. "Young man, who are you looking for?"

"I am Song Xianglan's godson." Liu Yukun put Song Xianglan's name first. "My name is Liu Yukun."

Upon hearing that he was Song Xianglan's godson, Madam Sheng was immediately impressed.

They quickly and enthusiastically opened the door completely.

"Oh my! It's Sister Song's godson! Come in, come in! Why didn't your godmother come with you?" Mother Sheng reached out to take the things from his hands. "You child, you come all this way, but why did you buy so many expensive things? This ham is so pricey."

Liu Yukun followed Madam Sheng into the main room and placed all the things on the octagonal table.

"My godmother specifically told me to buy things and bring them to your door," Liu Yukun said casually. "She said Ruzhi went back to her hometown. I happened to be here on business, so I had to come and see you. Otherwise, my godmother would break my legs when I got back."

Mrs. Sheng was amused and kept laughing.

She hurried to get the thermos and poured some water. "I was so lucky to have your godmother when I got sick in Haishi. Please sit down and have some water."

Liu Yukun turned his neck and looked around the main room.

"Auntie," Liu Yukun took the water glass, "Where's Ruzhi? Isn't she home?"