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

A cold wind hits you as you exit the train station.

Lei Li, carrying large and small bags, steadily squeezed through the crowd.

Song Tingting followed beside her.

"Let's go get some hot pot first," Lei Li said, turning his head to look at her. "It'll help you get rid of the chill."

"Okay." Song Tingting wrapped her scarf tighter and followed him.

Lei Li first put the luggage in the trunk.

I drove Song Tingting to a very famous hot pot restaurant.

The copper pot heated by charcoal was bubbling away in the middle of the table.

The rising heat dispelled the chill from my body.

"First, add the mutton tail fat. The fat will season the pot, making the meat more fragrant when cooked in the broth." Lei Li skillfully poured a small plate of mutton tail fat into the pot.

Then he picked up a large piece of hand-cut mutton with his chopsticks, put it into a strainer, and swirled it back and forth in the boiling soup.

The meat slices quickly changed color.

He poured the meat into Song Tingting's bowl. "Eat up. The sesame sauce at this shop is really authentic, try it."

Song Tingting picked up a piece of meat, dipped it in sesame sauce, and put it in her mouth.

The aroma of meat and sesame melts in your mouth.

"It's delicious." Song Tingting's eyes lit up. "We need this kind of mutton in the winter in Beijing."

Eat more.

Lei Li took another bite of meat. "I've been sitting in the car all day, and my stomach is completely empty. Eating more meat will keep me full."

The two ate and chatted.

Lei Li didn't say much; his attention was entirely focused on taking care of Song Tingting's chopsticks.

Before long, the plates of mutton were empty.

After finishing the meal.

Lei Li escorted her back to the alley entrance.

"I'll pick you up tomorrow." Lei Li handed her the bag. "Come to my house for a casual meal. You brought so many gifts, you should at least show up."

It is indeed appropriate to visit elders during the Chinese New Year.

"Okay. What time tomorrow?"

"I'll be waiting for you at the entrance of the alley at eight o'clock in the morning."

The next morning.

Just as eight o'clock arrived, Lei Li was standing at the entrance of the alley.

Song Tingting handed over the large net she had prepared. "Let's go."

Lei Li took the net bag but didn't head towards the compound. "I won't go home yet. My comrade gave me two movie tickets, saying they're perfect for young people. They're just sitting there unused; I'll go see a movie first. After that, I can go back for lunch."

Song Tingting didn't dwell on it much.

"Let's go then."

The movie theater was packed with people.

This is a love story with a touch of melancholy.

As the lights dimmed, the male and female protagonists on the screen were experiencing a heart-wrenching separation, and many female comrades around them were wiping away tears.

Song Tingting was eating popcorn.

They watched it with great interest.

Lei Li stood ramrod straight, staring intently at the screen, but he didn't pay any attention to what was happening in the movie.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the profile of the person next to me.

The screening ended, and we left the theater.

The two walked all the way to the Lei family's small villa.

I just stepped through the gate.

A burst of laughter filled the living room.

Immediately afterwards, a clear female voice rang out.

"Brother Li!"

A young woman in a stylish wool coat jumped up from the sofa and ran straight towards Lei Li. She opened her arms to grab Lei Li's arm.

Lei Li, quick-witted and agile, dodged to the side.

The girl wasn't annoyed at missing her target; instead, she turned and playfully scolded:

"Brother Li, why are you hiding? Auntie was just talking about you. It's been so long since we last saw each other. You used to say you'd marry me when you grew up."

These words were spoken with great conviction.

Lei Li's mind went blank for a moment, and he turned to look at Song Tingting's reaction.

Song Tingting stood in the entryway.

His expression was completely calm; he didn't even frown.

Grandpa Lei sat on the single sofa, glaring angrily.

That little bastard has been like a male dog since he was a puppy, always causing trouble and going into heat.

Today was Tingting's first time visiting, and he created this mess.

"What nonsense are you spouting?"

Lei Li's face turned pale. "You're Wanru from Uncle Qian's family, right? This is ancient history. When we were kids, Hong Shanshan forced us to play house."

She's the big sister of the compound; if you don't read according to her rules, you'll get beaten up. What kind of agreement is this? According to you, there must be at least eight or ten people with such agreements. Have you grown up completely without a brain?

I was younger before.

Hong Shanshan is fascinated by stage plays.

He would drag a bunch of people from their compound together to rehearse every day, and anyone who dared to resist would get beaten up.

Qian was subjected to a barrage of insults.

She couldn't keep up the good look on her face and pouted in grievance.

Grandma Lei was too lazy to pay attention to her grandson.

He walked past him toward Song Tingting.

"Tingting's here!" Grandma Lei smiled kindly. "Come in and sit down. How's your mother's been lately?"

"Everything's fine, Grandma Lei. My mom specifically told me to make sure to give these local specialties to you and Grandpa." Song Tingting followed Grandma Lei inside.

Qian Wanru felt even more uncomfortable when no one paid attention to her.

She deliberately squeezed between Lei Li and Song Tingting.

"Brother Li."

Qian Wanru tilted her head back and said in a sweet, coquettish voice, "My brother and you were best friends back then. It's been quite a few years since you two last met up, hasn't it?"

My brother even has a child now. Auntie told me you're still not married; I thought you were still remembering our promise from back then.

The air pressure around Lei Li dropped to freezing point.

"I'll say it again, there was no agreement."

Lei Li walked to the coffee table and said, "Grandpa, Grandma, Tingting brought a lot of local specialties from our hometown."

Grandma Lei saw that her grandson was really angry.

Hurry up and step in to smooth things over.

"You brat, why is your temper getting worse and worse?" Grandma Lei pointed at Lei Li and scolded, "You've gotten used to being around a bunch of rough men in the army every day, you can't even watch your mouth. Do you think a young girl could take your insults?"

Done.

Grandma Lei pulled Qian Wanru's hand and patted it.

"Wanru, don't take it to heart. This kid has always had this bad temper. Grandma will give him a good beating with a stick later."

Qian Wanru immediately seized the opportunity.

She sat obediently next to Grandma Lei.

"It's alright, Grandma. You and Grandpa watched me grow up and treated me like your own granddaughter. How could I be angry with my brother?"

Qian Wanru glanced at Song Tingting with a provocative look, "Besides, the bond between Brother Li and me, which we grew up with, is something that most people can't compare to."

Song Tingting just felt that this girl was a bit interesting.

Brother Lei is really too insensitive to women.

The girl came all the way to confess her feelings, and he not only acted profound but also scolded her.

That repressed, brooding temper of his is truly something else.

"Tingting, don't stand, sit down quickly." Grandpa Lei pointed to the sofa next to him.

Song Tingting sat down.

Put the net on the table.

Taking things out.

"Grandma, Grandpa. This was prepared by my mom."

Song Tingting first took out an old earthenware jar, "This is 30-year-old preserved radish."

Then he took out a glass bottle.

"This is honey made from 20-year-old Tieguanyin tea leaves. If you have an upset stomach, a cold, or have drunk too much alcohol, just take a spoonful, dissolve it in warm water, and drink it. It's very effective."

And this is dried longan that's over ten years old, preserved with a little salt. This is dried lychee.

As she spoke, she placed several items on the table.

"This package contains dried oysters, this one contains dried razor clams, and this one contains female squid," Song Tingting explained earnestly. "I'll write down the recipe for the soup later, so you can have your auntie make it."

Qian Wanru stared at the table full of dark, unappetizing things and exaggeratedly covered her nose.

"Oh dear! Where did this thing come from? How can anyone eat this? It smells so fishy and rotten."

Grandpa Lei frowned.

The granddaughter of my old comrade-in-arms is looking more and more like her mother.

Qian Wanru became even more excited.

"Grandma Lei, the seafood your nanny usually buys is always alive and kicking. People in the countryside like to treat these kinds of odds and ends from the fields and rivers as treasures."

This is Beijing.

"What good things haven't Grandpa Lei and Grandma Lei seen? Bringing all this here, you've ruined the smell of their nice house."

Lei Li's knuckles cracked.

He was about to curse.

Grandpa Lei, however, beat him to it.

"When your grandfather and I were fighting, we couldn't even get our hands on these smelly, fishy things."

Grandpa Lei's voice was filled with barely suppressed anger, "Back then, we ate grass roots and tree bark. You young people don't value these good things, but instead prefer those foreign gadgets."

Qian Wanru was frozen in place, as if stabbed by a knife that was neither soft nor hard.

His face turned a deep liver color.

Grandpa Lei ignored her.

He turned to look at Song Tingting and immediately put on a smile.

"Tingting, these things you sent are just to my liking," Grandpa Lei said with a smile. "I love these old things. My old squad leader was from Chaozhou, not far from where you live."

He used to talk to me about these preserved radishes every day; you've really whetted my appetite."

Grandma Lei nodded repeatedly.

"That's right. I'll have Aunt Liu take it to the kitchen later, and we'll make a soup for lunch to try it out."