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

Mother Lei hurriedly said, "This is too precious. 'Golden Softshell Turtle Breast Maw' is hard to buy even if you have money; many people are scrambling to get it. This should be saved for Mom and Dad. What's life like in your fishing village?"

She was afraid that Song Tingting would feel uncomfortable.

Following up on Lei's mother's words, Song Tingting began to talk about her hometown.

"We live by the sea, and the villagers have made their living on the water for generations," Song Tingting said, holding her teacup. "The harbor is full of boats belonging to elderly people, and many of them make their living by fishing. We don't have much land, so most of the villagers grow sweet potatoes."

Grandma Lei nodded repeatedly.

"That's so tough."

"It's tough, but the New Year is the most festive time."

Song Tingting continued, "People carrying baskets of seafood were wandering the streets. There were stalls selling fried meat and sweet potato balls. And there were also customs for worshipping gods and Buddhas."

Lei's mother peeled an orange and handed it to him.

"It's really different from what we have here."

Grandpa Lei couldn't stop smiling.

"This is what the New Year's atmosphere should be like. Unlike Beijing, which has become increasingly quiet in recent years, the warmth of human connection has faded."

Qian Wanru sat to one side, unable to get a word in edgewise.

The kitchen door was pushed open.

Aunt Liu came out carrying two plates of food, smiling as she called out:

"The food is ready. Wash your hands and let's eat."

Grandpa Lei stood up and waved to Song Tingting:

"Come on, Tingting, it's time to eat."

Everyone headed towards the restaurant.

Lei's mother walked at the back and glanced at Qian Wanru, who was still sitting on the sofa. She casually said politely, "Wanru, just have a simple meal at home."

Qian Wanru quickly stood up and followed, her voice sickeningly sweet:

"Thank you, Auntie."

Lei Li, who was walking ahead, paused, his brows furrowing into a deep knot.

This meal would have been less enjoyable than taking Song Tingting out for hot pot.

A large round table was set up in the restaurant.

A large earthenware pot was placed in the center of the table, steaming hot.

Aunt Liu used a rag to hold her hand and lifted the lid.

A pot of rich and flavorful squid stew with pork bones.

"This dried meat is really good," Aunt Liu praised as she stirred it with a large soup ladle. "I just scalded it with boiling water. The soup color is excellent."

Lei Li ladled a bowl of soup with a spoon.

He blew on it and took a big gulp.

He sighed contentedly.

"This is how you bring out the flavor of seafood. It's so fresh. It's just as good as what you get in fancy restaurants." Grandpa Lei praised repeatedly.

Qian Wanru looked at the soup in the small bowl in front of her.

The smell of the sea made me feel nauseous.

She forced herself to take a small sip, felt like vomiting but had to swallow it down, and finally pushed the bowl far away.

Her eyes darted around, and her gaze landed on Song Tingting.

"Tingting," Qian Wanru asked with a smile, adopting a haughty demeanor, "do you live in the school dormitory?"

Song Tingting picked up a piece of green vegetable with her chopsticks without looking up: "I usually live at school. When I'm not in school, I live at home."

"Which compound do you live in? I might even know you."

"I don't live in the main compound. I live in a tenement." Song Tingting swallowed her food and answered frankly.

Qian Wanru couldn't control herself.

His lips curled up in a slight smile, and the contempt in his eyes was impossible to hide.

That area was full of working-class families doing manual labor; there wasn't a single official with any rank or position.

After all that trouble...

It turns out he was just a nobody with no connections.

At the dinner table, the Lei family pretended not to hear Qian Wanru's sarcastic remarks and kept putting food on Song Tingting's plate.

We've eaten.

Everyone sat back down in the living room and drank some tea.

Song Tingting glanced at her watch and stood up.

"Grandpa Lei, Grandma Lei, Auntie. I have something to do this afternoon, so I have to go back now."

Lei Li immediately stood up.

He grabbed the car keys from the coffee table and walked out.

"Come on, I'll take you there."

Qian Wanru strode to the entrance and quickly changed her shoes.

"Oh dear, I have to go too. I need to go to the city library this afternoon to borrow some study materials." Qian Wanru turned to Lei Li, her face beaming. "Brother Li, could you give me a ride? It's freezing outside, waiting for the bus is torture."

Lei Li coldly retorted:

"It's not on my way. I need to get back to work as soon as I drop Tingting off."

Qian Wanru pouted.

Turning to look at Lei's mother, she began to whine sweetly:

"Auntie, look at Brother Li. He hasn't even done anything yet, and he's already siding with outsiders."

Lei Li's face turned completely black, and his tone was sharp and sarcastic.

"I know what's inside and what's outside. Don't try to pull any strings here."

He hates this kind of clingy behavior the most.

He was even more afraid that Song Tingting would misunderstand that he was involved with this kind of woman.

Song Tingting, who dislikes trouble, smiled and said:

"Brother Lei, I'll take the bus; it's not far from the station."

"no."

Grandpa Lei spoke with a stern face, giving Lei Li a stern look, "Xiao Li, make sure Tingting gets home safely."

Lei Li grabbed Song Tingting's arm and walked out, not even glancing at Qian Wanru.

The two walked out the door.

They got into the jeep.

The car drove out of the compound.

The air pressure inside the carriage was extremely low.

Lei Li gripped the steering wheel tightly with both hands, his chin clenched, his face still gloomy.

Song Tingting looked at the receding street scene outside the car window and turned to look at him.

"Brother Lei, is it really necessary?" Song Tingting asked calmly. "Why bother with such a small matter? Is your work always this easy?"

Lei Li slammed on the brakes.

The jeep came to a smooth stop at an empty intersection.

During the Spring Festival, he worked several shifts in a row, spending all his time at the office and barely getting any sleep, just to earn time off to spend with her.

As a result, Qian Wanru stirred things up again.

He had been holding back his anger all morning and could no longer contain it.

Lei Li looked at Song Tingting with an extremely aggressive gaze.

"Song Tingting," he called her by her full name, "Don't you have even the slightest feeling for me?"

He asked a very direct question.

Song Tingting was taken aback by the sudden turn of events, and her eyes widened slightly.

"You were my brother's comrade-in-arms. Between us..." She leaned back slightly, "I've always called you Brother Lei."

Lei Li leaned over and grabbed Song Tingting's shoulders with both hands, turning her to face him.

"But I'm not your brother."

Lei Li's tone was serious and left no room for argument, "You only call me Brother Lei. I know you'll be shocked if I suddenly say these things."

But Tingting, if you don't have anyone you like right now, and you happen not to dislike me, could you consider giving it a try with me?

"I really like you. This feeling of love is new to me, and it feels both unfamiliar and joyful."

"Thinking of you makes me smile like an idiot, completely out of my mind."

"I thought I would never meet someone I liked. But... I don't remember when I started to uncontrollably want to see you."

"Tingting, I really like you."

"If you don't dislike me, please try dating me, okay?"

The force on my shoulder was very strong.

Song Tingting's mind was racing.

Her intuition told her that the man in front of her was indeed a good choice.

But the messy relationships around him deterred her.

"But you have a childhood sweetheart," Song Tingting said, getting straight to the point. "That Miss Qian's feelings for you are completely written all over her face."

Lei Li could no longer tolerate it.

He immediately swore.

"What bullshit childhood sweetheart!" he retorted impatiently. "We're several years apart in age, we can't possibly get along."

He let go and leaned back in his chair.

He tugged at his collar and began to dredge up old grievances.

"When I was little, a bunch of boys in the compound were always fighting and playing around. There was an older girl in the compound who was the bully. She insisted on rehearsing some kind of welcome program and forcibly dragged us kids together. Did we dare to disobey? Her fists were harder than anyone else's."