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

Mao Qiaozhen opened the oil paper package.

Two palm-sized meat patties.

She was a little embarrassed. "You didn't need to give it to me specially; it's so cold outside, my hands get freezing."

"It's only right that I treat you well," Yan Xiaowu said in a softened tone. "Take a bite and see if it's good."

Mao Qiaozhen lowered her head and took a bite.

It was a simple meat pie with more dough than meat, but it warmed her heart as she ate it.

Since I left my hometown.

No man has ever thought about her like this before.

Yan Xiaowu watched her eat in small bites, sighed deeply, and stared down at her toes.

"Keep eating, I have something to tell you."

"What's wrong?" Mao Qiaozhen stopped what she was doing.

"My aunt yelled at me in the shop again today," Yan Xiaowu said helplessly. "She has a nephew who wants to work in Beijing. She thinks I take up too much space in the shop and is trying to find fault with me to get rid of me so her nephew can have a place."

Mao Qiaozhen's eyes widened in surprise.

"How can that be? You're his uncle's nephew, and he doesn't care?"

"My uncle is a cowardly man who's afraid of his wife."

Yan Xiaowu smiled bitterly:

"My aunt makes all the decisions in the shop. Even if he's on my side, he doesn't dare say a word."

Mao Qiaozhen's eyes were filled with heartache, and she didn't even bother to eat the meat pie in her hand.

"How could your aunt bully people like this? If it's really unbearable, you can quit and find another job. Beijing is such a big city, aren't you sure you won't go hungry?"

You're oversimplifying things.

Yan Xiaowu shook his head, his face full of worry.

"Now, a large number of people from other places are coming to the city. For even slightly better jobs, employers require a local guarantor. I'm just a poor guy from out of town, completely clueless. Where am I supposed to find someone to vouch for me?"

Mao Qiaozhen was stunned.

Although she has a Beijing household registration.

But my home is in the countryside.

There was practically no one in the city I could talk to.

"Then... what should we do? Just take it one step at a time?" Mao Qiaozhen's voice grew softer and softer, feeling guilty for not being able to help.

"Actually, there are some ways out."

Yan Xiaowu looked at her, deliberately pausing for a moment, "Two regular customers who come to the shop think I'm hardworking and loyal, and they want to recruit me to go out on my own. But I'm afraid..."

"What are you afraid of?"

"I'm afraid my aunt will say something unpleasant."

Yan Xiaowu spread his hands, looking aggrieved. "If I leave now, she'll definitely ruin my reputation everywhere. You know, we can only accept whatever our elders say."

Mao Qiaozhen felt a tightness in her chest as she listened.

"Are you short of money?" she asked hurriedly.

Yan Xiaowu's face darkened, and he interrupted her.

"What kind of talk is that?"

He was a little angry. "I'm a man. I'm the one who pays for the relationship, how can I let a woman like you pay for it?"

Mao Qiaozhen was taken aback by his sudden firmness, but felt even more at ease.

Brother Wu has backbone.

Yan Xiaowu reached out and put his arm around her shoulder, giving her a tight hug.

"Come inside quickly." He let go of her hand, looking at her with reluctance.

Mao Qiaozhen blushed and nodded. "Brother Xiao Wu, if you need money, just tell me. I want to say I can help."

After saying that, she picked up the meat pie, turned around, and ran back to the yard.

Yan Xiaowu stood there, watching her figure disappear through the gate.

He didn't leave.

He retreated into the shadows against the alley wall, took out a cigarette case from his pocket, and lit one.

The firelight flickered.

His mind was filled with the face of the woman from the barbecue restaurant.

He exhaled a puff of white smoke and squinted as he recalled.

Who is it?

Just then, two blinding car headlights lit up at the entrance of the alley.

A military green jeep turned from the main road and came to a smooth stop on the side of the road.

Yan Xiaowu was startled.

Quickly retreat into the shadows.

He looked over by the light of the streetlamp, and his eyes widened in surprise.

"They're really rich." Yan Xiaowu muttered sourly, biting his cigarette butt. "When will I ever live this kind of good life? How come these rich kids weren't sent down to the countryside back then?"

The car door opened.

Lei Li strode around to the passenger side, opened the car door, and bowed, gesturing for them to enter.

"Although it's hard to say goodbye, please get off the bus, beautiful Ms. Song."

Song Tingting placed her hand in his hand.

He got out of the car with a smile.

Lei Li closed the car door behind him. "Come on, I'll take you inside."

He opened the back seat.

I took a cardboard box containing a Western-style cake I had bought.

Song Tingting smiled and agreed:

"OK."

The two walked hand in hand toward the courtyard.

By the light of the alley entrance, Yan Xiaowu could see the woman's face clearly.

He remembered everything.

This woman was the one who lived in the same courtyard as Mao Qiaozhen.

He is rarely seen, and is particularly aloof and arrogant.

Yan Xiaowu snorted coldly.

He threw the cigarette butt in his hand on the ground and stomped it out.

She turned out to be a gold digger.

No wonder he was so arrogant with that government official by his side at the barbecue restaurant.

Yan Xiaowu adjusted his collar.

He shrank back and left.

In the courtyard.

Lei Li escorted Song Tingting all the way to her doorstep before leaving.

The lights were still on inside the room.

The fire in the stove was burning brightly, and the heat was intense.

Chang Ping and Mao Qiaozhen were sitting on the edge of the bed talking.

Upon seeing Song Tingting enter carrying a beautifully crafted cardboard box, the two pounced on her.

"Sister Tingting."

Chang Ping's eyes lit up. "Did Brother Lei give this to you?"

Mao Qiaozhen quickly took it and carefully untied the ribbon on the box.

The box is opened.

An eight-inch Black Forest cake, topped with chocolate shavings and garnished with bright red cherries.

"My goodness, that must have cost a fortune!"

"Brother Lei is so generous to you," Mao Qiaozhen said with envy.

Song Tingting cuts the cake with a knife.

"He is indeed quite qualified. But you can't judge a person solely by whether he's willing to spend money; you have to look at how he does things."

She cut a piece and handed it to Mao Qiaozhen.

Mao Qiaozhen took a bite of the cake.

The image of the beef patty that Yan Xiaowu had brought flashed through her mind.

"Tingting, you're right." Mao Qiaozhen nodded as she ate. "Rich people have their advantages, but even poor people can live a good life as long as they have a kind heart and are willing to work hard."

Song Tingting stopped cutting the cake and turned to look at Mao Qiaozhen.

"What do you mean by that?"

Chang Ping also realized what was happening and nudged Mao Qiaozhen with her arm.

"Yeah, whose side are you taking with you by saying that out of the blue? Did someone come looking for you just now?"

Mao Qiaozhen avoided eye contact.

"No...no. I just said it as I felt."

Song Tingting put down the knife and sat up straight in the chair.

"Qiaozhen, we live together, so speak your mind."

Mao Qiaozhen bit her lip.

She sat back down on the edge of the bed, carrying the plate. "Actually, Fifth Brother was here just now."

"What's he doing here in the middle of the night?" Chang Ping pressed.

Mao Qiaozhen recounted in detail how Yan Xiaowu bought meat pies and how he was ostracized by his aunt in the shop.

After she finished speaking, she emphasized one point:

"I asked him if he needed money, and he immediately got angry. He said a man shouldn't spend a woman's money."

He's really not the kind of person who talks a good game.

Sister Tingting, I think you don't need to test the waters for me anymore. I think I've found the man who's good to me too.

The room fell silent.

Song Tingting sat at the table, looking at the Black Forest cake in front of her.

Why don't I want to spend a woman's money?

What does it mean to have backbone?

This is clearly a case of feigning indifference to lure the prey into a trap.

He took full advantage of Mao Qiaozhen's naivety and lack of love, and portrayed himself as a compassionate and righteous victim.

"He doesn't want it now because what he wants isn't just a few hundred yuan." Song Tingting looked into Mao Qiaozhen's eyes, her tone turning completely cold.

"He's after your Beijing residency, and he also wants to take advantage of your high salary. Once you're married, all your money will be his."

Song Tingting stood up and walked to Mao Qiaozhen.

"I not only saw him today, but I also overheard him talking to other people."

Mao Qiaozhen stood there, stunned, her lips trembling.

"What...what did you hear?"

Song Tingting recounted everything that happened at the barbecue restaurant without holding anything back.

She recounted everything, including how Yan Xiaowu talked about her with her friends.

"impossible……"

Mao Qiaozhen's eyes were red. "He just bought me meat pies. He couldn't possibly lie to me."

"How much is that meat pie worth?" Song Tingting showed no mercy, tearing away the pretense. "That meat pie was nothing more than bait to lure me in!"

Mao Qiaozhen: ...

"I just want to find someone who treats me well. Is it really that hard to not care if he's rich or poor?"