After four years of living alone after marrying far away, he went back to his parents' home and

In the afternoon, Lan Yujuan made a special trip back to her parents' home and changed into a simple old set of clothes.

Then I casually tied my hair into a ponytail and went out with a bare face.

Mother Lan was worried and followed them all the way to the door.

"Honey, are you sure you can manage going all by yourself?"

"What if that Liu guy uses some underhanded tricks on you again? Why are you so worried, Mom?"

As Lan's mother spoke, she became increasingly nervous. She raised her hand and grasped Lan Yujuan's hand, saying earnestly:

"Or, let's just forget about it. Give it all back to him, and never see each other again!"

"Anyway, my parents both have pensions, and we have some savings. We're not short of food or drink, so why not just pay for some peace and quiet?"

"Besides, what Chen Mo brought back before is enough for you and Xiaoman..."

As Lan's mother spoke, her voice grew softer and softer.

Recalling the words her new son-in-law had told her, she was momentarily unsure whether it was right or wrong for her to reveal everything now.

Lan Yujuan's mind was elsewhere. She had heard the first part of what was said clearly, but she was completely confused by the last sentence.

"Mom, that's just the kind of person he is!"

"Even if I were to return all 80 in cash and 20 in gold to him in one go, he might still take advantage of me because I agreed too readily."

"Moreover, even if I don't take a single penny, the past can never be erased."

"Xiaoman is his biological child. Since we made the decision together to bring Xiaoman into this world, it is his duty to pay for raising her."

"Therefore, there's absolutely no way I'll give it all back to him!"

After saying all this, Lan Yujuan suddenly remembered that she hadn't heard the last sentence clearly, and couldn't help but ask in detail:

"By the way, what did you say happened to Chen Mo?"

"Did he bring something home while I was out again?"

Mother Lan cleared her throat, stammering, but her mind was racing, and she thought to herself:

"Fine, let's listen to the son-in-law!"

"We'd better not tell our daughter yet that all the dowry for the couple's wedding will be sent to the Lan family for safekeeping by the elderly couple."

"What if my silly daughter does the same thing as before, refusing to accept any of them and sending them all back? Then the mother and daughter will have no one to rely on or any safety net in the future."

After figuring this out, Mother Lan immediately waved her hand.

"No, it's nothing."

"Go early and come back early, remember to be careful."

Lan Yujuan smiled and nodded, "Yes, Mom, I understand!"

"Don't worry, I chose the meeting place myself. It's a landmark coffee shop, right across from the police station."

"If I notice anything wrong, I'll call the police immediately. Nothing will happen."

After saying that, Lan Yujuan hugged her mother and then turned and went downstairs.

No sooner had she left than Lan's mother turned around, went back into the house, and called Chen Mo.

"Feed? Chen Mo, I'm Yu Juan's mother."

"That's right, Yujuan went home just now, changed her clothes, and then went out."

"I heard it was that woman surnamed Liu who specifically hired a lawyer to renegotiate with her..."

*

The afternoon sun was scorching. Lan Yujuan walked through the tree-lined streets and arrived at the coffee shop.

When she entered the store, she saw Liu Zhiyuan and another man in a suit waiting by the floor-to-ceiling window not far away.

"Enough with the chit-chat, let's get straight to the point!"

After putting down her bag, Lan Yujuan sat down opposite the two of them and spoke directly.

The two people opposite each other exchanged glances.

Then, Liu Zhiyuan, sporting a face covered in colorful patterns, spoke first:

"You've probably heard that the stock market hasn't been doing so well lately."

"Some time ago, I received inside information and was thinking of making a quick buck and then quitting."

"Not only did I invest all my savings from these years, but I also leveraged it."

Lan Yujuan already knew all this, so she wasn't too surprised to hear it now.

"You can't tell me these things."

"Just tell me directly how much money you need before you agree to stop bothering us?"

Liu Zhiyuan raised his hand and touched his chin, then smiled silently.

"You asked me how much I plan to ask for?"

"Okay, here's what we'll do: give me back my one million first. We can talk about the rest later."

Just then, the waiter brought over a cup of coffee.

Lan Yujuan glanced at it but showed no intention of drinking it. Instead, she turned around, took out a bottle of mineral water from her bag, and slowly began to drink it.

"You're asking for a million right off the bat?"

"Liu Zhiyuan, you really dare to dream!" Lan Yujuan twisted the bottle cap on and raised an eyebrow.

"Here's a good idea!"

"Anyway, you're all alone now. Although you're quite capable, you're carrying so much debt, you're probably having a tough time back home."

"How about this, you just apply for any project and go to Africa for aid!"

"Given your age and your computer skills, if you were placed in the vast and wild continent of Africa, you'd be considered a top-tier talent!"

"You can stay there for eight or ten years and then go back to China. You'll definitely earn a lot there."

"Don't even mention paying off your current debts; once you go back to China, you'll definitely be a small-time tycoon!"

Upon hearing these words, Liu Zhiyuan's face turned green, and he said with a gloomy expression:

"Lan Yujuan!"

"They say even a day as husband and wife is worth a hundred days of kindness, how could you humiliate me like this in front of outsiders?"

"So, are you just trying to climb the social ladder, or do you genuinely look down on me?"

Lan Yujuan looked at the other person and said with unusual calmness:

"What I say is what I mean verbally."

"Given your current situation, the only two good options I can think of are either to go out to sea on a ship or to provide aid to Africa."

"With your current skills, it's a bit of a waste for you to be a seaman on a ship. You might as well find another place and start over."

At this point, Lan Yujuan took a card out of her bag and placed it on the table.

"There's 20 in here, which is my bottom line. The password is Xiaoman's birthday."

"If you agree, have the lawyer draft a new contract. Once both parties sign it, the 20 will be yours."