Taotao quieted down soon enough, but as soon as he settled into the car, he piped up, "Auntie, Auntie, did you bring Taotao anything this time?" What Taotao loved most about Wang Qiqi was that his aunt frequently bought him gifts, and in his memory, his aunt was always gentle with him. Of course, if he misbehaved, his aunt would certainly not treat him with kid gloves. Thus, Taotao harbored a complex mix of love and resentment toward Wang Qiqi.

Wang Qiqi knew the boy would inevitably ask about presents. "Presents? Your aunt didn't bring any," Wang Qiqi teased Taotao.

Hearing his aunt say she brought nothing, Taotao, though not throwing a tantrum, let his face fall. He kicked his feet back and forth incessantly, signaling his displeasure.

Wang Qiqi smiled, watching Taotao throw a minor fit. Thankfully, he didn't throw himself down and throw a complete scene like many children would. "Brother-in-law, it seems things are going well. You even bought a car."

Gong Peixing expertly turned the steering wheel, making a corner. "It really is inconvenient without a car. This way, picking up and dropping off Taotao for school is easier, and running errands is faster too." Back in his hometown, he was used to having a car; arriving in the capital without one always felt off, even though taxis were plentiful. Nothing beats the convenience of one's own vehicle.

"Yes, having a car is just convenient," Wang Qiqi sighed. It wasn't too difficult to get a license plate in the capital these days, was it? "Brother-in-law, do you know of any driving schools nearby?" If she learned domestically, getting a license in the US later would be quicker.

"You want to learn to drive?" Gong Peixing paused to consider. "I'm more familiar with the situation back home; I really don't know this area."

"Getting a license in China is a hassle. Why don't you just go get one in the US? Isn't it supposed to be really easy to get a driver's license in America?" Gong Peixing recalled his own experience getting his license—it was a painful ordeal. That was even after he pulled strings. Otherwise, if the instructor or examiner made things slightly difficult, sorry, you had to pay and learn all over again, and the teacher needed another 'gift.' Gong Peixing truly didn't want to revisit that process. When Song Yao learned later, she wasn't nearly as anxious as he had been. That was partly because he had gotten a feel for things; it wasn't about skipping fees through connections, but about properly pleasing the instructor. Then there was no need to worry.

"I just want to get a license here to practice my driving skills. You know how expensive labor is abroad. If the car gets damaged, the repair costs will be substantial," Wang Qiqi explained. She really just wanted to practice driving domestically so she could pass the test easily. Quick progress meant saving on tuition fees.

Gong Peixing looked at Wang Qiqi, who was constantly calculating expenses. He wanted to tell her that this was trivial money, that she didn't need to be so frugal. But then he remembered what his wife had said about Qiqi and Han Tao buying a house and ending up with debt stretching back to the US. "Qiqi, if you're short on money, just say so. I can't help with the loan in the US, but I can certainly pitch in for the domestic one." Business at the shop was much better now, especially with the goods Shi Man brought back from the US to sell. While not top-sellers, they were doing well enough, and more importantly, younger customers favored them, yielding decent profits.

"Thank you, Brother-in-law. We have enough money, it just means we can't buy a house for the next couple of years," Wang Qiqi thanked Gong Peixing for his kindness again. "Does Han Tao’s mother know how much debt we incurred abroad? She hasn't had a good night's sleep for days, has she?" Although the elderly lady kept insisting she was fine and not worried about her son and daughter-in-law, Wang Qiqi knew that was impossible.

Gong Peixing had been reluctant to bring it up, but since Wang Qiqi mentioned it, he nodded. "You have no idea. When she found out you were buying a house, she asked your sister if you had enough money. Later, when she heard you had to repay loans, she was so worried she barely slept, constantly fretting you wouldn't eat or drink properly because of the repayment." Being a mother himself, Gong Peixing recalled that when his own mother heard he was living in a house bought with money borrowed from his in-laws, she wasn't worried at all. Instead, she told Gong Peixing how fortunate he was to have married a wealthy wife and advised him not to forget his family once he had money, completely overlooking the fact that the house loan still needed repayment.

Wang Qiqi noticed Gong Peixing's expression wasn't great and realized he was thinking about his own parents again.

"I was quite worried initially too. Luckily, I met a great boss," Wang Qiqi changed the subject. "Brother-in-law, the neighborhood we're in now is nice. If you have time during the Spring Festival, come spend it at my place." Wang Qiqi knew her brother-in-law didn't have many relatives to visit during the holiday and mostly stayed home.

"That sounds good," Gong Peixing readily agreed. It would be an opportunity to take his wife and child out for a change. Song Yao had been married to him for so many years, and he hadn't taken her out properly. Their last trip to the capital was for other reasons. "But getting that visa might be tricky."

When Wang Qiqi heard Gong Peixing mention the visa, she was reminded of the major upcoming event: US visas were going to be very difficult to obtain for the next two years. She couldn't say anything discouraging right then, lest Gong Peixing misunderstand her intentions. "We'll figure out a way then," Wang Qiqi thought. She then recalled that her mother-in-law and her maternal side of the family had completely fallen out. If she couldn't go to the US, she'd have to persuade Song Yao and her husband to spend a few relaxing days at a seaside resort instead.

Gong Peixing had no suspicions about Wang Qiqi's words. He knew Qiqi would find a way to get the visa; remember how those young girls managed to get visas to Europe when they were just freshmen? If they hadn't had that sudden idea, many people's fates—including his own, Han Tao's, and perhaps even Qiqi's boyfriend's decision to study in the US—would have been different. "We can take your sister to New York for a visit then. She’s very interested in New York."

"Let's hope your wallet doesn't suffer too much damage then," Wang Qiqi understood the allure of New York for a woman. Honestly, the last time she was there, if she hadn't exercised restraint, Han Tao’s salary card would have been maxed out.

"Well, well, well..." Gong Peixing remembered the look in Song Yao's eyes when they went to Shanghai before the wedding to buy her dowry—it was absolutely terrifying. Don't assume she rarely shopped domestically now just because most of the clothes and jewelry she owned were imported. She often looked down on many clothes. But if she went to a department store in New York... Gong Peixing really didn't want to contemplate the scene; it would be too horrifying. "Qiqi, you must keep an eye on your sister then. You know what she’s like." Gong Peixing knew he couldn't restrain Song Yao. If his wife just gave him a stern look, batted her eyelashes, or acted coquettishly, Gong Peixing’s brain would overheat, and he’d instantly agree. The problem was, his wallet couldn't keep up.

"You want me to play the bad guy?" Wang Qiqi immediately understood Gong Peixing's angle. She wasn't stupid. "It's not my money being spent. As long as my sister is happy, let her spend," she reasoned. Besides, Wang Qiqi knew that Song Yao might get excited initially, but once that initial burst passed, she would quickly regain her composure. "Don't worry. My sister isn't unfamiliar with fine things. She won't let you go bankrupt."

Gong Peixing knew Wang Qiqi wouldn't fully help, at best offering a small suggestion or two from the sidelines. That was enough for him. "How is Song Ziwen's new house? I heard the environment is excellent."

Wang Qiqi nodded, excitedly describing the floor plan of her new home to Gong Peixing, though he had heard it all before. "It's just a bit pricey. When Han Tao’s mom heard, she said it was a waste since they’ll only use it during the Spring Festival." Gong Peixing recalled Wang Qiqi mentioning buying a house back home, and Han Tao’s mother had commented that it seemed wasteful. "She just thinks the money would be better used exchanged for foreign currency to pay down the mortgage." Gong Peixing remembered his wife’s earlier caution and worried that if the old lady brought it up again, the easily provoked Wang Qiqi might argue with her, leading to an awkward situation.

Wang Qiqi had already accounted for this, which was why she moved back to her hometown immediately. "Too many relatives knew the address of the previous house, and after everything that happened, moving out was essential."

Gong Peixing grunted in agreement. "Did you see Wang Rui when you went back?"

Wang Qiqi shook her head. "No. I was busy looking at houses, running to design firms to finalize blueprints and select materials, and then helping Song Ziwen with his business." Wang Qiqi felt absolutely swamped. Even her translation work required her to move her laptop to Yang Jing's shop during the day to download files, then translate them at night, emailing the finished drafts back when she returned to the shop the next day. Given how busy she was, there was no way she would see Wang Rui. "Did something happen to her again?" Gong Peixing’s expression seemed grim. Had that Wang Rui girl stirred up trouble or needed Wang Damei to clean up her mess again?

"She broke up with that man she was with before." Although Wang Damei repeatedly warned Song Ziwen and Song Yao not to tell Wang Qiqi about this, knowing the strained relationship between the sisters, Wang Qiqi might mock Wang Rui’s drama. Perhaps Song Ziwen and his wife would heed Wang Damei’s advice and keep it from Qiqi. But since Song Yao and her husband were developing their careers in the capital, how could they possibly keep such news hidden? Moreover, Song Yao never forgot the stunts Wang Rui pulled right around her wedding.

Wang Rui broke up again? Wang Qiqi was momentarily stunned, but then she thought about her previous boyfriends. Back then, Wang Qiqi felt their relationship wouldn't last or never had a future. Even though Wang Rui kept praising her boyfriend’s talent and wealth, Wang Qiqi sensed from his talk and their dinner gathering that he was just a playboy. Wang Rui was also a playgirl, so they seemed like a match. But a man could play around until his forties or fifties as long as he had money; did a woman have that kind of stamina? Besides, a frequent player would encounter many temptations. Over time, a sense of boredom would set in. Once the man grew tired of Wang Rui, and a fresh prospect conveniently appeared, Wang Qiqi was certain he wouldn't hesitate to pounce. And given Wang Rui's personality, how could she possibly tolerate that?

Wang Qiqi was automatically picturing Wang Rui dumping the guy when Gong Peixing interjected with a fact that greatly surprised her. "Wang Rui dumped him; she found a man from Hong Kong."

Wang Qiqi blinked. "Huh? Wang Rui dumped him?" That was completely different from what she imagined. "A Hong Kong man? Surely not an old man?"

Gong Peixing nodded. "Yes, someone in his fifties. Qiqi, isn't that being a third party?" He wondered how furious their mother-in-law must be. She was so angry she hadn't gotten out of bed for days, constantly crying that Wang Rui had disgraced the entire Wang family.

"She wouldn't be foolish enough to say that out loud, would she?" Wang Qiqi thought. Wang Rui valued her reputation; how could she admit the truth? "Her father must have revealed the situation, maybe focusing on the most important part: the man's age."

"Of course, he might be a widower," Wang Qiqi offered as a defense. "But she’s so young; how could she find a man over fifty? It’s completely mismatched."

"That’s not the point. Do you know the main issue? How much money Wang Rui extorted from her ex-boyfriend," Gong Peixing said, his anger stemming from the financial aspect. Who Wang Rui chose as a boyfriend, even if she became a mistress, was their own business. But the problem was getting everyone else entangled.

Wang Qiqi finally understood the core issue. It seemed the foolish girl had done something outrageous that had angered Song Yao and her husband. She was curious why Song Ziwen and his wife hadn't said anything. It seemed impossible for Song Yao and her husband, who were far away in the capital, to know, while Song Ziwen and his wife didn't. At that moment, she recalled Yang Jing’s slightly strange expression when Song Ziwen mentioned Wang Damei and Wang Dahui going on a trip. At the time, Wang Qiqi dismissed it as a mother-in-law issue, but now she suspected another reason. "Wait, did Auntie go to Yunnan for the trip only after learning about this?" Wang Qiqi pressed.

Gong Peixing grunted in confirmation. "What choice did we have? You don't know that Wang Dahui keeps showing up at the door. My father-in-law couldn't handle it anymore. Since there was a company activity, he took her out."

"Wow, but that is exactly the kind of thing Wang Dahui would do," Wang Qiqi thought, feeling relieved that she had already fallen out with that family and wasn't developing her career back home. Otherwise, the shameless Wang Dahui would definitely forget everything and come looking for her.

"Tell me about it," Gong Peixing grumbled. The Wang Dahui family was a jinx. Whenever trouble struck, they expected relatives to help. Remember how arrogant Wang Rui was when she brought her boyfriend home, acting as if, 'So what if you’re rich? I have rich connections now too!' Well, look at her now—she dumped her boyfriend and created a massive problem. "The other party demanded that if the 100,000 yuan isn't paid back before school starts in September, they won't be responsible for what happens to Wang Rui."

Gong Peixing hesitated to tell Wang Qiqi some things. Wang Dahui had described the threat in terrifying detail—like the other party would disfigure Wang Rui, cut off a part of her body, or... After hearing Song Ziwen recount it, Gong Peixing could only wonder if Wang Rui had dated a thug, otherwise, how could a university student speak like that?

"One hundred thousand?" Wang Qiqi was dumbfounded. "Good heavens, how long have they been dating? And doesn't her dad give her money every month? Didn't she brag about earning money through part-time work too?" That seemed like an excessive amount. "Besides, maybe the other party is just trying to scare Wang Rui. This is a country under the rule of law; how could they do that?"

"Wang Rui said the person wasn't bluffing. Apparently, one of the other party's cousins is a well-known hoodlum over there," Gong Peixing was utterly speechless regarding Wang Rui. How could she get involved with such a person? And if she did, didn't she know the gravity of the situation? Flashing a green hat at her boyfriend like that—no man would tolerate it.

Wang Qiqi conceded defeat to Wang Rui. "One hundred thousand is a small issue for a man in his fifties, right?" Wang Qiqi reasoned that while it might not be a small sum in the mainland, for someone from Hong Kong, even if it was a large figure, it shouldn't be impossible to resolve. Couldn't Wang Rui just charm him a little? "Why does this require Auntie to solve it?" Did Wang Dahui and his daughter assume Wang Damei's tolerance meant she would always be good to them? Wang Qiqi knew Wang Damei was good to Wang Dahui partly to maintain her own reputation externally, which didn't cost much money and kept him from bothering Song Yao and Song Ziwen. But this amount was huge. Why would she be willing to pay so much? Furthermore, if Song Wenbo found out, wouldn't he have opinions?

"If not Mom, then who will solve it?" Gong Peixing sneered. "Does he really think our money grows on trees?" They didn't object to funding Wang Rui's education initially, thinking a university degree would give her a better future. But they never expected that after just two years of university down south, the girl would cause such a huge mess. Song Ziwen and Song Yao certainly weren't willing to foot the bill. They knew that even if they paid this money, the ungrateful Wang Rui wouldn't take it to heart; she’d just think her older siblings were rich and feel entitled to create more trouble for the Song family to resolve.

"On what grounds?" Wang Qiqi thought Wang Rui's scheme was too clever. "Maybe they ran out of money and came up with a way to scam you guys. Did you see this Hong Kong man? And even if it's true, how could she spend that much in just over a year?" Wang Qiqi analyzed.

"Ah." Gong Peixing and the others had only analyzed the monetary figure. They hadn't broken down the situation like Wang Qiqi. Hearing her first hypothesis, they realized it wasn't entirely impossible. "They were still sweethearts when they came back in May, so how did the cheating issue start in July? Is she lying to her own father too?"

"I don't know about that," Wang Qiqi couldn't discuss whether Wang Dahui knew the truth in front of Gong Peixing. Since the facts were unknown, if Wang Rui was truly trying to scam money and deliberately hiding it from her father, that girl had no conscience. She should consider what her future would be if this came out. Wang Damei wouldn't let her off, and Wang Dahui, realizing the daughter he thought would be his future reliance was deceiving him for money, would probably explode with anger.

As soon as Gong Peixing spoke, he realized he was wrong. He was openly questioning elders, especially with a child in the car who might suddenly blurt something out. If those words reached his mother-in-law, it would be blatant gossip about elders. "Alright, we're here. Qiqi, are you getting out to rest, or staying in the car to relax?" Although the shop had a lounge, customers came in frequently for short stops, making proper rest impossible.

Wang Qiqi shook her head. "I still have things to do." Song Yao wouldn't let herself rest, and if Gong Peixing was that agitated, Song Yao couldn't possibly be calm.

Song Yao and Luo Hongjuan hadn't seemed right since they opened the shop, frequently looking outside. Even the usually calm Lu Qiaowei was similar. It wasn't that she was overly thrilled about Qiqi's return, but rather the items Wang Qiqi brought back from the US for Dai Lijun were near Qiqi.

"They're here, they're here," Song Yao shouted excitedly upon seeing the familiar car pull up to the storefront and darted out. Luo Hongjuan, who had seemed agitated earlier, calmed down instead. She sat quietly in her seat reading a book. If one looked closely, it was an English book. Ever since the old lady found out she would be going abroad too, she had dedicated herself to learning English. Although her memory had declined with age, she diligently reviewed her English book every day. She knew this was the only way she wouldn't hold her son and daughter-in-law back overseas. The old lady didn't ask for much; she just needed to know how to navigate a supermarket or find her way back when going out.

"Qiqi, Qiqi!" Song Yao rushed over and hugged her sister. "Come look at the big landowner returning from the US!" Her little sister was so blessed; she bought a house in the US before even graduating.

Song Yao’s grip was so tight that Wang Qiqi could barely draw a breath. It was Gong Peixing who finally stepped in to gently pull Song Yao back. As Wang Qiqi gulped in the fresh air, she realized just how wonderful life could be. “Sis, I almost suffocated! I know you’re jealous of me, but you don’t have to take it this far. Besides, sis, you also forgot to mention I’ve racked up another massive debt.” Wang Qiqi immediately pulled a face that looked like a bitter gourd and thrust it close to Song Yao. “Look at me—haven’t I gotten thinner? These days, I’m so busy chasing money that I can’t even sleep otherwise.” She felt like she was living the life of a struggling protagonist in a novel.

At this, Song Yao scoffed. “That’s on you. If you hadn’t bought a house, none of this would be an issue.” Song Yao had to admire the audacity of both Wang Qiqi and Han Tao. They hadn’t even officially moved to the States yet, but they had already bought property there. The foreigners were bold too, actually agreeing to offer a loan.

“Do you think I wanted this?” Wang Qiqi felt quite fortunate, actually. “You know, after we bought our place, more and more people followed suit. I heard half the units in that complex have already been sold. It hasn't even been built that long. In a few more years, once Han Tao and I settle down and our finances improve, the housing prices might not stay put, and we might not find anything else we like.” Compared to the skyrocketing property values back home, the overseas housing market felt quite manageable that day.