The moment Shi Man stepped inside, she noticed the dining table was absolutely laden with food. Although Wang Qiqi had presented several scenarios, Shi Man knew breakfast would be lavish, but she hadn't expected it to be this abundant. "Heavens, Auntie, this is so embarrassing." How many hours must you have started cooking to prepare all this.

Han Tao and Gong Peixing struggled to bring the luggage upstairs. When they saw the spectacle on the dining table, they froze. "Mom, you, you..." Seeing this mountain of food, Han Tao knew his mother had likely been awake all night plotting the perfect spread for them, probably dragging herself out of bed at the crack of dawn again.

Luo Hongjuan watched the group lingering by the door and ushered them in. "Hurry up and eat, then those who need rest should go rest. I still need to go to the market for more groceries. Tao Tao, Man Man, what would you like me to cook?"

"Auntie, I want your braised pork," Shi Man said without pretense. Auntie's braised pork was excellent, but it was incredibly labor-intensive. Back in her senior year of high school, she'd only eaten Auntie's cooking a few times, but she remembered that taste vividly. Since Auntie offered, Shi Man summarily banished politeness to the farthest corner of her mind.

Han Tao sniffed the air. "Mom, I love everything you make." Having his wife pick him up and his mother waiting at home with delicious food made Han Tao feel that no matter how hard he worked, it was all worth it.

How could a mother not know what her son craved? Luo Hongjuan had already mapped out the entire dinner menu, featuring everyone's favorites. "Don't worry, you’ll be completely satisfied with tonight’s dinner. Eat up quickly; the congee is getting cold."

Han Tao walked over to the table and sat down, noticing it was century egg and lean pork congee. A pang of nostalgia hit him. When the family was poor in his childhood, meat was rare. Occasionally, when his mother made this congee, young Han Tao would consume a large amount—not because he loved congee, but because it contained meat. This misled his mother into thinking he adored the dish. "Thank you, Mom." Han Tao flashed a wide smile, grateful for Luo Hongjuan waking up so early. Whether he truly loved the congee or not, the point was that it represented his mother's heartfelt effort, wasn't it? Moreover, judging by the thickness, his mother must have stewed it for a long time, and certainly not in a pressure cooker. This was Han Tao’s preferred method of cooking congee; call him old-fashioned or fussy, but he genuinely felt congee simmered slowly over a stove was infinitely better than pressure-cooked.

"Why thank me? Don't be so polite; you should thank Qiqi." Luo Hongjuan beamed, satisfied to see her son looking slightly plumper than before he went to the States. She knew her daughter-in-law had taken excellent care of him. "Qiqi was busy with one thing after another in the US, and now she’s been busy with so much since returning home." Although the daughter-in-law was assertive, she treated her son wonderfully, perfectly managing the home front. Look at how Han Tao now achieved whatever he desired; Qiqi handled everything else herself. Such a wife was truly a treasure. "She’s been rushing around so much, she's lost weight." Luo Hongjuan knew girls nowadays preferred to be slender, but as an elder, she favored girls who were a bit rounder, believing such girls carried good fortune. When Qiqi was slightly heavier before, she radiated prosperity. Now, though not scrawny as a skeleton, she seemed fragile.

Wang Qiqi was actually quite content with her current state. Running around constantly in the US had boosted her metabolism, leading to weight loss. However, Luo Hongjuan was deeply dissatisfied with Qiqi’s appearance. Since returning to Beijing, Luo Hongjuan had been constantly feeding Wang Qiqi nourishing foods, adopting an almost aggressive approach to fatten her up. Wang Qiqi found this troubling. While she admitted to being slender, she knew she was solidly built. Furthermore, she occasionally visited Han Tao’s company gym to hit the heavy bag, so while her arms looked thin, her punches carried considerable force.

Shi Man looked at Wang Qiqi with commiseration. The last time she accompanied Feng Xuanxiang home, his mother—her potential mother-in-law—had gravely pulled Feng Xuanxiang aside, remarking that the girl was too thin, which was not conducive to childbearing. Later, when Shi Man heard Feng Xuanxiang joke about it, she was speechless. What did that even mean? It wasn't as if only thin women couldn't have children. She later realized Feng's mother believed women with wider hips were statistically more likely to bear sons. What could Shi Man say? She really wanted to retort that having a boy or a girl made no difference; if they only had boys, that would be the real tragedy.

Han Tao remained oblivious to the silent exchange between the two women. He was currently stuffing his face. Ever since Qiqi returned, he’d been living on burgers and sandwiches, occasionally treating himself to a buffet with Dai Lijun, but even so, Han Tao felt his quality of life had severely declined without his wife. Now that he finally had real cuisine before him, why wouldn't he gorge himself? Seeing her son show such appreciation only made Luo Hongjuan beam brighter. "Eat slowly, no rush."

"Here, have two dumplings." She casually placed two dumplings into Han Tao’s rice bowl.

"The steamed buns from this place are excellent. Qiqi said you enjoy these buns," Luo Hongjuan placed a bun in front of Han Tao.

"This kimchi is homemade, quite good. Taste it. If you like it, I’ll make more next time."

At first, the other three looked on with envy at Han Tao’s special treatment. But as they watched his bowl quickly fill with the dishes she served him, they retracted their envy. He was already on his second bowl of congee, and if he ate everything Luo Hongjuan handed him, Han Tao’s stomach would likely explode.

Han Tao looked at the pile of food already in his bowl, with more waiting outside for his attention. He sighed internally. While his appetite was good, the reality was— "Mom, I can’t eat that much, and Mom, I’ll be staying in the country for a few months."

Only then did Luo Hongjuan notice the surrounding mound of food piled next to her son's bowl. She chuckled sheepishly, casually taking a bite of something herself. "Qiqi, Man Man, Little Gong, don't be shy, eat more." Then she suddenly remembered something. "I put some extra food aside in the kitchen. Little Gong, take some back for Yaoyao when you leave." Last time they made wontons, Song Yao ate a great deal; she simply loved dumplings and wontons.

"Okay." Gong Peixing, after a long moment stabilizing his emotions, replied slowly. "Song Yao will be thrilled." Last night before bed, Song Yao had been counting down the minutes, calculating how much delicious food Luo Hongjuan would prepare, constantly telling Gong Peixing how lucky he was to get such a fine breakfast, failing to consider that he had to wake up early to meet the arriving guests.

After Gong Peixing left, carrying his provisions, Shi Man asked, "Your brother-in-law doesn't seem to be in a very good mood." Although he was smiling and chatting, Shi Man sensed an underlying unhappiness. She worried if their early flight back had somehow displeased him.

Wang Qiqi shook her head. "No, Brother-in-law isn't unhappy about that." Wang Qiqi guessed that seeing Luo Hongjuan treat Han Tao with such warmth must have reminded him of his own mother.

"He is a pitiable child too," Song Yao often confided in Luo Hongjuan about her mother-in-law, giving Luo Hongjuan some insight into the Gong family situation. Frankly, Luo Hongjuan deeply sympathized with Gong Peixing regarding his mother. Both were sons, yet the disparity in treatment was vast, and the mother-in-law considered her behavior perfectly normal and appropriate.

Wang Qiqi shrugged. Whether someone was pitiable depended on how they chose to handle things. If they had simply ignored the two elders of the Gong family after marriage, never visiting during festivals, treating them as non-entities, they likely wouldn't cause so much trouble. But because the couple insisted on filial piety—though Wang Qiqi suspected Song Yao primarily wanted to show off—the Gong family stuck to them like persistent cowhide. "Good people get taken advantage of. That's exactly what happened to Brother-in-law and them."

Once Wang Qiqi said that, the dining table fell silent. Shi Man wanted to ease the tension, but noticing the expressions on Han Tao and Luo Hongjuan, she quickly finished her meal and rushed off to bathe and rest. Though Luo Hongjuan felt a bit uncomfortable with Wang Qiqi’s statement, the logic was sound. For example, despite many calling Wang Qiqi unfilial, the subsequent troubles in Wang Dagui’s family, while loudly complained about, never dared to be brought into the open to challenge Wang Qiqi directly.

Han Tao shot Wang Qiqi a look, then turned to his mother. "Mom, once the new house is renovated, we’ll sort out the useful things and move everything over. We should rent out that old place."

Rent it out? Luo Hongjuan had only known they were moving to a new location while keeping the old house vacant. She hadn't considered renting it out. "Wouldn't it be nice just to leave it empty?"

Han Tao looked at his mother, who was still unaware of the full situation. "It's possible the Han family’s old house might have to be sold." Han Tao wasn't certain the information was true, but he reasoned that the source had no motive to deceive him. "My grandaunt’s youngest grandson studies computer science, and we chat online sometimes. He told me a few days ago. But the grandmother is apparently insisting on refusing, saying if the house sells, she’ll have nowhere to live. It seems they are considering moving into our old house."

Han Tao found the situation darkly amusing. The property portion belonging to his own father was already given to his uncle, and now they were targeting their own house? How shamelessly persistent could they be? Luo Hongjuan was stunned by this revelation. After a long silence, she asked, "Why sell the house? Don't we have two properties?" If the old woman had any major issue, there should have been some news.

"Apparently, Han Jun's house was sold behind their backs. You know the Han family—who else could they bully besides us? But they borrowed so much money for Han Jun’s wedding, those creditors won't let the Han family off the hook; they’re hounding them daily for repayment. And that 'good' uncle of mine came up with this idea." Han Tao wondered how that old crone would face the Han family ancestors if she died and went underground.

Luo Hongjuan was shocked that the house built through the hard work of her father-in-law and mother-in-law was being squandered so easily. "It's easy to ruin a fortune, hard to build one." When she married Han Tao's father, many told her she would live well because her father-in-law had already built two houses, one for each son. Who knew that after her father-in-law passed, the mother-in-law would instantly turn hostile and drive them out? And she had sacrificed so much for that beloved youngest grandson.

Wang Qiqi had no sentiment regarding the Han family's downfall; after all, the two branches had separated long ago, and it wouldn't be easy for the Han family to cling to Han Tao now. "A child's education is absolutely paramount. You can leave them no money, but you must leave them brains." Look at Han Jun—a person utterly devoid of sense or responsibility. "If that last house is being sold, will Han Jun even show his face?"

Han Tao smiled. "Do you think he will? He’s barely hanging onto the Ding family; why would he bother with his clearly burdensome maternal family?" He truly couldn't fathom what the old Mrs. Han was thinking; she was probably about to die of sheer frustration.

"The life his parents are living now is the life he’ll have later." Wang Qiqi didn't believe the Ding family would keep that kept man forever. Ding Meina was clearly charmed by Han Jun's gentle, coaxing demeanor, but the reality was he possessed no other merits aside from that. How capable was he? To put it plainly, he was just a pretty face. Would Ding Meina really support this dead weight indefinitely? Weren't there other flatterers outside eager to please her? Furthermore, the Ding family's business might not be stable forever. Only one person in the Ding family was earning, but many were spending, and they were doing so with the reckless abandon of the newly rich. Could the Ding family business truly continue smoothly?

"If he thinks it’s good, then so be it." Luo Hongjuan was speechless concerning her immature nephew. "A man who can tolerate the knowledge that a child isn't his is capable of endurance. But someone like him? What good can we expect?"

"Alright, it's not our business, let's stop worrying about it. Eat quickly and go to sleep." Luo Hongjuan noticed Wang Qiqi yawning repeatedly and knew she needed rest.

Han Tao settled onto Wang Qiqi’s tatami mat bed and was about to pull her close when he sighed. "Sigh, we'll really have to be careful about how we act here from now on." Many things wouldn't be as convenient as they were in the apartment they had been renting. "Let's go rent a place outside." Having one's own space was just easier, at least they wouldn't have to worry about a woman who didn't have her man around, a woman who was developing more and more of the aura of a powerful career woman.

"Rent is getting more expensive," Wang Qiqi deeply felt the impact of rising housing prices, with rent being the most direct indicator. "The rent for the place you used to rent has already gone up by five hundred. Even so, it was rented out quickly; it was in high demand. Besides, there aren't any small apartments nearby. You’re going to the US in January, and then it will be back and forth." That was all settled with the university, which was quite pleased with Han Tao, who brought honor to the school. Plus, he was in his final year; once his thesis was done, that was it.

Han Tao hummed in agreement. "I plan to get my thesis approved before the end of the year, then come back for the defense around March or April next year." Calculating it that way, renting a place truly seemed unnecessary.

"Oh, I plan to look for Li Qian after you leave for the US." Wang Qiqi had originally intended to visit Li Qian in Yunnan during the summer break. She thought looking at a property, paying the deposit, and finalizing things with the decorating company would be a quick process. Who knew it would drag on, leaving her no time for the Yunnan trip at all.

"She should be doing well lately, right?" Han Tao closed his eyes, resting his arm over Wang Qiqi's shoulder. "I ran into Li Zhe online recently, and he seems much more sensible than before. He's even working part-time to earn money." Li Zhe, right after arriving abroad, never considered working, but now he seemed much more mature.

Wang Qiqi was surprised that Li Zhe, who always carried the air of a rich young master, would take a job. But it was plausible. "I heard Li Xiangdong’s business isn't doing as well as before, especially since his current wife just gave birth to a daughter. Isn't he trying to hold onto money tighter?" She wondered if Li Xiangdong regretted marrying this woman. "I heard at a gathering of bosses in their circle, it was Li Xiangdong’s turn to treat, but that woman had placed a spending limit on his card, and he didn't even bring cash. It made him frantic."

Wang Qiqi couldn't fathom what that woman was thinking. Li Xiangdong, so concerned with appearances, ending up having someone else foot the bill—he must have been boiling inside. She knew that no matter how much Li Qian and he fought, he always took meticulous care of maintaining appearances for her sake. "People only realize who truly cares for them when they have someone else to compare against." Back then, she criticized Li Qian for this or that, praising the mistress for being so gentle and attentive. But now that she was in position, how quickly her attitude changed.

"She was trying hard to secure her position before. When Li Zhe came back from vacation for the New Year last year, that woman was incredibly wary of him." Han Tao recalled Li Zhe describing that stifling holiday, finding it both infuriating and amusing. "Li Zhe said he went into the kitchen looking for snacks, and that whole family stared at him as if he were about to steal something."

Hearing Han Tao's account, Wang Qiqi was speechless. "Does she think by doing that she can get rid of Li Zhe? Li Zhe is still entitled to an inheritance if he dies. Besides, does she think her position is secure?" Li Xiangdong cheated once; could he not cheat a second time? Though, given how closely he was monitored now, with his wallet controlled, cheating would be rather difficult. After all, someone who was once a mistress knows how to guard against a new one. "I doubt Li Xiangdong has much money left to give Li Zhe."

"He can barely look after himself, let alone his son?" Han Tao thought that a man who had been a boss for so many years being completely dominated by a young woman—if it were him, he'd rather die. Wait, Han Tao caught himself. Where did that thought come from? How could he ever do anything to betray Qiqi? "Li Zhe was so angry he only stayed in Beijing for a few days before going to Yunnan to find his mother."

"That's true. But Li Qian’s business is doing quite well now. With some money, she's buying property in Beijing or traveling to places that catch her interest." Wang Qiqi never expected Li Qian to fund a significant portion of her travels by writing travelogues. Also, she would select very unique items from places she visited to sell in her shop, resulting in a modest surplus. This gave Wang Qiqi another potential avenue for funding her own future dream of world travel, though Wang Qiqi worried about her own writing skills.

Wang Qiqi was drifting into a light sleep when she heard someone push the door open and walk softly to her bedside. "Qiqi, Qiqi, you have a call." Luo Hongjuan saw the couple sleeping soundly and hadn't wanted to wake them, but the person on the other end insisted it was urgent, so she called out softly.

Someone looking for her? Wang Qiqi squinted, slightly irritated. "Mom, ask who it is. I don't want to take the call." Wang Qiqi wondered who it could be at this hour. Her two bosses? They communicated via email, and she didn't have many urgent tasks. If it wasn't a money god trying to reach her, sleeping came first.

Luo Hongjuan watched Wang Qiqi turn over and resume sleeping. Recalling that the caller was a man, she figured if Qiqi didn't care, she might as well quickly return the call, making sure to note down the caller's name, and then ask her son if he knew who it was.

After Luo Hongjuan relayed that Wang Qiqi was unavailable, the caller angrily barked a name and hung up. Luo Hongjuan stared at the dial tone echoing from the receiver, scorn filling her. "What kind of person hangs up just after saying a name? Does he think he's a state leader?" Luo Hongjuan was also annoyed. A man called for Wang Qiqi, and when told she couldn't answer, he hung up so abruptly. What was his attitude?

Wang Qiqi stirred awake, vaguely remembering someone had tried to call her while she was asleep. "Mom, did someone call for me just now?"

Luo Hongjuan was surprised her daughter-in-law remembered. She nodded, feigning recollection, while scrutinizing Wang Qiqi's expression, trying to gauge her reaction to the name. "He said he was... it seemed to be Li Xiangdong." Luo Hongjuan paused before uttering the name she had already repeated in her mind hundreds of times.

Li Xiangdong? Good heavens! Wang Qiqi thought, how could someone be spoken of so soon after? Just a few hours ago, she and Han Tao had mentioned his name, and now he was calling her.

Hearing the name surprised not only Wang Qiqi but also Han Tao, whose hand, holding his coffee cup, actually shook. "Li Xiangdong is looking for you?" Han Tao found it very strange. Since his divorce from his wife, Li Xiangdong had called Wang Qiqi very few times; Han Tao couldn't even recall the last time.

Wang Qiqi shrugged, indicating he didn't know either, but he was glad he hadn't answered that call earlier; otherwise, he wouldn't have gotten any decent sleep. "Who knows why they were looking for me? It’s never good news, though. Mom, did he leave a number?"

Seeing that her son already knew who it was and they both looked like they wanted nothing to do with the caller, Luo Hongjuan started wondering just who this person was, capable of eliciting such a reaction from her usually good-tempered son. "No, he didn't leave one."

When Wang Qiqi heard that Li Xiangdong hadn't left a number, his heart soared. Now he had a perfect excuse not to call back. Oh yes! Wang Qiqi thought, Li Xiangdong still thinks of himself as my boss, ha! If it were truly urgent, he would have called. RS