After seeing Wang Dagui and his daughter off at the door of the restaurant, Song Ziwen’s face immediately clouded over. “Mom, have you been living too comfortably lately, making me take them back?” Song Ziwen felt utterly stifled during the meal. “This was supposed to be a dinner celebrating Qiqi’s university graduation, what business did that brother of yours and his lot have intruding?”

From the moment he went home to pick up Wang Qiqi and the others, Song Ziwen’s mood had been foul. It was supposed to be a perfectly pleasant family gathering, but having those few detestable nuisances spoil it felt absolutely awful. “And from now on, don't let them step foot in my house. Otherwise, I worry things might go missing around here.”

Yang Jing, holding Niuniu, remained quiet on the side. She couldn't forget how Wang Rui had stared at her neck throughout the entire meal, constantly commenting on how beautiful the necklace was, as if demanding it if she wanted it. Yang Jing thought that girl was practically one sentence away from saying, "I want the necklace around your neck, give it to me." It wasn't that Yang Jing was reluctant to part with a necklace; it was that Wang Rui had absolutely no social grace. They went to Hong Kong for the New Year, and upon their return, there were no gifts for the elders, peers, or juniors—not even a piece of pastry. Yang Jing couldn't fathom how Wang Rui had the nerve to say what she did today. Furthermore, Wang Rui arrived as a guest empty-handed, without even buying a piece of fruit for Niuniu. Yang Jing concluded that this cousin of theirs was truly shrewd.

Song Wenbo also wore a look of deep dissatisfaction towards Wang Damei, his tone far from gentle. “Didn't you hear your brother say Wang Rui found herself a rich son-in-law? They might have money, so taking a taxi shouldn't be an issue.” Hmph, rich people? Song Wenbo thought. Just some older Hong Kong man with a bit of asset. Even if he is an older man, he already has a wife. Song Wenbo felt that if this were his own daughter, he would have driven her out of the house long ago, instead of bragging about how wonderful or successful she was. Song Wenbo confirmed yet again that he and Wang Dagui were simply not on the same wavelength. “If they want to visit in the future, they can go to their own home, but do not receive them at Ziwen’s place.” The avarice in their eyes upon entering the house had greatly displeased Song Wenbo.

Wang Qiqi and Yang Jing did not join the conversation, but their silence clearly indicated their stance.

Wang Damei was aware of how awkward the dinner had been, but what could she do? “It’s over now; what else do you want me to do?” Wang Damei thought that when Wang Rui called her, saying she was back from school and wanted to visit her, how could she, as an aunt, refuse her visit?

Wang Damei’s tone betrayed her unhappiness, so everyone naturally chose to drop the subject, lest Wang Damei erupt and make things unpleasant for them. “Qiqi, do you want a late-night snack?” Having not eaten her fill during dinner, Song Ziwen naturally wanted to find another place to continue the evening.

A late-night snack? Wang Qiqi certainly did. Although it violated her health regimen, she truly hadn't eaten much for dinner. “The snack will be on me.”

“Isn’t there that good congee place? I heard their side dishes are quite nice too,” Wang Qiqi recalled Song Yao mentioning it a few times. Besides breakfast, Wang Qiqi disliked having congee for a main meal, so she had never gone. This time, she figured, why not go?

Congee? Song Ziwen thought that was boring. “A late-night snack should be beer and crayfish.” That’s what felt right, although maybe some plain boiled edamame would be nice too. “I know a place with great late-night food. Mom, Dad, are you coming?”

Song Wenbo was tempted, but he glanced worriedly at Wang Damei; any outing required his wife’s approval. Wang Damei replied irritably, “You two go ahead. Be back early, and don’t drink too much, you have to drive.” She was staying home to look after the children.

“We’ll take a taxi,” Song Ziwen knew the old man would be moved. His mother would stay home with the kids. Things were unfolding exactly as he had predicted.

“Drink a little less; you have work tomorrow,” Wang Damei instructed her son and daughter-in-law as they headed out.

Honestly, Wang Qiqi had never experienced the nightlife of her hometown. During high school, she was preoccupied with securing her assets and getting into a good university. After returning, she often just stayed home; her version of nightlife consisted only of eating a meal or singing karaoke. Forget clubbing—she rarely even had late-night snacks. She never imagined that after so long, the late-night food scene would have expanded to such large, bustling stalls.

Song Ziwen, familiar with the area, led Wang Qiqi to a specific stall. “Boss, how are the crayfish tonight?”

The boss looked up, recognized Song Ziwen, wiped his hands, and pulled two cigarettes from his pocket to offer Song Ziwen and Song Wenbo. “The crayfish are good today. The usual order?”

“Start with fifty crayfish, then a few appetizers to go with the drinks. Qiqi, is there anything you particularly like? The boss here is a good cook.” Song Ziwen frequented this spot for late-night meals, and the boss knew his tastes, often serving dishes based on the day’s freshest ingredients.

Wang Qiqi looked at the shop, which didn't seem to have booming business, wondering if the owner was struggling. But Song Ziwen was quite picky, and since he was familiar with the boss, the food must be decent. Wang Qiqi glanced at the raw ingredients displayed in the counter cabinet and ordered a few vegetable dishes, plus fish and shrimp. The boss jotted down the order and said, “You two find a place to sit first.” After noting the order, the boss started cooking.

As Song Ziwen passed a cooler, he grabbed a few bottles of soda. “Dad, do you want beer or yellow wine?”

“Yellow wine.”

“Brother, I don’t like cold drinks,” Wang Qiqi genuinely disliked iced beverages; she preferred warm ones.

“Not cold?” Song Ziwen flagged down a passing server. “Qiqi, what do you want?”

“Bring bottled mineral water,” Wang Qiqi usually stuck to mineral water when outside. Everyone had previously assumed she was trying to save money, but seeing that the water she drank wasn't the cheapest brand, they stopped making comments.

Not long after Wang Qiqi and the others sat down, the cold dishes arrived. “The mixed tofu skin is quite good, and the texture of these chicken feet is also decent,” Song Ziwen briefly introduced the appetizers before quickly grabbing some food. He truly hadn't eaten much dinner and felt quite hungry. “Eat up quickly. It’s thanks to your smart brother that I saw that group of people and immediately changed venues. Qiqi, tonight’s dinner doesn't count; I’ll treat you again tomorrow.”

Song Ziwen thought how fortunate it was that he had the foresight to text his wife immediately, telling her to cancel the reserved private room and switch locations. “I should have just eaten at the restaurant near the complex; at least I wouldn’t have walked away starving.” The loss would have been smaller that way.

“You should have just eaten at home,” Song Wenbo said, thinking of the untouched dishes still on the table, feeling a pang of regret. “Come, let’s toast. Qiqi, Uncle wishes you a smooth path ahead.”

“Thank you, Uncle,” Wang Qiqi took a large sip of water instead of wine. “Uncle, drink a little less, or Aunt will have something to say.” Wang Damei was already in a bad mood; if she saw Song Wenbo come home drunk, who knew what she would say next.

Song Wenbo waved his hand. “It’s fine. Your aunt, that woman, only cares about saving face. If she doesn't argue with me, I'll argue with her! By the way, tomorrow, if your mother suggests your uncle should come work on the cabinetry, remember how to respond. I already told your mother that your place doesn't lack hands.” Wang Damei was kind-hearted, but sometimes a few flattering words would make her agree to people’s requests. If the person was decent, it was no big deal to lend a small hand, but the problem was Wang Dagui—if he got a job there, would he honestly show up to work? Song Wenbo suspected he would use his status as the boss's relative to throw his weight around at the factory. Such a person wasn't coming to work; he was coming to cause trouble.

Song Ziwen was so shocked by his father’s words that he forgot to pick up food. “Heavens, no way.”

“Aunt agreed to let him work at Brother’s factory?” Wang Qiqi thought Wang Damei must have lost her mind. Why would she think of inviting Wang Dagui to work at Song Ziwen’s factory? Wang Dagui was a known loafer. It was only after his parents died without any support and Wang Rui’s mother divorced him that he finally straightened up and started working seriously. Wang Qiqi was certain that if he worked at Song Ziwen’s factory, it would be a miracle if he didn't drag things down.

Yang Jing also looked visibly anxious. Their family savings had been poured into that factory, and it still wasn't enough; both sets of parents had chipped in to support the couple. Song Ziwen was busy with factory matters daily, yet his mother-in-law was pulling a stunt like this now. If it weren't for her father-in-law being present, she would have slammed the table. Yang Jing thought she needed to reaffirm her stance with Song Ziwen once they got home—Wang Dagui was a drain the factory could not afford.

“Your mother, sigh... I’ve already made my position clear. Ziwen, you must refuse when the time comes.” Song Wenbo had been worried about how to approach his son about this, relieved that his wife hadn't brought up the topic at the dinner table.

Song Ziwen responded with a vague, “Ohhh... No wonder I felt like Uncle was looking at me with a request in his eyes today, but when I looked back, he dared not meet my gaze.” Song Ziwen wished the topic had been raised at the table instead. “I should have just lost my temper then and gotten it over with. His family has thick skin; they come begging me for favors empty-handed, yet they still try to maintain an elder’s pretense.” Song Ziwen kept snorting dismissively. Wang Dagui—he had thoroughly marked him down now. A relative should be taken care of, but calculating relatives who take advantage during times like these should be discarded. “Why does he need a job? Didn’t Wang Rui find herself a rich boyfriend?” Song Ziwen suddenly remembered something. Wasn't Wang Rui so capable? Couldn't she just get more money out of that man’s pocket?

Song Wenbo knew this well. The mere thought that his niece was involved with another woman’s husband made him deeply uncomfortable. “A rich boyfriend? That depends on whether the man is willing to give.” Wang Qiqi coldly observed Wang Rui’s attire; she didn't look like she’d benefited much from that man. If he really treated her as well as she claimed, why would she be coveting the necklace on Yang Jing’s neck?

Early that morning, Wang Qiqi was still sound asleep when she was jolted awake by an earth-shaking commotion. Yawning, Wang Qiqi reluctantly opened her eyes and found Yang Jing there. “Sister-in-law, I slept very late yesterday.” She hadn't gotten home until past midnight, then had to wash up, chat with Han Tao Yu across the ocean, and only then logged off to sleep. Wang Qiqi glanced at the alarm clock—it was barely past seven. She had only slept a little over four hours, something Wang Qiqi found unacceptable.

Yang Jing knew her visit was a bit early, especially seeing how tired Wang Qiqi looked, but the truth was that her own home had turned into a battlefield. The mother and son were fighting fiercely. “Ziwen, Ziwen and Mom are fighting!”

Wang Qiqi heard that her brother and his mother were arguing and didn't take it seriously. “Sister-in-law, my brother argues with Aunt often.” Wang Qiqi recalled how much they used to fight over Song Ziwen dating. She didn't see this as a major issue; besides, they were mother and son, not a mother-in-law/daughter-in-law nightmare, so resolving it should be easy.

Yang Jing looked at Wang Qiqi, who was preparing to go back to sleep, and sighed. She shook Wang Qiqi awake with more force. “They are fighting so fiercely, Qiqi, hurry up and get up. I need to bring Niuniu over.” Yang Jing suddenly worried about how her daughter would react seeing her grandmother and father fighting so violently.

Wang Qiqi finally managed to focus a little and noticed the anxiety on Yang Jing’s face. “What happened to them?”

“It’s about Wang Dagui,” Yang Jing exclaimed, completely dropping formalities. Dealing with that man was so infuriating; they were fighting over him first thing in the morning!

When Wang Qiqi heard it was about him, several sharp curses flew from her lips. “Sister-in-law, I’m coming right over!” Wang Qiqi quickly pulled on her robe and slipped it over her pajamas, skipping washing up, and ran like a madwoman to the apartment next door.

As the two women opened their door, they saw Song Wenbo holding the wailing Niuniu, intending to go to Qiqi’s apartment. Upon seeing Yang Jing, Niuniu kept crying out, “Mommy, Mommy,” wanting Yang Jing to take her.

Song Wenbo breathed a sigh of relief seeing Yang Jing and swiftly placed Niuniu in her arms. “You stay here with Qiqi.” He realized that even with the two women intervening, they wouldn't resolve the issue. Song Wenbo hadn't expected Wang Damei to become so enraged over such a small matter. And if his wife stayed home, she might say something she couldn't take back, making things worse. “I’ll quickly bring over some formula I mixed for Niuniu.”

Yang Jing knew her father-in-law didn’t want her involved, and she wasn't eager to jump in either. “Dad, I’ll stay here with Niuniu then.” Sigh, maybe my mother-in-law has been enjoying life too much lately.

The moment Wang Qiqi stepped into Song Ziwen’s room, she was hit by the intense sound of a man and a woman arguing fiercely. “Brother, Brother!” Wang Qiqi saw Song Ziwen agitatedly shouting at Wang Damei and immediately rushed over to stop her brother from speaking; arguing wouldn't solve anything in the current situation.

Song Wenbo also pulled on Wang Damei. “Alright, alright, talk it out calmly. You two...”

Wang Damei roughly shook off Song Wenbo. “This needs to be settled clearly! How can he act like this towards his own uncle? Doesn't your uncle just want a job at the factory? Your uncle has genuinely improved now!” Wang Damei was distressed because even though Wang Dagui was much better than before, when her son’s factory needed workers, why would this stubborn boy refuse to agree? “He is your elder, after all.”

As she spoke, Wang Damei moved toward Song Ziwen, trying to dominate him with her presence. Song Ziwen’s hand was held firmly by Wang Qiqi. He had initially thought he might concede slightly, as arguing wasn’t the way to resolve the core issue, but the problem was his own mother showed no inclination to negotiate. “If he were doing well at his current unit, why would he come to me? He’s not at retirement age, is he? And his own factory has good returns, right?”

Song Wenbo also looked at Wang Damei with clear disapproval. “What you’re doing here is truly unfair. This is your son’s factory, not yours, and not mine either. Once Wang Dagui is in, how will Song Ziwen manage him? And your son is right; if Wang Dagui were truly competent, would he leave his job?”

Wang Damei hadn’t considered that point. “Da Gui’s workload at the company is heavy, and his health isn’t great. I wanted him to oversee things a bit at Ziwen’s factory; he would surely pay more attention to it.” Wang Damei wanted Wang Dagui to be inside her son’s factory so that when the factory developed well, her son could look after this uncle. “And Wang Rui, you know that girl; don’t rely on her to treat Da Gui well in the future. I know Da Gui hasn’t been perfect, but he’s my only younger brother.”

If Wang Damei continued to be stubborn and unreasonable, Song Ziwen could maintain his hard line against her. However, this sudden display of weakness from a certain someone left them unsure of how to proceed.

“But didn’t Wang Rui find herself a rich boyfriend? Besides, why doesn't she go to her daughter for help, instead of dumping this burden on my brother?” Wang Qiqi pouted from the side. In any case, she didn't get along with Wang Dagui, and Wang Damei couldn't get too angry at her. “If you accept this burden just because he asked once, he will certainly push his luck later.”

“Exactly, Mom, are you my mother or my enemy?” Song Ziwen snapped back to reality. Now was not the time to change his stance because of his mother’s show of vulnerability. He had to stand firm. “Mom, think about it: when they went to Hong Kong for the New Year, did they bring you anything back? It’s one thing for Niuniu and Taotao not to get anything, but you take such good care of him, and he didn’t even think of you. Now that he sees your son opening a factory, he comes knocking again.” Song Ziwen knew this was a sore spot for Wang Damei; they had avoided the topic before to prevent upsetting her, but now Song Ziwen couldn’t hold back. He would mention every fact that could tarnish Wang Dagui’s image.

“Also, Aunt, was Wang Rui asking about Gao Kai’s recent situation all day yesterday?” Wang Qiqi recalled Wang Rui’s behavior from the day before. “Do you know what Gao Kai told me when I ran into him last time?”

Wang Damei replied testily, “Why bring him up so early in the morning?” She thought this was utterly unlucky; arguing with her son over Wang Dagui until now, only to hear the name Gao Kai, which she didn't want to hear.

Wang Qiqi knew Wang Damei didn't want to listen, but she insisted on speaking, recounting what Gao Kai had said. “Of course, I don’t know if what he said is fact, but last Lunar New Year, Yao Yao Jie and I saw them appearing very closely together in our old neighborhood complex.”

Wang Damei hadn't expected such drama. “Ah, wasn’t it that at that time...” Heavens, Wang Damei felt faint. Didn't Wang Rui tell her she had broken up with Gao Kai and was dating her university classmate? How could this be?

Wang Qiqi nodded. “They never really broke up. Later, Gao Kai’s classmate told me. Of course, Gao Kai isn't entirely a good person either. I suspect she was desperately asking about Gao Kai yesterday because she heard he’s doing well now.” Wang Qiqi knew some details about Gao Kai; he was involved in real estate, but not in partnership with the main Zhu family, but rather with a relative of Zhu Lina. However, Wang Qiqi certainly wasn't going to reveal all this information.

Song Ziwen was coldly sneering beside her. “Mom, maybe he’s intentionally coming to work here just in case Wang Rui changes her mind and decides to suck up to Gao Kai again.”

“That’s impossible,” Wang Qiqi stated firmly. “If Wang Rui hadn't caused such a scene back then, perhaps Gao Kai would have ended up with her. But now...” Wang Qiqi wondered what Wang Rui had that Gao Kai would genuinely like. Perhaps Gao Kai was quite fickle in the past, but at least there was some emotion involved. Now, Gao Kai was calculated to the bone; he would only value what benefited him and wouldn't even bother to engage with someone useless, let alone Wang Rui, who had humiliated him so publicly.

“I wouldn’t marry her either. She’s too scheming. In such a short time, she wants to get back to her first love? I suspect she might even set her sights on Wang Qiqi next, given her good relationship with Zhu Lina.” Although they had no business dealings with the Zhu family, Wang Qiqi had once mentioned that Zhu Lina’s family was in real estate. If their future housing developments needed cabinets and wardrobes, even if the profit margin was thinner, ensuring quality meant they could still earn substantial money in a year.

Song Ziwen hadn't wanted to bring this up with Wang Damei, as it was pure speculation, but given the current situation, he had to speak. He slowly relayed what Wang Qiqi had mentioned that day. “Mom, you tell me—should you support your brother, or your son’s career?”

Wang Damei hadn’t considered that Qiqi had this kind of plan. She gave up arguing with Wang Qiqi about the immediate matter. “Really?”

Wang Qiqi hummed in acknowledgment. "But if we let Wang Dagui into the factory, I genuinely worry if the place can even be managed properly. I'm willing to contribute because I'm a shareholder, but I absolutely do not want to see someone I despise feeding off my sweat inside." Wang Qiqi stated her position plainly. "My sister feels the same way about him."

Well, there were only three shareholders in the entire factory, and the two present had already declared their stance. As for Song Yao, she definitely didn't want to see Wang Dagui either. "But your uncle he..." Wang Damei pleaded pitifully.

Song Ziwen watched his mother look so distressed. He moved his lips, about to say something, when Song Wenbo cut in, "You need to be good to your brother, use your personal funds. Don't you think that if Wang Dagui gets into the factory this time, the relatives from Yang Jing's family will want in next? What will you say then?" Song Wenbo continued, "So many so-called family businesses collapse precisely because of those parasitic relatives. That's why when Ziwen and the others started the factory, they explicitly agreed not to hire any relatives—a point I completely endorse." Song Wenbo thought that his last statement would certainly hit home with Wang Damei; she would never be happy seeing relatives from her daughter-in-law's side working in the factory.

Wang Damei suddenly saw the logic. If she let this slide now, and her daughter-in-law asked for a favor next time, what grounds would she have to refuse? After all, if Wang Dagui, the maternal uncle, could get in, then her own brother could certainly get in too. "Right, right, right."