Jiang Shuya responded silently, and Li Yuxiang became somewhat anxious:

"Xiaoya, I apologize for the past disagreements I had with you. I've noticed these past few days that Haohao is very unhappy, and I think it's because of you. Look, our house has been demolished for redevelopment, and in two years we'll get six apartments—something you could never earn in your entire life. Haohao cares about you, so please come back and live with us in Zhou Tou Village."

At this moment, Huang Minghao returned. He had already gone to Zhou Tou with the moving company and was covered in dust.

He was stunned for a moment when he saw Jiang Shuya. After leaving the hospital, he thought she would never come back.

Seeing her son return, Li Yuxiang rushed over; "Son, talk to Xiaoya and ask her to come and stay with us in Zhou Tou. Soften your words and coax her, hurry up!"

Huang Minghao walked up to her:

"Xiaoya, please consider my mom's suggestion. We'll wait for you there."

"No need, I'll go there to see Tangtang every week. Also, when you get the money, don't forget to pay back my parents' money."

After Jiang Shuya finished speaking, she was about to leave when Huang Minghao called her back:

"Xiaoya, are you not going to keep Shuhuai's house either? Reconsider our relationship, remarry me, and I'll give that house to Shuhuai for free."

Clearly, Jiang Shuhuai was tempted, a surge of secret joy welling up inside him. He grabbed his sister's arm:

"Sis, my mom's keeping an eye on that house. She called this morning to ask me about it, demanding an explanation from you."

Jiang Shuya gave her younger brother a deep look:

"Shuhuai, I told you not to force things that don't belong to you. You just need to wait a few more years, and you'll have everything. Have you forgotten how I've gotten through these past few years?"

"When I gave birth to Tangtang, I had severe bleeding and almost contracted sepsis, dying from ischemia. You were right beside me then; you saw it all. Where was this man? He was playing cards and drinking with his childhood friend, staying up all night, not caring whether I lived or died. During my pregnancy, I was all alone, going to the hospital for checkups by myself. When I was seven months pregnant, they found out Tangtang had rubella. Doctors and specialists advised me to terminate the pregnancy. I was so anxious and called him. Do you know what he said? He said he hoped I would die with Tangtang. Do you know how much he hated me then?"

Jiang Shuya finished speaking word by word, without tears in her eyes, because all the pain was in the past, and she no longer needed this belated concern.

Looking back, Huang Minghao realized how big a mistake he had made. Deep down, this woman hated him, and their relationship had long been dead in name only.

Back at the shop, Jiang Shuya put away her luggage and quickly got back to work.

That day, she went to the Dream Capital Residence as usual. She didn't know why, but she felt so at ease going there to stay. Even though she harbored resentment towards Lin Moxiao, she was simply drawn to his tender care and his embrace.

Lin Moxiao really didn't come back that night. Perhaps he was too busy. He sent her a lot of messages, as if reporting on his work and explaining his whereabouts. When Jiang Shuya saw the messages he sent, she didn't dare to reply to a single word, afraid that if she was too enthusiastic, he would push her away again.

A few days later, Jiang Shuya finally received the demolition compensation and planned to go all out with Sun Qi, opening two stores each in the East and North of the city. Sun Qi had been busy moving these past few days and had only managed to free himself up.

"Shuya, I'll handle the storefront arrangements with Xiao Wu and Xiao Liu. Also, I plan to upgrade our fast food company, registering it as a specialty food company, and spinning off the Xiao Yang Shengjian brand as a separate, well-known snack brand. I discussed it with Chef Guo yesterday; we'll develop over a dozen unique vermicelli soups and rice noodle soups to pair with shengjian and create a brand. We'll start by opening a few trial stores in major shopping malls in Nanjing, and later expand nationwide through franchising."

Sun Qi spoke vividly, his eyes shining, while Jiang Shuya listened attentively and pondered for a moment:

"Okay, it seems you've had this idea for a while. Hire a few more capable helpers so you don't overwork yourself."

As she spoke, Sun Qi handed over the information of several recently recruited employees to Jiang Shuya.

"I won't look at it. You can decide for yourself. By the way, how much compensation did you get from the demolition? I have one million in this card; I'll keep it in the account for opening a shop."

Sun Qi scratched his nose:

"My family had four houses demolished, plus 650,000 yuan. I kept the houses, not the cash. I believe Jiangdao's property prices will skyrocket in the future. I don't understand why my sister-in-law wants to sell all the houses. Don't you think it's a bad deal?"

Jiang Shuya smiled knowingly.

"Yes, I only took a 120-square-meter apartment. I don't plan to live in it myself; it's for Tangtang. I think a house is enough for everyone. Right now, houses are being built all over the country, and everyone thinks it's a great thing. But human greed is endless. For many years, we 80s and 90s generations have become mortgage slaves, trapped in a cycle of debt for generations. I really dislike that kind of life. People should be content with what they have, and I'm someone who's easily satisfied."

Having received the money, the most important thing to face right now was paying off the debt. After being urged by Li Dalan, Jiang Shuya arrived at the Lotus New City Hotel with a feeling of trepidation.

Upon entering the private room on the second floor, Jiang Shuya found not only her parents at the table, but also Huang Minghao, Li Yuxiang, and her younger brother Jiang Shuhuai. Seeing her brother's expression, Jiang Shuya instantly understood that he must have told her about not getting the house.

Jiang Shuya didn't say much. She took out 200,000 yuan from her canvas bag and handed it to Li Dalan; "Mom, this is the money I owe you. I'll pay you back double."

Li Dalan glanced at the money handed to her, her face cold and stern, then slammed her hand on the table and stood up:

"Xiaoya, did you even get our permission before getting a divorce? Don't you respect me as your mother? Have you lost your mind? How could I have given birth to such a stupid and ignorant child?"

Huang Minghao suddenly spoke up:

"Mom, don't blame Xiaoya, it's my fault. Don't scold her. We're sitting here today to clear things up. We're willing to honor the contract regarding Shuhuai's house, so you don't need to rush."

Li Yuxiang said, "Yes, in-laws, we're willing to give the house to Shuhuai, we could even do it without paying a penny. As long as Xiaoya can return to the family, I'll support my son."

Upon hearing this, Li Dalan turned to comfort Jiang Shuya:

"Yes, I won't hold your unilateral divorce against you. Go and remarry Hao Hao today, and the three of you can live happily ever after. Your family has six houses from the demolition compensation; you won't have to worry about food or drink anymore."