When the familiar car horn sounded downstairs, Jiang Shuyin initially thought she had misheard.

I ran to the window and peeked out. The person getting out of the driver's seat was Jiang Jianli, heading towards the trunk. Then I saw my mother get out of the back seat and walk in the same direction.

"Mom?" It's on a low floor, so you can hear me if I call out.

Zheng Lanxiang beckoned her over: "Help me get these things. Is Xiao Xie still home?"

"Yes." Jiang Shu led the way and stopped at the sofa. "I'm going downstairs to get something. You wait here."

Xie Yin stood up: "Let's go together."

After saying that, he went straight to the entrance to change his shoes. Jiang Shuyin waited until he stood at the door before going over.

The two went straight up the stairs to the car, where the cucumber had already been taken down.

Jiang Jianli was carrying a sack, and Zheng Lanxiang had a similar amount. There were only about ten pieces left in a small bag, so there was no need for Xie Yin.

Jiang Shuyin wanted to trade with her mother: "Do you think my superpower is just for show? Give it to me."

Zheng Lanxiang thought so too, and didn't try to be brave. She went over to pick up the small bag, but found that Xie Yin had also snatched it away. She stopped in her tracks and said, "I don't need you. Xiao Xie, you should give it to Auntie."

Jiang Jianli stood for a while, not even using his hands for support, put down the sack, and coldly watched the three people who seemed so close.

Zheng Lanxiang definitely couldn't find such a young man; he was her daughter's boyfriend. Thinking of this, Jiang Jianli prepared to play hard to get: "Who is this?"

Zheng Lanxiang didn't care to talk to him, but she couldn't let Xiao Xie feel awkward: "This is Xiao Yin's colleague. Come and sit down, come upstairs. What are you standing there for? You're just making a fool of yourself."

The last sentence was spoken very softly, but it was true. These days, people in the neighborhood have been saying that this man in charge of the household doesn't come home for ten days or half a month at a time. He works at a fixed place, and people can still see him when they go grocery shopping. Something must have happened.

Behind their backs, they all gossip and point fingers, treating it as fodder for conversation.

Zheng Lanxiang quickened her pace, taking her daughter and Xiao Xie to the elevator. Jiang Jianli was a step too slow, and the elevator doors closed.

When he got upstairs, he found the door was still closed. He had put the key in the meter box, but when he reached in, there was nothing there.

Feeling deflated, I had no choice but to knock on the door.

Once inside, one comforting discovery was that his slippers were still there.

Zheng Lanxiang was washing cucumbers in the kitchen, and gave the first one to Xie Yin: "Eat it like fruit for fun."

Jiang Shuyin didn't really want to eat, so she shared half with her mother, her eyes fixed on the TV, not wanting to give a single glance to the person who betrayed this family.

Her silence doesn't mean Jiang Jianli has nothing to say to her, especially after seeing a new man come to their home today.

Jiang Jianli coughed strategically, and Jiang Shuyin glanced at him before hearing him say, "Tell your father what kind of family this young man comes from. In today's society, we're already doing alright, so don't marry him off to a poor family just because you're moved by his plight."

Jiang Shuyin raised the corners of her drooping mouth: "You're overthinking it. There's nothing between me and him. We're just ordinary friends."

Jiang Jianli knew her temperament, and there was no point in saying more, so he simply cut to the chase and said the purpose of his visit: "I'm not comfortable with you staying with your mother. She's not very educated. She might be okay if someone is looking after her, but she can't really help with anything. She's just a burden to you. On the contrary, if you come with me now, once I'm settled in my position, I'll introduce you to a job at my company. It's stable and the salary is high. Many people have paid me to inquire about jobs, but I've been keeping the benefits within the family, which is why I haven't paid any attention to them. Think about it carefully."

After talking for so long, I felt a bit thirsty, so I got up and looked in the TV cabinet. All the cigarettes I had stocked up on were gone. My throat was itchy and dry. I walked around and saw a cucumber on the table. I took one and ate it, and Zheng Lanxiang glared at me fiercely.

Jiang Jianli: "It's just a cucumber, isn't it? Where are the cigarettes in my cupboard? Who did you give them to?"

Zheng Lanxiang, still holding the knife for chopping vegetables, said irritably, "You've already seen off another man. Tell him to hurry up and leave after you're done. I didn't cook any food for you."

Jiang Jianli's expression changed repeatedly, and his finger trembled as he pointed at his ex-wife: "You're becoming more and more unreasonable. I couldn't stand you like this, which is why I found someone else. If you could learn even a fraction of what Huang Li did, it would be enough to change you."

Zheng Lanxiang laughed: "You want me to be as horny as her in bed, or to seduce other people's husbands like her? I can't do that. Just kidding. We're an honest, ordinary citizen. We don't associate with prostitutes. My daughter hasn't even found a boyfriend yet. Having a father like you is already enough of a disgrace for her."

"You even said I'm a burden? If I really were a burden to my daughter, I'd hang myself. But your mistress, are you expecting her to sell herself to earn money to support the family?"

Jiang Shuyin laughed from the sofa.

Seeing Xie Yin looking over, her smile gradually froze on her face: "Mom, what dishes did you make for Xie Yin?"

Upon hearing this, Zheng Lanxiang's heart sank. It was all over.

She felt good scolding the man, but forgot she had a rich husband at home. That's incredibly embarrassing.

It's a family matter that shouldn't be aired in public, so even if Xie Yin could hear it, he couldn't be present.

Jiang Shuyin took charge of arranging for him to go to her room, closed the door and said to him, "There's something I can't say in front of you. This is my room. You can play with Qingwu and the other two for a while. I'll call you when it's time to eat. You're welcome to look around."