Zhou Qi covered his burning left cheek, and a taste of rust came out of his mouth.

Just as she was about to retort, Li Guifang started to rant again. "Zhou Qi covered his burning left cheek, a rusty taste in his mouth, and stiffened his neck and said, 'Aunt Guifang, what you said is..."

"What do you mean?" Li Guifang picked up the rolling pin and slammed it on the table, shaking the teapot lid. "When your mother married your damn father, the Zhou family was extremely poor!

You are a poor peasant for eight generations, you don't even have a decent kang mat, what do you think your Zhou family has left for you to inherit?

Zhou Xiaowan, with red eyes, wanted to interrupt: "But my dad..."

"Your father?" Li Guifang glared at him, "Your father, before he died, not only did he empty our family's savings, he also left our family in a huge debt!

Thirty yuan from Old Wang on East Street, fifty kilograms of food coupons from the grain station, and even the twenty-five cents from the barber, all were paid for by your Aunt Guifang!

Why didn't I see you asking for an inheritance when our family was still starving?

Lu Xiaohui hid behind Zhou Qi and whispered, "That's all outdated..."

"Bullshit, you old idiot!" Li Guifang flipped over a bench. "Now look at your mother at Guifangzhai, she saved up some money, and you guys are still alive?"

She pointed at Zhou Qi's nose and cursed, "If it were you, your mother should have stuffed you two little slaves into the coffin and let your father take you away with you!"

Zhou Qi's face flushed red at this, and the Shanghai watch chain on his wrist clacked. "Aunt Guifang! Don't be so harsh!"

"I'm being too much?" Back then, your mother grew up in my house. According to seniority, you should still call me aunt. Now I'm dealing with you on behalf of your mother's family!

You're still thinking about sharing your mother's money. How dare you say such things? "

"You've said so much, but you just don't want to share the money. Why are you pretending to be so hypocritical?" Lu Xiaohui hid behind Zhou Qi and complained in a low voice.

"I'm sharing the money, why should I share it with you? The one who is doing business with me is Zhang Fengzhi, so if I want to share the money, it should be with Zhang Fengzhi!

You are still thinking about my recipe. Why are you so shameless?

Let me tell you, if your mother takes my recipe and opens a shop outside, she will have to pay me one hundred thousand.

Think about it, you rat shit, whether you can afford this money or not, and then think about the recipe!"

"Aunt Guifang, is it okay for me to take back the money my mother invested and take her to enjoy a peaceful life?" Zhou Qi's mind became clearer after being scolded so many times!

"Investment?" Li Guifang said as if she had heard something funny. "Ask your mother if she has ever invested a penny in Guifangzhai.

You don't think that your mother used your Zhou family's huge fortune to invest in Guifangzhai, so she didn't give you, her filial son, the chance to see the contract?

Your mother invested her technology in the store, and it's only been open for a short time. If she withdraws now, forget about giving her any money. I won't sue your family because of our friendship over the years!"

"You, Zhou Qi, are a shameless bastard!"

Zhou Xiaowan took advantage of Li Guifang's quarrel to interrupt and grabbed Zhou Qi's wrist, "How dare you say you're taking Mom to enjoy life?"

Mom has a job now, and when I get home from get off work, your whole family still needs her to serve me!

Before going to work, I have to send my eldest grandson to school, rush back at noon to cook for you, and even have my mother wash your pants at night. How dare you two say you're taking her to enjoy a peaceful life?

Zhou Qi was embarrassed and was about to retort when Zhou Xiaowan's voice rose another octave:

"It's like this back home, what will happen in Beijing?"

She sneered, "I'm afraid you don't care about your wife so much that you want to treat your mother as a free nanny!"

I take care of your children during the day and wash your feet at night! You arranged it perfectly!

Lu Xiaohui was embarrassed and shrilled, "Zhou Xiaowan, you are slandering me!"

"Am I slandering you? If Mom wants to stay home, why can't she?

You keep saying you're doing this for Mom's own good, but why don't you respect Mom's own wishes?

"Mom, I don't know how good Beijing is now..."

"What's good about it?" Zhang Fengzhi suddenly spoke, her voice calm, yet with a firmness she hadn't had in years.

"I'm already this old, and you're asking me to leave my hometown and go to Beijing. Is this what you call 'for my own good'?"

She slowly looked around at everyone in the room, her gaze finally landing on her son's face: "I've been in the Zhou family for over thirty years, taking care of the old and then the young.

The year your father passed away, I worked on a sewing machine in a textile factory during the day and served your grandma at night!

Now, finally, Guifang is teaching me how to make my favorite pastries. Every day, I can touch the dough, talk and laugh... Seeing me happy, you are not happy.

Zhou Qi opened his mouth to explain, but his mother raised her hand to stop him.

"Going to Beijing? It sounds respectable." Zhang Fengzhi laughed bitterly, "But I don't know anyone there. Besides washing your clothes, cooking, and taking care of your children, what else can I do?"

She pointed at her gray hair and said, "I finally have some fun in Guifangzhai, and you have to stop me?"

The room was so quiet that even Lu Xiaohui didn't dare to say a word.

"Mom..." Zhou Qi's voice trembled a little.

"Xiao Qi," Zhang Fengzhi sighed tiredly, "If you really want to do this for my own good, please let me spend a few days comfortably in my hometown. Guifangzhai is my dream, and I'm not going anywhere else.

"You're just worried that Xiaowan will get my money for free," Zhang Fengzhi sneered and turned to her daughter. "Xiaowan, pack up your things and move back to your in-laws' house tomorrow."

Zhou Xiaowan suddenly looked up, tears streaming down her face: "Mom! I won't go! There are so many people in that house, how can they accommodate them?"

"Then go rent a place! Before you got married, I told you to think carefully, but you didn't listen. Now that you have nowhere to live, why are you blaming me again?

"Zhang Fengzhi suddenly raised her voice," Now I understand clearly, you two brothers and sisters, one is thinking about my money, and the other is thinking about my house!

Now I am still able to work, but I am always fighting for it. In another ten or eight years, when I can no longer work, won't you treat me like a soccer ball?"

Zhou Qi stamped his feet anxiously: "Mom! That's not what I meant..."

Lu Xiaohui was also panicked and hurried to support her crumbling mother-in-law.

Zhang Fengzhi shook her hand away and said, "Don't even think about my coffin book and all the profits from Guifangzhai!"

When I'm old and can't work anymore, I'll give it all to whoever is filial to me! If you have no conscience, I'll donate it all and not leave anything for you!

Zhou Xiaowan cried breathlessly: "Mom... I really didn't miss you..."

"Get out of here! Stop getting in my way!"

After everyone left dejectedly, Li Guifang turned around and asked, "Fenghuang, are you really not going to Beijing with Xiao Qi?"

Zhang Fengzhi rolled her eyes at her and slumped down in the rattan chair. "Do I look like an old woman who likes to take care of children?"