Shi Lan picked up a slice of beef and chewed it. It was tender and chewy, with a slight spiciness and a rich sauce flavor—truly a delicacy.
Shi Lan ate two more pieces, put down her chopsticks, and looked at her mother.
"Mom, when did you make this beef?"
Shi's mother lowered her head, fiddling with the hem of her apron, and said, "I made this the night before last."
Shi Lan sighed. The braised beef wouldn't taste as rich after being left overnight, especially after a day and two nights. "Mom, to be honest, did you not sleep last night?"
Shi's mother glanced at her, and Shi Lan's eyes were resolute.
Knowing she couldn't lie to her, Shi's mother muttered softly, "It's not that I didn't sleep. I just don't need much sleep these days. If I sleep for a while, I won't feel sleepy anymore."
Looking at the food on the table, and then at Shi's mother who was looking down with a guilty expression, Shi Lan felt both relieved and soft-hearted.
From the original owner's memories, Shi Lan could tell that Shi's mother was a simple person. If you were good to her, she would be good to you in return. She had no ill intentions towards anyone.
Liu Jinxiang was cunning and scheming, and he wanted to get the original owner of the body. His first priority was to please her parents. Even Shi's father, who had experienced many ups and downs, was deceived by him, let alone Shi's mother, who spent all her time around the stove.
"Mom, please don't do that again. If you don't sleep when I come back, I won't dare to come back again."
"No," Shi's mother quickly grabbed Shi Lan's hand and said anxiously, "You haven't come back for so long this time, I've been so worried. If your father hadn't stopped me, I would have gone to the school to look for you."
Before she got pregnant, she would go home every week or two to spend the weekend, pick up some clothes, and visit her parents. This time, because of her pregnancy, she hadn't been home for almost two months. Although she called often, her parents were still worried.
"I'm sorry, Mom, it won't happen again."
The daughter's obedience and understanding finally brought tears to Shi's mother's eyes, and tears welled up instantly.
Shi's mother quickly wiped her eyes, wiped away her tears, and cried, "It's all my fault, I was blind to believe in such a philanderer and hurt you. I regret it so much..." As she spoke, she sobbed uncontrollably and began to cry.
Shi Lan quickly pulled out a tissue to wipe her mother's tears and whispered to comfort her, "Mom, it's not your fault. I've known Liu Jinxiang for several years and I never noticed anything wrong with him. You've only met him a few times, so it's normal that you didn't notice anything."
Stone Mother lowered her head, shook her head repeatedly, and sobbed incessantly.
Finally, Mr. Shi lost his temper and slammed his hand on the table. "Alright, are you ever going to stop? Lanlan is already in a bad mood, and you're still making a scene at this critical moment. Is this how an elder should act?"
The mother was startled by the shout, her crying stopped abruptly, and she wiped away her tears with sobs. After a while, she was finally calm.
Seeing this, Shi Lan secretly breathed a sigh of relief, then gritted her teeth again.
That Liu Jinxiang! I was planning to settle accounts with him after I finished preparing for the postgraduate entrance exam, but he got impatient and walked right into the line of fire. (To be continued.)
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