Four dishes and a soup were far too much for two people to finish, so Sun Lifang asked Jiang Meimei to eat with her.
"No, no, no," Jiang Meimei refused repeatedly, saying, "I ate late for lunch, and I'll need another meal when I get home."
Despite Sun Lifang's repeated invitations, Jiang Meimei still refused.
The restaurant and kitchen were connected, and while they were eating, Jiang Meimei immediately found something to do and started rolling out dough.
Zhou Yunshi was from the north and loved to eat wheat-based foods, such as steamed buns, twisted rolls, and porridge. His family always had these.
"Hey, this is leftover minced meat, it'll go bad if left out," Jiang Meimei explained to her. "I'll make you a meat-filled steamed bun."
Sun Lifang praised her, "You know quite a lot. Li Zhi is really lucky to have married you."
Jiang Meimei lowered her head shyly, "All the young ladies around here know how to do it, it won't be difficult for you to learn."
As she spoke, Jiang Meimei put the cooked food into the pan to fry, and then turned around and instructed, "That's about right. Add water as you like, and let it simmer for ten minutes."
Sun Lifang chuckled: "How can we leave this until tomorrow morning?"
Before she could finish speaking, Jiang Meimei suddenly realized what she had done and clapped her hands in frustration: "How could I not have thought of that? The weather is so unpredictable. Look, it's all my fault."
Eager to show off but backfiring, Sun Lifang couldn't bother teasing her anymore and laughed, "You made it smell so good, don't worry, it won't last until tomorrow morning."
Jiang Meimei then smiled with relief.
"Oh, right." Sun Lifang thought of Zhou Dahai and asked Jiang Meimei, "Do you know any fellow villagers who are as skilled as you?"
Upon hearing Sun Lifang's words, Jiang Meimei's face turned pale instantly: "Did I do something wrong? I'm sorry."
Jiang Meimei's palms were sweating profusely. Sun Lifang hadn't expected her to think of anything else, so she quickly explained the situation.
"I see." Jiang Meimei suddenly came to her senses, paused, and said, "It's difficult to find one all at once, and very few are willing."
Sun Lifang also thought of this. These days, it's hard to find a nanny you know well, let alone someone who can take care of your old man's daily life, including his meals and toilet needs.
“A man is fine too.” Sun Lifang lowered her requirements, but there was one thing she didn’t mention: with Zhou Dahai’s intimidating skills, what if he gave her a “little mother-in-law”? That would be the end of it.
Thinking about her sensitive father-in-law and her ambitious "house-buying plan," Sun Lifang felt a headache coming on.
The money for hiring a nanny came from the bank card given to her by Zhou Yunshi. It was the same situation in her previous life. Sun Lifang would rather work hard herself than hire a nanny.
Although her family wasn't poor, she was even more frugal. Their spending philosophies differed, and her husband, after advising her several times, simply let her be.
Now she understands that if she can spend money to improve their material conditions, then they should do so, and everyone will be happy.
"Mom, ah." Zhou Xinya ran over, took a hawthorn strip and fed it to her, but Sun Lifang shook her head and subconsciously said, "No."
Then, as if remembering something, she swallowed the hawthorn and looked at her daughter with a smile, "It's delicious, thank you Yaya."
This is how the bond between mother and daughter is maintained. In her previous life, Sun Lifang always said, "You eat, I won't eat," even though she had the means, she insisted on making herself suffer.
She later learned that the children did not like her sacrifice, saying that they felt guilty and there was a generation gap, so they did not want to interact with her. Sun Lifang moved herself and became a resentful woman.
"Is anyone home?" Around eight or nine o'clock in the evening, the door was being pounded on.
Looking through the peephole, it was Lu Hua!
Lu Hua rushed in, dragged Sun Lifang away, and her husband followed behind.
Before closing the door, Sun Lifang told her daughter that if Zhou Yunshi asked, she should say that she had gone to buy something and not say anything else.
"What's wrong?" The atmosphere in the car was somber.
"Xiangxiang committed suicide." Lu Hua said, her voice trembling with tears. "Do you think our misunderstanding hurt her?"
Lu Hua was filled with remorse and cried the whole way, ignoring everyone's attempts to comfort her.
Did she kill her closest best friend?
Upon hearing this, Sun Lifang felt a pang of anxiety and, not knowing what to say, followed him into the emergency room.
Hearing the sound, Kong Xiang slowly turned around and glanced at them, her eyes sweeping over them indifferently.
"I'm sorry." Seeing her like this, Lu Hua immediately put aside all his other thoughts. "How could you be so silly? You silly girl, let's talk things over properly."
"It's okay, don't worry about me."
Speaking as if she were a stranger, Kong Xiang looked up at the white walls of the hospital.
"How can I abandon you!" Lu Hua was both angry and anxious. "Have you thought about what will happen to your child and husband? The child will be without a mother in the future."
"What's the point of my life if I can't open a clothing store?" Kong Xiang said expressionlessly. "I'm just a loser; I'm no better than you guys at anything."
Lu Hua noticed her emphasis.
Seeing how this once proud person had fallen on such a state, she felt heartbroken and tears streamed down her face. "Who said that? Xiangxiang, you better pull yourself together."
Suddenly, Kong Xiang turned her head and pointed at Sun Lifang, "She's your best friend, isn't she?"
Suddenly called out, Sun Lifang shrugged: "Get to the point. You're all grown up, why are you still talking about suicide?"
"Stop talking." Lu Hua turned around with a pleading expression. "Don't upset her."
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