"Once I sell all the inventory at home, I won't restock anymore."
Yu Shu's face remained expressionless. "Sure, go ahead and sell your potatoes. I'm going to the bar to have fun."
"Are you daring me?"
At this point, Ye Ping's intimidation had no effect on Yu Shu, who snorted. "See if I dare."
"So many potatoes, what a waste!"
"Oh, come on, a bottle of wine at the bar costs thousands of yuan. It's not a waste at all."
In the end, Ye Ping gave in and agreed to stop selling on the street. Yu Shu took advantage of the situation and asked her to sell the tricycle as well, and Ye Ping agreed.
Yu Shu then mentioned quitting her job next month so she could go home early this year.
"Wait a minute... Being a writer is unstable, and you don't have social security yet. Maybe you shouldn't quit your job."
"..."
Oh, my dear mother, I've already quit my job.
Today, Yu Shu told too many lies. She didn't want to say more and hastily ended the video call.
Tired, emotionally exhausted.
Once you tell one lie, you need countless more to cover it up.
For Yu Shu, this winter was both warm and leisurely, with plenty of time and money to squander.
One afternoon at the beauty salon, the wealthy lady in front of her suddenly collapsed without warning. The staff around her hadn't reacted yet, but Yu Shu swiftly caught her, preventing her from falling to the ground.
The lady regained consciousness after a short while, her breath weak. "I'm... fine, just... low blood sugar..."
Yu Shu breathed a sigh of relief. She happened to have some chocolate in her bag. She helped the lady to the nearby sofa and handed her the peeled chocolate.
"Sister, have some."
The wealthy lady accepted it and smiled gratefully.
As she regained some strength, the lady chatted with Yu Shu. "You call me sister, but I could be your mother based on my age."
"You can't be more than thirty."
The lady laughed even more joyfully. "I'm fifty-seven this year, and my grandson is already in kindergarten!"
Yu Shu: I underestimated the power of money.
The lady introduced herself as Yu Fanxing and asked Yu Shu to call her Auntie Star.
"Auntie... Star."
Yu Shu covered her face. She couldn't bring herself to call her auntie when the woman had smoother skin than her.
"Oh dear, you're such a child," Yu Fanxing scolded playfully, her face overflowing with a smile.
Auntie Star had come for a makeover and was attending an evening banquet. Before getting her hair done, she needed a full-body spa treatment. Coincidentally, Yu Shu had also planned to have one, so they went together.
Auntie Star clearly liked Yu Shu and kept holding her hand while talking non-stop. She even invited Yu Shu to visit her home.
Yu Shu politely declined, "Thank you for your kind invitation, but I'm heading home tomorrow."
"Where is your home?"
"Rong City."
"Oh, what a coincidence! My ancestral home is also in Rong City. Sister, let's make plans during the Chinese New Year. If you don't come, I'll come to your doorstep!"
Unable to refuse her hospitality, Yu Shu reluctantly agreed. They exchanged WeChat contacts and saved each other's phone numbers.
After completing the spa treatment, Auntie Star lightly skipped away to have her hair done, her graceful figure making her look even younger than Yu Shu, who was in her early twenties.
Yu Shu gazed at her mother's figure, lost in thought. Her mother was forty-seven years old, but compared to Xing Jie, she seemed like a generation apart.
Yu Shu also wished her mother could live a carefree life like Xing Jie. Her greatest hope at the moment was that this unexpected windfall could completely transform Mrs. Ye from the inside out.
She longed for the mother who used to speak softly and always had a smile on her face when she was a child.
Once longing breaks free, it immediately floods in.
Before Yu Shu left, she went to settle the bill and was informed that Xing Jie had already paid for her. Yu Shu expressed her gratitude to Xing Jie through WeChat, but Xing Jie didn't reply.
In the evening, Xing Jie sent her a photo. The banquet hall was brightly lit, filled with fragrance and shadows. Xing Jie was wearing a silver evening gown with a sparkling diamond necklace around her neck, exuding both sensuality and elegance. She leaned affectionately on the arm of a refined gentleman, and the man's hand covered hers as they both smiled at the camera. The engagement rings on their hands were more dazzling than the crystal chandeliers in the banquet hall.
Xing Jie: Compliment my handsome husband, and we'll be like sisters from different parents.
Yu Shu: Wait a moment, let me wipe off my drool before I reply.
Xing Jie: Haha, isn't my husband handsome?
Yu Shu: No, I'm envious of your figure, sis.
Xing Jie: Oh dear, it's a pity you were born late. I already have a dear husband.
Xing Jie: Conflicted.jpg
Yu Shu: It's not too late. You look so good; you can have an extra girlfriend—me.
Xing Jie: Wife! .jpg
Yu Shu sincerely flattered her for a while, and Xing Jie responded in kind. In no time, they were calling each other wife and beloved.
As if time had reversed, their friendship remained intact. When they were together, Yu Shu couldn't even remember that Xing Jie could be her mother. Xing Jie was just a little sister she could go shopping with, have milk tea, and gossip.
It's wonderful to know that someone is living a completely different life from what you imagined, and it's real.
The next day, Yu Shu got up early and got into the business car as arranged, carrying three large suitcases.
She had come empty-handed, but now she was returning with a full load.
On the 2 million-yuan card, the balance was now only a little over 80,000 yuan. Yu Shu sighed.
Money really can't help but be spent. If someone goes on a spending spree, even if gold falls from the sky, it won't be enough to satisfy them.
The car took a detour to the square. Since she had come all the way, it would be a waste not to witness the flag-raising ceremony.
The square was packed with people, bustling and bustling. Yu Shu followed the crowd towards the flag-raising platform.
"Shen Youlin, are you fucking crazy? Why are you watching the flag-raising ceremony on such a cold day?"
"You've come all this way; what's the point of complaining?"
With an indifferent tone and undulating waves, Yu Shu turned her head and saw the remarkable figure of "Cluck Cluck" Master not far away.
Who would have thought that this elegant and lazy young master would laugh like a mother hen, "cluck cluck cluck."
Yu Shu wanted to go and thank him, and also return the money for the down jacket, but she was instantly dispersed by the crowd and carried forward. When she turned around, Shen "Cluck Cluck" had disappeared into the sea of people.
After the flag-raising ceremony ended, Yu Shu looked around the square several times but couldn't find his figure again.
Yu Shu let out a sigh and left the capital with a hint of regret.
She bought an economy class ticket, just to experience the first-class cabin briefly. It would be too extravagant to always travel in first class.
The economy class couldn't compare to the first class in any aspect, especially the seats which were quite uncomfortable. Yu Shu sighed inwardly, reflecting on how easily she had transitioned from frugality to luxury. In just a month, she had become accustomed to idleness and pursued indulgence.
Upon arrival at Rongcheng Airport, Yu Shu didn't take the bus but instead hired a car to go directly to her hometown.
"Mom, Dad, I'm back!!"
The closer she got to home, the more she felt a mix of familiarity and shyness. As she looked at the familiar streets through the car window, Yu Shu's eyes welled up with tears. Ye Ping and Yu Feng were waiting downstairs and as soon as Yu Shu got out of the car, she rushed into Ye Ping's embrace.
"Mom, I missed you so much!" Yu Shu couldn't help but nuzzle against Ye Ping, taking in her familiar scent.
That comforting and dependable feeling truly made her nostalgic.
Ye Ping's eyes also became moist, and her hand patting Yu Shu's back trembled slightly.
The tender mother-daughter bond reached its peak at that moment of reunion, only to plummet abruptly.
When Ye Ping saw the driver take out three brand new suitcases from the trunk, most of the warmth dissipated. "Is the money in your account toxic if you don't spend it? Are you unable to sleep unless you spend it all? Oh my, oh my, just look at this..."
"Mom, I'm hungry!" Yu Shu quickly interrupted, pretending to be spoiled. "Did you make braised fish for me, Mommy?"
The word "Mommy" echoed repeatedly, causing goosebumps to rise all over Ye Ping's body.
Yu Shu paid the driver and the three of them headed home.
Their house was on the fifth floor with no elevator, and Yu Shu's suitcase was large and heavy. Yu Feng had difficulty with his legs and was anxiously leaning on his crutches nearby.
After bringing the suitcases into the house, both Yu Shu and Ye Ping were panting for breath, and Yu Feng quickly poured them some water to drink.
"Mom," Yu Shu mumbled with a mouthful of honey water, "I'll buy a house for you, a house with an elevator."
On the way back, she had seen two newly opened residential areas with good environments and locations.
Ye Ping rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Are you afraid that others won't know you're wealthy? What benefits do you get from being so ostentatious? With a hundred in your pocket, you spend two thousand?"
If it were in the past, Yu Shu would have definitely argued back. It was disheartening to be scolded even when she had good intentions. However, after more than a year apart, Yu Shu missed her mother's scolding and her expert-level eye-rolling.
"Mommy, Mommy," Yu Shu's voice quivered, on the verge of tears, "I'm just showing filial piety. You saying that makes me so sad, boo hoo..."
Ye Ping had a bone stuck in her throat. "Let's eat!"
Yu Yang had lunch at school and wouldn't be coming home for the meal, so it was only the three of them for lunch.
A braised fish, entirely devoured by Yu Shu, and the remaining broth was used to mix two bowls of rice.
Sob, sob, sob...
It was incredibly delicious, far surpassing any Michelin-star chef!
Ye Ping picked up a piece of sausage for her while sighing with concern.
"Thank you, Mom," Yu Shu lifted her head from her bowl amidst the chaos, "Why are you sighing?"
"It's like suddenly having a feeling that you've just been released from inside."
Yu Shu: "..."
Ye Ping muttered softly, "They say eating fish is good for the brain, but it hasn't had any effect even though I've been eating it since I was young."
"I heard that!"
"Oh, I meant to say it for you to hear."
Yu Shu felt a pang in her chest. Helpless, her opponent was her own mother. All she could do was channel her frustration into an increased appetite and ask for another bowl of rice.
Yu Feng cheerfully watched the mother and daughter bickering. As soon as Yu Shu finished her bowl, he snatched it away and hobbled to the kitchen to refill it for her.
Yu Shu wrinkled her nose and asked, "How's Dad's leg doing?"
"It's the same as before. Seeing a traditional Chinese doctor last time didn't help much. It still hurts when it's windy or rainy."
"In a few days, I'll take him to Rong City to have a look."
"You're filial." Ye Ping maintained her haughty demeanor. "Isn't this a hundred times better than spending money to buy a new house? Money should be spent where it matters. The current house is still livable, so why bother changing it? If you want to buy a house, buy it for yourself. You're not young anymore. If you find a suitable person, you should get married. Don't keep hesitating and wait until you're older, it'll be hard to find someone then. By that time, you can buy a new house together with your husband..."
Yu Shu rubbed her ear and felt her head buzzing.
She was only 24 years old after the New Year. How could she be considered "not young anymore"?
