Chapter 08

Zuo Rui nodded and said, "That's right"

Zuo Wen could deceive everyone, but he could not hide anything from the mother who raised him since childhood

Zuo Wen did not react for a moment; it was only after a brief pause that he realized that Bai Xuan's mention of home referred to his ancestral home. Zuo Wen straightened up, extinguished his cigarette in the cup of water, and asked in disbelief, "She went to the ancestral home?"

Yu You Nuan politely smiled at the plump woman who had two of herself

Dad. At this moment, Yu Younuan has completely confirmed that these are indeed her parents-in-law

"I told her to stay at a hotel tonight, I don't want to see her. How can she still have the face to come looking for us?" Bai Xuan said angrily

Bai Xuan slightly opened a crack in the bedroom door and saw Yu Younuan on the phone

Zuo Rui put away his look of surprise and said, "Well, let's go home first"

Yu You Nuan shook her head. There is no information about the town's inn on any of the major booking websites, how can one make a reservation

Bai Xuan reluctantly nodded his head

After retiring from his position as a civil servant, Zuo Wen's father enjoys playing chess the most

The shadow of Zuo Wen from years ago can no longer be seen in the room, and Yu You Nuan leans against the door, filled with immense disappointment

What if one cannot understand the word "no"? Bai Xuan felt that Yu You Nuan had quite a thick skin. "Zuo Wen's room is now occupied by his cousin; Xiao Meng does not like others touching her belongings," Bai Xuan said. Zuo Wen's cousin studies in town and lives at the Zuo family home.

"Please have a seat." Bai Xuan poured a glass of water for Yu Younuan, treating her as if she were a guest with whom he was not very familiar.

In the adjacent room, Bai Xuan is making a phone call to Zuo Wen

In the darkness, a faint red light flickered between his fingers as he raised his hand to rub his brow and took a puff of smoke, "It's quite good."

Why bother trying to salvage things? I only hope you can let go of my son, Zuo Wen. Although your family is wealthy, I still do not believe you are worthy of my son. Bai Xuan's greatest pride in this life is her son, Zuo Wen.

Zuo Rui was taken aback, "What did Zuo Wen say?"

"Teacher Bai, why are you still not leaving?" An elderly man with a slender appearance, holding a Tai Chi sword, walked over. When he clearly saw Yu Younuan's features, he was momentarily taken aback, "Younuan?"

Isn't it great that she can run home?" Bai Xuan raised her voice.

Indeed, something has gone wrong. Now you come seeking help; why didn't you do so earlier? Bai Xuan feels irritated every time she sees Yu You Nuan. Every year during the New Year, when Zuo Wen returns home alone, Bai Xuan has had enough of the strange looks from others towards their family. What is wrong with the wives in the city? What is wrong with the daughters of wealthy families? They lack even a trace of the traditional virtues of Chinese women.

After Zuo Rui opened the door and went out, Bai Xuan looked at Yu You Nuan and coldly said: "Speak, what brings you here to find us this time?"

Thank you. Yu You Nuan took the glass water cup used for drinking beer in the roadside stall, showing no intention of bringing it to her lips

Over the years, has Yu Younuan ever called the old couple? Let that be. Every time Zuo Wen returns home and inquires about Yu Younuan, the sense of melancholy in Zuo Wen's eyes, which he cannot hide, makes Bai Xuan feel as if he is suffering from heartache each time.

Although Yu Younuan felt so ashamed that she wanted to bury her head in the cup, now was not the time to retreat. She spoke frankly, saying: "Mom, I want to win back Zuo Wen." The young lady was accustomed to directly expressing her desires without any roundabout hints.

Mom, my flight is coming back tomorrow

"Is it true that you are going through a divorce?" Bai Xuan asked, "This marriage should have ended long ago. How old are you now, and you still don't have a child. This time, you must not be soft-hearted. If you are soft-hearted, I will look down on you.

In fact, this community was allocated as a teachers' welfare housing to her mother-in-law back in the day, and Zuo Wen has grown up here since childhood

"Hung up." Bai Xuan ended the call and then cursed at the phone, "I knew it was someone without ambition."

Yu Younuan felt a slight blush at Bai Xuan's words, "I ... ..."

Fat Mama clearly realized Bai Xuan's displeasure, no longer asking further questions. She laughed it off and made an excuse to go buy soy sauce before leaving

Bai Xuan waved his hand and said, "I am not concerned with your matters, nor can I manage them. I could not intervene when Zuo Wen wanted to marry you back then, and today, if he wishes to divorce you, I cannot intervene either"

Yu Younuan pushed open the door to Zuo Wen's room. Bai Xuan was not lying; the small bed inside was covered with a floral sheet, which was clearly not Zuo Wen's preference. On the bookshelf were the little girl's potted cacti, along with books wrapped in gaudy book covers, reflecting a very small-town taste.

Zuo Rui smiled and said, "I was wondering why our Teacher Bai was so angry today; it turns out he is jealous of You Nuan"

"I will call her," Zuo asked. This week, Yu Youhuan had disappeared without a trace from the Luyuan community. Zuo did not take it to heart, as Miss Yu had always only possessed three minutes of enthusiasm. However, he truly did not expect that Yu Youhuan would run back to his hometown.

Bai Xuan is not an unreasonable person; she is just too emotional and warm-hearted. However, as a mother, she feels sorry for her son and sighs, "I will go see her. I don't want her to suffer grievances here, only to come back and trouble our family Zuo Wen later."

Zuo Wen's home is on the 5th floor. The hallway lights are not very bright, and the stairs are narrow, making it quite inconvenient for elderly people to live there. Yu You Nuan wonders why Zuo Rui and Bai Xuan do not move, especially since they are not short of money

"Teacher Bai, who is this young girl? Is she a relative of yours? She is so beautiful," a middle-aged woman greeted Bai Xuan with a smile, her eyes fixed on Yu Younuan. It is rare to see a few fresh faces in the neighborhood, especially one as lovely as this young girl.

Bai Xuan came out of the room and saw Yu Younuan sitting awkwardly on the sofa. "Where are you sleeping tonight? Have you booked a hotel?"

Yu Younuan held the cup with both hands, feeling somewhat nervous in front of Bai Xuan. Perhaps it was due to spending too much time with Sister Hui recently, watching urban mother-in-law dramas, which made her inexplicably anxious. "Mom, I just wanted to come and see the place where Zuo Wen grew up as a child"

Bai Xuan did not speak, but her expression was clearly not good. Back then, this "good daughter-in-law" refused to call her mother in front of everyone. She initially disagreed with Zuo Wen marrying Yu Younuan, as the Yu family had nothing to offer besides money. Especially Yu Younuan, who, apart from her looks, was practically worthless.

The three people in the room simultaneously fell into an awkward silence, and Bai Xuan spoke up: "Old Zuo, why don't you go next door and play a few games of chess with Old Jin."

After entering the door, Yu Younuan quickly surveyed the Left family's home, a two-room apartment of about fifty square meters. The living room was very small and also served as a dining area. Aside from the television, which appeared relatively new, the other appliances seemed somewhat dated. Stepping into this place, Yu Younuan felt as if she had traveled through time, returning to the 1980s and 1990s, reminiscent of the television series "Desire".

What happened between you and Yu You Nuan?" Bai Xuan asked directly to the left.

The phone in Bai Xuan's hand rang again, and she turned around to go back inside to answer it

Over the years, their greatest regret has been not having met Zuo Wen's wife; everyone is curious to see what kind of girl is worthy of Zuo Wen.

Bai Xuan clearly did not quite believe Yu Younuan's statement, "Why did you suddenly come up with this? You didn't even give us a call before coming over?"

Yu Younuan followed her in-laws, pulling her suitcase as they walked towards their home in the residential community. It was also a brick-concrete structure, with twinkling stars and warm orange lights spilling from the windows, making Yu Younuan feel as if she was seeing the Green Garden Community again

Bai Xuan looked at her phone in disbelief, almost dropping it on the floor. When Zuo Rui returned, he saw Bai Xuan sulking at the head of the bed and said, "Why did you let You Nuan sleep on the sofa? Didn't Xiao Meng go back to her own home?" Xiao Meng is Zuo Wen's cousin.

"Such a beautiful girl, is she the wife of your family member Zuo Wen?" The plump woman noticed Bai Xuan's embarrassment and insisted on getting to the bottom of the matter.

Zuo Wen has been a child prodigy in the neighborhood since a young age, and he is also the first person from the small town to be admitted to the top university in the country and study at an Ivy League school in the United States. Naturally, he is regarded as the ideal son-in-law in the hearts of all the aunties in the town

I was already doing well by not chasing her away. Bai Xuan crossed her arms, conveying a sense that no one was allowed to approach her.

I will just take a look and won't touch anything. Yu You Nuan's attitude was very humble

Zuo Rui massaged Bai Xuan's shoulders and said, "Let us not interfere in the matters of the younger generation; sometimes it can have the opposite effect."

Yu Younuan felt a bit awkward, but she did not expect Bai Xuan to give her a pleasant expression. After a moment of silence, she finally spoke: "Mom, may I take a look at Zuo Wen's room?"

Bai Xuan made a vague sound of "um".

Who else could it be? A person who only comes back once a year, and now this is the situation. His wife came over, and the next day he followed her. Do you think raising a son is interesting? Bai Xuan was so angry that she felt a pain in her heart and asked again, "Is it interesting?"

Bai Xuan was about to retort when he heard Zuo Rui's words, but upon reflection, he found it somewhat amusing. "What’s wrong? Is it not acceptable? I have worked hard to raise him, just so he could chase after someone else's daughter like this?"

"What can she say? Acting so high and mighty while asking for help, truly a spoiled young lady." Bai Xuan snorted through her nose, "Hurry up and get her out of here, our temple is too small to accommodate such a great Buddha."

There are no hotels in the town; the inns are generally family-run, and the quality of the guests varies. Bai Xuan was merely expressing frustration.

There is no space at home for you to stay; if you are willing, you can sleep on the sofa. Bai Xuan does not rush Yu Yaonuan, but anyone with a bit of pride would certainly not be able to stay for long.

"Mother," Zuo Wen interrupted Bai Xuan's words, "What did she tell you?"

Yu You Nuan nodded slightly

The cold violence of cultured individuals is indeed violent

Yu Younuan felt that Bai Xuan was indeed too perceptive, but it was not difficult to imagine that if there had not been an unexpected turn of events, how would Yu Younuan have found her way here

"Mother," Zuo Wen called out somewhat anxiously

Bai Xuan pushed aside Zuo Rui's hand and said, "Your son is coming back tomorrow"

Zuo Rui put his arm around Bai Xuan's shoulder and said: "Teacher Bai, this is not like you. Even if it were a stranger, you wouldn't be so heartless, would you?"