Chen Yuwei's phone was on speaker, and before Chen Yuxuan could speak, their mother who was listening to the siblings' conversation slapped Yuwei's hand and scolded, "How can you talk to your brother like that? Do you think it's easy for your brother to strive in Pengcheng all by himself? Wait until you start working and earn money, then buy whatever you want; don't set your sights on your brother's money."
Hearing his mother's words, Chen Yuxuan felt much better. "Mom, Yuwei, it's not that I don't want to give more. Though the salary in Pengcheng is higher than in our hometown, the housing prices and living expenses are also high. My rent has now increased to three to four thousand."
"Three to four thousand?" Chen's mother gasped, "Aren't you sharing a rental?"
"Yes, renting a whole apartment costs over ten thousand yuan. If three people share it, doesn't each person have to pay three to four thousand? Chen Yuxuan had a respectable job and didn't want to live in a place with poor conditions.
Chen's mother muttered in concern, "Then you must work hard to earn money. You'll need to find a wife in the future; don't squander it."
Seeing that her mother had hung up the phone, Chen Yuwei was somewhat dissatisfied. "Mom, why did you hang up? I haven't told my brother I'm going to visit him in a few days. I need to take the high-speed train, and he has to cover my travel expenses."
"Why are you looking for your brother?" Chen's mother frowned.
Chen Yuwei nudged her with her shoulder and said cheekily, "Of course, to meet my brother's girlfriend. Brother has a girlfriend and hasn't brought her home to show you guys. Mom, aren't you curious about what your future daughter-in-law looks like and what kind of personality she has? Why don't we go together and check her out? I heard she owns a big apartment in Pengcheng. If you talk to her nicely, since she's dating Yuxuan and they are a couple, she should let Yuxuan move in with her. That way, Yuxuan can save several thousand yuan a month, and you and dad can relax a bit."
Chen's mother looked hesitant. "Your brother would be unhappy if he knew; he doesn't want us to go see him."
"What's there to be unhappy about? You are his mom, his real mom. Isn't it normal for a mother to want to see her son's fiancée?"
"Where would we stay in Pengcheng? Your brother just said that his apartment is shared, it would definitely be inconvenient for the whole family to stay there." Chen's mother was more concerned about the financial aspect; it would cost a lot of money to go there and back, and staying in a hotel would be an additional expense.
Chen Yuwei laughed, "Mom, you're so innocent. With brother and his girlfriend both in Pengcheng, do we even need to spend our own money? Don't forget, brother said his girlfriend lives in her own apartment, not a rental, so the big apartment must have enough space for us to stay. My brother is such an outstanding man; as his mother-in-law, how could his girlfriend not treat you well? If you go shopping, she'd have to foot the bill obediently."
Pengcheng bordered Hong Kong, and she wanted to visit Hong Kong, rumored to be a shopping paradise with many fun places to eat, drink, and be merry, and plenty of beautiful luxury items that were much cheaper than on the Mainland.
With someone else footing the bill, why not enjoy?
Lu Qingqing was unaware that her boyfriend's sister was secretly scheming against her; she was discussing the dinner menu with Tang Tang.
Tang Tang said, "I want to be in the best shape for my wedding day. The wedding dress is already ordered; I can't gain even a tiny bit of weight. Let's have something light for dinner. How about some boiled shrimp? The ones I bought are very big and fresh."
Lu Qingqing had no objections, "Sure, I cooked some fish maw at noon, perfect for dinner, and I'll share half with you."
"Then let's just blanch some vegetables!"
Though both of them lived in Pengcheng, they were not locals, and their eating habits were slightly different from the locals.
Working together, they soon set the table with boiled shrimp, blanched vegetables, and a dish of cucumber slices.
Then, they sat opposite each other, each with a bowl of phoenix claw and fish maw soup, a dish of sauce, and an empty plate in front of them.
Tang Tang took a spoonful of soup and tasted it, "Your boyfriend really isn't a match for you. I don't know what you see in him. You could find someone with better prospects relying on your beauty and talent, but you agreed to his pursuit."