Haixia City has been quite turbulent recently.
First, Wu Zhiming, after years of lying low, suddenly rose to power, transforming the entire Wu Group and the Wu family from top to bottom. Then, Wu Zhiming managed to offend the entire upper class of Haixia City.
Not long after, Song Jingsheng, a prominent figure in Haixia City's elite circle, was murdered in his own home, and the family's jewelry was completely looted.
When this case emerged, many suspected Wu Zhiming's involvement. However, as Song Desheng was questioned by the authorities, rumors began to spread within Haixia City's upper class about Song Desheng conspiring with others to commit murder and insurance fraud.
These rumors quickly circulated throughout the elite circle. Even though Song Desheng returned home safely from the police station, the rumors could not be stopped, as if an invisible hand was pushing everything forward.
For now, these matters didn't concern Wu Zhiming much.
It was Saturday, and Wu Zhiming, who hadn't driven his Hyundai Elantra for a few days, got in early, accompanied by Yao Jing, who had taken a rare day off, and headed towards the station.
Yao Jing's brother, Yao An, was expected to arrive at the station around 10:30 AM. Wu Zhiming's task was to pick up Yao An and his girlfriend and take them to Zhou Yanqiu's house.
It was said that Zhou Yanqiu had already prepared a grand lunch at home to welcome Yao An's girlfriend.
"I heard Yao An's girlfriend is a local from Rongjin City?" Wu Zhiming asked as he parked the car outside the station.
"Yes," Yao Jing nodded.
"Marry anyone but a Rongjin girl, and Yao An managed to find one," Wu Zhiming teased. In their province, women from Rongjin City were known for being lazy and not good at managing a household, with the highest bride price in the province. Hence, the saying "marry anyone but a Rongjin girl" had become popular.
Yao Jing didn't respond, looking out the window.
She only had this one brother, the family's treasure. As long as he married someone from a good family, her parents wouldn't care where she was from.
A familiar figure appeared at the station exit a few minutes later.
Both Yao Jing and Wu Zhiming got out of the car and walked towards the figure.
"Brother!" Yao Jing called out from a few meters away.
"Sis!" Yao An, who was looking for Yao Jing, waved excitedly upon seeing her.
"Is that your sister?" the pretty girl next to Yao An asked.
"Yes, that's my sister. How is she? Beautiful, right?" Yao An asked.
"She's okay," the girl shrugged, chewing bubble gum. She carried a small shoulder bag, had two ponytails, and wore a short skirt, definitely the type young men loved.
Wu Zhiming was surprised by the girl's beauty. If Yao Jing was a ten, this girl would be between an 8.5 and a 9.
That was already a score far exceeding most so-called goddesses.
"Brother-in-law!" Yao An greeted Wu Zhiming as he approached.
"Let's go. Mom has prepared lunch and is waiting for you and your girlfriend," Yao Jing smiled.
"Going to your house for lunch?" Yao An's girlfriend was surprised and frowned slightly.
"My mom's cooking is excellent! We'll eat at my place for lunch and then go out for something delicious in the evening!" Yao An laughed.
"Alright, but you promised that your place has delicacies like Chinese giant salamanders and cobras. Don't lie to me!" the girl said.
"I won't. I'll definitely take you to try them! Let's go!" Yao An said, grabbing two suitcases.
Wu Zhiming took one of the suitcases from Yao An.
"The car is over there, let's go!" Wu Zhiming said, leading the way to the parked car.
They chatted as they walked, and Wu Zhiming quickly learned the girl's name.
The girl was Chu Ying, nineteen years old, and no longer in school. She was reportedly working in her family's company.
The four of them reached Wu Zhiming's car.
"This is the car?" Chu Ying asked in surprise, pointing at it.
"There's a better one, but it got a scratch a few days ago and is being repaired," Wu Zhiming explained with a smile.
"The car my aunt uses to buy groceries is better than this, but whatever," Chu Ying said as she got into the back seat.
"Sis, brother-in-law, Chu Ying is very straightforward. Please don't mind her," Yao An apologized as he got in too.
Wu Zhiming couldn't help but laugh.
"What are you laughing at?" Yao Jing asked.
"I'm just wondering what kind of sparks will fly between this girl and your mom. I'm looking forward to it," Wu Zhiming said as he got into the driver's seat, ignoring Yao Jing's annoyed look.
Yao Jing sat in the front passenger seat, frowning slightly.
Although it was Chu Ying's first time meeting her, from her speaking style, it seemed inevitable that she and Zhou Yanqiu would put on a show once they got home.
Wu Zhiming found the whole situation amusing. Zhou Yanqiu wasn't much of a troublemaker for him; dealing with her would only take a moment. However, one must consider the owner when beating a dog. Dealing with a mother-in-law should also take into account the feelings of the wife, right?
Yao Jing had endured for many years for him, and he couldn't just start disciplining her mother as soon as he had the upper hand. That would inevitably give Yao Jing the impression that he had been holding back for years just to take revenge now.
Wu Zhiming didn't care about the feelings of outsiders, but he cared about Yao Jing. This wasn't love, just respect. It was this respect that made Wu Zhiming unsure how to handle Zhou Yanqiu.
Any misstep could hurt Yao Jing.
Now, with Chu Ying's presence, if she could vent some of his frustration on Zhou Yanqiu, Wu Zhiming would definitely applaud her. As for being looked down upon by this girl, it didn't matter; watching the show was the most important thing.
On the way, Chu Ying barely spoke, engrossed in playing "King of Glory" on her phone and chatting with someone, who seemed to be a guy, speaking rather frivolously. Yao An didn't mind and even helped her strategize.
Half an hour later, the car stopped at Zhou Yanqiu's apartment building.
Chu Ying got out of the car and looked at the old apartment building in front of her, exclaiming, "An'an, you live in a place like this?"
"Yeah, I've lived here since I was little," Yao An nodded.
"In Rongjin City, such neighborhoods have almost all been demolished. They're ugly and unsafe. Forget it, let's not talk about it," Chu Ying shook her head, clearly disliking the place.
"She looks pretty, but she's not very smart," Wu Zhiming said as he carried the luggage into the building.
"Are you happy about this?" Yao Jing asked.
"Why would I be happy? I just think your mom might meet her match. This reminds me of when your mom first met me four years ago!" Wu Zhiming laughed.
Yao Jing rolled her eyes, wanting to say something but feeling at a loss for words. Four years ago, when Zhou Yanqiu first visited their new home, she had also mocked Wu Zhiming a lot. Now, it seemed this scene would repeat between Chu Ying and her mother.
They reached Zhou Yanqiu's door.
Zhou Yanqiu, dressed up and wearing makeup, stood at the door waiting.
Seeing Chu Ying, Zhou Yanqiu greeted her with a big smile.
"You must be Ying Ying? You look so pretty! No wonder our Yao An fell for you at first sight. Such a beautiful girl!" Zhou Yanqiu said, grabbing Chu Ying's hand.
"Auntie, please let go. I have a cleanliness habit! Did you just cook? Your hands are sticky!" Chu Ying said, pushing Zhou Yanqiu's hand away in alarm.
Zhou Yanqiu's face stiffened. She had indeed been cooking earlier to present herself as a diligent mother-in-law, but she didn't expect Chu Ying to find it so off-putting.
Zhou Yanqiu instinctively wanted to lash out but remembered that Chu Ying came from a wealthy family. She swallowed her anger and said with a smile, "I was just cooking, and my hands got a bit sweaty. I'll wash them in a minute. Come on in, the food is almost ready!"
"Auntie, I didn't mean to blame you. I just have a cleanliness habit. An An knows that," Chu Ying said.
"Yes, Mom, Chu Ying has a cleanliness habit," Yao An explained.
"I understand, no worries. Come in!" Zhou Yanqiu said, turning back inside.
The group followed her into the house.
As soon as they entered, Chu Ying wrinkled her nose, saying, "Is there an unwashed sock here? What's that smell?"
"It's bitter herb soup, a specialty of Haixia City. It's good for clearing heat and reducing fire. It tastes great, though it smells a bit off," Zhou Yanqiu quickly explained.
"Bitter herb soup? Disgusting!" Chu Ying said with a look of disgust. "Auntie, I don't like this smell. Could you please get rid of the soup? I really won't be able to eat otherwise!"
"Well, if you can't stand it, I'll change it. Auntie will take care of it. You all go to the living room first," Zhou Yanqiu said, giving Yao Jing and Yao Jianrong a look before heading to the kitchen.
Yao Jing and Yao Jianrong followed her into the kitchen, while Wu Zhiming, Yao An, and Chu Ying went to the living room.
"Why is An An's girlfriend like this? She's been here for just a short time and already dislikes everything. She has no manners!" Yao Jianrong complained.
"She's a wealthy family's daughter. It's normal for her to have such temperaments. Remember, don't provoke her. If An An can marry her, our family will rise in status. Endure it for now," Zhou Yanqiu said.
"Mom, do you think enduring will bring respect and happiness?" Yao Jing asked.
"Why not? Look at Wu Zhiming. He endured a lot before, and now he's successful," Zhou Yanqiu said.
"Then you endure it yourself. I'll pretend I saw nothing," Yao Jing said, leaving the kitchen with a dark expression. She already had a very poor impression of Chu Ying and was naturally upset by her mother's words.
"I'm doing this for your brother's good!" Zhou Yanqiu said angrily.
Yao Jianrong smiled wryly on the side, also unsure of what to do.