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Evening.
The clouds at the edge of the sky hadn't dissipated yet, and the neon lights of the city were already lit up, flickering with colorful lights.
The city's night was also noisy.
On roads that stretched in all directions, cars and horses flowed like a stream. Public transport during the evening rush hour was so crowded that there was no room to spare, and people who had to work overtime gathered in groups, just like those preparing for dinner gatherings or a night at the bars.
Lai Zhiyun lived alone, staying at home with the doors tightly shut, isolating herself from the outside hubbub. As usual, she ate dinner by herself, all the external noise, busyness, and congestion were irrelevant to her.
A solitary dinner was always simple.
A bowl of tomato and egg noodles with a small plate of steamed dumplings.
On the dining table, in addition to the dinner Lai Zhiyun had prepared for herself, there was also a tablet computer streaming a slow life variety show.
She had the habit of eating while catching up on variety shows or dramas. It was even more enjoyable with pickled vegetables in an electronic form.
Unlike her hearty indulgence in hot pot at noon, Lai Zhiyun slowly savored her noodles, chewing carefully and swallowing slowly, her demeanor lazy and casual, a smile in her eyes, indicating that her time alone was particularly relaxing and pleasant.
In the city with thousands of lights, some enjoyed the freedom of solitude, while others happily looked forward to a family meal together.
In another corner of the city.
As night fell, the He Family's old house was brightly lit. The siblings called back home by He Yannian arrived on time, bringing their families and sitting in rows on the living room sofa, staring at one another with big round eyes.
What was going on?
Looking at their big brother's expression, he seemed to be in a bad mood.
He Yan'an gave He Xiuxiu a look, gesturing towards He Yannian, who was sitting on a single armchair flipping through a finance magazine.
It was probably Miss Du causing trouble again!
He Xiuxiu glanced to the left and gestured with her hand towards the kitchen.
"What's going on here? Are you guys even trying?"
"This fish... it's overcooked, the texture has become tough."
"And the ribs, why are they sweet and sour? Today I wanted braised pork ribs."
"The shrimp isn't good either, fried food isn't healthy. Make another plate."
"Also, there must be two more varieties of stir-fried vegetables."
In the kitchen, the matriarch of the He Family, Du Limei, was commanding her troops, directing the chef to redo the dishes. She was critical of several dishes that had already been made, dissatisfied with everything.
With her attitude, she didn't seem in a hurry to have her children eat dinner soon, instead finding faults endlessly, which kept the chef and the housekeepers extremely busy.
"Mom, when are we going to eat? The kids are hungry!"
He Yan'an was an impatient man. Upon returning home and seeing his brother's dark expression, he dared not say much and headed straight from the living room into the kitchen to find his mother.
"Soon," Du Limei replied irritably, not much happier to see her son, "There are snacks and pastries on the living room table, have some to fill your stomach first. Didn't you see the big plate of food?"
"No." He had been too busy paying attention to his elder brother's mood.
"Are you blind at such a young age?" Du Limei retorted impatiently, "One by one, none of you gives me peace of mind. Look at the food your brother had the kitchen make -- if it isn't sweet, it's deep-fried. Your father and I are old and can't eat food that's high in oil, salt, and sugar. Doesn't he know that? He's blatantly disregarding us. As soon as he comes back, he's throwing his weight around!"
"Mom, but there's steamed fish, sliced white chicken, and steamed shrimp with eggs, isn't that right? You're still not satisfied with that? Besides, the grandchildren like the sweet and sour ribs, I love the deep-fried shrimp balls, and your granddaughter enjoys the roasted chicken wings. Your son, myself included, he's taken care of everyone, the old and young alike. I think it's pretty good."
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Du Limei's complaints sounded to He Yan'an like she was just looking for trouble out of boredom. His older brother was so considerate, remembering every single detail of the family's likes and dislikes.
"What's so good about that! Do you even still consider me your mother?" Du Limei snapped, slapping He Yan'an on the back.
She had been holding back a stomachful of anger, waiting for her son to take her side, but the result...
Just this?
"Mom, can't you be reasonable? My brother is such a good person, can't you stop picking fights over nothing?"
As they get older, their temper grows but their hearts get smaller.
Others become clearer and more tolerant with age, but his mother is the opposite. Over sixty years old and not only is her ability to hold her peace getting worse, but she's also become a bit mean-spirited.
She has a good life but seems to prefer stirring up trouble.
"I'm the one being unreasonable? It's your older brother..."
"Enough, Mom, the kids are hungry! Let's eat first." He Yan'an had no patience to continue listening to Du Limei's complaints. Similar grievances had numbed him to the point of rebounding, so he forcefully cut her off without engaging.
"Sister Liu, let's eat. Bring all the dishes that are ready to the table."
Having said that, He Yan'an turned and left, leaving Du Limei standing there, so furious she nearly fainted.
Du Limei: "..."
This damned son was born to annoy her, utterly unreliable.
Having a piece of barbecued pork would have been better than having him!
"Old lady, about this..." Nanny Sister Liu stood by, a bit at a loss.
Now was not the appropriate time for her to draw attention to herself, but since He Yan'an had said it was time to eat, she couldn't pretend she hadn't heard. Therefore, she had no choice but to bash her head against Du Limei's line of fire.
"I'm so full of anger, what do I need to eat for!"
Sister Liu: "..."
"Mom, you should get less angry, it's bad for your health."
Having walked to the corner of the hallway, He Yan'an returned. He didn't want Sister Liu to be uncomfortable, and he also wanted to finish dinner quickly. With this in mind, he directly took Du Limei by the shoulders and walked her outside, "Come on, let's sit outside. The kitchen smells of oil fumes."
"Don't you interfere! Since you were little, you've always sided with your brother, always opposing me and your dad. You'll be the death of me one day." Du Limei broke free from He Yan'an's grasp and looked up at him, the more she looked, the more she despised.
A man nearly forty years old, idle all the time, without any ambition or will to strive. He can't handle hardships and can't control his diet. He's recently gotten fatter, tall and burly like a bear. His figure is out of shape. This rare return home only adds to her woes.
"I don't want to deal with you either. If you weren't my biological mother, I would be too lazy to care about you."
"I've never seen someone as unreasonable as you. If it weren't for my older brother painstakingly managing the company, expanding the family business, you would still be looked down upon by your own family. And I wouldn't have the easy-going life I have now. You ought to be grateful and not make us all lose respect for you."
Having walked the short corridor and finished speaking, He Yan'an didn't look back but passed Du Limei and headed to the living room.
"Dinner's ready, He Zhixin, go call grandpa to eat." He Yan'an called out to his son.
They had all been back for a while, but the old man was still holed up in his room.
Probably dancing on his older brother's minefield again.
Another person who doesn't give peace of mind.