The landlord has multiple personalities and wants everyone to pay him.

"elder brother!"

Upon hearing the somewhat loud shout, Ye Shu knew who it was without even looking up.

In this family, no one else can call themselves that.

Sure enough, as soon as he looked up, he saw Tang Xiaotao, wearing a pink sweater, rushing over and giving him a big bear hug without saying a word.

It was very strong, and the impact made Ye Shu take a step back.

"Relax, I feel cold."

Tang Xiaotao then released him, and turned to Ye Guoqiang behind Ye Shu with a grin, calling out:

"Uncle!"

"Hey, Momo's back."

Ye Guoqiang's face immediately put on a kind and amiable smile:

"When did you get home? Are you cold?"

"We just got back, and the first thing we wanted to do was come and see you, Grandma, and my brother!"

Tang Xiaotao has always had a sweet tongue.

Ye Shu watched from the side; he had long since noticed that his father was extremely hypocritical.

My dad is always smiling and has an incredibly good temper when it comes to the children of relatives and friends.

But when it comes to himself, his face is like it's frozen, and he always has a stern expression.

He was often upset and a little aggrieved because of this when he was a child, wondering why his father didn't like him at all, not even giving him a smile.

But as he grew older, he gradually began to appreciate the nuances.

My father gives all his smiles to others, but he gives everything else to me, leaving nothing for me.

A group of people entered the house while talking. Inside, Grandma, Aunt, and Uncle were chatting on the sofa, with a traditional opera program playing in the background on TV.

Upon seeing them return, the aunt spoke first.

"You're finally back! Xiao Shu looks... hmm, she seems to have gained a little weight?"

"Yeah, you've gained weight, your belly is almost sticking out."

Ye Shu was a little embarrassed, while Tang Xiaotao next to her immediately started to egg her on:

"That must be because your sister-in-law takes good care of you."

Ye Shu's face flushed slightly. He quickly exchanged a few pleasantries with his uncle, changed the subject, and then led Tang Xiaotao into his inner room.

While the adults talked about adult matters, Ye Shu and his two younger siblings discreetly slipped to the side and chatted about their own things.

As soon as she entered the house, Tang Xiaotao plopped down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), swinging her legs, and asked with a gossipy look on her face:

"Brother, why didn't your wife come back with you?"

Ye Shu casually pulled a chair from the desk and sat down, saying:

"People also need to go home for the Lunar New Year, and they need to see their relatives."

"oh."

Tang Xiaotao responded, somewhat disappointed.

Looking at her like this, Ye Shu asked:

"Stop talking about me, let's talk about you. My dad mentioned it briefly, saying he couldn't really explain what you've been up to lately. Tell me, what have you been busy with lately?"

Mentioning this, Tang Xiaotao looked smug. She sat up straight and deliberately cleared her throat, as if she were about to announce something very important:

"Uh-huh, me? Of course I'm continuing to run my live-streaming career!"

As she spoke, she took out her phone from her pocket, opened a live streaming app, and handed it to Ye Shu:

"Brother, look! I already have so many fans!"

Ye Shu took the phone and saw that it was Tang Xiaotao's homepage, with a portrait of her smiling brightly.

Number of followers... 15231

"Fifteen thousand?"

"Wow! Fifteen thousand two hundred and thirty-one, impressive, right!"

Tang Xiaotao held her chin high, waiting for her brother to praise her.

But Ye Shu only asked a rather practical question:

"Does it make money?"

More than the number of fans, he cares about whether his sister can actually support herself through this, rather than whether it's just a matter of love.

"well enough……"

Tang Xiaotao's excitement subsided a little when she mentioned this:

"I can earn some money, but not much. I haven't signed a contract with the platform yet, so there's no guaranteed salary or anything. I mainly rely on livestream tips. But if I try my best every day, I can definitely earn some snack money!"

Ye Shu returned the phone to her, and seeing how much she enjoyed it, he didn't say anything.

You're already making money right from the start, which puts you ahead of many others in this industry. As long as you're not losing money every month, you can at least earn some pocket money, making it a good hobby or side hustle.

"Great, my sister's going to be a big star now. But Xiaotao, I have to remind you. If you're asked to sign any contracts or collaborations in the future, make sure you read the contract carefully, understand? Don't just get excited and get scammed."

Ye Shu was like a mother hen protecting her chicks, determined to keep out any dangers from the outside world.

Tang Xiaotao said with a grin:

"Got it, brother. Don't worry, if there's anything that needs a signature in the future, I'll definitely ask you to take a look first."

"Good to know."

Seeing Tang Xiaotao's serious expression, Ye Shu felt a little more at ease. Although this child was playful and mischievous, she was generally reliable when it came to making promises and listened to advice.

The room was quiet for a while, but you could hear the elders chatting in the outer room and the sound of opera being played on TV.

Tang Xiaotao sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), swinging her legs, her eyes constantly darting to Ye Shu's face. After watching for a while, she suddenly leaned closer, a mysterious smile on her face, and asked:

"Brother, um... just between you and me, which sister-in-law was home today?"

These words would cause trouble in anyone else's home, but they're perfectly normal when spoken to Ye Shu.

"What are you doing? Why are you asking this?"

"Nothing."

Although Tang Xiaotao said she wouldn't do anything, the gossipy gleam on her face almost blinded Ye Shu:

"Just asking casually, to get some information. Oh, right!"

She seemed to have just remembered, and with a hint of anticipation, she urged Ye Shu:

"Aren't you going to call your sister-in-law or anything? Or ask her what she's doing now? Whether she misses you or not? I could also say hello to her."

Ye Shu was speechless as he looked at her expression, which showed she had grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds and was about to start cracking them open.

However... I really should give myself a beating too.

It was too noisy in the supermarket just now, and I couldn't hear Xiaoxue's voice message at all. I should call and ask if anything has happened.

Ye Shu took out her phone and said while tapping:

"It's Xiaoxue today."

"Wow! Sister-in-law Xiaoxue has such a soft voice and such a cute personality! Brother, hurry up and call her, turn on the video!"

Tang Xiaotao jumped off the kang (a heated brick bed) and came over.

Ye Shu felt a little awkward being stared at like that.

"Go away, why are you turning on a video?"

Ye Shu waved his hand and gently pushed Tang Xiaotao away, but Tang Xiaotao was like glue to him, and he couldn't push her away. She just wanted to see.

Ye Shu had no choice but to let her be.

The video call went through, and music started playing.

Tang Xiaotao was also blinking, waiting to see Sister-in-law Xiaoxue.

But while the music was still playing, a message appeared on the screen saying "The other party may be busy."

Ye Shu hung up the phone, her eyebrows furrowing slightly. She dialed again, but still no one answered.

"Is your phone turned off?"

Tang Xiaotao asked from the side.

"Maybe, or maybe they're busy with something else. Let's try calling again later."

"Oh……"

Tang Xiaotao was a little disappointed that she didn't get any candy from her brother and sister-in-law.

Ye Shu sat in the chair, looking at the two missed video calls on her phone. After thinking for a while, she still couldn't put her mind at ease, so she tapped to send a message:

What are you doing?