A woman in her 70s marries a rough-looking man; her plump wife is too delicate and alluring.

Village entrance.

Lu Xingguo drove along a bumpy road. He gripped the steering wheel and pulled closer to the side of the road, rolling down the window and sticking half his head out.

"This Sheng Yuze, he actually came to a place like this, it's driving me crazy."

Lu Xiao said weakly, "How much longer, brother? I can't take it anymore. This is the first time I've ever gotten carsick."

Lu Xingguo: "I'll go ask."

A woman wearing a pink floral-patterned jacket was squatting by the roadside, washing clothes by the ditch.

She looked up when she heard the horn. Her face was a little pale in the sunlight, but her features were delicate.

Lu Xingguo called out to her, "Big sister, can I ask for directions? How do I get to the Sheng family's house?"

"Big sister?" He Xidi stood up, shook the water off his hands, and walked over.

She walked to the car, her gaze first falling on the gleaming black sedan, then looking from the front to the back, before finally settling on Lu Xingguo's face.

Instead of giving directions, she first sized him up: a white suit, a middle parting, and shiny buttons on his cuffs—he looked expensive.

The anger I felt at being called "big sister" has now completely vanished.

She raised her hand to touch the stray hairs from her ear piercing, then turned her head with a gentle expression. "The Sheng family."

She tried to keep her voice down, "What do you want with the Sheng family?"

Visiting relatives.

He Xi looked at Lu Xingguo thoughtfully, his face showing difficulty, "I know where it is, but it's a bit far away, and I can't explain it clearly in a short time."

A weak voice came from the passenger seat, "Brother, let her get in the car and give directions... I feel like throwing up."

Lu Xingguo glanced at Lu Xiao in the passenger seat, then turned to He Xidi, "Why don't you get in the car and give me directions? You can walk back when we get there." As he spoke, he opened the back door.

He Xi stared blankly for a moment, then overjoyed. She quickly lowered her head so the two of them wouldn't see her expression. "Alright then."

She then sat down in the back row.

He Xidi sat in the back seat, and the moment the car door closed, the air inside the car became quiet for a moment.

Lu Xingguo glanced at her in the rearview mirror. "Which way are you going?"

He Xidi blushed under Lu Xingguo's gaze, raised her hand and pointed east, "Drive straight ahead, turn right at the second intersection."

Lu Xingguo shifted into gear, and the car moved forward.

Do you know Sheng Yuze?

"know."

When did he get married?

He Xidi looked up at him and said, "We've been married for almost half a year."

"Oh," Lu Xingguo responded, turning the steering wheel half a turn to the right. "How's his wife?"

He Xidi gently clenched her hands on her knees, then released them, her voice soft, "Very good. Capable, managing the household perfectly all by herself. That's right."

Lu Xingguo glanced at her in the rearview mirror. "What is it?"

He Xi smiled, seemingly a little embarrassed, and after a while spoke, "It's just that her personality is a bit... how should I put it, I'm her sister, and her personality is indeed not good. She argues with people every other day, and she used to beat me when I was little. Before, she was a 190-pound fat girl, and she was also involved with other men."

She paused for a moment, then lowered her voice, "Of course, it's also possible that I was being nosy. I just feel that my older sister does have a bit of a temper."

Lu Xingguo didn't reply. He tapped his fingers twice on the steering wheel, looking at the road ahead, his expression unreadable.

Lu Xiao, who had been sitting in the side room, snorted coldly. She had finally figured it out. This person was trying to slander He Zhaoyang indirectly. Even if it was true, He Xidi could easily say such things to a few strangers.

Lu Xiao had seen right through He Xidi's little scheme.

He Xidi, however, acted as if he knew nothing and continued talking to himself.

"He Zhaoyang got into an argument with someone yesterday."

After He Xidi finished speaking, he added, "It seems to be about Aunt Liu next door, over a car. Aunt Liu said the car was blocking the way, and she refused to move it. They had a really fierce argument."

After she finished speaking, she leaned back in her chair as if she had just finished talking about something that had nothing to do with her, her fingers gently smoothing the hem of her skirt.

Lu Xingguo remained silent.

Lu Xiao, in the passenger seat, suddenly spoke, her voice still weak but tinged with impatience, "Is she your biological sister or your cousin?"

"Yes, we're related," He Xidi said. "We share the same parents."

Lu Xiao said "Oh," and added, "So you two sisters have a pretty good relationship. You know so much about her."

He Xidi's finger stopped. She understood the implication in Lu's joke, but didn't show it on her face. She smiled and said, "She's my sister, it's only natural to care about her."

Lu Xiao didn't reply, leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes.

The car fell silent.

He Xi looked at the road ahead, then glanced at Lu Xingguo's eyes in the rearview mirror.

He happened to be looking at her too, and their eyes met briefly in the rearview mirror. She didn't look away, but smiled. Lu Xingguo then looked away.

The car stopped at the entrance of the third alley. Lu Xingguo peeked out and asked, "Is this it?"

He Xi glanced outside and said, "This is the place. It's the green car at the entrance."

Lu Xingguo parked the car and glanced at He Xi in the rearview mirror. "Thanks. Do you want to come in with us?"

"Alright."

He Xidi opened the car door, got out, closed the door, and turned to leave.

She took a few steps forward and heard Lu Xiao's voice behind her, not too loud, not too soft, "Brother, does this He Xidi have a grudge against her sister?"

He Xidi paused for a moment, then pushed open the Sheng family's door, "Sister, I'm here!"

In the courtyard, next to He Zhaoyang and Sheng Yuze was a small can of green paint and a brush.

She looked up when she heard the sound and saw He Xidi standing at the door, followed by Lu Xingguo and Lu Xiao.

He Zhaoyang was stunned for a moment.

"Why are you here?"

Lu Xingguo: "Come see my sister-in-law."

Lu Xiao glared at him. "Can't you speak properly?"

She turned to look at He Zhaoyang proudly, "Come see if my dress is finished."

He Zhaoyang glanced at Lu Xiao, put down the brush in his hand, stood up, wiped his hands on his apron, and said, "The skirt is cut, but it hasn't been sewn yet."

Lu Xiao gave an "Oh," her pride fading slightly, but she remained defiant, asking, "When will it be finished?"

"In a couple of days."

Lu Xiao nodded, took two steps into the yard, and her gaze fell on the can of green paint next to He Zhaoyang. "What are you doing?"

He Zhaoyang: "The car was scratched and needed repainting."

Lu Xiao raised an eyebrow.

Seeing that He Zhaoyang was leaving her out, He Xi felt bad. "Sister, I'll be going now. I won't disturb you and your guests."

He Zhaoyang didn't answer her either. Lu Xiao looked at He Xidi with amusement, and she slunk away.

At this moment, Lu Xingguo and Sheng Yuze had walked to the car. Lu Xingguo carefully examined the scratches.

The metal sheeting inside was all exposed. He handed one eye to Sheng Yuze and lit his own cigarette as well. "Wow, what kind of grudge is this? It's a deep one."