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

Sheng Yuze took the cigarette, didn't light it, and tucked it behind his ear. "I don't know who did it."

Lu Xingguo exhaled a puff of smoke and squinted at the scratches on the car door.

"I don't think this is just kids being naughty. A child couldn't scratch that deep; this must have been done intentionally with a rock or something hard."

He crouched down and ran his fingers along the edge of the peeling paint. "This pressure."

He Zhaoyang squatted not far away, still holding a brush in his hand.

Lu Xiao stood to the side, glanced at He Zhaoyang, then at the scratch, and suddenly spoke, "Sister-in-law, don't you know what's going on?"

He Zhaoyang walked over to touch up the paint without saying a word.

Lu Xiao continued, "Who did you offend?"

Sheng Yuze took the bucket and brush.

He Zhaoyang pursed his lips. "I had a fight with Aunt Liu next door a few days ago. She wanted to buy this car, but I wasn't selling it to her."

"Just for this?" Lu Xiao frowned.

"Um."

Lu Xiao glanced at the scratch. "Did she make any noise last night? Did you hear anything?"

He Zhaoyang lowered his head, watching Sheng Yuze paint. "Didn't hear me. He was fast asleep."

Before Lu Xiao could ask anything else, Aunt Liu came over.

She was carrying a wooden basket containing several freshly picked eggplants.

She saw people standing in the courtyard.

Lu Xingguo, dressed in a white suit, leaned against the car door smoking, while Lu Xiao, dressed neatly, stood beside him.

"Oh," Aunt Liu's expression changed. She could tell these two people came from well-off families. Her voice was much lower than usual. "We have guests at home."

He Zhaoyang looked up at her but didn't say anything.

Aunt Liu came in carrying a basket, placed the basin on the stone table, patted the dust off her hands, and said, "Zhaoyang, the eggplants at home are plentiful, so I brought you a few."

"Thank you, Auntie."

Aunt Liu's gaze fell on the scratches, her eyes flickered, "This car isn't fixed yet?"

"Yes. Touching up the paint."

Aunt Liu stood by the stone table, showing no intention of leaving. Her gaze swept back and forth between Lu Xingguo and Lu Xiao, and she opened her mouth as if to say something.

Lu Xingguo stubbed out his cigarette, glanced at Aunt Liu, and asked He Zhaoyang, "Sister-in-law, who is this?"

"Aunt Liu next door."

"Oh." Lu Xingguo nodded with a smile, but he was speaking to He Zhaoyang, "Is that Aunt Liu who kept clamoring to buy your car last time?"

Aunt Liu's expression changed immediately.

She stood beside the stone table, her face twitching slightly as she forced a smile. "Oh dear, comrade, what are you saying?"

I just happened to be passing by and casually asked, nothing about buying or not.

"Is that so?" Lu Xingguo leaned against the car door, his voice unhurried.

"The version I heard is that you insisted on buying someone's car, wanting it for thirty yuan, and when they wouldn't sell it to you, you even had a fight at the alley entrance. Is that true?"

Aunt Liu's smile completely vanished. "Who...who are you? What business is it of yours to ask about my affairs with Zhaoyang's family?"

"I'm her friend," Lu Xingguo said. "It's not unreasonable for a friend to ask a few questions after their car was scratched."

Aunt Liu's face flushed red and then turned pale. "What do you mean? Are you saying I scratched it? Do you have any proof?"

"I didn't say anything," Lu Xingguo smiled, his eyes full of sarcasm, "I just thought it was quite a coincidence. We had an argument during the day, and then my car got scratched that night."

"You—you're making false accusations!" Aunt Liu's voice shrieked. "I didn't! Who saw it? Did you see it? Or did you see it?"

She pointed at He Zhaoyang and then at Sheng Yuze, her fingers trembling, "If you have evidence, go call the police! If you don't, don't make baseless accusations!"

She turned and walked away. She paused at the door, but didn't turn back. "I brought you eggplants because I knew your family wasn't doing well. You're really biting the hand that feeds you. You don't appreciate my kindness at all."

She stepped out of the courtyard gate and left.

Lu Xiao stood in the courtyard, watched the door shake twice, then looked at He Zhaoyang, "Sister-in-law, is that her?"

"There's no evidence," she said. "Knowing wouldn't help."

Lu Xingguo stood beside the car watching her back, then glanced at Sheng Yuze, and suddenly smiled, saying lazily, "Sheng Yuze, call me Brother Lu, and I'll go check for you."

He glanced at Lu Xingguo, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Seeing his expression, Lu Xingguo laughed even harder. "What's wrong? Can't bring yourself to say it? Fine, you can investigate on your own."

He made a move to walk towards the car.

Seeing that Sheng Yuze was about to leave, Lu Xingguo said, "This is boring."

He left with Lu Xiao, telling him to give him the result before nightfall.

Sheng Yuze's lips curled slightly; he knew Lu Xingguo would help him.

dusk.

Suddenly, hurried footsteps sounded outside the courtyard, and someone called out from the alley entrance, "Sheng Yuze! Is Sheng Yuze home?"

When Sheng Yuze came out, a young man was standing outside the courtyard, panting heavily. He saw Sheng Yuze and said, "Young Master Lu asked me to tell you that the marriage proposal for Aunt Liu's son has fallen through."

Sheng Yuze frowned slightly. The man looked up and said, "The matchmaker went to Aunt Liu's house this morning and returned all the engagement gifts. She said the woman's family found out something and they're no longer interested."

"It seems that the woman's family is quite powerful. They gave her son two choices: either the engagement is null and void, or he must sever ties with his family."

He paused for a moment, then said, "Young Master Lu, you know what you're doing."

Sheng Yuze nodded. "Thank you."

The man left after delivering the message.

He Zhaoyang and Sheng Yuze stared at each other, wide-eyed.

Just then, Aunt Liu came over with red eyes. "Was this your doing? All I did was scratch your car! Do you have to ruin my son's marriage?"

Before He Zhaoyang and the others could react, Aunt Liu continued, "You're all so heartless! If it weren't for you, my son wouldn't have disowned me. Fine, I don't have a son anymore!"

"Stop making a fool of yourself here!" Li Dazhu carried a bundle of firewood over and scolded Aunt Liu back. He then put the firewood down.

"Consider this firewood my apology to you. It's all because my wife is so brainless."

"How much does it cost to repair the paint? I'll compensate you."

Sheng Yuze glanced at He Zhaoyang. He Zhaoyang didn't speak, standing half a step behind him.

"No need," Sheng Yuze said. "I did the paint touch-up myself."

"She still has to pay compensation." Li Dazhu's voice suddenly rose. "Otherwise, what would I be? I can't pretend I didn't see what she did."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled cloth bag. He opened it, and inside was a stack of small bills and a few one-yuan notes. He counted them—about a dozen or so—and handed them over, saying, "If it's not enough, I'll make up the difference."

Sheng Yuze did not answer.

"Uncle," He Zhaoyang said softly, "take the money back."

Li Dazhu was stunned.

"My husband did the paint repairs himself; it didn't cost him anything," He Zhaoyang said, looking at him. "If you really want to pay for it..."