A life of success begins with being a landlord.

I shook my head and smiled: "Chunyan is still at home. I came here to help a friend with some things."

Ding Zhili was already quite self-aware. He got off the car and handed me the keys: "Brother Zu, here's the motorcycle. I'm going to run back and get some exercise. See you in front of Fatty Sister's fried noodles shop."

I took the keys and waved them away.

Chunyan's mother glanced at Ding Zhili's retreating figure: "Is this...your friend?"

"We just met; we're both renting apartments."

I called to Chunyan's mother, "Auntie, get in the car, I'll give you a ride."

Chunyan's mother waved to the other female workers who were with her, saying, "I'm leaving now."

A female worker gossiped with a mischievous grin: "Tang Yuling, you've got a boyfriend? He's quite handsome, huh?"

Another female worker said something even more outrageous: "Go to bed early with your boyfriend tonight, don't play around, you have to go to work tomorrow! If you can't bear to part with your boyfriend, I'll help you get a day off, you two can go crazy and love each other to your heart's content."

Chunyan's mother blushed with embarrassment: "I'll tear your mouth off! This is me, I..."

"Auntie, please sit down."

I could only pretend I didn't hear it.

Chunyan's mother got on the motorcycle and held onto my shoulders.

After the motorcycle got away from the female workers, Chunyan's mother lowered her arms, hugged my lower back, and asked, "Yaozu, have you had dinner yet?"

"no."

"It's still early, could you take me to the shopping mall in Sanlichuan? I'd like to buy something while I'm there."

"Sure, Auntie, it's on my way anyway."

I nodded in agreement.

Chunyan's mother sighed again, "Let's forget it. I haven't even changed out of my work clothes, and I'm covered in sweat. It wouldn't look right for me to go to the mall. Maybe next time."

I laughed and said, "It's okay, Auntie, wearing work clothes doesn't mean you can't come in."

"Never mind, maybe next time."

"All right."

I obeyed my mother-in-law's orders and went straight home.

Riding a motorcycle is fast, and it only took a few minutes to get back to the foot of Building 27.

Coincidentally, I ran into Kuai Dafa again.

Kuai Dafa looked at me and Chunyan's mother with a wicked grin: "Brother Wang, did you take Chunyan's mother out to sneak a bite to eat?"

"What did you steal to eat?"

I didn't understand what he meant, so I glared at Kuai Dafa and said, "Tomorrow noon is the deadline. You'd better get the bathroom fixed, or get out of here!"

Kuai Dafa turned around and slipped away.

But I laughed, and laughed very happily.

Because in two days, Kuai Dafa will be devastated when he finds out that those printing factories have lost their business!

I will see him looking like he has lost his parents!

Chunyan's mother got out of the car: "Yaozu, I'm going back now."

"Auntie, let's eat fried noodles here. I'll call Chunyan down."

I parked the car and called Chunyan.

When Chunyan received the call, she excitedly exclaimed, "Old Wang, you're back? I bought you a chicken, I'll make braised chicken for you tonight. It's already cooked, it smells so good! Come on up!"

鸡？

Chicken is a good thing, but Chunyan's cooking skills are lacking, and she doesn't know how she'll turn it into anything.

"Auntie, Chunyan has cooked dinner, including chicken. Let's go upstairs and eat together," I said to Chunyan's mother, extending a warm invitation.

Chunyan's mother looked down at her work clothes: "These clothes of mine... never mind, I'll go home and eat."

"It's alright, Auntie, come upstairs quickly."

I pushed Chunyan's mother towards the stairwell.

Although the work clothes weren't nice and were drab, I didn't look down on my mother-in-law.

Isn't it good to be a simple, hardworking person?

"Alright, you silly child." Chunyan's mother turned around and smiled, "After you return the motorcycle, we'll go upstairs together."

As they were talking, Ding Zhili arrived, panting heavily.

I tossed the keys over: "Come over first thing tomorrow morning and wait for me here."

Ding Zhili looked at me, then at Chunyan's mother, as if he understood something, and nodded with a mischievous smile: "Okay, Brother Zu, you can play first."

I glared at Ding Zhili, then turned and went upstairs with Chunyan's mother.

As we reached the corner platform between the second and third floors, Chunyan's mother suddenly stopped, turned around, and asked me, "Who exactly was that young man just now?"

"He's a scrap collector and asked me to introduce him to some business. That's why I took him to the development zone this afternoon."

"Look at him, so young and clean-cut, he's a scrap collector?"

"Oh, he specializes in collecting waste from factories, not the kind of scrap collector who goes door-to-door collecting recyclables."

"understood."

Chunyan's mother turned around and went upstairs with me.

As soon as the door opened, Chunyan rushed over and kissed me: "Old Wang, here you go..."

"Cough cough!" I quickly coughed dryly, gesturing for Chunyan to look behind me.

"Oh, Mom... what brings you here?"

Chunyan blushed when she saw her mother.

"I've come to see if you know how to manage a household, and what kind of dishes you cook."

Chunyan's mother glared at her daughter, took off her work jacket, and walked towards the bathroom in her short-sleeved shirt: "I'm going to the toilet."

Chunyan stuck her tongue out at me and whispered, "Why is my mom here?"

I whispered, "Your mother is coming over to see if her eldest grandson has been born yet, so she can prepare a postpartum gift."

"Damn it, you're talking nonsense again..." Chunyan laughed and pinched me.

I held Chunyan in my arms and leaned down to kiss her.

"Stop messing around, my mom's coming out." Chunyan panicked and pushed me.

"Didn't you say that you have to wash after using the toilet? Your mother isn't that quick..." I didn't let go.

The sound of running water came from the bathroom.

I thought it was about time, so I let go and went to check on the chicken that Chunyan had cooked.

I took a bite, and the food today is pretty good; it's edible!

Chunyan's mother also washed her hands and came out, walking into the kitchen. Looking at her daughter's amazing achievement, she nodded in admiration: "Hmm, now that you have a boyfriend, you're like a little woman, you can even cook."

"Mom, Lao Wang, come and eat."

Chunyan, beaming with pride, brought out the dishes and then pulled out a few sausages and two bottles of beer from the refrigerator: "My mom can drink, Lao Wang, why don't you have a couple of drinks with her?"

I suddenly remembered Old Xia: "By the way, should we call Uncle Xia over... for a drink?"

One braised rooster is probably too much for three people to finish.

"Don't call him!" Chunyan and her daughter said in unison.

I gave an awkward smile and poured wine for Chunyan's mother: "Auntie, let me have a drink with you."

Fine, I don't care if you don't want to call me. I hate Lao Xia too!

Chunyan's mother didn't refuse. She picked up the large glass, drank half of it in one gulp, put down the glass, and smiled, "The workshop is very stuffy and hot. I feel restless inside. A sip of ice-cold beer makes me feel much better."

Chunyan immediately gave the order: "Old Wang, have a few more drinks with Mom. She's my mom, that's your mom too."

I blushed. This mother... is a bit young.

Chunyan's mother looked at me and smiled, "It's alright, you can change your address after we get married."

Chunyan wouldn't let me off the hook, and nudged me: "Are you going to call me Mom or not? If you don't, I'm leaving tonight and won't stay here anymore."

"Go ahead and bark! Why aren't you barking?"

I raised my glass, looked at Chunyan's mother, and blushed as I called out, "Mom, I'd like to toast you."

If you take someone's daughter, it seems perfectly natural to call her "Mom."

If I don't call her soon, Chunyan will run away tonight, and I'll be a bachelor forever. The hunger will be unbearable.

Chunyan's mother blushed as well, and stood up with her wine glass in hand: "Alright, Yaozu, Chunyan was just joking. In the future, in front of others... it's better to call her Auntie..."

Chunyan laughed heartily, "Old Wang, look how happy my mom is!"

Chunyan's mother slapped her daughter: "Of course I'm happy that you've grown up."

The three of us chatted and laughed, and before we knew it, we had drunk four bottles of beer.

Chunyan's mother can drink a lot; she drank more than two bottles by herself.

After dinner, Chunyan went to wash the dishes. Chunyan's mother called me to the small room: "Yaozu, sit down, let me take a look at your wound."

I nodded, took off my shirt, and sat down on the edge of the bed.

Chunyan's mother carefully removed my gauze, examined it closely, pressed around the wound with her hand, and nodded, saying, "It should be healed soon. When will the stitches be removed?"

"The doctor said the stitches can be removed in a week to ten days, it should be soon."

"That's good." Chunyan's mother bent down again, blew on my wound, and rewrapped the gauze.

She bent over and stood opposite me, her movements gentle and careful.

I peeked at it and suddenly blushed.

Chunyan's mother's short-sleeved shirt had a very low neckline, and when she bent over, everything was clearly visible.