Living in a county town, starting as a stock market maker...

Gu Ming hung up the phone and tossed it aside.

The matter concerning Zhou Jianjun has been settled.

The negotiations tomorrow morning are just a formality, to discuss the specific benefits that can be obtained.

He rubbed his throbbing temples and glanced out the window.

The lights on the city's outskirts were sparse in the distance, and the night was deepening.

The continuous high-intensity work made him feel a bit tired.

He started the car and drove home instead of going back to the company.

After finishing his work at the company, he wanted to go home and relax.

As I pushed open the door, the aroma of food wafted in.

In the living room, the father, Gu Yuanshan, was sitting on the sofa, smiling happily.

The mother, Meng Xiaoyan, was holding her phone, and her laughter sounded even happier than her father's.

"Oh, Qingying, you're too kind! Last time you came to our house, you brought so many things, I felt so bad about it!"

Gu Ming raised an eyebrow.

It's Su Qingying.

He changed his shoes and walked over, just in time to see Su Qingying's face on his phone screen.

She was probably in her apartment, wearing a silk nightgown, her hair casually tied up, looking very relaxed.

"Auntie, please don't say that. I felt really bad about how warmly you and Uncle were at your house last time, and I've been wanting to visit you again ever since."

Su Qingying's voice came through the receiver.

"Okay, okay, come whenever you have time, Auntie will cook you something delicious!"

Meng Xiaoyan smiled so hard her eyes narrowed into slits. "You're such a sensible child, so beautiful and capable at work. Whoever marries you is truly blessed!"

"Mom, I'm home."

Gu Ming called out.

"Oh, my son's back!"

Meng Xiaoyan was even happier to see him. "Come quick, Qingying is chatting with your dad!"

Gu Ming leaned over and greeted Su Qingying on the screen.

"What are you chatting about, you seem to be having so much fun?"

"Qingying sent us a small gift as a thank you for our hospitality last time!"

Gu Yuanshan chimed in, his pride barely concealed.

"Yeah?"

Gu Ming was somewhat surprised, as he knew that Su Qingying's small gifts were never small.

"Auntie, Uncle, I had a friend deliver the gift directly to you; it should have arrived by now."

Su Qingying said with a smile on the other end of the video call.

"arrive?"

Meng Xiaoyan was taken aback. "What is it? Why didn't I receive a call from the courier?"

"It's not a delivery."

Su Qingying explained, "It's the key to an apartment in Sanya, Hainan, a sea-view room in a resort community. I was thinking that my aunt and uncle could stay there for a while in the winter, it'll be warm there. I'll have someone handle the transfer of ownership and send it to you later."

Her tone was very calm, as if she were talking about a very ordinary little thing.

"The house is just sitting empty anyway, so I'll give you a small gift as a gift among friends. Please don't be shy about giving me one."

The living room fell silent instantly.

Gu Yuanshan's smile froze; his mouth hung open, as if he had heard something he couldn't believe.

And the smile on Meng Xiaoyan's face gradually disappeared.

"Wh...what? A...a house?"

Gu Yuanshan stammered, his voice trembling.

A sea-view apartment in Sanya, Hainan, must cost several million!

"Qingying...you...you child, this is unacceptable! This is too precious! We cannot accept it!"

Meng Xiaoyan's voice suddenly became somewhat stiff.

Gu Ming, standing to the side, clearly saw that his mother's hand holding the phone was trembling slightly.

"Auntie, please don't refuse."

Su Qingying maintained her composed tone, speaking in an unyielding manner, "If you don't accept it, it means you don't consider me one of your own. I finally have two elders in Hegang with whom I can confide in them, so you can't distance yourself from me."

These words were perfectly crafted, both flattering Gu Ming's parents and linking the gift to their own status, making it impossible for Meng Xiaoyan to refuse.

Meng Xiaoyan opened her mouth, but in the end, she didn't say anything.

She managed a forced smile, which looked very awkward.

"Well... well... thank you in advance, Auntie..."

After chatting for a few more minutes, the video call finally ended.

The atmosphere in the living room was eerie.

"We've struck it rich! Son, we've struck it rich!"

Gu Yuanshan was the first to recover from his shock. He excitedly grabbed Gu Ming's arm, his face flushed.

"A sea-view room in Sanya! I never even dared to dream of such a thing! Qingying is so generous! So promising! Son, you have to treat her well!"

He was so happy that he didn't notice anything unusual about his wife.

Meng Xiaoyan silently stood up and began to clear the table without saying a word, taking the bowls and chopsticks into the kitchen.

That figure looked somewhat forlorn.

During dinner, Gu Yuanshan was excitedly planning his trip to Sanya for the winter, and even started thinking about which old colleagues to invite to his new house.

Meng Xiaoyan didn't say a word.

She just silently picked at the rice in her bowl, without much appetite.

After finishing his meal, Gu Ming returned to his room, knowing that his mother would come to talk to him later.

Sure enough, not long after, there was a knock on the door.

Meng Xiaoyan walked in and closed the door behind her.

She didn't sit down, but stood in front of Gu Ming with an unprecedentedly serious expression.

"son."

"Yes, Mom."

"Find an opportunity to return that house to its owner."

Meng Xiaoyan's voice was low, but firm.

"My dad was so happy, if I give it back now, he'll be furious with me."

Gu Ming said it on purpose.

"Your dad's been blinded by greed!"

Meng Xiaoyan's voice suddenly rose a little, "He saw that house, but did he see what was behind that house?"

She looked at Gu Ming, her eyes filled with anxiety and unease.

"Son, I've been feeling anxious these past few days."

"This isn't dating, you understand?"

"You and Qingying are like...like an ancient princess and her consort. She's a princess, a golden branch and jade leaf, and she bestows upon you a house—it's a favor. Once you move in, you have to be grateful to her for the rest of your life. In front of her, in this relationship, will you still be able to stand tall?"

Gu Ming fell silent. He hadn't expected that his mother, an ordinary retired teacher, could see the problem so clearly.

"Mom knows you're capable now and can earn money. But in other people's eyes, the money you earn might just be the cost of a meal or a bag."

"Today she can give you one house, tomorrow she can use a hundred houses to ruin you so much you'll never be able to hold your head up again!"

"This isn't just about living a normal life; it's like hiring a son-in-law to live with you!"

These words were finally uttered by Meng Xiaoyan, one syllable at a time.

She looked at her son, her eyes welling up with tears.

"Son, Mom would rather you find someone like Li Li."

"Although that girl is materialistic and looks down on the poor, and isn't a good person, at least when you're with her, within our family, your word is law! Looking at you, Mom feels at ease!"

"But being with Qingying... Mom is scared."

"Mom is afraid you'll suffer in the future."

Gu Ming was stunned.

Once again, he was impressed by his mother's simple yet insightful thinking.

Yes.

Su Qingying is very capable; she can use her abilities and logic to solve the vast majority of problems in the world.

But she overlooked one thing.

She doesn't understand the genuine desire of an ordinary mother to protect her child's dignity when faced with a huge gap in social standing.