Jing Lan looked at the pile of groceries in the kitchen and sighed over and over again.
As she sighed, she suddenly burst into laughter.
Gu Chenshi, tired from doing homework, came over to wash an apple to munch on. Accidentally noticing the vegetables on the floor, he exclaimed in surprise, “Mom, how long have these potatoes been here? They’ve already sprouted. Throw them away quickly!
And this chicken, why is it so fatty? After removing the fat, there won’t be much meat left.
And this—”
Gu Chenshi suddenly stopped talking. He glanced at Qiao Yu, who looked bewildered, and understood what had happened.
The potatoes hadn’t been sitting around for too long, and the chicken wasn’t bought by his mom either.
This pile of groceries was bought by Qiao Yu.
Looking at the sprouted potatoes, the overly fatty chicken, and oh, that pile of ribs with mostly bones…
She must have been cheated by the vegetable vendors working together, right?
Come to think of it, those who usually go grocery shopping are elderly folks. A young, beautiful girl like her, who clearly hasn’t experienced the harshness of society, would definitely be taken advantage of when buying groceries.
And she obviously lacks common sense, not even knowing that potatoes turn green and sprout when they’re no longer edible.
Seeing Jing Lan laughing heartily and hearing Gu Chenshi’s complaints, even Qiao Yu, as naive as she was, understood what was going on.
She said gloomily, “Auntie, was I cheated? I clearly asked them to pick the best ones for me, and they promised they would…”
Hearing this, Gu Chenshi gave her a speechless look.
Silly girl, unscrupulous merchants are unscrupulous for a reason. If they could all meet your demands, would they still be called unscrupulous merchants?
After accidentally learning one of her little secrets, Gu Chenshi felt a bit closer to her, though only slightly.
At home, apart from sleeping, Gu Chenshi devoted all his time to studying. It was normal for him to shut himself in his room, and even Jing Lan could only talk to him during meals.
When Qiao Yu came over to visit, it was common not to see Gu Chenshi.
Jing Lan patted her shoulder while laughing, comforting her, “Don’t be too upset. It’s normal not to know what’s good or bad. If I asked Chenshi to buy groceries, what he brings back wouldn’t be much better than yours.”
Gu Chenshi: “…”
Why drag me into this when you’re comforting her?
He couldn’t speak for other things, but he would never buy sprouted potatoes or a chicken with thick layers of fat!
“Xiao Yu, don’t buy groceries anymore. I’ll take care of it from now on.”
Qiao Yu shook her head. “No.”
Jing Lan said, “Why are you so stubborn, child? If you buy them again, you’ll just get cheated next time.”
Qiao Yu fell silent.
Even with her lack of life experience, she knew that living in the city meant even tap water cost money.
Since they weren’t related, if she didn’t contribute something, how could she keep coming over to eat and drink for free?
Jing Lan sensed her concern and said, “Don’t worry about it. From now on, just come over when I’ve cooked. With your appetite, it’s like feeding a cat—you don’t eat much anyway.”
Qiao Yu still shook her head.
Actually, this problem was easy to solve.
She could simply stop coming over for meals from now on.
But… she couldn’t bear to.
Although Jing Lan’s cooking was indeed very good.
What she cherished wasn’t the food, but the warmth of home she felt here!
Qiao Yu looked up seriously and said, “Auntie, how about I give you money instead?”
Gu Chenshi took a loud bite of his apple, eating as he walked out of the kitchen, completely detached from the situation.
From behind came Jing Lan’s voice: “How can that be? I can’t take your money. You didn’t eat much anyway.”
“Then I won’t come to Auntie’s house for meals anymore. No matter how little I eat, it still costs money. Auntie, your money didn’t just fall from the sky…”
Gu Chenshi kicked the door shut with a “bang.” He didn’t hear what they said after that.
His mom definitely wouldn’t easily accept Qiao Yu’s money.
Originally, she thought since their family had to eat anyway, making a little extra was just a small effort—a way for neighbors to look out for each other.
But if she took the money, it would turn into a transaction, changing the nature of their relationship.
However, if his mom refused the money, Qiao Yu would naturally feel too embarrassed to keep eating at their house.
Whether Qiao Yu continued eating at their home or not didn’t affect him in the slightest, so he didn’t dwell on the matter.
As he closed his book, stretched, and glanced at the time, ready to call it a day, Jing Lan muttered to herself while pushing the door open: “That child Xiao Yu is so stubborn! She insists on giving me three thousand yuan a month!
How much can she earn in a month? After paying rent, she probably doesn’t have much left!”
Only then did Gu Chenshi remember the issue: “So, did you take it?”
Jing Lan replied, “How could I take her money? She didn’t eat much anyway. It was really just a matter of adding an extra pair of chopsticks.
But she said if I don’t take the money, she won’t come to eat anymore. That child!”
Gu Chenshi asked, “So, will you still invite her to eat in the future?”
Jing Lan said, “Of course I will. How can I not? She’s just a young girl—she definitely can’t rely on cooking for herself. You can tell from the groceries she buys that she doesn’t know how to cook. If we don’t look out for her, I bet she’ll either live on instant noodles or order takeout. That’s just ruining her health!”
Gu Chenshi pointed out, “You won’t let her buy groceries, and you won’t take her money. With no relation between you, how can she feel comfortable continuing to eat at our house?”
Jing Lan sighed. “That’s what I’m worried about.”
“I think it’s better this way: three thousand a month is too much. Just charge her a symbolic few hundred yuan. After all, she’d have to spend money on food anyway. That might make her feel better.”
Jing Lan thought for a moment and said, “That sounds reasonable. I’ll take the money for now, and when she moves out someday, I’ll return it all to her. I really can’t take her money—what would that make me?
But if she ever moves away, I’ll really miss her. I feel such a connection with that little girl. How wonderful it would be if she were my daughter!”
Gu Chenshi was speechless.
Jing Lan chuckled. “Hey, don’t you dare disagree! I really wanted a daughter back then. It’s a shame I gave birth to a boy. I was disappointed for days, but your dad and grandma were thrilled.”
Gu Chenshi said, “Since you love daughters so much, why don’t you and Dad have another one? After all, the two-child policy is open now.”
Jing Lan got angry. “You brat! How dare you joke with your mom like that? Are you asking for a beating?”
She raised her hand threateningly toward Gu Chenshi’s head but couldn’t bring herself to actually hit him.
No matter how cheeky he was, he was still her own flesh and blood. She couldn’t hit him—she’d have to rely on him when she got old.
Early in the morning, Gu Chenshi stared speechlessly at Zhou Xiangyu.
Anyone who didn’t know better would think this guy was a starving ghost reincarnated.
Two large steamed buns disappeared in three or four bites, leaving him choking and rolling his eyes. He quickly gulped down some water to wash them down.
“Where did you buy these buns? They taste great,” Zhou Xiangyu praised.
“My mom made them,” Gu Chenshi said, then changed the subject. “Didn’t you say you were going to quit gaming until after the college entrance exams? Why did you go back on your word?”