A few days later, the villa had finally been furnished to perfection.
With Nan Lingyi’s help, the place was arranged with elegance—comfortable, luxurious, and full of refined taste.
The Qiao family had repeatedly expressed their intention to visit, so a date was set.
Qiao Laotou still found it unbelievable—how had Shen Yunchu’s mother suddenly become so wealthy?
But since his son would benefit from it, he simply assumed it must be true.
As for Old Mrs. Qiao, she felt that Shen Yunchu becoming well-off was nothing short of challenging her authority.
She muttered to herself:
Had Shen Yunchu gotten bold just because this “real mother” suddenly appeared?
Villa? Watches?
Nonsense—definitely lies.
How could such blessings fall on someone like her? Even if they existed, why would it be her turn?
The agreed day arrived.
Qiao Laotou wore his best clothes and urged his wife to tidy herself up too.
Old Mrs. Qiao grumbled nonstop, but she also didn’t want to lose face, so she put on her best outfit as well.
“Everything prepared properly? Just as I told you?”
She pursed her lips and nodded.
“Expensive enough. Let’s see if she dares accept it.”
The couple followed the address.
The closer they got, the more terrified they grew.
Row after row of luxurious villas, manicured lawns, birdsong, fresh air— compared to their chaotic courtyard back home, it was like two different worlds.
“Old man, do they really live here? Impossible! The houses here must cost a fortune! We couldn’t afford them even if we saved for a lifetime!”
Old Mrs. Qiao couldn’t help blurting out like a village bumpkin.
Even Qiao Laotou was stunned speechless.
This was a world beyond their imagination.
“Shut it. Stop acting ignorant, you’ll embarrass us. Ah—No. 32. We’re here…”
He straightened his clothes nobly, looked at the iron gate, hesitated, and knocked.
A passerby walking a dog kindly said, “The houses are deep inside. Knocking won’t work. You need to press the doorbell—right there.”
Flustered, Qiao Laotou quickly switched positions.
When the bell chimed, the two nearly jumped.
Inside, Shen Yunchu was sorting new textbooks. She knew immediately who had arrived.
“Wengang, Dad and Mom are here. Let’s go greet them.”
During these days, Nan Lingyi had even hired a cook—formerly from a family with imperial kitchen lineage. Her cooking suited the old lady’s taste perfectly.
The cook had suffered much because of her background. Her own children had abandoned her. She once thought she wouldn’t survive—until she met Nan Lingyi.
Now her salary here exceeded what her own children made in a month.
Their attitudes changed instantly—they fawned all over her.
Thus she treasured this job deeply and was endlessly grateful.
Today’s feast was prepared by her.
The ingredients alone were things she once couldn’t even dream of touching—nothing missing, nothing replaced, nothing cheapened.
When the door opened, the Qiao couple walked in gaping like country folk entering a grand palace.
Qiao Laotou tried to act natural:
“So this is where you live now? Looks… barely acceptable. Just a bit lonely—I didn’t see many people outside.”
In the past, Shen Yunchu had no choice but to bow her head and agree.
But today was different.
She smiled gently.
“Most residents here have cars. It’s just that neither Wengang nor I have a license yet. Otherwise, my mother would’ve bought us a car already—it’d be much more convenient.”
Qiao Laotou sucked in a breath.
Her family was that wealthy?
Cars in this era were astronomically priced.
He suddenly felt the “generous gifts” he’d prepared seemed far too shabby…
They followed the winding paths until they reached the villa.
No wonder knocking couldn’t be heard from inside.
Inside, Shen Yunchu brought slippers.
“Dad, Mom, please change—much more comfortable.”
The couple froze.
They wore their best clothes today, but socks…
Socks were patched.
But they had to change.
The interior shocked them even more—gleaming polished wood floors compared to the cement of their courtyard.
Qiao Laotou sat down— and nearly melted into the soft sofa.
So different from the hard stools at home.
Then Nan Lingyi descended the stairs gracefully, greeting them with an elegant smile.
“In-laws, we finally meet.”
Qiao Laotou nudged his wife to take out the gifts.
But he hadn’t noticed—
Old Mrs. Qiao had turned rigid.
She recognized her.
It was the woman who slapped her twice that day.
“You—you?! How is it you?!”
Nan Lingyi spread her hands innocently.
“Why can’t it be me? What a coincidence—we happened to meet earlier, didn’t we, in-laws?”
Old Mrs. Qiao stepped back in fear, terrified Nan Lingyi might slap her again.
She glared at Shen Yunchu.
“You—you planned that day together, didn’t you?”
Shen Yunchu calmly poured her a cup of tea.
“How could we have planned anything? At that time, I hadn’t even reunited with my mother. After all, Lihua was injured like that—you knew about it, didn’t you?”
Mrs. Qiao’s face twitched.
Scenes flashed across her mind—
Nan Lingyi must have been observing her long before she realized anything.
Qiao Laotou frowned impatiently.
“What are you doing? Didn’t I tell you to take out the gifts?”
Everyone looked toward the gift basket.
Nan Lingyi sat at the main seat, serene.
Old Mrs. Qiao opened the basket— and Qiao Laotou’s face instantly darkened.
He had clearly instructed her to prepare the best beef— but what appeared was pig offal.
The fresh live fish he requested— turned into a limp, dried-out fish tail.
The whole chicken— replaced by chicken frames.
The duck— a basket of duck heads.
Nan Lingyi withdrew her gaze, voice mild but sharp:
“It seems the Qiao family really does live a hard life. No wonder Yunchu suffered so much under your roof. You must learn to understand that. Sigh… pity the poor, they always have it the hardest.”
(End of chapter)