Yu Xinyan placed the empty bowl in the kitchen, then jogged over: "Iâm here, Iâm here."
Granny Zhang smiled at He Jinxuan: "Here, try this. In our area, your Grandma Suâs fried cakes are the best."
He Jinxuan didnât eat first himself; he first picked one up for Granny Zhang and then for Yu Xinyan, placing it in her bowl before finally grabbing one for himself and taking a bite. "Hmm, this oneâs filled with red bean paste, and itâs well-made."
Granny Zhang pointed to the other bowl: "Try this one, itâs filled with sweet dates and sugar."
The three of them laughed and chatted through the meal, just about to clean up when they heard someone pushing open the front door and coming in. They looked towards the entrance at the sound.
They saw Yuâs mother leading in, followed by Yu Shuosheng and his wife and Yu Erlili.
Their faces immediately turned cold.
Granny Zhang stood up: "Who let you in?"
Yuâs mother smiled as she approached: "Aunt Zhang, we came to see Xinyan."
Granny Zhang knew the Yu Family too well, not wanting to give them any face: "What is this, sending in the novices didnât work, so now you veterans have to step in?"
Yuâs mother awkwardly laughed: "Aunt Zhang, what are you saying? After all, our Yu Family raised Xinyan for quite a while, and sheâs called me âmomâ for so many years. She might not want to acknowledge us, but I canât help but come and check on her."
Yu Xinyan walked over at this point: "Quit the pretense, youâre not welcome here. Please leave."
He Jinxuan also stood behind Yu Xinyan, glaring icily at the Yu Family.
Hearing this, Yuâs mother almost couldnât maintain her expression: "Child, Iâm here to see you. How is that insincere? No matter what, weâre at your doorstep. Itâs unreasonable not to visit home at least. If they couldnât bring you over, surely I can."
Yu Xinyan looked at her coldly: "Spill it, whatâs your real motive for insisting I return?"
Yuâs mother didnât expect Yu Xinyan to be so difficult: "What motive could I have? I just miss you and want you to come home for a family meal."
Yu Xinyan laughed directly: "Do you believe that yourself?"
Seeing that whatever she said fell on deaf ears, Yuâs mother lost her patience and glanced at the man behind Yu Xinyan: "Whoâs the man behind you?"
Yu Xinyan replied coldly: "Who he is doesnât concern you. Thereâs no need to tell you."
Upon hearing this, Yuâs mother got angry too: "Donât think that by writing that piece of scrap paper, you can completely sever ties with the family. You divorced Lyu Juncheng; any remarriage needs our consent."
Yu Xinyan laughed again: "You really have some nerve. If Iâm not mistaken, you came here to extort money, right?"
By this point, Yuâs mother didnât want to pretend anymore: "Since you brought someone back, it must be with marriage in mind. The dowry and such are still matters for us to discuss."
She looked at He Jinxuan, about to speak, but He Jinxuan spoke first: "I follow Yanyanâs lead; Iâll do as she says."
Yu Xinyan looked at the Yu Family: "You heard, right? Unless I say otherwise, you wonât get a dime, no matter how much you argue."
Yuâs mother was incensed by their united front: "You wicked girl, daring to defy us."
She thought that since Yu Xinyan was raised by their family, even a falling out would still put them in the right. That wicked girl is just an ungrateful brat.
Still dreaming, Yu Xinyan coldly spoke: "I said before, once the breakup letter was signed, we were done. Afterward, our paths diverge. Donât bother me again. If you donât listen, donât blame me for being rude."
She turned to He Jinxuan: "Brother He, walk five hundred meters ahead past the street entrance, thereâs a police station there. Please run over and report that someoneâs here committing fraud and extortion."
Yu Shuosheng and his wife panicked: "Xinyan, what are you doing? Letâs talk it over calmly. Weâre all family, how can you call the police?"
Granny Zhang spat: "A shameless family, Xinyanâs really had eight generations of bad luck meeting your greedy family."