The girl with the single ponytail was pale and tense. As the elevator doors opened, she dragged her luggage out and knocked on a door.
"Wan'er, Zhou Zhou, open the door."
The door across the hall opened, and Chen Wan'er and Zhou Zhou came out. Seeing the girl with the single ponytail, they cheered, "Linlin, you're here!"
The two hugged the girl with the single ponytail, who then turned around.
Following her sisters' gaze, Zhou Zhou greeted, "Hello, Mr. Landlord."
"Mr. Landlord?" the girl with the single ponytail asked in surprise.
"Yes," Zhou Zhou introduced. "Mr. Landlord, this is my sister Xiang Linlin, who I told you was moving in yesterday."
"Oh," Chu Fang nodded, then opened the door and entered the apartment next door.
"Hey, hey, hey... wake up," Chen Wan'er waved her hand in front of her sister Xiang Linlin's eyes. "Don't get all dreamy-eyed. He's already married, and his wife is very beautiful, with an excellent temperament, just like a celestial being."
"Let's not make fools of ourselves and end up feeling inferior."
Xiang Linlin snapped out of it and retorted, "I wasn't, and I'm not interested in that Mr. Landlord."
The three sisters entered the apartment, and Chen Wan'er began explaining the various rules of living there: no noise after eleven, no dogs allowed, no men allowed to live there... and so on.
After listening, Xiang Linlin complained, "It's so strict, just like being at school. Why do you guys live here?"
Zhou Zhou: "The rent is cheap here. For less than three thousand, you can rent a place that’s over a hundred square meters in Shanghai. Don't you think it's a great deal?"
Xiang Linlin thought for a moment and shook her head. "I don't think so."
Chen Wan'er slapped her forehead, and Zhou Zhou coughed a few times. "Oh, I forgot. You're a rich young lady. It's normal that you wouldn't think so."
Their sister Xiang Linlin came from a wealthy family. Her parents owned a company, and she had grown up living in villas and driving luxury cars.
"How did you end up seeking refuge with us?" Chen Wan'er asked.
"Sigh!" Xiang Linlin sighed. "My parents are forcing me to go on blind dates and marry a guy. I couldn't accept him, so I ran away from home."
The other two exchanged glances, then took in their sister.
... ...
All day long, Zhong Tingyue was pondering: Was she ready to be a mother?
She was thinking so hard that she had a headache.
She believed that she had to be a responsible and accountable mother, and if she was going to do that, she had to consider all factors comprehensively.
Under the comprehensive consideration of all factors, she realized that having a child was an extremely serious matter, extremely serious.
"Ugh... Mr. Chu always gives me difficult problems," Zhong Tingyue murmured.
If it hadn't been for Chu Fang's rejection, she wouldn't have thought of this level and wouldn't have such a headache.
Sometimes she felt that her husband was naive and childish, like a child, who even had to bark a few times at stray dogs passing by to say hello; sometimes Chu Fang could consider things even further.
"Forget it, I don't want to think about it. Time to get off work and go home," Zhong Tingyue put aside those random thoughts and then left work.
As soon as she got home, she saw the door of the next room open, and the three Zhou Zhou sisters came out. After Zhou Zhou introduced them, they could be considered acquainted.
"Wow, so beautiful..." Xiang Linlin was amazed by Zhong Tingyue. "What virtues and abilities does Mr. Landlord possess to have such a beautiful wife?"
"Super abilities," Zhou Zhou replied.
"Super abilities?"
Chen Wan'er said: "Super power, money power, you must have both."
... ...
Zhong Tingyue returned home, comforting the tabby cat, and saw her husband lying on the sofa, staring at the ceiling, his pupils blank.
She knew that Chu Fang was having the same thoughts as her.
"Mr. Chu."
"Hmm, how come you're back?" Chu Fang realized that Ms. Zhong had come home.
"Tomorrow is your birthday. How do you want to spend it?" Zhong Tingyue asked.
"My birthday is tomorrow?" Chu Fang then remembered his birthday, slapping his forehead. "Oh, I forgot."
He said faintly, "Whatever."
He didn't care much about his birthday, maybe it was because he was getting older.
"No, it can't be just anything," Zhong Tingyue retorted. Chu Fang could say anything, but she couldn't. "I'll cook tomorrow, and you can be the birthday boy."
Chu Fang shrugged his shoulders: "Okay."
... ...
The next day was Saturday, and Zhong Tingyue got up early, then took her little sister to the vegetable market.
The two sisters strolled through the vegetable market, buying the ingredients they would use today. When those vegetable-selling aunties didn't see Chu Fang, they immediately asked Zhong Tingyue for a high price.
Zhong Rou put her hands on her hips: "Is this eggplant made of gold?"
"It really is. Buy it if you want, leave if you don't," the vegetable-selling auntie said calmly.
"Do you believe I'll overturn your stall?"
"I don't believe it!"
Zhong Rou turned and left, then borrowed a loudspeaker and placed it around the stall. The loudspeaker played: "This old woman is a profiteer, everyone please pay attention."
The vegetable-selling auntie was so angry that she was about to vomit blood, but she couldn't stop Zhong Rou, so she finally sold it to the two sisters at a low price.
All the way through the vegetable market, Zhong Tingyue bought the ingredients at a low price, all thanks to her little sister's shamelessness.
And she could only accept it with heartache.
After buying many ingredients, the two sisters then returned to the昙花 (昙花 Tan Hua) residential district.
When Zhong Rou saw the security guard at the entrance, she immediately stopped him: "Uncle, today is my brother-in-law's birthday, aren't you planning to give me some gifts?"
"It's Chu's birthday, why should I give you gifts?" The security guard was confused.
"My brother-in-law doesn't want them, so I can only reluctantly accept them for him," Zhong Rou said matter-of-factly.
The security guard was silent for a few seconds, then gave Zhong Rou a peach wood sword, which was a sharp sword he had spent a few days carving.
Seeing Zhong Rou wielding it with great skill, his heart was bleeding.
... ...
As soon as Chu Fang woke up, he received many messages, from various banks, insurance companies, and relatives and friends... ...
All congratulating him on his birthday.
For messages from banks and the like, he sent group messages.
And he replied to relatives and friends one by one.
Chu's mother's message was the fastest, sent just after midnight last night.
[A little fairy: Baby, happy birthday, Mom will always love you.]
[A little fairy: Why don't you reply to me?]
[A little fairy: Baby, I'm angry.]
[A little fairy: If you don't reply to me again, I'll hang myself.]
[A little fairy: Woo, hanging is so painful, my neck hurts so much.]
[... ...]
Chu Fang: "... ..."
He went to bed early last night, so how could he have had time to reply to these messages.
