Ugly? Su Wan's smile froze. But then she thought about it, crying and laughing like this, she indeed looked terrible. But this person was too direct, not at all likable. Su Wan took a step back, pulled out a handkerchief to wipe her face briefly, then turned around to look at him with an indescribable expression and asked, 'Why are you smoking here?' The ground was littered with cigarette butts, and the stairwell was filled with the smell of smoke; she would be complained about soon. Ye Zhen also turned and leaned against the wall beside him when she stepped back. He looked up at the yellowing plaster ceiling, and Su Wan felt, perhaps mistakenly, that there was a hint of desolation about him, like a stray dog unwanted beside a trash heap. But when this 'dog' turned around, it immediately turned into a fierce beast. 'What's it to you?' Frowning, looking fierce and extremely impatient. Ye Zhen thought that this time she would definitely be scared off. But Su Wan didn't move at all, as if his fierce look was just a child being naughty, not intimidating at all. Actually, Su Wan didn't want to meddle with him, but this person had helped her in her previous life. She didn't even dare to think about what might have happened if he hadn't stepped in to end her marriage with Zhou Ziming; it was hard to say whether there would have been any bloody incidents afterward. At that time, she was really desperate. When people are desperate, they can do anything. So Su Wan was truly grateful to him, and thus she advised again, 'You can go smoke by the tree over there; the smell disperses quickly. If you stand here, the smoke won't go away, and soon the young wives and old ladies upstairs will start complaining.'

Upon hearing this, Ye Zhen let out a self-mocking snort, his eyes dark and deep. His voice softened a bit as he asked, 'Why didn't you run today? Have you grown a backbone after being bullied?' Running back with a string of tears, wasn't that being bullied? Su Wan: 'Huh?' After thinking for a moment, she said, 'That's not the case.' Previously, at the Zhou family's, it was she who had deliberately caused trouble, and she was evenly matched with Tang Jiangying; those mother and son hadn't gained any advantage from her. 'Then why are you crying?' Ye Zhen didn't seem to believe her words, his dark eyes taking on a dangerous glint. Su Wan thought to herself, why are you getting fierce again, it's not you who's crying. She said, 'I'm happy.' Returning to the big courtyard, the tears she shed were tears of excitement. Happy? Ye Zhen was stunned, all expressions fleeting from his face, leaving only a cold clarity. 'Congratulations.' The man's voice was low and deep, he walked past her, directly going inside. Congratulations on what? Su Wan felt that this man seemed to have misunderstood something, she wanted to say something, but Ye Zhen went straight into the house and closed the door with a loud thud. This person, he really has a bad temper. Su Wan couldn't care less for now, she'd talk about it after going home. Ye's house. Ye Zhen leaned against the door, his face slightly tilted upwards, showing an indissoluble sense of loss. At the doorway connecting the kitchen to the living room, Grandma Ye, with a blue apron adorned with white flowers tied around her waist, looked at her grandson with some heartache. Grandma Ye said, 'Don't think too much, they've already met the family.'

" In the morning, Zhou Ziming came to pick someone up, and the news spread throughout the compound. The girl from the big courtyard was engaged to the boy from the central family quarters, and everyone was very envious. However, why did Su's girl come back at this time? Wasn't it said she was having lunch? Well, perhaps there was a change in the schedule, moved to the evening, or maybe she misunderstood. Anyway, the girl is about to get married soon, and this boy is still thinking about her. Upon hearing this news, he ran to the stairwell to smoke in frustration. 'Grandma, can you stop talking for a bit?' Perhaps she was truly persuaded, and her mood broadened a little, the look of loss on Ye Zhen's face quickly disappeared, and she went to the table to pour a glass of water. The cheapest and crudest teacup from the supplier's store at the alley entrance, with two ink-green bamboo leaves printed on the blue-white cup body, and because of poor firing, there were some raised white spots. In the past, such a cup felt rough in Grandma Ye's hand. But now, these were bought with coupons she had saved for a long time over the past two years. She herself had enjoyed the good life of luxury, but her grandson had been suffering since childhood. Grandma Ye sighed and said, 'Want a wife? I'll find a matchmaker to pick out a few beautiful girls for you.' Ye Zhen almost spat out the water she drank. 'Grandma, can you calm down a bit?' Ye Zhen drained the water in the cup in one gulp and turned to walk outside. Grandma Ye: 'It's time to eat.' 'I'm not eating.'

" This kid..." Upstairs. Su Wan was standing at the stairwell at the moment. The sadness that had just been suppressed because of Ye Zhen gathered again. Seeing her father, tears began to well up in her eyes. At noon, it was the time for cooking in the yard. In this era, the old houses did not have separate kitchens, and each floor had only two water rooms and two public toilets. Although the water rooms were built for everyone to cook, people preferred to carry their stoves outside their doors to fiddle with. So at this moment, Su Yongfu was in front of the simple stove in the corner of the corridor, slightly bending over, stir-frying the loofah in the pot. Su Yongfu was forty-six or forty-seven years old at this time, strong and healthy, with a head full of black hair, completely unlike the appearance of being paralyzed in bed and exhausted in the previous life. Her father's face was so clear, everything was vivid and real, Su Wan couldn't help it. Including the previous life, she hadn't seen her father for nearly a month. She lied that she was arranged by her unit to study abroad, but actually she was busy dealing with the divorce lawsuit with Zhou Ziming. She hadn't told her father about the divorce. She dared not say it. Her father was in poor health and she was afraid he couldn't bear it. In the previous life, the Su family had a terrible fate and suffered a great deal. Let's not talk about Su Wan herself. Meeting Zhou Ziming was a curse accumulated over several generations. And other members of the family also had different difficult lives. The Su family had three siblings. Su Wan had two older brothers, one seven years older than her and the other four years older. When Su Wan was three years old, her mother died of illness, and her father didn't remarry. He raised the three siblings by himself, playing both father and mother. Su Yongfu was a pastry chef in a non-staple food company. His job was quite good. He couldn't give the children a superior life, but at least he didn't let them go hungry. At first, life in the family wasn't very good, but it was passable. When did the hardship begin? It was after Su Wan proposed to divorce Zhou Ziming for the second time. I don't know whether it was a coincidence or what, but the Su family's life was extremely unlucky in those years. Originally, policies had been relaxed and things had been getting better day by day. Everyone's life was getting better and better. Her father also had his own ideas. He left his unit and opened a candy and cake shop with his two brothers. In those two years, their business was very good. Many people came to visit by reputation. The family earned some money and was about to change to a bigger shop. But then the workshop caught fire. In that fire, her father burned his legs, her elder brother injured his hands, and two employees were also involved. Among the people in the shop, only her second brother who went out was fine. After this incident, the family collapsed. Everything was lost and they also owed debts.