Let’s split up if we want to. I have a system, so who should I be afraid of?

After eating a meal of steaming wontons, everyone was very satisfied and their stomachs were full.

Su Panpan stood up and walked over to the boss, reaching into her purse to pay. The boss, with a big smile on his face, said enthusiastically, "Madam, a bowl of wontons costs six cents. You've eaten ten bowls in total, so the total is sixty cents."

Seeing this, the two Zhang brothers rushed over immediately, both vying to pay with Su Panpan.

The eldest brother of the Zhang family shouted at the top of his voice, "I'll pay for this meal, sister Panpan, don't argue with me!"

His younger brother Zhang Erniu was not to be outdone. He reached out to stop Su Panpan and yelled, "No, no, I have to do it. Don't grab it!"

Several people refused to give in to each other and argued until their faces turned red.

At this time, the diners around also looked sideways at this lively scene, some showed kind smiles, and some were talking in low voices.

Han Jingrui, who had been silent all the time, suddenly handed the money to the boss in a neat and efficient manner.

There was still no expression on his face, but his eyes revealed a hint of desire for warmth as he watched them scramble to pay.

Han Jingrui lost his mother at a young age. His father married a concubine not long after and soon had a younger brother. He seemed increasingly redundant in the family. From then on, no one cared about his well-being except his grandmother.

When Han Jingrui was young, his father arranged for him to learn martial arts outside, during which time he experienced many hardships.

His childhood was filled with heavy schoolwork and endless rules. The slightest mistake would result in harsh reprimands and punishments. The cold ruler and merciless stick left shocking scars on his young body.

Because he had no mother, other children called him a motherless child since he was a child, saying that he was the one who brought bad luck to his mother and caused her to die early.

Sometimes, when he was too angry to resist, the other children would rush up and beat him up. He could not withstand the attacks of many children with just one punch, so he was covered in wounds since he was a child.

He had also spent countless nights hiding in his bed and crying silently, longing to be like other children, with a mother to comfort him and buy him candied haws; a father to hug him and play with him.

But for countless days and nights of crying, all he got in response was endless darkness and silence.

Later, he no longer allowed himself time to think about his mother, no longer hoped that his father would come to visit him, and no longer cared about what other children had.

From then on, no matter how hard or difficult it was, he never shed a tear. He built an icy wall in his heart to protect his heart that lacked warmth and love.

When he finally grew older, he returned home after completing his studies.

It happened that he was in charge of the Imperial Guard Office and was selecting the emperor's personal soldiers. His archery and horse riding skills were outstanding, and he relied on his martial arts to overcome all obstacles and become the emperor's personal soldier. Later, because of his repeated meritorious service in saving the emperor, he is now a general of the personal army.

At that time, he had an upright posture, superb martial arts skills, and his brows were full of heroism and cold handsomeness.

Seeing that he could bring honor to the family, his father changed his previous indifference and alienation and came to show his concern with a smile on his face.

But he just looked at his father coldly, with no ripples in his heart. In his heart, the fatherly love that was once missing could never be made up.

He grew up in depression and loneliness, never felt the warmth of home, and never experienced this kind of sincere and pure mutual care among neighbors.

So, when I saw Su Panpan's family and the two Zhang brothers, I actually felt a little bit of longing. I longed to be like them, sitting together in their spare time, chatting and laughing. I longed to hear a word of sincere concern.

However, as soon as this desire emerged, he forcibly suppressed it. Years of loneliness had made him accustomed to closing his heart.

He always looks cold as ice, simply because he hasn't felt even a trace of warmth for a long, long time.

The genuine care and love from others seemed like an illusory dream to him.

"Mr. Han, how can this be done? I haven't repaid you for saving my life, and now I owe you money." Su Panpan's words brought him back to the present from his complicated thoughts.

Su Panpan was counting the money and planning to give it back to Han Jingrui.

"It's just a small matter, Madam Su, don't worry about it. I still have to hand over the carriage to the yamen, so I'll take my leave first." After saying that, before Su Panpan returned it, he walked quickly towards the carriage, climbed on, and drove away.

Su Panpan was so anxious that she shouted from behind, "To the east of Huaxi Village, there's a stream. At the end of the stream, there's a big tree. That's where I live. Remember to go there and ask for it."

Su Panpan didn’t know whether Han Jingrui heard it or not, but she had already raised her voice to her maximum decibel level.

Han Jingrui's originally stern face froze slightly when he heard Su Panpan's frantic shouting from behind. Then, the corners of his lips lifted slightly, a sly arc formed, and a hint of triumph in his eyes flashed, as if to say, "Everything is under my control."

Su Panpan stared at the dust raised by the wheels for a long time, unable to come back to her senses, and the ripples in her heart spread.

…………

It was autumn, and the sun shone softly on the streets.

Because of the carriage matter, Su Panpan only hurriedly bought clothes and shoes, and did not have time to buy anything else.

At this moment, she said to the two Zhang brothers, "I'll have to trouble you to wait for me while I do some shopping."

Zhang Daniu smiled and replied, "Panpan, go ahead and buy it. We'll be waiting in front of the shop in our ox cart."

She told the children to wait in the car and turned around to go between the shops and stalls.

She first went to a grocery store and carefully selected four thick, large quilts, four large pieces of cut cotton cloth for sheets, and five soft pillows. Touching them, she was delighted by their softness and comfort. The storekeeper skillfully tied them up for her.

Then she walked to the corner where the brooms and dustpans were placed, picked up a broom, waved it a few times, and felt that the handle was of moderate thickness and the bristles were solid and powerful.

He picked up the dustpan again, checked its edge to see if it was smooth and burr-free, and said, "Boss, I want this broom and dustpan."

In another shop, she bought three polished bronze mirrors and several oil lamps that emitted a faint scent. Passing by a shop selling toiletries, she bought bath soap and soap for washing clothes without hesitation.

I also bought a toothbrush and green salt for brushing my teeth. It turns out that there were toothbrushes in ancient times, but they were made of washed pig hair or horsetail hair fixed on a bamboo handle. People usually brushed their teeth with green salt or powder ground from special plants.

She could hardly carry the baby by herself, so the shop owner had to help her put it in the car.

The children's eyes lit up when they saw so many new quilts.

Su Panpan returned to the butcher's shop and proudly declared, "Boss, give me five pounds of pork belly, two pounds of spare ribs, and two pounds of shanks." The boss, beaming, deftly weighed the meat and handed it to her. The child was growing and needed nutrition, so she needed more meat.

"Okay, okay." When the boss heard that Panpan wanted to buy so much meat, his wrinkles were all exposed.