People in the alley: A woman dressed as a man shouldn't be foolishly filial, Zhuang Chaoying

Zhuang Chaoying sat up groggily, rubbing her head. She was surprised that her body, even after genetic optimization, was still so incapable of holding alcohol. Before the optimization, wouldn't she have been a lightweight, unable to hold her liquor after just one drink?

As he thought about it, he put on his cotton-padded coat, slipped on his slippers, and opened the door.

Wearing an apron, Mrs. Huang busied herself around the dining table with a smile. "Chaoying, you're up! How did you sleep last night?"

"Mom, I slept well."

Living in an apartment building is convenient; the rooms have toilets and running water.

He went into the toilet, squatted in the squat toilet, flushed, and emptied the waste!

I pulled the rope next to the water tank, and it was rinsed clean with a whoosh.

He washed his hands and then scooped up water to wash his face; the cold water instantly made him feel much more refreshed.

Upon arriving at the dining table, they saw that the porridge cooked by Huang's mother was steaming hot, and each person also had a fried egg and three small dishes of pickled vegetables.

The living conditions were indeed quite good. When Sister Ling married him, it was truly a case of marrying down.

He had caused Lingjie a lot of grievances over the years. Although he didn't do it, the memories were definitely in his mind.

Mr. Huang looked at his two children with loving eyes and cut his egg in half. "Tu Nan, Xiao Ting, eat more! After dinner, Grandpa will take you to the mall!"

Upon hearing this, the two children's eyes lit up, and they politely said in unison, "Thank you, Grandpa!"

Huang's mother smiled and chimed in, "Ah Ling, Chao Ying, you should come too. Ah Ling, you haven't been back for the past few years, and Changcheng has changed quite a bit. Let's all go out for a stroll as a family!"

Tu Nan and Xiao Ting exchanged an excited glance, then quickened their pace, shoveling rice into their bowls, eager to get out.

After the six of them got ready, they boarded a bus and headed towards the department store in the city center.

Xiaoting and Tunan held their grandparents' hands respectively, chattering away.

Zhuang Chaoying and Huang Ling followed behind at a leisurely pace.

Zhuang Chaoying quickened her pace, tugged at the hem of Huang Ling's cotton-padded coat, and whispered in her ear, "Ling, your family is really well-off. Will you regret marrying me?"

Huang Ling stopped and turned around to glare at him fiercely: "You've already had two kids, what can I do if you regret it?" As she spoke, she took advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention and pinched Zhuang Chaoying hard on the waist.

Zhuang Chaoying was caught off guard by Huang Ling's attack and gasped in pain. Huang Ling's strength was truly remarkable.

As if sensing something, Huang's mother turned to look at the two of them: "Chaoying, what's wrong?"

Zhuang Chaoying quickly forced a smile: "Mom, it's nothing, I just accidentally kicked a stone!"

Huang's mother nodded with some doubt, then turned back to chat and laugh with the children.

Be careful when you walk.

In the mall, Mr. and Mrs. Huang bought some snacks for their two children. Then, they pointed to the clothes hanging on the wall behind the counter and wanted to pick out a few clothes for Zhuang Chaoying.

Seeing this, Zhuang Chaoying quickly waved her hand and refused: "Mom and Dad, I really don't need any more clothes. We have enough clothes at home. If you want to buy something, buy a coat for Aling and a pair of shoes. Aling manages all the money in the house, but she is always very frugal and reluctant to buy clothes for herself."

Huang Ling blushed slightly upon hearing this: "Chao Ying, how did you become so shameless?"

After saying that, she looked up and said, "Mom and Dad, don't listen to Chaoying's nonsense. I don't need any clothes, I don't need to buy any."

Zhuang Chaoying, however, didn't take it seriously and smiled, "Mom and Dad, you two are just like my own parents. I won't stand on ceremony with you."

Mr. Huang was amused by Zhuang Chaoying's words and burst into laughter. "Good, Chaoying, you're right to think that way. Why are you being so polite with us?"

The family then wandered around the mall for quite a while. Zhuang Chaoying and Huang Ling were carrying lots of things, including various snacks for the children and clothes and shoes for Huang Ling.

In the afternoon, the family got tired of shopping and went straight into a Western restaurant in the city center.

The Western restaurant had an elegant ambiance. The children looked around curiously, while Mr. and Mrs. Huang skillfully took orders for everyone.

Soon, the dishes were served one after another, and everyone ate and chatted.

Before leaving, Mr. Huang packed a few cream cakes, saying they would be good snacks while watching TV that evening.

When they got home in the evening, Xiaoting and Tunan sat on the sofa with their grandfather like two little tails, watching TV.

The television was broadcasting a live video of Guangcheng Railway Station, as well as people coming and going on the modern escalators in Guangcheng Shopping Mall.

There were also many novel flower varieties in the flower market that they had never seen before.

Xiaoting leaned against her grandfather, eating cream cake while staring at the escalator on TV: "Grandpa, do people really not have to walk on that escalator?"

Mr. Huang smiled and nodded, patiently explaining, "It really is electric; all you have to do is stand on it."

"I wonder when Xiaoting will be able to ride the elevator?"

Tu Nan swallowed the cake in his mouth and patted his chest: "Xiao Ting, when I make money in the future, I'll take Grandpa, Grandma, Dad, Mom, and you to Guangcheng and ride the elevator together!"

Xiaoting sat up straight excitedly. "Really, brother?"

Tu Nan nodded emphatically.

Looking at his two innocent and adorable children, Mr. Huang felt a surge of joy. Before, he and their mother had spent their days alone at home, their house filled with quiet, awkward silence. Now that the children were back, the house was filled with laughter and joy.

Thinking back to when Ah Ling married far away, Mr. Huang felt a pang of guilt. Everyone was caught up in their own circumstances during that time, and they had their own reasons for doing so.

Fortunately, it seems that Ah Ling is doing alright now. I thought Chao Ying was too rigid when we first met. But after spending time with him, I found that he is actually very sincere and down-to-earth, and he's quite to my liking.

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On the other side, in Suzhou, without Tu Nan's control, Lin Dongzhe completely unleashed his playful and mischievous nature.

On the earthen slope at the entrance of the alley, he was wearing open-crotch pants and happily sliding down the slope from the top.

On her way home from get off work, Song Ying passed by the alley entrance and saw a child playing enthusiastically on a mound of dirt.

She didn't pay attention at first, but when she got closer, she was surprised to find that it was her own mischievous Lin Dongzhe!

Lin Dongzhe was covered in mud, looking exactly like a little mud man who had just rolled out of the mud.

Song Ying was immediately furious and strode forward: "Lin Dongzhe, come home with me! Look at the dirt you've gotten yourself covered in, you're filthy!"

Without saying a word, she grabbed Lin Dongzhe's arm and dragged him home.

Lin Dongzhe wasn't afraid at all. His face, covered in mud and unrecognizable, grinned at Song Ying.

After dragging Lin Dongzhe home, Song Ying helplessly took off his dirty clothes one by one, muttering, "Lin Dongzhe, can't you give me a break? You little rascal, you've turned into a mud monkey now!"

"Wu Feng, is the water ready?"

Lin Wufeng responded from the inner room, then came in carrying a basin of hot water: "Alright, coming right away!"

Song Ying soaked a towel in hot water, wrung it out, and began to carefully wipe Lin Dongzhe's smeared face.

While wiping, Song Ying said to Lin Wufeng, "Wufeng, I miss Tu Nan, and I miss Sister Ling and the others! Tu Nan went to his grandparents' house, and this little monkey at home is about to fly to the moon."

Lin Wufeng sat to one side, washing Lin Dongzhe's dirty clothes, and sighed slightly: "I wonder how many days Sister Ling and the others will stay!" Song Ying wiped Lin Dongzhe's face while looking at Lin Wufeng.

"I miss Tu Nan. I wonder if Tu Nan has any ideas. When he's at home, Dong Zhe doesn't fight with anyone, and he's never this dirty! Look at him! So dirty! His nose is full of dirt! He's filthy!"

That evening, Lin Dongzhe quieted down, holding the storybook that Tu Nan had lent him tightly in his hand, and sat on the edge of the bed.

Upon seeing this, Song Ying gently took the storybook and placed it aside.

"Mom, I miss Brother Tunan and Xiaoting!"

Song Ying hugged Lin Dongzhe tightly. "Just hang in there, they'll definitely come back! Mom misses Tu Nan too! She misses your Aunt Huang Ling!"

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