“Elder Brother!”

Liu Fang’s face lit up with joy. “I didn’t know you were in Beijing too. I’m just bringing some New Year’s gifts for Second Sister – what else could I be doing here?”

Liu Fang was very enthusiastic, but Liu Yong wasn’t buying her act at all and remained vigilant.

Liang Huan’s words were sweet as honey, politely calling them Uncle and Aunt.

Liu Yong and Li Fengmei could only acknowledge her.

Li Fengmei wondered if this girl had truly changed or was just putting on an act.

She wasn’t this well-behaved before.

Well, Xiaolan wasn’t well-behaved before either, always competitive and not very likable.

Had Liang Huan suddenly become sensible like Xiaolan, or was she acting… Li Fengmei thought the latter was more likely.

No matter how Liu Yong scowled, Liu Fang wouldn’t back down.

She kept apologizing and being careful, and when she saw Liu Fen wouldn’t let her in, Liu Fang showed her tact by leaving the gifts at the door and pulling Liang Huan away decisively.

They’d thought she would linger and pester them, but her swift departure caught both Liu Fen and Liu Yong off guard.

Both felt Liu Fang must have taken the wrong medicine today.

“Is this Liu Fang?”

Liu Fen looked at the pile of gifts on the ground.

Taking them inside felt uncomfortable, but throwing them away seemed wasteful, though it wasn’t about wanting the gifts.

It turned out that when Liu Fang wanted to, she could not only stop looking down on people but even humble herself to please others!

Tang Hongen had seen all sorts of social climbers.

Liu Fang ranked among the less skilled ones.

He actually didn’t care, not afraid of Liu Fang’s schemes… Such people just wanted to flatter and curry favor. How could someone not of Tang Hongen’s rank possibly scheme against him?

“Accept them if you want to, ignore them if you don’t – why make it difficult?”

Tang Hongen’s words put Liu Fen’s heart at ease.

Indeed, whether Liu Fang and her daughter were truly repentant or acting, the power now lay in her hands.

Li Fengmei rubbed her hands:

“Stop thinking about them – the more we think, the less happy we’ll be during New Year’s. Let’s make dumplings. We must have dumplings this morning, and nobody fight me on this – let me do it myself!”

…

Once they left the alley, Liang Huan’s lips pouted:

“Second Aunt is something, actually not letting us in to sit!”

Liu Fang patted her hand. “What did I teach you? We offended your Second Aunt too badly before, now we need to work on it slowly and win her favor. Weren’t you good at pleasing Grandmother Fan before? With your Second Aunt, you need to be even more careful and respectful than with Grandmother Fan – your prospects depend on it!”

These few words turned Liang Huan’s anger into joy.

“Mom, you’re right.”

The Liang family supported the mother and daughter coming to Beijing for two reasons: one was for Liang Huan to repeat her studies, and another was the proximity made it convenient to repair relationships with Liu Fen.

Trying to please Xia Xiaolan?

The chances were slim.

That girl had a strong temperament and was shrewd – very hard to please.

The mother-daughter pair focused their strategic efforts on Liu Fen, who had a soft ear – well, should have one anyway?

Anyway, this meeting showed Liu Fen had developed a different bearing.

Liu Fang was extremely envious – this was the bearing of an official’s wife!

At the mention of Fan Han’s grandmother, Mrs. Fan Zhenchuan, for comparison, Liang Huan’s complaints immediately disappeared.

Fan Zhenchuan’s position was comparable to her father’s.

But the Second Aunt’s new husband was much more powerful than Fan Zhenchuan.

Besides, when she tried to please Grandmother Fan, she felt uneasy because Grandmother Fan looked at her strangely. Liang Huan only later learned that Grandmother Fan wanted to marry her to Fan Zhenchuan – how frightening.

There was nothing shameful about pleasing her Second Aunt!

Liang Huan linked arms with Liu Fang. “Mom, I’ll do everything you say. Will it work?”

“Of course, it will work – you saw your Second Aunt’s expression today. We need to proceed gradually. This time we just left the gifts – during New Year’s, could your Second Aunt throw them out? One time, two times, slowly she’ll become more approachable.”

“So that’s why you weren’t rushing since we arrived in Beijing – you were waiting for New Year’s!”

Liu Fang poked her with a finger. “Good that you understand. Who am I doing all this for? I even quit my job to take care of you when we finally got you into Beijing for your studies. You must make us proud this year. If you want your Second Aunt’s help, you need to prove yourself worthy.”

Liang Huan cooed: “You can rest assured! Last year I scored so well even at that terrible Anqing No. 1 High School. This year, studying in Beijing, getting into university will be a breeze. Mom, what’s there to regret about that job? Did you enjoy serving others? When I succeed in the future, won’t you have good days ahead?”

Liu Fang smiled at her daughter’s words.

She looked at her daughter with delight.

Liang Huan was fair and pretty – not quite matching Xia Xiaolan, but quite striking when not standing next to her.

Liu Fang had always placed high hopes on her daughter.

Back then, even when the Liu family was so poor with rural household registration, she managed to marry Liang Bing’an.

Huan’s starting point was already different, naturally, she would have better prospects.

Liu Fang now looked down on small-town people. Coming to Beijing, she wanted to put down roots here.

The mother and daughter got on the bus.

Beijing was so wonderful.

It was the nation’s capital, with Tiananmen, the Great Wall, the Great Hall of the People – how could Hedong County compare?

“Don’t keep running to your Second Aunt’s house – once a month is about right. Going too frequently might make your Second Aunt dislike it. And when you go, don’t talk much – focus on discussing studies!”

Liu Fang instructed, and Liang Huan kept nodding.

These two were quite something – when Liu Fen wasn’t successful, they feared association and acted superior even in normal family interactions.

Now that Liu Fen was successful, they could shamelessly carry on despite her coldness – as if being slighted was acceptable as long as the other person had power.

Some people were born with bent knees, unable to live standing straight – too much of a slave mentality!

Liu Fang thought that with her sister married to a high-ranking official and running so many ‘Blue Phoenix’ stores in Beijing, whether power or money, even scraps from between her fingers would be enough for the Liang family to rise.

Liang Huan thought about staying in Beijing.

She must get into university this year!

She wasn’t much less attractive than Xia Xiaolan, and she was younger too.

Once Second Aunt forgave her, she would surely maintain good relations with Second Aunt’s family – with an uncle who was a high-ranking official, how could her future not be bright?

Both mother and daughter grew increasingly excited, riding the public bus as if it were a luxury car – how impressive!

…

Liu Fang and her daughter could at least claim to be relatives.

They had barely left, the dumplings not yet ready, when another person came with gifts – this time it was Section Chief Yuan, claiming to be a relative of Xia Xiaolan’s family.

Section Chief Yuan brought expensive gifts, showed a humble attitude, and had an upright, proper appearance.

This time Tang Hongen spoke up:

“What kind of relative is he to our family? Don’t see him, don’t accept anything, tell him to get lost!”

A troublemaker daring to come to irritate people on New Year’s Day.

Xia Xiaolan knew Yuan Han had run into Old Tang at gunpoint.