Mr. Su was overjoyed by his son’s praise, and his eyes shifted self-consciously to the travel bag.

"My boy, you’ve become such a sweet-talker since marrying Jiaojiao. And here your mother was, not even buying me clothes anymore, thinking I’m getting old, haha..."

"When Mom sees how good you look in these new clothes, she’ll definitely buy you plenty more."

Seeing how much his dad loved the new clothes, Su Shuochi’s heart suddenly filled with warmth.

He was constantly hinting to his parents that they should be willing to spend the money they earned on themselves.

Mr. Su then pointed to the paper boxes inside the travel bag. "Xiao Wu, take a look and see what’s in those boxes."

"Xiao Wu, don’t bother looking. Those boxes are full of facial masks. Jiaojiao bought them especially for Mom and Dad."

"What? For me? Hehe, what’s an old man like me going to do with facial masks? Jiaojiao is just so thoughtful."

Though he said he didn’t want them, his expression was anything but dismissive. It was written all over his face that he was dying to try a facial mask.

Sheng Shiwu, however, started rummaging through the travel bag again and spotted three pairs of leather boots in a plastic bag.

He immediately shouted in excitement, "Whoa, come look at this, you guys! These leather boots are fur-lined! Uncle Su, quick, try them on."

Hearing Sheng Shiwu’s cry of surprise, Song Zijie hurried over. When he got a clear look at the leather boots in the bag, his eyes widened in astonishment.

"My god, these are tall, fur-lined leather boots! They probably won’t even get soaked through in the snow!"

When Su’s mother saw the three pairs of tall boots, she covered her mouth in astonishment. "Old man, these two pairs of boots must be from Jiaojiao for us."

As she spoke, she handed the large-sized pair to Mr. Su, while she lovingly cradled her own, examining them in detail.

Tears started to fall, drop by drop. Her daughter-in-law always gave them the best things, just so they could live with a bit of dignity.

’And what about me! I let myself and my old man get worn down by hardship until our faces were wrinkled and our bodies were sallow and gaunt...’

Mr. Su didn’t see her crying. He was still grinning. "Haha... I’ll wait to wear this down jacket and these boots until Jiaojiao is here to see them."

"Old man, I’m going to buy you a couple of new outfits tomorrow," Su’s mother said, raising a hand to wipe the tears from her eyes.

Su Shuochi was touched to see his parents treasuring the clothes and shoes that Jiaojiao had bought.

He said gently to his parents, "Dad, Mom, Jiaojiao bought these for you to wear now. The next time we come back, she’ll bring even more."

’Su Shuochi wasn’t lying, because his wife had a pocket dimension. These down jackets and leather boots were actually just stock from the department store inside it.’

Song Zijie looked at the leather boots in awe. "Su, when you go home for the New Year, could you possibly..."

Su Shuochi cut him off, saying gently, "Of course. Just write down the sizes for your parents and your grandfather. We’ll be driving home for the New Year, so we’ll have room for them."

"Su, are you serious? Let me pay you now. I might need to get several more pairs."

"No problem."

"Su... could you bring back a few pairs of fur-lined boots for me, too?" Sheng Shiwu asked timidly.

"Who are you buying them for?" Su Shuochi asked, his voice turning icy.

"My grandpa, my dad, my older brother, and myself." Sheng Shiwu said it anyway, even though he saw Su Shuochi’s expression darken.

"Okay. Tell me your and your grandfather’s sizes, and I’ll bring them back for you. As for your dad and older brother, Jiaojiao already mailed some to them."

When Su Shuochi saw that Sheng Shiwu didn’t mention buying any for his second brother or his sister, his expression softened considerably.

"Hehe, I’ll go get you some breakfast from the kitchen," Mr. Su said with a wide smile. "It’s almost dawn. You should call Jiaojiao after you eat."

Song Zijie and Sheng Shiwu sat down to eat breakfast as well. They had gotten up at three in the morning to pick up Su Shuochi from the train station, and they were starving by now.

By the time they finished breakfast, it was nearly six o’clock. When Su Qinchun got out of bed, she saw that her living room was brightly lit.

It was a sight she hadn’t seen in two months. Not even two weeks after her brother and sister-in-law had left, her parents were already long gone every time she woke up.

But today, her parents were actually still home. She came clattering down the stairs, shouting excitedly, "Brother, you’re back?"

"Chun Ni, you’re up! Quick, come and see, your sister-in-law bought you a down jacket and fur-lined boots. I’ll go get some water for you to wash your face."

Seeing his daughter come downstairs, Mr. Su immediately put down his chopsticks and spoke happily. He was still wearing the down jacket—it really was so warm.

"My sister-in-law bought me all this stuff, too? Brother, please thank her for me."

"Chun Ni, it was hard work for your brother to carry all this back for us," Su’s mother said, her face breaking into a smile that softened all her wrinkles, making her look even more benevolent.

"Thank you, Brother." Su Qinchun’s eyes welled with tears. More than anything, it was having her brother home again that made her feel the warmth of family.

Su Qinchun tried on the down jacket first. It was a perfect fit, and she absolutely loved it. She also tried on the leather boots; they were so comfortable.

She even wore the boots while she brushed her teeth and washed her face. The meat buns seemed especially fragrant today. By the time they finished breakfast, it was almost seven.

"Brother, I have to leave for school. Can we call my sister-in-law?"

"She’s usually not up yet at this hour. Maybe we should..." Before Su Shuochi could finish, the phone in the living room rang.

He dashed over and snatched up the receiver. "Hello?"

"Su Shuochi? Why aren’t you in bed yet? You’ve been up for a full day and night. Aren’t you exhausted?"

Gu Jiaojiao hadn’t expected Su Shuochi to be the one to answer. ’I thought I’d sleep better without him here to stir things up,’ she mused, ’but I guess I’m not used to him being gone.’

’Dependence is a scary thing,’ she thought. While she hadn’t exactly had insomnia with him gone, she had woken up very early.

Su Shuochi didn’t answer right away. In the silence, it felt as if an invisible current was flowing between them through the telephone line.

They seemed to be communicating in silence through the thin wire, sensing each other’s racing heart.

"Honey... you asked so many questions at once. How am I supposed to answer? Or... is it just that you missed me?" Su Shuochi asked, lowering his voice.

He knew there were other people in the living room, but he just couldn’t suppress his longing for her. He had to ask if she missed him as much as he missed her.

They had talked on the phone often back in the Imperial City, but none of those calls made his heart race quite like this long-distance one did.

Although Su Shuochi’s voice was low, the few people in the living room who had pricked up their ears still heard his intimate words.

They all thought to themselves, ’So this is how shameless Su (our son) can be.’

"Mhm, maybe a little."

"Just a little? Ahem... Jiaojiao, Mom, Dad, and Chun Ni all want to talk to you."

Su Shuochi wanted to raise his voice and press her for more, but he was afraid his family in the living room would laugh at him, so he quickly changed the subject.

"Haha... Su Shuochi, let’s talk more tonight. Go ahead and put them on."

Gu Jiaojiao burst out laughing on the other end of the line. She could just picture how flustered he must look.