"You’re going to make a lot of money in the future. Divorce him now, while he’s still broke, to save yourself the trouble of him shamelessly clinging to you later." Tan You said this nonchalantly, but Liuu Yuming’s mood miraculously brightened a great deal.

"I thought you would object, Mom," she said with a laugh, her eyes sparkling.

Tan You found it amusing. "Why would I object? In fact, I can’t wait for you two to get a divorce. Since you’re still married, half of every cent you earn belongs to him. Don’t you feel like you’re getting the short end of the stick?"

Liuu Yuming immediately bristled. "Of course I am! It’s a huge loss! I have to hide my money well."

Tan You said, "That’s the right way to think. As for the divorce, you’ll have to ask your uncle for help. Let him take the lead. With your uncle backing you, Chen Wei won’t dare to cause any trouble."

Liuu Yuming said, "I’ll talk to my uncle and aunt tomorrow. Things will be much more peaceful once we’re divorced. I couldn’t count on him before, and I certainly can’t count on him in the future."

Seeing Tan You’s glance drift her way, Liuu Yuming quickly pleaded, "Mom, Mom, Mom, it just slipped out. I don’t rely on anyone; I only rely on myself. But as long as my mom is here, I’m not afraid of anything."

Listening to Liuu Yuming constantly say "my mom," Tan You felt a sense of helplessness. ’Am I going to turn Liuu Yuming into a mama’s girl?’ The thought was actually kind of terrifying.

The next day was a weekend, so Liuu Yuming and Chen Min got up early. The sun was just rising as they left the house. Liuu Yuming took a deliberate look at Tan You. Seeing her walking beside her with a perfectly normal expression, she couldn’t help but smile. "Mom, you’re not a person right now..."

"Who are you calling ’not a person’?" Tan You shot her a look. "Watch your mouth."

"I was just worried! Aren’t... you know... supposed to not be able to walk in the sunlight?" Liuu Yuming said with a cheeky grin. "Mom, so you really don’t have a shadow."

Tan You couldn’t be bothered to waste words on this dense girl. She just waved to Chen Min. "Be careful on the back of the bike. Don’t stick your feet in the spokes..."

Chen Min nodded. "I know, Grandma."

As Liuu Yuming rode her bicycle, Tan You simply followed behind. At first, Liuu Yuming was worried Tan You wouldn’t be able to keep up and rode very slowly.

Tan You said helplessly, "I could keep up even if you were driving a car."

Liuu Yuming’s eyes filled with longing. "Mom, I want to drive a car in the future, too. Then I’ll be able to go anywhere."

Tan You replied, "Then work hard and earn the money. You’re young, but you sure want a lot of things."

Her gaze toward Liuu Yuming was gentle. For one, she felt sympathy for Liuu Yuming’s circumstances. For another, Liuu Yuming was only twenty-four. At that age, many young women had just graduated from college and were only a year or two into their careers.

Meanwhile, Liuu Yuming’s child was already five. Thinking about that disparity, Tan You felt that Liuu Yuming had a difficult life.

Liuu Yuming chuckled. "I’m counting on my mom to help me make money! As long as Mom’s here, I’m not afraid of anything!"

Tan You had lost count of how many times she’d heard Liuu Yuming say that. Liuu Yuming’s catchphrase now was "my mom said this," or "my mom said that." ’Honestly,’ Tan You thought, ’if a boy said things like that, I’d find it repulsive.’

’But hearing it from Liuu Yuming... it actually feels kind of nice?’

As they passed Liuu Changzhen’s house, Liuu Yuming called out to her aunt with a wide smile, "Auntie, I’ll come over for lunch today! I need to talk to Uncle about something."

Her aunt smiled back. "What is it? Feel free to come over."

Liuu Yuming stopped her bike. "I’ll tell you later. I’m going to buy groceries first. Auntie, would you mind helping with the cooking later?"

’Liuu Yuming never used to bring anything when she came over,’ her aunt thought. ’Has she grown up?’ Outwardly, however, she made a show of refusing. "Oh, why buy groceries? We can just have your uncle go buy some."

She regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth. She was just being polite and wondered if Liuu Yuming would take her at her word.

Liuu Yuming could now tell the difference between polite pleasantries and what people really thought. She wasn’t disappointed, but just kept smiling. "No, it’s fine. I need to buy something for Little Min anyway. We’ll talk more at lunch!"

As they set off again, Tan You chuckled. "You know, with that attitude, you’d be great in sales. Always greeting people with a smile."

Liuu Yuming said, "Isn’t that what you taught me, Mom? Life is hard enough, so my expression shouldn’t be, too. Smiling makes me feel better anyway."

’The original owner had a good bit of wisdom about life,’ Tan You thought. ’It’s a shame she didn’t live long and passed away so young.’ As they rode out of the village, Tan You’s gaze faltered as they passed an abandoned, tile-roofed house.

"It’s going to get dark earlier and earlier from now on. It’s not very safe for you to commute alone."

Liuu Yuming was unconcerned. "What’s not safe? I’m already married with a child. There’s nothing to worry about."

"Being married with a child is just your status. You’re only twenty-four, and in my eyes, you’re still very beautiful," Tan You corrected her. "Pick up a brick and put it in your bag. Carry it with you on your commute from now on, just in case you need it for self-defense."

She thought for a moment. "On second thought, I’ll come pick you up from now on. I’ll take Little Min to her uncle’s house to wait."

Chen Min raised her hand. "I can stay at home by myself..."

Tan You rejected the idea flat out. "No, you can’t. It’s not safe."

A warmth spread through Liuu Yuming’s heart. "Mom, I’m a grown-up. I don’t need anyone to pick me up."

Tan You wouldn’t let her argue the point. "No. Starting in October, I’m picking you up every night."

Seeing Liuu Yuming’s nonchalance, Tan You said sternly, "These aren’t peaceful times. There are no streetlights around here, and your job is far from the main factory complex. I won’t be able to rest easy if I don’t pick you up."

Liuu Yuming pouted, but she was smiling. "Alright, alright. My mom’s coming to pick me up. I couldn’t be happier."

Despite her words, Liuu Yuming did as she was told and picked up a paving stone to put in her bag. Just before leaving, she hesitated, then bent down and picked up another one. Her mom was right. Since she was so pretty, she needed to be extra careful about protecting herself.

Seeing Liuu Yuming stuff two paving stones into her bag, Tan You didn’t say a word. ’In this day and age, a young woman—especially a pretty one—out on her own needs to know how to protect herself.’

’Speaking of which,’ Tan You mused, ’should I have Liuu Yuming make some of that pepper spray? If she ever runs into someone with bad intentions, a blast of chili water to the face, plus a paving stone... the effect would definitely be excellent.’

’Or maybe have her learn martial arts? But she’s so tired from work, she probably can’t find the time.’ Mulling this over, they arrived at the town’s produce market.

Following Tan You’s guidance, Liuu Yuming bought chicken, duck, fish, and meat; they already had vegetables in their garden at home. Even Chen Min was hugging a bag of apples, which Tan You had told Liuu Yuming to buy as a gift for her uncle’s family.

It pained Liuu Yuming to watch the money being spent, one cent at a time, but she knew she had to spend it. For a woman trying to make it in the village with her daughter, it was crucial to stay on good terms with her uncle and aunt.

That way, if any disputes arose, her relatives wouldn’t just stand by and do nothing. And Liuu Yuming only bought a gift for her eldest uncle’s family; her mom had already said there was no need to keep in contact with her second uncle’s family.