Su Baiwei looked at the messy environment and the low bungalows before her. In just over half a year, the Fan family had fallen to this point.
She also wondered why she had lost her memory and where she had been these past few months. The system only told her it was upgrading and she had gone into hibernation.
This was her only golden finger; whom else could she trust if not it? It was just that her feet were reluctant to take another step forward. No street in her neighborhood was this unhygienic.
She took a deep breath and silently asked in her heart, "System, why do we have to follow Fan Yunshi? He has fallen on hard times now. And I am so beautiful and possess a famous artifact. Can't we change targets?"
"Host, you must believe he can make a comeback. He is the male protagonist destined by the Heavenly Dao. Following him is your best choice. Only those who endure the bitter hardships can achieve greatness."
"Alright, I understand."
Su Baiwei adjusted her expression and, carrying the gifts, walked towards the house at the deepest end of the alley.
She lightly knocked on the door, and a woman came out with a broom to open it. "Who is it?"
"Auntie, hello. I'm looking for Fan Yunshi."
When Fan's mother opened the door and saw her face, she understood everything. Raising the broom, she was about to strike. "You vixen, how dare you come to my house? If it weren't for you, how could our Fan family have gone bankrupt?"
Su Baiwei felt extreme disgust towards the hideous woman before her. Despite having fallen from grace, she still looked at her with a condescending gaze.
For the sake of future prosperity, she had to endure.
"Auntie, what exactly happened? I had no idea why this happened. I thought leaving Yunshi was the best choice for him, sob, sob."
She deliberately took a sweep of the broom on her shoulder, the dust smearing her face. She could only suppress her anger and continue, "Auntie, all the mistakes are mine. Please, let me see Brother Yunshi."
"I rushed over as soon as I saw the news. I am carrying Yunshi's child. No matter what, my child and I will accompany him."
When Fan Yunshi heard the familiar voice, he stumbled out. He saw Su Baiwei, whom he hadn't seen in a long time, with a gaunt face and a noticeably large belly.
He felt extremely heartbroken. This woman wouldn't take good care of herself outside, and seeing his mother about to hit her.
He quickly ran over, pushed his mother aside, and shielded Su Baiwei behind him.
"Mom, how could you do this? Baiwei is carrying your grandson. If anything were to happen to her, wouldn't you be the one who's heartbroken?"
"You... you unfilial son, pushing me for a woman."
"Mom, she's not an ordinary woman. She's my wife. She's carrying my child. She's your daughter-in-law. Can't you be a little more tolerant towards her?"
Fan's mother felt dizzy. Having a son was worse than raising a useless piece of pork. It was a typical case of having a wife and forgetting one's mother, and this woman had caused their Fan family's bankruptcy.
Before retiring, she had a good job within the system. After Fan Yunshi made his fortune, she was a bona fide rich wife and had never suffered any grievances.
Now, she had to serve the two of them, cooking, eating, and cleaning. Her hands had become rough over the past few months. Her husband had to find part-time jobs to support the family, and her son was decadent and useless all day. She felt both heartbroken and helpless.
Now her son pushed her for the culprit. Enraged, she threw down the broom.
"Fan Yunshi, you're doing very well. Do as you please. Anyway, you're in charge of this house."
With that, she ran back to her room and started crying. Fan Yunshi was still filial at heart. He quickly went to comfort his mother, leaving Su Baiwei standing awkwardly at the door.
"Host, to make the Fan family accept you, you need to be more diligent. Hurry up and pick up the broom and get to work."
Su Baiwei looked at her well-maintained, beautiful hands. She couldn't disobey the system and rolled up her sleeves to start working.
Ever since she was kept by Fan Yunshi, she had never done any chores. She fumbled awkwardly, feeling very unaccustomed.
Seeing her compliance, and with Fan Yunshi constantly saying good words by her side, Fan's mother's anger subsided a little. She still looked proud and went out to direct Su Baiwei's work.
By the end of the day, Su Baiwei was sore all over. That night, she whispered into Fan Yunshi's ear.
"Yunshi, it's not that I don't want to be filial to Mom, but my belly is too big, and it's inconvenient. The baby keeps kicking me, and I've been feeling very uneasy today."
"How many months are you? How did your belly get so big?"
Su Baiwei took his hand and placed it on her belly, saying softly, "The doctor said there are triplets in there. You'll have to work hard to support the children."
Fan Yunshi pulled her into his arms. "Don't worry, whatever other children have, our children will definitely have. I'll go out and look for a job tomorrow. I will make sure you and our children live a good life."
Su Baiwei was so moved that tears welled up. "Yunshi, I love you. No matter what happens in the future, I will never leave you."
"Thank you."
The next morning, Su Baiwei tidied his clothes and prepared breakfast, personally seeing him off. Fan Yunshi, full of vigor, went to find a job.
He was rejected by several large companies, which discouraged him. He spent two yuan at a lottery shop and bought a ticket before going home. His beloved wife and children were waiting for him to eat.
When he returned home, fragrant dishes were waiting for him. He handed his suit jacket to Su Baiwei.
"Beep, beep, mission issued: Wash Fan Yunshi's suit. Reward for successful completion: 100 yuan. Penalty for failure: deduction of slender waist."
"System, the gain and loss are too disproportionate."
"If the host refuses, the mission will be deemed a failure."
Su Baiwei dared not delay any further. She grabbed the suit and went to the bathroom, directly throwing it into a basin of water.
"Host, you have 5 minutes before the mission is deemed a failure."
"You're timing me? Why didn't you say so earlier?"
Complaining, her hands worked tirelessly to scrub. She finished within 5 minutes, hung it on a hanger, and returned to the dining table.
"Weiwei, where did you go? Why didn't you finish eating before doing that?"
"Oh, I saw some stains on your clothes, so I washed them for you."
"Our Weiwei is so virtuous."
Suddenly, as if remembering something, he hurried to the bathroom and took out the contents of his suit pocket. It was transparent and torn, but the numbers were still visible.
"Yunshi, is there something important?"
"Nothing, it's just a lottery ticket I bought on the way home. Don't blame yourself, luck is hard to predict."
"I'm sorry, I'll be more careful next time. I was too hasty today."
"It's not a big deal, you don't need to apologize to me."
The couple returned to the table in a loving embrace. Fan's mother, however, found it unbearable. "You can't do anything right, and you only talk about apologies all day."
"Mom, I didn't mean to," Su Baiwei said aggrievedly.
"Mom, it's such a small thing, and you're blaming Weiwei. If I'm not home, wouldn't you bully her to death?"
"Fine, so your mother is the bad guy now? What kind of bewitched soup has this little green tea fed you? There will be a day when you'll be unlucky."
With that, she slammed the table and went straight back to her room. Her husband was out for work, and she felt like she was going to be angered to death by these two.
Su Baiwei tugged at Fan Yunshi's sleeve, her eyes misting over. "Yunshi, please go and see Mom. It's all my fault for being clumsy and saying the wrong things to anger Mom."
Fan Yunshi patted her shoulder. "It's okay, with me here, no one can bully you, not even my mother."
Su Baiwei lowered her head, revealing a victor's smile. The house was not large, and Fan's mother in the bedroom was on the verge of exploding with anger.