To Liuu Yuming, it was like a mouse seeing a cat. Especially after noticing the smile playing on her mother’s lips, Liuu Yuming yanked the blanket over her head, burrowed underneath, and clung to her daughter Chen Min’s small body for dear life, trembling uncontrollably.

"M-M-Mom, it’s not even the Tomb-Sweeping Festival yet, why are you back?" Liuu Yuming’s teeth chattered. "Mom, if you’ve run out of money down there, during the festival... oh, no, the Winter Solstice! On the Winter Solstice, I’ll burn tons and tons of spirit money and paper ingots for you..."

"Just go back to wherever you came from! Please, you have to stop scaring me!"

Hearing Liuu Yuming’s quavering voice, Tan You raised an eyebrow. ’So Liuu Yuming is afraid of Zhang Wangying, is she?’ Whether she was afraid of Zhang Wangying the person, or of her identity as a ghost, remained to be seen. But that didn’t stop Tan You from using it to her advantage.

Tan You cleared her throat and deliberately lowered her voice, making it sound all the more eerie. "Come out."

A few seconds later, Tan You saw a corner of the blanket lift. Liuu Yuming peeked out with just one eye, which was filled with terror. "Mom..."

"Mommy, who are you talking to?" a childish voice asked. It was the little girl, Chen Min. She rubbed her eyes and struggled out of Liuu Yuming’s death grip. "Mommy, it’s time to get up."

The little girl sat up, clutching the blanket. She only paused for a second upon seeing Tan You standing by the bed before her eyes curved into a smile and she called out, "Grandma."

Tan You was a little surprised. "You know who I am?"

Chen Min’s eyes crinkled into a smile. "I do. I look at your photo every day."

Listening to the back-and-forth between Tan You and Chen Min, Liuu Yuming’s courage gradually returned. She mustered her nerve and sat up, though she still didn’t dare glance under the bed. "Mom... you scared me to death. Why did you suddenly come back?"

Tan You shot her a glance. "Now that you’re awake, hurry up and make breakfast. After you eat, go to work. And stop thinking about relying on others all day."

Luu Yuming hung her head. "Okay, I’m getting up now."

Chen Min had long since learned to dress herself. She quickly threw on her clothes and padded after Tan You. "Grandma..."

By the time Liuu Yuming finished dawdling and came out, she saw Chen Min learning to start the fire and cook under her mother’s guidance. The little girl was surprisingly adept at it.

And her mother... she was watching the little girl with a gentle expression, offering a few words of praise from time to time. Liuu Yuming couldn’t help but wonder, ’Is this really my mom? But it’s definitely her face.’

Her gaze subconsciously drifted down to Tan You’s feet, only to see that she seemed to be floating in mid-air. A shiver ran through Liuu Yuming, and she immediately averted her eyes.

Tan You saw Liuu Yuming’s subtle reaction as clear as day and couldn’t help but scoff. ’Although Liuu Yuming has her share of flaws, she isn’t a bad person at heart. She’s never had a malicious bone in her body.’

For that reason alone, Tan You was willing to be more patient. It wasn’t so bad if someone was a little foolish; what was truly terrible was being foolish *and* malicious. Besides, she refused to believe she couldn’t get Liuu Yuming back on the right track.

"Since you’re up, come eat breakfast. From now on, go to work on time every day and come straight home when you’re done," Tan You said. "How much do you even make a month? No more frivolous spending. I’ll be saving all your wages for you."

"Also, cut off all those men you’ve been seeing. We’re going to earn our own money and be self-reliant. That’s the only way to have real peace of mind."

Luu Yuming was astonished. "Mom, how do you know how much I make each month?"

She then muttered, "I... It’s not like I have that many men. And I never..."

"It’s precisely because you haven’t taken that final step that I’m telling you to cut them off now," Tan You said with a chilling indifference. "I’ve been watching everything you’ve done these past few years."

"From now on, I’ll look after Chen Min. You just focus on working and earning money. We’ll find a way to get by."

Luu Yuming was silent for a moment. "But the pay at the garment factory is too low, and there’s overtime every day..."

Of course Tan You knew. It was only the 1990s—what was the average salary back then? Liuu Yuming had a child to raise and couldn’t endure much hardship herself, so her take-home pay was bound to be meager.

"I know, but what else can you do? For now, learn a trade at the garment factory." Looking at Liuu Yuming’s pitiful expression, Tan You felt not an ounce of sympathy. "You have to choose your hardship: the misery of men, or the misery of work."

"You’ve already tasted the misery men can cause, and you still want to rely on one to get by? Chen Wei hasn’t been back in years, has he? You should know by now that you can’t rely on men. You can only rely on yourself."

Chen Min stuffed a small piece of kindling into the stove. "Grandma, I’m going to rely on myself."

"You’re not even as sensible as your own daughter." Tan You’s expression softened slightly. Seeing Liuu Yuming’s head still hanging low, she dangled a carrot. "Work hard today. When you come home tonight, I’ll teach you how to make real money."

Luu Yuming perked up immediately. "How? Mom, didn’t you only know how to farm before?"

"I wasn’t just staying in one place these past few years. I went to a lot of places," Tan You said, mixing truth with fiction. "I’ve learned a great deal. If you behave and listen to me, I’ll show you how to do it."

"You are my daughter, after all. How could I just stand by and watch you suffer?"

Luu Yuming was a little suspicious. "Mom, are you really my mom? Why do you sound so... so... educated all of a sudden?"

Tan You’s heart skipped a beat. She immediately glared. "Why aren’t you washing up yet? Are you waiting for me to serve you?"

Hearing that familiar tone, Liuu Yuming immediately spun around and ran outside. "I’ll go wash my face and brush my teeth right now!"

Tan You chuckled softly. ’With a personality like hers, Liuu Yuming really is an unruly child. You have to crack a whip to get her to behave.’

Chen Min tilted her little face up to look at Tan You. "Grandma, are you going to stay home from now on?"

"I’ll always be here," Tan You said, her gaze softening as she looked at the little girl. "I’ll be here to watch you grow up, until you become a wonderful person."

Chen Min nodded. "Grandma, I don’t want to go to my uncle’s house... I want to stay at my own home."

"No way. How can you stay home all by yourself?" Liuu Yuming said as she came back inside, looking fresh and clean.

Tan You said, "I’m here, aren’t I? How is she by herself?"

"Are you even a person?" Liuu Yuming blurted out before she could stop herself. "Mom, that’s not what I meant..."

Tan You waved her hand dismissively. "I know what you meant. Hurry up and eat. Go to work as soon as you’re done."

As she spoke, she narrowed her eyes. "I see everything you do, no matter where you are. Come straight home after work. If you want a better life, you’ll do as I say."

"I’ll listen! I’ll come right back after work." Liuu Yuming nodded eagerly. Seeing her mother again... although she was a little scared, she was also happy. ’Could her own mother really harm her? Her mom had always been so good to her.’