CHAPTER 376: CHAPTER 376?

In front of the dining table.

After swallowing the food in her mouth, An Ying furrowed her brows slightly and said softly, "Sister Zhang, you added quite a bit of supplements to the soups these past few days, didn’t you?"

Ms. Zhang’s expression stiffened, and she avoided An Ying’s gaze. She picked up some noodles and ate without tasting them, pondering how to respond in her mind.

"During the small New Year, Yinyin brought back a lot of things. I didn’t ask at the time, but thinking back now, they must be expensive supplements." An Ying spoke with certainty, her tone light and casual.

Knowing she couldn’t hide it, Ms. Zhang forced out a guilty smile and awkwardly said, "The gentleman sent too much; I can’t consume it all by myself, so I just shared it with everyone."

Ms. Zhang’s excuse might fool An Yin.

But An Ying was not convinced.

The young man was obviously using Ms. Zhang as a guise to covertly provide these supplements to his daughter, and how could An Ying not know?

Once, when Ms. Zhang wasn’t looking, An Ying secretly peeked at the contents of the gift box and was shocked. Each item was exceptionally valuable, not only high in nutritional value but also beneficial for health.

Her daughter had been weak since childhood, and An Ying had considered buying these items. But given their rarity and exorbitant prices, she dismissed the idea.

"Smells so good!"

A raspy voice interrupted their thoughts.

An Yin reached out to rub her eyes, putting on a little greedy cat expression as she stared directly at the dining table.

"Hurry up and wash your face and brush your teeth. The noodles will be sticking together soon." Ms. Zhang wiped the fine sweat from her forehead and turned to look at the little girl on the sofa.

"Oh." An Yin got up listlessly.

Beside her, Ms. Zhang was silent, but inside she breathed a sigh of relief. Ms. An had only asked a few questions, but Ms. Zhang hadn’t expected to feel so nervous. Luckily, the little girl happened to wake up, interrupting them. Otherwise, under Ms. An’s continued questioning, it would have been hard for Ms. Zhang to ensure she wouldn’t say something.

When receiving these items, Ms. Zhang already understood Mr. Bo’s intentions.

The little girl’s constitution was frail, and Ms. An was recovering from an injury, making it all the more appropriate for Mr. Bo to send some supplements.

She would take some, finely chop them, and add them to the soup while simmering. Ms. Zhang thought these little actions would go unnoticed, but she didn’t expect Ms. An to bring it up during breakfast.

After washing up, An Yin joined the dining table.

By then, Ms. Zhang had already helped An Ying back to the bedroom.

Leaving her to eat breakfast alone, feeling bored.

This New Year was different for An Yin.

Ms. An was injured and had to stay at home.

Ms. Zhang stayed at home to help out constantly.

The only difference was that usually on New Year’s Day, An Yin only received a red envelope from Ms. An. This year, besides Ms. An’s, even Ms. Zhang also gave her a red envelope. An Yin wanted to refuse it, but when Ms. An said, "Just accept it," she could only shyly take it.

Afterwards, Ms. An mentioned that she also gave Ms. Zhang a red envelope, which made An Yin feel less guilty.

Outside, the wind was blowing fiercely. After putting away her New Year’s money, An Yin took her phone and went to the rooftop.

Due to last night’s rain, the ground was wet in some places and dry in others. A chilly breeze blew from all directions, and families started setting off fireworks again.

An Yin walked to the railing and looked down. The street below was deserted, with hardly anyone passing by, not even children visiting neighbors. As she looked at the increasingly desolate neighborhood, a surge of inexplicable emotion welled up inside her.

These years, she spent most of her time at school, only coming home occasionally for a brief overnight stay. This place, full of childhood memories, had unknowingly become more and more decayed and old.

"Child, the wind is so strong, hurry back inside." Grandma Wu, perhaps tired from climbing the stairs, hobbled up, one hand supporting herself as she made her way to the rooftop.

"Happy New Year, Grandma Wu." An Yin turned around and sweetly smiled at her, "I’ll go inside in a bit."

"You have such a sweet tongue." Grandma Wu moved to a corner, slowly crouched down, and picked up a pair of wet, dusty cotton slippers from the ground.

"Grandma Wu, the weather forecast says there’ll be rain for the next few days, so maybe it’s best not to dry things on the rooftop," An Yin advised.

When she came up, she hadn’t noticed the shoes placed in the corner.

"I suppose I’ll have to take them back home," Grandma Wu sighed, "This weather, constantly raining, the clothes my husband and I change every day are always damp, not a single dry one at home."

Grandma Wu stood up with effort, looking up at the overcast sky with a worried expression.

An Yin initially wanted to suggest to the elderly that they turn on the air conditioning, but knowing Grandma Wu’s thrifty nature, she refrained from saying it.

She could only comfort her, "There will always be sunny days after the rain, no need to rush."

"How can I not be anxious?" Grandma Wu said, her keen eyes turning to the young girl, a hint of probing in her expression, "Last time when your house had a leak, it ruined the only dryer I had. Otherwise, those wet clothes at home would have dried by now."

After saying this, Grandma Wu sighed a few more times.

Hearing Grandma Wu’s description, An Yin stood straight and uneasy, "I’m really sorry, Grandma Wu."

An Yin felt her words were quite inadequate and could do little to appease the old lady in front of her, so she bowed her head in guilt.

Grandma Wu had watched An Yin grow up. The little girl was kind-hearted and never doubted what others said. Honestly, seeing the girl with a crestfallen face, Grandma Wu almost felt reluctant to say what she intended next.

However, considering her home situation, Grandma Wu forced herself to continue, "I noticed your household’s electricity meter runs quickly every day; you must be using the air conditioner."

An Yin, without any defenses, replied, "Sometimes we turn it on for a bit."

For instance, during the coldest hours in the morning, Ms. Zhang would turn it on for a while, and the clothes at home would dry quickly in the warm air.

"Ahem..." Grandma Wu pretended to cough to cover her unease, then spoke, "How about I bring some of our clothes to your house?"

Mentioning this idea, Grandma Wu’s eyes noticeably brightened.

An Yin hadn’t expected Grandma Wu to propose this. She stood there in a daze, not having figured out how to respond.

Grandma Wu’s voice came again, "Forget it, it’s too troublesome. Anyway, my husband and I are old, wearing the same clothes for ten days or half a month is no big deal. If they smell, so be it."

With that, she turned to leave, raising her foot to step forward.

"Grandma Wu, let me help you take the clothes to my house." Grandma Wu’s words made An Yin feel a sour and bitter emotion in her heart, leading her to make the decision instantly.