FM-V2-21

Chapter 21 Fallen Mother Volume Two: Continuation 

But to my surprise, Mom didn’t get angry. Instead, she sighed softly and said, “After dinner, I’ll take you out for a walk.” 

… 

Old Jiao put a lot of effort into making dinner, and he had to. 

For him, if he wanted to please Mom, he had to start with her appetite. 

There’s a saying: if a woman wants to win a man’s heart, she must first win his stomach. But this applies to men as well. 

“Girl, how is it?” 

Old Jiao looked at Mom expectantly as she tasted the food. 

“Not bad.” 

“Really not bad?” 

“What else would it be?” 

Mom put down her chopsticks and handed me her bowl, signaling me to get more rice. 

But Old Jiao quickly grabbed the bowl and went to the kitchen himself. 

I had to admit, the food was actually pretty good. I didn’t know how a drunk from the village could cook so well. 

Old Jiao was extremely attentive to Mom almost fawning, smiling constantly, completely different from how he acted at home during the day, which made me very uncomfortable. 

Especially the way he looked at Mom I knew exactly what it meant, but could only watch. 

After dinner, Old Jiao volunteered to do the dishes, while Mom took me out. 

When we left, Old Jiao wanted to come too, but Mom told him to stay home. He looked disappointed, but I felt a bit smug. 

Though I knew this was only a small, hollow victory. 

Mom and I left the house. 

Once outside, she put on a black mask and a pair of black-rimmed glasses with no prescription. 

Given her status, she could only go out in disguise otherwise, being recognized would cause a stir. 

Even with the mask covering the lower half of her face, her star-like eyes couldn’t be hidden behind the glasses. 

In fact, the glasses only added to her intellectual, mature charm her beauty was impossible to hide. 

We went downstairs to the car. I took the passenger seat, Mom the driver’s seat, and she started the car and drove us out of the complex. 

Outside, she navigated the bustling city streets. 

Even at night, the roads were brightly lit. Mom drove slowly and steadily she did everything with care and precision, never making mistakes. 

At a red light, she turned on the car’s music, breaking the silence. 

I didn’t know where we were going, so I said nothing, just sat quietly. 

After about twenty minutes, Mom parked at a department store. 

We both got out. 

Mom slung her bag over one shoulder, arms crossed over her full chest, and led me inside. 

“Fan Fan.” 

“Mm.” 

“What do you want to buy?” 

I thought about it I didn’t really need anything. 

Toys? I’d outgrown them. 

Clothes and shoes? I wasn’t obsessed like others. 

Because of Mom’s status, I already had plenty compared to my peers. 

So when she asked, I didn’t know what to say. After a moment, I replied, “Nothing, I don’t need anything.” 

“Really?” 

“Really.” 

“All right, then just keep me company while I shop, okay?” 

“Of course,” I said. 

Honestly, I was happy to go shopping with Mom. 

We hadn’t done this in a long time. Thinking back, ever since Zhong Niu came to our house, Mom and I hadn’t gone out together. 

I didn’t know why she suddenly wanted to go out tonight. 

Mom first took me to a men’s clothing store and bought me a new outfit not expensive, just a few hundred yuan. 

Then she took me to a women’s clothing store. A saleswoman led me to the lounge and brought me a drink while Mom shopped with another clerk. 

Women always take a long time picking clothes, and I was used to it. I pulled out my phone to pass the time. 

Bored, I played a game and quickly lost. 

With nothing else to do, I sipped my drink and looked around Mom was nowhere to be seen. Maybe she was in the fitting room? 

With no clerks nearby, I started wandering around the store. 

As I wandered, suddenly someone hugged me from behind and lifted me up. 

I panicked and struggled. 

“Don’t shout, it’s me,” a familiar voice said. 

I stopped struggling. 

I felt my back pressed against two soft, full mounds, and a sweet scent filled my nose. I wanted to look back, but I couldn’t. 

“So tired, so tired,” the woman behind me said, then put me down. 

I turned and saw who it was Zhao Xueying! My father’s second wife, my stepmother. 

I stared at her in surprise, not expecting to run into her here. 

She smiled, “Fang Fan, what a coincidence. Didn’t expect to see you here. Are you alone?” 

“I’m here with my mom,” I said. 

“Oh, then I won’t bother you.” 

She patted my head and left. 

I watched her go, and saw her walking out with a man about forty, carrying shopping bags, grinning at her. 

They walked away together and disappeared from view. 

I didn’t know the man he was a stranger. 

Who was he? Why was he with Zhao Xueying? Shouldn’t she be with my dad if she was shopping? 

I was full of questions, with no answers. 

Soon after, Mom came out of the fitting room. I hesitated, but didn’t tell her about running into Zhao Xueying. 

Mom bought two outfits and some underwear. The clerk packed them up, and I carried the bags as Mom paid. 

Afterward, I thought we were done, but as we passed a phone store, Mom went in. 

A clerk came over right away. 

“Show me your latest iPhone,” Mom said. 

I was puzzled Mom didn’t like iPhones. For her, a regular smartphone was enough. 

Besides, if she was photographed with an iPhone, it could cause trouble. 

Was it for me? Impossible I’d just gotten a new iPhone at the start of the year. 

If not for herself or me, then who? 

I looked at Mom in shock as she quickly bought a new iPhone for over 7,000 yuan, had it wrapped, and paid. 

We left the mall and drove home. 

On the way, I finally asked, “Mom, did your phone break?” 

“No.” 

“Then why did you buy…?” 

“It’s for Old Jiao,” she answered naturally. 

Sure enough… my heart sank. 

“Mom, you bought him such a nice phone can he even use it?” I couldn’t help but ask. 

He’d lived in the countryside all his life; even a basic phone would be confusing for him. 

“He can learn,” Mom said. 

“But it’s expensive.” 

“Fan Fan…” 

Mom’s tone suddenly grew serious. “Are you unhappy with Old Jiao?”