“I heard from your aunt that you asked her to mail Grandma’s household registration book for you.” On the other end of the phone, Lu Nan’s mother spoke dryly. 

Lu Nan gave a definite answer, “Yes, that’s right.” 

This response was different from what her mother had expected. Based on her understanding of her daughter, she thought that after asking this question, Lu Nan would naturally explain why she needed the household registration book. 

For many years, this had always been the way they communicated. 

As long as she asked, her daughter would always provide a detailed explanation of the reasons and circumstances. But this time, she didn’t. 

Lu Nan’s mother had no choice but to continue asking, “So what do you need the household registration book for? Taking out a loan to buy a car?” 

Lu Nan calmly shared the results of her recent efforts, “Oh, it’s like this—I bought a house.” 

“What? You bought a house? Did your dad give you the money?” Mother Lu, who was already unsure how to communicate with her daughter, immediately grew angry. She felt like she had found the reason why her daughter hadn’t called in three weeks and was acting so distant today: The enemy was too cunning! Her daughter had fallen for her father’s sugar-coated bribery! 

After being divorced for so many years, Mother Lu’s mindset had always been… complicated, or even contradictory. 

She wanted her two children to get as much money as possible from their father but didn’t want them to grow too close to him. 

Because of this, she repeatedly spoke ill of their father in front of them, painting him as a terrible person. 

Lu Nan wasn’t sure what her younger brother thought, but when she was around seventeen or eighteen, she always believed that a person shouldn’t blindly trust just one side. Even if the one shaping her views was her mother, she still needed to verify what was being said. 

Yes, Lu Nan felt that sometimes she was so calm it was almost frightening, or even indifferent. 

When it came to her parents’ failed marriage, she even thought that instead of constantly arguing, they might as well separate sooner and free themselves from the situation. 

Back then, she couldn’t accept her mother’s version of the story at all. 

Her mother’s hysterical, almost shrewish demeanor made her harbor thoughts that felt almost unfilial, even heartless: It takes two to quarrel. 

If Father’s infidelity was wrong, then didn’t Mother also have flaws in her personality? Even as her child, living under her shadow and control was exhausting. So… wasn’t it understandable that Father strayed? 

Of course, as Lu Nan matured and came to understand that the world wasn’t just black and white, she reflected on her past thoughts: Right was right, and wrong was wrong. Her mother’s bad temper wasn’t an excuse for her father’s infidelity. If they had divorced due to personality clashes or falling out of love, and then pursued new relationships afterward, there would have been nothing to criticize. But cheating while still married was simply cheating—it was unethical, and no excuse could justify it. 

That was the rational conclusion. Yet even ten years later, Lu Nan still felt that her mother’s personality could be exhausting for those closest to her—yes, only those closest to her. Because when dealing with outsiders, her mother was always composed and kind. 

Because of her strong need for control, she clung tightly to her two children even after the divorce. 

And this control wasn’t just about legal custody; it extended to their emotional and psychological state. She demanded their absolute and unconditional loyalty to her side. 

They were forbidden from visiting “that side” during holidays—yet their father was still expected to prepare red envelopes for them. 

He wasn’t allowed to attend school meetings or events—but tuition and other expenses had to come from him. 

Whenever something from “that side” was sent—such as free-range chicken, duck, or other nourishing items meant for Lu Nan or her younger brother, Lu Yang—she would often throw them away. 

Occasionally, when “that side” called them over for a meal, Lu Nan and Lu Yang would go, only to face their mother’s anger upon returning. She would throw things, hit them, and scold them indirectly. 

Over time, both Lu Nan and Lu Yang became afraid of any contact from “that side,” and eventually, “that side” stopped trying to reach out. 

Yet even so, their mother would find other ways to complain, saying the other party was cold-hearted and had no sense of family. 

Lu Nan thought: Feelings are built through time spent together. If they only see each other once or twice a year, how can there be any real bond? The world doesn’t work like that. Even a dog has to wag its tail to beg for meat. So how could my brother and I ever demand money or things from our father with confidence? Reaching out for something with an open palm has always been difficult. Luckily, she was working now. 

From beginning to end, their mother never truly recovered from the blow of the divorce. As long as something involved their father, she would always explode. 

This time, however, Lu Nan didn’t give her the chance. She cut straight to the point and said, “The money for the house didn’t come from him.” Technically, she wasn’t lying—the money he gave for a car had been used as initial capital, but it wasn’t nearly enough to buy a house. 

Her mother didn’t believe her. “If it wasn’t from him, where would you get that much money? Oh—did you use the car money for the down payment? Let me tell you, that little bit of money can only buy a pigeon cage in Hailin City! You weren’t scammed, were you?” 

Seeing that the conversation was heading toward a crime investigation show, Lu Nan clarified, “I didn’t get scammed. I already have the property deed.” In other words, it was a done deal. 

Her mother was shocked. “Have you thought about the mortgage payments? With your measly salary, what if you can’t keep up with them? I don’t have much money either—I have to set aside half for your brother’s education. After deducting my own expenses for food, clothing, medicine, and social obligations, there’s barely anything left. I can’t even help you with a few months of mortgage payments!” 

Hearing this, Lu Nan suddenly realized she had forgotten to mention to her mother that she had changed jobs. 

But it didn’t matter. She could explain everything over the weekend. 

“Mom, listen to me first.” No matter how emotional her mother was on the other end of the call, Lu Nan remained calm. “It’s a bit complicated. I’ll take leave and come home next weekend. I’ll explain everything to you in person then.” 

Lu Nan’s mother was, of course, unwilling to be brushed off like this, but Lu Nan had already made up her mind to let her wait a bit longer. So, she said, “It’s hard to explain over the phone. Let’s talk this weekend. Mom, I’m hanging up now.” 

After ending the call, Lu Nan didn’t worry about whether her mother would overthink things. She calmly went to check the inventory at Feixiang. 

She had been slacking off too much recently. It was time to show her face at Feixiang a few more times. 

Business at Feixiang was booming. When Pei Xuedong saw Lu Nan, he greeted her cheerfully, “Manager Lu, President Yuan has been ordering quite a lot of the twenty-year-old liquor lately.” 

Lu Nan wasn’t surprised. President Yuan always placed orders directly with her. “Yeah, I noticed the twenty-year bottles have been moving fast lately. That’s why I’m here to check the inventory and see how many we have left.” 

After finishing up, she was about to leave when she heard a car horn. 

A black CC. 

Pretty cool. 

“Hey, beauty! Where are you headed? Want a ride?”  

The car window rolled down, revealing Meng Lusi behind her sunglasses. Cool car, cool person. 

Lu Nan casually whistled—a playful gesture, but not the least bit frivolous. 

As a result, Meng Lucy, who always tried to tease Lu Nan but never quite succeeded, felt a little flustered again. She took off her sunglasses. “Are you heading back to your office? Hop in, I’ll give you a ride.” 

Lu Nan didn’t stand on ceremony and got into the passenger seat. “Looks like Feixiang has been shipping a lot of stock since the grand event. Must’ve been a good commission.” 

“Yeah, it’s not bad… Having a ride makes everything more convenient,” Meng Lusi said without a hint of modesty. 

“Mhm, well, since you’ve got yourself a car, your next goal should be to buy yourself an apartment.” Lu Nan leaned back against the seat and grinned. 

“Sigh, housing prices in Hailin are crazy. Just the down payment alone costs as much as two cars,” Meng Lusi pouted. 

Lu Nan had only mentioned it casually. Whether the advice was taken or not was up to others—she couldn’t go around telling everyone to hurry and buy a house. So, she just added one last comment, “Then check out the suburbs. You have a car anyway, so commuting would still be convenient. Or consider a smaller unit in the city. Money isn’t really yours when it’s just sitting there. It literally says on it: ‘People’s Bank of China.’ It only truly becomes yours when you spend it.” 

Meng Lusi burst into laughter. “I like your logic.” 

*** 

By Tuesday, the loan had indeed been approved. Next year, when it matured, it would have to be repaid in full and then re-borrowed, cycling through the process again. 

Each month, only the interest needs to be paid, not the principal. 

The interest is less than 3,500. Lu Nan calculated that by the end of this month, her quick transmigration novel would be fully released. Next month, she could withdraw around 10,000 yuan. Even after taxes, it would still be enough to cover five months of loan interest. 

What about the interest after five months? 

Lu Nan wasn’t worried. She thought, If I can’t handle a measly 3,500 after making my first pot of gold, then I might as well stop calling myself Lu Nan! 

With the funds in hand, Lu Nan planned to buy a car. 

It wasn’t because she envied Meng Lusi for having one, but because she truly found it hard to downgrade her lifestyle. After years of being used to having a personal vehicle, relying on public transport or taxis for the past six months had been far too inconvenient—especially since she got carsick as a passenger, but never when driving herself. 

Besides, she had to finalize the car purchase before the New Year. Otherwise, her father would ask where the 250,000 yuan had gone, and her mother would be even more persistent… 

Since she was going to buy one anyway, she might as well get something she liked. 

A million-yuan luxury car was out of the question, but an entry-level model was worth considering. 

For city commuting and the occasional highway trip, she didn’t need anything with top-tier performance—just something that looked pleasing to the eye. 

Yes, that shallow. 

She still remembered how, in her past life, she had carefully compared her options with 250,000 yuan in hand and settled on an Audi A4—only to fall short by a few thousand for taxes and insurance. She preferred not to recall that part. 

On the day she picked up her car, she was both excited and nervous. 

She was excited because she had officially joined the ranks of car owners—pretty “cool.” But she was also nervous since she hadn’t driven since getting her license four years ago, was terrible with directions, and had no idea how she was going to drive her new car home. 

To make matters worse, as soon as she started the engine, she realized the fuel tank was empty, forcing her to face her first challenge: before driving home, she needed to find a nearby gas station to refuel. What followed was a series of incidents—”crashing into a fire hydrant on the third day,” “scraping the car door against a wall within five days,” “forgetting to close the car window after getting out within seven days,” “getting into a minor scrape in city traffic within a month,” “being terrified of overtaking trucks on the highway when driving home alone,” “not knowing whether to use cold or warm air conditioning in winter to defog the windshield”—and so on. Just thinking about it brought tears to her eyes. 

But that was all in the past. 

Now, Lu Nan was a seasoned driver with over 200,000 kilometers under her belt. 

After resigning from Yuan Chuan in her previous life, she had to endure two years under a non-compete agreement, during which she had some unpleasant experiences. So, besides hanging out at bars and skateboarding, she even got into racing. She had learned quite a lot. 

If she had been clueless and inexperienced when she first stepped into a 4S dealership in her past life, this time, she was calm and confident. 

The manufacturer’s suggested price? Negotiable. Optional add-ons? Negotiable. Complimentary maintenance and servicing? Negotiable. Financial service fees? Also negotiable. 

She settled on a Mercedes-Benz C-Class in a fiery red color, with an on-road price of just over 400,000 yuan. 

Considering: 

First, the manufacturer currently has a 24-installment interest-free promotion. 

Second, she is confident in her ability to repay the car loan. 

Third, Lu Nan has a bit of obsession with numbers—maybe that’s the real reason? 

Lu Nan decided to finance her red Benz C. 

After paying the down payment, taxes, and insurance, she swiped her card for a little over 300,000 yuan. The remaining balance in her account stood at exactly 1 million—a perfectly neat and satisfying number. 

Since the dealership had the car in stock, she completed the paperwork, purchased insurance on-site, and drove off immediately. She just needed to return in a few days to replace the temporary license plate. 

Technically, her monthly income and bank statements wouldn’t have qualified her for both a mortgage and a car loan. But her asset evaluation was solid, so the financing process went smoothly. The remaining 100,000 yuan was split into 24 monthly payments, each just over 4,000 yuan. 

Lu Nan didn’t make a big deal about buying a car. When she drove it back, she simply went to the property management office to get a parking permit—which, of course, required a fee—then parked it downstairs near her building. 

After locking the car door and putting the keys into the bag, Lu Nan couldn’t help but sigh: “Thank goodness. It’s been almost five months since my rebirth, and I have only now acquired a car and a house. At this pace, I am truly lagging behind among those who have been reborn.”