Just as Mother came back, she happened to catch the tail end of what I was saying. As far as she was concerned, as long as nothing threatened the position of the "daughter-in-law" she had in mind for me, she couldn't be bothered to interfere. Besides, she had taken a real liking to young Li Qingran, so she said cheerfully, "That's right, Qingran. From now on, just think of this place as your own home. Since Xi'an treats you like a little sister, I can't fall behind either. From now on, you're my daughter, and this is your home."
Right as she spoke, Mother pulled out a wad of cash—at a rough glance it looked like a couple of thousand yuan, and upon closer inspection, it came out to exactly two thousand.
"Qingran, I didn't have time to prepare any proper gifts, but here, take this as a little token for our first meeting. I'll get you something nicer in a bit."
Chapter 83