Li Meiyan jumped in fright and rushed over to cover Xie Lian's mouth. "Son, what nonsense are you talking about?!"
Xie Lian sidestepped her. "Mom, you started it."
Their eyes met, and each saw the other's determination to shove them into the line of fire. Neither would back down, so they launched straight into a touching display of maternal love and filial devotion.
"Son, that's not how it happened. I'm your mother. You think I don't know what you've done? You burned Mi's river snail noodles while she was out, threw your dirty socks into her room, and even stuck a 'Beware of dog' seal across her door. How many times did I try to stop you? You just wouldn't listen!"
"Mi, I support you and your dad freezing his bank cards. Good call! But once you've frozen his, you can't freeze mine too..."
Li Meiyan rubbed her hands together like a fly, smiling ingratiatingly.
Xie Lian shoved her aside and rushed up to Xie Mi to tattle. "She's making it all up! What she's done is downright inhuman. Guess why those ready-made meals with a fifty-year shelf life were expired? She deliberately bought expired ones just to feed them to you!"
"And that's not all. She says she's making you a nutritious breakfast tomorrow, but she's already ordered egg fried rice in trendy Chinese-style packaging, for free with one of those boosted discount coupons. She even followed the shop to get a grilled sausage for one cent and some mystery drink!"
"Son!!" Li Meiyan shrieked, lunging forward and grabbing his mouth. "You're making things up!"
Xie Lian struggled desperately to pry his mouth free. "You're the one being unreasonable-"
The two were locked in a fierce squabble, each scrambling to declare their loyalty to Xie Mi.
"Mi, I really