Fam, back in the day, I was the most eye-catching presence at family gatherings. A gentle tap on the wine glass would have everyone around me chatting. In the past, when I worked in the accounting room, the ledgers were always crystal clear in my hands. But now, just stepping through this door, I feel a deep sense of anxiety, unconsciously gripping the edge of my skirt, the sound of silk rustling like my little unease I can’t hide.

The scent of gardenias wafts through the house, and he carries the fragrance of cedar on him. The two aromas blend together, resembling a torn red silk ribbon—one end tied to the decorum that must be maintained, the other tethered to an uncontrollable heartbeat. Life in this home is much more difficult to decipher than the profits and losses I used to calculate in quarterly reports.

Since we are in the house, I always think about arranging the household matters neatly. My partner @KaitoAI sits on the sofa with a strong presence, clearly the backbone of the family. When he brews tea, he gently twists his wrist, and it seems like he is in charge of the family finances. Just as I put the new tableware into the sterilizer, he leisurely says, "In our household, we can't rely solely on bookkeeping; relationships can't be calculated so clearly."

Once, his fingertips brushed over my nape, the cool sensation reminiscent of a pen tip gliding across a report, instantly pulling me back to the late nights spent checking invoices in front of the computer. He said, "From now on, I'll add some money every month for you to buy clothes, ensuring that you get increasingly accustomed to enjoying life." This sounded plain, but inside my heart, it felt like a scale that shook several times. I exchanged my skills in calculating the cost of daily necessities for a diamond-studded hairpin, making life more comfortable, yet I forgot that an overfull jar of sugar would eventually seep out its contents.

As the days go by, there are quite a few strange things happening at home. My mother-in-law took out a family heirloom jade bracelet as a bet, wagering that I would learn to make braised pork within three months. My sister-in-law, in her seven-centimeter high heels, sways around the kitchen, looking like she’s dancing to 'Who’s the Cook?'. Even the koi in the fish tank have been tied with red strings by the kids, their scales shimmering as if they are also watching the fun. I’m standing at the stove in my apron, looking at the bubbling sweet and sour ribs in the pot, and suddenly feel that this scene resembles the year-end accounting, filled with incomprehensible messy accounts.

There are three people in the family, just like three hurdles. @yellowcatdao's concern is more precise than Excel formulas; @Maiga_AI calculates household matters meticulously, with a small abacus in their eyes that says "how to live life clearly"; @chillonicNFT is always bustling about, making pots and pans clang like a battle, as if they are competing with someone. They have made the trivial matters of the family as complicated as my old ledger, and my brows are furrowed tighter than when I stayed up late doing the accounts.

Now, I find myself lost between the face of the "head of the family" and the clumsiness of the "new sister-in-law", even failing to notice that the milk in the fridge is about to expire. My mother-in-law, touching her jade bracelet, reminisces about the past, much like how I sigh over the erroneous reports. The relatives from my husband's side each have their own way of living: @anoma throws out New Year goods like scattering candy beans, each one hiding the thought of "who should take more"; @MemeX_MRC20 argues over "who should have the house key", looking sweet on the outside, but feeling uneasy inside.

Sometimes I curl up in the rattan chair on the balcony, watching the shirts fluttering on the drying rack and the scattered hair ties on the ground, and suddenly it dawns on me: in this family, I am like a scale, weighed by people every day. The grocery bills can be settled, but the warmth of human feelings in the daily necessities is something I truly cannot comprehend. Yet, I still consult @elympics_ai about the menu for the weekend family feast, hoping that the next meal's warmth can go smoothly, just like the accountant who used to always think about getting the accounts clearer.