TIPS – Chapter 53

He loved to stay close by, and Song Jingwei didn’t mind his presence.

Upon arriving at the new house, they were struck by its size—it was countless times larger than the old one. Although Shen Dongming and Yang Shi had been there before, they still couldn’t resist touching and admiring everything. As they looked around, smiles stretched across their faces.

“This house is really something! Not bad at all,” Shen Dongming praised.

Yang Shi felt the same. She had completely forgotten about the issue of her son and daughter-in-law sleeping in separate rooms. Instead, she eagerly joined her husband in exploring the large house, smiling as she pointed things out. “Look, that’s the School. The children are studying there.”

Pei Hongxuan had resumed teaching on the third day of his marriage, and Wu Xi clung to him closely, not taking his eyes off him for even a second.

“This is wonderful,” Shen Dongming said with admiration. “In the future, our grandchild will also come here to study.” He hoped his grandchild would be as studious as his son and maybe even pass the imperial exams—becoming a scholar would bring great honor to the family.

“Ah…” The mention of a grandchild instantly dampened Yang Shi’s spirits. She sighed with worry. “What is our daughter-in-law really thinking?”

Shen Dongming shrugged. “How would I know?”

“I don’t feel at ease. I’m worried sick! Can’t you give me some explanation?” she pressed.

“What explanation?” Shen Dongming responded innocently. “I’m not him. How can I give you an explanation?” If he could crawl into his daughter-in-law’s mind like a parasite and figure it out, he would—but obviously, he couldn’t.

“Weren’t they getting along just fine before?” They had been inseparable, and their expressions didn’t suggest any discord. So why, at the last moment, did this whole issue of separate rooms come up?

“In my opinion, we should just stay out of it,” Shen Dongming said as he tapped his pipe. “The days ahead are long. If things aren’t good today, they might be better tomorrow. And if not tomorrow, then next year.”

“You’re too laid-back about this! I just want to hold a grandchild. How can they have a child if they sleep separately?” Yang Shi was deeply distressed. She and Shen Dongming weren’t young anymore—other couples their age had already become grandparents years ago.

“What are you so worried about? Maybe next year, we’ll have one,” Shen Dongming said, smacking his lips. He felt things were fine as they were—life should be taken one step at a time. You couldn’t fatten a pig in a single day.

“…” Yang Shi thought to herself, At this rate, I’d be grateful if we had one the year after next.

The couple wandered around a bit more before returning to their room to tidy up for their first night in the new house. Meanwhile, Song Jingwei’s room was also being arranged. Shen Junxi acted as the laborer, moving things wherever his wife instructed. By the time the furniture was arranged, it was time to prepare lunch.

Yang Shi worked in the brand-new kitchen, cooking while also coordinating with a few villagers who had come to help. After a shared lunch, preparations for the afternoon banquet began.

Shen Junxi called in two laborers to help carry a luohan bed into Song Jingwei’s room.

Song Jingwei frowned in confusion. “What is this for? If you like this bed so much, move it into your own room. I don’t need it here.”

Shen Junxi gestured, “I don’t want to sleep in a separate room. Can I sleep here?”

Seeing Song Jingwei looking at him silently, he grew a bit nervous and quickly signed, “I won’t disturb you. I won’t make any noise.” His expression was sincere.

“Why do you insist on sharing a room with me?” Song Jingwei didn’t quite understand. Shen Junxi could very well enjoy a large room all to himself.

“I want to be in the same room as you.” Shen Junxi’s gaze was stubborn—but not truly forceful. If anything, it carried a hint of pleading, as if hoping that would make a difference.

Song Jingwei studied him for a long time, weighing his options. Should he kick Shen Junxi to the next room, or should he allow him to stay in a corner of the same room?

“Hmm?” Shen Junxi stared at him intently, his eyes filled with unspoken emotions—so intense that it was impossible to look away.

“…Do as you like. If you want to sleep here, then sleep here,” Song Jingwei finally said, rubbing his temples. He suddenly realized that arguing with Shen Junxi was exhausting—if this continued, he might just end up compromising on things he never intended to.

Warm hands suddenly reached out and began gently massaging his forehead. Song Jingwei lifted his head in surprise and met a pair of caring eyes.

“There’s no need for this. I can do it myself.” He reached out to remove Shen Junxi’s hands.

But Shen Junxi took his hand instead, holding onto it tightly. He cherished this intimacy and warmth. He longed to hold hands openly, to kiss openly—just as he constantly wished to embrace Song Jingwei.

“Shen Junxi.” Song Jingwei pulled his hand away, his expression stern. “Don’t push your luck.”

Though his face showed no emotion, there was an almost imperceptible unease in his eyes. That, in turn, made Shen Junxi feel less disheartened—it meant Song Jingwei wasn’t completely indifferent to him.

“Mm.” He lowered his gaze and smiled softly, as still and serene as a painting.

A gentle breeze swept through the cozy room, lulling Song Jingwei into drowsiness. Leaning back against the cushions of the large bed, his body relaxed, and he soon drifted into a peaceful slumber.

“…” Shen Junxi quietly moved from the table to the bedside, then onto the bed itself. He settled in next to Song Jingwei, savoring the warmth of a sweet afternoon nap together.

Meanwhile, Shen Dongming and Yang Shi searched the entire courtyard for Shen Junxi. He wasn’t in his own room.

In the end, the only place left to check was Song Jingwei’s room.

“Could he be in the daughter-in-law’s room?” The couple speculated without much hope. With the thought of checking just in case, they quietly walked over. Turning into the bright corridor, they arrived at Song Jingwei’s courtyard.

Inside, flowers and plants were everywhere, the decorations were exquisite, and the renovations were quite unique.

“Our son is just staying in the neighboring courtyard,” Yang Shi comforted herself with this thought. At least the daughter-in-law didn’t make Xi’er move even farther away.

Not long after they walked in, they ran into Shen Junxi head-on. He gestured, “Father, Mother?”

Yang Shi was delighted to see him and pulled him aside, lowering her voice to ask, “Where’s your wife? Is he inside?”

“Yes,” Shen Junxi nodded and walked outside with his parents, then gestured, “How’s everything outside? Have all the guests arrived?” He looked up at the sky—it was still quite early.

“Almost,” Yang Shi said with a smile. She had just gone out earlier, and everyone surrounded her, congratulating her—some genuinely, some with a sour tone. She didn’t mind; she enjoyed seeing their jealousy, envy, and resentment.

“Hmm…” Shen Junxi hesitated for a moment before slowly gesturing, “My wife changed his mind. We’re not sleeping in separate rooms anymore; I’m still sharing a room with him.”

“Really?” The Shen couple was utterly surprised. “Why the sudden change of heart?” They thought about it and figured their son must have coaxed the daughter-in-law into changing his mind. They had worried for nothing. They scolded jokingly, “So you had a plan all along! You should’ve told us earlier instead of making us worry for no reason.”

Shen Junxi gestured, “My wife is soft-hearted. I pretended to be pitiful, and he couldn’t bear to kick me out.”

Yang Shi and Shen Dongming laughed and scolded him, “You little rascal! You know how to act pitiful to trick your wife now, huh? Be careful, or next time he really will kick you out!” But in their hearts, they felt relieved. Turns out, their son wasn’t clueless—he knew how to sweet-talk his wife, and it worked. That was good.

Shen Junxi let them scold him, but his face carried a warm smile. He loved this kind of life—a life with his parents and his wife.

“Alright, let your wife rest. Let’s go greet the guests,” Yang Shi nagged, “Jingwei has been tired lately, hasn’t he? I noticed he hasn’t been looking as energetic. Later, I’ll make something nutritious for him.”

Shen Junxi liked hearing these little nags and nodded along. He also wanted to quickly finish entertaining the guests so he could return to have dinner with his wife.

At the front, many guests had arrived, most of them workers under Song Jingwei. Pei Hongxuan and Wu Xi were there, helping with the reception.

Some guests brought their wives and children, while others brought their parents—there were all kinds of people. Song Jingwei had previously said that there was no limit to how many people could come, and there was no need to give red envelopes; they could just eat and drink freely.

The banquet was splendid. Even the wealthiest families in the village, when hosting joyous occasions, rarely had such a grand feast. So, one by one, the guests ate to their heart’s content, their faces glowing with satisfaction.

When discussing the banquet earlier, Shen Dongming had hesitated about whether to send invitations to the Shen family’s main branch. But the whole family was against it—there was no point. They wouldn’t come, and sending invitations would only invite trouble, so they decided to leave it as it was.

Shen Dongming glanced at Yang Shi. The last time their son got married, they hadn’t informed Yang Shi’s family because of past conflicts. But it had been over twenty years now. Their children had grown up and even gotten married—perhaps it was time to reconnect.

“I think… my mother was just disappointed in me for not living up to expectations. She didn’t truly hate me,” Yang Shi said, reminiscing about the past with some emotion.

“Alright, alright. I’ll send a message to your mother. If she wants to come, that’s great. If she doesn’t, we won’t force it.” Shen Dongming handed her a handkerchief and immediately had their son write a letter.

However, on the day of the housewarming, Yang Shi’s family didn’t come after all. She acted like she didn’t mind, but deep down, she was a little disappointed.

Back then, her family had two daughters and a son—she was the second child, with an elder sister and a younger brother. Before she married Shen Dongming, a wealthy man in town had taken a liking to both sisters and wanted to marry them.

Yang Shi refused to share a husband with her sister and ran away in the middle of the night. She fled to Chashan Village in the neighboring town, where she met Shen Dongming and married him. Later, that wealthy man no longer wanted to marry her older sister because he had originally wanted a pair of sisters, and one was missing—it was a pity to him.

Because of this, Yang Shi’s mother, Feng Shi, resented her second daughter. Her older sister, also hated her, believing that she had ruined her chance to become a rich man’s wife. For years, she spoke ill of her younger sister in front of their mother, causing the two families to completely cut ties.

Feng Shi scolded Yang Shi for choosing a life of hardship—abandoning wealth and status to marry into poverty in a remote village. After scolding her, she returned to their hometown, and from then on, the mother and daughter never saw each other again.

Yang Shi didn’t know how her older sister was doing, nor her mother, and she had no idea if her younger brother had married and started a family.

In her younger years, she had stubbornly endured everything, refusing to regret her decision no matter how hard life got. But now that life was finally good, her children had grown and married, and she no longer had worries—she found herself thinking about the past more and more.

Under the dim lamp, Yang Shi sighed again, putting down the embroidery in her hands as she stared into space.

Shen Junxi walked in, adjusting the oil lamp to brighten it slightly. Sitting down, he gestured, “Mother, save the embroidery for the daytime. It’s bad for your eyes at night.”