TIPS – Chapter 57

Ever since arriving at the Shen family’s main residence, Yang Shuangjiao had been overshadowed by her younger sister, Yang Shi, dazzled by her wealth. But now, seeing Shen Dongming, she finally felt like she had gained some ground. After all, both their husbands were men, but hers was a respected county official, while Yang Shi’s husband was merely a farmer who worked the fields.

“Sister, does Brother-in-law go to the fields every day?” Yang Shuangjiao asked as they finished setting the table together.

“Not every day. If the tea fields don’t need tending, he rests,” Yang Shi replied casually, unaware that Yang Shuangjiao was inwardly mocking her.

“That sounds tiring. Your family isn’t short on money, after all,” Yang Shuangjiao said, glancing around at the grand courtyard. Suddenly, she felt balanced again. So what if they had money? They were still living off the dowry of Shen’s wife, relying on someone else to support them. That wasn’t exactly something to be proud of.

“Hehe, even with money, work still needs to be done,” Yang Shi chuckled. “You all sit here. I’ll go check on my daughter-in-law.” She was also wondering where her son was, as he hadn’t returned yet.

Just as Yang Shi was thinking of Shen Junxi, he walked in from outside, dressed in a light-colored robe, moving with a calm and steady demeanor.

“Oh, Junxi is back! Perfect timing. Go find your wife and bring her out for lunch,” Yang Shi said cheerfully, feeling delighted to see her son.

“Mm,” Shen Junxi smiled gently at his mother before heading to the courtyard to look for his wife.

Inside the room, Song Jingwei was reclining on the Luohan bed, reading a book. Perhaps it was because the bed was by the window, offering a view of the lush green tea fields, that he found it an ideal place to read.

As Shen Junxi approached, he noticed that Song Jingwei wasn’t really reading—he had his eyes closed and was dozing off. Shen Junxi smiled, thinking to himself that his wife had been sleeping more than usual lately. He reached out and gently touched Song Jingwei’s cheek, savoring the softness of his skin.

Feeling a tickling sensation on his face, Song Jingwei woke up quickly. When he opened his eyes, he saw Shen Junxi’s face so close to his that he was momentarily stunned, thinking he might still be dreaming. He hadn’t realized that a short nap had turned into an entire morning.

“You’re back?” Song Jingwei rubbed his eyes and slowly came to his senses. He put down the book in his hand and stretched his limbs. His feet, however, felt swollen again… He wondered how they would look in a few more months.

“Mm…” Shen Junxi walked over to the table, touched the teapot, and found that the tea had gone cold. He didn’t pour any, instead gesturing, “It’s time for lunch.”

“You go ahead. I’ll come in a bit,” Song Jingwei said.

Shen Junxi shook his head and gestured, “I’ll wait for you.”

Song Jingwei’s legs were still a bit numb, and he had planned to wait until the feeling returned before heading to the restroom. Seeing this, he simply said, “Then help me up. I need to use the restroom.”

“Mm.” Shen Junxi responded quickly and carefully helped him up, only to see his wife’s expression twist slightly…

Anyone who has experienced numb legs knows the feeling. It took a while before Song Jingwei finally said, “Alright, let’s go.” As he walked, he still felt a mix of soreness and relief.

The new house had an indoor washroom, so it wasn’t far to walk. When they arrived at the door, Song Jingwei pulled his hand away and said, “This is fine. You go eat first.” He didn’t want someone waiting outside while he relieved himself.

“…” Shen Junxi shook his head as expected and gestured, “I’ll wait for you.” His gentle, pure gaze made it impossible to refuse.

Song Jingwei went inside. As the numbness in his legs faded, he felt much better. He neither rushed nor delayed, and by the time he came out, a few minutes had passed.

Shen Junxi instinctively reached out to support him, but Song Jingwei brushed him off. “No need, I’m fine now,” he said. His drowsiness was gone, and his legs felt normal again—he didn’t need help anymore.

Inside the house, two new guests had arrived, making the atmosphere lively. When Yang Shi saw her son and daughter-in-law return, she introduced them to Yang Shuangjiao. “This is my son, Shen Junxi. And you’ve already met his wife.” She then quickly urged them to sit down. “Come, come, take a seat.”

Since Shen Junxi couldn’t speak, he simply nodded at his aunt with a warm smile, showing his respect even without words.

Yang Shuangjiao praised, “My nephew is so handsome, and his wife is lovely too. Truly a perfect pair.”

Yang Shi beamed. “Oh, you flatter them! Chunxing is the real beauty here.”

“Yes, yes, let me introduce them properly,” Yang Shuangjiao said, pulling her daughter forward. “This is my daughter, Niuniu—her full name is Wang Chunxing. Chunxing, greet your cousin and cousin-in-law.” Afraid her daughter might hesitate, she secretly pinched her.

“Cousin, cousin-in-law,” Wang Chunxing called out in a pitiful tone, nearly tearing up from the pain. Her mother’s hands were too harsh.

“And your uncle,” Yang Shuangjiao added with a smile.

“Uncle,” Wang Chunxing said softly, then looked eagerly at Shen Dongming, hoping he would take out something as a gift. Even a few copper coins, like Yang Shi had given, would do.

“A good child,” Shen Dongming said with a chuckle, but he didn’t give anything as a meeting gift—there was no such custom in his family, and he didn’t think of it.

“Let’s eat, everyone, or the food will get cold,” Yang Shi called out, picking up her chopsticks and placing a piece of meat into her husband Shen Dongming’s bowl.

“Yes, let’s eat,” Shen Dongming said, and once he started, the younger ones quietly followed suit, focusing on their meal.

The table fell silent except for Yang Shi and Yang Shuangjiao’s conversation. The others didn’t join in or listen too closely—filling their stomachs was the priority.

Song Jingwei and Shen Junxi were the quietest of all. One believed in not talking while eating, and the other was naturally silent.

“Old Shen, since my elder sister and Niuniu don’t come here often, I’d like to have them stay for a few days,” Yang Shi said once she finished chatting with Yang Shuangjiao.

“Sure, arrange it as you see fit,” Shen Dongming replied. Since they were Yang Shi’s elder sister and niece, it was only natural for them to stay a few days. However, for some reason, he instinctively glanced at Song Jingwei for his reaction… After all, this house was built by his daughter-in-law, and their family hadn’t contributed a single penny or ounce of effort.

“Daughter-in-law, what do you think?” Yang Shi, being straightforward, asked him directly.

“It’s up to you,” Song Jingwei replied. He didn’t particularly hate Yang Shuangjiao and her daughter, but he didn’t like them either. Besides, since Yang Shi had openly asked him, even if he disagreed, he had to agree—he wouldn’t embarrass her in front of guests.

“Oh, alright, I’ll have them stay in the guest courtyard,” Yang Shi said with a satisfied smile. It felt good to be the mistress of the house—her son was filial, her daughter-in-law was respectful—life couldn’t be better.

With that settled, Yang Shuangjiao resumed her lively chatter, alternating between talking about her husband’s business and boasting about her family.

Song Jingwei wasn’t used to such noisy meals, and it dulled his appetite. On normal days, he would eat two bowls of rice, but today, after finishing just one, he declared himself full, greeted the others, and left the table first.

After he left, Shen Junxi quickly finished his food and was about to follow.

Yang Shuangjiao had mixed feelings about her younger sister’s daughter-in-law. She felt that Song Jingwei was giving them the cold shoulder—he hadn’t even looked at them properly the entire time. Who would believe he wasn’t showing an attitude? But so what? They were just Yang Shi’s relatives from her maiden family, and she was a married-out sister at that.

At that moment, Yang Shuangjiao conveniently forgot the past—her relationship with her younger sister, Yang Shi, had never been good.

“Sister, your daughter-in-law doesn’t seem to have a good temper, does he?” she asked, feigning concern. “His family is so wealthy; maybe deep down, he looks down on you.” That cold face, those indifferent eyes—where was the warmth? No normal mother-in-law would like such a daughter-in-law.

Yang Shuangjiao thought to herself, I wouldn’t like him either.

“My daughter-in-law has a very good temper, and he does not look down on us,” Yang Shi said firmly, growing displeased at her sister’s repeated criticism. “He’s very respectful to his elders. Don’t say such things anymore, sister—it’s unpleasant to hear.” She understood her sister was just jealous, but to outsiders, it might sound like her daughter-in-law was truly difficult.

Yang Shuangjiao forced a laugh. “You’re not him, so why are you upset?” In-laws always clashed—she refused to believe that Yang Shi and her daughter-in-law got along that well. Looking at how much Shen Junxi cherished Song Jingwei, Yang Shuangjiao suspected that Yang Shi must have secretly resented him but just didn’t show it.

“Sister, have another bowl of rice. I’ll get it for you,” Yang Shi said, choosing not to argue further and instead enthusiastically offering food.

“…” Yang Shuangjiao looked at the table full of delicious dishes. It wasn’t like she couldn’t eat well at home, but as the saying goes, if you don’t eat, you’re at a loss. Eating more meant taking advantage of her sister’s wealth. She gritted her teeth and thought, I’ll eat until she’s broke! She then placed some food into her daughter’s bowl. “Niuniu, eat more.”

Wang Chunxing clutched her bowl silently: “…”

Outside, Song Jingwei had walked about a dozen steps away when Shen Junxi caught up with him.

Side-eyeing him, Song Jingwei asked, “You finished eating that quickly?” Normally, Shen Junxi would eat two bowls of rice. Did he also lose his appetite today?

Song Jingwei found it hard to believe. He remembered when he first arrived at the Shen family’s main house, everyone would talk at the dinner table. After twenty-some years, Shen Junxi should be used to it.

“Mm,” Shen Junxi gestured. “I came out to keep you company.”

“Do I need company?” Song Jingwei asked.

“…” Shen Junxi chuckled softly, then his expression turned slightly worried. He gestured again, “Are you angry?”

“Are you waiting for me to get angry?” Song Jingwei quipped, then said knowingly, “They are your relatives, so I won’t interfere. As long as they don’t deliberately provoke me, how long they stay is up to you.” Of course, if they overstayed their welcome, he might step in.

“Mm, mm.” Shen Junxi nodded earnestly, feeling relieved as he signed, “Sorry, they’re not very nice.”

He had known since he was a child that his mother and her maiden family didn’t get along.