The next day, when Shen Shujiao woke up, she found herself lying on the large bed in the bedroom on the third floor of the wooden house, covered with an incomparably smooth and soft silk quilt.
Heh, this space was really considerate.
After she fell asleep inside, it could even automatically move her onto the bed.
The more she experienced this incredibly powerful space, the more Shen Shujiao liked it.
After getting up and washing up, Shen Shujiao went to the nursery to see her babies.
“Good morning, babies. I’m your mommy. Be good and grow up nicely in mommy’s tummy, okay?”
“Babies, you’re really so adorable. Mommy loves you so much!”
“Babies, Daddy will come to find us in six days. Are you happy?”
Inside the glass sphere, the four fetuses, each still attached to an umbilical cord, seemed to understand Shen Shujiao’s words. They began to tumble and float about, responding to her with their own actions.
They moved—and Shen Shujiao felt as if her belly was gently vibrating too. It made her feel that her interaction with the children was more direct, closer, and more intimate.
“Babies, Mommy is going to eat breakfast now. After Mommy finishes what she needs to do, I’ll come back to see you.”
As soon as Shen Shujiao finished speaking, when she opened her eyes again, she found herself lying on her own bed where she usually slept.
The space’s invisibility function was truly wonderful. Sleeping inside the space, even though she was alone in such a big house, she wouldn’t feel afraid.
Shen Shujiao had never cooked in her life, so naturally she couldn’t make herself breakfast.
She decided to eat breakfast outside and, while she was at it, go to the market to buy some supplies she needed.
As soon as she opened the front door, she saw someone sitting at the entrance.
“Uncle Zhang?”
Zhang Fulai had been sitting there waiting for two hours and had dozed off for a moment. Hearing Shen Shujiao’s voice, he hurriedly stood up.
“Second Miss… I heard that you reported your eldest uncle’s family and handed over all the family property to the state. I was worried no one would cook for you, so I made some breakfast at home and brought it over.”
“Uncle Zhang, come in and talk,” Shen Shujiao said quickly, ushering him inside.
Zhang Fulai had previously been the Shen family’s housekeeper. When Shen’s father heard rumors about the coming political movement, he dismissed all the household servants in advance.
Although Zhang Fulai no longer worked for the Shen family, he still brought some home-cooked food over every few days. The two families continued to visit each other like relatives.
“Such a good home, just gone like that… All the furnishings in this living room were personally arranged by Madam, weren’t they?” Zhang Fulai looked at the empty living room, his voice tinged with deep bitterness.
“Uncle Zhang, given how the times are now, for ordinary people like us, protecting ourselves is the most important thing. As long as we keep our lives, material possessions aren’t important,” Shen Shujiao comforted him.
“What Second Miss says is right. You must be hungry. This is what your Aunt Zhang made—your favorite flower rolls and beef vermicelli soup.”
Zhang Fulai placed the food box on the coffee table and opened it. The fragrance of the beef soup immediately filled the room.
“Uncle Zhang, things are even more tense now. From now on, just call me Jiaojiao. In our hearts, you’ve always been family,” Shen Shujiao said softly.
“Alright, Jiaojiao. Hurry up and eat.”
Shen Shujiao didn’t stand on ceremony and picked up her chopsticks to eat.
After Shen’s father passed away, Zhang Fulai had suggested coming to take care of Shen Shujiao as a distant relative, worried she would be lonely living alone.
But Shen Shengchang scolded him, accusing him of wanting to take advantage of the family, and after that, he never appeared in front of Shen Shujiao again.
Shen Shujiao had grown up eating Aunt Zhang’s cooking. After more than a month without it, she missed it terribly.
Before long, she finished all three flower rolls and the big bowl of beef soup.
“Jiaojiao, you actually finished everything? I thought you wouldn’t be able to eat that much. Your Aunt Zhang said pregnant women get hungry easily—who knew it was true? Are you full?” Zhang Fulai asked in disbelief.
He hadn’t expected that someone who used to eat only one flower roll and half a bowl of soup could eat so much just because she was pregnant.
“I’m full. I haven’t had Aunt Zhang’s cooking in a long time, so I couldn’t help but eat it all,” Shen Shujiao said with a satisfied smile.
Hearing this, the smile on Zhang Fulai’s face grew even kinder.
“Jiaojiao, we’ve more or less heard about what happened yesterday. You’re pregnant now, and the military officer fiancé your parents arranged for you has gone to the battlefield. No one knows when he’ll come back. It’s too dangerous for you to live alone. You should come live at my place and let your Aunt Zhang take care of you. My house isn’t as big as this one, but we can still give you a room to stay in.”
Hearing Uncle Zhang’s words, Shen Shujiao felt warmth spread through her heart. She was deeply moved.
In her previous life, after Shen Xueman seized almost all of her family’s property, leaving only one-tenth, she summoned Uncle Zhang to the old Shen residence. She told him where the secret room was, saying there were things inside that needed his handling.
Uncle Zhang went in—and immediately a group of Red Armband enforcers surrounded him.
Shen Xueman reported him to the Red Armbands, claiming that Uncle Zhang had transferred away the Shen family’s enormous wealth.
In order to confiscate the Shen family’s property, the Red Armbands subjected Uncle Zhang to brutal torture. Within days, he died miserably in prison.
His entire family was also sent down to the countryside. One didn’t need to imagine to know that their lives were surely miserable.
In this life, Shen Shujiao wanted to protect Uncle Zhang’s family and let them safely survive these turbulent ten years.
“There’s no need. You worked in my home for many years and were already a target of the Red Armbands’ attention. The situation right now is very tense—the Li family on the left has been raided and sent down, and the Qi family on the right is also under investigation. Even though I donated the family property, the label of ‘capitalist’ is still there. If someone wants to keep an eye on me, they will. I just donated everything and staying here without going anywhere is actually safer,” Shen Shujiao said calmly.
Zhang Fulai didn’t insist. Before he came, his eldest daughter-in-law had already argued with him.
She said that if he brought Shen Shujiao home, it would doom the whole family to be sent down to the countryside.
She refused to be sent down. If Shen Shujiao was brought into their home, she would divorce and take the grandchildren away with her.
“I know Miss is afraid of implicating me. It’s also my fault for being useless, for not being able to protect you. I’ll come every day to bring you food,” Zhang Fulai said, tears of guilt welling in his eyes.
Zhang Fulai had fled famine from the Black Province to Shanghai. When he was on the verge of starving to death there, it was Shen’s father who saved him, let him work for the Shen family, treated him like a brother, helped him marry, and settle down.
All the happiness he had now was given to him by Shen’s father.
Now that Shen’s father was gone, he only wanted to do his best to take care of Shen Shujiao.
“Uncle Zhang, it’s not good for you to have too much contact with me. You don’t need to bring me things anymore. I’m about to become a mother now—it’s time for me to learn how to take care of myself. You don’t need to worry about me. Instead, I’m worried about your whole family,” Shen Shujiao said earnestly.
“We’re all honest, law-abiding people. We haven’t done anything harmful to the country. Jiaojiao, you don’t need to worry,” Zhang Fulai said with a smile, feeling deeply relieved.
Shen Shujiao was now sensible and had learned how to protect herself. The master in heaven would surely be very comforted.
“You’re not natives of Shanghai, yet your life is better than that of many locals. Both your sons and daughters-in-law have stable jobs—there must be plenty of neighbors who envy you. If I’m not mistaken, people from the Red Armbands have already come to talk to you, haven’t they?”
Shen Shujiao looked at Uncle Zhang with a serious expression.
This chapter has ended (please click the next chapter to continue reading).