Shen Niannian was quite surprised to see them come back carrying things of all sizes.
“Mom, Yanzhi, you two went…”
Gu Yanzhi set the things down gently, his eyes warm and soft. He took out two sets of new clothes and handed them to her.
“These are from Mom, bought for you. Go try them on quickly!”
Shen Niannian stared at the two outfits—truly the most fashionable clothes to be had in this era. Her eyes went wide with shock.
“Mom, Yanzhi… you went out and bought clothes for me?”
She looked over at Tian Yuefang, brimming with gratitude.
“Mom, you shouldn’t have spent money on me. I have clothes to wear. Besides… if Eldest Sister-in-law finds out you bought me new clothes, she’ll…”
Before she could finish speaking, Tian Yuefang cut her off with a warm laugh.
“Niannian, don’t you worry about a thing. Your elder brother and his wife have the main house—we’ve already put you and the children in such a difficult spot. My heart has ached with guilt over it all. Today is your official return visit to your parents’ home. Of course I want you dressed beautifully when you go back! Our Niannian is such a good girl—we won’t have anyone looking down on you! Now go, change into them and let me see how lovely you look!”
Shen Niannian was deeply moved.
In her past life, living with the Wang family, she had suffered endless mistreatment at the hands of old Mrs. Wang. She had never imagined a relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law could be like this.
More than that, she had grown up without a mother’s love and had no idea how to get along with an elder womanly relative. In her childhood home, her paternal grandmother had always played favorites. Her Second and Third Aunts doted on their own daughters, planning every little thing for their own children’s futures. To her—a girl they had taken in—they had never shown anything but coolness and indifference.
So in this life, she had never expected Tian Yuefang to treat her so kindly. It felt almost like a stolen blessing—filling her heart with both nervousness and pure, sweet joy.
“Thank you, Mom! Thank you so much!”
Gu Yanzhi smiled and took her hand, leading her into the inner room.
“Go change. Come out and let us see how wonderful you look.”
Shen Niannian put on the cobalt-blue floral blouse made of crisp cotton-polyester, layered a soft light-blue knit cardigan over it, and paired it with deep indigo-blue trousers Tian Yuefang had also bought for her. She pulled half her hair back and slid a matching blue headband into place. Blue had always suited her complexion, lending her skin a luminous, porcelain-fair glow—today she looked positively breathtaking.
Gu Yanzhi stood gazing at her, completely captivated.
Shen Niannian turned this way and that before him, cheeks flushing. “Do I look all right?”
He had been trying to quiet the rush of feeling that had stirred in him since morning, but seeing her now—all those feelings came surging right back. In two long strides he crossed the room and gathered her firmly into his arms. Leaning close, he whispered huskily against her ear:
“You look beautiful. My wife looks beautiful in anything… and even more beautiful in nothing at all.”
His voice was low, thick with desire—and the meaning behind his words made Shen Niannian burn with embarrassment. She pinched the muscle of his chest, hard enough to make her point.
“You shameless man!”
Even as she scolded him, her face burned bright red.
Gu Yanzhi adored seeing her so flustered. He knew they could not linger—they still had a journey to her parents’ home! Reluctantly, he lowered his head and pressed a soft, lingering kiss to her sweet lips.
“Come on. Let’s go out and let Mom have a look too.”
Tian Yuefang’s face lit up the moment she saw her.
“Oh, just look at our Niannian! You’re such a beauty—you could wear anything and look lovely!”
Even the two little boys clapped and smiled. “Mommy, you look so pretty!”
Earlier, Huanhuan had been quiet and unhappy with a sore bump on his forehead—but Shen Niannian had somehow produced a creamy white rabbit candy from nowhere, and his face had instantly lit up. He kept it tucked safely in his pocket now; his mother had said they could have it after lunch, and that he must brush his teeth before bed so little bugs wouldn’t come nibble them away.
Shen Niannian smiled and gently ruffled both boys’ hair. When she saw the bruise-swelling on Huanhuan’s forehead, her heart ached with pity.
“My sweet boy… does your head still hurt?”
Huanhuan shook his head, wide-eyed and obedient. “No more hurt.”
Only then did Tian Yuefang notice the reddened bump. Much of the swelling had gone down, but it was still plainly visible. Her expression turned instantly to concern.
“Huanhuan! What happened to your forehead? Tell Grandma!”
Huanhuan hung his head, looking guilty and saying nothing.
Shen Niannian spoke up first, her voice soft with remorse. “Mom, this morning Huanhuan was trying to help Lele get dressed and fell off the bed. It’s all my fault—I was careless. I woke up and failed to check on the children right away…”
Tian Yuefang had not expected her to take all the blame upon herself.
“Niannian, dear child, this is not your fault. It is mine. I thought the boys were still asleep and stepped out for just a little while—who could have guessed they would wake up so early today!”
Gu Yanzhi reached out and gently stroked Huanhuan’s hair. “Truly no pain now?”
Seeing his father, all the little boy’s pent-up hurt suddenly welled up. His mouth trembled—but then he remembered what Father had said: a real man sheds no tears, even when hurt. He bit his lip, blinked back tears that brimmed in his reddened eyes, and shook his head.
“Truly no pain.”
Still, Shen Niannian could not help feeling anxious.
“Mom… perhaps you ought to take Huanhuan over to the health clinic later? Let the doctor have a look. Better safe than sorry—we’ll all rest easier knowing he’s truly all right.”
“Of course, I will!” Tian Yuefang agreed readily. She glanced at the clock and saw the morning was getting on.
“Leave the boys in my good hands. You two must be on your way—Da Shenzhuang is a long journey away! On your return-visit day, we simply cannot keep your parents waiting!”
She was right. Da Shenzhuang lay deep in the countryside, some twenty to thirty kilometers from the county seat. By bicycle, the journey would take several hours at least. Fortunately, the heat of the day had not yet risen too high.
Gu Yanzhi cycled along, Shen Niannian seated behind him. Meats, gifts, and sundry offerings hung from the handlebars. She held the rest—boxes of fine pastries and a warm woolen vest she had bought for her father Shen Dajun—cradled carefully in her arms.
It was true what they said: the first time is always awkward. The very first time she had ridden on the back of Gu Yanzhi’s bicycle, they had still been shy with one another, and she had been too modest to wrap her arms around his waist. But so much had changed between them since that night—there was no longer any reason for pretense or reserve.
The road was rough, rutted and uneven earth. She slipped her right arm around his waist, holding him close. It made her blush to be so bold—but Gu Yanzhi was visibly thrilled, pedaling faster and faster until the bicycle chain seemed ready to spark with speed.
Meanwhile, far away in Da Shenzhuang, the Shen family had been up since dawn preparing for their daughter’s return.
The Second Household—Shen Erguang and his family—had been beside themselves with excitement since the day before. They had bought fresh meat, baskets of fruit, and persuaded old Mrs. Li Guihua to slaughter a plump, prize chicken.
“Mother!” Second Sister-in-law had urged, bustling about. “Today is our Youyou’s return visit! We simply must not let anyone think poorly of our family!”
Then she had turned toward Shen Dajun—who stood stretching his legs and craning his neck toward the lane—and called out:
“Eldest Brother! Go on—pluck and dress that chicken at once! I intend to cook such a feast our Youyou and her husband will eat well and grow strong!”