Gu Zhenhua nodded in full agreement. “Indeed! That fish is your Mother’s specialty—absolutely delicious. Do help yourself to plenty.”
Gu Yanping had been about to offer Sun Meiling his own soda, but hearing what his sister had said, he hesitated. If it truly might harm the baby, then it was better she did not drink it.
“Let me—let me pick out the bones for you!” He reached for her bowl.
But Sun Meiling was still seething with anger, and the very sight of him grated on her nerves.
“Look at you—so spineless! What on earth did I ever see in you? No job, no proper home… nothing but heartache and frustration! I’ve been so miserable!”
She began dabbing at her eyes as she spoke, leaving everyone at the table awkward and uncomfortable. Shen Niannian lost her appetite entirely.
This woman is doing it on purpose, she thought. Ruining a perfectly good meal just to make everyone miserable.
Beside her, Gu Yanzhi’s expression had darkened. Under the table, he reached quietly for her hand, giving it a gentle, reassuring squeeze. Shen Niannian looked up and met his gaze—filled with nothing but guilt. He felt helpless, ashamed that his own family was causing her distress. And beneath it all, she saw a flicker of fear—that she might turn away from him in disgust.
Shen Niannian almost smiled. She had expected far worse. According to Shen Youyou, every member of this family was utterly wicked and hateful. In reality, his parents were kind, his sister had welcomed her warmly, and his elder brother, though weak and overly yielding, was fundamentally honest and good. Only this eldest brother’s wife was the source of all the trouble.
She gave him a calm, reassuring look and mouthed silently: I’m fine.
Gu Yanzhi, however, remained wretchedly guilty.
Gu Yanzhen could contain her anger no longer. Crack! She slammed her chopsticks down upon the table and sprang to her feet.
“Eldest Sister-in-law—what is the meaning of this? Has my Eldest Brother ever failed to treat you well? Jobs are scarce for everyone returning from the countryside—there are thousands of us, and positions are few! And as for the apartment—Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law have been married barely a day! You would drive them out already? Is this how a decent person behaves?”
Sun Meiling looked ready to fly into a rage. Shen Niannian, fearing the situation would spiral out of control, quickly reached out and tugged Gu Yanzhen’s sleeve, signaling her to sit back down.
Tian Yuefang glanced at her furious younger daughter, then at her second son whose face had grown dark with displeasure, and finally at her eldest son who remained silent and bowed his head. Swallowing the lump rising in her throat, she gestured gently to Gu Yanping.
“Your wife is carrying a child and her appetite is changeable—she craves sour things. Go to the kitchen and fetch that jar of pickled cucumbers your mother-in-law sent. Meiling is very fond of them.”
Gu Yanping nodded eagerly. “Of course! How could I forget? Meiling craves sour food at every meal! Especially those cucumbers her mother pickles herself—they are truly delicious!”
At the mention of her own mother, Sun Meiling’s expression softened somewhat.
When Gu Yanping hurried back and set the jar casually down upon the table, Shen Niannian’s eyes fixed upon it instantly. It was an unassuming ceramic vessel, greenish with streaks of red glaze—yet somehow unlike any ordinary jar she had ever seen. Even the casual way Gu Yanping had lifted it… something about it drew her gaze completely. She stared intently, her attention caught and held fast.
Gu Yanping noticed nothing. He took a small bowl, opened the lid, and helped Sun Meiling to a generous portion.
“Here you are, Meiling—your favorite!”
Sun Meiling glanced at the cucumbers, gave a dismissive huff, and declared: “I don’t care about anything else. Tonight I am moving into the apartment building. If not… then tomorrow… tomorrow we shall go to the courthouse and divorce!”
The words fell like a thunderclap. Gu Yanping paled. Tian Yuefang and Gu Zhenhua looked on in shock. Gu Yanzhen’s temper flared anew.
“Sun Meiling—what sort of talk is this? Threatening divorce over an apartment?”
Tian Yuefang hurried to soothe her. “Meiling, do not speak so lightly. You and Yanping have been married for years. Divorce is a terrible thing to threaten over mere housing!”
Gu Yanping, stung by her ultimatum, set his chopsticks down firmly. “Sun Meiling—are you serious? You would end our marriage over an apartment?”
Sun Meiling had never seen him truly angry before. She rolled her eyes, feigned a sweet smile, and softened her tone.
“Oh, Yanping—who am I doing this for? For our child, of course! Your parents’ first grandchild! Winter is coming, you know. I fell ill with cold back on the farm, and now that I am finally carrying our son, I must be kept warm and safe. They say the apartment buildings stay far warmer in winter—while this old house will be freezing through. Wind and rain blow right through the cracks! Besides… Second Brother will soon return to his post. Surely you do not intend to leave our new Second Sister-in-law living there all alone?”
The jealousy in her voice was barely concealed.
No one spoke. Gu Zhenhua sighed deeply, pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and drew a long, weary drag.
Sun Meiling seized upon the moment to complain further. “And look at this! Father smokes indoors constantly! The fumes make me ill!”
Gu Zhenhua froze. Under every eye, he pressed the cigarette firmly against the table edge and extinguished it. The room fell into a tense, awkward silence.
Then Shen Niannian stood up.
“If Eldest Sister-in-law wishes to live in the apartment building… then I have no objection!”
Every eye turned toward her in surprise. Gu Yanzhi looked at her with even deeper guilt—convinced his wife was making a painful sacrifice for the sake of peace.
Gu Yanping, meanwhile, looked at her as though she were his savior. He stood up excitedly.
“Sister-in-law—truly? You would agree?” He beamed. “Wonderful! I knew it! I knew you were a reasonable and generous soul!”
Sun Meiling shot him a sharp, resentful glance. “Oh? So I am unreasonable?”
Gu Yanping stiffened in alarm and hurried to apologize. “That is not what I meant! You are wonderful… perfectly wonderful…” He trailed off, unable to produce a single example.
Sun Meiling did not care enough to argue. She was simply pleased that this new sister-in-law was proving sensible and accommodating.
“Splendid!” she said. “Since we are agreed—let us finish our meal at once! And then we shall move!”
Shen Niannian blinked calmly. “Eldest Sister-in-law—I am perfectly willing to swap homes. But on one condition.”
Sun Meiling’s smile vanished instantly. I knew it, she thought. He marries her and already she has schemes. She has no work… perhaps she wants Father and Mother’s jobs for herself?