Wang Chunyan, seeing herself ignored, could barely keep her composure. She stiffly sat back down and shot Lin Wanqing a subtle glare.
The Shen family’s breakfast was quite abundant—fried dough sticks, soy milk, steamed buns… Lin Wanqing ate a little, while Song Huixin beside her didn’t touch a single bite.
“Huixin, is the food not to your liking? Tell Uncle what you’d like to eat!” Elder Shen set down his chopsticks and asked patiently.
The dietary habits of the north and south differed greatly, and getting them accustomed to the local customs wouldn’t be easy—it would take time.
“Such greasy food this early in the morning,” Song Huixin complained. “And this soy milk—women shouldn’t drink soy milk regularly, it’s not good for their health. Is there any milk in the house? Just heat up a glass of milk for me!”
In the seventies and eighties, milk had to be ordered in advance—it wasn’t something you could just have on a whim.
As a celebrity, Song Huixin was especially particular about her figure, and Lin Wanqing knew this well.
“If you want milk in the morning, I’ll order some for you starting tomorrow!” Elder Shen agreed readily. It wasn’t a difficult matter.
Wang Chunyan’s food lost all its flavor as she ate. She thought to herself that this sister-in-law was truly troublesome—she wasn’t a child, did she need milk every morning? The pampered eldest daughter of a capitalist family, indeed.
At least Lin Wanqing hadn’t asked for milk—she wasn’t being fussy.
Fussy women made men’s lives miserable.
“Starting tomorrow, we’ll order two bottles of milk for the household—one for Wanqing and one for Huixin.” Shen Yunfeng smiled.
Wang Chunyan shot Shen Yunfeng a disgusted glare. Always sticking his nose where it didn’t belong—Lin Wanqing hadn’t even asked, and spoiling the daughter-in-law like this wasn’t good.
“Fine!” Elder Shen nodded cheerfully, his face full of affection. “If you two want anything else to eat, just say the word. This is your home now.”
Lin Wanqing gave a slight smile. “Mm, okay, Grandpa. We know.”
Song Huixin had no appetite. As soon as she finished, she immediately dragged Lin Wanqing inside without greeting anyone.
The dirty dishes from breakfast were still left on the table. Wang Chunyan stood frozen in place. What—what did this mean? Even with daughters-in-law married in, she still had to do the dishes? Song Huixin hadn’t helped with cooking this morning, and now she was expected to serve this whole family by herself?
Inside the room, Song Huixin vented bitterly. “Shen Yunzheng sent word this morning that he has urgent work and won’t be back for a while. And now Shen Chongli is too busy to show his face. Did we marry into this family, or are we just waiting around like widows?”
“Isn’t it good that the uncle and nephew are busy? Surely you don’t want to be stuck together every single day.”
Lin Wanqing chuckled softly. “They have their things to do, and we have ours.”
“I have nothing to do…” Song Huixin was bored. No internet, no TV, no phone—she was going crazy! Especially last night, tossing and turning unable to sleep. When she turned on the radio, all she got was static and noise.
Lin Wanqing suggested, “If you’re really that bored, why not try acting in films again?”
“…” Song Huixin said nothing, considering it.
“The filming technology isn’t as advanced as it will be later, but with your face, that’s capital in itself. Even the blurriest shots will look beautiful.”
Lin Wanqing paused for a moment before continuing. “It’s just that the pay for acting now isn’t high, and it’ll be hard work.”
Back then, there was no such thing as stunt doubles or lighting doubles—actors basically did everything themselves!
“I’m planning to take the college entrance exam this year. A nation’s development can’t do without talent, and credentials matter a lot.” If Lin Wanqing wanted to start over, retaking the university entrance exam was the only way. Besides, they were both still young—there was still time for everything.
“Hey? Then do you think I should take the college entrance exam to practice my acting skills?” Song Huixin’s eyes lit up.
Then came a moment of silence, and the two of them spoke almost in unison.
“Better not.”
“Forget it.”
They stared at each other, and Song Huixin was the first to burst out laughing.
Lin Wanqing’s eyes curved into crescents.
Song Huixin was famously known as a “pretty face” in the entertainment industry—even her haters could only attack her for her poor acting.
Back then, Song Huixin had gotten into the film academy precisely because of her face. Her acting was stiff and emotionless.
It wasn’t that she hadn’t tried—it was that trying hadn’t worked. Song Huixin had long since accepted this “fact.”
Continuing to study acting for another three years would only be a waste of time. She might as well just join a production and start filming.
“Ah!”
Song Huixin suddenly realized something terribly important.
“In another thirty or forty years, when the entertainment industry is at its peak, won’t I be an old lady by then?”
Song Huixin panicked and covered her face with her hands. No way!
“Every age of a woman has its own unique beauty. Since you can’t control it, you might as well accept it gracefully.”
Lin Wanqing’s voice was gentle. “Even if you become an old lady by then, you’ll be the most beautiful old lady. The audience will only say, ‘Even beauty must age.'”
“Qingbao~” Song Huixin was so moved she wanted to cry. She reached out and hugged Lin Wanqing’s arm—only seeing her best friend could comfort her heart.
“But you don’t have to act if you don’t want to. Once I get into college and start earning money, we can spend it together.” Lin Wanqing knew that Song Huixin had long grown tired of the scheming and backstabbing in the entertainment industry. She’d made plenty of money, but the pressure was just as heavy.
“No, staying home all day doing nothing would be unbearably boring. I don’t want to become a full-time housewife.” That would truly turn her into a faded, frumpy woman. Song Huixin wanted to act, wanted to work.
“Thump, thump—”
As they were talking, a knock came at the door. Song Huixin answered impatiently, “Who is it?”
Who was so lacking in tact as to interrupt their conversation?
“It’s me.”
Wang Chunyan pushed open the door, her face displeased. She looked directly at Lin Wanqing and said, “Wanqing, I don’t care what you were like at home before, but since you’ve married into the Shen family, you must follow this household’s rules. For instance, just now—after the elders finished eating, why didn’t you take the initiative to wash the dishes?”
“Sister-in-law, before we came to this house, was there no one to cook and no one to wash the dishes?”
Song Huixin shot back without the slightest hesitation.
“Huixin, I wasn’t talking about you. In our family, Wanqing and her husband are the younger generation.” Wang Chunyan explained awkwardly.
Couldn’t she even discipline her own daughter-in-law?
“Then have your son wash the dishes!” Song Huixin planted her hands on her hips, utterly exasperated. “If there’s no one to wash dishes in your house, we simply won’t eat here. We’ve got hands and feet—it’s not like we’d starve to death!”
Wang Chunyan’s face darkened. Song Huixin showed her absolutely no respect as an elder sister-in-law! No sense of propriety at all! If it weren’t for the second brother’s sake, she wouldn’t give Song Huixin the time of day!
Lin Wanqing stayed silent on the sidelines. She could tell that Wang Chunyan was trying to throw her weight around as a mother-in-law.
But then again, Shen Chongli really didn’t look anything like his mother.
“You—come out here!”
Wang Chunyan shot Lin Wanqing a vicious glare.
Stupid girl. Instead of building a good relationship with her mother-in-law, she was busy currying favor with the aunt.