Jiang Ningsui added quite a bit of charcoal to the brazier. She sat by the brazier, greedily savoring the rare warmth of winter. The charcoal fire burned brighter and brighter, baking her clothes until they were toasty warm.
It had been over a decade since Jiang Ningsui had last felt the warmth of winter.
So comfortable.
So comfortable that she was almost reluctant to leave this warm room.
But after all, this was Young Master Pei's room. No matter how much she craved this warmth, she couldn't stay long.
Jiang Ningsui closed the door and stepped out, running into Mu Hua, who was knocking to come in.
Mu Hua was holding her son's hand and asked, "Young miss, I heard some people in town this morning saying that the ferry dock brought in a fresh batch of fish and shrimp, and they're pretty cheap. Do you want to go take a look?"
Jiang Ningsui's apricot-shaped eyes curved into a smile. "I'll go."
It was a good chance to buy some while they were cheap and improve the meals for her husband and Young Master Pei.
Actually, the tael of silver Young Master Pei had given her was more than enough for him to eat well every meal, but she couldn't do that. After all, the three of them were now eating from the same pot. If she did that, wouldn't she and her husband be taking advantage of Young Master Pei?
She didn't know what day it was today, but the ferry dock was packed with people.
Jiang Ningsui and Sister-in-law Mu squeezed their way in for a long while before finally getting through, only to be pushed apart by a wave of the crowd.
Jiang Ningsui searched for a long time but couldn't find Sister-in-law Mu. The crowd in front of her was so dense that trying to squeeze back in to find her would probably be impossible. She decided to quickly buy some fish and shrimp, then carry them back to the small courtyard first to see if she might run into Sister-in-law Mu there.
She had just squeezed out of the crowd when her wrist was suddenly seized. The force was so strong that it numbed Jiang Ningsui's entire arm with pain.
Before she could turn around, she heard a familiar voice.
"Ha! Jiang Ningsui! Dad is here working himself to the bone doing heavy labor, earning just two coppers a day, and you're spending two coppers on these fish and shrimp without even batting an eye! You have this money and instead of honoring your parents with it, you're secretly eating well all by yourself!"
Jiang Ningsui looked at the person blocking her path—her younger brother, Jiang Chang.
It was because of him that their parents had bribed the fortune-teller to deceive the Zhao family.
First, Jiang Chang had reached the age for marriage negotiations, and the family wanted to arrange a good match for him.
Second, Jiang Chang had gotten into a verbal altercation with someone and accidentally injured them. The other party demanded the Jiang family pay three taels of silver, or they would report it to the authorities and have Jiang Chang thrown in prison. The Jiang family naturally didn't want their only son to suffer imprisonment, which was why they had "sold" her off.
Jiang Ningsui hadn't expected to run into Jiang Chang here.
And now Jiang Chang was even patting her down!
"Give me the river shrimp and all the money on you. I'm your own brother—if you treat me well, then if the Zhao family bullies you, I'll consider how good you've been to me and go to the Zhao house to stand up for you."
Jiang Ningsui was so angry her little face turned pale.
The ones who bullied her the most, besides her younger brother, were her parents.
Though she had to watch her in-laws' expressions at the Zhao house, at least she wasn't beaten and humiliated every single day.
Seeing Jiang Chang's hand about to reach into her sleeve, Jiang Ningsui pushed him away with all her strength. This was the first time she had fought back against Jiang Chang since she'd married. Jiang Chang was stunned for a moment, then his eyes turned vicious and he gritted his teeth. "You worthless money-loser dare to push me?! Believe me, I'll tell Mom and Dad, and they'll beat you to death!"
Though Jiang Ningsui was afraid, she quietly forced herself to stay calm.
She was now the Zhao family's daughter-in-law, not the Jiang family's daughter.
No matter what her parents did, they wouldn't dare extend their reach into the Zhao household.
Besides, she also had leverage over them—a double-edged sword that could both intimidate the Jiang family and wound herself. It was because of this leverage that she suffered day and night, unable to sleep peacefully.
When Jiang Chang caught up again, Jiang Ningsui shielded her sleeve with one hand. "If you dare to snatch my things, I'll go back right now and tell my in-laws and my husband that you bribed a fortune-teller to deceive the Zhao family. Let's see if the Zhaos will let this go!"
Jiang Chang's hand froze, and he glared at Jiang Ningsui. "If you tell the Zhaos, do you think you'll get away with it?"
Jiang Ningsui's fingertips clenched the sleeve so tightly that they turned white and trembled. "I'm not planning to run. At worst, we'll both perish together. I'm just a worthless life anyway—whether I die or go to prison doesn't matter to me. The question is whether you and our parents can withstand the Zhao family's wrath and retaliation."
Jiang Chang was indeed intimidated by Jiang Ningsui's words.
He knew something about the Zhao family, and since Zhao Zhixue was a Xiucai, if he found out about this, he would definitely not let it go—he might even have the whole family thrown into prison.
But Jiang Chang still felt aggrieved.
The sister he had bullied for over a decade had always begged for mercy and pleaded for forgiveness in front of him. Now that she was married, she was putting on airs in front of him!
How could Jiang Chang tolerate that?
Even if he couldn't take her money, beating her up was no problem.
With that thought, Jiang Chang clenched his fist and swung it at her. Jiang Ningsui's small face paled, and before she could dodge, she watched the fist come down toward her head—but the force of the punch stopped just behind her ear, a finger's width away from the bone.
Jiang Ningsui caught the faint scent of cedarwood.
She turned and saw that the young master Pei, who should have been at the academy, was standing behind her, having appeared at some unknown moment.
The young man's strong, weathered fingers gripped Jiang Chang's wrist. Though he didn't seem to use much force, Jiang Chang's entire body crumpled in pain, his features contorting as he grimaced and cried out, "It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!" begging Pei Duo to let go.
Pei Duo lowered his head and looked at the woman so close to him.
Her nose was red from the cold, the corners of her eyes damp with a misty sheen, and her cheeks seemed covered in a layer of snow—pale beyond measure.
In the month or so since they had first met, this was the first time he had seen such a look of fear on her face.
Pei Duo pressed his thumb harder, and Jiang Chang broke out in a cold sweat all over from the pain. The young man stepped forward and kicked Jiang Chang in the stomach. The searing pain exploded from his belly, sending Jiang Chang to his knees with a howl.
The commotion drew the attention of passersby. Jiang Ningsui, afraid that Pei Duo might be implicated by Jiang Chang and affect his future prospects in the imperial examinations, forgot the difference in their statuses and hastily grabbed Pei Duo's sleeve, urging urgently, "Young master Pei, forget it, let's go. Don't let others see this and spread word to the teacher."
Pei Duo lowered his gaze, his eyes landing on the fingertips tugging at his sleeve.
The woman's fingers were slender and red—clearly from the cold.
The young man lifted his eyelids and looked at Jiang Ningsui's watery eyes, which shimmered with fear and worry.
He said, "Alright."
Pei Duo pressed his thumb again, looking down with a gaze as cold and sharp as a blade, regarding Jiang Chang with disdain. "If I ever see you bullying her again, I'll deal with you on behalf of the Zhao family."
Hearing this, Jiang Chang realized that this man knew the Zhao family and was likely close to them.
He didn't dare say anything more—if this man found out that the Jiang family had deceived the Zhaos, they would be in serious trouble. So when the man released his grip, Jiang Chang scrambled to his feet and ran off without looking back. Jiang Ningsui watched the cowardly Jiang Chang, who bullied the weak and feared the strong, and found it bitterly ironic.
"Did the sister-in-law get hurt?"
The young man's clear, low voice came from beside her ear.
Jiang Ningsui snapped back to her senses and gently shook her head. "I'm not hurt."
She noticed the young man lower his gaze to glance at his sleeve, and only then did Jiang Ningsui realize she was still clutching Pei Duo's sleeve. Her face flushed crimson with embarrassment as she hastily withdrew her hand and hid it within her own sleeve, lowering her head to say, "Thank you for your help, Master Pei."
Pei Duo ignored her flustered and awkward demeanor, glancing instead at the fish and shrimp she carried: "Why not buy fish and shrimp from the shop, sister-in-law?"
Jiang Ningsui murmured softly, "It's cheaper here."
Pei Duo's brow arched slightly, but he said no more.
It was Jiang Ningsui who asked again, "How come you're here, Master Pei?"
Shouldn't he be at the academy at this hour?
Pei Duo lifted his gaze toward the departing pleasure boat in the distance: "Came to meet a friend."
The area was crowded, so Jiang Ningsui walked side by side with Pei Duo carrying her fish and shrimp as they left the dock. The young man glanced at her fingertips, red from the cold, and reached out to take the fish string and net bag from her hands: "Sister-in-law, let me carry those."
"No, no, they're not heavy."
"I'll take them."
His tone was cool and indifferent, but his movements were firm enough that she couldn't argue.
Jiang Ningsui had no choice but to relent.
After walking for a while, a terrifying thought suddenly struck her!
Had Master Pei heard what she said to Jiang Chang in that fit of anger?
She thought back carefully. At the time, after she finished speaking with Jiang Chang, he had raised his hand against her.
And immediately after, Master Pei appeared—
Had he heard?
He was that close. He must have heard, hadn't he?
What should she do?
A chilling sensation like a guillotine blade pressed against the back of her neck swept over Jiang Ningsui.
If Master Pei had heard and told her husband, and her husband then told his parents, she would be utterly finished.
Jiang Ningsui's heart leaped into her throat. Her mind in a daze, she failed to watch her step, stumbled into a pothole, and nearly fell. A hand with five fingers brimming with strength gripped her forearm, steadying her teetering body.
The young man lowered his eyelids, scanning the forearm held within his grasp.
She was thin—thinner than he had imagined.
The bones of her forearm were slender and fragile; with just a little force, he could snap them.
Pei Duo released his grip at the right moment: "Watch your step, sister-in-law."
Jiang Ningsui kept her head lowered, the tips of her ears flushed red, yet her face was incongruously pale as paper. She clenched her fingers tightly, not daring to look up at Pei Duo, instead staring at the ground as she asked in a small voice, "Master Pei, did you happen to hear my conversation with my brother earlier?"
Pei Duo clasped his hands behind his back, lowering his gaze to look at the woman's taut shoulders and neck.
She kept her head down, revealing a stretch of snow-white, slender nape, with a protruding vertebra pressed beneath the back of her collar.
The young man's dark, murky gaze traced down along that protruding bone, his cold, viscous stare seeming to pierce through the thick clothing, sliding inch by inch along the vertebra toward the woman's fragile spine.
She was nervous.
Afraid, even.
Pei Duo knew exactly what she feared.
Because he had heard everything.
No wonder she held such high hopes for Zhao Zhixue—if he failed the imperial examination, she would face the overwhelming wrath, fury, and torment of the Zhao family.
Pei Duo lifted his gaze to the road ahead, his voice calm and unruffled: "When I arrived, I only saw your brother raising his hand against you."
He lowered his eyes and asked in return: "What is it? Did your brother say something to you?"
Hearing this, Jiang Ningsui finally let out a breath of relief, even feeling as though she had narrowly escaped disaster.
She quickly shook her head: "Nothing much. Just some unpleasant words, that's all."
The two walked through the bustling market street and turned into a sparsely populated alley.
Jiang Ningsui suddenly heard Master Pei's voice from beside her.
He called to her: "Sister-in-law."
Jiang Ningsui looked up and saw that Pei Duo had stopped.
The young man turned to face her, his tall, imposing frame trapping her between himself and the wall, leaving only a single step between them. Jiang Ningsui once again caught the scent of cedarwood invading her space, forcefully cutting through the cold air around her and enveloping her completely.
Her mind flashed back to the day Pei Duo had walked in on her wearing nothing but her underclothes.
Her cheeks flushed crimson, embarrassment and shame climbing up her face once more.
Jiang Ningsui couldn't help but take a small step back, trying to put some distance between them.
Her subtle movement didn't escape Pei Duo's notice.
The young man's eyes narrowed slightly.
She was avoiding him again.
Pei Duo stepped forward, his clear, gentle voice taking on a hint of inexplicable depth: "Sister-in-law."
————————!!————————
Recommend a similar brother-in-law and sister-in-law story; click on the column to view it.
"Seventies Cannon Fodder Little Widow"
(Military officer brother-in-law x cannon fodder widowed sister-in-law)
Synopsis:
Jiang Nian woke up to find herself transmigrated into a period novel as a widow who had just lost her husband.
Although she hadn't appeared many times, she had a deep impression of this character. Just a few days after the original owner's husband died, she was bullied by local thugs in the village. Unable to bear the humiliation, the original owner crashed into the door and died.
If she remembered correctly, this cannon fodder character was the male lead's widowed sister-in-law.
The book said the male lead had originally come to pay respects to his elder brother, but unexpectedly arrived in time for the original owner's funeral. The male lead dealt with the thugs who had bullied the original owner, arranged her funeral affairs, and took the train back to the city.
He happened to meet the female lead of the book, and the two developed feelings, eventually marrying and moving forward naturally.
When Jiang Nian transmigrated, the plot had just developed to the point where she had fallen into the hands of the thugs.
**
Lu Yu's greatest regret in this life was not being able to see his elder brother one last time, and even more so, not being able to save his poor widowed sister-in-law.
In an accident, Lu Yu was injured and returned to five years ago. The first thing he did was rush home overnight. Although he didn't make it to his elder brother's funeral, he did manage to save his sister-in-law, who was being bullied by thugs.
Only the widowed sister-in-law remained in the household.
To avoid the tragedy of the previous life, he brought Jiang Nian to the military base and settled her in the military family compound.
His comrade Song Bai came to catch up with him. Looking at Jiang Nian with her fair, delicate skin and slender waist, he quietly asked, "Who is she?"
Lu Yu saw through his intentions at a glance and shot him a sidelong glare.
Song Bai rubbed the back of his head, chuckled, and shamelessly pressed on: "If she doesn't have a partner, introduce her to me. I…"
That day, Song Bai was kicked out without even getting a hot meal.
And Song Bai's words also made the desire Lu Yu had been suppressing in his heart begin to sprout.
Every time he came back from training, smelling the warmth of home in the air and watching the woman moving about inside, every night felt like gnawing bones and burning his heart.
Especially when Jiang Nian, after every shower, would walk back and forth in front of him wearing nothing but a thin tank top.
Lu Yu, smelling the faint scent of soap on the woman, couldn't help but swallow hard, his dark eyes churning with wild possessiveness.
He shouldn't have feelings for her, but he did, and he even wanted to keep her within his territory, letting no one else even dare to covet her.
People say a rabbit doesn't eat grass near its own burrow, but he just couldn't resist craving this particular blade of grass.
① Female lead transmigrates into a book, male lead is reborn
② 1v1, sc
③The male lead is pure in both body and mind. In his past life, he had no romantic involvement whatsoever with the original female lead—not even a hint of it. There are also foreshadowed plot points regarding how the male lead avoided the original female lead, but since that would involve spoilers, I won't go into detail—it will be revealed later on~