On the way back, Xu Jinnian pushed a small cart carrying half a basket of pork bones.
The meat on the pork bones had been completely removed, with only a few shreds remaining in the crevices.
Such pork bones were practically worthless, as simmering them for broth required firewood, which cost money.
The Zhang Family often gave them away as complimentary items to regular customers, and any leftovers were sold at a discount or given to neighbors.
These pork bones were perfect for making Wonton broth, and Sheng An didn’t mind the extra firewood they required.
Arriving at the stove shop, the owner immediately recognized Sheng An and enthusiastically helped Xu Jinnian lift the heavy large stove onto the cart.
Watching the man steadily push the cart along the way, Sheng An couldn’t shake the feeling of incongruity.
After multiple glances, Xu Jinnian couldn’t ignore it any longer: “What is Niangzi looking at?”
Sheng An snapped back to reality, her eyes scanning him from head to toe like a scanner, finally saying with a profound expression: “These hands of yours—no, your entire being—shouldn’t be pushing a cart.”
A man like him, who resembled a Bai Yueguang from novels, seemed born to stand high above the clouds. Pushing a cart was too down-to-earth, completely mismatched with his temperament.
Xu Jinnian looked puzzled, unable to follow Sheng An’s train of thought.
Sheng An coughed dryly, her gaze inadvertently falling on his exposed forearm.
The man’s arm was as smooth and jade-white as his face, with clearly defined muscle lines—neither appearing frail nor excessively muscular.
With slight exertion, blue veins emerged at his wrist, adding to his masculine vigor.
Sheng An became momentarily entranced, vague images faintly surfacing in her mind.
It seemed—it seemed that on their wedding night, when she couldn’t endure it and pushed against his chest while cursing, her hands had been completely restrained by a pair of slender yet powerful hands pinned above her head, leaving her unable to move.
Suddenly, as if a switch had been flipped, countless inappropriate images poured forth, playing on loop in her mind.
Her heartbeat quickened, her face growing redder. Sheng An forced herself to stop, inwardly chastising her thoughts.
Noticing her unusual expression, Xu Jinnian grew concerned.
Recalling his wife’s unrestrained sleeping posture from the previous night, he pushed the cart closer and freed a hand to feel Sheng An’s forehead: “It’s a bit warm. Did you catch a chill last night?”
Sheng An, feeling guilty, didn’t dare move, her heart pounding like a trapped rabbit: “No, it’s just the sun being too strong!”
Xu Jinnian touched her ears and palms, his concern deepening: “There’s a clinic ahead. Let’s have a doctor take a look.”
Niangzi was too thin, as if a strong gust of wind could carry her away.
With only five coins in her pocket, Sheng An wouldn’t waste money on a doctor. She immediately broke into a run: “You go if you want! I’m not going!”
Watching her childish behavior, Xu Jinnian shook his head helplessly.
With such high spirits, she really didn’t seem ill.
Sheng An ran home in one breath, panting like an exhausted dog.
Without asking for her help, Xu Jinnian single-handedly carried the seventy-to-eighty-pound stove under the eaves.
His physical strength was completely unlike that of a frail scholar, leaving Sheng An staring in awe and envy.
She didn’t know that Xu Chenglin had once apprenticed under a hunter, learning some martial arts.
From the time Xu Jinnian could walk and run, he began learning basic skills from him.
After over a decade of training, even the weakest physique would have been strengthened.
After resting for a while, Sheng An poured the pork bones into a large basin and added water until they were completely submerged.
Soaking them for half an hour would draw out the residual blood, and after a few more rinses, they could be directly stewed.
The broth made this way would not only be clear but also rich with the aroma of meat.
It was too late to stew them for lunch, so Sheng An went with Xu Jinnian to the riverside vegetable garden, where they picked a basket of vegetables to prepare for the midday meal.
As they reached their doorstep, they heard loud, chaotic noises coming from two houses over.
Listening carefully, they realized it was a mother-in-law berating her daughter-in-law.
“I feed you and clothe you, yet in the five years you’ve been married, you haven’t laid a single egg! Even a chicken would be more useful than a worthless bitch like you! How dare you give me attitude, you unfilial wretch? Why don’t you just drop dead!”
“Heavens above, open your eyes and strike down this unfilial slut! She’s robbed my son of an heir and still dares to trample all over me, an old woman! I don’t want to live anymore!”
“Shuanzi, hit her! Beat this trash to death! Let’s see if she still dares to act up! Go on, beat her… Good, that’s right! A slut like her deserves to be taught a lesson!”
“…”
A torrent of vulgar insults mixed with the old woman’s screams, the man’s roars, and the woman’s pleading filled the air, making Sheng An frown in discomfort.
Strangely, none of the neighbors came out to watch the commotion, nor did anyone step forward to mediate or stop the altercation.
“What’s going on with that family? Do they always bully their daughter-in-law like this?”
Sheng An didn’t know the situation in that household and wasn’t about to play the saint and rush over impulsively to intervene.
“That’s the Sun family. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law don’t get along. Aunt Sun often beats and scolds Sister-in-law Sun. The neighbors have tried to mediate multiple times, but it’s useless, so no one bothers with the Sun family’s affairs anymore.”
At this, Xu Jinnian unusually added a few more words:
“The Sun family runs a tofu business. Sister-in-law Sun gets up before dawn every day to grind soybeans, makes the tofu herself, sells it at the market, and returns home to do laundry and cook without a moment’s rest.”
Sheng An instantly understood the implication of Xu Jinnian’s words.
Sister-in-law Sun was a hardworking person, toiling tirelessly in her husband’s household only to be beaten and cursed—the problem clearly didn’t lie with her.
Conflict between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law has existed since ancient times, as long as the institution of marriage itself.
However, households like the Sun family, where the daughter-in-law is unilaterally abused, are rare.
Sheng An had already formed a mental image of Sister-in-law Sun.
Hardworking, kind-hearted, meek, and numb.
She had no will of her own and no support from her natal family.
Listening to Aunt Sun’s sharp, grating insults and mockery, Sheng An felt a surge of anger building inside her. She couldn’t imagine what kind of life Sister-in-law Sun had endured in the five years since marrying into the Sun family.
If she had transmigrated as Sister-in-law Sun, she would have broken free from the Sun family at once.
If she couldn’t break free, she’d make sure the Sun mother and son met their end.
If they wouldn’t let her live in peace, then no one would!
Seeing his wife suddenly seething with murderous intent, Xu Jinnian understood what she was thinking. He stepped forward and quietly took her hand:
“Niangzi, in our family, there is no conflict between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, no conflict with father-in-law, and certainly no conflict between husband and wife. I promise you this.”
Sheng An glanced at him and snorted, “The days are long. Don’t speak too soon, or you might end up with a slap to the face.”
Xu Jinnian smiled faintly, gave her hand a gentle shake, and leaned slightly closer to look at her slightly flushed face. His voice grew even softer and more magnetic:
“Then I ask Niangzi to supervise me. If I fail to keep my word, you may deal with me as you see fit.”
Ah, this… could this be considered a love confession?
Sheng An’s palms began to sweat again, her cheeks growing increasingly flushed. She turned her head away, putting distance between herself and this person who seemed to be trying to seduce her in broad daylight:
“Who has time to supervise you! If you can’t keep your word, I’ll leave directly—far away from you.”
Xu Jinnian wasn’t angered; in fact, a pleased smile appeared on his face: “Niangzi is right. Anyone who hurts you should be kept at a distance.”
Sheng An shook her hand but failed to free it from his grasp. She rolled her eyes at him: “It’s time to cook. Hurry inside.”
Xu Jinnian chuckled and led her into the courtyard, shutting the Sun family’s quarrels outside along with the gate.