Chen Guangze had spent three years longing for Hu Yan before finally marrying her.
He knew her personality well.
She always spoke softly and slowly.
She was indifferent to most things and, after they married, never argued or threw tantrums.
Calling her a soft pushover wasn’t an exaggeration.
With such a gentle and obedient wife, how had they managed to make her angry?
To be honest, he hoped she would become more assertive and harder to deal with.
It would be better if she became tougher and wasn’t so easy to bully.
Otherwise, whenever he went away to work, he always worried about her and had to leave extra benefits with the family so they would take care of her and not make things difficult for her.
He was actually looking forward to seeing his wife turn into a tigress.
That would be interesting.
The corners of his mouth lifted into a faint smile as he followed Chen Guangyao into the Chen family courtyard.
At this time, only Old Man Chen and Teacher Bai were home.
After bringing his youngest brother home, Chen Guangyao hurried off to the village committee.
As soon as Chen Guangze returned, he went straight to the main house to see his parents.
His father was sitting by the doorway weaving baskets, while Teacher Bai was practicing calligraphy.
“Dad, Mom, I’m back!” Chen Guangze called loudly.
When Old Man Chen saw his son, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes crinkled with a smile.
“Oh, the youngest is back?
“There’s food warming in the kitchen. Go get yourself a bowl.”
That was simply how things worked in their family.
His mother was the strict one, while his father was the nagging, long-winded one.
Chen Guangze didn’t see his wife, but he wasn’t in a hurry.
He brought out the food and ate while chatting casually with his parents.
“Mom, Dad, why did you call me back in such a hurry? What happened?”
Bai Fengxia finished writing the words “Harmony Brings Prosperity”, then put down her brush.
Only then did she look toward her youngest son, who was eating heartily.
“Wait until everyone is home tonight.
“The atmosphere in the city isn’t very good these days. The moment some men make money, they start keeping women outside.
“You don’t have another woman, do you?”
Chen Guangze nearly choked when he heard that.
“Mom, I’ve been thinking about Yan for three years before I finally married her.
“I’d never do anything to betray her.”
Bai Fengxia’s face remained expressionless, but her voice was icy.
“I don’t care about the details. If you no longer like Hu Yan, divorce her before marrying someone else.
“Don’t you dare have two women at the same time. I can’t afford to lose face because of you.”
Chen Guangze obediently nodded, but inwardly he muttered,
“Yan is that beautiful. Who would be stupid enough to throw away a watermelon just to pick up a sesame seed?”
Seeing that his wife was about to lecture their youngest son, Old Man Chen quickly changed the subject.
“Fifth son, you’ve heard about what happened yesterday, right?
“Your eldest sister-in-law didn’t mean any harm. She’s a widow raising children, so it’s understandable that she likes to take advantage of little things.
“Your three nephews are pitiful too.
“Don’t hold a grudge against them. They’re your eldest brother’s bloodline.
“As their uncle, you should still look after them.”
Chen Guangze didn’t say anything. He simply nodded.
On the bus from Nanshi back to Willow Bay, Hu Yan sat swaying with the movement of the vehicle, lost in thought.
She had followed Zhang Qiulian for a while but hadn’t discovered anything useful.
Just as she was beginning to doze off on the bus, she suddenly remembered who that man was.
Her eyes snapped open.
That man had come to the village in her previous life.
A few months before the demolition, he had been one of the people who came to measure the area of the houses.
Could it be that Zhang Qiulian had known about the upcoming demolition long ago?
Was that why she had schemed to get her hands on everyone’s houses in her previous life?
If she had known about the demolition in advance, she would definitely have bought up the properties in the surrounding area.
No wonder Zhang Qiulian had been so wealthy in her previous life, carrying herself like a rich and elegant lady every time Hu Yan saw her.
What a sinister and calculating woman.
What cunning schemes she had.
In her previous life, Hu Yan and her husband had practically been sold off by her, yet they had still helped raise her son.
They had been utterly foolish, completely manipulated by her.
She had more than 3,000 yuan on hand now.
It seemed she should start looking around and see whether there were any other houses worth buying.
Houses in the countryside were still cheap.
The demolition hadn’t been announced yet.
If she could buy some after the family divided their property, that would be ideal.
By the time she got off the bus and arrived home, it was already evening.
As soon as she walked into the courtyard, the previously noisy and lively atmosphere suddenly fell silent.
Everyone turned to look at her.
Tang Lijuan was the first to react.
She walked over in astonishment and looked Hu Yan up and down.
“Oh my goodness! Sister-in-law, you look absolutely gorgeous! You look so stylish and confident!”
Tang Lijuan touched Hu Yan’s newly curled hair, marveling at it.
“Where did you get your hair done? It suits you perfectly!”
“And these clothes and pants look even better than what movie stars wear. I want to get my hair done like this too.”
Hu Yan felt a little embarrassed by all the praise and smiled.
“I just had it done casually in the city. You’re pregnant right now. Wait until after you’ve given birth before you go.”
Tang Lijuan looked like an excited little fan, nodding eagerly.
“Mm-hmm! I knew getting my hair permed would look good, but my mom kept saying it was some foreign fashion that wasn’t suitable for us.”
Tang Lijuan lowered her voice.
“Your husband is back. Hurry inside. Dinner isn’t ready yet.”
When Hu Yan heard that Chen Guangze was back, her palm unconsciously tightened into a fist.
Her heart gradually began to race.
She and Chen Guangze hadn’t seen each other for five or six years.
She nodded at her mother-in-law and several sisters-in-law, then nervously returned to her room.
The moment she stepped inside, the room was completely quiet.
Chen Guangze was lying on the bed, fast asleep.
Looking at the man before her, Hu Yan felt strangely unfamiliar with him.
Was this rascal really such a carefree troublemaker when he was young?
In her previous life, he had been capable and good at making money. Whatever he said, she listened.
She had been a housewife, the woman standing behind him, and she hadn’t thought there was anything wrong with that.
But that bastard had taken every possible problem upon himself.
And Chen Hao had destroyed their entire family.
Her husband and daughter had died one after another.
Whenever Hu Yan thought about it, rage burned inside her.
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became.
She raised her hand and slapped him hard across the face.
Smack!
Chen Guangze woke with a start.
“Damn it! Which bastard hit me?”
When he opened his eyes and saw Hu Yan, he froze.
His eyes widened.
He had never imagined that his wife could look so beautiful after dressing herself up.
For a moment, he simply stared at her.
He suddenly sprang up from the bed and moved closer to her.
It really was his wife.
Her eyes curved beautifully, large and bright like apples.
She had a petite nose and naturally rosy lips.
She had always possessed a cool, reserved beauty.
But after dressing up, her features seemed strikingly captivating, giving him the sudden urge to kneel before her and call her Queen.
“Heh heh, my wife is back? Did you miss me?”
Chen Guangze knelt on the bed and pulled Hu Yan over to sit beside him.
Then, acting like an eager lackey, he massaged her shoulders and pounded her back.
Hu Yan was completely unaccustomed to this sudden burst of affection.
She slapped his hands away.
“Stop touching me.”
Chen Guangze simply grinned, not the least bit annoyed.
“What happened? Did someone give you a hard time at home?”
“What? If someone did, are you going to stand up for me?”
Chen Guangze leaned closer and said ingratiatingly,
“Of course. I’ll stand up for you. Come on, tell your husband who bullied you.”
Hu Yan toyed with a strand of her dangling hair, her voice soft and teasing.
“I can’t exactly count on you.”
Her coquettish expression made Chen Guangze swallow hard.
Taking advantage of the moment, he gently pushed Hu Yan down onto the bed, his voice turning husky.
“Yan, why did you dress up so beautifully? What did you go to the city for?”
Hu Yan’s voice was soft and sweet, with a hint of playful complaint.
“Can’t I just go out for a stroll?”
Chen Guangze’s hand wandered over her cheek.
“Of course you can. My wife can do whatever she wants. It’s just that you’re too beautiful. I can’t take my eyes off you.”