On his way back, he saw a wisp of smoke curling up from his own chimney. That slender trail of smoke drifted and swayed with the breeze, soon scattered away, yet it seemed to possess some special magic that instantly seized his heart.
Someone was waiting for him at home.
This feeling was strange and wonderful, causing a faint, peculiar sensation to well up in his heart.
As soon as he returned home, his nose caught a rich, savory aroma.
What had she been stewing in the kitchen? It smelled so enticing.
Thinking of the two meals he had eaten before, a wave of anticipation rose within him.
Sang Sang heard the commotion and came out of the kitchen. Seeing that it was Shen Yan who had returned, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and a smile bloomed on her face.
Before she could speak, an incredulous voice came from the doorway, “Brother Shen, you… you really have a woman hidden in your house?”
Sang Sang looked toward the sound and saw a young woman in a pink dress walking in. Her gaze was fixed intently on Sang Sang, as if trying to bore a hole through her.
She harbored hostility toward her.
Sang Sang immediately tensed up and instinctively looked toward Shen Yan, her eyes silently pleading for help.
Shen Yan turned around and couldn’t help but frown slightly.
On his way back just now, his mind had been slightly unsettled, so he hadn’t noticed someone following him.
Chun Xing looked at Shen Yan, her eyes brimming with tears, and the handkerchief in her hand was almost twisted to shreds.
“Brother Shen, you…”
Chun Xing had only just begun to speak when she was interrupted by another loud voice.
“Oh my, A-Yan, you’re really something! You even have a wife now!”
A slightly plump middle-aged woman walked in, looking at Sang Sang with curiosity. Her eyes sparkled with delight, as if she were looking at her own daughter-in-law.
Who was this woman?
And…
“I’m not…”
Sang Sang’s explanation was also interrupted as Shen Yan spoke, “Aunt Fu, what brings you here?”
At first listen, his tone seemed no different from usual, but upon closer attention, one could discern his calm and even somewhat affectionate attitude.
“If I hadn’t come, I wouldn’t have known you had such a lovely young lady in your house. No wonder you came to borrow clothes from me! Tell me, where did you find this wife of yours?
I heard someone saw you buying a girl in town. Could it be her?”
Shen Yan replied, “It’s her.”
His answer seemed to fully confirm what she had said.
Hearing this, Sang Sang paused the words of explanation she had been about to utter.
Aunt Fu looked at Sang Sang with renewed interest. “So this is the type you like. No wonder you didn’t fancy the ones I introduced to you. It’s not that I didn’t introduce good ones, but…”
At this point, she paused, and Chun Xing couldn’t help but interject, “Mother, what about me? I… I don’t mind Brother Shen…”
Aunt Fu slapped Chun Xing on the back, feigning anger. “You, a grown girl, how can you be so shameless? Besides, who are you to mind? A-Yan might not even fancy you!”
Aunt Fu was well aware of her daughter’s feelings for Shen Yan, which was why she had followed when she saw Chun Xing sneaking after him earlier.
No matter how good Shen Yan was, he was not the right man for her.
Chun Xing retorted indignantly, “What’s wrong with me?”
Aunt Fu didn’t mince words, “Just look at A-Yan’s wife’s sparkling big eyes, and then look at her graceful, slender figure! You have small eyes, a barrel waist, and a bean sprout build—all your flesh grows in the wrong places. Tell me, how can you compare to her?”
Chun Xing was immediately overwhelmed with shame and anger, unable to stop herself from stomping her foot hard. “Mother! What nonsense are you saying!”
Aunt Fu shot Chun Xing a reproachful glance. “What nonsense? I’m only speaking the truth. That outfit of yours would definitely not fit her properly.”
Aunt Fu’s words left both Chun Xing and Sang Sang blushing deeply—Chun Xing from shame and anger, Sang Sang from embarrassment.
Aunt Fu, however, continued on her own, “A-Yan, did you buy this outfit for your wife today? The fabric isn’t cheap, is it? But it really fits your wife well—she looks beautiful!”
Upon hearing this, Shen Yan responded with a noncommittal “Hmm,” though it was unclear whether he was acknowledging the first part or the latter.
Chun Xing felt as though her heart had been stabbed repeatedly. Aunt Fu seemed completely unaware of this and smiled at her, saying, “Chun Xing, aren’t you going to greet your sister-in-law?”
Chun Xing finally couldn’t hold back her tears. “She’s not my sister-in-law!” With that, she covered her face and ran off, sobbing.
Seeing this, Aunt Fu exclaimed, “Ah! This child is so immature. I’ll talk to her later! Auntie just remembered there’s soup simmering at home, so I’ll head back now. I’ll come chat with your wife another time.” With that, she turned and hurried off after Chun Xing.
The mother and daughter had appeared suddenly and left just as abruptly, like a passing gust of wind.
Throughout the entire exchange, Sang Sang stood like a statue, not having had a chance to utter a single word.
Shen Dazhu had called Shen Yan Tiansha Guxing, and Shen Yan himself had said that everyone feared him and avoided him, yet Aunt Fu and her daughter treated him with exceptional warmth and closeness.
Especially Chun Xing—her affection for Shen Yan was obvious to anyone with eyes.
However, they seemed to have misunderstood the relationship between her and Shen Yan.
Sang Sang looked at Shen Yan and spoke anxiously, “J-just now, they misunderstood our relationship. I wanted to explain, but…”
Shen Yan interrupted her calmly, “There’s no need to explain.”
“But Miss Chun Xing…”
Shen Yan cut her off again, his tone unconsciously quickening slightly. “I once saved Chun Xing, and Aunt Fu’s family has been grateful to me ever since. That’s why we’ve had more contact. Chun Xing does have feelings for me, but I only see her as a younger sister.”
Although Aunt Fu’s family was grateful to him and didn’t avoid him like the other villagers, they were unwilling to marry Chun Xing to him.
Thus, Aunt Fu had always been enthusiastic about arranging marriages for him. However, he had already resolved to remain unmarried for life and naturally had no interest in meeting potential matches.
Shen Yan didn’t need to clarify or explain this to her, but he broke his usual silence and spoke up.
After a pause, he added, “If others misunderstand in the future, there’s no need to explain either.”
Sang Sang was slightly taken aback. “W-why?”
Shen Yan’s tone inexplicably carried a hint of impatience. “It’s troublesome.”
Sang Sang was somewhat puzzled. How could simply explaining with a few words be troublesome? But seeing his displeasure, she didn’t dare argue further and could only obediently agree.
In the kitchen, the aroma grew even richer, making Shen Yan’s stomach rumble with hunger.
“I’m hungry. When will dinner be ready?”
Upon hearing this, Sang Sang hurriedly replied, “I’ve stewed some braised pork. It should be ready now. I just need to stir-fry one more dish and make a soup, then we can eat.”
Braised pork? No wonder it smelled so good.
He showed no expression on his face, merely nodding.
While Sang Sang prepared the remaining two dishes in the kitchen, Shen Yan decided to chop firewood in the yard.
Just as Shen Yan was getting distracted while chopping wood, Sang Sang finally brought out the meal.
The braised pork, freshly ladled from the pot, glistened with a bright red hue. Thick sauce coated the meat chunks, and steam accompanied by its rich aroma filled the room, making Shen Yan’s stomach growl even louder.
The stir-fried bamboo shoots with meat looked ordinary, but the refreshing fragrance of the bamboo shoots was equally enticing.
Shen Yan loved meat dishes, so his eyes were fixed only on these two, completely ignoring the golden pumpkin soup.
Sang Sang watched Shen Yan nervously, her tone lacking confidence. “I just made some simple dishes. I’m not sure if they suit your taste.”
—They suited his taste perfectly.