“Mum, we’re back!”
A three-wheeled tricycle carrying three people pulled up outside the Xiao family’s gate.
Xiao Changhong was the first to dismount, carrying bags of all sizes as she walked into the house.
As it happened, Jiang Fusheng and the others were still in the courtyard.
Although the courtyard, which had been trashed, had been tidied up, traces of the chaos were still visible.
Seeing this, Xiao Changhong asked in some confusion, “Mum, why is our courtyard such a mess?”
“A few rats came by earlier,” explained Xiao’s mother. “Your eldest brother and sister-in-law and I were busy catching them, so we haven’t had a chance to sort out the damage they caused yet.”
“Oh!” Xiao Changhong headed straight for the house, calling out to Jiang Fusheng as she went, “Sister-in-law, come quickly! I’ve bought you something lovely!”
No sooner had she spoken than two more people appeared at the courtyard gate.
Jiang Fusheng looked up.
The Xiao family’s genes really are extraordinary— every single one of them is built like a horse!
The two men at the gate were Xiao Changhe’s father and his younger brother, Xiao Changqing.
Xiao’s father wore a stern expression; his upright, imposing figure stood tall, exuding an overwhelming presence—a living embodiment of the saying ‘a father is like a mountain’.
Xiao Changqing had a delicate, refined appearance; though not as burly as Xiao Changhe, his physique was still impressive, and he wore a simple, honest smile.
According to the brief description in the original text,
Father Xiao was the head of the household, stern yet fair,
Mother Xiao was kind-hearted yet blindly protective of her children,
Xiao Changhe is cold and taciturn, quick to resort to violence at the slightest provocation,
Xiao Changhong is well-behaved and sensible, yet full of mischievous tricks,
whilst Xiao Changqing is honest and simple-minded, with a somewhat absent-minded air.
All of these traits matched perfectly.
“Hello, Uncle Xiao!” Jiang Fusheng bowed slightly, nodding politely as a smile crept onto her lips.
Seeing this, Uncle Xiao’s lips twitched slightly, and he replied with a faint smile, “Hello.”
“Hello, sister-in-law,” Xiao Changqing also addressed Jiang Fuseng.
“Hello, little brother,” Jiang Fuseng called out.
“You lot shouldn’t be standing here. Come inside first; we’ll talk in the house,” said Xiao’s mother as she came over and put her arm around Jiang Fuseng’s shoulders.
To the eye, if the Xiao family were likened to a mother hen, then Jiang Fuseng was a little chick. Walking amongst them, she was so slender and petite that, were there not a gap, one might not even notice she was there.
Her original self had never had enough to eat as a child; she stood at just 1.6 metres tall and was incredibly frail.
In the three years since Qian Weidong had married her into the family, the Qians had treated her exceptionally well, pampering her to ensure the family’s interests were maximised.
Over those three years, she had gained two jin in weight, and her skin had become fair and delicate, making her look just like the pampered young wives in the city.
Standing amongst the Xiao family, she seemed completely out of place.
“Eldest Sister-in-law, I bought all these for you—I picked them out specially!” Xiao Changhong, upon seeing Jiang Fusheng enter, grabbed her from behind and pulled her down to sit on her long wooden sofa.
Jiang Fusheng looked on, her face lighting up with delight. “Wow! There’s so much!”
Xiao Changhong nodded, picking up a jar of face cream. “This is for your face, this is for your hands, and this is the hand soap—it smells lovely. I spent ages choosing it; it’s from Yulanxiang. I think it’ll suit you perfectly, Sister-in-law…”
Listening to Xiao Changhong explain each of the skincare products she’d bought, Jiang Fusheng felt deeply touched.
Xiao Changhong had returned accompanied only by Xiao Changqing and their father; she had no female companion with her, which meant these items had all been carefully selected by Xiao Changhong herself.
Such thoughtfulness truly warmed her heart.
In the Qian household, her former self had used these products before, but she had simply followed whatever the women of the Qian family used; no one had ever gone out of their way to select them specifically for her.
Back then, when her former self first encountered these items, she had been overjoyed and hadn’t given a second thought to whether the Qian family had chosen them with care for her.
“Changhong.” Jiang Fusheng took Xiao Changhong’s hand, cutting short her chatty introduction.
“Eh?” Xiao Changhong was taken aback, though inwardly she thought that her elder sister-in-law’s hands were so delicate and soft that she surely couldn’t handle any hard labour.
Jiang Fusheng suddenly reached out and pulled Xiao Changhong into a hug, resting her chin on the other woman’s broad shoulder. “Thank you!”
Caught off guard by the embrace, Xiao Changhong’s face flushed instantly. “No, no need to thank me.”
In all her years, this was the first time she’d been hugged by someone who wasn’t family. It felt rather strange!
Jiang Fusheng let go and looked at the items on the table, smiling. “I’ll take all of these. If you want to use them, feel free to do so at any time. We can share them!”
“Really?” Xiao Changhong’s eyes lit up.
“Of course!” Jiang Fusheng nodded.
Xiao Changhong was overjoyed, but her smile quickly faded. “Never mind. I’m out working all day; it’d be a waste if I used them. You should have them, Sister-in-law. Your hands are so fair and soft—they’re much better suited to these.”
Apart from Xiao’s parents, who had retired to their room, the two brothers, Xiao Changhe and Xiao Changqing, also found themselves looking at Jiang Fusheng’s hands because of their younger sister’s words.
They really were fair and delicate!
Xiao Changhe couldn’t tear his eyes away. He recalled how he’d felt it when he’d held her hand earlier that day; her little hand seemed so delicate and boneless that he’d dared not squeeze it too tightly, for fear of hurting her.
“But once I’m married to your eldest brother, I’ll be part of this family too. If there’s work to be done, I’ll certainly have to join in. Besides, skincare products are meant to be used—how could that be a waste?”
Jiang Fuseng smiled softly as she opened the cream, scooped out a small amount, and applied it to Xiao Changhong’s rough hands with the utmost gentleness.
It was the first time Xiao Changhong had ever used such a fragrant cream; her face lit up with the delight of a little girl.
“From now on, with your elder sister-in-law here, I’ll make sure you all have a good life!” Jiang Fuseng took Xiao Changhong’s hand and made a solemn promise.
Her younger sister-in-law’s build led many to overlook the fact that she was merely a 16-year-old girl who needed to be properly looked after.
To the uninitiated, a casual glance might suggest that the younger sister and brother were the same age as Xiao Changhe, but in reality, the two siblings were a full generation younger than their elder brother. They had been born when their mother was in her thirties or forties.
“I trust you, big sister!” Xiao Changhong nodded, happily lifting her hand to sniff the scent on the back of her wrist, exclaiming, “It smells lovely! No wonder the girls in town all love using it!”
Aside from these skincare products, there was plenty of food on the table.
Big White Rabbit milk sweets!
Jiang Fusheng spotted them immediately—they were the sweets she’d loved since childhood in her previous life.
They were incredibly sweet, but she absolutely adored them.
Whenever she was feeling down, eating one would always cheer her up.
Xiao Changhe, standing nearby, noticed Jiang Fusheng’s gaze and looked over. He, too, spotted the tin box of Big White Rabbit sweets with the label on it.
He reached out and picked it up.
Her gaze followed the sweets.
Xiao Changhong also noticed. “Those Big White Rabbit sweets cost two cents a piece. When I went to buy them, there was just one box left—the best one! Sister-in-law, I heard from the people at the supply and marketing cooperative that they’re really tasty too.”
“Haven’t you tried them?” Jiang Fuseng asked absently.
Xiao Changhong shook her head. “No… I rarely go into town, and when I do, it’s usually to visit my dad.”
Just then, Xiao Changhe had opened the tin, revealing the fifteen sweets inside.
“I’ll have one!” Jiang Fusheng held out her hand, grinning with a lovely smile. “Thank you, Brother Changhe!”
“You’re welcome. ” Xiao Changhe picked one up and placed it in her palm.
Just as he’d expected, after unwrapping the sweet, she didn’t eat it herself; instead, she turned and popped it into Changhong’s mouth.
“Eh? Sister-in-law, why did you give it to me?” Before Xiao Changhong could react, a sweet, rich, and fragrant milk sweet had already found its way into her mouth.