Shen Yao was capable and honest—such a fine young man, yet he ended up marrying a woman like Jiang Yingying. What a pity!
That girl was like a boneless seductress—what use could she possibly be?
That afternoon, while working in the fields, she had overheard others saying that this woman had spent the entire afternoon resting under the shade of a tree. Wasn’t that like enshrining a revered ancestor?
Ah, why was Shen Yao’s fate so bitter?
Still, the meat smelled incredibly fragrant!
Taking another deep whiff, Aunt Shen sighed and helped herself to an extra cornbread.
In the spacious courtyard of the Shen family, Shen Yao carried the table outside. The indoors were stiflingly hot in summer, so they always ate their meals outdoors.
Jiang Yingying wrinkled her delicate nose. “Brother Yao, there are so many mosquitoes outside.”
Shen Yao glanced at her jade-like arms and indeed spotted two glaring red bites.
Frowning slightly, he inwardly scoffed at her delicacy but nonetheless plucked a large handful of grass from the yard. “Rub this on—it’ll stop the itching!”
Then, he lit some mugwort at the entrance before sitting down again.
Though the mugwort had an unpleasant smell, it was effective at repelling mosquitoes.
A large, steaming bowl of rabbit meat was brought out and placed right in the center of the table.
Li Xuelian first served Jiang Yingying a full bowl, then said with a smile, “There’s still half a rabbit left. I’ve preserved it with salt—you can take it to your parents tomorrow.”It was customary in the village for the bride to return to her maternal home two days after the wedding, and gifts were expected.” With this rabbit meat, at least the offering wouldn’t seem too shabby.
Jiang Yingying was taken aback; she hadn’t thought of this at all and suddenly felt a pang of guilt.
No matter what, Jiang Yingying’s parents had treated the original host of this body exceedingly well. Even if she couldn’t fully regard them as her own parents, she ought to fulfill her filial duties.
Though half had been set aside, there was still plenty of meat left in the bowl. Wen Cong and Wen Qin, standing nearby, circled the table restlessly, mouths watering.
Wen Cong, being younger, rubbed his stomach and gazed longingly. “Grandma, I’m hungry!”
“Little greedy-guts!” Li Xuelian scolded affectionately, then added sternly, “Each of you can only have three pieces of meat—no more!”
Jiang Yingying looked at the heaping bowl in front of her—this was far more than three pieces.
But she said nothing. After all, she had exchanged her luck points for this rabbit. Filling her own stomach first before playing the good Samaritan wasn’t too late.
Shen Xiaoyun took a big bite of cornbread, washed it down with a sip of broth, and squinted blissfully. “So delicious!”
Shen Yao remained his usual taciturn self. After silently eating one piece of meat, he placed his remaining two pieces into the children’s bowls. “Uncle is full.”
Li Xuelian, feeling sorry for him, quickly transferred some meat from her own bowl to his. “Eat a bit more!Shen Qinghong, in turn, felt sorry for his wife and had only eaten one piece himself, placing the rest into Li Xuelian’s bowl.
Watching the family pass food back and forth, Jiang Yingying frowned.
She set down her bowl, picked out two pieces from her own portion, and placed them into Shen Yao’s bowl. “Brother Yao, wouldn’t it be better if everyone just ate their own share?”
Shen Yao was startled. He stared at the meat in his bowl, then glanced at his parents, who were still holding their chopsticks mid-air, and flushed with embarrassment. “Understood. Let’s all eat.”
Shen Xiaoyun’s eyes widened in surprise—for the first time, she felt a flicker of respect for this sister-in-law.
Her second brother, with his foul temper, hadn’t even retorted?
Li Xuelian also awkwardly set down her chopsticks, feeling that she had become a laughingstock in front of her daughter-in-law. “Let’s eat, let’s eat…”
Ah, if not for their poverty, why would they need to be so deferential over a meal?
Jiang Yingying had a small appetite. After eating five or six pieces, she was full and pushed the remainder toward Shen Yao. “I’m so stuffed!”
Shen Yao glanced at her—her moist lips looked even softer after eating meat—then looked down at the half bowl of meat left. “I’ll save this for you to eat tomorrow.”
Such a stubborn man!
Jiang Yingying didn’t say anything more but secretly rolled her eyes inwardly. Then she looked pleadingly at Li Xuelian. “Mom, how about I go catch rabbits for you every day from now on?”
Her expression was innocent and charming, like a playful young girl.
Li Xuelian laughed heartily. “My daughter-in-law is a fairy who fell from the heavens! Mom is going to live a blessed life from now on!”
Although she said this, she didn’t actually dare to hope they could eat rabbit every day.
She only wished for the two to consummate their marriage soon, live well together, and keep the family united—free from hunger and poverty.
For someone who hadn’t eaten meat in over half a year, having two meat-filled meals in one day naturally put her in high spirits, making her speak more freely.
After the meal, Jiang Yingying stood up with feigned earnestness. “I’ll wash the dishes. You both rest.”
Shen Yao looked at her, then deftly stacked the bowls with his large hands. “I’ll do it.”
“Brother Yao, you’re so good to me!”
Jiang Yingying gave him a sweet smile and obediently sat beside Li Xuelian. “Mom, let me keep you company and chat!”
“You need to return to your parents’ home tomorrow, so rest early. What’s there for an old woman like me to chat about?”
Li Xuelian glanced at Shen Yao. “Hurry up and finish cleaning, then take your wife back to your room to rest…”
At his vigorous age, with a wife like this, she refused to believe her son could restrain himself!
Shen Yao looked at Jiang Yingying, then lowered his head and went to wash the dishes. He understood his mother’s implication.
Although they had embraced that day, their clothes hadn’t even been removed before they were seen by someone from the same village, so they were actually innocent.
But rural folks valued reputation highly. No matter how opposed he was, he had no choice but to marry this woman.
However, since they were destined to divorce eventually, if he touched her, how would he be any different from a beast? If he truly did, he would have to take responsibility for a lifetime!
That evening, an oil lamp flickered in the room.
The family’s only mosquito net had been given to their room. Jiang Yingying sat on the bed washing her feet, her jade-like feet soaking in the water, so fair they were dazzling.
Shen Yao sat on a long bench nearby, gazing out the window while the sound of splashing water echoed incessantly in his ears.
The summer night was somewhat hot, but at that moment, he felt even hotter.
To make matters worse, Jiang Yingying finished washing her feet and called out to him crisply, “Brother Yao, could you pour out the water for me? My feet aren’t dry yet!”
This woman actually expected him, a grown man, to pour out her foot-washing water!
Shen Yao replied gruffly without turning around. “Then wait until they’re dry to pour it out!”
Jiang Yingying shook her feet, then sat cross-legged on the bed. “Brother Yao, do you dislike me? I’m sorry, did I upset you again…”
Shen Yao took a heavy breath and turned back. “You don’t even want to pour out your own foot-washing water?”
Unexpectedly, the woman happened to be unbuttoning her shirt at that moment, half of her fair chest exposed. Startled, Shen Yao quickly turned his head away again. “Why are you suddenly undressing…?”
Simply… simply shameless!
Jiang Yingying’s voice sounded innocent and aggrieved. “Brother Yao, I’m hot! Can’t I even undo a button?”
“I’ll pour the water!”
Shen Yao abruptly stood up, half-closed his eyes, picked up the basin, and strode out—nearly tripping over the doorstep as he left.
Jiang Yingying’s coquettish voice came from behind, “Be careful! If you get hurt, Yingying will feel so sorry for you!”