“Pei Guangyi wouldn’t be so heartless as to bully an orphan and his widowed sister-in-law, would he?”
“What a black-hearted person! She’s barely managed to hold on until her youngest son’s wedding. Causing a scene on such a joyous occasion—isn’t that clearly an attempt to make life miserable for her family?”
“If Guangyuan were here, he’d definitely beat him to a pulp.”
“An elder sister-in-law is like a mother. Pei Guangyi doesn’t usually seem like this kind of person—why is he suddenly causing a scene? Could this be Zhang Guihua’s idea?”
“No matter whose idea it is, causing a scene is wrong. And as for saying Siyang is so poor she’s gone mad—her poverty has nothing to do with Zhang Guihua; the two families split up long ago.”
“That’s right. This can’t go on. Why don’t we go find the subdistrict director?”
The neighbors around them chattered and gossiped animatedly.
Pei Guangyi had been trying to keep a low profile, but when he suddenly heard they were going to involve the subdistrict leadership, he knew that wouldn’t do.
His job was tied to the subdistrict office—what if this reached the subdistrict leaders and jeopardized his promotion?
A leader at their Sanitation Management Station was leaving soon, and he was counting on taking that position.
Pei Guangyi hurriedly stepped forward, frantically explaining, “Wait, wait—it’s a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding.”
“Sister-in-law, how could I ever take advantage of you?” Pei Guangyi shot Zhang Guihua a furious glare. “It’s all because Guihua is so hot-headed—you know her temperament. When she suddenly heard you were inviting so many people over, she worried you wouldn’t be able to handle it all. If there weren’t enough food or the hospitality fell short, wouldn’t that be a disgrace to Ah Zhan?”
He emphasized once more, “Big Sister, we really didn’t mean anything by it.”
After saying that, he quickly turned to the neighbors and said, “Everyone, Ah Zhan is my own nephew, and I’m his second uncle. Since my older brother isn’t here, I’m Ah Zhan’s closest adult relative—how could we not want the best for him?”
“It’s a misunderstanding—it’s all a misunderstanding.”
“Smack!”
“Apologize right now!” Pei Guangyi slapped Zhang Guihua across the face.
Zhang Guihua instinctively wanted to strike back, but the next second, her gaze met Pei Guangyi’s—his eyes brimming with menace and coldness.
They’d been married for so many years; they knew each other inside and out.
Don’t be fooled by Pei Guangyi’s image as a “good guy” out in public—he can say all the right things, but deep down, he’s the most ruthless of them all.
Zhang Guihua stopped her counterattack, snorted, and didn’t apologize—but she also refrained from saying anything more hurtful.
Pei Guangyi let out a sigh of relief, then quickly forced a smile and apologized, “Neighbors, uncles and aunts, you’ve watched me grow up. Don’t you know what kind of person I am? This really is a misunderstanding.”
“Flattery doesn’t sit well with us—we won’t say another word. We’re heading home now.”
“Everyone, let’s go our separate ways.”
“If you want to share in the joy, come over to my place for a drink.” Pei Guangyi, whether intentionally or not, shooed away the crowd that had gathered to watch the spectacle.
It was as if Pei Guangyi had single-handedly brought the dead back to life with his words—he’d even twisted the meaning of this whole farce, casting them as the righteous party.
If they were allowed to walk away like this, word would spread, and people who didn’t know the full story might think the male cannon fodder’s family was ungrateful.
If the rumors spread and the facts were further distorted, wouldn’t the male cannon fodder’s family end up repeating the fate described in the book—being manipulated to their deaths by this family?
Yu Yin furrowed her brow, her eyes fixed on Pei Guangyi’s face.
She’d known from reading the novel that the most formidable member of the Pei family wasn’t Zhang Guihua, who constantly berated others with her sharp tongue, but Pei Guangyi—the one who stood idly by while Zhang Guihua and his son caused trouble, only to benefit from it in the end.
This second uncle of the male cannon fodder was truly no ordinary man.
“Second Uncle.”
Just as everyone was turning away, Yu Yin suddenly called out to Pei Guangyi.
The address “Second Uncle” came as a complete shock, like a bolt of lightning suddenly splitting the sky shrouded in dark clouds.
Pei Guangyi keenly sensed something was off, and his heart skipped a beat.
He stiffly turned his head and, with a forced smile, looked in the direction of the voice toward Yu Yin.
The moment he saw her, he froze in place.
Pei Guangyi had always known about the plan to have a matchmaker find a rural bride for Pei Zhan.
Whether it was Sheng Siyang wanting a country bride as weak and easy to manipulate as his eldest son’s wife, or his own wife, Zhang Guihua, trying to take advantage of the situation to find Pei Zhan a troublemaker—he knew it all.
Precisely because he knew, Pei Guangyi had never imagined that the country bride they’d find would be this beautiful.
No, she was more than just beautiful.
Yu Yin stood there, with the sunset-drenched sky behind her; the swirling orange-red clouds were rendered mere supporting actors in her presence.
She stood there, neither subservient nor arrogant, with delicate features, snow-white skin, and a confident, radiant beauty.
Forget the countryside—you might not even find a girl like this in the provincial capital.
Had something gone wrong?!
“Who are you?”
“Uncle, you really know how to joke. Mom just came to pick me up. I’m A-Zhan’s wife.”
Pei Guangyi snapped back to his senses, his eyes turning serious.
He wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but this woman before him—who claimed to be the wife of Pei Zhan, his beloved nephew—was no ordinary person.
“I must be confused. Niece-in-law, what did you call me?”
“Look, everyone’s tired, and it’s almost dinnertime. We can talk about this later.”
Yu Yin chuckled softly. “It won’t take long. I was just curious—I hadn’t even gotten out of the car yet when I heard Second Aunt say that she’d have to foot the bill for my wedding banquet with Ah Zhan. If that were true, it wouldn’t be right at all. I heard that Second Uncle’s family is also welcoming a new daughter-in-law today. If this ends up causing trouble for Second Uncle’s family, it would be my fault.”
“I’m A-Zhan’s wife now, and in the future, I’ll be a daughter-in-law of the Pei family. I didn’t marry into this family to ruin it. If Uncle and Auntie really have to pay for A-Zhan and my wedding today, then I’ll take the initiative and return the dowry to you.”
“After all, no matter how you look at it, today is still Second Uncle and Second Aunt’s wedding for their son, isn’t that right?”
No one expected Yu Yin to suddenly say these things, least of all Sheng Siyang. She instinctively wanted to explain that there was no need for her to return the dowry.
But just as the words were on the tip of her tongue, Aunt Cai—who had sensed something was amiss—stopped her.
“Don’t say anything yet. Let’s wait and see,” Aunt Cai whispered. After a pause, she added, “Your daughter-in-law won’t come out on the losing end.”
Not only would she not come out on the losing end—she was practically itching to tear Uncle Pei’s family to shreds.
She had pointed out time and time again that today was also the day Uncle Pei was marrying his son’s wife.
What kind of situation would cause two sons of the same mother to marry their brides at the same time?
In a normal family, weddings would usually be held one day after the other; even if they were in a real hurry, they wouldn’t hold them on the same day.
It would be one thing if they were strangers, but for such close relatives to host wedding banquets on the same day—no one would believe there wasn’t some grudge or underhanded scheme involved.
Whispers broke out again—
“I knew something was off. Didn’t Siyang tell us over a month ago that A-Zhan was getting married? Even I, an outsider, knew about it—there’s no way Pei Guangyi didn’t know.”
“Exactly. What were Pei Guangyi and Zhang Guihua thinking? Even if they’ve split the family, Siyang is still their elder sister-in-law, and A-Zhan is their own nephew. Don’t they fear that their own dead parents would rise from the grave to curse them for doing this?”
“I remember Jian-guo is about half a year younger than A-Zhan. Don’t the older generation say you shouldn’t let the younger one marry before the older one? Even though we don’t follow those old customs anymore, it’s still bad luck.”
“If this were our family, we’d have kicked them out long ago.”
“It looks like Guangyi and Zhang Guihua just don’t want Siyang’s family to have an easy life.”
“They really are heartless. I almost fell for it just now—I thought Pei Guangyi was a decent guy…”
In just a few words, the situation had taken a turn for the worse—even worse than it had been at the start.
Everyone was starting to doubt Pei Guangyi, the so-called “good guy.”
Pei Guangyi felt a surge of blood rush to his throat; he nearly spat it out.
Gritting his teeth, he said, “…Ah Zhan’s wife, please don’t misunderstand. Your second aunt didn’t mean it that way.”
“Oh, then what did you mean? Isn’t your family—Second Uncle’s—supposed to be welcoming a new daughter-in-law today?” Yu Yin deliberately twisted the focus, just as Pei Guangyi had done moments ago.
Pei Guangyi felt a metallic, rusty taste in his throat. He was furious—furious at Zhang Guihua for not doing a good job. What kind of woman had the matchmaker found?
She’s as sharp-tongued as a demon—isn’t this just playing into that brat Pei Zhan’s hands?
“What I mean is that your Second Aunt didn’t spend any money, so you don’t have to pay her back. She just heard that your family suddenly invited a lot of people and was worried the food you’d ordered wouldn’t be enough, so—”
“So Second Aunt wants to send over a few tables’ worth of food?”
“It’s not out of the question, though we don’t really need them.” Yu Yin looked as if she were in a dilemma, yet she came across as understanding. “Just now, Uncle No. 2 also mentioned that it’s getting late, and because of Aunt No. 2, the neighbors haven’t eaten yet. How about this: I’ll pass along the favor and give the few tables of food Uncle No. 2 sent to our family to the older neighbors here.”
“Hello, uncles and aunts. My name is Yu Yin, and I’ll be living here from now on. If there’s anything I do wrong, please give me your guidance.”
After saying this, Yu Yin made sure to acknowledge Sheng Siyang, Aunt Cai, and the others.
She turned her head, looking somewhat embarrassed. “Mom, is it okay for me to do this? If the food from home isn’t enough, I’ll bring some more.”
“That’s enough, that’s enough,” Aunt Cai interjected.
Aunt Cai was quite fond of Yu Yin now—this young lady had already put Pei Guangyi and Zhang Guihua in their place as soon as she arrived at the Pei household.
From now on, she’d never have to worry about her younger sister-in-law being bullied again.
“Don’t you agree, Siyang?” Worried that Sheng Siyang might be too soft-hearted, Aunt Cai gave her a gentle nudge.
Sheng Siyang snapped back to her senses. Tears welled up in her eyes as she nodded repeatedly. “It’s enough, it’s enough. Ah Zhan even made sure to add extra dishes before he left.”
“As for the dishes Uncle Pei sent over, Yin Yin can do whatever she wants with them.”
This was her endorsement of Yu Yin’s words.
Pei Guangyi was instantly dumbfounded, as if he didn’t recognize Sheng Siyang, his own sister-in-law.
Zhang Guihua felt the same way, and the thought of having to prepare extra meals for several more tables made her heart ache.
“I won’t—”
“Waaah—” What are you doing?
Before Zhang Guihua could finish her sentence, Pei Guangyi covered her mouth.
Yu Yin looked at the couple with a mocking expression, her smile never fading, and asked pointedly, “Second Uncle, Second Aunt isn’t objecting, is she?”
“Zhang Guihua isn’t that generous. Ah Zhan’s wife, your thoughtfulness is enough—we’re not short on food.”
“Exactly. Just give us an extra piece of candy tomorrow to sweeten our day.”
Although everyone lived on the same street, they didn’t invite the entire neighborhood to the wedding banquet.
After all, in this day and age, no one’s money grows on trees.
However, even though they couldn’t throw a grand banquet, it was a long-standing custom in Guiyuanfang for young couples to be led by their elders the day after their wedding to distribute candies to neighbors—both to share in the joy and to introduce themselves to the community.
This has been a long-standing custom in Guiyuan Alley.
Seeing that the neighbors were all siding with the new bride, Pei Guangyi had no choice but to make a concession.
“Your Second Aunt isn’t opposed to it. When dinner is served, I’ll have two tables brought out. If anyone hasn’t cooked yet, feel free to come over and eat with us.”
“Second Uncle, you’re so generous.”
“Oh, by the way, Uncle—”
Pei Guangyi now shuddered at the very sound of the words “Uncle.”
He forced a smile. “What is it now?”
“Since the older neighbors have all sent meals, how about sending another table to the neighborhood office? I’ve heard that the staff there work very hard managing our neighborhood’s safety and sanitation.”
“Since it’s such a rare occasion—Zhan and I are getting married today—I’d like to send a table over.”
“But don’t worry about it, Second Uncle. I’ll have someone deliver it later.”
“I’ll take it over!” Ding Meng finally found an opportunity to speak up.
As a grown man, it hadn’t been appropriate for him to step in earlier, and since he wasn’t from around here, acting rashly might have put the boss’s family—and the new bride—in an awkward position.
He was dying of anxiety.
Now that he saw his sister-in-law could handle it herself—and so skillfully at that—it was finally his turn to step in and help out.
“Me too!”
“Us too!” Several voices suddenly chimed in from outside the crowd.
Everyone looked in the direction of the voices and saw a dozen or so tall men in police uniforms waving at them.
The man in the lead wore glasses and looked quite refined, yet he was waving the most enthusiastically.
Yu Yin didn’t recognize him, but anyone who would speak up for them at a time like this must be one of their own.
Sure enough, Sheng Siyang introduced him to Yu Yin: “The one in the lead is Cao Yang. He and Ah Zhan have been inseparable since childhood. Behind Cao Yang are his colleagues from the Public Security Bureau, as well as some of Ah Zhan’s former classmates. Ah Zhan was originally supposed to go with them to pick you up today, but he was called away on a military assignment, and Cao Yang also had an unexpected task come up, so they both missed it.”
As Sheng Siyang was introducing them, Cao Yang and the other police officers had already made their way through the crowd to stand before Yu Yin.
Cao Yang’s smile was very refined; if not for the sharp gleam behind his glasses, one might easily mistake him for a frail scholar.
“Hello, Sister-in-law. I’m Cao Yang, Ah Zhan’s best friend.”
“Whatever you need, Sister-in-law, I’ll take care of it.”
Cao Yang smiled with a particularly harmless, warm charm, like a breath of spring air: “Do we need to deliver the celebratory food and drinks to the neighborhood office? I’ll handle it—I’m on good terms with the folks at the neighborhood office.”
“Second Uncle Pei, where’s the food and drink?”
“It’s right here—I’ll send it over right away.”
Second Uncle Pei: “……”
Are all of you a bunch of bandits or something?
Pei Guangyi finally realized that he was definitely going to take a hit today.
He truly embodied the saying, “Trying to steal a chicken but losing a grain of rice”—they’d intended to outmaneuver Pei Zhan and Sheng Siyang, but in the end, it was Pei Zhan and Sheng Siyang who came out ahead.
Uncle Pei wavered on his feet and nearly fainted.
Meanwhile, the neighborhood office staff were just about to clock out when a table full of food was suddenly delivered; none of them could process what was happening.
After the delivery person left, someone asked, “Who sent this? Aren’t we supposed to be attending the wedding banquet at the two Pei families’ homes in Guiyuan Alley today?”
The staff at the neighborhood office had long been aware of the situation involving the two Pei families in Guiyuan Alley
To avoid offending either side and to prevent further complications, the director of the neighborhood office had already instructed them not to go to that area for the next few days.
But now—
“Are we going to eat this or not?”
“It’s fine, let’s all eat.” Just then, Zhang Xianglian, the deputy director of the neighborhood office, walked in. She had just taken a quick look around outside and had a clear understanding of the situation.
She smiled and said, “This was specially prepared for us by Comrade Pei Zhan’s new bride. Go ahead and eat; we’ll reimburse the food coupons later.”
“How much will we have to reimburse? There’s pork, fish, and shrimp here—that’s going to cost quite a bit.” One comrade was tempted but worried about the cost.
Zhang Xianglian recalled the “showdown” she’d just caught a glimpse of between Yu Yin and Uncle Pei, and she burst out laughing. “Just pay the standard rate.”
“All right, enough with the small talk. Finish eating and hurry back to return the bowls and plates.”
The staff members from the subdistrict office exchanged glances. Why did Deputy Director Zhang seem so happy?
Didn’t she usually hate it when neighbors brought her gifts?
….
The sun had set, and the afterglow on the horizon was slowly fading.
The once-bustling streets began to quiet down as night fell.
But there was one exception: Guiyuan Alley on Yuanfeng Road today.
Guiyuan Alley was bustling with activity today. The usually quiet alley was lit up with lights, and two tables had been set up in the middle of the alley. Tall, burly men in police uniforms were cheerfully clinking glasses and drinking, instantly bringing the lively atmosphere to a fever pitch that echoed through the sky.
“Drink up! You’re all off tomorrow—drink up!”
“My boss, Pei Zhan, is getting married today. Let’s drink until we collapse! ”
“Come on, Ding Meng, stop hiding and picking at your food like a wimp—drink up. ”
Ding Meng hastily shoveled a couple of mouthfuls of food into his mouth, grabbed the cup from the table, clinked it against Cao Yang’s with a “clink,” and downed it in one gulp.
Only after finishing did he laugh and retort, “Bullshit about being a wimp. I’m the best drinker around—you used to get knocked out every time we drank together.”
“That was back then! We couldn’t practice our drinking in the army back then. Now I could drink a whole barrel and still stay on my feet,” Cao Yang boasted.
Yu Yin and Cao Yang’s wife, Zhou Han, came out to serve the men more food and happened to overhear Ding Meng and Cao Yang’s conversation.
Yu Yin resisted the urge to put her hand to her forehead and turned to ask Zhou Han, “Should we… try to talk some sense into them?”
After all, drinking too much is bad for your health.
Plus, these guys still had to drive home—it wouldn’t be good if something happened on the road.
Zhou Han smiled gently and said, “It’s fine. There isn’t that much alcohol anyway. They’re just talking big; they won’t get drunk. Cao Yang knows his limits.”
But Yu Yin was still worried. The fact that the family had managed to get through today’s crisis—and hadn’t been picked on by Uncle Pei again afterward—was all thanks to Ding Meng, Cao Yang, and the others.
She certainly didn’t want anything to happen to them.
Yu Yin said, “Then I’ll go back and ask Mom to make some hangover soup for them. Let them eat and drink some of it before heading home. ”
Zhou Han smiled and nodded. “That’d be great of you.”
“It’s no trouble at all—I’m the one who should be thanking you.”
Zhou Han shook her head. After helping Yu Yin serve more food, she took Yu Yin’s hand and said, “Comrade Yu Yin, we haven’t been formally introduced yet.”
“My name is Zhou Han. I’m a teacher at Yuanfeng Elementary School. Could we stay in touch from now on?”
“I, I…” Zhou Han blushed, and her speech began to stumble.
It couldn’t be helped—Zhou Han had a gentle disposition; to put it bluntly, she was timid and shy around strangers.
Under normal circumstances, she would never have dared to make friends with someone like this.
But she really liked Yu Yin so much. Yu Yin had clearly married into an unfamiliar place all by herself—strangers and unfamiliar surroundings—yet she was able to fight back so swiftly and gracefully in the face of a hostile environment teeming with predatory men.
That was exactly the kind of person she dreamed of becoming.
She wanted so badly to be good friends with her.
“I—can I be friends with you?” As soon as she said it, Zhou Han’s face had already turned bright red.
If there were special effects, Yu Yin would surely see a mushroom cloud of blush.
Yu Yin thought Zhou Han was absolutely adorable. She took Zhou Han’s hand in hers and smiled, “Of course.”
“You’re my first friend since I came to the provincial capital.”
“Comrade Zhou Han, thank you for being my first friend.”
“I—I feel the same way.”
“You’re my first friend,” Zhou Han said with genuine joy and appreciation.
Even as they parted ways, the smile never left her face.
Cao Yang rarely saw her this happy; when he pretended to be drunk and draped his arm over her shoulder, she didn’t push him away.
He leaned in playfully and asked, “Are you that happy?”
“Of course,” Zhou Han said, covering her mouth as her eyes crinkled into crescent moons.
Moonlight cascaded from the sky, and the silvery glow seemed to hide within Zhou Han’s eyes, leaving Cao Yang momentarily dazed.
He longed to get even closer, but just as he was about to kiss Zhou Han’s eyes, she pushed him away ruthlessly.
“What are you doing?” Zhou Han glared at him, her face flushed.
Cao Yang snapped back to his senses, rubbed the tip of his nose, and muttered, “I wanted to kiss you.”
“Shut up!”
“Okay, okay, I’ll shut up. Is that good enough? But Hanhan, last time I took you to the Deputy Director’s house for the wedding, you met the new bride too—why weren’t you as happy as you are today?”
“Wasn’t the Deputy Director’s new bride a teacher just like you?”
And a middle school teacher, at that.
Cao Yang had always noticed that Zhou Han didn’t have many friends in the provincial capital, and he couldn’t stand seeing her all alone with no one to talk to.
So when he heard that the Deputy Director’s daughter-in-law was a middle school teacher—and had also moved here from another province—he decided to swallow his pride and go offer his congratulations, even though he didn’t care for the Deputy Director’s character.
He’d assumed that since they were both teachers, Zhou Han would strike up a friendship with the new bride.
But to his surprise…
It would have been fine if he hadn’t brought it up, but the moment he did, Zhou Han got even more upset.
She pushed Cao Yang away: “Not all teachers are good people.”
Cao Yang agreed with that—it seemed the deputy director’s daughter-in-law wasn’t a good one either.
Man, Big Brother Pei really is something else—he hasn’t even met his wife yet, and he’s already found someone who’s both young, pretty, and capable.
No way—when he gets to work tomorrow, he’s definitely going to give Pei Zhan a call.
That guy Pei Zhan—sometimes his luck is so good it’s enough to make anyone jealous.
……
“Yin Yin, don’t clean up. Go to bed already.”
“It’s fine. I’m almost done.”
Yu Yin placed the last rinsed plate into the red basin. All the dishes in this basin had been borrowed from other families and needed to be returned tomorrow.
Yu Yin wasn’t a lazy person, and she especially disliked being in anyone’s debt.
By marrying into the Pei family, she’d managed to escape her eccentric relatives in the countryside and gain the opportunity to live in the provincial capital. She was deeply grateful to the Pei family and to his mother.
So helping out with a little housework to lighten Mother Sheng’s load was no big deal.
She could handle it.
After finishing the dishes, Yu Yin took a clean dishcloth and wiped all the water stains off the countertop before stopping.
Everything Yu Yin did was observed by Mother Sheng, Sheng Siyang.
A look of deep satisfaction flashed in her eyes.
Back when the matchmaker had praised her, saying this younger daughter-in-law was better than the older one, she hadn’t believed it.
She’d worried—since she hadn’t met her in person—that if she’d chosen someone of poor character or who was lazy and gluttonous, what would become of her youngest son in the future?
Now it seemed she’d worried too much.
Matchmaker Zhao was right; the younger daughter-in-law really was wonderful.
Hardworking, bold, organized, and neat.
She’d always assumed that people from the countryside weren’t very neat—her eldest daughter-in-law was like that, and no amount of time had changed her.
Eventually, she’d given up.
Sheng Siyang had expected her youngest daughter-in-law to be the same, but now she saw that after washing the dishes, the young woman even took the initiative to dry the countertop.
She breathed a sigh of relief.
When Yu Yin walked out of the kitchen, Sheng Siyang took her hand in hers and, sure enough, felt how cold it was.
It was still spring, but the weather in the south was unpredictable. There had been signs of a chill in the air over the past few days, especially since a breeze had started blowing right after they finished eating.
Sheng Siyang said guiltily, “Yin Yin, when it gets cold, wash your hands with hot water. We women shouldn’t be handling cold water all the time.”
Yu Yin’s little finger trembled slightly for a moment. She nonchalantly pulled her hand back and nodded with a smile. “I know, Mom. It’s late now—you should go to bed. “By the way, are Rongrong and Kangning asleep yet?”
“They’re both asleep.”
“They’re both such good kids. They don’t cause any trouble usually, and they go to sleep right on time.”
“I see. I was actually planning to bring them some little gifts. Looks like I’ll have to give them to them tomorrow.”
“Gifts?” Sheng Siyang looked at Yu Yin in surprise.
Yu Yin scratched her chin, looking a little embarrassed. “Yeah, but they’re nothing expensive. I’m not sure if they’ll like them.”
“That’s so thoughtful of you. They’ll definitely love them.”
“Really? Then Mom, wait a minute—I’ll go get them.”
The gifts Yu Yin had bought were bamboo-woven toys; compared to those in the provincial capital, they were indeed inexpensive.
But they were charming in their own way.
Yu Yin had bought two bamboo dragonflies, two bamboo cicadas, a small bamboo-woven cuju ball, and a very delicate little bamboo-woven shoulder bag.
The straps of the little shoulder bag were woven from red and pink cords—clearly meant for a little girl.
Yu Yin hadn’t just thought of her grandson; she’d also carefully selected gifts for her mentally disabled daughter.
Sheng Siyang’s voice caught in her throat: “They’re so pretty. They’re going to love them.”
“Thank you, Yin Yin.”
“Mom, there’s no need to be so formal—it’s only right that I do this.” Yu Yin wasn’t used to such expressions of gratitude; she placed the gifts in Sheng’s mother’s arms. “I’ll leave the gifts with you, Mom. When Rongrong and Kangning wake up tomorrow, please give them to the children for me.”
“It’s late. Mom, you should go back to bed.” It had been over an hour since they’d seen off their family and friends, and it was almost ten o’clock.
When Yu Yin first arrived in this world, she wasn’t used to going to bed early, but now she had gotten used to it.
Sheng Siyang hugged the gift Yu Yin had handed her, looking at it again and again with reluctance. “Wait a moment—Mom still has something to give you.”
“For me?”
“Mm-hmm, just wait a moment.” With that, Sheng Siyang didn’t hesitate. She took the gift back to her room, then returned with a cloth bag, which she handed to Yu Yin.
Yu Yin still hadn’t quite caught on and asked, “Mom, what’s this?”
“These are the congratulatory gifts I received today. Keep them safe. If you ever need anything in the future, just let Mom know, and I’ll get it for you. Oh, and I put two new outfits in your and A-Zhan’s room—one for winter and one for summer. See if they fit; if they don’t, I’ll take them to be altered.”
She’d been in a bit of a rush when she had those two outfits made, and on top of that, the measurements provided by Matchmaker Zhao must have been wrong—she’d made them too big.
Yu Yin looks so thin; they should have been made smaller.
Now Yu Yin was at a loss.
She didn’t know if, in the reincarnated female lead’s past life, Sheng’s mother had also given her a wedding gift, but she couldn’t accept it.
“Mom, um… I can’t accept this.”
“We invited so many people today; you should keep this money.”
“Mom, I still have money set aside for my son’s wedding. Keep this—these are all gifts from people celebrating your marriage to Ah Zhan. It wouldn’t look right for me to accept them.”
“Just take it. I’m going back to bed now.”
With that, Sheng Siyang turned and went back to her room, not even giving Yu Yin a chance to refuse.
Yu Yin: “……”
Mother Sheng is way too trusting, isn’t she?
They’d only just met and didn’t even know each other well, yet Mother Sheng handed over the money to her.
If she turned out to be greedy, who knows what might happen…
No wonder the Pei family in the book was completely ruined by Uncle Pei’s family—Mother Sheng is just too kind-hearted.
No, she’ll have to keep a closer eye on things from now on.
She absolutely cannot let Uncle Pei and Zhang Guihua—those villains—bully this family again.
After setting this goal for herself, Yu Yin’s sense of guilt eased a little.
She took the money, but had no intention of spending it herself. Yu Yin had her own money; she planned to save it away and use it later if the family ever needed it.
After turning off the lights in the kitchen and dining room, Yu Yin returned to her room.
The room was large—roughly ten fang, by her estimate.
As soon as she entered, she saw a desk and a dressing table positioned directly across from the door, near the courtyard.
Only now, as she took a closer look at the room she would be living in, did she realize that, in addition to the desk and a small bookshelf, there was actually a brand-new dressing table.
The dressing table was near the doorway and clearly newly made.
A warm feeling washed over Yu Yin.
To the left of the desk and dressing table stood the wedding bed, covered with a bright red, festive quilt. Yu Yin glanced at it and moved on.
To the left of the wedding bed was a wardrobe, placed right up against the headboard—which struck her as rather odd.
Yu Yin thought she’d have to move the wardrobe to a different spot when she had time; everything in this room was so square and orderly that it all felt too stiff and rigid.
They say a person’s possessions reflect their character—could Pei Zhan be a stiff, old-fashioned guy?
Yu Yin let her imagination run wild for a moment, then suddenly shivered.
“Never mind, don’t think about it. I don’t want to keep myself awake.”
Yu Yin closed the door, changed into a different outfit, and lay down to sleep.
She’d already taken a shower after the guests left, so there was no need to shower again.
But even though she was clearly exhausted, she just couldn’t fall asleep once she lay down. She kept feeling like there was something she’d forgotten.
What could it be?
Probably nothing important, right?
Yu Yin thought dazedly.
Just as she was about to drift off, a conversation suddenly flashed through her mind—
“I left something for you in the bridal bedroom. . .”
Yu Yin’s eyes snapped open, and she sat up as if a spring had been installed in her back.
“What is it?!”
Yu Yin’s drowsiness vanished instantly.
With her wide eyes fixed on the room bathed in moonlight, she was overcome with confusion.
She kept replaying today’s phone call in her mind; had there been a hint of teasing in the man’s unusually magnetic voice?
“It can’t be… a prank, can it?”
But a male cannon fodder character probably wouldn’t be that bored.
In the book, male cannon fodder characters were cold, lethal weapons. Although they died young, their combat prowess was off the charts.
Rumor had it he’d been promoted to battalion commander at a very young age.
That wasn’t something just anyone could achieve.
“Maybe I should look around?”
Silvery moonlight streamed in through the window by the skylight, allowing her to make out the layout of the room without turning on the light.
Yu Yin thought for a moment. Now that her drowsiness had vanished, she couldn’t fall asleep anyway.
So she pulled back the covers, slipped on her slippers, and walked over to the desk.
There weren’t many places to hide things in the wedding bed, and she’d already checked the wardrobe earlier—there was nothing belonging to the male cannon fodder in there.
That left only the desk.
The desk looked a bit dated. The light streaming in from the window fell directly on it, clearly illuminating the grain of the faded wood.
Yu Yin pressed her slender fingers against a scratch on the edge and ran them along it.
The desk was very clean. The bookshelf on top held only two volumes of the Chairman’s Selected Works; there weren’t many other items.
It seemed the male cannon fodder hadn’t left many of his own belongings here, presumably to make her feel more at home.
That left only the drawers.
Yu Yin opened the drawer closest to her first. It felt a bit heavy, and when she pulled it open, she found it filled with textbooks?
Thinking she might be mistaken, Yu Yin took the books out one by one, only to discover they were middle school textbooks.
The textbooks were a bit worn and even slightly damp.
But that was understandable—after all, the weather in the south is so humid, and since the books had been locked away in the drawer all this time, it was only natural for them to get a bit damp.
What wasn’t normal, however, was that the male cannon fodder had actually kept his middle school textbooks.
If she remembered correctly, he was twenty-five years old now.
It’s been seven or eight years since he graduated from middle school—she never expected he’d still be keeping them.
Yu Yin casually flipped through a few pages and discovered there were actually notes in them—especially in the science textbooks, which had annotations.
“Looks like he’s the studious type.”
The open drawer contained only middle school textbooks, so Yu Yin flipped through them briefly before putting them back where they belonged.
She moved on to the second drawer, which felt relatively light.
Yu Yin opened it slowly. The first things that caught her eye were a black Hero fountain pen and a bottle of ink.
Then… a letter?
Piled on top of a stack of stationery was an unsealed envelope.
The envelope was somewhat thick; it didn’t look like it contained just a sheet of stationery.
“It can’t be… money, can it?”
It was no wonder Yu Yin thought this—after all, she had just received a considerable amount of money from his mother.
Yu Yin was very worried that the people in this household were too kind and trusting, revealing their finances to people they’d only just met.
If that were the case—
Yu Yin took a deep breath, silently repeating to herself, “It’s not money,” “It’s not money.”
But the moment she picked up the envelope, the corner of her mouth twitched.
Then, when she pulled the money out of the envelope, her eyes nearly popped out of her head.
“Could everyone in this family really be so naive and gullible?”
Yu Yin counted them: ten bills, totaling one hundred.
She pressed her hand to her forehead and sighed, “Looks like I’ll have to keep a close eye on them from now on, or else—”
They’d actually get scammed and even help the scammers count their money!
After counting the money, Yu Yin noticed there was a letter inside the envelope. She opened it and found it was written to her by the male supporting character, Pei Zhan.
Yu Yin was taken aback and sat down at her desk to read it.
[Comrade Yu, I hope this letter finds you well.]
[I’m very sorry for writing to you out of nowhere. But I know the time for me to return to my unit is fast approaching, and I’m not sure if I’ll have time to tell you about my family situation before then, so I’ve written you this letter…]
The letter wasn’t long, but the writing was clear and the words concise yet meaningful.
In addition to introducing the family members in his own household to Yu Yin, it also covered the family of Uncle Pei and some points to keep in mind regarding the neighbors.
“He’s actually quite thoughtful,” Yu Yin chuckled softly.
Thanks to this letter, the last trace of unease Yu Yin had felt upon arriving in this unfamiliar environment vanished completely.
Yu Yin refolded the letter. She had intended to go to bed, but suddenly she remembered that male cannon fodder characters usually die early, so she sat back down.
“Since you’ve been so thoughtful—and for Mother Sheng’s sake—I’ll give you a heads-up.”
Yu Yin picked up her fountain pen and wrote a letter to Pei Zhan.
She didn’t dare to be too explicit, so she only wrote about what she’d encountered that day and her own concerns. She hoped this mention of home would give Pei Zhan something to think about, prompting him to be more careful and watch his safety.
That way, perhaps it would improve his chances of survival.
By the time she finished the letter, it was very late. Yu Yin heard the wall clock in the house clang out twelve strokes.
She was simply too exhausted. After finishing the letter, she lay back down on the bed without even putting it in an envelope, and fell asleep within two seconds.
A breeze blew in through the half-open window, rustling the sheet of paper on the desk. In no time, the paper was lifted by the wind and drifted to the floor…
…
The red-and-white letter paper drifted and drifted, carried by the first rays of sunlight on the horizon, until it finally landed at Ye Dong’s feet.
Ye Dong had gotten up very early that day and wasn’t fully awake yet, so at first he didn’t quite make out what had landed at his feet. It wasn’t until he picked up the paper and saw the scrawled handwriting that he exclaimed in surprise, “Big Brother, are you really writing a letter to Sister?”
“Hehe, you can’t write like that. If Sister sees your handwriting, she’ll never recognize it. How about I teach you how to write?”
“Get lost!” Zhao Ping’an frantically snatched the letter back, crumpled it into a ball, and shoved it into his tattered pocket.
“What are you doing here?” he snapped, glaring at Ye Dong.
“I came to see you, big brother. Oh, by the way, big brother, you don’t know this yet, but I’ve got some good news for you, hehe—”
And then… nothing.
Zhao Ping’an pricked up his ears, listening intently, but to his surprise, Ye Dong had left him hanging without saying another word.
Zhao Ping’an: “……”
“Spit it out already. Don’t block my way to work.” Zhao Ping’an shoved Ye Dong aside and turned back toward the ramshackle kitchen to grab his tools.
Zhao Ping’an’s work site was up on the mountain. In addition to growing bamboo, Cuizhu Village had also planted quite a few lychee and longan trees on the mountaintop.
These fruit trees required daily maintenance, and the workload was enormous. Few people in the village liked this job, so the maintenance duties ultimately fell to Zhao Ping’an.
Whenever Zhao Ping’an went up the mountain, he was nowhere to be found for the rest of the day.
Ye Dong immediately dropped his playful demeanor and followed Zhao Ping’an. As they walked, he exclaimed excitedly, “On my way over just now, I heard that Yu Xiaoqiu’s family is going to talk to that good-for-nothing Chen Maocai about getting married.”
Zhao Ping’an paused in his tracks. He’d thought he was about to hear some good news, but it turned out to be Yu Xiaoqiu and that good-for-nothing again.
Zhao Ping’an’s face remained expressionless. He picked up the hoe he’d tossed into the dilapidated kitchen, slung it over his shoulder, and snorted coldly, “What kind of good news is that? It’d be good news if they were fighting.”
“Get lost.”
“And don’t let anyone see you coming to find me.”
“What a hassle!”
Ye Dong looked taken aback for a moment, then his smile widened. “No hassle at all. But big brother, you’re wrong—their marriage really is good news, though not for that good-for-nothing Chen Maocai.”
“Hehe, you don’t know this yet, do you? The Yu family plans to make the Chen family pay this much in dowry.” Ye Dong held up eight fingers.
Zhao Ping’an’s fierce, dark expression froze; his eyes widened, making him look rather dumbfounded.
“…Eight… hundred?” Are they crazy?
“Right, eight hundred. I overheard it just now.” Ye Dong accidentally let slip that he’d been eavesdropping. “The Yu family plans to recoup the money they spent on my sister from the Chen family.”
“But the Chen family isn’t stupid. In this village, eighty is already a high dowry—eight hundred? They’re definitely going to make a scene.”
As long as they make a scene, heh heh!
Ye Dong flashed a knowing look. Zhao Ping’an couldn’t help but let the corners of his mouth curl up, but he quickly suppressed the smile when he saw Ye Dong’s disgusting expression.
So ugly.
It hurts my eyes.
He’d never smile like that.
Then, after turning away, Zhao Ping’an revealed an expression even uglier and more vicious than Ye Dong’s.
He was waiting to watch the show.