“Why would I choose to jump into the river just because your eldest brother happened to pass by when I don’t even know him?”
“Besides, what does my jumping into the river have to do with your brother?”
“He could have chosen not to save me. Maybe then I would’ve been free from all of this.”
“If you ask me, maybe your brother was the one captivated by my looks. He saw how pretty I was, so that’s why he jumped in to save me!”
When it came to trading insults, Shen Yihuan had never lost to anyone since she was a child.
She certainly wasn’t intimidated by a twelve-year-old girl.
As expected, Jiang Lanxin was so furious that she nearly exploded, blurting out whatever came to mind.
“Who are you calling captivated by your looks?! Sister Qinghe is ten thousand times prettier than you! My brother would never be interested in someone like you!”
Shen Yihuan answered before her brain could catch up.
“Then have your brother marry this Sister Qinghe of yours! It’s not like I was dying to marry him anyway!”
“Shen Yihuan! How dare you look down on my eldest brother!”
Jiang Lanxin no longer cared about the vegetables she was stir-frying.
Grabbing the spatula, she charged out of the kitchen after Shen Yihuan.
The courtyard instantly descended into chaos.
One ran.
The other chased.
The scene was as lively as chickens scattering and dogs barking.
Their commotion continued until a voice interrupted them.
“Lanxin, what are you doing?”
The unexpected voice made both Shen Yihuan and Jiang Lanxin stop in their tracks and turn toward the courtyard gate.
Standing there was a young woman dressed in a pale pink gown.
She had alluring peach blossom eyes that seemed full of unspoken emotion, and a slender willow-like figure that naturally inspired sympathy.
When she noticed Shen Yihuan looking at her, a faint smile curved her lips.
Her eyes shone with innocent curiosity.
“You must be Sister-in-law.”
“Hello. I’m Brother Changfeng’s neighbor. My name is Ye Qinghe.”
“You can call me Qinghe, just like Brother Changfeng does.”
Her smile was gentle and pure.
Her voice carried just the right amount of sweetness, revealing only the slightest glimpse of her teeth, making her appear exceptionally delicate and well-behaved.
Shen Yihuan instantly felt goosebumps spread across her arms.
What a perfectly brewed cup of green tea.
(In other words, what a classic white lotus—sweet and innocent on the surface while clearly harboring ulterior motives.)
Meanwhile, Jiang Lanxin happily cried out,
“Sister Qinghe! When did you get back? Brother Mingchuan said you’d gone to visit relatives!”
Ye Qinghe pursed her lips in a smile.
“I just returned.”
“I heard Brother Changfeng got married, so I hurried over.”
“I wanted to see what kind of outstanding young lady had won Brother Changfeng’s heart, so I could admire her too.”
For just an instant, Shen Yihuan caught a flash of jealousy and unwillingness hidden in Ye Qinghe’s eyes.
Jiang Lanxin curled her lips.
“Outstanding? She’s just a pampered young lady who can’t do anything!”
“If you ask me, she’s neither as pretty as you nor as capable.”
Ye Qinghe was secretly overjoyed, but outwardly she gently scolded the younger girl.
“Lanxin, how can you say something like that in front of Sister-in-law?”
“You’ll hurt her feelings.”
Then she turned to Shen Yihuan with an apologetic expression.
“Sister-in-law, Lanxin has always spoken without thinking. Please don’t take it to heart.”
Shen Yihuan almost laughed.
She answered without the slightest hesitation.
“First, we’re not acquainted, so please don’t call me ‘Sister-in-law.'”
“Second, Jiang Changfeng and I are already married. Yet you keep calling him ‘Brother Changfeng’ right in front of me. What exactly are your intentions?”
“Third, may I ask why you’ve come to my home today?”
“Fourth, unless you have important business here, Lanxin and I won’t be keeping you company.”
With that, she turned to Jiang Lanxin.
Her expression hardened, and she spoke in a firm, authoritative tone.
“It’s almost noon.”
“Why aren’t you cooking yet?”
“Do you want your eldest brother and the others to come home with nothing to eat?”
Jiang Lanxin was actually intimidated by Shen Yihuan’s demeanor.
For some reason…
The current Shen Yihuan seemed rather frightening.
She let go of Ye Qinghe’s hand and hurried into the kitchen without another word.
Ye Qinghe’s face flushed bright red from Shen Yihuan’s blunt, merciless remarks.
“Sis… Miss Shen…”
“I think you’ve misunderstood me.”
“I didn’t mean anything bad by it.”
Shen Yihuan lifted her eyelids slightly and said calmly, “You know perfectly well what you’re thinking. I still have things to do, so I won’t keep you company. Please excuse yourself.”
She turned to leave, but Ye Qinghe called after her.
“Sister-in-law, I came today to bring you and Brother Changfeng a wedding gift. I made these peach blossom cakes myself. They’re Brother Changfeng’s favorite.”
She nudged the basket she was carrying toward Shen Yihuan, a smug look hidden beneath her seemingly innocent gaze.
Shen Yihuan let out a derisive laugh and replied proudly, “Since Jiang Changfeng likes them so much, you should give them to him. I don’t eat such cheap pastries.”
The smug satisfaction in Ye Qinghe’s eyes visibly cracked apart, and the smile on her face froze.
Throwing her a look that was three parts contempt and seven parts mockery, Shen Yihuan turned and headed for the kitchen.
…
Lunch consisted of brown rice, wild vegetable soup, and a serving of pickled vegetables.
After returning from work, Liu Guiying looked at the meal Jiang Lanxin had prepared, then made a separate bowl of steamed egg custard just for Shen Yihuan.
Shen Yihuan felt rather embarrassed. She was already an adult, yet she was getting special treatment and eating something no one else had. Her cheeks flushed slightly.
“The brown rice is rough on the throat. Besides, you’ve only just recovered from a serious illness and need some nourishment. Don’t be shy.”
Liu Guiying smiled so warmly that, for a brief moment, Shen Yihuan was reminded of her late mother.
Watching this made Jiang Lanxin unhappy, and she immediately began to sneer.
“So what if she’s been sick? We all worked hard the entire morning, yet she’s the one who gets to eat better. Why?”
The moment the words left her mouth, Liu Guiying smacked her on the head with a pair of chopsticks, making her bare her teeth in pain.
“Mom!”
“Don’t call me ‘Mom.’ Do you have any manners? Yihuan is your eldest sister-in-law. Is this what I’ve taught you?”
Liu Guiying was practically furious with her foolish daughter.
Jiang Lanxin wanted to argue back, but when she caught sight of Jiang Chunsheng’s face darkening, she pouted, lowered her head, and silently shoveled rice into her mouth, not daring to say another word.
Jiang Chunsheng added sternly, “No manners whatsoever. As punishment, copy two pages of calligraphy.”
Jiang Lanxin visibly wilted and responded in a muffled voice, “Yes.”
“My dear, don’t mind her. Go ahead and eat.”
Liu Guiying smiled again as she urged Shen Yihuan.
“Thank you,” Shen Yihuan said gratefully, though she still didn’t touch the egg custard.
She picked up her bowl of brown rice and took a bite, her delicate brows knitting together. Then she sampled the other dishes.
The brown rice really was difficult to swallow. The wild vegetable soup wasn’t particularly tasty, and while the pickled vegetables were refreshing, they were far too salty.
“Eat the egg custard instead.”
Jiang Changfeng had noticed everything. He took the bowl of brown rice from her hands, emptied it into his own bowl, and placed the egg custard in front of her.
Shen Yihuan quickly glanced around at everyone else. As always, their expressions remained calm.
Even Jiang Lanxin kept her eyes lowered and refrained from making any sarcastic remarks.
Since she truly couldn’t stomach the brown rice, Shen Yihuan ate the egg custard instead.
Everyone had spent the morning working, so after lunch, Shen Yihuan offered to wash the dishes.
Liu Guiying smiled and didn’t stop her.
Jiang Changfeng followed her into the kitchen, probably worried that she didn’t know how and wanting to help.
“I’ll do the washing,” he said.
Once inside the kitchen, he didn’t let her lift a finger. Instead, he deftly set about washing the dishes himself.
Shen Yihuan sat on a small stool by the stove, watching him wash the dishes, feeling somewhat awkward.
She could tell that Jiang Changfeng genuinely wanted to build a good life with her.
But her heart was in turmoil.
What normal couple skipped getting to know each other and went straight to getting married? It was only natural that married life would feel awkward at every turn.
After Jiang Changfeng finished washing the dishes and tidying up the kitchen, the two of them walked outside. The Jiang family courtyard was quiet; everyone had returned to their rooms for an afternoon nap.
Shen Yihuan and Jiang Changfeng also went back to their room.
After thinking it over, Shen Yihuan told him about Ye Qinghe’s visit.