“In fact, the current drought had already shown some signs, but I didn’t expect it to be this severe. There have already been two light rains, yet the crops are almost withered,” Shen Wenhe said.
“Signs are already appearing? Then we must prepare early. In my dream, the disaster lasted a long time. Although I’ve already prepared some supplies, it’s still not enough. I need to prepare more,” Bai Nianqing said.
“Mm, I’ll prepare them tomorrow. I see that you didn’t prepare enough vegetables and meat, so I’ll have more brought in. Also, the clothes you prepared aren’t suitable for here. I’ll have people get some materials to make proper garments. And as for sewing supplies, you haven’t prepared any, so I’ll buy more from the general store,” Shen Wenhe recalled what Bai Nianqing had already prepared.
Bai Nianqing hadn’t thought about sewing supplies. All her clothes were ready-made; if they tore, she would either throw them away and buy new ones or pay a tailor.
“Alright, you take care of the preparations. By the way, should we tell your parents about this?” Bai Nianqing asked.
“No need. They already know. My stepmother has been selling off our property recently—I heard she wants to go to the capital to stay with her family. But I’ll still inform them. Whether they listen or not is another matter. By the way, I expect that tomorrow they’ll propose to split the family’s property. How do you feel about it? Do you want to divide the property? If not, I’ll figure out a way,” Shen Wenhe said.
“No need. It’s better if we divide the property. During a disaster, having a big family all together is inconvenient. Besides, with my space, it’s easier to manage if it’s just the two of us. Too many people would make things difficult to take out,” Bai Nianqing said.
“Alright, we’ll do it your way,” Shen Wenhe agreed. Then he added, “Wife, you must be tired. I’ll have someone prepare water; you go wash up first.”
Bai Nianqing suddenly remembered—it was their wedding night. She blushed, realizing it a bit late.
The rest followed naturally. Two people in love, hearts aligned, naturally shared a passionate wedding night.
The next morning, Bai Nianqing first had someone bring her brother over to soothe him for a while.
Only then did she go with Shen Wenhe to the main house to pay respects to his parents.
“Husband, do you think your parents will give me a hard time? And your sisters-in-law… I see none of them are easy to deal with,” Bai Nianqing worried aloud along the way.
“Don’t worry, they won’t. My stepmother values face; she won’t openly provoke you. As for my sisters-in-law, their words may be harsh, but you don’t need to hold back. Stand your ground if needed,” Shen Wenhe reassured her.
“Okay, I understand,” Bai Nianqing said. With Shen Wenhe’s words, she felt more confident. She wasn’t a pushover—if anyone provoked her, she would respond in kind.
Their courtyard was far from the main house, taking half an hour to walk. Along the way, servants bowed and greeted them.
“I didn’t expect your family to be this wealthy. This estate is huge,” Bai Nianqing said, looking at the large garden.
“Yes, but the wealth has nothing to do with me. You know I’m a concubine’s son and not favored by my father. When the property is split, I won’t get much. But don’t worry, I’ve managed some businesses myself; supporting you won’t be a problem,” Shen Wenhe said, helping her along.
“Mm, I believe you…”
They walked and chatted, proving that intimacy and closeness were indeed lubricants in a relationship. After the previous night’s deep connection, they now felt like a couple in love, unwilling to be apart.
Meanwhile, in the main hall, the family was already assembled. Shen Wenxi was complaining:
“Honestly, I said it before—Bai Nianqing comes from a small family with no manners. Look at the time, and they still haven’t arrived, making the elders wait.”
“Little sister, don’t say that. After all, the youngest brother and sister-in-law are newlyweds. It’s normal for them to get up late,” Shen Wenhe’s eldest sister said.
“Hmph, didn’t she faint and get sick yesterday? So what, just because we left, she can have the wedding night?” Shen Wenhe’s second sister-in-law snapped.
“Oh? Second sister-in-law, why so bitter? Didn’t brother satisfy you?” Shen Wenhe teased as he entered with Bai Nianqing.
“Old youngest, how dare you speak to your second sister-in-law like that?” Shen Wenhe’s second brother, Shen Wenbo, scolded.
“What did I say? She’s allowed to speak to me, am I not allowed to reply? Where in the world is this fair?” Shen Wenhe said confidently.
“Old youngest…” Shen Wenhe’s eldest brother looked displeased.
Shen Wenhe scoffed. He knew they were a true family, and he was an outsider.
“Enough, quiet down and serve the tea,” Old Master Shen said, glaring at Shen Wenhe.
“Yes, yes, serve the tea first. Nianqing, don’t mind them. Their brothers have always been like this—speaking without thinking,” Mrs. Shen quickly smoothed things over.
The tea ceremony went smoothly. Old Master Shen gave Bai Nianqing a large red envelope, and Mrs. Shen gave her a set of head ornaments.
The brothers and sisters-in-law also gave red envelopes.
Of course, Bai Nianqing also gave red envelopes to Shen Wenxi and the nieces and nephews.
The recognition ceremony was now complete, and the family sat down to talk.
“Ahem, now that the youngest is married, your mother and I have fulfilled our responsibility. We’re old and can’t always keep you by our side. You need to go live your own lives. We’ve discussed it and decided to split the property,” Old Master Shen, with Mrs. Shen’s subtle prompting, said.
“We’ll follow our parents’ decision,” the eldest son said respectfully.
“Big brother is right. We’ll all follow our parents,” the others expressed agreement.
Shen Wenhe and Bai Nianqing realized there was nothing unclear here.
This had clearly been planned in advance. The actual property division shouldn’t even involve them—it was just a show for outsiders.
Seeing Shen Wenhe remain silent, the Shens turned their attention to him.
Shen Wenhe scoffed, “Why are you looking at me? If I oppose it, will you not split the property?”
“If you really don’t want to split, then we won’t,” Old Master Shen said awkwardly.
“Parents, splitting the property is for your own good—you mustn’t be ungrateful,” the eldest son said, already looking forward to pushing Shen Wenhe out.
“Exactly. Once the property is divided, the youngest can manage things independently, isn’t that great?”