CHAPTER 88: CHAPTER 086: BLUSHING, BOWING HEAD AND PRETENDING IGNORANCE

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"This..." Zhang Shan Ni felt a headache as she watched the behavior of the group in front of her, and the longer she thought about it, the more she wished they would just take everything away and leave without a farewell!

Firstly, she herself was quite wealthy and didn’t care about the ’three big items’ at this time. Secondly, just thinking that her life wouldn’t be peaceful after today made her teeth sour.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her mother-in-law’s eyes shining with excitement, then glanced at her father-in-law, smiling like a wealthy man, and she felt like covering her face.

Zhang Shan Ni held no hope for her in-laws, so she turned to her husband, hoping he would speak up.

Xie Jingchen indeed responded immediately after her, but Zhang Shan Ni wished she could turn back time and yell: Darling, Husband, don’t mess this up, let me handle it!

Catching his little wife’s plea for help, Xie Jingchen immediately said to Liu Guilan, who was about to cry to gain sympathy:

"Aunt Liu, Uncle Li, don’t be upset. The main thing is, the items you brought this time are considered too luxurious in the eyes of us peasants. Our family is just an ordinary farm household, and seeing these items, it’s inevitable to feel a bit nervous, please don’t take it the wrong way. Having your favor for my wife, to tell the truth, I feel much more relieved. I am just a soldier, and I will return to the military tomorrow, leaving my elderly parents and wife at home, so there will inevitably be times we need to trouble you. This time, I’ll boldly accept your gifts, but please don’t do this again, is that alright?"

Xie Jingchen lowered his status a bit while addressing the two elders, Li Baojia and Liu Guilan. He didn’t feel humiliated because if lowering his pride could lead his family to a more comfortable life, he saw nothing wrong with it.

"Good, good, we like your straightforward young man! This is the first visit from the Li and Chen families, and we came to express our gratitude. Most importantly, it’s you and your wife’s wedding celebration day, if our wedding gift was too modest, we wouldn’t feel right showing our faces! Little Xie, rest assured, as long as I, Old Li, am here, your home will be looked after!"

Li Baojia clapped heavily on Xie Jingchen’s shoulder, laughed loudly, and spoke with great enthusiasm.

"Then thank you, Uncle Li!" Xie Jingchen nodded, smiling a bit deeper.

"Don’t be so formal! And don’t call me Uncle Li anymore, it’s too distant. If you don’t mind, just call me Uncle Zhengping. Zhengping is my courtesy name. My only son is a bit older than you, and since you are of similar age, just call him Jianfeng. Brother Tiesheng, Sister-in-law, we should get together more often when we have the time, to build our relationships!"

"Alright, Uncle Zhengping, Brother Jianfeng." Xie Jingchen glanced at his little wife and together they changed how they addressed people.

Zhang Shan Ni suppressed the feeling of powerlessness rising in her heart, a shy and awkward smile appeared on her gloomy face as she glanced at her husband and cheerfully called out to the people with him.

"Hey hey, in-laws, that’s not fair, only caring about changing your own way of addressing and forgetting about me, your old in-law!" Liu Guilan glared at the father and son from Li He’s family and then turned to Zhang Shan Ni with a smile narrowing her eyes, speaking quite familiarly:

"Shanni, don’t call me Aunt Liu anymore. If you don’t mind, call me Aunt Lan. Your Sister-in-law Chunling is really hoping for another big sister around! Even your Sister Xiu Fang at home, was keen to come over too, but she’s still in her postpartum confinement. The child was frightened these past few days, so I dare not let her go out."

"Um, thank goodness Aunt didn’t let Sister Xiu Fang come over! In confinement, one must properly rest; it’s a big deal and should not be taken lightly, which could harm one fundamentally."

Zhang Shanni agreed repeatedly, understanding that sitting out the month of confinement was no trivial matter. According to her mother, if the confinement was done well, it could even resolve menstrual irregularities she had from her younger days. If not properly observed, it could lead to a lifetime of issues—frequent headaches and back pain would be what’s in store!

Zhang Shanni noticed a gloomy flicker in her husband’s eyes as he glanced at her, and surprisingly, she understood the intent behind his gaze, and just as he wished, she meekly accepted the reality—following his will.

Although she had an aversion to the upcoming chaotic life, feeling that her husband had thoughtfully considered her choice made her heart sweetly flutter; even if logically it seemed wrong, her emotions were delighted.

Indeed, in her husband’s eyes, she might have been considered a bit forceful, capable yet compliant, but her background was clear, fearing she might be oppressed by her sisters-in-law and also worrying about the Zhang Family bullying due to her lacking familial support. The presence of the Li and Chen families now was indeed apt to elevate her status—a consideration she too had mindfully made.

But others wouldn’t know what confidence she held in herself. Thinking about if she truly accepted Liu Guilan’s intention, what would come next might likely be relentless harassment from the Zhang Family—especially since at that time, her husband Xie Jingchen would have returned to the military. With only the elderly and the young by her side, she really couldn’t afford a face-off with the shameless Zhang Family!

Zhou Xiuhua was unaware of her Third Son’s Wife’s worries. Seeing the four distinguished guests treating her differently, her eyes shone bright with joy. She nudged her husband beside her with her shoulder, seeing Xie Tiesheng glancing over, she puffed her chest with pride as if to say, "This daughter-in-law was my choice, good, right?" her smile creased all the wrinkles on her face.

Xie Tiesheng was momentarily stunned, then remembered his previous jokes about the daughters-in-law he had chosen earlier and instantly understood what his wife meant.

With a glance similar to Xie Jingchen’s, showing 90% resemblance, though internally amused, he thought, ’This wife of mine, the daughter-in-law was chosen by Third Son himself, what’s there for her to be proud of?’

With the families of Li and Chen keen to make deeper connections, and the Xie Family looking to establish bonds, the three families gathered and chatted amicably, especially after Xie Jingchen shared his thoughts. Xie Tiesheng, the apparent head of the family, was no longer just in the background, engaging in conversations with Li Baojia and Li Jianfeng from time to time. The men, each with their own life experiences, found their discussions mutually rewarding.

Zhou Xiuhua always aligned her opinions with those of her husband and son. Seeing the men chatting smoothly and happily, she stepped forward to protect her Third Son’s Wife, starting a chat with Liu Guilan and Feng Chunling.

Primarily because Zhang Shanni did not dare to be too eye-catching. As the conversation among the three mature women delved into slightly inappropriate topics, all she could do was blush, bow her head and pretend naivety!

In the eyes of an older woman like Liu Guilan, Zhang Shanni’s demeanor was perfectly appropriate. She promptly told Zhou Xiuhua that she would soon be holding a great-grandson, touching upon what Zhou Xiuhua cared about most, sparking her interest in the conversation. Aunt Lan and Sister-in-law Chunling occasionally fanning the flames made it look to Zhang Shanni like the trio ganging up was even more terrifying than five hundred ducks!

Seeing that it was nearly noon, Zhang Shanni timidly escaped—to go cook!

Watching her flee in a panic, the crowd in the main room burst into laughter.