T.N: Next week I’ll only post one chapter, on Friday. I need to take a short break from looking at my computer screen, otherwise my eyes might just go on and reincarnate without me (*꒦ິ꒳꒦ີ)♡ So see you next Friday! Have a good weekend, and happy reading!
“Let’s talk about it later. We can’t let his sister know about this.” Xu Shen said, looking like he didn’t care. Wearing the same ring would undoubtedly reveal the truth, and Shu Ran was still unwilling to come out to his family.
Shu Ran noticed that Xu Shen kept on looking his way several times. In fact, he really wanted to buy a ring and was looking for his wife’s approval.
With all the eyes on him, Shu Ran felt the need to clarify this misunderstanding. He swallowed the food in his mouth, took a sip of tea, and said: “You didn’t tell me you wanted to buy wedding rings that day. I thought you just wanted to buy me jewelry.”
Xu Shen smiled and happily answered: “Then, let’s go take a look today, and pick up the seals on our way!”
There was nothing else Shu Ran could say, so he nodded: “Okay.”
Not long after, Xue Feng came back, carrying a lot of food in her hands. Chen Sen, a model son who was considerate of his mother’s struggles, got up to help her cook. “You guys have a drink and wait for dinner.”
“Brother Sen is such a good man.” Shu Ran commented while looking at Chen Sen’s back.
He never expected that a young man with such a dangerous image would turn out to be a kindhearted man, willing to enter the kitchen and work in the fields. If he gets married in the future, his wife must also be a kind woman who cares about others.
“Yes.” Xu Shen nodded, confirming that Chen Sen was indeed a good man. “I’m also a good man.”
Shu Ran was probably in a trance, so he remarked smoothly: “Does your cooking taste as good as Brother Sen’s?”
Xu Shen: “…”
That was not the case… The main reason was that his life had been rough, so he never needed to cook. He could learn…
But he didn’t know if he could reach Chen Sen’s level.
“Shu Ran,” Xu Shen noticed that his wife seemed to be interested in the Chen family’s house, so he changed the subject: “Do you want to have a tour of the house?”
“Is that okay?” Shu Ran looked at Chen Kai.
“Why not? Let’s go!” Chen Kai was very happy and got up immediately to show them the way.
Xu Shen doesn’t speak too much, and it was not his turn to discuss the situation of the Chen family, but he still had to add a few words today. After all, Chen Kai was uneducated, with a dog’s mouth that couldn’t spit out ivory, unable to even name the things his family had.
Therefore, when it came to collecting antiques from the countryside, Chen Kai kept his mouth shut, too scared to lose everything, including his underpants.
The Chen family was a family with a vast heritage. Their ancestral home was a typical square courtyard house that had been passed down for several generations. When Shu Ran first met Chen Kai, his first impression of him was that of a spirited young man whose mouth could outrun a speeding train.
But in fact, Chen Kai was pretty good-looking. If he changed his dressing style and his inappropriate way of speaking, he could even pass as a talented scholar.
Shu Ran asked Xu Shen casually: “Brother Sen and Brother Kai are not young anymore. Aunt Feng has no intention to find wives for them?”
A woman of Aunt Feng’s age would love nothing more but to play as a matchmaker. It made no sense to still have two single sons.
“Yes.” When Xu Shen heard this question, he laughed before speaking: “Brother Kai started dating when he was eighteen years old. Aunt Feng looked at all the girls in Nanshi who were of similar age… In the end, not a single one of them liked him!”
“Fuck!” Chen Kai quickly caught up and tried to slap Xu Shen’s head. “You bastard! You’re saying bad things about me again!”
Xu Shen blocked him with his backhand, preventing Chen Kai from successfully touching him. “How can stating facts be considered saying bad things?!”
If only he didn’t smile so much… Others might still believe he was purely stating facts.
Chen Kai glared angrily. That was his black history, something that still deeply bothered him. And Xu Shen, that bastard, used it to entertain his wife! Was Xu Shen still a human being?!
“What about Brother Sen? Why doesn’t he get a wife?” Shu Ran didn’t want them to quarrel, so he naturally diverted the attention. Chen Sen wasn’t here, so…
…I’m sorry, Brother Sen!
When it came to his older brother’s dark history, Chen Kai was suddenly energized. He started to sing a duet with Xu Shen, painting a vivid image of his brother’s sad and tragic love life.
It turned out Chen Sen had a darling in his heart, someone he still couldn’t forget.
It all started with the decline of the Chen family. Back then, Chen Sen was truly a young master, with a very affectionate first love girlfriend. They were planning to get married, but unfortunately, something bad happened to the Chen family’s patriarch…
And then the liquidators came knocking on their door.
Everyone suffered a series of debilitating blows, and Chen Sen’s marriage went out in flames, just like that. It turned out his girlfriend couldn’t stand the pressure of her family and married someone else after they broke up. But her life was not going well after the marriage, and she kept on dreaming about having a divorce.
Chen Sen was still thinking about his first love, waiting for her to get a divorce. But by now, her child was already three years old, and she was still procrastinating on that separation…
“My mother said it…” Chen Kai sighed. “If the child was a girl, it would be fine. It’s such a pity that it’s a boy…”
The matter was really difficult to handle.
Shu Ran was both sympathetic and confused: “Then, can’t she give the child to her ex-husband?” In the event of a divorce during that era, it was unrealistic for a woman to be able to keep a son.
Xu Shen told him: “That’s the problem. The woman can’t let go of her child. Otherwise, she would have left a long time ago.”
Chen Sen’s love story was indeed quite a tragedy. It seemed that the woman didn’t love him that much. It’s understandable that she ended up marrying someone else under public pressure, but she still didn’t choose him in the end… So Chen Sen’s weight in her heart wasn’t that much.
“Oh.” Shu Ran concluded in a low voice. “Then the love journey of your brother is quite bumpy. Both of you… Each step is harder than the previous one…”
Chen Kai felt the same, but he looked at Shu Ran with the mindset of making trouble: “Isn’t it enough that is going well for the two of you?”
Shu Ran looked at Xu Shen, and Xu Shen also looked at him. They looked at each other with burning eyes, but it was Shu Ran who averted his sight first.
“Let’s go eat!” Chen Kai saw his brother coming, and he wiped the smile off his face with a guilty conscience. Did his brother hear their singing duet just now?!
Just like the black history of him losing to Xu Shen on that bridge in Nanshi, Chen Sen’s failed marriage was also his reverse scale. Whoever mentioned it, ended up in the hospital with a swollen mouth…
Chen Sen didn’t hear it, so he just waved from afar.
When they arrived at the dining table, Xue Feng apologized to Xu Shen: “Xiao Shen, Aunt is truly sorry she couldn’t come to your wedding that day.”
“It’s okay, Aunt Feng. Senzi and Kaizi1I don’t think I’ve mentioned this before, but adding Zi to a person’s name is another way to show that you are close. Just as Zhou Hui calls her brother Dingzi, also adding Zi to his name were there. You couldn’t leave the shop unattended.” Xu Shen smiled and picked up food for Shu Ran, as usual.
His man didn’t like meat, but he still tried to make him eat more. And Shu Ran… Shu Ran wanted to pick up his bowl and leave, but he was afraid to appear abrupt and uncultured in front of Aunt Feng.
He looked at Xue Feng nervously, but fortunately, the other party’s attention was on Xu Shen, completely ignoring him.
“Why didn’t you bring your wife?” Xue Feng wanted to meet Xu Shen’s wife and give her a congratulatory red envelope.
Chen Kai was secretly gloating, thinking: “His wife is right here!” But Xu Shen didn’t let him make it public, so he didn’t dare talk nonsense…
Xu Shen: “My wife is shy and doesn’t want to see anyone yet.”
Xue Feng showed an understanding smile: “Indeed, you’ve been married for several days, so it’s a bit embarrassing.”
Since the new wife wasn’t here, Xue Feng didn’t have many scruples, so she started gossiping: “How is it, Xiao Shen, do you get along well with your wife? When are you going to become a father?”
Look at that bright smile on her face, and her eyes as big as New Year lanterns… This was a complicated matter to explain.
Xu Shen glanced at the Chen brothers, thinking: “With two big, unmarried sons to your side, what are you even talking about?!”
“We are a good fit.” Xu Shen smiled and glanced at Shu Ran, without any shame. His wife’s snow-white ears were now bright red. He couldn’t help but feel a tremor in his heart, quickly averting his eyes. “Just let the becoming a father thing up to fate. We don’t want to force it…”
How could Shu Ran not understand what Xue Feng was hinting at?! He might have been unhinged among his peers, but in front of elders, Shu Ran turned into a blushing child. The type that buried his head in his bowl, unwilling to let a single sound escape.
“Is your wife fat or thin? Is she shy in the bedroom?” The elderly aunt was fearless, better at nagging than all the young people combined.
Xu Shen couldn’t carry this conversation anymore: “Ahem, thin, I think…”
…He wasn’t shy in the bedroom…
Xue Feng laughed hard: “Then let her eat more, and feed her until she’s fat! Listen to your aunt, fat won’t hurt you! A wife should be plump and comfortable to hold!2Preach it, Sister!“
Now this conversation made everyone blush. Chen Sen quickly said to his mother: “Mom, stop nagging. The food is cold.”
“How could it already be cold in such hot weather?!” Xue Feng neatly picked up some food for Shu Ran: “Xiao Ran, eat a chicken drumstick! You’re our guest!”
“Thank you. Aunt Feng.” Shu Ran didn’t dare lift his head out of his bowl, fearing his strangeness was written all over his face.
But how could others not see? His head was as good as merging with the table…
“Look at me… Xiao Ran is only eighteen! I won’t say any more!” Xue Feng saw Shu Ran’s discomfort, and she felt the little boy must have been embarrassed to listen to her words.
The others all laughed in secret. This embarrassed little boy was ruthless when there were no elders present. Really, he was the craziest of them all!
After lunch, without staying long, Shu Ran pressured Xu Shen to leave. Hearing there were still things they needed to do, Xue Feng didn’t stop them, just asking to visit her again next time.
Xu Shen took Shu Ran to the shop that specializes in carving seals, picking up their two custom orders. After that, he dragged his wife toward the jewelry shop, to look for matching wedding rings.
In the past, jewelry craftsmanship was still good, without the decline it had in modern times. Shu Ran was used to the rough designs of his modern times, but fortunately, they were both men, without much consideration for the aesthetics. He wanted a plain ring without any embellishments. Just a pair of simple silver rings. Preferably, the type that was just a circle…
“Isn’t it too plain?” Xu Shen knew that Shu Ran wasn’t fond of fancy designs, but still…
“The patterns on them are not good-looking…” Shu Ran complained. “Let’s just wear a simple one first, and then I’ll make a design and ask the master to carve it.”
Xu Shen looked at him sideways, fully surprised. He didn’t expect Shu Ran could even draw motifs for their wedding rings. Just how much of his wife’s abilities was still under wraps?!
“That’s a great idea!” Xu Shen was happy regardless.
Shu Ran replied smoothly: “I have to be full of ideas in order to deal with you.”
Yes, Xu Shen remembered. His wife was indeed full of ideas on how to deal with him…
The two of them did not continue talking on this dangerous subject. Xu Shen put the two rings away and took his wife home. They couldn’t wear their rings just yet, not until Zhou Hui got married.
Arriving home, one of Xu Shen’s younger brothers was waiting for them.
“He’s here to settle the money. I have to go out with him later, and might arrive home late.”
“Oh.”
Xu Shen went upstairs and got his account book and some money. He turned around and hugged Shu Ran’s waist. After kissing him deeply for a while, he looked at his wife and said: “If your sister doesn’t come back in the evening, go out and have some noodles. Don’t stay hungry.”
“You’re not coming back tonight?” Shu Ran pressed his hands on the man’s chest, feeling the beating heart underneath the warm and smooth muscles.
“Can’t sleep without me?” Xu Shen chuckled and kissed him twice more. “I’ll try my best, but it’s not necessary. Sometimes there are trivial things that go on for longer than anticipated.”
“It’s okay.” Shu Ran nodded. “My sister should be back in the evening.”
“Well, that’s good. It’s better if you don’t go out.” Xu Shen started getting worried, as usual…
“Just go already!” Shu Ran pushed the slimy man away. “Stop delaying and making me wait for you!”
“Okay, I’m leaving.” The brothers outside were waiting impatiently, and Xu Shen had no more time to act spoiled to his wife. He needed to go out that door, now.
After spending several days together at Xu Shen’s house, this was the first time Shu Ran was home alone. But it was fine, he had plenty of things to do on his own. There was an unused table in the living room on the second floor, so Shu Ran cleaned it to use as his writing place. The writing supplies bought by Xu Shen were still unopened, and he planned to use them all today. Not for practicing calligraphy, but for package design and copywriting. The printing technology of that time was limited, so he needed something that was good-looking and catchy, but simple. Shu Ran’s designs were indeed based on simplicity, but they all had a certain something that was able to attract the attention of old tea drinkers.
Having previous experience with design, Shu Ran was able to finish the labels with ease. But coming up with slogans for each specific tea was not so simple. Of course, his type of talent and way with words were different from those of the literary talents of this era, so all the slogans he could come up with were somewhat novel. But having a lot of material already stored in his brain made things easier. He edited, changed, and deleted again and again, and before he knew it, it was already dark.
Zhang Yunsheng sent Zhou Hui home, and the couple said their goodbyes reluctantly, stuck at the door for a long time. When Zhou Hui learned Xu Shen was not home, she worriedly asked her brother: ” Dingzi, have you had dinner?”
“I haven’t eaten…” Shu Ran came back to his senses, and his stomach growled with hunger.
Zhou Hui: “You’re not hungry? Why didn’t you go out to eat something before I came back?”
“I was about to go… I was so absorbed in writing I forgot.” Shu Ran started to collect his discarded papers.
Zhou Hui was unhappy, so she asked again: “Then what about breakfast and lunch? What did you do today?”
Shu Ran stuffed the waste paper in a bamboo trash can: “Ate the noodles cooked by Brother Shen in the morning, and for lunch, we went to visit Brother Kai.”
“Ahh, I knew it was Brother Shen serving you again…” Zhou Hui was already tired of scolding him. She could only say that one was willing to demand, and the other willing to suffer. How could Xu Shen spoil him so much?! She sighed and turned to the kitchen to cook a bowl of noodles for her spoiled little brother…
Shu Ran thought to himself: “As if I don’t also have to serve him…”
Soon, Zhou Hui was done with the noodles, putting them on the dining table. She went upstairs to call her brother and caught a glimpse of the rice paper he was working on.
“What is this?”
“Oh, I’m helping Brother Kai’s family with some designs.”
“Designs?” Zhou Hui picked up a sheet of paper and looked it over carefully: “My brother, you’re really talented. This is beautiful.”
Looking at the designs one by one, Zhou Hui no longer disliked her brother for being lazy and not doing anything. His hands were better used for drawing and writing.
“What did you and my brother-in-law buy today?” Shu Ran smiled and followed her downstairs.
Zhou Hui showed him everything that was in the living room. She really had everything… Zhou Hui played with some woolen balls and said with a smile: “Look at this! It’s perfect to make sweaters in the winter!”
Shu Ran tasted a mouthful of noodle soup and looked at the gray ball of yarn: “Is it for my brother-in-law?”
Zhou Hui: “No, I’ll make a vest for you first.”
“You better make something for your husband first… I’ve never been in a fight before and I don’t want to start with fighting my brother-in-law…”
Zhou Hui thought about it and agreed: “Okay!”
Both siblings laughed, and Zhou Hui continued: “His boss approved his marriage leave. The 29th is a good day, we plan to get the certificate then.”
“On the 29th?” Shu Ran thought for a while, his brain a little sluggish. “Older brother seems to also host his banquet on that day… You won’t go back?”
“Such a coincidence?” Zhou Hui didn’t care about Zhou Qiang’s wedding, but they unexpectedly bumped into each other. What should she do?
Zhang Yunsheng’s marriage leave wasn’t long, and they might not find another good day. They couldn’t miss it.
“It’s okay. I’ll drag Brother Shen to the countryside again.” Shu Ran said while finishing the last drop of his noodle soup.
Zhou Hui started twisting the yarn in her hands when she heard this: “Dingzi, you are quite rude to Brother Shen, as if he’s the one who owes you. You can’t be like this as a proper human being…”
They already depended on Xu Shen too much.
Shu Ran: “I know, but he doesn’t want to hold accounts like that between us. As long as everyone’s happy…”
Zhou Hui lowered her eyes and said nothing, playing with the thread in her hands.
After finishing his bowl of noodles, Shu Ran picked it up and went to wash it in the kitchen. He didn’t feel guilty. Human life was so short, too short to worry about so many things. It was fine to just make everyone happy.
He would try his best to pay back the things that needed to be paid, without fighting over every little detail. There was no need to have so many intense emotions, and he didn’t want to change himself, or others.
It was already dark, but Xu Shen still hadn’t come back. Zhou Hui was a little worried: “Did Brother Shen say when he’ll be back?”
“He wasn’t sure, maybe later.” Shu Ran answered.
Zhou Hui felt her brother’s tone was too indifferent, and she was a little dissatisfied: “Aren’t you worried about him?”
“Um, there’s nothing to worry about, right?” Shu Ran really wasn’t worried. “Sister, Brother Shen is really powerful. There’s no need to be worried about him.”
It wasn’t that Shu Ran’s heart was made of stone… On the contrary, he just knew very well what kind of man Xu Shen was. He was not someone to be trifled with, so nothing should happen to him.
He was here on his own for so many years, doing great without anyone worrying for him.
It was now around eight o’clock, and there was still no sign of Xu Shen. Shu Ran went for his bath, especially washing himself, and then leaned on the bed, to wait and read a novel.
What he was reading was not a martial arts novel. He knew all those classics by heart. He was more interested in Xu Shen’s collection of erotic novels… He had no needs, and his life was already filled with X every night, but the curiosity remained.
Shu Ran opened his book, only to find out that it was also a martial arts one…He curled up in his bed and laughed, eager to find out the plot of this erotic drama. All the novels of that era were strong pieces of literature, and even perverted ones had a good plot structure.
The author’s writing skills were indeed superb. Originally, he just planned to read for the plot. But looking at it, he couldn’t help but be attracted by the author’s vivid descriptions and bold language…
When he came to his senses, he had already unconsciously turned several pages, feeling shy and restless all over…
He was young and healthy, so this kind of reaction was normal, okay?!
By now, Xu Shen was already downstairs, talking with Zhou Hui. She was knitting a sweater, saying that her brother was already asleep and it was better to walk carefully and not disturb him.
As a result, Xu Shen opened the door and saw his wife not sleeping but… curled on the bed while holding one of his erotic books, red from head to toe, and completely ignoring him.
Xu Shen was confused. Was the way he opened the door wrong?!
But Xu Shen’s second thought was different. Did his wife miss him when he was gone, or was he more relaxed and happy to be alone?!
All these different thoughts cluttered Xu Shen’s mind, making his brain unable to form a complete sentence. So he just gave up on all those complicated things, only enjoying the beautiful scenery his wife presented for him.
“I’m back.” Xu Shen coughed lightly. “Did you miss me?”
Shu Ran heard him, and his whole body shook.
“…”
When people were extremely embarrassed, they would freeze for a while. For example, right now, Shu Ran fully experienced the sensation of being turned into stone.
Xu Shen walked over and pressed Shu Ran from behind. At the same time, his hand went south and touched a place that was in very much need of attention.
This sudden attack made Shu Ran snort, unable to hold the book in his hands. He raised his head and his whole body tensed, only able to shout in a sweet and long tone:
“Brother Shen…”
