After saying that, Shen Fenghua even winked playfully. Grandma was speechless and raised her hand to give Shen Fenghua, who spoke without thinking, a light tap. "Nonsense, I'm already so old."

"So what if I'm old?" Shen Fenghua had a point. "Even at my age, I can still have close friends to talk to!"

Seeing that her grandmother's attention had been diverted, Shen Fenghua breathed a sigh of relief and reassured her, "It's alright, don't worry about this. It definitely won't get out. Qi Ye and I will definitely handle this matter perfectly."

"Hmm," Grandma was still a little worried, "Can you do it yourself? If you can't, I will. It's only right for a mother to beat a girl who has done wrong."

As she said this, a fierce glint appeared in Grandma's eyes; it was clear that she was speaking from the bottom of her heart.

"It's alright, there's no need to hit her, she never learns her lesson."

To strike a snake, you must strike its vital spot; Shen Fenghua knew what this mother cared about most.

After calming the old lady down, Shen Fenghua walked to the kitchen. She hesitated, unsure how to explain things to Qi Ye's boss, and stood there awkwardly for a moment.

Xu Chendong, however, understood. Seeing Shen Fenghua's flustered expression, he gave her a reassuring look. "I understand. You don't need to explain. Everyone has a couple of troublesome relatives. It's just that you're an especially close one."

At this point, Xu Chendong smiled and praised Shen Fenghua, "You young lady, you're quite courageous. You severed ties with them yourself and still took care of the elderly. You're a good person."

Shen Fenghua let out a long sigh and gave a bitter smile. "Sigh, who told me to have such a mother? It's really a nightmare."

"By the way," Xu Chendong looked at Shen Fenghua, "I heard that your sister, Shen Huixiu, is still nowhere to be found?"

"Hmm, no news."

At this point, the lack of news is good news, but it's not always certain.

China is a vast and resource-rich land, and an individual is as insignificant as a speck of dust in the air. Even if one dies in some remote mountain village, rotting and stinking, or being regarded as a gift from heaven by wolves and tigers, it's hard to say what will happen.

"Yes, I'll keep an eye on it."

Shen Fenghua was exceptionally straightforward: "No need, I don't care if you die or not."

She was genuinely too lazy to hide her dislike for Shen Huixiu. After she finished speaking, seeing that Xu Chendong's expression remained normal, Shen Fenghua left. There was nothing she could do by just standing there, so she might as well do something else.

The children were lucky; they had just gone out to play and didn't witness this scene. Otherwise, if such a young child had seen it, Grandma would have thought she might as well have just killed herself.

Shen Fenghua was turning over the dried sweet potatoes that were drying on a round winnowing basket. As she turned them over, she muttered to herself. Qi Ye finished his work and, seeing Shen Fenghua muttering, came over to watch.

What are you muttering about?

"Oh my god, you scared me to death."

"Hehehe," Qi Ye chuckled, "What are you fiddling with?"

Shen Fenghua rolled her eyes and said in a curt tone, "Can't you see? I'm looking through Grandma's treasures."

"Isn't Grandma's darling you?"

Shen Fenghua glanced at him sideways, "Then where's your baby?"

Qi Ye's expression remained unchanged. He lowered his head and kissed her. "It's you too."

To be honest, she was a little overwhelmed by this sudden, sweet talk from someone who rarely said anything romantic.

Her face flushed, and she scolded playfully, "Get lost, you've learned to be glib too."

Qi Ye looked hurt. "Heaven and earth bear witness, I'm speaking from the heart. Honey, you're really hurting me by saying this."

"Then don't be sad."

"No, I need my wife to kiss me before I feel better."

"No, in broad daylight, have you no shame?"

"What right do you have to be shameless with my wife? Hurry up."

Unable to resist Qi Ye's persistent pestering, Shen Fenghua actually turned around and kissed him, though it was somewhat perfunctory. "Alright, stop fooling around."

Seeing that the frown between Shen Fenghua's brows had almost dissipated, Qi Ye said softly, "Alright, I won't make a fuss anymore. Don't be angry. It's not worth it for those petty people."

Shen Fenghua was taken aback by these words. When she came to her senses, she felt a warm glow in her heart.

He laughed and said, "Oh, I knew you were being so glib. You were just trying to make me happy."

"Yeah, I was just trying to cheer you up. Are you happy now?"

"happy."

Not only was she happy, but her face also turned red, and her heart was pounding wildly. She raised her eyes and glanced at Qi Ye shyly.

Qi Ye: "!!!"

He firmly covered his wife's eyes, saying, "Don't look at me like that, I'll commit a crime."

With the sunlight blocked, Shen Fenghua blinked innocently and said, "I'm your wife, what crime have I committed?"

"Stop messing around," Qi Ye was somewhat defeated. He was at the age where he was full of vigor and masculinity, and with a beautiful wife in his arms, he was not a saint.

Knowing her own situation, Shen Fenghua stopped making a fuss and honestly talked to him about it.

"Actually, I think this matter shouldn't be taken lightly; it needs to be handled seriously!"

They have to make a scene once to scare them away.

"I'll do it."

Shen Fenghua glanced at him sideways, "Nonsense, you're a soldier, protecting the country, how could you do such a thing?"

"You are my home. If I can't even protect you, then I..."

Shen Fenghua raised her finger and forcefully covered his mouth, "I know, I know everything."

"What do you know?" With his mouth gagged, Qi Ye spoke in a muffled voice.

“I know you care about me, I know you have me in your heart, and I know you want to protect me,” Shen Fenghua knew everything, but she did not think of herself as a delicate flower that needed protection everywhere.

She is also a strong person who can stand on her own. If she had to describe herself as a flower, she would think of herself as a rose, with thorns.

Shen Fenghua raised her eyes and met Qi Ye's gaze. "But please believe me, I can do it too. These things are no challenge for me, okay?"

Qi Ye felt that he was truly blessed by his ancestors.

He must have used up all the good deeds accumulated by his ancestors for ten generations to finally meet his daughter-in-law.

"Yes, I trust you." Qi Ye smiled slightly. "If you need any help, just call me anytime, okay?"

“That’s for sure,” Shen Fenghua’s eyes darted around, “However, I might owe Brother He a favor.” She smiled and put her arm around Qi Ye’s neck, “You’ll have to repay that favor, okay?”

"no problem!"

"Mwah~ Ah Ye is the best!"

The young couple were enjoying themselves immensely, while over at the Shen family's house...

Mother Shen felt uneasy all day. Wan Shuhua, holding the child, looked at Mother Shen and chuckled, "Mother, what's wrong with you today? You seem so distracted. Did you do something wrong?"

Mother Shen's heart skipped a beat. Meeting Wan Shuhua's suspicious gaze, she said sharply, "Bullshit! That mouth of yours just spouts nonsense."

Wan Shuhua: "..."

Saying that is like you've taken a shot.

It's like nobody cares.