Chapter 157 The Virtuous Sun Cuiping

"Aren't you coming back?" The woman was a little confused.

In the residential compound, if anyone has a car going to the town or the city, everyone will basically hitch a ride, as long as there's enough room.

No one had ever ridden in Commander Jiang's car before. Commander Jiang said it would have a bad influence, but unexpectedly, even Commander Jiang's wife wouldn't ride in it, and she wouldn't allow anyone to abduct her. If she didn't allow anyone to abduct her, it would be a 20-minute walk to the town.

"Um, it's for work. Are you still taking a ride? If not, I'm leaving." Tao Ying closed the car door, started the car, and drove away.

"What does Commander Jiang's wife do? Does she drive to work?" the woman asked the person next to her, looking completely bewildered.

"How would I know? She must be capable. If she wasn't capable, how could she marry Commander Jiang? What kind of person is Commander Jiang?" a woman said softly.

These people are short-sighted and always like to stare at others.

Tao Ying didn't have time to think about these things. She was focused on driving and went home first. Then she called Sun Cuiping.

“Xiao Ying’er, when are you coming over? I’ve got everything sorted out here. I’ve even contacted some people from our old performing arts troupe. They haven’t been doing too well these past few years, but one of them has started a dance class with lots of students.” Sun Cuiping was full of energy.

Everyone has started rehearsing the dance, and gradually Sun Cuiping has rediscovered that feeling from before.

Hearing Sun Cuiping's words, Jiang Shuo's face instantly turned aggrieved.

This woman doesn't care about herself at all anymore.

He's never home, and he even goes dancing with young people.

He kept telling himself about art, and his mother was incredibly supportive.

Jiang Shuo is now filled with resentment and also hates Jiang Huan.

You're such a weak husband, unable to control your wife, so why did you let her ruin my wife's life?

But they dared not say that this woman had changed recently; she used to be disliked by everyone at home and could only rely on herself.

Now things have changed. Everyone in the family likes my wife, and even my older brother and sister-in-law will take time to watch her performances.

"That's great, Second Sister-in-law. Don't you have a lot of sisters? Ask around if any companies need opening dances or year-end performances. I'm looking for directors or anything like that. We could put together a movie or TV series and see if we can get it broadcast on television," Tao Ying said with a smile.

"That's wonderful! Xiaoying, when are you coming back? We're rehearsing all the time right now, and Mom comes to watch every few days. My older brother and sister-in-law came a couple of days ago too, and they said I danced really well," Sun Cuiping happily shared with Tao Ying.

"I'm at home now. I got back today. When do you guys start training? I'll come pick you up." Tao Ying was also quite excited.

"Did you drive back? That must be tiring. You should rest well. I'll cook for you tonight." Sun Cuiping immediately stood up and glanced at the time; it was only two o'clock.

"Do you practice dancing tonight?" Tao Ying asked with a smile.

“We’re here from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Friday, and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. I’m going to buy groceries now, and then I’ll cook for you,” Sun Cuiping said excitedly.

"Second sister-in-law, can you drive? I'll pick you up, and we'll go grocery shopping together." Tao Ying was also influenced by Sun Cuiping.

"No need, no need, I'll take a taxi. You should rest well; you've been driving for so long." Sun Cuiping couldn't bear to see Tao Ying work so hard.

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Second Sister-in-law." Tao Ying didn't stand on ceremony with Sun Cuiping. Sometimes, excessive politeness can push friendships apart.

"It's not hard work, it's not hard work. I have to cook every day." After hanging up the phone, Sun Cuiping started changing her clothes.

"Xiaoping, what about me?" Jiang Shuo looked at Sun Cuiping in disbelief.

Has this guy forgotten about himself? When has he ever not seen that the wives of his brothers inside are more important than himself?

“Just eat whatever you want. You’ve been eating my food for over twenty years, so one more meal won’t make a difference. Jiang Huan isn’t home either, so what’s wrong with us, as his brother and sister-in-law, taking care of him?” Sun Cuiping looked at Jiang Shuo with disdain.

"She just came back from Jiang Huan's place!" Jiang Shuo looked at Sun Cuiping in disbelief.

With Jiang Huan and Jiang Jiang treating her like the apple of their eye, why would she need to care about her?

"I can't be bothered with you." Sun Cuiping said, then picked up her bag and left.

Jiang Shuo thought, "...Am I that unimportant?"

Tao Ying didn't stand on ceremony; she was genuinely a bit tired.

The main problem was that I stayed up too late playing with Jiang Huan last night, so I only got about five hours of sleep in total.

After driving for another three hours, the road became difficult to navigate.

My whole body feels like it's falling apart.

I simply collapsed on the sofa and fell asleep without realizing it.

I don't know how long I slept, but when I heard the doorbell, I groggily walked out.

"Second sister-in-law..." Tao Ying vaguely saw that Sun Cuiping had two large bags of things in her hands, and quickly reached out to take them.

"No need, no need, it's just a little bit of stuff, I can manage on my own, you must be exhausted... Your Jiang Huan is too..." Sun Cuiping looked at Tao Ying with heartache, and just then she saw the two large marks on Tao Ying's collarbone, and couldn't help but make a slurping sound.

These newlyweds really don't know how to restrain themselves.

"Huh?" Tao Ying was stunned for a moment, looked down and instantly lost all sleepiness.

I took a shower when I got back, and I didn't realize I was wearing my nightgown from home with an outer shirt on, forgetting about the problem around my neck.

"Second sister-in-law, I'm starving," Tao Ying quickly said in a coquettish tone.

"Alright, alright, we've all been there, we understand. Is there anything you can't eat?" Sun Cuiping was currently head over heels for Tao Ying, so of course she couldn't resist Tao Ying's coquettishness.

"You can't eat anything too spicy, too sweet, or too sour, but you can eat anything else," Tao Ying quickly said.

"Alright, go back upstairs to sleep. Come downstairs at 4:20, and we'll leave at 5:00." Sun Cuiping glanced at the time, 2:40, and whispered to Tao Ying.

"I'll help you pick the vegetables, so you won't be sleepy anymore," Tao Ying snuggled up to Sun Cuiping.

In fact, Tao Ying really enjoys spending time with the Jiang family because they treat her like a child.

“That works too, it’ll be faster this way.” Sun Cuiping handed Tao Ying a bunch of celery.

Tao Ying then witnessed Sun Cuiping's formidable abilities.

In Tao Ying's eyes, his knife skills were no less than those of a master chef.

Sun Cuiping prepared for Tao Ying a dish of braised beef brisket with tomatoes, stir-fried shrimp with celery, steamed sea bass, hand-pulled lamb chops, and a bowl of rice.

Tao Ying's stomach immediately growled; she had just eaten millet porridge for dinner.

"Second sister-in-law, you must be a chef by training, right?" Tao Ying asked, holding chopsticks and looking at Sun Cuiping in surprise.

"It's all because your second brother is picky. He doesn't like this or that. I had to learn from someone else to eat it. I used to put all my energy into him." Sun Cuiping ladled a bowl of tomato stewed beef brisket for Tao Ying.

"If you come over today, what will happen to my second brother? He hasn't eaten either, has he?" Tao Ying didn't expect Sun Cuiping to do this for Jiang Shuo.

"It's okay, I'll let him make do. I've come to terms with it, and I'm not going to revolve around him anymore," Sun Cuiping said nonchalantly.

"Second sister-in-law, I support you. Do you want to stay overnight?" Tao Ying asked with a smile.

Suddenly I realized that my second sister-in-law's unpopularity at home might have a lot to do with Jiang Shuo.

It's not that Jiang Shuo doesn't love Sun Cuiping, but rather that he can't manage the relationship between Sun Cuiping and her family.

In fact, neither Madam Jiang nor Sun Cuiping were harsh people.

"Is it okay?" Sun Cuiping has been married for so many years and has never stayed overnight outside before.

"Of course, I also want to eat my second sister-in-law's cooking this morning." Tao Ying looked at Sun Cuiping longingly.

“Okay, then I’ll stay here tonight too. After we finish dancing, come with me home to get a couple of outfits.” Sun Cuiping said with a mix of excitement and unease.

"No need, we have new ones at home, I'll get them for you," Tao Ying said with a smile.

"I'll call Jiang Shuo after we finish eating," Sun Cuiping said excitedly.

For a chef, the greatest respect is finishing their plate.

Tao Ying ate half a fish, four lamb chops, and half a pot of tomato stewed beef brisket all by herself.

Because Sun Cuiping was busy cooking, Tao Ying simply didn't eat.

I barely ate any of the celery and shrimp stir-fry.

"Second sister-in-law, I can't take it anymore, I'm too full." Tao Ying slumped in the chair, clutching her stomach with both hands.

It was so satisfying; every bite was pure bliss.

"I'll cook you as many meals as you want, just don't overeat." Sun Cuiping liked Tao Ying even more.

“That’s different. The next meal is the next meal,” Tao Ying said softly.

"I'll make you pan-fried buns tomorrow morning." Sun Cuiping was spurred on by Tao Ying's actions and was now full of motivation.

It's been many years since I've been needed this much.

"Second sister-in-law, don't move, I'll do it." Tao Ying saw Sun Cuiping about to clear the table again, so she quickly struggled to stand up.

"It's alright, there's not much work to do." Sun Cuiping really didn't care; she was used to doing this kind of work all the time.

"That won't do either. If you cook, I have to clean up. Otherwise, I'll feel bad." Tao Ying quickly started picking up the dishes.

“That’s fine too. I’ll cut you a fruit platter. You can eat it when you get back, and by then you’ll have almost digested it.” Sun Cuiping didn’t argue with Tao Ying.

Tao Ying happily tidied the table, and by the time she finished washing the dishes, the flowers on Sun Cuiping's fruit plate were already carved.

"This is too good to be true... Second sister-in-law, how are you so amazing? Second brother must have accumulated so much good fortune to marry you." Tao Ying was genuinely envious.

This is so wonderful!

"It's not as good as you say." Sun Cuiping's eyes were a little moist.

Over the years, everyone has said that being able to marry Jiang Shuo is a blessing accumulated over eight lifetimes.

No one has ever said that Jiang Shuo marrying her was a blessing he had accumulated over a long period of time.

"That's good enough. I'm not as good as you. If I were a man, I would definitely try to steal my second brother's wife. Such a good wife, beautiful, good at singing and dancing, and a great cook. I could laugh in my dreams." Tao Ying praised without reservation.

"Alright, let's go." Even Sun Cuiping of the Rao family couldn't stand it anymore.

"Then I'll go change my clothes." Tao Ying hurriedly went upstairs to change.

Because she was going to see a song and dance performance, Tao Ying specially wore a bright and figure-hugging dress, paired with small leather shoes and exquisite makeup, which made her look radiant.

"Second sister-in-law, how about it? Am I qualified to watch you dance?" Tao Ying twirled around in front of Sun Cuiping.

"Enough, enough, that's more than enough, it's so beautiful!" Sun Cuiping couldn't take her eyes off it.

Tao Ying took Sun Cuiping's hand and went out, letting Sun Cuiping give directions, and went directly to Sun Cuiping's company.

We arrived at a song and dance troupe. The place was alright, with a stage and some musical instruments.

Sun Cuiping hired two more retired veterans to look after the song and dance troupe.

Both of them were Jiang Shuo's men, and they were very diligent, keeping the yard spotless.

When the two arrived, there were already four people there, two of whom were women around the same age as Sun Cuiping.

There were also five young girls rehearsing their dance over there.

"Cuiping, what's this?" someone asked Tao Ying as they approached.

I'm so curious, how could someone with Sun Cuiping's terrible temper have such good friends? It's just too unrealistic.

"This is my younger brother's wife, Tao Ying."

“Tao Ying, this is Qu Ran, and this is Du Yang. You can call her Sister Qu, and Sister Du is her too. These five children behind her are all Sister Qu’s students.” Sun Cuiping introduced them to the group.

"You're Tao Ying, the one who encouraged Cuiping to return to the stage? Thank you so much, thank you for giving us this opportunity." Qu Ran immediately grabbed Tao Ying's hand excitedly.

Du Yang looked at Tao Ying with immense gratitude.

Qu Ran only started accepting students after 1977 or 1980. Her family was not well-off, and Du Yang had divorced her husband many years earlier.

He has been alone all these years, and the people around him have always viewed Du Yang with prejudice.

In short, both of them had a very difficult time.

However, both of them love this stage very much.

Otherwise, the two wouldn't have agreed as soon as Sun Cuiping approached them.

The three of them had a very bad relationship back then.

"It was my second sister-in-law who insisted, so you can't thank me." Tao Ying didn't take on any work.

The proposal was originally made to support Sun Cuiping.

"Let's quickly show Xiaoying the dance we rehearsed. Xiaoying said she wants to get in touch with some people and see if we can perform on a formal stage. She also wants to get a movie credited to us," Sun Cuiping urged the group.

"Then you should go change your clothes right away." Both of them were nervous.

Tao Ying sat alone in the audience.

Soon, there was movement on the stage.

Simple music, a simple stage, yet Sun Cuiping, Qu Ran, and Du Yang seemed to breathe life into that stage and that sky.

The dance lasted five minutes, during which Tao Ying went from sitting to standing.

As the dance ended, Tao Ying realized that she had been shedding tears without even noticing.

"Xiaoying, how are you?" The three of them walked over anxiously, and when they saw the tears on Tao Ying's face, they couldn't help but relax a little.

"That's wonderful. I don't know much about dance, but I can see your pain, your struggle, and your resistance. Second sister-in-law, Sister Qu, Sister Du, I will provide you with financial and costume support. Let's go on together." Tao Ying choked up as she held the hands of the group.

"It's already very good now." Qu Ran was a little embarrassed.

"Sister, don't be so polite with me," Tao Ying said with a smile.

“Yes, my Xiaoying is rich. We’ll help her earn it back in the future,” Sun Cuiping agreed with a smile.