Chapter 168 Shen Tingxuan and his wife, those brainless idiots

Once Shen Yuepo's figure disappeared around the corner of the stairs, the atmosphere in the living room immediately became heavy.

Xiao Zhengqing then lowered his voice and recounted everything that had happened at the ancestral grave.

Zhou Wanqing turned pale upon hearing this and gripped Xiao Zhengqing's arm tightly.

Xiao Linyuan gasped, cold sweat beading on his forehead, and said with lingering fear, "Luckily, my dad wanted to come along today, but I managed to stop him."

“His heart is already weak, his blood pressure is high, and he has a short temper. If he finds out that his great-grandfather’s grave has been dug up and his remains have been taken away, he’ll definitely faint on the spot.”

Zhou Wanqing said in a heavy tone, "I'm afraid this can't be kept secret any longer."

Xiao Zhengqing wearily pinched the bridge of his nose. "There's no way to hide it now. The priority is to do as Master Shen said, to take care of the cenotaph and appease the spirits of our ancestors."

"The rest... well, we'll see."

Zhou Wanqing took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down: "You're right."

Then, she looked at her son and said, "Yizhou, do you know what Master Shen usually likes to eat? I'll have the driver take me out to buy groceries so I can cook a nice meal to thank him."

Xiao Yizhou thought about how quiet and focused Shen Yuepo was during the last meal, and a smile unconsciously appeared on his lips. "Mom, she doesn't seem to be a picky eater. She enjoys everything she eats."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Wanqing felt not comforted, but rather even more heartbroken, and couldn't help but mutter softly:

"Oh dear, I heard she comes from the mountains. She must have suffered a lot in the past, which is why she's not picky about food... Look how thin she is, she looks like a gust of wind could blow her away!"

"How exactly did the Shen family raise their daughter? They raised such a fine girl to be so frail."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yizhou's expression darkened slightly. He leaned closer to Zhou Wanqing's ear and lowered his voice even further:

"Mom, as for the Shen family... Yuepo has probably completely severed ties with them. She doesn't live at the Shen family's place anymore."

He recalled some information he had gathered from his investigation, as well as Shen Yuepo's complete silence about the Shen family, and he already had a guess in his mind.

I just didn't want to touch on her painful memories, so I never asked.

Zhou Wanqing was stunned at first, then realized what was happening. A surge of anger welled up inside her, and she couldn't help but mutter under her breath:

"Those brainless idiots, Shen Tingxuan and his wife! They don't want their own capable daughter, but instead choose that vicious one..."

She stopped abruptly halfway through her sentence.

The name "Chen Yurou" was like a poisonous thorn, instantly triggering her most painful memories.

That wicked woman killed her daughter, Wanxing.

Sadness and hatred swept over her unexpectedly, and Zhou Wanqing's eyes instantly reddened, tears welling up uncontrollably.

She abruptly stood up, turned her face away, sniffed hard, and forcibly suppressed her surging emotions, her voice thick with nasal tone:

"Forget it, forget it, let's not talk about it! Why bring up those unpleasant people and things? I... I'm going to buy groceries!"

Seeing his wife's eyes instantly redden and her struggling to hold back tears, Xiao Zhengqing felt a pang of pain in his heart.

He immediately stood up and stepped forward, firmly supporting her shoulders, while turning to Xiao Yizhou and saying:

"Yizhou, you and Linyuan will handle the rest. Make sure to prepare what Master Shen asked for as soon as possible. I'm going out with your mother to buy groceries and clear her head."

“Okay. Dad, Mom, you can go without worry. My cousin and I will take care of things here.” Xiao Yizhou immediately agreed, his heart heavy as he watched his parents leave hand in hand.

He turned to look at Xiao Linyuan, his expression grave: "Cousin, there's no time to lose, let's split up."

"You're in charge of contacting the best Phoebe zhennan wood craftsmen and making sure to craft a small coffin that meets the specifications as quickly as possible. I'll go and sort through Great-Grandpa's belongings and check his birth date and time."

Xiao Linyuan also suppressed all his emotions and nodded solemnly: "Okay!"

At dinner time, the table was filled with delicious and fragrant home-cooked dishes, steaming hot and filling the air with aroma.

Zhou Wanqing took off her apron, a gentle smile on her face, and said to Shen Yuepo sitting opposite her:

"Master Shen, I didn't know what you liked to eat, so I just made something casually. I hope it suits your taste."

Shen Yuepo looked at the dining table, which had about ten dishes.

This is not casual at all; it is clearly the result of careful thought.

"Madam Xiao, you're too kind. This is a very generous feast," Shen Yuepo said honestly.

"Try it!" Zhou Wanqing said warmly, her eyes full of anticipation.

Shen Yuepo picked up a piece of bright red sweet and sour pork ribs and put it in her mouth.

Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, the sweet and sour sauce coats the savory meat, instantly creating a rich and layered flavor on the tongue.

Her cool, clear eyes widened slightly for a moment, then flashed with an undisguised look of amazement.

This cooking... is even better than what she's had at those famous restaurants before!

Xiao Yizhou, who had been paying close attention to her, naturally did not miss this subtle change in her expression.

With a smile in his eyes, he couldn't help but tease, "How about it? My mom's cooking skills are the result of special training. Back then, in order to win over my dad, she went to great lengths to learn from a chef who was a master chef at state banquets for more than half a year."

"Xiao Yizhou!"

Zhou Wanqing blushed, glared at her son with a hint of embarrassment and annoyance, and pretended to hit him, but her eyes couldn't hide the smile and sweetness.

She then turned to Shen Yuepo, her tone gentle yet tinged with concern:

"Don't listen to his nonsense. Master Shen, eat more if you like. You're so thin, you need to eat more."

She kept piling food onto Shen Yuepo's plate, as if she wanted to give Shen Yuepo the best of everything.

Looking at the bowls that were rapidly piling up like a small mountain in front of her, Shen Yuepo felt a strange sense of unease.

She didn't refuse; she simply nodded and ate quietly and attentively.

The aroma and warmth of the food seemed to dispel some of the gloom that had settled over the day.

Dinner ended in a warm and cozy atmosphere.

While the maid was clearing away the dishes, Zhou Wanqing quickly walked into the kitchen.

A moment later, she came out carrying a tray with several beautifully packaged drinks on it.

She walked up to Shen Yuepo, her smile carrying a hint of anticipation and a subtle, almost imperceptible nervousness:

"Master Shen, I see that young girls nowadays like to drink milk tea and fruit tea and the like."

"I didn't know what kind of flavor you liked, so... I just ordered one of each. Would you like to try some?"

Shen Yuepo stared blankly at the dazzling array of cups before her.

Milk tea? Fruit tea?

She had never tried it before, and no one had ever prepared these things for her.

At that moment, looking at Zhou Wanqing's face, which was filled with a warm smile and cautious anticipation, she felt as if a hard, cold corner in her heart had been gently touched.

This Mrs. Xiao must be a very good mother.

Shen Yuepo did not refuse this kindness.

She reached out and casually picked up one of the most ordinary-looking cups of milk tea, inserting a straw.

"Thank you." Her voice was softer than usual.

She took a small sip.

The warm liquid, with its rich milky aroma and subtle tea flavor, slid into my mouth; it was very sweet, even a little cloying.

It's a flavor she would never normally try.

But... it's warm.

Holding it in my hand, warmth spreads from my fingertips.