Chapter 200 A Trivial Matter
The rice was served, and the chopsticks were neatly arranged in pairs.
White rice is served in a crystal-clear porcelain bowl.
The chopsticks are placed side by side on the chopstick rest.
The tablecloth was a simple blue floral fabric with neatly pressed edges.
Even the tea in the water cup was filled to seven-tenths full.
Shen Xiuye glanced at it several times, muttering to herself.
What an exquisite way of life!
This is the first time she has seen it.
Meals at home are usually just something quick and easy; I've never seen such a meticulously arranged meal before.
"Please sit down, please sit down, don't stand!"
Zheng Mingyue smiled and pulled Chen Cuifen down to sit.
Her tone was friendly, her movements natural, and she pulled Shen Cuifen's arm and pressed her down onto the chair.
In that instant, the atmosphere in the room became even more harmonious.
The children were also called over, and each found a seat and sat down obediently.
Only Shen Xiuye remained somewhat reserved and hesitated to move.
Only when Zheng Mingyue turned around and nodded to her did she cautiously move over.
I don't know if it was a coincidence or intentional.
Shen Xiuye's seat was directly opposite Song Wenhua's.
The two sat facing each other, separated only by a dining table, their eyes almost unable to avoid each other.
The candlelight shone on Song Wenhua's lowered eyelashes, casting a small shadow.
Shen Xiuye, on the other hand, nervously clutched the hem of her skirt.
The moment she sat down, their eyes met.
Shen Xiuye didn't dodge, but smiled at him.
Yet it was this smile that, like a spring breeze sweeping across a lake, stirred up ripples.
But as soon as he smiled, Song Wenhua's face turned bright red.
He suddenly lowered his head, almost dropping his chopsticks into the soup bowl.
He tried to casually pick up some food.
But my fingers trembled slightly against my will.
He had never lost his composure like this in front of a woman before.
Shen Xiuye was stunned for a moment, then quickly lowered her head, staring at the bowl without daring to look up.
She never expected that her smile would cause such a big reaction.
Seeing Song Wenhua's embarrassed state, she found it both amusing and a little pitiful.
She secretly peeked at him and noticed that his ears were still red, so she pursed her lips to suppress a smile.
To be honest, she had never seen a boy blush so easily.
Zheng Mingyue shook her head and sighed beside her.
"This child is smart and capable, but he's as thin-skinned as paper and gets shy around women."
"You, who are usually so talkative, why do you become so shy and afraid to look up when someone comes?"
She muttered to herself.
"Come on, Cuifen, Xiuye, Zhongshun, don't be shy, eat up!"
Zhou Wenjuan smiled and put a piece of chicken into each person's bowl.
She is a relative of the Song family and is always very kind-hearted. She came over today to help arrange this meal.
Holding serving chopsticks, she deftly served food to each guest in turn.
Shen Cuifen didn't refuse and picked up the bowl to eat heartily.
She has a straightforward personality and dislikes formalities; she thanked him repeatedly after accepting the chicken.
I've been traveling and working so hard these past two days, I'm starving.
Faced with delicious food, one naturally wouldn't pretend to be reserved.
"Wow, this chicken smells delicious!"
She chewed on the meat and couldn't help but praise it.
"It's salty with a hint of spice, and the meat is incredibly tender, not dry at all!"
Upon hearing this, Song Wenhua's previously tense face subtly turned up at the corners of his mouth.
He secretly glanced at Shen Cuifen.
Seeing her enjoying her meal, I felt a surge of accomplishment.
This is a dish he prepared with great care, and it deserves recognition.
"Aunt Cuifen, if you like, please come to my house for dinner often!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he realized that he had been too proactive, and his cheeks flushed again. He quickly lowered his head and took a sip of soup.
In the past two days, he has heard a lot about Shen Cuifen from Zheng Mingyue.
She helped her older sister resolve her difficulties.
It was only thanks to her insightful remark that the family's mess didn't completely collapse.
That night, the whole family argued incessantly, almost causing them to fall apart.
If it weren't for her, their family might not have made it to today.
Song Wenhua was well aware of this.
Without Shen Cuifen's timely intervention, this family might have already fallen apart.
In his eyes, she was not only a relative, but also a benefactor.
In Song Wenhua's heart, Shen Cuifen was their savior.
Zheng Mingyue glanced at her son.
Huh?
Didn't you blush today?
She thought her son would blush and lower his head whenever Shen Cuifen was mentioned.
This time, though he was slightly shy when he said those words, he didn't blush as usual.
This surprised Zheng Mingyue, but also brought her a sense of relief.
It seems the child is really growing up.
Song Lei smiled, picked up his teacup, and stood up.
At this moment, he slowly stood up, a gentle smile on his face, and raised his teacup to offer a toast.
"Cuifen, I really don't know what to say. If it weren't for you, my whole family might..."
He couldn't continue, his eyes slightly reddening.
I had originally planned to visit them tomorrow to express my gratitude, and I was thinking of buying some gifts to properly thank them.
Now that they're here, I should say thank you now.
Zheng Mingyue, Song Xiaomei, and Song Wenhua immediately picked up their teacups as well.
Neither of them spoke, but the gesture of raising their glasses said it all.
"Aunt Mingyue, thank you..."
Song Xiaomei's voice was so soft it sounded like it was being squeezed out from deep in her throat.
"If you hadn't stopped me, I might have... really jumped that night..."
She tossed and turned, unable to sleep for the past two nights.
Lying in bed, with my eyes closed, all I could see was Zhang Kesheng's indifferent face.
My mind is filled with images of Zhang Kesheng and his mother's faces.
In the past three years, she has asked herself if she has wronged anyone.
For the sake of this family, she worked tirelessly, doing laundry, cooking, and taking care of her parents-in-law.
She hasn't even been back to her parents' home a few times during the Lunar New Year.
They disliked her for not being able to have children, so she drank bitter medicine every day.
Bowl after bowl, can after can, they drank until their stomachs ached, but they still had to swallow it down.
I only hope to fulfill their wishes and gain some warmth and recognition in return.
Unexpectedly, they even complained that waiting an extra day was too long.
The hospital had just confirmed that she was temporarily unable to conceive, and then they forced her to sign divorce papers.
If Shen Cuifen hadn't arrived in time and pulled her back from the edge of the rooftop...
She may have already... fallen into the abyss.
Shen Cuifen is right.
Some people are inherently bad.
Why would I die for someone like that?
It's really not worth it.
Upon seeing the atmosphere, Shen Cuifen felt a pang of anxiety and quickly picked up her teacup and stood up.
She has never been used to people treating her with such formality.
Shen Xiuye and Shen Zhongshun quickly followed suit, picking up their bowls and getting up.
"Oh dear, no, no, no!"
Shen Cuifen waved her hands repeatedly, her face flushed, and her ears turned red.
"I just helped out casually, there's really no need to be so formal! If you keep doing this, I'll feel embarrassed to sit down!"
Zheng Mingyue waved her hand.
“Cuifen, you must accept this gratitude. This isn't just politeness; it's the heartfelt sentiment of our whole family. Today, our entire family will offer you a toast with this bowl of tea! From now on, our two families are relatives. You are my own sister!”
After saying that, she tilted her head back and drank the tea in one gulp.
Without saying a word, the others also downed their drinks in one gulp.
Shen Cuifen looked at them and smiled.
She gently put down the teacup.
"Alright, then I won't refuse. I'll accept this favor. But don't say 'thank you' anymore. Xiaomei, let's put the past behind us, let's look forward and not look back."
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