Chapter 290 Extra Chapter: Shen Yuanqiong
"Yuanqiong, you and Weiyang go and rest. I can take care of these things."
Shen Yuanqiong nodded upon hearing this and put down the porcelain plate in her hand.
It was the Mid-Autumn Festival, and Shen Yanhuai had invited her and her husband, as well as Shen Yuanzhu and her husband, to the Shen family for a banquet. Shen Yuanqiong saw Ye Yunyi busy and wanted to lend a hand, but the other party did not appreciate it.
"Then I'll trouble you, sister-in-law."
She empty her hands and turned to walk to Xu Weiyang's side.
Back then, she did something wrong in the capital and was severely scolded by Ye Yunyi, who even almost hanged her with her belt.
She remained silent for a long time afterward, not daring to see anyone, and even afraid to leave the Shen family's gate.
After living like this for two years, neither human nor ghost, the Xu family suddenly came knocking on their door.
The Xu family were the owners of Fengrong Cloth Shop in Songjiang Prefecture.
Back then, Fengrong Cloth Shop went to the capital with the Shen family to participate in the selection of imperial merchants. Shen Yanhuai even intended to match her with Xu Weiyang.
Unfortunately, after Shen Yanhuai secretly gave him a hint, Xu Weiyang's father, who was also the old owner of Fengrong Cloth Shop, decided to leave the capital and give up running for office.
Little did they know that this action offended Zhou Rui, a lackey of Prince Jing at the time, and they were punished severely as a warning to others.
Xu Weiyang felt sorry for his elderly father and stepped forward to take the beating for him.
Although the Xu family left later, she did not know whether Xu Weiyang was alive or dead.
Two years later, Shen Yanhuai finally found her and asked her if she would be willing to marry Xu Weiyang.
It turned out that the fifty strokes of the cane back then had caused Xu Weiyang internal injuries. He had some problems with his lower body; although he could walk and move, he couldn't do other things well, which impaired his ability to carry on the family line.
The Xu family deeply regretted Xu Weiyang's situation and had been trying to find him a marriage partner for the past few years. After making some inquiries, they came to ask Shen Yanhuai for his opinion.
Shen Yanhuai did not hide anything and told the other party about Shen Yuanqiong's situation.
The Xu family probably knew something about it and had given it some thought, so they said frankly that they didn't care.
Shen Yanhuai, however, dared not agree on behalf of Shen Yuanqiong, so he came to ask her opinion.
Shen Yuanqiong thought about it for a long time and then agreed.
When she was young, she was ambitious and thought few men in the world were good enough for her. But after being deceived, that ambition suddenly vanished.
Shen Yuanqiong still remembered the words Ye Yunyi had said to her that day.
Ye Yunyi said, "When it comes to future prospects, if you're on your way, you can say whatever you want; if you're not, you should keep your mouth shut..."
She also said that she had been comparing herself to Shen Yuanzhu, and that the comparison had driven her to the brink of madness.
When she first heard these words, they sounded incredibly harsh, as if they had pierced her heart and left it riddled with holes.
But after chewing it repeatedly, she became numb to it.
Ye Yunyi stood in front of her and said, word by word, "If you can't beat them, you have to accept it. Don't push yourself to the point of no return..."
Shen Yuanqiong thought that there was some truth to that.
More importantly, she knew how unpleasant Ye Yunyi's expression was during the two years she was at home.
She simply couldn't stay there any longer.
For an unmarried sister-in-law, observing her sister-in-law's attitude is no different from observing her husband's attitude when visiting his family.
Shen Yuanqiong thought of how Xu Weiyang had stood up for his father that day, and concluded that he must be a kind and generous person.
After marrying into the Xu family, that's exactly what happened.
Shen Yuanqiong watched Xu Weiyang's retreating figure and slowly walked forward.
"Feeding the fish?"
"Um."
Xu Weiyang turned around and gave her the best spot to watch the fish, saying, "I found a steamed bun in the kitchen, and I think the fish really like it."
He raised his hand and handed the steamed bun to Shen Yuanqiong, who took it.
She broke the steamed bun into pieces and threw them into the pool. Shen Yuanqiong clapped her hands and looked up at the sky. "The weather is a bit gloomy, it might rain. How are you feeling? Are you feeling unwell?"
Xu Weiyang said, "It's alright."
He has been in poor health since his injury, and his back aches so badly that he can't straighten up when it rains or is cloudy.
“I sewed you a few salt bags yesterday. If you are in pain, tell me and I will ask Aunt Li to fry some salt for you to apply as a compress. It will help relieve the pain.”
"good."
Shen Yuanqiong nodded: "Mm."
After a while, a sound came from outside the courtyard.
Shen Yuanqiong and her husband turned around to look, and saw that it was Shen Yuanzhu and Xie Qi who had brought Baozhen to the Shen family.
The relationship between Shen Yuanzhu and Shen Yanhuai over the years has been neither close nor distant. It's more accurate to say that they are maintaining an alliance rather than a brother-sister relationship.
The businesses of Xiecuifang and Jixiazhuang are expanding rapidly. They may not seem particularly remarkable in Suzhou Prefecture, but they are thriving in the northern desert.
Since Shen Yuanzhu and his wife couldn't finish such a large plate themselves, they came to Shen Yanhuai to supply them with some basic goods.
The products from the Shen family dyehouse were of impeccable quality, and Shen Yanhuai was a reliable person. He wasn't one to take shortcuts, so the cooperation between the two families went smoothly.
Later, even the Shen family could no longer supply goods to Xiecuifang and Jixiazhuang, so Shen Yanhuai brought the Xu family into the business.
Therefore, Shen Yuanqiong lived a good life in the Xu family. Xu Weiyang was the eldest son of the Xu family, and although she was injured and had some past troubles, no one in the Xu family dared to bully her because of her brother.
Her life was actually quite comfortable. But... it was still not as good as Chen Yuanzhu's.
Shen Yuanqiong glanced at Shen Yuanzhu, then silently lowered her eyes.
Xu Weiyang was much more enthusiastic; he greeted Shen Yuanzhu and her husband as soon as they entered the door.
Upon seeing this, Shen Yuanqiong paused, too lazy to go forward and deal with the situation, and remained in place to admire the fish.
Behind her came Ye Yunyi's enthusiastic and obsequious exclamations of welcome, which Shen Yuanqiong found utterly disgusting.
Ye Yunyi's snobbish eyes have become increasingly sharp in recent years.
Although she disliked Shen Yuanzhu, she loathed Ye Yunyi even more.
only……
Now that she's older, she's learned to hide her emotions. And no matter how harsh Ye Yunyi is to her and Shen Yuanzhu, she's ultimately good to her brother and Shen Xingqiao.
That should be enough.
Since she's already married, she has no interest in caring about her family anymore.
Shen Yuanqiong placed her hands on the pillar by the pool, lost in thought.
"..."
Something caught on the hem of her skirt. She looked down and saw a half-grown doll tugging at her skirt.
This is Shen Yuanzhu and Xie Qi's daughter, I think her name is...
Baozhen.
Baozhen looked up, and was only four or five years old.
Her little face was round and chubby, like a white steamed bun, soft, white, and tender.
Her eyebrows and eyes resembled Xie Qi's, but her mouth and nose were exactly the same as Shen Yuanzhu's, making it obvious at a glance that she was their child.
Are you my Aunt Qiong?
When Baozhen, who was only half a year old, spoke, her tone was as soft as newly dyed silk, which made people's hearts soften.
Even Shen Yuanqiong couldn't hide the coldness on her face when she heard this.
She looked down at Baozhen and nodded after a long while.
Baozhen touched the little braid on her head, looking innocent: "What are you doing?"
"..."
"Watching the fish."
If she didn't reply, Bao Zhen would keep staring at her with her big, dark eyes, making Shen Yuanqiong feel uncomfortable all over.
"Fish? I want to see that too."
Xiao Baozhen stood on tiptoe and clung to the pool railing. But she was still too small for her to see into the pool, even on tiptoe.
Shen Yuanqiong was startled when she saw her trembling.
"This fish is fishy and smelly, there's nothing to see here."
Shen Yuanqiong reached out her hand, but withdrew it just before touching Baozhen.
She straightened up and took a few steps back. "Come here. Don't fall headfirst down like that. Your mother will tear me apart if you do."
What is "raw tearing"?
Shen Yuanqiong pursed her lips and did not answer, but simply said, "Come here, Auntie will take you to find something fun."
Baozhen walked over with a clatter.
The little braids tied in her hair swung back and forth like a little pug wagging its tail.
Thinking this, Shen Yuanqiong couldn't help but smile faintly.
"Auntie, what fun things are we going to do?"
Shen Yuanqiong led Baozhen to a relatively safe place in the center of the courtyard and casually picked up a leaf and handed it to her.
"Look."
Baozhen held the leaf up to her eyes, staring intently with her large, watery eyes.
Shen Yuanqiong replied dismissively, "What did you notice?"
"look……"
Baozhen pointed a chubby white finger at a leaf and said, "A bead."
Shen Yuanqiong gave a cool "hmm", "What beads?"
Bao Zhen said in a serious tone: "Abacus beads."
"..."
Shen Yuanqiong held back for a while, but finally couldn't hold back anymore, "Are you just like your mother, obsessed with money?"
She looked down and asked, "Where are the abacus beads?"
"Here."
Baozhen stretched out her chubby little hand, looking serious: "Abacus beads."
"It's just a spot."
Baozhen shook his head: "They are abacus beads."
"..."
Shen Yuanqiong rolled her eyes: "Why are you as stubborn as your mother?"
Baozhen: "What is an axis?"
After saying that, she looked up again and asked, "What does 'drilling for money' mean?"
"..."
Shen Yuanqiong pursed her lips and remained silent.
Seeing that she didn't speak, Bao Zhen stepped forward and took Shen Yuanqiong's hand: "Here, take this."
After saying that, she put the leaf into Shen Yuanqiong's hand.
The little baby's hands were soft, delicate, and tender, causing Shen Yuanqiong to stiffen involuntarily when she held them.
Although the Xu family also had children who were not yet grown up, they were not very close to her.
She was too lazy to deal with the Xu family's sisters-in-law, and reserved all her remaining insincerity for Xu Weiyang.
She was only eight or nine years old when Shen Xingqiao was born, so she had forgotten that a baby's hands are so warm and soft.
Looking at Baozhen with some curiosity, Shen Yuanqiong said after a while, "You are as cunning as your mother. I clearly picked these leaves for you, but now you say you're giving them to me."
"You've got a knack for business."
Bao Zhen nodded: "I'm in the business of trading. My father always says that I will become a great merchant in the future."
"So you understood that?"
Shen Yuanqiong chuckled, feeling more and more that this little thing was just like Shen Yuanzhu, with an extremely cunning nature.
He can't understand a single word of the bad advice, but he doesn't miss a single good word.
Baozhen said, "I understand. My mother says I'm the smartest."
As she spoke, she reached down to her waist, and Shen Yuanqiong then noticed that the little guy was wearing a small abacus.
"I'll give my aunt a piece of abacus."
After saying that, Baozhen bent down and started fiddling with the abacus beads in a half-squatting, half-bow position.
The little one's voice is soft, and his pronunciation isn't very clear yet.
Shen Yuanqiong listened to her muttering about adding two to one to make five, advancing two to make ten, retreating one to make four, and advancing one to make nine.
After watching for a while, she discovered that Baozhen's calculations were all correct.
Shen Yuanqiong helped her up and took out a handkerchief to wipe her hands. "You're good at using the abacus, but who taught you to do it lying on the ground? You're all dirty. You don't look like a proper young lady at all."
She glanced at the abacus on the ground, picked it up, wiped it clean, and tied it back around Baozhen's waist.
As she withdrew her hand, she couldn't help but secretly squeeze Bao Zhen's chubby hand with four little dimples.
It's soft and bouncy, and very easy to squeeze.
"Auntie can touch my face if she likes, but she has to be gentle."
Baozhen looked up at Shen Yuanqiong with longing eyes.
Shen Yuanqiong snorted coldly, "Who likes it?"
"you."
"I don't."
"Mother said that everyone will like Baozhen, no one will dislike her..."
"Your mother is talking nonsense."
“My mother never talks nonsense.”
"Your mother is the best at lying."
"My mother would never lie."
"You know your mother, but you met her too late. You didn't know she was the best at lying."
What does it mean to realize something too late?
"..."
After greeting Xu Weiyang, Xie Qi went to find Shen Yuanzhu. He searched the house for a while before finally finding her sitting by the window drinking tea.
He stepped forward and asked, "Where is Baozhen?"
Shen Yuanzhu raised her chin slightly, "Torturing Shen Yuanqiong."
"..."
Xie Qi looked up and saw that Shen Yuanqiong's expression was not good, but she did not seem angry or intend to harm Bao Zhen, so he ignored her.
Baozhen is intelligent, but intelligent children are often disobedient.
When she was younger, it was alright, but over the past year, Baozhen has become increasingly opinionated. Every day when she opens her eyes, she understands what is and why it is...
Even Xie Qi, who had immense patience with her, couldn't bear the question.
Shen Yuanzhu avoided her, afraid of being entangled with Baozhen.
She's already exhausted from dealing with one plaster every day, how could she possibly handle one big one and one small one?
However, seeing that Shen Yuanqiong was quite patient with Baozhen surprised her.
Despite the Mid-Autumn Festival being a time for family reunion, the group couldn't really feel any joy or family camaraderie, and the reunion dinner quickly came to an end.
Shen Yuanqiong followed Xu Weiyang back to his residence in Suzhou Prefecture.
Inside the carriage, Xu Weiyang looked at her and said, "I noticed today that you... seem to like Baozhen quite a bit. If you'd like, you can adopt her from Xiaodi of the second branch of the family..."
"unnecessary."
Shen Yuanqiong shook her head: "I don't like it."
As she said this, Baozhen suddenly recalled saying that no one disliked her.
After thinking for a moment, Shen Yuanqiong said, "Why not raise a pug? It would be very cute, wagging its head like that."
Xu Weiyang was taken aback for a moment, then nodded.
After returning to the house, the two silently washed up.
This house was bought for Xu Weiyang and Shen Yanhuai in Suzhou by the Xu family after they started their partnership. The location wasn't great, and it wasn't very big, but fortunately, it was just the two of them, so it was quiet and peaceful.
Shen Yuanqiong quite likes this place; she prefers quiet these days.
Late at night, the couple lay in bed. Shen Yuanqiong thought for a moment, then turned and hugged Xu Weiyang.
"Who are you……"
Shen Yuanqiong nodded.
Xu Weiyang's health was severely compromised, and he failed seven or eight times out of ten, which Shen Yuanqiong had never cared about in the past.
Seeing Baozhen today stirred up some longing in her heart.
She knew the doctor said Xu Weiyang would have little chance of having children in this life, but Shen Yuanqiong thought that difficulty was not absolute, and she might as well give it a try.
That's pretty much it for her life from now on; there's nothing else to look forward to.
As for offspring, it doesn't matter whether they have any or not.
But she wouldn't mind having a soft, gentle girl like Xiao Baozhen by her side.
What if... what if?
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