Chapter 23 Character Collapse?
After lunch, it was time to study again.
Xu Jinnian thought Sheng An would talk about things other than studying, but she didn't hear what she wanted to hear until the end of the study session.
Sheng An learned a dozen more new characters. Just as he got up to leave, he suddenly slapped his forehead: "That's right!"
Xu Jinnian's hand tightened around the pen, his jade-like face showing no emotion: "What?"
"Surprise! I have a surprise for you."
Sheng An patted Xu Jinnian's shoulder with a smile, and before he could react, she walked briskly to the guest room and took out the set of writing implements from a small box.
"Here, open it and see if you like it."
Sheng An placed the exquisite box on the desk, gesturing for Xu Jinnian to open the gift himself.
Xu Jinnian looked at the box, then at Sheng An, a glint in his eyes that he himself did not notice.
With her well-defined knuckles, Xu Jinnian placed her hand on the box and gently pulled open the lid. The first thing she saw was an inkstone carved with simple and ancient patterns.
In the square compartment below the inkstone, two ink sticks exuded a strong ink fragrance, and next to them was a rare ivory pen.
This ivory pen alone is something that even scholarly families might not possess; it is worthy of being treasured as a family heirloom.
Sheng An, with limited experience, did not know the value of the ivory pen. Seeing that Xu Jinnian's gaze had not left him, he knew that this gift had touched his heart: "The provincial examination is imminent, so consider this surprise a gift I am giving you in advance."
You'd better put in some effort and pass the imperial examination to become a scholar.
When her little restaurant opens, she might have to borrow the scholar's name.
"An'an, thank you, I like it very much."
Xu Jinnian held Sheng An's hand, his deep eyes flashing with a variety of emotions, but all of them returned to calm the moment he looked at Sheng An.
Since calling Sheng An by her full name yesterday, he has been calling her An An.
The words, when spoken by him, carried a touch of tenderness and affection.
"If you like it, that's fine. I'm just passing on what I've learned."
Sheng An was satisfied with Xu Jinnian's reaction, and withdrew his hand, saying pointedly:
"There are millions of couples in the world, but not every couple is of one mind. Although we are still getting to know each other, I think you are a good person. Even if we can't be a loving couple in the future, we won't stab each other in the back."
Xu Jinnian's good mood instantly plummeted, his thin lips pressed into a straight line, and a hint of hurt was suppressed deep in his eyes.
"You go read your book, I'm going out to get busy."
Sheng An didn't notice anything unusual about Xu Jinnian and secretly praised himself for his cleverness.
She genuinely thought Xu Jinnian was a good person and couldn't imagine that he could do something as heinous as murdering his wife.
She still needed to find an opportunity to voice her concerns and let the man know that if he were to seek a better future, she would never pester him, and he had absolutely no reason to risk killing someone.
Xu Jinnian watched Sheng An leave, remaining in that position for a long time without moving.
Hearing her cheerful voice telling Grandma Sheng to go to the Zhang family to get pork bones, he inexplicably laughed, as if it were a mixture of helplessness and self-mockery.
On this trip to the Zhang family, Sheng An brought a can of tea, some dried seafood, and a few snacks.
When Xu Cuilian saw her arrive with the goods, her face immediately fell: "You've only been setting up your stall for a few days, and you already have so much money you don't know what to do with it? You really think you have too much money to burn? Here, take it and I'll keep it for you!"
The newlywed wife just doesn't know how to manage a household. Her second brother has been sick for several months, and their meager savings have long been depleted.
Jin Nian will be going to the prefectural city to take the imperial examination soon, and the cost of travel and accommodation will be a considerable expense. How could she be so extravagant as to spend money recklessly?
"Auntie, you've misunderstood. I didn't spend any money on these things."
Sheng An knew Xu Cuilian's personality and naturally wouldn't take offense at her sarcastic remarks: "If you don't believe me, you can ask your father-in-law and husband yourself."
Hearing this, Xu Cuilian's expression softened, but after taking the item and examining it carefully, her expression tensed up again.
"This tea looks expensive, and this dried seafood... We're not near the sea, so everything here is incredibly expensive!"
Sheng An smiled and said, "They were all gifts from others, so I brought them over for my aunt and uncle to try."
She briefly recounted how she went to the Ding family to cook for Ding Tianci and received a gift from Master Ding as a token of her gratitude, without going into the specific amount.
Xu Cuilian stared wide-eyed, her mouth agape, as if listening to a storybook.
She never imagined that her niece-in-law, whom she initially looked down upon, would have such an opportunity, directly connecting with the Ding family, one of the most prominent families in the city.
That's the Ding family! The Ding family, whose leg hair is thicker than their waist!
It took Xu Cuilian a long time to recover. She looked at Sheng An as if she were looking at a great treasure: "You are a lucky person!"
My second brother's family is about to have a better life again.
Sheng An shuddered, unable to bear Xu Xiaogu's gaze any longer: "Please accept these things, Aunt. Consider them a gift from my husband and me to you and Uncle."
Xu Cuilian didn't stand on ceremony with her anymore, her chubby face beaming with joy: "I, as your aunt, can accept the gifts you and Jin Nian give me."
Sheng An returned with a basket full of pork bones.
In the evening, after Zhang and his sons finished collecting the pigs and returned home, Xu Cuilian served them a table of delicious dishes and brought out a jar of fine wine.
Upon seeing a plate of steamed dried shrimp on the table, the father and his three sons were all greatly surprised.
These dried shrimp are expensive, and even though the Zhang family is relatively well-off, they can't bear to spend the money to buy them.
Butcher Zhang, a man of few words, couldn't help but ask, "Wife, with shrimp and wine today, did you find gold on the street?"
"What nonsense are you talking about? This was sent by Jin Nian's wife."
Xu Cuilian rolled her eyes at her husband, then said smugly, "My niece-in-law is very promising. Luckily, when Jin Nian wanted to get married, I didn't cry, make a scene, or threaten to hang myself to stop him."
The next moment, Zhang Daikui bluntly exposed his mother: "Isn't it because my cousin has always been a man of principle since he was a child that no amount of crying, tantrums, or threats of suicide from his mother could change anything?"
Enraged, Xu Cuilian slapped her eldest son on the forehead: "Shut up!"
Zhang Daikui shrank his neck and shut his mouth, not daring to make a sound.
Seeing their older brother lose, the fifteen-year-old twins Zhang Erkui and Zhang Xiaokui covered their mouths and laughed.
My older brother is such a blunt person. He knows perfectly well that Mom will hit him, but he still can't control his mouth.
They were both smart; they never did anything to provoke their shrew.
"Eat up, eat up! I'm in a good mood today, so you can all drink!"
Xu Cuilian personally picked up the wine jar and poured a cup for her husband and three sons.
To avoid causing trouble, Xu Cuilian usually forbids them from drinking alcohol.
"Thank you, wife of my child."
Butcher Zhang and his three sons exchanged glances, all seeing the ecstatic joy on each other's faces. They showered Xu Cuilian with compliments and then drank heartily over a table full of delicious food.
Fortunately, the four men remembered that they had to get up early the next day to slaughter a pig. Each of them only drank two small cups before Xu Cuilian put the wine away.
That night, the couple talked, and Xu Cuilian mentioned that Sheng An had a stroke of luck, cooking for Ding Tianci and winning the favor of Master Ding.
The news that Ding Tianci was sick and unable to eat had been circulating in the city for the past year, so the couple had naturally heard about it. Therefore, they were not at all surprised that Sheng'an was grateful to Mr. Ding for cooking a meal for him.
"Jin Nian's wife is fortunate because she is capable herself."
Butcher Zhang had only met Sheng An once, but he had a good impression of this hardworking and diligent niece-in-law, and he was generous with his praise.
"Yes, I thought it was unreliable when she wanted to set up a stall to sell wontons. I didn't expect that she would not only succeed, but also make Mr. Ding know about her with a bowl of wontons."
Xu Cuilian once again marveled at Sheng An's good fortune, but was even happier for her second brother's family:
“Since she married into the Xu family, my second brother’s health has started to improve, and her wonton business is booming, bringing in a decent monthly income for the family, which has eased my worries.”
Over the years, her second brother and Jin Nian have depended on each other for survival. Recently, her second brother's condition has worsened and he is on the verge of death. She has already made preparations to send her second brother off on his final journey.
The only worry is for Jin Nian. Having lost his only father, how will he live all alone?
Fortunately, after being persuaded by her and her second brother, Jin Nian finally agreed to find a matchmaker to arrange a marriage, and even managed to choose An An, a wife who suited his taste.
How can this not be a match made in heaven!
“Jin Nian is a man of his own mind, and his wife is no less than perfect. Your second brother’s good fortune is yet to come.”
Butcher Zhang felt envious and thought of his eldest son's marriage: "Da Kui is getting on in years, his marriage needs to be arranged as soon as possible. I'll ask Jin Nian's wife later to see if she knows any girls."
Jin Nian's wife is a good woman, and the girls she dates are bound to be good too.
Xu Cuilian thought it made sense and immediately agreed: "Okay, I'll ask Jin Nian's wife when she comes to the house tomorrow."
At this moment, Sheng An lay down on the bed, staring at the man sitting by the bed carefully applying moisturizer to her hands.
Meeting her intense gaze, Xu Jinnian remained calm: "Why is An'an looking at her husband like that?"
Sheng An really wanted to roll her eyes, but her eyelids were uncooperative and she almost turned cross-eyed.
She quickly blinked to maintain her composure, took a deep breath, and snorted forcefully, "You know perfectly well what I'm asking!"
Xu Jinnian nodded, revealing a knowing expression: "Although my appearance is outstanding, I would feel embarrassed if An'an kept looking at me like that."
Sheng An almost choked on his own saliva, staring at Xu Jinnian as if he were a monster, unable to believe that he could say such a thing.
This guy's character is clearly that of a pure and unattainable beauty, so saying such narcissistic things is a complete distortion of his character.
After holding it in for a long time, she finally couldn't help but blurt out, "You should just shut up."
Xu Jinnian smiled, as if asking Sheng An, or perhaps himself: "If I didn't have this face, would An'an even give me a second glance?"
Sheng An thought about it seriously for a moment, then replaced Xu Jinnian's face in her mind with an ordinary face, and shook her head honestly: "No."
Who doesn't enjoy looking at beautiful women?
But this guy was acting strangely tonight, and Sheng An felt a little uneasy.
To verify her guess, she cautiously asked, "Xu Jinnian, did something happen to you?"
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