Chapter 67 Wait a minute, I'm taking a shower. ...
On the way home, Lu Xuan chattered non-stop, and as soon as she got home, she showed off her day's experiences to Jiang Yufen.
"The wedding was so lively! The young lady's wedding dress was beautiful; I heard it was specially imported from France by Young Master Yang. And her wedding gown was gorgeous too; the embroidery was done by master embroiderers from Suzhou and Hangzhou, and all the pearls were the same size. So beautiful!"
Jiang Yufen didn't go today because she wasn't feeling well. Seeing her sister-in-law's envious look, she joked, "Then when you get married, we'll have the family prepare one for you too."
Lu Xuan blushed, hesitated for a moment, and didn't say a word of refusal, but she really wanted it.
Which young girl doesn't dream of love? Which girl doesn't long to wear that beautiful wedding dress?
However, thinking that she had run away from her arranged marriage and that her father might be angry, how could he possibly buy her such beautiful clothes? Her shoulders slumped.
"Dad might still be angry."
Shen Rong encouraged her, "Why don't you write a letter back to test the waters?"
Having been here for so long, aside from calling home to let them know I arrived safely at the beginning and asking Mr. and Mrs. Lu to stay last time,
Neither of them called home.
Lu Xuan remained defiant and refused to back down: "No way, it's not my fault."
Shen Rong laughed: "You can't do it like that, you'll easily suffer losses. I'll teach you a trick today."
Lu Xuan and Jiang Yufen looked over curiously. What kind of move was it?
"How to empty Dad's wallet! You have to be sweet-talking and know how to be charming. If things don't go your way, soften your attitude and pretend to admit your mistake. If he's happy, you can get as much pocket money as you want. But never confront him directly. Give Dad a way out, and he'll give you a bag of silver dollars back. Isn't that better?"
The two were stunned.
Lu Xuan's mouth dropped open: "Is this how you usually coax Uncle Shen, sister-in-law?"
Shen Rong nodded with a proud expression.
She drew the two closer: "Last time I went back to my parents' home, I complained a little about being poor. Do you know how much money I got?"
She held up a number: "US dollars."
Lu Xuan's eyes lit up: "Sister-in-law, Uncle is so generous, I want to be his daughter too."
His father could only afford to give him thirty.
Jiang Yufen was also a little envious, but since she had many sisters and her father treated them all equally, and they didn't have such a large family fortune, she could only be envious.
Lu Xuan, on the other hand, went into her room to write a letter.
“My sister-in-law is the best. Her second brother and I have tried to persuade her countless times, but she’s very stubborn and refuses to admit her mistake no matter what we say,” Jiang Yufen said.
Shen Rong: "She definitely won't admit her mistake."
She hadn't done anything wrong, and she was young, hoping for a free love relationship. Suddenly, she was given a husband she didn't know at all. It's no wonder she made a fuss.
Lu Xuan was also pampered and spoiled growing up, and her temper was not easy to mess with.
Shen Rong was concerned about Jiang Yufen's illness and asked her if she was feeling any better.
"I feel much better. Tianyou went and got me some Western medicine, and it's very effective."
Seeing that no one was in the room, Shen Rong asked Lu You where he had gone.
Jiang Yufen looked a little downcast: "They've gone to take care of business; the trading company is very busy."
Shen Rong suddenly had an idea: "His business is very busy, why don't you go and help him?"
Jiang Yufen's first instinct was to refuse: "I can't do it. I'll stay home and take care of my sister-in-law."
Shen Rong said, "What do I need to take care of? Zhang Ma and Gui Chun are both here, and they have nothing to do at home every day. Look how busy my second brother is. You and your husband can only see each other once in the middle of the night. This can't go on. Men are busy with their careers, and you should also find something to do."
The man is always out and about, while the woman stays at home unaware of anything. It's too easy for something to go wrong. She doesn't want this trip to Bincheng to cause problems in their relationship.
"Besides, Lu Xuan will go to school in the future, and I will need to find something to do after I give birth. It will be too boring for you to be alone at home."
Hearing her say that, Jiang Yufen began to think seriously: "But I'm afraid I won't do it well."
Seeing her like this, Shen Rong knew that her heart had softened.
“Now many women go out to work and support themselves, living more independently. Don’t be afraid at first. You’ll learn to read and write. The business is yours, so learn slowly. Let your second brother teach you. Maybe in the future you and your husband will be able to stand on your own.”
Jiang Yufen pursed her lips, her smile widening.
She felt that it would be good to follow her husband and broaden his horizons, so that when he came back and talked to her about business matters, she wouldn't know anything about them and would ask a few more questions, and then her husband would not want to talk about them anymore.
That evening, Shen Rong brought up the matter with Lu You, but Lu You refused outright.
"My brother sent us to take care of my sister-in-law. What kind of behavior is it for her to go to the business?"
Jiang Yufen was disappointed for a moment, but she forced a smile and said, "I'll stay home and keep my sister-in-law company."
Shen Rong slammed down her chopsticks, her face hardening, which startled Lu You.
"Are you complaining that your younger siblings can't help you?"
He explained softly, "Sister-in-law, that's not what I meant. Yufen is literate and can definitely help, but no matter how important the business is, it's not as important as you. You're heavily pregnant now and need someone by your side. Yufen should stay home and take care of you. I can manage the business on my own. Otherwise, if something happens, how can I explain it to my brother?"
Seeing that this was the reason, Shen Rong's expression softened: "If that's the reason, then you don't need to worry. I'll talk to him. Anyway, he'll be back soon. I'll talk to him. If your older brother agrees, you can't refuse."
"You're busy working yourself to the bone outside, but have you ever thought about how hard it is for your younger siblings at home? You keep them at home and then complain that they don't understand you. That's wrong. If they could see the outside world like you, they might find that they're not as capable as you are."
Jiang Yufen felt a little embarrassed by what was said. A rush of air rose in her nose, and her eyes stung. She lowered her head, afraid that tears would fall.
How fortunate she is to have such a sister-in-law who protects her!
Lu You glanced at his wife, his gaze softening: "I understand, sister-in-law."
Seeing that the time was right, Lu Xuan seized the opportunity to interject, "I also want to help."
"No way!" came the unanimous opposition.
Lu Xuan pouted: "Why?"
My sister-in-law always said that girls should go out and broaden their horizons, but why is she different?
Shen Rong: "You're still young. Your only task right now is to study. Study more, and you'll have plenty of job opportunities later. You won't be able to choose not to."
Lu Xuan poked at the rice and hummed twice.
***
Shen Rong went to bed early last night and woke up early the next day. When she woke up, she felt something was wrong. She felt like she was holding a man. When she looked up, she saw Lu Lin's sleeping face.
"When did you get back?" Shen Rong asked in surprise, waking him up without hesitation.
Lu Lin grabbed her mischievous hand and half-opened his eyes: "Let me sleep a little longer."
He glanced at his watch on the bedside table; it was only six o'clock, and he had only been lying down for less than an hour.
Shen Rong gave an "oh" and said that he should sleep, but her mouth didn't stop, and her clear voice kept circling in Lu Lin's ears.
Lu Lin reached out and pulled her into his arms, pressing her down: "Sleep a little longer."
Shen Rong was clearly awake, but when she pressed against his chest and heard the familiar heartbeat, she actually closed her eyes again.
When I woke up again, it was already nine o'clock, and Lu Lin was already up.
Shen Rong thought she was dreaming. She nimbly got out of bed, clutching her belly. She was about to go downstairs to ask Zhang Ma if Lu Lin had returned, but when she saw the suitcase in the corner, she smiled.
The sound of water came from the bathroom. Chen Rong approached and knocked on the door. The water sound immediately stopped.
Lu Lin's voice was a little tense: "Wait a minute, I'm taking a shower."
Shen Rong chuckled: "Don't worry, I won't come in."
She turned and went downstairs. Zhang Ma was sorting through the things Lu Lin had brought, several boxes in total.
"Madam, where should we put these?"
After thinking for a moment, Shen Rong said, "Distribute those local specialties, and I'll give them away later."
Lu Lin is back. He brought some local specialties from Pingcheng to reassure some people.
"When did you return, sir?"
Aunt Zhang: "It's so early. It's not even light outside yet, it's about three or four o'clock. We haven't gotten up yet."
"But why didn't you say so beforehand? My wife could have waited for me at the station."
They were quite taken aback when they saw the man carrying several large suitcases.
Lu You heard that his elder brother had returned, so he didn't go to the trading company today.
"Is my older brother awake?" He looked up at the building.
Shen Rong: "They should be coming down soon."
As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Lin went downstairs.
Seeing that he was wearing a police uniform, Shen Rong was somewhat surprised: "You're going back to your unit?"
Lu Lin nodded: "I have a lot of backlogged official business to deal with."
At the dinner table, everyone first asked about Lu Lin's business trip to Pingcheng. Shen Rong knew he hadn't gone to Pingcheng, and fearing that asking too many questions would give her away, she changed the subject and brought up the matter of having Jiang Yufen go to the trading company to help Lu You.
Lu Lin nodded: "I have no objection. This is indeed a good thing, but it still depends on your sister-in-law. You and your husband should discuss it. If your sister-in-law is willing, then she can go and learn it."
Jiang Yufen couldn't hide her joy: "I'm willing."
Lu You also said, "I discussed it with her. My sister-in-law is about to give birth, so she will go for half a day each day and stay home to accompany her for the other half."
Lu Xuan raised her hand: "I'm here at home, how could I not take care of my sister-in-law? I'm very capable, okay?"
Lu You patted her head: "You're everywhere."
After breakfast, Lu Lin went to the police station. Before leaving, he said to Shen Rong:
"I bought some things, take a look and see if you like them. I don't know what my sister-in-law and younger sister like, so could you help me pick some out?"
They walked very fast, and Shen Rong didn't even have time to ask what was going on.
Upon opening the two boxes, Shen Rong smiled. No wonder he ran so fast earlier; he was embarrassed.
It seems she really took what she said the day she left to heart, as she brought so many gifts. She looked through them and found local specialties from all over the country, including food and household items.
She also bought some jewelry, which looked like it was from a bygone era. One of the pieces she immediately took a liking to was a pair of white jade bracelets.
She kept this one for herself, and shared the rest with Lu Xuan and the others.
Jiang Yufen was a little embarrassed and only picked one item: "Sister-in-law, one item is enough for me."
Shen Rong: "Don't worry about saving money for me. Just accept what's offered to you. Don't be shy."
Lu Xuan didn't stand on ceremony and hugged him tightly: "That's right, Second Sister-in-law, please don't be shy. Eldest Sister-in-law isn't short of money, right?"
"If your sister-in-law needs more, your brother can buy more."
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