Chapter 33 : Mother-in-law and Daughter-in-law Join Forces

“Walnuts?” Fang Xiaoluo stood up, her face full of confusion.  

Whether it was a woman’s sixth sense or something else, Fang Xiaoluo had a strong feeling that Liu Qianru was here to stir up trouble.  

This young woman seemed about the same age as her. She wore red ribbons in her braids, not a striking beauty, but youthful and graceful, with the elegance of someone trained in dance.  

It was the kind of charm that could easily attract men, arousing their protective instincts.  

Shen Zheng had indeed brought back a bag of walnuts, but no one in the family had eaten any yet, they were still sitting in the living room.  

Seeing Fang Xiaoluo’s puzzled expression, Liu Qianru’s eyes seemed to flash with excitement, as if she had been waiting for this moment.  

Feigning surprise, she tentatively asked, “Sister, didn’t Captain Shen give you the walnuts he brought back? Oh dear, I must have misspoken, forget I mentioned it. It’s nothing, really.”  

Fang Xiaoluo walked over to the fence, her face looking genuinely innocent as she replied, “But…”  

She blinked, “I’ve already taken it to heart. What should I do now?”  

Liu Qianru stared at Fang Xiaoluo’s stunningly beautiful face, and a faint sense of inferiority crept up on her.  

Fang Xiaoluo looked gorgeous from afar, but up close, she was even more breathtaking. Her skin was flawless, fair with a subtle rosy glow. Truly, she had the kind of beauty cultivated by growing up in the city.  

Liu Qianru coughed awkwardly. “Sister, I… I didn’t say anything just now.” She had intended to imply that Shen Zheng might have hidden the walnuts, but Fang Xiaoluo wasn’t playing along at all.  

Raising her eyebrows, Fang Xiaoluo smirked. “Oh, really?”  

Then she called out, “Xiaxia, go fetch the paper bag in the living room that Daddy brought home yesterday.”  

Shen Jinxia immediately darted off with her short little legs, returning moments later with the bag of walnuts.  

Fang Xiaoluo opened the bag and held it up to Liu Qianru. “Is this what you were talking about?”  

Liu Qianru nodded in flustered acknowledgment. “Oh, so Captain Shen did bring them home.”  

“You sound disappointed. Were you hoping my husband had hidden them?” Fang Xiaoluo said with a smile. “Sorry to disappoint you, but even though I haven’t known Shen Zheng for long, he’s utterly devoted to me. Whenever he gets something nice, I’m the first person he thinks of. Don’t you agree that my husband is wonderful?”  

Liu Qianru forced a stiff smile. “Captain Shen’s character is certainly beyond reproach.”  

Turning to Zheng Lanhua, Liu Qianru continued with a sweet tone, “Madam, it must be so exhausting for you, looking after three children. Now that sister is here, she should help out more with chores. It’s only right for a daughter-in-law to show filial piety to her mother-in-law. After all, no one wants to be seen as unfilial, do they?”  

Hearing this, Fang Xiaoluo immediately understood the subtext. Liu Qianru was trying to stir up trouble between her and Zheng Lanhua, implying she wasn’t fulfilling her duties as a daughter-in-law.  

She glanced at Liu Qianru’s smug expression and felt an urge to shut her up for good.  

But before Fang Xiaoluo could say anything, Zheng Lanhua’s voice rang out from behind her.  

“Qianru, that’s an interesting idea you’ve got there. When you get married, I’ll be sure to visit your in-laws and tell them they’re lucky to have such a capable and filial daughter-in-law. I’ll even suggest they let you wash their feet and wipe their bottoms too.”  

Liu Qianru’s face turned beet red at Zheng Lanhua’s remark.  

Fang Xiaoluo couldn’t help but burst out laughing, then chimed in, “Mom, you’re absolutely right. But wouldn’t that be a bit too much trouble for you?”  

Zheng Lanhua cast a sideways glance at Fang Xiaoluo. “Trouble? What trouble? It’s only proper.”  

Liu Qianru had come here thinking Zheng Lanhua didn’t like Fang Xiaoluo, judging from what she’d heard about the tea ceremony yesterday. She hadn’t expected Zheng Lanhua to side with Fang Xiaoluo now.  

Taking a deep breath, Liu Qianru forced a smile. “Well then, I’ll leave you to it. I’ve got things to do.”  

Fang Xiaoluo waved the bag of walnuts at her. “Qianru, you go ahead and do your work. Come to my house more often when you have time. Don’t be shy.”

Watching Liu Qianru’s hurried figure disappear into the distance, Fang Xiaoluo turned around to find Zheng Lanhua staring at her.  

She crouched down and grinned. “Mom, you think I’m really good-looking too, don’t you?”  

Zheng Lanhua turned her face away. “Being good-looking doesn’t put food on the table.”  

Fang Xiaoluo chuckled, washed her hands, and cracked open a walnut. The nut inside was large and fresh. She held a piece up to Zheng Lanhua’s mouth. “Tell me, do you think Liu Qianru likes your son?”  

With the walnut kernel practically pushed against her lips, Zheng Lanhua had no choice but to open her mouth. Fang Xiaoluo promptly popped it in.  

Zheng Lanhua sighed in resignation and chewed.  

She had to admit, it was quite tasty.  

After swallowing, Zheng Lanhua said, “A lot of women like my son.”  

“Oh, really, Mom? From the way you’re talking, it sounds like your son could start a harem with three thousand beauties,” Fang Xiaoluo teased, finding Zheng Lanhua unexpectedly amusing despite her prickly demeanor.  

While Zheng Lanhua clearly didn’t like her, she had played along in front of Liu Qianru, calling her “Xiaoluo” warmly and even introducing Liu Qianru with some level of politeness. Yet, in private, she remained her usual tough self.  

Not to mention, she had just helped Fang Xiaoluo give Liu Qianru a good verbal slap.  

Zheng Lanhua nearly choked on her response. “What nonsense are you talking about? This is the modern era, with one husband and one wife. Don’t you dare tarnish my son’s reputation.”  

Fang Xiaoluo laughed and peeled another walnut, handing a piece to Shen Jinxia.  

The little girl obediently crouched beside her, nibbling on it slowly.  

“Mom, why don’t you like Liu Qianru?” Fang Xiaoluo asked.  

Zheng Lanhua rubbed at the laundry in the basin and glared at her. “I’m an old woman. Why would I care about liking some young girl? If I had to like someone, it’d be a good-looking old man.”  

For once, Fang Xiaoluo was at a loss for words.  

After a long pause, she gave Zheng Lanhua a thumbs-up. “You’re right, such ambition!”  

Zheng Lanhua waved her hand dismissively. “Stop hovering around me. Don’t think I like you just because I defended you. That’s impossible. I only did it for my son’s sake.”  

Fang Xiaoluo stood up and shrugged. “That’s fine. I don’t need you to like me. As long as your son likes me, we’re good. My preferences are perfectly normal, after all. And your son is rather handsome.”  

She walked a few steps toward the door, cracked open another walnut, and handed the kernel to Shen Haiping, who was sitting nearby in a daze.  

Shen Haiping instinctively opened his mouth and obediently ate the walnut, savoring it carefully.  

After a moment, his eyes lit up, and he smiled at Fang Xiaoluo. “Thank you, Sister. It’s delicious.”  

Fang Xiaoluo smiled back. This kid was interesting, he seemed to have an unusual attachment to food.  

She began to wonder what had caused Shen Haiping to become this way. Was it something innate, or was it the result of trauma from his previous living situation?  

She peeled two more walnuts, handing one to Shen Haiping and the other to Shen Jinxia.  

Shen Jinxia beamed with delight. In her little heart, Fang Xiaoluo was like a fairy, kind, generous, and always making sure they were well-fed.  

It was a stark contrast to their former stepmother, who hoarded everything and gave them nothing.  

Back then, her older brother would sneak her food when she was starving, only to be caught and punished harshly by their stepmother. The memory of him being hung up and beaten still lingered painfully.  

Shen Jinxia had even been so hungry that she ate from the dog’s bowl once. When her stepmother found out, she was beaten again so badly that she didn’t dare touch the dog’s food after that.