Chapter 71: The Nephew is a Scumbag

After breakfast, Shen Yunhe went to take the three kids to school. Grandpa Ji cleaned up the kitchen and nervously sat on the sofa, waiting for his nephew to return home.

Footsteps echoed from the stairs. He turned around and saw a woman coming down. This must be his nephew’s wife, Su Jian. When Su Jian saw Grandpa Ji, she greeted him warmly.

“Hello, old man. I’m Su Jian.”

Grandpa Ji chuckled and replied, “Hello, I’m Yunhe’s uncle, the real one. You can call me uncle too.”

“Alright!” Su Jian sat down on the sofa and chatted with Grandpa Ji.

“Su Jian, how long have you and Yunhe been married?” Grandpa Ji asked.

“We’re not married,” Su Jian answered casually.

“Ah?” Grandpa Ji was taken aback. “Then who are the three kids’ parents?”

Su Jian responded, “They’re Jiang Banyue’s children. Their mother is Jiang Banyue, and she takes care of the three little emperors like a nanny.”

Grandpa Ji, flustered, didn’t know how to respond. “Then, who exactly are you?”

Why had Shen Yunhe had three kids with Jiang Banyue and then ended up with Su Jian? His nephew seemed so responsible and upright. He didn’t seem like someone who would abandon people.

“I’m Su Jian, and I have no relationship with Yunhe’s family. He insisted on locking me in the house and not letting me go out,” Su Jian said.

“Ah?” Grandpa Ji was unsure what expression to make. Had he just discovered that his nephew was a scumbag?

Su Jian, sensing the awkwardness, tentatively asked, “How about you talk to your nephew and get him to let me go?”

Grandpa Ji scratched his head, feeling embarrassed and unsure what to do. Was his nephew really a scumbag?

Just as Grandpa Ji was frowning in confusion, Shen Yunhe walked in. Seeing that Su Jian had woken up, he went to the kitchen to serve her some food.

“Su Jian, come eat.”
“Oh, I’m coming!” Su Jian got up from the sofa and walked over to the dining table, sitting down to eat.

Shen Yunhe poured a glass of water for Grandpa Ji and brought it over, then sat on the sofa.

“Have you checked everything? Are you sure I’m not mistaken? My mom really is your older sister?”
“Yes, if you don’t believe me, I can meet her. I’ll recognize my older sister the moment I see her.”

Grandpa Ji’s emotions were a little agitated as he grabbed Shen Yunhe’s arm. Shen Yunhe felt that this matter had to be settled by meeting his mother in person.

“Alright, I’ll arrange the kids this afternoon and take you back to the village to meet my mother. However, she has amnesia and doesn’t remember anything from the past.”

“I know.” Grandpa Ji sighed sadly. His older sister had been harmed in ways he never knew. If it was really Gu Yalan who caused it, he would never let her go.

“How has your mother been all these years?” Grandpa Ji asked.

Shen Yunhe thought about his mother, a faint smile forming on his lips.

“She’s been alright. My dad is a truck driver, and every time he comes home, he brings her gifts. She’s always happy when she gets them. She forgets everything else and relies solely on my dad. We have three children in the family: me, the eldest; the second, Shen Yunlin, a boy; and the youngest, Shen Yunshuang, a girl. We’re all doing well.”

Grandpa Ji’s eyes filled with tears. “That’s good, that’s good. Your dad is a good man. He saved my older sister’s life. Otherwise, she might have died alone out there. He’s a lifesaver to our Ji family.”

After Su Jian finished eating, she cleared the table and sat aside, listening to their conversation. Grandpa Ji saw her and remembered something.

“Yunhe, is this your wife?”
Shen Yunhe lifted his gaze to look at Su Jian. “Yes.”

“But, her children were born by another woman. This…” Grandpa Ji hesitated, unable to finish his sentence.

Shen Yunhe’s expression stiffened as he helplessly explained,
“The children are hers. I only have her as my wife. Her situation is complicated, I’ll explain it to you slowly later.”

“Okay.” Grandpa Ji was relieved as long as he wasn’t a scumbag.

At noon, Shen Yunhe took the kids back and left them at Aunt Jiang’s house, asking her to help take care of them. Aunt Jiang hugged the children, and her attitude towards Shen Yunhe was warm. Over the years, she had watched her daughter, alone, tirelessly caring for three children. She had considered finding her another partner, but her daughter refused. Over time, she gave up on that idea.

However, recently, with Shen Yunhe’s return, he had been helping with both the kids and the household, which had made her daughter much more relaxed. Aunt Jiang also realized that her son-in-law truly intended to remarry, and she hoped for her daughter to remarry too. After all, a stepfather couldn’t compare to a biological father, and a married couple was always better as the original pair.

She felt relieved knowing someone was there to help her daughter; at least, her daughter wouldn’t be so tired anymore. Shen Yunhe left 200 yuan with Aunt Jiang, but she refused to take it.

“Mom, I came in a hurry and didn’t buy anything for you and Dad. Take this money as a token of respect. Over the years, you’ve helped take care of her and the kids.”

“Aunt Jiang, my daughter’s had it hard these years, raising three kids on her own and earning money. It’s really tough. We only occasionally look after the kids, but she’s mostly the one doing everything. The kids have been quite naughty too. She’s suffered a lot. In the future, take good care of her. Don’t let her suffer anymore.”

Aunt Jiang thought of her pitiful daughter and almost broke down in tears. Shen Yunhe reassured her,
“Mom, don’t worry, I won’t abandon her again. Once I return to the army, I’ll take them with me. From now on, I’ll take good care of them.”

“Good, I trust you.”

“Mom, I have to leave now.”

Shen Yunhe gave the kids some final instructions, then left. Aunt Jiang wiped away her tears, clutching the money Shen Yunhe gave her. The three children, seeing their grandmother cry, quietly stayed by her side. Jiang Huairou hugged Aunt Jiang.

“Grandma, don’t cry.”

Aunt Jiang hugged her granddaughter,
“Grandma’s not crying. Rou Rou, Grandma’s going to the market to buy you some ribs, okay?”

“Okay.”

---

Shen Yunhe drove with Grandpa Ji and Su Jian back to Shanghe Village. Grandpa Ji was excited, sitting in the front seat. Finally, he was going to meet his older sister after so many years. He was eager to see how she had been.

Unlike Grandpa Ji, Su Jian angrily sat in the back seat. When Shen Yunhe had told her they were going back home, Su Jian thought she would finally have her freedom, nearly jumping for joy. But then, Shen Yunhe forcibly pulled her into the car.

Shen Yunhe glanced at Su Jian through the rearview mirror, sighing helplessly. There was no way around it. If he didn’t take her along, after finishing his business, he might not find her again. So, he had no choice but to keep her close.

At Shanghe Village,
Shen’s father was resting at home and didn’t go out. Shen’s mother was discussing the dowry for their daughter’s marriage with Shen’s father. Shen Yunshuang was meeting another suitor, a former soldier from the neighboring village, and both families were discussing the engagement.

“Hey, give your eldest son a call. Yunshuang is getting engaged. As the big brother, he should come back.”

“You don’t need to remind me. I’ll call him in a bit.”

Sighing, Shen’s mother added,
“Ah, if only our daughter-in-law and the kids could come back, how wonderful it would be. What kind of business is this your son’s handling? If they didn’t get divorced, I’d be able to see my grandchildren by now.”

Shen’s father reassured her,
“He called last time to say he plans to remarry. He will bring them all back. Daughter-in-law and the grandkids will return. We just need to wait patiently for our son’s good news. Don’t worry.”