Chapter 31: Going to My Husband’s Family

It was time to go to her husband’s family.

Shen Chuning, with a big red flower pinned to her chest, the same as Zhou Yubai’s, sat on the back seat of Zhou Yubai’s bicycle, heading towards the Zhou family home.

Shen Zhengxu and Shen Zhengliang, brothers, one riding a bicycle and the other driving a donkey cart, were delivering Shen Chuning’s dowry.

Shen Qingsong stood at the courtyard gate, waving to her until they could no longer see each other.

She was marrying into the same village; going back to her parents’ home was just a short distance away.

But when her father’s figure disappeared from her sight, Shen Chuning couldn’t help feeling a little sad.

The man riding the bicycle in front seemed to have noticed her emotions.

A deep, magnetic voice came from ahead, “After we get married, if you miss Dad, you can come back to see him anytime.  If you’re not used to being alone at home when I’m not there, you can even move back.”

Hearing the man’s words, Shen Chuning’s feelings of separation immediately improved.

Even if she was not sensible, she knew that a married daughter staying at her parents’ home for a long time would be criticized.

She smiled, her voice soft, “How can a married woman stay at her parents’ home for a long time? I’ll come back often to see Dad and my brothers.”

Just listening to her voice, Zhou Yubai felt his heart soften.

At the Zhou family’s gate.

Lin Shulan and the Zhou family’s six younger children were already looking out at the gate.

From afar, seeing a bicycle with a big red flower, Lin Shulan immediately shouted happily, “They’re here! They’re here! Quick, the firecrackers!”

The children also shouted, “The bride is here! The bride is here…”

The sound of firecrackers crackled, mixed with the excited voices of the children, filling the air with a festive and joyful atmosphere.

Before Zhou Yubai and Shen Chuning reached the courtyard gate, the Zhou family’s children, along with the village children, had already surrounded them.

“The bride is so beautiful!”

Zhou Hongjun, the oldest and naughtiest boy in the Zhou family, acted like a little monkey, bowing to Shen Chuning, “Third Uncle and Third Aunt, may you live a long and happy life together, have many children soon, give out wedding candy, give out wedding candy…”

With Zhou Hongjun taking the lead, other children rushed forward to ask for wedding candy.

Shen Chuning had prepared in advance, carrying fruit candies she bought from the supply and marketing cooperative, giving a few to each child.

The children, with candy in hand, were even more delighted, continuously saying thank you and offering blessings.

The banquet at the Zhou family was arranged in consultation with the Shen family, with the same dishes.

The difference was that this was a large banquet, with thirty tables.

Sun Fengjiao watched bowl after bowl of meaty dishes being placed on the tables, her face twitching in pain, “Who holds a wedding banquet like this?  This will eat up all the money, what about our life afterwards?”

Xia Yue’e, hearing Sun Fengjiao’s words, had an indifferent attitude, “Sister-in-law, no matter how good the banquet is, it’s Third Uncle who paid for it. You just eat.  Whether we live well or not in the future depends on our father-in-law and mother-in-law, why are you worrying about it?”

After speaking, Xia Yue’e continued to help serve the dishes.

Sun Fengjiao’s face was still unsightly, she muttered in a low voice, “The family hasn’t been divided yet, isn’t Zhou Yubai’s money the family’s money? Father-in-law and mother-in-law are in charge, we eat chaff and swallow vegetables at home, and all the money is saved for Laosan’s show…”

As she muttered, the braised pork with preserved mustard greens was ready. The steamer lid was opened, and the rich aroma instantly stimulated everyone’s appetite.

Sun Fengjiao watched those oily bowls of braised pork, and couldn’t help swallowing her saliva.

She rolled her eyes, quickly stepping forward, “Auntie, let me help serve!”

While serving the braised pork, she secretly took a bowl and hid it in her room.

Soon, an aunt who was helping to serve the dishes rushed to Lin Shulan, “Auntie, a bowl of braised pork is missing, what should we do?”

“Missing a bowl? How is that possible?” Lin Shulan was startled.

Before covering the steamer, she had counted several times, thirty bowls exactly, one for each table.

During these difficult times, it was not easy to eat meat.

Everyone came to the banquet after giving gifts, if some tables had food and some didn’t, it would offend people.

But it was too late to make another bowl now.

Lin Shulan quickly took the braised pork from her family’s table and sent it to the table that didn’t have it.

Mr. Zhou’s three daughters and Mrs. Zhou’s three sons were already sitting at that table.

The six children had their eyes fixed on the bowl of braised pork, ready to eat as soon as they got their chopsticks, but before they could, they saw their grandmother take the meat away.

Zhou Hongjun immediately protested, “Grandma, you took the braised pork from our table, don’t we get to eat?”

Although Lin Shulan was unhappy about the missing bowl of braised pork, she explained the situation to her grandchildren.

She promised her grandchildren that after the wedding was over, she would make a special bowl of braised pork for them.

The children were all raised by Lin Shulan, although they were greedy, they were also sensible.

Sun Fengjiao, who had just finished serving the dishes and sat down, saw that the braised pork from her table was taken away, and grumbled, “Other people are people, but our own family isn’t? Others can eat meat, but we can’t?”

Lin Shulan had seen Sun Fengjiao sneaking into her room.

She already suspected that she had taken the bowl of braised pork back to her room, and was angry.

Now, hearing her complaints, she was even angrier.

She glared at Sun Fengjiao, “Eat, eat, eat! You only know how to eat! So many dishes on the table still can’t satisfy you? Will you die if you miss a piece of meat?”

Seeing her mother-in-law really angry, Sun Fengjiao didn’t dare to speak.

Lin Shulan took the braised pork to the table that didn’t have it, and then the banquet began.

Zhou Yubai took Shen Chuning’s hand and entered the courtyard.

Zhou Jun, Zhou Yubai’s second brother, had already poured the wine, and Zhou Yubai and Shen Chuning went to each table to toast.

In the morning at Shen’s house, everyone knew that Zhou Yubai would be drinking again at noon, so no one forced him to drink.

But now at the Zhou family, it was different. At every table, people would force the couple to drink.

Zhou Yubai stood in front of Shen Chuning, helping her drink all the wine.

After hurriedly toasting a round, he found an excuse to send Shen Chuning back to the new room.

The new room was a small courtyard that Zhou Yubai built next to the Zhou family’s house.

It was clear that the courtyard had been carefully cleaned, and everything was spotless.

The door, windows, and walls were decorated with big red auspicious characters, the room was furnished with new furniture that his older and second brothers had just moved in, including a thermos, a washbasin with auspicious characters, and a bed covered with a red quilt with auspicious characters, creating a festive atmosphere.

Zhou Yubai helped her sit on the bed.

Shen Chuning’s already nervous heart instantly rose to her throat.

Her bright eyes were a little flustered as they met Zhou Yubai’s deep eyes.

Zhou Yubai, whether it was because he had drunk too much or something else, his ears were slightly red.

He looked at her intently, “Rest for a while. If you’re hungry, eat something to fill your stomach. I’ll go out to entertain the guests and come back.”

Shen Chuning looked into the man’s dark eyes, feeling as if there was a huge vortex, drawing her into it.

But the man’s expressionless face made it hard for her to judge his emotions.

She nodded obediently, “Okay, go ahead. I’ll wait for you.”

Zhou Yubai’s lips curved slightly, and he suddenly reached out and gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, “I’ll be back soon.”

The man’s rough fingertips brushed against her skin, and she felt a burning sensation, as if her heart was scorched by fire.

Shen Chuning seemed to be frozen in place, forgetting to breathe.

Until Zhou Yubai’s tall figure strode out of the room, her heart was still pounding in her chest.

After a long time, she finally came to her senses, quickly taking deep breaths of fresh air, and using her hand as a fan to cool her burning cheeks.

The Zhou family and the educated youth point were neighbors, so Zhou Yubai also invited some older educated youths who had more contact with the Zhou family to his wedding.

But Chen Ziyun, Wang Yumeng, and Lu Qiaoqing were not among them.

The rich aroma of meat came from next door, Chen Ziyun, Wang Yumeng, and Lu Qiaoqing looked at their half-sweet potato, constantly swallowing their saliva.

Hatred filled Chen Ziyun’s eyes.

Since he came to the countryside, he had never suffered.

Because when he first arrived, Shen Chuning had taken a liking to him, and after that, as long as he hinted to Shen Chuning that he needed or wanted something, Shen Chuning would get it for him the next day at the latest.

This month was the hardest he had ever had in the countryside.

Thinking about it, he couldn’t help but resent Wang Yumeng.

He had originally planned to accept Shen Chuning’s pursuit and marry her. If it weren’t for Wang Yumeng’s seduction and persuasion to plot against Shen Chuning to control her later, he would already be Shen’s son-in-law, and wouldn’t be eating only half a sweet potato.

But no matter how much he resented, he didn’t dare to say it.

Because he felt that Wang Yumeng seemed to know a lot that he didn’t know.

In fact, Wang Yumeng seemed to know a lot that none of them knew.

Wang Yumeng couldn’t be offended for now.