Chapter 87: Shen Yunshuang’s Engagement

After Zhang Qianqian’s father and grandmother finally left, she was able to relax. Holding onto her mother, she burst into tears. Jiang Chenggong turned back into the house, leaving the living room for the mother and daughter to have their moment.

Li Zhaodi hugged her daughter and wiped her tears.

“Don’t cry anymore, Qianqian. I’ll set up a space for you on the balcony with a bed. You can sleep there. If you’re staying long-term, it wouldn’t be right to keep troubling Qingyue.”

“Alright, Mom. Whatever you decide is fine.”

Zhang Qianqian was satisfied with her current life. At the very least, she no longer had to worry about being forced into marriage.

The next morning, she got up early to make breakfast and clean the house. With her help, Li Zhaodi felt much more at ease.

At the dining table, Zhang Qianqian cautiously asked,

“Dad, Mom, can I continue going to school?”

Jiang Chenggong was eating and didn’t immediately respond. Li Zhaodi thought he was unwilling, so she advised her daughter,

“What’s the point of going to school? The towel factory across the street is hiring. You could work there. They pay six hundred yuan a month!”

Jiang Chenggong swallowed his food and looked up.

“A child her age should be in school, not working.”

“Qianqian, which school were you attending? After breakfast, I’ll take you to pay your tuition.”

Zhang Qianqian nodded excitedly.

“Thank you, Dad! I was studying at Yuying Middle School. I should be in eighth grade this year.”

“Is that so? Qingfeng is also at Yuying Middle School. He’s in seventh grade. You two can go to and from school together.”

—

Two days later, it was Shen Yunshuang’s engagement day.

Shen Yunhe drove Jiang Banyue and the children back to Shanghe Village for the occasion.

Meanwhile, Old Madam Ji had already settled into a peaceful retirement life there. Ji Wanting took her mother for a stroll around the village, introducing her to the locals.

After becoming familiar with the village, Old Madam Ji often sat under the large poplar tree at the entrance, chatting with the elderly villagers. She lived a leisurely and carefree life.

As soon as Shen Yunhe entered the village, he spotted the old lady sitting under the tree. The children jumped out of the car and ran toward her.

“Great-Grandma, we’re here!”

“Oh my, my dear grandchildren are back!” Old Madam Ji held a large palm fan in her hand, smiling as she spoke with the villagers.

“The kids are back, I’ll head home first. We’ll chat later!”

“Alright, see you later!” The elderly women at the village entrance watched them leave, then lowered their heads and started gossiping.

“This family has really made it big. Look at the car Yunhe is driving—just the sight of it screams expensive. And that old lady, she’s definitely wealthy too. Just look at the fabric of her clothes and shoes—they’re high quality.”

“Yunhe’s wife even gave birth to triplets. She’s truly blessed!”

“What’s money worth? Health and peace are the most important things!”

Jiang Banyue supported Old Madam Ji as they walked home, with the happy children trailing beside them. Shen Yunhe slowly drove behind them.

At the entrance of their house, Shen Yunhe carried several large bags and followed them inside.

Hearing the commotion, Father Shen and Mother Shen quickly came out to welcome them. Shen Yunshuang also stepped outside.

“Oh, my dear grandchildren are back!”

“Grandma, we’re home!”

Jiang Huairou threw herself into her grandmother’s arms, only to be scooped up by Ji Wanting.

“My little darling, Grandma missed you so much.”

At noon, the whole family gathered around for a meal. Shen Yunlin also returned from school. Tomorrow, the groom’s family would be coming over for the engagement. Today, the entire family was finally together.

At night, Jiang Banyue handed Shen Yunshuang a red envelope.

“Sister-in-law, this is for you. Take it.”

“Thank you, Sister-in-law.” Shen Yunshuang accepted the red envelope with a smile.

“Go get some rest now. Sleep early and keep your energy up. Tomorrow will be a busy day.”

“Got it, Sister-in-law. You should rest early too.”

Shen Yunshuang took the red envelope back to her room, while Jiang Banyue also returned to hers. It was the first time the three children had slept on a large communal bed, and they were excitedly running around, hitting each other with pillows. Shen Yunhe stood by the bedside, watching them play and occasionally trying to intervene.

“Stop messing around. It’s time to sleep. Be careful not to fall off… Jiang Huaiyu, don’t hit your sister…”

But no one paid him any attention. The children continued to play rowdily.

As soon as Jiang Banyue entered the room, she stood at the doorway with her arms crossed and a stern expression on her face. The three children froze the moment they saw her, immediately throwing down their pillows and lying down obediently.

Shen Yunhe turned around and saw his wife standing there expressionless. She hadn’t even said a word, yet she had already subdued the children. He couldn’t help but wonder—was he really that easy to ignore? Why did none of the kids ever listen to him?

“Did you give her the red envelope?”

“Mm, I did,” Jiang Banyue said, her expression softening.

“Let’s sleep then.”

“Alright.”

That night, they all slept on the large communal bed. The bed stretched across an entire wall, measuring eight meters long and two meters wide—more than enough space for five more people to sleep comfortably. The three children slept on one side, while Shen Yunhe held his wife as they lay on the other.

—

The next morning, the crowing of the rooster in the courtyard woke Shen Yunhe. He quietly sat up, got out of bed, and went outside for a run.

Old Madam Ji, being elderly, also woke up early. She sat in the courtyard watching the rooster peck at its feed, while Mother Shen was in the kitchen preparing breakfast.

By seven o’clock, everyone was awake. Today was Shen Yunshuang’s engagement day, and Jiang Banyue helped Mother Shen in the kitchen, chopping vegetables and organizing things.

After breakfast, guests started arriving. The groom’s family soon came over. Father Shen and Mother Shen hurried outside to welcome them.

Shen Yunshuang’s fiancé was a tall young man in his twenties named Wang Dong. His parents and uncle had come along, bringing a basket of engagement treats—wedding pastries, cigarettes, alcohol, tea, wedding candies, and pork—all wrapped with red celebratory paper.

Wang Dong’s mother handed Shen Yunshuang a large red envelope. She blushed as she accepted it. Seeing how sincere the Wang family was, the Shen family became even more enthusiastic in their hospitality.

With a lively meal shared between the two families, the engagement was officially set.

—

Shen Yunhe still had three days of leave, but with two days of train travel ahead, he decided to set off early. He planned to take his wife and children back to the military base with him.

Early in the morning, Shen Yunhe went to the train station to buy tickets, while Jiang Banyue stopped by the cake shop to decide before heading to An Xiuxiu’s house to say goodbye.

An Xiuxiu hugged Jiang Banyue and whined, “What am I supposed to do after you leave? I’ll have no one to play with!”

Jiang Banyue patted her shoulder and laughed.

“When Song Shiyan gets some free time, you two can come visit me at the base. Treat it like a vacation!”

“Alright! But you better give me the best hospitality when I visit!”

“Of course!”

After leaving An Xiuxiu’s house, Jiang Banyue went to the Jiang family home to bid farewell to her parents.

Jiang Mother smiled with satisfaction. “This is how it should be. You have three children already—how can you live apart? That’s no way to run a household.”

“Mom, are you that eager to get rid of me?”

“Exactly! Now hurry up and leave so you stop bothering me!”

Jiang Banyue hugged her mother’s arm and rested her head on her shoulder.

“No way. Just thinking about leaving you makes me reluctant to go.”

Jiang Mother playfully tapped her nose.

“You’re all grown up, yet you still cling to your mother. Aren’t you embarrassed?”

“As long as I have you, I’ll always be a child. What’s there to be embarrassed about?”

“You’re already a mother yourself, you know.”

Jiang Mother packed some food for her—sausages, rice dumplings, meat pies, and a bag of apples—while nagging,

“I made all of these myself. Take them with you to eat on the train.”

“Alright.”

“And keep a close eye on the kids. Watch out for human traffickers.”

“I know.”