Chapter 14

Grandma Xu Ships the Couple

Shen Zhou paused for a moment before seriously asking, “Do you really want me to say it?”

Shen Dazhu, seeing the serious look in Shen Zhou’s eyes, immediately knew nothing good would come out of his mouth. He shook his head. “Forget it, just keep quiet!”

But Shen Zhou had already prepared his words; there was no way he’d hold them back. “Dad, if you were driven out of your home by your father, denied food, and beaten regularly, how would you feel?”

Shen Dazhu repeated the same excuse, “The past is the past. There’s no point dwelling on it.”

Shen Zhou smiled, but there was no warmth in it. He felt it wasn’t worth it for his elder brother. If it had been him subjected to such treatment, he’d never have come back.

“You’ve never experienced it. What right do you have to speak about it?”

“Let me tell you this: if it were me, I wouldn’t acknowledge you. Even if you were dying, I wouldn’t spare you a glance.”

Shen Dazhu’s fury boiled over as he glared at Shen Zhou. “How dare you? I’m your father! I gave you life! I can do whatever I please.
It’s absurd to think I’d let you dictate my actions.”

Shen Zhou sneered, clearly unbothered by his words. “Keep acting that way, then. You’ll grow old with no one by your side, living a lonely life.”

Shen Dazhu was nearly apoplectic. “Aren’t you afraid of retribution?”

Shen Zhou retorted, “You’re not afraid of retribution, so why should I be?”

Shen Dazhu staggered, almost falling over. His eyes reddened, and he choked up. “Is it wrong for me not to want him to be a live-in son-in-law?”

Shen Zhou gave a fair response: “Coming here to make a scene—that’s where you’re wrong.”

Zhao Chunlan, who had come over to see the drama unfold, spotted Shen Zhou pushing Shen Dazhu out of the courtyard. Her face twisted in rage. This was her precious eldest son! To an outsider, it might seem like he was born under a curse.

Shen Dazhu finally calmed down after a long internal struggle and said, “Your brother is getting married, and it’s improper for the groom’s parents not to be present. I’ll stay.”

Shen Zhou replied, “As long as you don’t cause trouble, Brother will welcome you.”

These words felt like needles piercing Shen Dazhu’s heart. He sighed heavily. “Fine, he’s grown up. I can’t control him anymore. A live-in son-in-law, so be it.”

Shen Zhou understood that being a live-in son-in-law was often looked down upon, but he was confident his elder brother wouldn’t face such challenges. “The eldest sister-in-law’s family treats my brother very well. You don’t need to worry about him being mistreated.”

Shen Dazhu fell silent.

Mistreatment wasn’t his concern.

What he worried about was the family’s reputation.

On the wedding day, Xu Jiajia didn’t wear much makeup, only some lipstick, and styled her hair in a simple updo.

Even with minimal effort, she looked stunning.

Liao Mei entered the room to see the bride and couldn’t take her eyes off her.

Her hair was neatly pinned up with a few bright, smooth bangs left at the front. A delicate flower clip complemented her radiant lipstick, giving her a fresh yet alluring look.

“Oh my, Jiajia, you’re gorgeous! Who styled your hair?”

Wearing a military uniform, Xu Jiajia twirled in front of Liao Mei. “Do you like it?”

Liao Mei hugged her tightly. “I love it! If I were a man, I’d definitely marry you!”

Xu Jiajia teasingly lifted Liao Mei’s chin. “Woman, I’m afraid I’d have to disappoint you because I like men.”

Liao Mei felt a jolt and swatted Xu Jiajia’s hand away. “Stop teasing me!”

Xu Jiajia pouted. “Boring.”

Liao Mei raised an eyebrow. “What, are you performing now?”

Changing the subject, Xu Jiajia brought up something about the sugar factory. “Can your uncle get us some test papers?”

Liao Mei nodded. “He can, but my dad says the chances of success are slim and not worth the time.”

Xu Jiajia didn’t care. “It’s fine. I don’t mind wasting time.”

Liao Mei had expected this response. She sighed. “Honestly, I envy you. You’re an only child, pampered by both your parents and grandparents. Even though you’re from the countryside, you’ve been raised better than most city girls.

It’s not like me. I have so many siblings. My parents may seem to dote on me, but when it comes to real benefits, they’d never compromise.”

Take jobs, for instance.

Even if she went to the countryside as an educated youth, her parents would never give her their jobs.

Xu Jiajia knew Liao Mei was anxious about the prospect of going to the countryside. Unsure how to comfort her, she said, “If you don’t pass the exams and really have to go, you can ask your uncle to pull some strings to get you assigned to our team. Here, no one would dare bully you, and you could live with me.”

Liao Mei burst out laughing. “You really know how to cheer someone up.”

Xu Jiajia nudged her playfully. “Cheer up. Things will work out.”

Liao Mei nodded and handed Xu Jiajia a stack of papers. “These are the test papers my dad managed to get.”

She then pulled out a blue-covered book. “This is a reference book. It’s packed with content—there’s no way you’ll get through it in less than two weeks.”

Xu Jiajia flipped through it casually. “When’s the test?”

Liao Mei, with little hope, replied, “It’s already registered. The test is at 9 a.m. the day after tomorrow. Time’s tight, but you said you wanted to try, so consider this just for fun.”

The two chatted for a while before Shen Yuebai arrived.

He, too, was dressed in a military uniform. Standing together with Xu Jiajia, they looked like a picture-perfect couple.

Liao Mei couldn’t help but feel envious. She wanted a partner too!

Remembering she hadn’t given her wedding gift yet, she pulled out a red envelope and handed it to Xu Jiajia.

Xu Jiajia carefully wrote Liao Mei’s name on the back of the envelope to avoid any mix-ups.

Her handwriting was neat and graceful, each stroke flowing naturally.

After writing the name, she placed the envelope into a green canvas shoulder bag.

This bag was a gift from her father, Xu Jianguo, who had saved up to buy it during her first year of high school.

She had taken great care of it, and even after years of use, it looked as good as new.

After finishing her tasks, she finally asked Shen Yuebai, “Why are you here? Is there something you need?”

Shen Yuebai, still fixated on her hairstyle, was caught staring. “Wang Jun is here, along with a few classmates I don’t know. It seems Wang Jun invited them,” he said, his gaze lingering on her hair.

Seeing his attention, Xu Jiajia asked directly, “Does it look good?”

“Good… it looks very good,” Shen Yuebai blurted out. Realizing what he had just said, he panicked, worried she might misunderstand him. “I—I mean, I’m usually not this forward.”

Xu Jiajia stepped closer, placing a finger gently on his lips. “Relax. I like honest answers.”

The subtle fragrance she carried was as delicate as cherry blossoms in spring. It brushed over Shen Yuebai’s heart like a soft breeze. He froze, his face instantly flushing red. “Please… don’t do that. Someone might see.”

Xu Jiajia found his awkwardness amusing and couldn’t help but laugh. “This is my room; nobody usually comes in.”

No sooner had she said this than Grandma Xu walked in.

From Grandma Xu’s angle, it looked like Xu Jiajia was pouncing on Shen Yuebai like a hungry wolf. Grandma Xu quickly covered her eyes and spun around. “I didn’t see anything. Carry on, carry on!”

Shen Yuebai, clearly uncomfortable, hurried to clarify. “We weren’t doing anything!”

Grandma Xu didn’t believe him for a second. “You’re a married couple now. Even if you were, it’s perfectly fine.”

Shen Yuebai: “…”

The more he explained, the more suspicious it sounded.

Xu Jiajia, on the other hand, remained calm. She turned to Grandma Xu and said, “If I told you we were just discussing something, would you believe me?”

Grandma Xu shook her head. “Nope.”

Xu Jiajia: “…”

Weren’t people from this era supposed to be conservative? Why does Grandma seem so progressive?

Gua Gua, her system assistant, chimed in:

Xu Jiajia teased.

The praise made Gua Gua ecstatic.

The chatter from Gua Gua gave Xu Jiajia a headache, and her mood quickly soured.

[Host, you’re so mean…] Gua Gua would surely have shown a pitiful expression if it had a physical form.

Xu Jiajia: “…”

Hearing the banter between her and the system, Shen Yuebai relaxed, his earlier tension melting away. His eyes softened as he looked at Xu Jiajia.

Grandma Xu, watching them, struggled to stifle her excitement. Oh my goodness, they’re just too sweet together!

Just as Grandma Xu was getting fully invested in her ship, a voice called out from outside, “Where’s the old lady? Where did she wander off to? Never mind, I’ll check on Jiajia first.”

As soon as the voice faded, a frail old woman entered the room. She was Xu Jiajia’s maternal grandmother, Grandma He. Upon seeing Xu Jiajia dressed in her military uniform, she gently cupped her face with trembling hands. “Oh, my sweet Jiajia, you’re so beautiful—more beautiful than your mother. If only she could see you getting married today.”

The old woman was petite and thin, her gray hair tied neatly in a black net and gathered at the back. Though she smiled, tears glistened in her eyes.

Xu Jiajia’s memories of the original owner flooded back. Grandma He had always treated her well, saving the best food for her despite their meager means. Xu Jiajia flashed a sweet smile and handed her a handful of candies. “Here, Grandma, have some candy—it’s sweet.”

She didn’t stop there and gave candies to Grandma Xu and Shen Yuebai as well. Everyone got a share, with no favoritism.

For Grandma He, it was the first time receiving something from Xu Jiajia. She hadn’t even tasted the candy yet, but her heart already felt as sweet as if she’d eaten honey.

“Here, take this. Keep it safe,” Grandma He said, handing Xu Jiajia an embroidered handkerchief.

The handkerchief was wrapped around something. When Xu Jiajia opened it, she found a gold ring weighing five or six grams, with a simple but elegant design.

Xu Jiajia was stunned. From her inherited memories, she knew Grandma He’s family was extremely poor. How could they possibly have such a valuable item?

“Grandma, what is this?”

Grandma He patted her hand. “It was something your mother picked up years ago and asked me to keep safe for you. Now that you’re getting married, it’s yours.”

Xu Jiajia immediately understood. “This is worth quite a bit.”

Grandma He chuckled. “Oh, it’s not worth much at all. It can’t even compare to a sack of grain.”

Xu Jiajia nodded in agreement, thinking of the scarcity of resources during this era. “That’s true. But just because it’s not valuable now doesn’t mean it won’t be in the future.”

After chatting with Grandma He for a while, the old woman turned to Shen Yuebai with a serious expression. “Jiajia has been pampered by us her whole life. You must treat her well. If you dare bully her, her three uncles won’t let you off easily!”

“Don’t worry, Grandma. I’ll treat Jiajia with nothing but kindness,” Shen Yuebai promised, eager to make a good impression.

Grandma He nodded approvingly. “Don’t just say it; show it through your actions.”

Shen Yuebai snapped a military salute and declared firmly, “I swear on my honor.”

At that moment, Xu Jiajia’s aunt, He Taohua, entered the room. Seeing Shen Yuebai dressed as the groom, with a corsage pinned to his chest, she knew immediately who he was.

She forced a smile and said softly, “What’s with all the seriousness? It’s a wedding day.”

Before Xu Jiajia could respond, Gua Gua chimed in again.