Font Size:
Spring returned to the land, melting the ice and snow, causing trees to sprout new yellow-green buds. The weather grew warmer, heralding the arrival of another spring.
“Little Black! Little Black! Don’t run! If you run again, I’ll spank your bottom!”
A tender voice of a young girl echoed loudly across the fields, eliciting smiles from those who heard it. They knew it was the youngest daughter of Shen Zi’an’s family chasing after the little Sacred Beast again. Looking up, they indeed saw a young girl in pursuit of a chubby little black wolf, its tiny braids bouncing as it ran, its cheeks flushed with a joyous smile.
Behind them trailed a small white wolf, a large black dog, and a big white wolf, all moving leisurely. Following them were two adults and two young boys.
The two adults naturally were Shen Zi’an and Su Zhi, while the two young boys were the children they had adopted. This was a family taking a stroll together.
After days of care and nurturing, the three children had undergone significant transformations, both physically and emotionally. They were now in excellent health and had emerged from the shadows of their abduction. The timid little girl had turned into one who would chase after the black wolf and cheer loudly.
Initially, when Su Zhi asked the children their names, the little girl was too young to remember hers. The delicate boy, due to a fever, only recalled that Su Zhi resembled his mother and that there was a kind woman who treated him well like a mother, calling her “mom” and him “my precious son,” but forgetting everything else. The composed young boy faintly remembered being called Hui’er at home, with many people around him. However, he couldn’t recall what they used to call him.
Based on the name Hui’er, Su Zhi ultimately decided to give the three children new names.
The eldest, previously known as Hui’er, was named Shen Rihui. The delicate second boy was named Shen Xingguang, and the little girl was named Shen Yuehua. Their nicknames were Xiaori, Xing’er, and Yueyue.
After Su Zhi’s meticulous care, these three children now appeared as lovely as jade and were adored by everyone in Riverside Village. Their presence would brighten anyone’s day, eliciting smiles from all who saw them.
Su Zhi cherished them dearly, treating them as precious gems. Shen Zi’an, though not as openly affectionate as Su Zhi, also cared for them deeply. He would hold them, play with them, and make toys for them.
In this short time, the children had already taken Shen Zi’an and Su Zhi as their own parents, unable to recall their biological ones.
“Little Black, you little rascal! I won’t let Mom make meat for you to eat!”
Yueyue was chasing Little Black but didn’t watch her steps, tripped, yet she didn’t cry. She got up, patting her knee while scolding Little Black loudly. She knew just like her, Little Black loved the food her mother made. If she didn’t give it to him, he would feel very upset!
“Yueyue, are you okay?”
Xing’er ran over, concerned, asking Yueyue. He cared deeply for Yueyue, always accommodating her, unlike Xiaori, who sometimes wore a mature expression when dealing with Yueyue.
Pouting, Yueyue said, “I’m fine, but I must make Little Black understand how it feels not to have meat to eat!”
After speaking, Yueyue ran to Su Zhi, pulling on her sleeve and looking up, saying, “Mom, Mom, Little Black bullied me. Please don’t give him meat, okay?”
Su Zhi, watching Little Black return anxiously, jumping around in front of her with a smile, asked Yueyue, “How did Little Black bully you? You don’t want me to give him meat?”
Yueyue wrinkled her little nose, saying, “It doesn’t let me pull its tail. I think its tail is fun to play with, but it’s so stingy, doesn’t let me touch it. It lets you touch it, Mom! It’s not affectionate towards me.”
Su Zhi playfully tugged on Yueyue’s braids, saying, “Of course, Little Black doesn’t want you to touch it. Its tail is like your braids to Little Black, not something everyone can touch. Just like how Mom can touch your braids, would you let Tiedan touch them?”
“I won’t let him touch them!”
Yueyue furrowed her little brows, as if understanding something, then somewhat forlornly added, “Mom, does Little Black find me as displeasing as he does with Tiedan?”
Su Zhi, realizing Yueyue’s cleverness, immediately grasped the meaning behind her words. She patted her head and said, “As long as Yueyue gives Little Black more meat in the future, it will like you.”
“Little Black, I’ll give you more meat in the future. You must let me touch your tail!”
Yueyue looked at Little Black with big, sparkling eyes, incredibly cute. Little Black’s round eyes also twinkled, letting out a couple of soft sounds, seemingly agreeing. The scene was heartwarming and delightful.
Shen Zi’an, observing this, smiled, feeling that bringing these three children home was a truly right decision. They brought so much joy to Su Zhi and added warmth to their household. He thought that if Su Zhi had children in the future, they would surely be as lovely as these three.
“Zi’an, out for a walk with the children again?”
Aunt Li walked over, glancing at Su Zhi, then at the Sacred Beast family, finally settling her gaze on the three little ones, smiling outwardly. However, inwardly, she couldn’t help but think that Shen Zi’an’s family had too much money to spare. Bringing these three kids from outside and caring for them so well seemed like a waste. Despite their wealth, they had been stubborn about not providing more medical expenses for their own well-behaved grandson, Tiedan. This negligence had left him with lingering health issues, a fact that troubled her greatly.
Shen Zi’an nodded in acknowledgment. He didn’t particularly like Aunt Li and therefore wasn’t inclined to engage in a lengthy conversation with her.
Su Zhi smiled and said, “Aunt Li, is Sister Liu at home? Ask her to find some time to visit me; I haven’t seen her in a while and I truly miss her.”
Aunt Li promptly replied, “Sure, I’ll have her come see you. If you have any tasks, feel free to let her know. She’s practically growing cobwebs at home. Also, you could invite Xiaohua along. She’s quite capable and has a sweet tongue, always complimenting me at home.”
Su Zhi thought to herself, maybe it’s better not to involve Sister Liu. Her sister-in-law might be skilled, but her tongue, when unhappy, was sharp as a knife, not the sweet kind of sweet.
“If there’s work to be done, I’ll surely ask Sister Liu. As for Xiaohua, my tasks are more labor-intensive, so I wouldn’t dare involve her. She must take good care of her hands. She seems destined for a life of luxury as a young mistress; we can’t risk roughening her hands, it wouldn’t look good.”
Su Zhi carefully selected words that Aunt Li loved to hear. It was a topic Aunt Li often discussed – her daughter, Zhao Xiaohua, marrying into a good family. She openly held this aspiration, leading many local young men to avoid their doorstep. Matchmakers brought proposals to make Xiaohua a concubine, but surprisingly, she refused. This left Su Zhi puzzled. Had Xiaohua’s aspirations changed? Did she no longer wish to be a concubine but desired to be a main wife? This shift made Su Zhi view her in a different light.
It was common for women to aspire to marry wealthy individuals. The difference lay in whether they sought to be the main wife or a concubine. The former showed ambition in Su Zhi’s eyes, while the latter suggested a sense of self-degradation.
Su Zhi believed that in the Zhao family’s situation, if Xiaohua aimed to be a main wife, marrying into a wealthy family was possible. However, marrying into an exceedingly wealthy household posed challenges unless there were exceptional circumstances, like being a second wife or if the man’s personal circumstances were lacking. It wasn’t a matter of looking down on Xiaohua; it was a realistic assessment. With Xiaohua lacking a prestigious background, exceptional beauty or talent, and with a tarnished reputation, wealthy men from prominent families, unless lacking sense, would not consider her for marriage, leaving her with limited prospects.
Although Aunt Li wasn’t pleased that Su Zhi wasn’t close to her daughter, she couldn’t deny the truth in Su Zhi’s words. Xiaohua was seen as precious and destined to marry into a wealthy family as a young mistress.
“Xiaomei (Su Zhi’s original name) is indeed eloquent, no wonder she’s so charming. If my daughter-in-law were as capable and endearing as you, I’d be content. Liang would definitely not wander off as he does now, unlike Zi’an, who’s always by your side. We’d live in a big house and enjoy our days. Unfortunately, she’s a spendthrift wife, not good at managing the household, like a hen that doesn’t lay eggs! Sooner or later, someone will take over her nest!”
Su Zhi felt upset, finding Aunt Li’s words despicable. How could she speak ill of Sister Liu? Sister Liu was a wonderful woman, diligent, skilled, and kind-hearted. She had been worn down by the Zhao family’s demands, almost losing her humanity, and yet Aunt Li called her a spendthrift wife. It was disheartening to see such cruelty.
“Aunt Li, Sister Liu is a good wife. Her lack of pregnancy is likely due to your son’s absence. If Brother Zhao spent more time at home, things might have been different.”
“Oh, Xiaomei, you’re mistaken. It’s not about how long my daughter-in-law stays at home. A woman is like a piece of land – if the land is good, the seed sprouts immediately. But if the land is poor, you could plant seeds a dozen times, and nothing would grow. Liu is like barren soil! My son’s efforts are fruitless no matter how much he tries!”
Su Zhi rolled her eyes internally, finding Aunt Li shameless. Did she have no filter in her speech? However, Su Zhi decided not to engage further. Pushing the matter could lead Aunt Li to take out her frustration on Sister Liu later, that wouldn’t be ideal.
“Mom, Uncle Shitou is here!”
Yueyue tugged at Su Zhi’s sleeve with a smile on her face. She adored Uncle Shitou.