Chapter 54: Curse

◎Hero Dream◎

“Who’s attracting bees and butterflies?” Seeing his wife still gloating, he knew she wasn’t truly angry, so he immediately said, “Let’s stop talking about those mood-killers, come and look at the photos I took today. They’re really beautiful. I think my skills are good enough to start a street stall and make some money.”

Seeing that Jiang Che was praising himself, Wei Xuan leaned over, “Let me see, is it really your photography skills, or is it me and Yuan Yuan’s good looks?”

The couple had cleared the air, and the matter was over. Sometimes, a little jealousy can spice up the relationship. Wei Xuan wasn’t the type to get upset over irrelevant people; she had so much going on in her own life and didn’t need to waste time on things that didn’t matter.

Meanwhile, the Zhong sisters in the park were also discussing Wei Xuan.

Zhong Guilan envied Wei Xuan. They were both women, but why could Wei Xuan look so beautiful even after having children? She looked at herself – her hands were rough and dark from years of labor, and no amount of clam oil from the men could help. Her clothes were new, but they were nowhere near as stylish as Wei Xuan’s.

Zhong Yulan, on the other hand, just quietly listened to her elder sister without responding.

She still remembered when she first met Jiang Che, how she was immediately drawn to his unique aura. He was unlike any man she had seen in the village. He was handsome and fair-skinned, and in a crowd, he stood out as the most eye-catching one.

Unfortunately, before she could enjoy the feeling for long, she learned from her brother-in-law that Jiang Che was already married and had children.

Even so, she didn’t give up. What if he had a wife and kids? She still thought she was attractive enough and just needed Jiang Che to like her.

To get closer to Jiang Che, she first made an excuse about her younger brother fighting him and stayed at her sister’s house.

During her time there, she discovered many things. It turned out her brother-in-law was secretly doing some small business on the side, and it seemed he had made quite a bit of money.

She also learned all about Jiang Che, including the fact that he had a father who was a factory manager and that his wife, like her, was just from a rural family.

Knowing this, Zhong Yulan’s heart began to stir.

She had previously envied her sister’s good marriage and how her brother-in-law, though wealthy, still treated her well.

But if she could marry Jiang Che, wouldn’t her life be even better than her sister’s?

After all, no matter how rich her brother-in-law was, his wealth was made from shady dealings, something that couldn’t be flaunted.

But Jiang Che was different. He was good-looking, had a good family background, and a decent job. More importantly, if she married him, she would be considered a city person, and no one would look down on her anymore.

How could she marry Jiang Che? First, she had to get close to him.

But Jiang Che was from the city, and to meet him, she would have to go there. So, she came up with a plan to persuade her elder sister to visit her brother-in-law’s business.

At first, Zhong Guilan hesitated, but Zhong Yulan kept pestering her.

After a few days, Zhong Guilan began to be persuaded. She thought her sister was right—why couldn’t she see her husband’s business? If he didn’t want her to see it, he must be hiding something, perhaps even another woman. So, when only the two of them were at home in the evening, she told Wu Yun about it.

Wu Yun liked Zhong Guilan’s thoughtful and virtuous nature. He had initially wanted to get married because he admired Jiang Che and, being older, wanted to have a family.

Zhong Guilan’s appearance met his expectations of a wife. He didn’t need her to be exceptionally beautiful, as long as she could manage the home and provide him with a warm meal when he returned.

Moreover, Zhong Guilan reminded him of his own struggles as the eldest in his family, tirelessly taking care of his younger siblings. No one understood the hardships of supporting a family more than Wu Yun.

His sympathy led him to want to marry Zhong Guilan. Despite knowing she had a freeloading brother, he still married her, disregarding his grandmother’s objections. Ultimately, it was just the male instinct at play!

Like most men, Wu Yun had a “hero dream” and liked to rescue others.

So, when Zhong Guilan suggested going to Beijing to see her brother-in-law’s business, Wu Yun only hesitated slightly before agreeing.

In his mind, Zhong Guilan was trustworthy, and since they were already married, there was nothing to hide. As for his sister-in-law, she was obedient and well-behaved, so it didn’t hurt to bring her along.

Zhong Yulan’s plan worked, and she went with her older sister and brother-in-law to Beijing.

Since they were already there, she wasn’t going to leave without doing more than just a quick visit.

When Zhong Guilan was about to leave, Zhong Yulan came up with an excuse. Staying at her sister and brother-in-law’s place for too long wasn’t ideal, so she suggested staying behind to help her brother-in-law with a little work.

Zhong Guilan agreed, thinking her sister could help keep an eye on the man, and Wu Yun was also fine with it, especially since it gave him an explanation for his grandmother.

Thus, Zhong Yulan stayed behind.

It was only then that she realized Jiang Che was a regular visitor to her brother-in-law’s place.

When she first saw Jiang Che there, she was thrilled, feeling like heaven had answered her prayers.

Soon, she learned that Jiang Che was also secretly involved in business with her brother-in-law, and the food he brought was made by his wife, which sold particularly well.

Listening to everyone praise Jiang Che’s wife, Zhong Yulan nodded along, but inside, she wasn’t impressed.

Until today, when she finally saw Wei Xuan, she realized that everyone wasn’t exaggerating—Jiang Che’s wife really was very beautiful.

But Zhong Yulan wasn’t discouraged. So what if she was beautiful? She wasn’t ugly herself. Jiang Che’s conditions were so good; of course, his wife had to be attractive.

But even the most beautiful people can become boring after seeing them every day, right?

She was waiting for that day!

Wei Xuan didn’t know that someone was secretly cursing her marriage, and even if she did, she wouldn’t care. If curses always came true, the world would already be in chaos.

Wei Xuan was preoccupied with a letter she had received from her family. After some discussion, her family had decided to send their surplus grain to the city to sell and might need to temporarily store it at Wei Xuan’s place.

Her mind was occupied with worries about her brothers’ safety while transporting the grain.

Seeing her distracted, Jiang Che had to shift her attention elsewhere.

“You could make a few extra dishes tonight. I’ve invited Cheng Shao over for dinner.”

Wei Xuan paused for a moment before asking, “Is he coming alone?”

“Yes, just him. I don’t know if his wife will come. Jianjun’s wife is pregnant, so he’s been too busy lately.”

“Okay, I got it.” Wei Xuan guessed that Jiang Che must want to talk to Cheng Shao about her family’s grain business.

So, she prepared an especially sumptuous meal that evening.

Potatoes stewed with chicken, sweet and sour ribs, stir-fried pork with green beans, stir-fried cabbage, steamed eggplant, and smashed cucumber.

She also planned to prepare a dish of preserved eggs.

Jiang Che had once heard that duck eggs were nutritious, so he bought a bag. Wei Xuan tried frying them once but found them too smelly, so she preserved the rest in lye.

It had been about a month and a half, so they should be ready.

While Wei Xuan was busy in the kitchen, Jiang Che and Cheng Shao came back together.

It was Cheng Shao’s first time visiting since he moved to Beijing, and Wei Xuan asked him how he liked the new house.

Cheng Shao smiled, “It’s great, thanks to Brother Jiang for recommending such a good place. It’s just a bit far from here, otherwise, Qianqian and I could visit more often and enjoy your cooking. Once we tried it, we couldn’t forget it.”

Cheng Shao was sweet-tongued, and now, Wei Xuan’s impression of him had improved.

When he mentioned Bian Qianqian, she casually asked, “Why didn’t you bring your wife today? It’s better than her staying home and cooking alone.”

“She hasn’t had the mood to go out lately. Ever since the kid learned to walk, he’s been a handful. Taking him out for a walk tires me out, it’s even more exhausting than selling grain door to door,” Cheng Shao replied.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Che, who was holding his daughter, laughed and said, “The boy’s naughty, but the girl is well-behaved!”

Wei Xuan gave him a glance, thinking how could he be so boastful in front of others? Moreover, she really didn’t see where Yuan Yuan was well-behaved. The little rascal would roll around on the bed, dragging her tiny feet and spinning like a top from one end to the other, never staying still for a second.

Only Jiang Che, the father, could choose to ignore it and see only the cute side of his daughter.

Knowing that Jiang Che was going to discuss business with Cheng Shao that evening, Wei Xuan finished preparing dinner and didn’t join them in the living room. Instead, she grabbed some of her favorite dishes, made a bowl of walnut rice porridge for Yuan Yuan, and went into the bedroom to eat alone with her daughter.

In the living room, after finishing two cups of wine, Jiang Che finally brought up the real reason he had invited Cheng Shao.

After listening, Cheng Shao said, “Oh, I thought you called me for something big, but it’s just this? It’s no problem. If your wife’s family wants to do something, then let them. This line of business isn’t something I monopolize. There’s only so much I can handle. Even if your wife’s brothers aren’t doing it, others will. Don’t worry about me.”

Jiang Che laughed when he heard this. “I knew Brother Cheng wouldn’t be petty. But your wife didn’t feel assured, so she asked me to ask you first. I thought about it and figured she’s got a point. Since we know each other, and you started in this business first, it’s better to let you know in advance rather than hide it from you.”

“Brother, you’ve helped me so much. I haven’t had a chance to thank you properly. This time, if your wife’s brothers run into any problems, they can come to me. After all, I’ve been in the business a little longer and have learned some tricks.”

“Then I’ll thank you in advance, brother. Let’s have another toast!”

The two men didn’t stop drinking that evening. By the time Cheng Shao staggered home, Bian Qianqian, even before getting close, could smell the alcohol on him. She frowned and asked, “How much did you drink?”

Cheng Shao sat down on a chair, thinking for a moment, then replied, “I think… two bottles… or maybe just one?”

“Ugh, the smell…” Bian Qianqian couldn’t help but step back and waved her hand in front of her nose, saying, “Go wash up.”

She had planned to ask about their conversation, but it seemed like that wasn’t going to happen now.

Since Cheng Shao had drunk so much, Jiang Che must have drunk quite a bit too. Wei Xuan, disgusted by the stench, promptly sent him to the living room to sleep, so he wouldn’t stink up their daughter’s room.