Chapter 67: Cui Cui Becomes the Sister-in-Law?

Yes, the sister-in-law.

So many years have passed, and Cui Cui didn’t know when she and Shen Yuanming had started to see eye to eye.

Originally, there was a significant difference in their status, and Cui Cui was even older than Shen Yuanming, so she had refused him.

But unexpectedly, one time when Shen Yuanming tried to court Cui Cui carefully, Madam Zhou walked in on them.

Cui Cui thought Madam Zhou would be furious, and she would be driven out of the Shen Family.

But that didn’t happen…

Those who have spent enough time with Shen Xiuyan are bound to pick up some unusual habits.

Her first reaction was that now it made sense why her youngest son had been studying so hard lately, even praised by his older brother several times. The reason was clear.

He had been motivated!

No wonder, after all, she was from the Su Family; women like her could certainly bring good fortune to their sons.

Since the two of them had already agreed on each other, what was there to wait for? It was time to get them married.

What’s that? Age difference?

What’s the big deal about a little age gap? As the saying goes, “A woman three years older, like holding a golden brick.” And this was a golden brick!

Who knows, once married, maybe her youngest son would even become a scholar.

Madam Zhou couldn’t stop thinking about it, and the more she thought, the more pleased she felt.

Yes, maybe Madam Zhou had been successfully brainwashed by Shen Xiuyan.

Even now, she still simply believed that Shen Xiuyan’s success as the top scholar was due to Su Mingyue’s influence.

Thus, Cui Cui, who had expected resistance and opposition, smoothly entered into marriage…

She still couldn’t believe her eyes on the day of the wedding.

She was just a maid. How could she deserve to be married to a Xiucai (a scholar)?

And now, she stood on equal footing with the young lady of the house…

It felt as though everything was a dream, and a dream so perfect at that.

This dream-like state continued on, and even now, while pregnant, she still couldn’t believe that she was the wife of a Xiucai.

Of course, life in the Shen Family was wonderful. There were no troublesome sisters-in-law, and the young lady treated her like a real sister.

There was also no difficult mother-in-law; Madam Zhou’s attitude before and after the marriage had always been warm, and if anything, even kinder.

The only downside was that her future seemed to involve continuously eating dog food from the young lady and her brother-in-law…

Oh, no, they should be called her elder brother and elder sister-in-law now.

As a witness to Su Mingyue’s love story, she had definitely eaten a lot of dog food.

For example, the last time when she and Yiyang accidentally witnessed a kiss, her first reaction wasn’t to be embarrassed, but to think it was only natural.

After all, she had seen so much, and what was a kiss? She had gotten used to it.

Ah, habits were really a scary thing.

Thinking back, she used to find their show of affection hard to watch, but now, inexplicably, she thought it was actually quite sweet…

At that thought, she shuddered and quickly tried to shake off that terrifying thought.

Just then, she seemed to sense Shen Xiuyan’s subtle gaze, and Cui Cui widened her eyes, saying in disbelief, “What are you looking at me like that for? Did I say something wrong? Should I have let Yiyang disturb you?”

She never expected that he had such a peculiar habit.

Shen Xiuyan was taken aback, but dared not say anything. What could he do? After all, pregnant women were the most important.

He didn’t want to argue with a pregnant woman.

So, he turned to Su Mingyue and threw himself beside her, “Look, she’s bullying me again.”

“Alright, alright, Cui Cui didn’t mean it,” Su Mingyue said, gently brushing Shen Xiuyan’s hair. Shen Xiuyan smiled contentedly and squinted his eyes.

Cui Cui: “…”

She realized she was the spice in their love story. This family truly couldn’t do without her.

“Cui Cui, there you are! I’ve been looking for you,” Shen Yuanming came late, “I bought some peach crisps from the Almond Store. Come on, let’s go eat them.”

Hearing his voice, Cui Cui’s eyes brightened—her savior had finally arrived.

She walked over with a bright smile, “Alright, Yuanming, you’re the best! Let’s hurry back and eat the snacks.”

Hmph~

You two can show off your affection, huh?

Well, now I have some too!

Let’s go, let’s hurt each other!

With this thought, Cui Cui felt a sense of balance and happily walked off with Shen Yuanming.

Shen Yiyang, who had been watching the whole thing, was confused.

He hadn’t had a single piece of candy, but why did everything feel so sweet?

Never mind, it’s not something he should be thinking about at his age.

Life in the Shen Family continued, and everyone was happy.

Until the year Shen Xiuyan turned fifty, when Master Su’s health started to fail.

On his deathbed, he looked at his daughter, son-in-law, and grandson at his bedside, feeling very content.

He felt that even when he went underground, he had no regrets about his first wife.

He could proudly tell her that his judgment had been right, that he had chosen a good husband for his daughter.

For nearly twenty years, his daughter had been the most envied woman in the capital.

Of course, it wasn’t just about living a good life; the children were also good. His grandson had inherited the best traits from his parents, looking like a celestial being—handsome and filial.

He had also kept his promise—his only child was Mingyue, and all his wealth had been passed down to her.

He wasn’t heartless, though. When he felt his health failing, he gave his concubines enough money to support their old age.

He had taken care of these hidden concerns early on, so they wouldn’t pose any future risks to his daughter and grandson.

At this moment, he was nearly gone, but he seemed to hear the call of his first wife.

He squinted his eyes and smiled with contentment.

With his last breath, he called for Shen Xiuyan and whispered in his ear, “From now on, Mingyue will be in your hands. I trust that you will honor your promise and stay true to her.”

Shen Xiuyan firmly promised, “Father, don’t worry. I will keep my word and take care of her.”

“Good…” Master Su’s hand slowly fell.

“Father!!!”

“Grandfather!!!”

Though Master Su had passed, life had to go on.

After some time, the family had recovered their spirits and continued to live happily.

A few more years passed, and they bid farewell to Madam Zhou.

It wasn’t until Shen Xiuyan turned eighty that Su Mingyue fell seriously ill and lay in bed, with her time seemingly coming to an end.