TL: Etude
"Jianghai, let's go buy some stuff!"
Having only sat down for a short while, Lin Wanqiu suddenly tugged at Chen Jianghai's sleeve and whispered into his ear.
Chen Jianghai immediately caught on and stood up, saying, "Alright, I'll go buy some sunflower seeds and peanuts. Oh, do you want some drinks?"
"One bottle each!" Lin Wanqiu glanced at her parents and then said.
Chen Jianghai smiled and nodded his head.
He clearly understood what Lin Wanqiu was thinking.
Now was the perfect opportunity to change his in-laws' impression of him, and of course, he had to perform well.
"Mom, Dad, sis, we're going to buy some things," Lin Wanqiu stood up and told the three of them.
Lin Jianguo said with a beaming smile, "Go ahead! Go on!"
Xue Chunli glanced at the two of them but said nothing.
Leaving the crowd, Lin Wanqiu looped her arm through Chen Jianghai's and said, "Jianghai, my parents already know about your skills today. They definitely won't oppose us being together anymore."
"Wanqiu, nobody can separate us. I will definitely give you a good life," Chen Jianghai assured with a smile.
Hearing Chen Jianghai say this, Lin Wanqiu's face was full of smiles, and the worry that had been hanging over her was finally completely put to rest.
Chen Jianghai and Lin Wanqiu hadn't gone far when someone approached Xue Chunli to greet her.
"Eh, Chunli, where's your son-in-law?" a neighbor asked, looking around.
Hearing someone ask about Chen Jianghai, Xue Chunli replied indifferently, "He went to buy some things."
The neighbor seemed not to realize anything amiss and continued with a smile, "Chunli, I heard about today's event; your son-in-law's repair skills are really something!"
Hearing her neighbor say this, Xue Chunli felt an indescribable feeling in her heart.
Logically, she should have been pleased by the praise for her son-in-law, but she couldn't feel happy at all.
Because the person in question was precisely the person she disliked the most.
"He's alright, just so-so," Xue Chunli answered offhandedly.
The neighbors who overheard the conversation also started to chat.
"Chunli, your son-in-law is doing well now!"
"Yeah, I heard that Xiao Dai can make three to four hundred a month. Your son-in-law must be earning even more, right?"
"Chunli, tell us, how much does your son-in-law make in a month?"
Xue Chunli was somewhat taken aback: How would she know that!
Seeing this, Lin Wanqing replied with a smile, "Hey, as long as Wanqiu is living well, it doesn't matter whether it's more or less."
It had to be said, Lin Wanqing, having been out and about for so long, was quite the talker.
Hearing Lin Wanqing say this, everyone else started to express their envy.
"Chunli is really fortunate! Both her daughters have found such good husbands!"
"Going by this, in the future, Chunli's second son-in-law will surely become a big boss!"
Faced with everyone's praise and envy, Xue Chunli had to force a smile.
At this moment, if she were to frown, others would definitely think she was being pretentious, deliberately showing off, and who knows what they would say behind her back.
The villagers' admiration gave Xue Chunli a different feeling.
In the past, whenever Chen Jianghai was mentioned, Xue Chunli only felt mockery and contempt.
But now, Xue Chunli was being envied because of Chen Jianghai.
This feeling was quite subtle!
At this moment, the gongs and drums had already started, and the performance on the stage had begun, drawing everyone's gaze back to the show.
It was also at this time that Chen Jianghai returned with Lin Wanqiu, carrying two large bags full of items.
"Mom, Dad, sis, here, have some!"
Lin Wanqiu took a bunch of snacks from Chen Jianghai's hands and handed them over to the three.
Five-spice melon seeds, fish-skin peanuts, strange-flavored broad beans, Orange 99 soda…
Chen Jianghai had purchased an ample amount of popular snacks from the shop, enough to feed five people.
The bystanders' attention was drawn back to Xue Chunli upon witnessing this scene.
"Chunli, you said your son-in-law doesn't earn much, but it looks like he has spent a pretty penny here!"
In this day and age, buying a small bowl of sunflower seeds costs only fifty cents, but Chen Jianghai bought a whole two jin.
He also bought several packets of fish skin peanuts and assorted flavored broad beans.
During the purchase, Lin Wanqiu mentioned that they were buying a bit too much, but Chen Jianghai didn't care.
What's wrong with spending a little to change his mother-in-law's opinion of him?
At this moment, Xue Chunli was truly conflicted.
She enjoyed the envy of others, but there was always a discomfort in her heart whenever she looked at Chen Jianghai.
"I don't want to watch anymore, I'm going home!"
Feeling uncomfortable all over, Xue Chunli stood up, dropped the line, and left directly.
Lin Jianguo, who was enjoying the scene, was unsure whether to leave or stay.
Lin Wanqing also felt it was meaningless. The triangle board she adored as a child now seemed uninteresting.
"I'm going back with Mom, you guys keep watching!" Lin Wanqing prepared to leave as well.
Lin Jianguo stood up too, "I'll go back, I'll go back."
He had seen the expression on Xue Chunli's face.
As her husband for decades, Lin Jianguo certainly knew she was upset.
If Lin Jianguo returned home late at a time like this, he would definitely get an earful from his wife.
Chen Jianghai turned his head and said, "Wanqiu, shall we go back too?"
"Alright, let's go back!"
Lin Wanqiu seemed to have lost interest as well.
Back at home, Chen Jianghai asked, "Do you want to wash first or should I?"
Lin Wanqiu, with her head down, said, "I've poured the water for you, you wash first."
Seeing Lin Wanqiu's flushed face, Chen Jianghai knew what she was thinking, smiled, but said nothing.
After washing his feet, Chen Jianghai went straight back to the room.
Now, Lin Wanqiu faced a dilemma.
Tonight, there was only one bed in the room, and she was bound to sleep with Chen Jianghai.
But since their marriage, they had always slept separately.
The sudden change to sleeping together made Lin Wanqiu quite uncomfortable.
Lin Wanqing happened to witness this scene and stepped forward to ask, "Wanqiu, why aren't you going to your room?"
"Sister, you haven't slept yet!" Lin Wanqiu's face turned red, quickly changing the subject.
Lin Wanqing couldn't help but laugh, "In the big cities, the nightlife is just beginning!"
"Oh..." Lin Wanqiu responded and fell silent.
Lin Wanqing seemed to sense something and grabbed her sister's arm, asking in a low voice, "Sister, you haven't done 'that' with your husband yet?"
Hearing this, Lin Wanqiu's face turned even redder.
"Sister, what are you talking about?"
"We're all adults here, what's there to be shy about? Tell me the truth, have you or have you not?" Lin Wanqing's face was full of curiosity.
Blushing deeply, Lin Wanqiu lowered her head, her fingers entwined, and stammered, "Not... not yet..."
"What, is it because he can't perform?" Lin Wanqing's gossiping intensified.
Lin Wanqiu quickly shook her head and said, "No... it's not that... I don't know..."
"Is it or isn't it?" Lin Wanqing pressed on relentlessly.
Helplessly, Lin Wanqiu said, "I don't know, we... we sleep separately."
"What? Separately?" Lin Wanqing exclaimed as if she had discovered a new continent, "Why? Could it be that he really can't perform?"