Chapter 594 | Chapter 595 | Chapter 596
Chapter 594: Old Master and Old Madame Pan Come to the Door to Apologize
Yet in the end, it was completely ruined by this brainless, incompetent couple!
“Acting like this, how is your younger sister supposed to carry herself in her husband’s home from now on?” Old Madame Pan pulled Pan Xing aside, trying everything to reason with her.
Pan Xing looked around, seeing that everyone in the family was shielding Pan Yue, and a wave of resentment surged in her heart. Pan Yue was living such a prosperous life; what was wrong with lending her a hand? Why was she the one being bullied in her husband’s home, while Pan Yue was cherished by hers?
Whenever she thought of Pan Yue’s blissful expression when talking about how good her in-laws were, she felt deeply uncomfortable. They were born of the same father and mother; why did Pan Yue get to live so well? She had originally assumed Pan Yue was marrying down and could never surpass her. But as it turned out, Sheng Wanze got a promotion, Pan Yue passed the college entrance exam, her sister-in-law married into the Gu family, and now her own household had to shamelessly beg them for a business partnership.
Yet Sheng Wanyan didn’t appreciate the favor at all, and Pan Yue refused to lend her a hand either, despite the fact that she had dropped by so many times. She had used every soft and hard word with Pan Yue, yet Pan Yue refused to budge or utter a single word to Sheng Wanyan on her family’s behalf. It was clearly something Pan Yue could accomplish with just a word, yet she was unwilling to give her a hand.
“The daughter of the Sheng family built her business on her own merit, without a shred of assistance from Pan Yue,” Old Madame Pan said. “She doesn’t even require a single ounce of help from the Gu family. As her husband’s family, the Gu family has never made such demands of her. You two… as distant relatives, how could you act this way?”
Old Madame Pan let out a deep sigh, her heart thoroughly chilled. Pan Xing clearly hadn’t been like this in the past, yet she had been completely blinded by利益 and greed.
Old Master Pan straight-up kicked the two of them out. Gathering some gifts, he and Old Madame Pan headed over to the Gu residence to apologize.
“Call your father and tell him the full account of this matter from A to Z,” Old Master Pan instructed the eldest Pan brother before departing. “Otherwise, the two sisters might truly fall out completely.”
The eldest Pan brother nodded and placed a call to Father Pan in Ice City.
Learning of this, Father Pan was white-hot with rage. He had truly never expected his two daughters to create such a mess. Returning home, he informed Mother Pan. Hearing Father Pan’s words, Mother Pan was so angry she nearly fainted, immediately packing her bags to return to the Capital.
“I am going to go see for myself exactly how that Du family managed to warp my daughter!” Brimming with fierce momentum, Mother Pan purchased a train ticket for that very afternoon and left Ice City immediately with her luggage.
When Old Master and Old Madame Pan came to the door to apologize, Grandfather and Grandma Gu were the ones who received them. Naturally, Sheng Wanyan wouldn’t slight her elders. No matter what Old Master and Old Madame Pan said, she maintained a warm smile on her face, acting with perfect manners and decorum.
Seeing how impeccably raised she was, Old Master and Old Madame Pan felt as if they had been slapped across the face a few times, leaving them even more dissatisfied with Pan Xing and Du Ming. The elderly couple had truly brought quite a substantial amount of gifts. Naturally, Grandfather and Grandma Gu wouldn’t place the blame on the two elders, though they did deliver a few highly sarcastic reprimands regarding Du Ming and Pan Xing. Old Master and Old Madame Pan could only nod in agreement; what the two juniors had done was indeed highly improper, so being reprimanded was considered a light punishment.
After sitting for a short while, Old Master and Old Madame Pan departed. Grandfather Gu handed all the gifts they had brought over to Sheng Wanyan.
“These are for you. Keep them and take them back to eat.” Grandfather Gu signaled for her to take them back to the vicinity of Peking University. Classes were resuming shortly, and Sheng Wanyan would be heading back there in a couple of days.
Gu Tong’s family was taking the night train. That evening, the entire household shared a reunion dinner, and Sheng Wanyan handed the prepared items to Gu Tong to take back.
“Aunt Tong, this is for you. Please don’t look down on it.” Sheng Wanyan had packed it inside a wooden box. Gu Tong wanted to open it to take a look, but Sheng Wanyan stopped her. “Wait until you’re on the train to look. It’s just a small token of my appreciation; please don’t look down on it.”
Hearing her words, Gu Tong smiled and didn’t open it, listening to her to wait until she was on the train to see what it was. “You are highly thoughtful.”
Gu Tong left the Capital with a heavy heart. The next reunion would likely be a matter of a few years down the road.
Once the New Year concluded, the bustling atmosphere returned to tranquility. Although every household was still adorned in red, the festive joy of the past few days had dissipated. Sheng Wanyan’s family returned to the vicinity of Peking University, and Grandfather and Grandmother Sheng returned to their courtyard house near the university as well. Having finished exploring the Capital, the two elders happily returned to continue helping out at the general store. Grandfather and Grandmother Sheng shared the sights they had seen with the surrounding neighbors every day, and the general store quickly became a fresh battleground for the neighborhood aunts’ gossip.
The clothing store and the general store reopened one after another, and Sheng Wanyan’s classes resumed as well, making her an official junior. Peking University continuously injected fresh blood into its ranks, and her academic workload was heavier than anyone else’s.
The moment she returned to the university, Professor Zhao began checking her assignments. Seeing that she hadn’t forgotten her studies even over the break, he nodded in satisfaction.
“Your mistress said to have you come over to the house for dinner today. It just so happens your older martial brothers are returning too, so we can gather.” Professor Zhao instructed. Hearing that her martial brothers and sisters were all returning, Sheng Wanyan agreed immediately.
“Understood, Professor.”
Sheng Wanyan went to the general store to gather some visiting gifts. She hadn’t sent gifts to her mentor’s home over the New Year, so she needed to make up for it now.
Seeing her arrive, Mistress Zhao immediately pulled her inside to sit down. “Bringing items every time you come home, honestly…”
“Mistress, it’s nothing valuable, just some treats to satisfy your and Professor’s cravings. If you don’t accept them, I won’t feel at peace inside.” Sheng Wanyan smiled and pulled her arm.
Mistress Zhao shook her head with a smile and put the items away inside the house. “I am truly defeated by you, child.” She stopped scolding her; this child never came empty-handed, and no matter how many times she told her, she wouldn’t listen. “Today, Mistress is making braised lion’s head meatballs for you. I heard from your mother that you love eating them.”
Sheng Wanyan nodded with a smile. Lion’s head meatballs were highly complex to make. Mistress Zhao possessed excellent culinary skills and could make any delicacy taste wonderful. “Thank you, Mistress. Since your skills are so excellent, I will definitely savor them properly in a moment.”
Mistress Zhao beamed with joy at her words; she couldn’t adore this child more the more she looked at her. “Good, good, good. Taste them later and see how my cooking fares. If you love eating them, Mistress will make them for you again next time.” Mistress Zhao patted the back of her hand fondly, leaving Sheng Wanyan overwhelmed by the affection.
“That’s wonderful. I frequently crave your cooking, Mistress.”
“You’re the greediest one.” Mistress Zhao’s face was full of smiles. Setting the items down, she headed into the kitchen to prepare the meal.
Sheng Wanyan chatted with several of her older martial brothers and sisters. Zhao Yuzhong (the Minister of Foreign Affairs) and Zhao Yuxin (the Director of Foreign Affairs), in particular, held her in high regard. Back then, the decision for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to scout Sheng Wanyan had been their original intention, yet Sheng Wanyan hadn’t leveraged any connections, choosing instead to speak through her own capabilities.
“I heard our little martial sister is currently studying several foreign languages concurrently?” A few of the martial brothers worked in highly confidential units or only returned to the country once a year, so they normally couldn’t gather the latest news regarding those around them. Most of the time, they found out because Professor Zhao would call them up specifically to brag…
“Yes, I am currently studying other languages.”
Chapter 595: Not Coddling Her
Hearing her words, several of her older martial brothers and sisters questioned her carefully. Upon learning that her current academic workload was not overly stressful, they marveled at her incredible linguistic talent.
Even Professor Zhao himself was not fluent in eight languages; he was only fluent in five. They now felt that their mentor’s foresight in securing this about-to-bloom pearl so early on was truly brilliant.
Valuing talent, the seniors shared quite a lot of their own experiences working in the foreign languages sector, as well as various industry taboos. Sheng Wanyan listened patiently to their teachings, which were packed with pure, invaluable practical knowledge.
“Quick, quick, quick, come and eat.”
Mistress Zhao brought out the dishes and called everyone over to the table. These students worked in various distinct sectors across the country and could usually only gather like this once a year during the New Year.
“Eat your fill before you continue chatting. You lot better not drag Wanyan into discussing your lofty, grand ambitions. Even I can’t stand to listen to it, so don’t go corrupting your little martial sister.”
Mistress Zhao exposed their petty intentions without a shred of mercy. The seniors chuckled and finally let Sheng Wanyan off the hook.
“Mistress, did you make the braised pork I love?”
“I did, I did. How could I ever forget a greedy one like you?” Mistress Zhao smiled as she gestured for her students to take their seats. The atmosphere inside the house was warm and boisterous, and Professor Zhao also drank quite a bit of liquor today.
“Come, come, eat while it’s hot.”
Mistress Zhao placed food onto each student’s plate, remembering everyone’s preferences with absolute clarity.
After the meal, the martial brothers and sisters were still reluctant to leave. Mistress Zhao glanced out the window at the scenery.
“The snow is heavy outside. You lot better head home early. If it gets too late, the roads will be hard to traverse. Once the snow gets too deep, cars won’t even be able to drive.”
Mistress Zhao was worried. Several of the brothers had consumed quite a bit of liquor and were still reluctant to leave the table. Only upon hearing her words did they put down their wine glasses and look out at the snow. It had already reached their ankles; if they didn’t leave now, they truly wouldn’t be able to get back.
“The snow is indeed getting heavier. Professor, Mistress, we’ll head back first.”
Several of the seniors had their own orderlies and could smoothly drop off those without cars along the way, harboring no fear of driving under the influence.
“Alright, good. Come back another day. Be careful on the road, and drive slowly.”
Mistress Zhao relentlessly instructed the brothers, who listened carefully and nodded in agreement.
“Don’t worry, Mistress.”
“Little Martial Sister, how are you getting back?” the Seventh Senior Brother, Zhou Bin, inquired, intending to drop her off along the way.
Sheng Wanyan caught sight of a figure outside the door. “Seventh Senior Brother, Tingxiao has come to pick me up.”
Seventh Senior Brother turned around. Seeing Gu Tingxiao already waiting at the entrance, his mind was put completely at ease. “Your husband has come to fetch you. Hurry along back then.”
“Alright. Seniors, I’ll head back first.”
Sheng Wanyan bid farewell to everyone. The brothers and sisters waved their hands, gesturing for her to go ahead.
Although Sheng Wanyan only saw some of these seniors once a year, they frequently kept in touch over the phone. Several of them, in particular, worked at embassies abroad and would regularly mail gifts back to her. Whenever Sheng Wanyan required something that wasn’t available domestically, she would trouble her seniors to purchase it for her. Their relationships had long since grown exceptionally close, leaving no room for awkward politeness between them.
As Sheng Wanyan stepped outside, Gu Tingxiao offered a nod to the seniors, then draped a heavy overcoat over her shoulders.
“Let’s go.”
Gu Tingxiao took her hand. Holding hands, they trod through the snow, heading in the direction of home. As the snow drifted down onto their hair and shoulders, the man and woman walked side-by-side, creating a beautiful and harmonious picture.
When Sheng Wanyan returned to the university, her roommates asked her if there were any clearance clothes left at her shop, as they wanted to purchase some.
“The clearance sales were entirely wrapped up over the New Year. You’ll have to wait until the turn of the next season.”
Before the New Year, the clothing store had run a massive clearance sale. Having just reopened, the current stock in the warehouse consisted entirely of winter styles.
Hearing this, the roommates let out disappointed sighs. Everyone had rushed back to their respective hometowns the moment winter break started, missing out on the chance to grab the clearance items at the shop.
“Then we’ll just wait until they’re available and go take a look.”
“Sure, I’ll reserve some for you when the time comes.”
Lying on her bed, Li Jiahua had been listening to their conversation the entire time. Hearing Sheng Wanyan offer to set items aside, a desire sparked in her heart as well.
“Um… Wanyan.” Li Jiahua looked toward Sheng Wanyan.
Sheng Wanyan looked back at her without uttering a word.
“Set a few aside for me too. I had things to handle last time and couldn’t make it, but I’ll make sure to carve out time this time.”
Li Jiahua’s words caused Wei Lili to roll her eyes. What do you mean by “carving out time”? Are you some kind of grand dignitary?
“Mm. The clearance items are five yuan apiece,” Sheng Wanyan stated the price clearly.
Upon hearing her words, the corners of Li Jiahua’s mouth twitched. How could so much time have passed, yet it was still as expensive as five yuan!
“Wait… are out-of-season clothes really this expensive?” Li Jiahua felt rather displeased. Pricing out-of-season clothes this high—wasn’t she just treating everyone like suckers?
“If it’s expensive, you don’t have to buy it. I don’t engage in forced sales.” Sheng Wanyan had no desire to humiliate herself by dealing with her. This person was selfish, stingy, and loved to take petty advantages; she had zero intention of maintaining contact with her after graduation.
Hearing Sheng Wanyan’s words, Li Jiahua’s expression turned quite unsightly. She was, at the very least, a customer coming to patronize her business, yet this was her attitude! She had bought quite a substantial amount of things from her general store over time; what kind of attitude was this!
“Hehe… we’re all classmates and roommates after all. This is far too expensive. Do you think you could make it two yuan apiece?”
Li Jiahua didn’t have much money on her. She had only just finished paying back Liang Fanghua in installments for the dress from before, and she hadn’t returned home during either the summer or winter breaks over the past two years. Having to support her own food, lodging, and basic daily necessities, she only had seven yuan left in her pocket. If she bought a single piece of clothing, how was she supposed to feed herself? Sheng Wanyan was so incredibly capable, yet she refused to lend everyone a hand, choosing instead to make this kind of unscrupulous money.
“No, five yuan is the absolute minimum. I’m not running a charity.”
Sheng Wanyan’s attitude was unyielding. Li Jiahua’s temper flared instantly at her words, her chest heaving with rage.
“Wait! You shouldn’t act like a profiteer either!” Li Jiahua pointed a finger at Sheng Wanyan.
Sheng Wanyan fixed her with a completely cold, detached gaze, causing Li Jiahua’s heart to tremble.
“If you can’t afford it, don’t buy it. I don’t run short of your pocket change.”
Sheng Wanyan didn’t coddle her in the slightest. Li Jiahua was left utterly speechless by her retort, her finger trembling as she failed to utter a single word. Sheng Wanyan rolled her eyes elegantly; she wasn’t about to let anyone pull a guilt trip on her—absolutely not!
Li Jiahua glared at her with a venomous look. Was Sheng Wanyan looking down on her? A mere, low-class private entrepreneur—what right did she have to look down on her! No matter what, she was still a university student at Peking University! Her future was bound to be boundless; what right did Sheng Wanyan have to look down on her!
Li Jiahua thoroughly nursed a bitter grudge against Sheng Wanyan in her heart, entirely unaware that her own downfall was already on the way.
Once her classes concluded, Sheng Wanyan went to pick up Yi Yi. At four years old, Yi Yi’s body was no longer like before, when her chubby little arms and legs resembled stacked segments of lotus root. At four, her small face and limbs were still perfectly round and chubby, but it was a massive improvement compared to when she was three.
Chapter 596: Gu Tingxiao Goes on a Long Journey
At age three, she had truly looked like a little bringer of good fortune, looking utterly adorable from head to toe.
“Mama, the teacher said I’m incredibly amazing~”
“Oh? That amazing?”
Yi Yi related everything she had learned today as well as the fun anecdotes from class. At four years old, she could already execute multiple spins and could perform a whole dance track from start to finish. The little girl was becoming more and more quirky, her entire being brimming with a vibrant spark. Because she was studying classical dance, her posture remained perfectly straight at all times and in all places, giving her a trace of elegance and self-discipline that other children lacked.
“Am I amazing or not?”
“Amazing, even more amazing than Mama was when she was little.”
Hearing that she was more amazing than her mother, Yi Yi proudly patted her chest. “Yi Yi thinks so too.”
Sheng Wanyan watched her petty movements with amusement. Upon returning home, Yi Yi went to find her two little brothers first thing.
Lailai and Maomao had already learned how to walk, and they could also utter “Papa” and “Mama” simply. However, they didn’t know how to call her “Sister” yet, so Yi Yi droned “call me Sister” next to their ears every single day. Unfortunately, neither of the two children knew how to say it, but Yi Yi never gave up, continuing to teach them day after day without looking down on her brothers for being slow. Her discipline over her two little brothers was even more attentive than that of Sheng Wanyan and Gu Tingxiao as parents.
Seeing her return, Aunt Hu headed off to cook dinner, leaving the children in Sheng Wanyan’s care. Sheng Wanyan watched over the three children as they played in the living room.
Gu Tingxiao drove to and from work nowadays, which was significantly faster than taking the public bus back and forth. He could reach home in a two-hour drive. However, upon returning today, Gu Tingxiao announced that he had to go out on a mission. This was his first mission since being transferred back to the Capital. Presumably, the matter was far from simple; otherwise, there would be no need to dispatch a the Capital regiment commander like him.
“How long will you be gone?”
“Not long, around two months.”
Hearing this, Sheng Wanyan asked a few more careful questions, and Gu Tingxiao shared everything he was permitted to tell her.
“Go with peace of mind. I’ll handle things at home, don’t worry.” Sheng Wanyan provided him with an absolute sense of security, ensuring he had no lingering concerns and could focus entirely on his mission.
“Thank you, wife.” Gu Tingxiao leaned over to embrace her, burying his head in the crook of her neck.
Yi Yi, Lailai, and Maomao were playing on the bed. Seeing their parents being affectionate, they all froze, tilting their heads up to stare at their embracing parents. One sat while the two crawled, staring up with a trail of crystal saliva hanging from their lips, dripping onto the bedsheets.
“Gu Jinchen, Gu Jinli!” Seeing the two trails of drool drop onto the bed, Sheng Wanyan’s temper flared instantly. Did these two babies have any idea how much of a hassle it was to wash bedsheets?
The two one-year-old toddlers were completely oblivious, continuing to let two more trails of saliva drop.
Sheng Wanyan: “……” Splendid. They truly are leaky vests instead of solid jackets.
“Wife, I’ll wash them.” Gu Tingxiao was already long accustomed to cleaning up after his two sons. If he didn’t clean up after them, his days at home wouldn’t necessarily be easy.
Sheng Wanyan shot him an irritated look. She had truly never expected that Gu Tingxiao would be the one to coddle the children in the household. Not wanting to shorten her lifespan by a few years out of anger, Sheng Wanyan lifted Yi Yi off the bed and led her out to eat dinner.
Gu Tingxiao rubbed his nose, carried his two sons out to lie in the playpen in the living room, and took the bedsheets to the back courtyard to wash after finishing his dinner. Sheng Wanyan and Yi Yi sat on their stools to watch, observing that miserable figure washing bedsheets in the back courtyard.
“Papa is washing bedsheets.”
“Yes, so Yi Yi better not wet the bed.”
Hearing her mother’s words, Yi Yi immediately snapped her legs together and stared dead ahead. Sheng Wanyan cast a glance at her; the little girl was currently in a bed-wetting phase, and no amount of bedsheets was enough to survive her squandering. Gu Tingxiao had to wash a bedsheet every two days, which demonstrated exactly how well she could pee.
“Yi Yi doesn’t wet the bed,” Yi Yi muttered weakly, looking neither confident nor assertive.
Sheng Wanyan didn’t expose her, washing her up, telling her a story, and coaxing her to sleep before turning around to lecture Gu Tingxiao, the child-coddling father.
“Gu Tingxiao!”
Hearing his wife’s anger-laced voice, Gu Tingxiao immediately dumped out the dirty water in the basin and carried two buckets of hot water into the bedroom.
“Wife, don’t be angry. I’ve already drawn the bathwater for you; don’t ruin your health over anger.”
Sheng Wanyan sneered inwardly. Using this exact trick again. He was truly being spoiled, and she couldn’t quite fathom this man sometimes. “I’ll settle accounts with you in a moment.”
Sheng Wanyan took her bath, silently chanting in her heart multiple times: Don’t get angry, don’t get angry; getting angry is bad for the skin. The moment she remembered that Gu Tingxiao was setting out on a mission tomorrow, the lingering anger in her heart dissipated entirely.
Before sleeping, Sheng Wanyan held Gu Tingxiao and questioned him for a long time about why he was being so indulgent with his two sons today, when he usually disciplined them strictly.
“I’m setting out on a mission. I’m afraid that after two months, the two little brats will forget me.” Gu Tingxiao’s petty concern was seen through entirely by Sheng Wanyan, but her heart also data-ached for him. Even when deploying on a mission, he still had to worry about his children not remembering him.
“The two children are highly sharp,” Sheng Wanyan comforted him with a few words. This man could be quite sentimental at times. Especially regarding his three children, he truly placed all his patience onto them. Sometimes, Sheng Wanyan felt he wasn’t suited to play the strict father, but was far more suited to play the indulgent father. “When you return, our family will go take a family portrait.”
“Alright.”
The next day, Gu Tingxiao stepped out the door before the sky had even turned light. Sheng Wanyan’s back and waist data-ached, leaving her completely unable to get up. It was Aunt Hu who knew he was deploying on a mission and rose early to prepare food for him to eat along the road.
Before leaving, Gu Tingxiao went into Yi Yi’s room to check on her. Yi Yi was sleeping sprawled out in all directions, still drooling. With an amused smile, Gu Tingxiao tucked her blanket in properly before finally stepping out, his figure vanishing into the dark night, moving farther and farther away.
With Gu Tingxiao frequently deploying on missions, Yi Yi had already grown accustomed to her father disappearing regularly. However, the twins were highly unaccustomed to it, bursting into tears early in the morning. Hearing them, Sheng Wanyan went over to change their diapers. Seeing that the person changing their diapers wasn’t Gu Tingxiao, the twins cried even more fiercely, and no amount of coaxing worked.
“Papa will be back very soon.” Hearing the wails, Aunt Hu came in to help soothe them, handing the mixed formula to the two children to drink.
With milk to drink, the two children stopped crying and fussing, merely staring at Sheng Wanyan with tearful eyes, causing Sheng Wanyan’s heart to data-ache with protective concern.
“Mama, why are my little brothers crying?”
“Your little brothers aren’t used to Papa not being home. They’ll be fine gradually.”
Yi Yi nodded at Sheng Wanyan’s words, but Sheng Wanyan had overestimated a four-year-old child; soon enough, as Yi Yi pondered over it, she began crying as well.
“Wah, wah, wah, wah, wah…”
“I want Papa!” Yi Yi held an egg in her hand to eat, taking a bite after she spoke before continuing to wail.
“Wah, wah, wah, wah… Papa~”
“Nom, nom~” Yi Yi stuffed the egg into her mouth, chewing it a few times before continuing to cry. “Wah, wah, wah, wah…”
Sheng Wanyan truly didn’t know what to say, immensely marvelling at how quickly her daughter could change her face. By the time Sheng Wanyan stepped out the door, she had finally managed to soothe the two little ones, while Yi Yi had already forgotten her sorrow while eating breakfast.
Sheng Wanyan dropped her daughter off at the Beijing Dance Academy and immediately rushed in the direction of Peking University.
