Chapter 142: Returning Home — Part 2
Mother Sheng kept holding Sheng Wanyan’s hand, feeling as if she could never look at her enough.
Wanyan picked up her glass and took a few long sips; she really was quite thirsty after the drive.
“Are you hungry, sweetie?” Mother Sheng asked warmly. “Mom bought your favorite pork ribs. I’ll fry them up for you in a little bit.”
Wanyan smiled and nodded, wrapped in the familiar blanket of her mother’s fierce affection. “That sounds wonderful, Mom.”
“And what about Tingxiao? What does he like to eat? Mom will make whatever he wants.” Mother Sheng certainly hadn’t forgotten her new son-in-law.
Gu Tingxiao, however, was a soldier through and through; he was entirely unpretentious about his food and ate whatever was placed in front of him. “Mom, please don’t trouble yourself on my account. I’m not picky at all. Just cook whatever Wanyan enjoys most.”
Hearing this, Mother Sheng’s smile widened as she nodded in approval. Even though Gu Tingxiao was being modest, she had zero intention of treating him carelessly. She had already hoarded a massive market haul for today’s feast. It was a bittersweet occasion; she and Father Sheng were scheduled to catch the steam train back to Chengdu the day after tomorrow, so today was their final family banquet.
“Alright, then,” Mother Sheng said, her heart settling into a deep sense of relief. It was painfully clear that her son-in-law treasured her daughter, placing Wanyan above all else. As a mother, she could finally let go of her lingering worries.
Mother Sheng then cut her eyes toward Sheng Wanze. Catching his mother’s silent directive, Wanze stepped forward, casually draping a heavy arm across Gu Tingxiao’s broad shoulders.
“Come on, Brother-in-law,” Wanze muttered with a lazy grin. “Let’s head to the yard and chop those ribs for my sister.”
Gu Tingxiao knew the women of the Sheng family needed a private sanctuary to speak frankly with Wanyan, so he smoothly followed him outside to grant them space.
The moment the men cleared the threshold, Grandma Sheng and Mother Sheng took Wanyan by the hands and pulled her back into her old bedroom. The second the door clicked shut, Mother Sheng leaned in, her voice tight with maternal anxiety.
“Wanyan, tell Mom the absolute truth. Have you endured any slights or injustices inside the Gu estate these past few days?”
“No, Mom, not at all,” Wanyan answered honestly, a soft laugh escaping her. “Tingxiao’s grandparents and his parents have been incredibly kind to me.”
Mother Sheng exhaled heavily, though she still gave her daughter’s forehead a fond, exasperated poke. She knew the Gu patriarchs were rugged military veterans who largely kept their noses out of trivial domestic accounting, so she wasn’t particularly worried about them. She also knew Father Gu spent his waking hours anchored to supreme national defense strategies, while Mother Gu was a highly educated bureaucrat who possessed far too much dignity to indulge in typical mother-in-law tyranny.
Furthermore, from the moment Gu Tingxiao had stepped through the front gate today, his eyes hadn’t drifted from Wanyan for a single second. Their newlywed energy was undeniably sweet.
No, the singular thorn pricking Mother Sheng’s mind was the sibling dynamics. “Girl, don’t play coy with me. I’m asking specifically about your sisters-in-law. How are you navigating them?”
“Mom, Eldest Sister-in-law holds a high position within the municipal Education Bureau. She is remarkably refined, virtuous, and entirely generous.”
Mother Sheng nodded slowly. Her daughter was far too pragmatic to lie to her own flesh and blood; if Wanyan offered a glowing review, then the eldest sister-in-law was truly a decent woman. Besides, an academic administrator was bound to possess excellent breeding and a gentle temperament.
“And Second Sister is a proud officer in the Air Force,” Wanyan added with a smile. “She’s incredibly bright and cheerful.”
Hearing this, Mother Sheng’s shoulders relaxed further. It appeared the senior women of the Gu clan presented zero threat.
But as Wanyan concluded her breakdown, she suddenly fell silent. Mother Sheng’s sharp intuition flared instantly, her eyes narrowing as she locked onto her daughter’s face.
“Wait a minute. Isn’t there a fourth brother’s wife living under that roof?” she pressed. “What happened? Did that woman try to bully you?”
Beside her, Grandma Sheng’s posture went rigid, both elders staring at Wanyan with sudden, breathless tension.
“Grandma, Mom, please don’t worry. She didn’t bully me,” Wanyan soothed, shaking her head. “We simply had a minor ideological clash over breakfast. We aren’t cut from the same cloth, so we keep our distance.”
“An ideological clash? What on earth does that mean? Tell Mom everything right now!”
Recognizing her mother’s protective fury, Wanyan didn’t omit a single detail, calmly mapping out the entire drumstick showdown and Wang Chunmei’s calculated insults.
By the time the story concluded, Mother Sheng was practically trembling with rage. How dare a common woman have the absolute audacity to stage a petty show of power against her daughter the literal second Wanyan crossed the threshold? What right did a younger sister-in-law have to demand exceptional deference?
“What absolute garbage!” Mother Sheng hissed, her palms hitting her knees. “She can’t even be bothered to look after her own flesh-and-blood daughter, yet she expects you to slave over her child as an aunt? Every single syllable out of her mouth was a disgusting, passive-aggressive swipe at you! Who does she think she is, trying to wave a peacock feather like it’s a general’s command baton?”
Mother Sheng was so thoroughly incensed she looked ready to march straight into the military compound to demand full satisfaction from the Gu matriarchs. Her precious girl had barely been married for forty-eight hours, and some opportunistic viper was already trying to trample her? No one could tolerate such an insult!
“Mom, I didn’t take her nonsense lying down,” Wanyan interjected smoothly, catching her mother’s arm.
“Calm your temper, child, and let Wanyan finish her piece,” Grandma Sheng commanded softly, pulling Mother Sheng back into her chair. The old matriarch narrowed her eyes, turning a keen, calculating gaze onto her granddaughter. “Tell me, child—what was your husband’s stance during the altercation?”
“Tingxiao shielded me completely,” Wanyan answered, a small smile touching her lips. “He slammed his chopsticks down and thoroughly reprimanded the fourth sister-in-law in front of the entire table.”
Mother Sheng let out a long, sweeping sigh of relief, the tension draining from her spine. Thank goodness. As long as her son-in-law possessed the steel to anchor her daughter’s honor, and as long as the newlyweds operated as a unified front, no external storm could shake them.
“And how did your parents-in-law react?” Grandma Sheng probed further.
“Mom stepped in immediately afterward, stripped her of her seniority, and forced her to shut her mouth. She didn’t let Wang Chunmei direct a single drop of malice at me.”
Grandma Sheng nodded sagely, a thin, knowing smile curving her lips as she patted Mother Sheng’s trembling hand. “Do you see the landscape now, daughter? The Gu lineage is a house built entirely on supreme military honor and immaculate discipline. How long do you truly believe a petty, small-minded creature like that fourth wife can survive in such a clean climate? How much longer do you think the old general will tolerate her rot?”
Grandma Sheng let out a quiet chuckle. A traditional, iron-blooded household like the Gus would never allow a toxic troublemaker to disrupt their foundation. The girl wouldn’t even need to waste her own energy plotting a defense; characters like Wang Chunmei were destined to engineer their own destruction sooner or later.
“Therefore, Wanyan, your singular directive is to cultivate your own small household with Tingxiao,” Grandma Sheng instructed, her eyes swimming with a mixture of profound wisdom and deep, maternal adoration. “Keep your accounting pristine so the gossips can never find a single foothold to criticize you. As for the internal politics of the main house, simply step back and let the family elders execute their own discipline.”
Grandma Sheng smoothed a stray lock of hair from Wanyan’s brow. Watching her grandmother’s serene, hyper-calculated composure, Wanyan’s mind whirled with a sudden realization. Grandma doesn’t carry herself like someone raised in a common working-class home at all, she mused. This level of strategic vision and social mastery mirrors the refined, generationally curated education of an elite old-money dynasty.
“I understand, Grandma,” Wanyan murmured.
Grandma Sheng smiled, capturing Wanyan’s hands within her own to pass down the essential laws of domestic longevity. “Your husband dotes on you fiercely, child, which means you must balance that devotion by calculating every advantage for his future. Tingxiao has already secured the rank of deputy regiment commander at a remarkably young age; his horizon is limitless. You are permitted a trace of willful indulgence in private domestic matters, but when it comes to monumental affairs, you must remain an unshakeable anchor. You must never allow your actions to cast a shadow over his career.”
Grandma Sheng squeezed her fingers tightly. “As long as you protect his professional future, your standing within the Gu dynasty will remain completely unassailable. He loves you, so you must return that love in equal measure—fostering mutual understanding and deep tolerance. That is the only mechanism that allows a marriage to endure for a lifetime. No matter what minor friction you encounter inside the compound, remember this: so long as your bond with Tingxiao remains locked, you must execute absolute, flawless filial respect toward his elders so the neighbors can never point a finger at your character.”
The extensive, brilliant lecture filled Wanyan with immense strategic clarity. “Grandma, every word is carved into my heart.”
Grandma Sheng knew her granddaughter was an exceptionally brilliant girl who could untangle the deepest meanings of her words. “Good. Remember it well, child. Ultimately, this old grandmother wants nothing more than your absolute health and peace.”
When a person reached winter color in their years, they no longer craved grand fortunes or soaring titles; their singular prayer was for their descendants to navigate the world safely, entirely free from disaster.
A sudden wave of raw emotion hit Wanyan’s chest. The elders of her bloodline never policed her metrics, nor did they demand she climb to impossible heights. Their ultimate hope was simply for her to remain safe, whole, and content. Overwhelmed by affection, Wanyan threw her arms around the old matriarch, burying her face in her shoulder as her eyes welled with tears.
“Grandma… you are far too good to me,” she sobbed softly, acting like a little girl again.
“Of course I am,” Grandma Sheng chuckled, her heart thoroughly melting as she rubbed the girl’s back. “You are my precious granddaughter. If I don’t pour my love into you, who else should receive it?”
It had been years since Wanyan had allowed herself to display such unfiltered, vulnerable dependency. No matter how much time rolled by, the old matriarch could never maintain her strict defenses when her darling girl crumbled into her arms to beg for a cuddle.
By the time the three women emerged from the bedroom, the savory scent of sizzling grease filled the air. Pan Yue was already bustling about the kitchen counters.
“I’ll handle the main lunch preparation,” Mother Sheng announced, tying her apron securely. “Wanyan, go on to the backyard and check on your husband. Spend some time chatting with your grandparents.”
Wanyan nodded obediently, navigating the corridor toward the rear yard to find Gu Tingxiao.
The young officer had just finished cleaving the heavy pork bones down the center. He rinsed his calloused hands under the pump, turning his head the exact second her footsteps sounded. His dark eyes softened instantly, a gentle, melting warmth replacing his rigid military focus.
“Are you finished with your talk?” he murmured, stepping closer. “Are you thirsty, sweetheart?”
