chsdbacks Chapter 122 The Young and Beautiful Daughter-in-Law
Chapter 122 The Young and Beautiful Daughter-in-Law
I came out of the old lady's house.
It's getting late.
Xu Sui and Qin Yunzhou suggested going back, and Old Madam Xu asked Wang Xiuer to see them off.
"No need, Grandma, it's only a short walk."
Wang Xiuer spoke first, before the old lady, "Grandma, why don't you go back to your room and sit down? I'll go see my cousin and the others off."
Grandma Xu nodded, then suddenly remembered something, "Oh right, I forgot to introduce you. This is Xiu'er, who should be your cousin. She's staying with me temporarily to take care of me."
"Xiuer, this is your cousin and your cousin-in-law." She gave a brief introduction and didn't say anything else.
Xu Sui didn't ask any more questions, but just smiled politely at Wang Xiuer and said, "Thank you so much for taking care of Grandma."
"We live in that big courtyard across the street. If you need anything, you can come find me there."
Wang Xiuer pursed her lips and nodded, giving a soft "Mmm," "Okay, cousin."
……
After personally seeing the person off, he closed the gate to the courtyard.
Wang Xiuer looked at the old lady lying in the rocking chair, resting with her eyes closed.
She hesitated for a moment, then found a quiet place, picked up her needle and thread, and began to sew shoe soles for the old lady.
The old lady is getting on in years, so the soles of her shoes need to be softer than normal, otherwise she will feel uncomfortable walking.
As she pondered, Wang Xiuer suddenly recalled the scene of dinner earlier that day, as well as the scene of the three of them talking behind closed doors in the room.
She came to the city to stay with her great-aunt six months ago.
At that time, I had just arrived in the city with a tattered bundle when I saw this clean and tidy courtyard, and my aunt, who was still elegant despite her age.
She didn't even dare to look up, much less step into the house in those filthy clothes.
My great-aunt was aloof and had many rules, so she once thought that the other party didn't like her.
Gradually, as time went on...
She then realized that her great-aunt was just like that, treating everyone the same, even her own grandson.
But today, my cousin Xu Sui, who is rumored to have an unpleasant personality, came to visit.
My cousin Xu Sui is very beautiful; she's the kind of beautiful that makes you unable to look away at first glance.
The man she married didn't seem like an ordinary person either. Even though he had some leg problems, the two of them looked inexplicably well-matched when they stood together.
I heard that my cousin's husband is a military officer and very capable.
Others might not notice, but after spending these days together, she could tell that her great-aunt was very satisfied with the man her cousin had married, and seemed to have become even closer to her cousin as a result.
That was a level of closeness that my great-aunt had never shown to anyone else.
My great-aunt's granddaughter is back. Does that mean... this place won't need another outsider anymore?
Wang Xiuer was engrossed in sewing shoe soles when she was distracted and pricked her finger with a needle, causing a sharp pain.
She then came to her senses and subconsciously put her injured finger in her mouth.
Just then, the old lady's voice suddenly came, "Illness enters through the mouth, Xiu'er."
"Haven't I told you? You shouldn't put your fingers in your mouth. These habits are bad and you need to change them."
Wang Xiuer panicked upon hearing this and hurriedly withdrew her finger. "Aunt...Grandma, I...I can't do it again."
The old lady frowned slightly when she saw how flustered she was over such a small matter, but she didn't say anything.
"Alright, just remember that next time."
"Everything else can wait. The only thing I want you to remember is cleanliness and hygiene."
"This isn't just targeting you; it applies to everyone. If you're not comfortable with it, you can always go back."
"No, I'll change, Auntie. I want to stay and take care of you." Wang Xiuer panicked completely.
Life in the countryside was too hard. Her parents starved to death, and her whole family was gone, leaving her as an orphan. She had no way to survive if she went back.
Seeing Wang Xiuer like this, Old Mrs. Xu sighed.
"Alright, if you want to stay, you have to follow the rules. From now on, wash your hands before meals, and don't talk while eating or sleeping..."
……
the next day.
Xu Sui and Qin Yunzhou took advantage of the weekend to visit Hong Tao and his wife again, bringing some gifts with them.
The couple, one a deputy director of the grain station and the other a primary school teacher, were both employed and lived in the grain station's staff compound. They were well-off and lived in good conditions.
This time, we're visiting your home.
The gifts were all prepared by Qin Yunzhou: a bottle of fine wine, a jar of excellent Longjing tea, and some pastries and fruits in front of the gate.
The quilt cover alone among the things they brought last time was not cheap. If you really wanted to buy it outside, it would probably cost several tens of dollars plus cloth coupons, and you don't even know if you could buy it.
And the two ounces of brown sugar that someone gave me was also a rare and precious item, not to mention the other things besides those.
The staff compound where the Hong family lived was a dormitory-style apartment building. These kinds of buildings are popular now because they are said to be cleaner and more hygienic, and living in them is more respectable. Ordinary people can't afford to live in these kinds of buildings.
Most of the people living in the compound longed for the day when they could move into a tenement building.
Qin Yunzhou had difficulty climbing stairs due to his leg problems, and the house allocated to the Hong family was on the third floor, which was fortunately not too high.
With Xu Sui's help, the two climbed up little by little.
Along the way, we met quite a few people.
Their gazes involuntarily fell on Qin Yunzhou's legs, most of them looking regretful, while others looked at Xu Sui with a hint of sympathy in their eyes.
The two encountered such gazes quite often along the way.
At first, Xu Sui was afraid that Qin Yunzhou would feel uncomfortable, so she would always secretly turn her head to look at him. Unexpectedly, she was caught red-handed and her little thoughts were discovered.
Qin Yunzhou walked forward with his cane, his expression unchanged, and said directly, "Don't worry, I'm not as fragile as you think."
"On the contrary, don't you feel... that I've embarrassed you?"
He paused slightly at this point, unconsciously turning his head to look at the woman beside him.
Xu Sui may not have realized it, but he has received professional training and has always been keenly aware of people's emotions.
The eyes of most of the passersby, especially the men, were filled with sympathy for Xu Sui.
A young and beautiful wife...a disabled and incompetent husband...
If he really is an irreversible cripple.
Given Xu Sui's past personality, she might have secretly started looking for another boyfriend, just like she did behind Gu Shu's back.
Thinking of this, Qin Yunzhou felt a bit depressed and couldn't help but stare at Xu Sui's profile.
"No, why would you think that?" Xu Sui was slightly taken aback, blinking in confusion.
"Your leg injury is only temporary, and whether you were in the army or back in our hometown, you never let me or the children go hungry. For that alone, many men these days wouldn't do that."
"How could I possibly think you're shameful?"
He certainly didn't know how many people around him were advising her to settle down and live a good life with him.