The middle-aged woman was named Li Mingxia. She was the wife of Shen Chunlin, a member of Shenjia Village. According to seniority, Shen Jiao should have addressed her as Sister-in-law.
As for the depth of Li Mingxia’s hatred towards Shen Jiao, it was, in truth, a completely undeserved calamity. Shen Jiao did not even know anything about it.
Earlier that year, after Du Lingxiang drove Shen Jiao out of the house and she left for the capital to find Qin Zhifeng, a major tragedy occurred in Shenjia Village.
Shen Chunlin’s son, Maodan, had mischievously gone to play beside a pond near the village. He accidentally slipped into the water and drowned.
At the time, Shen Chunlin happened to be bedridden with an illness. When he heard the news, his breath caught, and he died on the spot.
The family lost both its breadwinner and its son in a single day. Their home was utterly destroyed, and Li Mingxia nearly followed them in death.
However, Old Chatterbox’s youngest daughter, Little Chatterbox, suddenly mentioned something.
She said that when Maodan fell into the pond, she seemed to have seen Shen Jiao passing nearby. If Shen Jiao had turned back and called for help from the village, perhaps Maodan could have been saved.
No one knew why Little Chatterbox had said such a thing, but Li Mingxia believed it.
Her husband and child were both dead, and she had nowhere to direct the grief and rage filling her heart. She poured all of it onto Shen Jiao.
As the days passed, her hatred only grew deeper.
The person who had secretly damaged the roof of Shen Jiao’s house in Shenjia Village last time had also been hired by Li Mingxia.
She had assumed that after being driven out of Shenjia Village, Shen Jiao—a woman, and a beautiful one at that—would live a miserable life.
Yet she had never expected the little temptress to remarry so quickly.
Worse still, she had married a man who earned his living behind a steering wheel.
When Li Mingxia heard the news and thought of her husband and child, who had died such unjust deaths, her eyes immediately turned blood-red with fury.
After two days of persistent effort, she finally learned from the brigade captain where Shen Jiao had remarried.
She quickly dealt with a few matters at home and hurried towards Shuanma Village Brigade.
Meanwhile, Shen Jiao sat anxiously in the bridal chamber, waiting for her groom. She had no idea that the original owner had left behind such a grievance.
It truly was an undeserved disaster.
A calamity dropping directly out of the sky could hardly have been more unreasonable.
“Jiaojiao, the celebration outside will continue for quite a while. I cooked you a bowl of noodles, so eat something to fill your stomach.”
Gu Xinmin entered carrying a large bowl of noodles with shredded pork.
She had already been a bride herself and knew perfectly well how brides were treated on their wedding day.
When she married, no one had thought about the possibility of her going hungry. It was her husband who had later cooked her a bowl of noodles.
“Thank you, Sister. You really are my own sister. You’re the only one who remembers me.”
“Oh, how am I not your real sister? After today, you’ll officially be my beloved sister-in-law.”
Now that she mentioned it, that was indeed true.
Shen Jiao burst into laughter.
Gu Xinmin had been waiting to see her new sister-in-law become shy. Instead, she was met with Shen Jiao’s bright, uninhibited laughter.
She felt somewhat stifled.
It was the first time she had ever seen such an unbashful bride, and that bride happened to be her own sister-in-law.
Time passed quickly.
By the time the moon had risen above the branches, Gu Xinguo had finally finished dealing with everything outside.
As the groom, he at last had time to enter the bridal room and see his bride.
Remembering Shen Jiao’s stunning appearance earlier that day and her beautiful face, heat instantly surged through his heart.
“Brother Gu, you look incredibly handsome today!”
Gu Xinguo had not expected his new wife to praise him the moment he entered.
His face immediately warmed.
Wasn’t he supposed to be the one complimenting his bride?
How had their roles been reversed?
Ever since meeting Shen Jiao, it seemed he had never managed to take the lead.
She had proposed marriage first, and now that they were married, she had even beaten him to offering a compliment.
How could this continue?
“Jiaojiao, you’re very beautiful today too.”
“Oh?”
Shen Jiao drew out the sound.
“Does Brother Gu mean I wasn’t beautiful before?”
“No, no. That’s not what I meant. You were beautiful before too. Very beautiful!”
“I understand now. Brother Gu only agreed to marry me because I’m pretty. If I had been ugly, would you have ignored me?”
“No, it isn’t like that. Jiaojiao, listen to me—”
“Pfft! All right, Brother Gu. I was only teasing you.”
Gu Xinguo was speechless.
After calming his pounding heart, he sincerely failed to understand his wife’s peculiar sense of humour.
Yet when he saw her smiling like a blooming flower, he suddenly felt that being teased by her had its own special charm.
“Brother Gu, today was so busy. Is Grandma’s health all right? Should I go and keep her company for a while first?”
“There’s no need. I just went to see her, and her complexion looks fine.”
“She specifically told me not to trouble you by making you visit her tonight. You can go tomorrow morning.”
“She also said that if we truly want to be filial, we should hurry and give her a great-grandchild.”
Gu Xinguo paused, his voice deepening slightly.
“Jiaojiao, tonight, we…”
Naturally, Shen Jiao understood the unfinished meaning behind his words.
At last, they had reached the main event.
Gu Xinguo was at least enough of a man not to force her to take the initiative in such a matter.
She looked at the man standing before her in a dark blue Mao suit.
His expression was steady, his figure tall, and his broad shoulders alone gave a sense of security.
This man now belonged to her.
Soon, he would become her husband in the truest sense.
Under his burning gaze, she gave a slight nod.
It was as though she had flipped a switch.
Gu Xinguo’s restrained passion instantly erupted.
He had finally managed to take the lead over his wife for once.
He strode forwards, swept Shen Jiao into his arms, and carried her quickly yet steadily to the heated bed.
He gently placed her onto the bright red wedding quilt.
Then he hurriedly removed his shoes and climbed up beside her.
Neither of them was inexperienced.
At first, they were slightly unfamiliar because it had been so long since either had shared intimacy with a spouse, but they soon rediscovered the rhythm.
However, before they truly reached the point of no return, Shen Jiao stopped Gu Xinguo.
She looked at him with misty eyes and asked a question.
“Brother Gu, you said you would remain loyal to our marriage and treat me well, didn’t you?”
Shen Jiao did not want to ruin the mood, especially at such a critical moment.
However, the insecurity hidden deep inside her suddenly began causing trouble.
She had grown up without any sense of security, and their marriage had begun in such an unusual way that she still felt uncertain.
Gu Xinguo did not know whether to laugh or cry at his wife suddenly spoiling the atmosphere.
Did she really believe he was so unreliable?
He would not claim to be an exceptionally good man, but he possessed one quality: he took responsibility.
Whether at work or within his family, he had never avoided any duty or obligation that belonged to him.
Since he had married Shen Jiao, he would assume all the responsibilities of a husband and offer her complete loyalty within their marriage.
“Jiaojiao, I won’t claim to be some remarkable person, but I still possess the basic principles of being a decent man.”
“You don’t need to worry about my loyalty to our marriage.”
Gu Xinguo’s voice was slightly hoarse.
His deep, steady tone was dangerously enticing.
Even so, Shen Jiao resisted the temptation.
She still needed to say what had to be said and issue the necessary warning.
“All right, but Brother Gu, promise me one thing.”
“If—this is only an if—you meet someone you genuinely like in the future, you must tell me.”
“I won’t stubbornly occupy the position of your spouse. I—mmph…”
Gu Xinguo directly sealed that mood-ruining mouth with his own.
She was actually discussing divorce on their wedding night.
She truly deserved to be “taught a lesson.”
Shen Jiao was not experiencing intimacy for the first time, so she did not possess the fragility of a new bride.
Moreover, she came from a later era and held relatively open attitudes towards married life.
She was also willing to express herself freely during intimacy.
For the first time, Gu Xinguo discovered that relations between husband and wife could be so wonderful.
There was no resistance and no disgust.
There were only two hearts gradually drawing closer together.
After finally tasting such sweetness, he tormented Shen Jiao until she was thoroughly exhausted.
Early the following morning, before the sun had fully broken free of the horizon, Gu Xinguo awoke because of his internal clock.
He looked at Shen Jiao sleeping within the crook of his arm, her cheeks rosy.
Remembering the wonderful sensations of the previous night, heat surged through him once again.
His original intention of getting out of bed immediately disappeared.
One restless hand slipped beneath the quilt.
His wife’s pale, smooth skin caused him to lose all remaining restraint.
Shen Jiao was sleeping soundly when she suddenly dreamed that she had become a pancake being repeatedly flipped from side to side.
Only when Gu Xinguo became too excited and accidentally hurt her did she abruptly awaken.
The first thing she saw was the man’s sweat-dampened face and burning gaze.
When he realised she was awake, he immediately covered her lips with his before she could speak.
Gu Xinguo knew he had already been far too unrestrained the previous night.
Wanting her again that morning was even more excessive.
Although he had experienced one marriage, the previous night had still been the first time he truly tasted the pleasure of intimacy between a man and woman.
Now that he understood its sweetness, how could he possibly resist such a tempting wife?
If he could resist, he would have been a saint.
When everything finally ended, Shen Jiao lay on the heated bed panting like a fish removed from water.
Then she looked at Gu Xinguo, already dressed and glowing with energy.
Anger immediately surged through her.
They had done the same thing, yet she was exhausted like a dying dog while he looked as though he had swallowed an entire bottle of miraculous tonic pills.
Why was that fair?
“Cough, cough. Well, Jiaojiao, you should sleep a little longer. I’ll prepare breakfast.”
Knowing he was guilty, Gu Xinguo quickly said a few words before striding out of the room.
He was afraid that if he continued looking at his wife, he might not manage to leave the room at all that day.
Watching Gu Xinguo flee, Shen Jiao chuckled softly.
At least he knew he was in the wrong.
He had even offered to prepare breakfast.
That was a good beginning.
Once she opened her tailoring shop, she might not be able to care for the household like other women.
At that time, she would need Gu Xinguo, as her husband, to understand and share the responsibilities.
Although Shuanma Village and Shenjia Village were more than a hundred li apart, men behaved almost identically everywhere.
Apart from working in the fields, they rarely lifted a hand to do any household task, large or small.
Wang Chengjun was somewhat better because he enjoyed cooking and helped in that area.
When it came to everything else, however, he still avoided helping whenever possible.
Shen Jiao did not care how other families lived.
In their little household, Gu Xinguo could forget about becoming a lazy husband.
This home did not belong to her alone.
Husband and wife would share the housework.
Yes, she had to establish that rule at the very beginning of their marriage.
Looking at the sky, Shen Jiao did not dare lie down again.
Otherwise, news that Gu Xinguo’s new wife was a lazy woman would spread throughout the village.
That was one disadvantage of rural life.
The moment something happened in one family, everyone in the entire village would soon know about it.
Then, while drinking tea or resting after meals, people would gather and criticise them.
They were capable of saying anything, no matter how unpleasant.
They might not necessarily possess malicious intentions, but they simply enjoyed interfering in other families’ affairs.
They never considered how much harm their gossip and rumours might cause the people involved.
Shen Jiao sat up and rubbed her aching waist.
She muttered a complaint.
How long had it been since Gu Xinguo last saw a woman?
He had behaved like a starving wolf, as though he wished to swallow her flesh and bones together.
She put on the red coat she had worn the previous day, along with her dark blue tapered trousers and black low-heeled leather shoes.
Then she braided her long hair into a fishtail braid beginning at the crown of her head and pinned it into place.
Only then did she pour hot water from the aluminium kettle on the stove and wash herself.
Afterwards, she sat before the dressing table and carefully applied moisturising cream to her face.
She had purchased both the dressing table and the skincare cream while staying in the county town.
How could a woman possibly live without a dressing table and skincare products?
A woman’s beauty was like a flower and required careful protection.
Men were visual creatures, regardless of what they claimed.
Their bodies were always more honest than their mouths.
Once she had finished dressing, the mirror reflected a striking beauty with bright eyes and an expressive gaze.
Her skin was pale, her eyes glistened with moisture, and every movement and smile possessed an intoxicating charm.
This was the sight Gu Xinguo encountered when he entered.
Heat immediately rose within him, and restlessness surged from the depths of his body.
“Brother Gu, is breakfast ready? Is there anything you need me to help with?”
“Breakfast has been ready for a while. We can eat immediately.”
“Wonderful. I’m starving. Mm—Brother Gu, we’re supposed to eat breakfast. Mm…”
“It’s fine. Let’s stimulate our appetite first.”
Shen Jiao was utterly speechless.
Were men naturally gifted in this area?
Even the usually quiet and restrained Gu Xinguo had learned how to make suggestive remarks.
He lingered over his wife’s lips until he was finally satisfied and mercifully released her.
Had it not been her first morning as a new bride, and had he not feared giving her the reputation of a lazy wife, he would gladly have taken her back to bed again.
His wife was simply too delicious.
Breakfast was served in the main room.
Grandma occupied the western room attached to it.
Because this was Shen Jiao’s first morning in the household, Grandma struggled down from the heated bed and sat at the dining table.
There was nothing particularly special about breakfast.
They merely reheated leftovers from the previous day’s wedding feast.
The only freshly prepared dish was the bowl of minced-meat porridge placed before Grandma.
Her appetite could not yet tolerate ordinary meals.
The minced meat was easy to digest and nutritious, making the porridge particularly suitable for her.
Shen Jiao had specifically described how to prepare it to Gu Xinguo after hearing that Grandma still struggled to eat.
However, Grandma found the meal strangely sour that morning.
Her grandson had only just married, yet his wife already seemed to have him completely under control.
Since when was getting up early to cook breakfast a man’s responsibility?
Meanwhile, Shen Jiao had remained comfortably in bed waiting for her husband to serve her.
Wasn’t she exactly like An Qing?
Her poor grandson.
Why did he keep becoming entangled with lazy wives in this lifetime?
When Gu Xinguo brought Shen Jiao into the room, Grandma glanced at her.
She noticed Shen Jiao’s swollen lips, rosy complexion, and the fact that her grandson had remained in the bedroom for a while after entering.
Having lived for so many years, how could she fail to understand?
A smile immediately appeared on her face.
Judging by how affectionate the young couple was, could her great-grandchild possibly be far away?
“Good morning, Grandma.”
“Good, good. Hurry and sit down to eat. The food is almost cold.”
“It’s good for young people to enjoy their sleep, but you must still remember to eat on time.”
Shen Jiao’s eyes shifted slightly, and she immediately understood the hidden meaning behind Grandma’s words.
The old woman was clearly dissatisfied that she had slept late and forced her precious grandson to prepare breakfast.
Beneath the table, Shen Jiao kicked Gu Xinguo’s large foot.
This was all his fault.
Would she have struggled to get out of bed if he had not tormented her so ruthlessly?
After being kicked, Gu Xinguo looked confused.
He had been eating properly. How had he offended her?
He glanced up at his wife.
She was smiling brightly and chatting with Grandma, showing no sign of anger.
He assumed she had merely bumped him accidentally.
“Grandma is absolutely right,” Shen Jiao said.
“Having an elderly person in the family is like possessing a treasure. Nothing you say could possibly be wrong.”
“We can’t neglect our health while we’re young and only regret it when we suffer in old age.”
“From now on, I’ll listen to Grandma. I’ll sleep early, wake early, and eat every meal on time.”
“Brother Gu, don’t you agree?”
“Huh? Yes, yes. We must remember to eat on time.”
As for sleeping early and waking early…
Well, sleeping early was possible.
As for waking early, he personally had no difficulty with it.
If his wife could wake early, that would merely prove he had not worked hard enough.
Grandma noticed every interaction between the young couple.
She had thought Shen Jiao did not look like a lazy wife.
Moreover, Shen Jiao was intelligent. How could she deliberately sleep late on her first morning in her husband’s family home?
So her grandson had been the real cause.
Grandma suddenly did not know how she should feel.
Forget it.
One could not become a respected elder without sometimes pretending to be deaf and mute.
As long as the young couple lived harmoniously, why should an old woman with one foot already inside the King of Hell’s palace interfere?
She only hoped they would hurry and produce a great-grandchild for her.
Then she could close her eyes immediately without any regrets.
After breakfast, Shen Jiao volunteered to wash the dishes and scrub the cooking pot in order to demonstrate her diligence.
Grandma clearly did not have much time remaining.
When dealing with an elderly woman whose life had already entered its final countdown, Shen Jiao was willing to humour her.
Once the house had been tidied, Gu Xinguo took Shen Jiao from family to family to return the items they had borrowed for the wedding.
At the same time, he introduced her to the villagers.
Even if Shen Jiao had not received much formal education in this life, she had experienced the wider world in her previous one.
She accompanied Gu Xinguo openly and confidently, sweetly addressing everyone as Uncle or Auntie and occasionally offering a pleasant compliment.
She coaxed everyone into happiness.
From then on, whenever anyone mentioned Gu Xinguo’s new wife, they could not help praising her.
Meanwhile, the atmosphere in Wang Naozi’s home was also unusually lively that day.
The main reason was that the family had received a guest.
That guest was none other than Li Mingxia.
She had arrived in Shuanma Village the previous day.
Upon entering the village, she used thirst and a request for water as an excuse to enter Wang Naozi’s home.
One could say she had been remarkably lucky.
She had selected a house at random, yet had accidentally entered the home of a family that already disliked Shen Jiao.
As for Wang Xiangxiu, she had not only refused to leave the house the previous day—she had not even stepped outside her bedroom.
She could not bear to witness Gu Xinguo marrying another woman.
Simply imagining the scene caused her heart to ache.
That night, when she thought about what Gu Xinguo and Shen Jiao would be doing on their wedding night, she tossed and turned without sleeping.
Only that morning did she learn that a guest had arrived.
Better yet, the woman came from the same village as Shen Jiao.
From Li Mingxia, Wang Xiangxiu discovered that Shen Jiao had already been married once and was therefore second-hand goods.
The heart she had believed was already half-dead from Gu Xinguo’s marriage instantly revived at full strength.
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