Zhou Xiaomei welcomed the guests at the door.
The house, though not too big, had two bedrooms, a living room, and a small kitchen.
Chairs were already arranged in the living room, and Zhou Xiaomei invited them to sit down, drink water, and snack on sunflower seeds.
Jiang Zhixun and Shen Qingqing brought two cans of preserved fruit.
Chen Shaojie brought a bag of White Rabbit candies.
Cheng Jingliang brought a bag of eggs. "Steam some egg custard for Xiao Bao to eat. It's nutritious, and he'll grow faster."
"It's enough for you to come, why bring so many things?"
As she said the polite words, she naturally reached to take the child out of Lin Fengmian's arms. "Why's he crying like this?"
Lin Fengmian was holding in frustration and replied sarcastically, "He insists on Mister Shen holding him, never bothering to ask if others are okay with it."
Zhou Xiaomei ignored her sister-in-law.
Smiling, she said to Shen Qingqing, "The little guy probably thinks you're pretty, which is why he insists that you hold him. Don't underestimate him because he's young; he's downright obsessed with hanging around gorgeous ladies."
As she spoke, Zhou Xiaomei brought her son over to Shen Qingqing. "Xiao Bao, is it because you think Auntie is pretty?"
"Mm!"
The little guy's speech wasn't clear, but his answer was crystal clear.
Seeing his innocent and lovable demeanor, Shen Qingqing's bad mood immediately dissipated.
When the baby reached out to be held, she took him from Zhou Xiaomei's arms.
"I'll hold him and play for a while."
Jiang Zhixun frowned, "Be careful with your hands."
Without looking at Jiang Zhixun, Shen Qingqing sat the baby on her lap. "It's fine."
Zhou Xiaomei hadn't thought about this detail and asked with concern, "Is your hand still hurting? How about we let Xiao Bao stand by the table and hold onto its edge? As long as you don't leave, he surely won't cry."
A one-year-old doesn't weigh much.
His sitting on her lap didn't require Shen Qingqing to exert much arm strength, so it wouldn't strain her injury.
While untying her scarf, she moved her arm slightly. "It's nothing, he's just overreacting."
Zhou Xiaomei teased with a smile, "Having a wife by your side really makes all the difference. Captain Jiang is getting better at being tenderhearted."
Seeing Jiang Zhixun's face flush with embarrassment, his ears turning red as if they were dripping blood, Zhou Xiaomei couldn't hide her amusement.
This bashful reaction—who could say he didn't like Shen Qingqing?
She didn't believe it!
Cheng Jingliang and Chen Shaojie chimed in, "You don't know—he couldn't wait to meet Shen Qingqing earlier. He didn't even wait for the two of us; he scooped up his things and rushed over."
Jiang Zhixun clicked his tongue, "What good does spreading rumors do you?"
"What rumors? This was the truth!"
Jiang Zhixun didn't bother arguing with them.
Whether he hurried over or rushed to see Shen Qingqing, he himself knew best.
Noticing Shen Qingqing's uneasy expression, Jiang Zhixun gave them a warning look.
"Quit spouting nonsense."
"Old Jiang, you've got to step up your game. A man has to be more proactive."
Zhou Xiaomei nodded in agreement, "I don't know what aspect of you Shen Qingqing likes, but when it comes to my husband Lin Zhidong, what I fancy is how considerate he is—and how he goes out of his way to make me happy. Captain Jiang, you could really learn a thing or two from him."
Lin Zhidong was in the kitchen cooking, and his wife's compliments made him dizzy with pride, nearly losing sight of himself.
He said smugly, "Old Jiang, let me tell you something—as cold as you are, if I were Shen Qingqing, I wouldn't marry you."
At times, Chen Shaojie had a bit of a sharp tongue too. "Shen Qingqing is beautiful; there are surely plenty of men chasing her in Beijing. Old Jiang, you better watch out—someone might steal her away."
Jiang Zhixun stuffed a red date into his mouth. "If you can't say anything nice, shut up."
All except Shen Qingqing couldn't hold back their laughter.
They'd known Jiang Zhixun for three years, but this was the first time they'd seen him acting this way.
Anyone who claimed he didn't like Shen Qingqing surely wouldn't be believed!
Their harmonious banter almost seemed like they wanted to glue Shen Qingqing and Jiang Zhixun together.
Lin Fengmian couldn't contain her anger anymore. Her eyes burned, and two tears suddenly fell.
No one noticed her crying, and Lin Fengmian felt even more miserable.
She turned around and headed to her room.
She wanted to slam the door shut but was afraid her brother and sister-in-law would scold her, or that Jiang Zhixun would get angry and sever ties with their family.
At the last moment, she held back and quietly closed the door.
Listening to the cheerful voices outside, Lin Fengmian hugged her pillow and silently cried.
These people were truly awful.
They knew perfectly well she liked Brother Jiang, yet they still brought Shen Qingqing over for dinner.
Bringing her was one thing, but cracking jokes in front of her—about Shen Qingqing and Brother Jiang—was just too much.
Did they think she was invisible?
They didn't care about her feelings at all!
The more she thought about it, the sadder she became. Lin Fengmian couldn't stop crying.
From the moment she first met Jiang Zhixun, it had been love at first sight.
Now, it was no different from heartbreak.
She hadn't intended to ruin someone else's marriage, so why couldn't they give her some time to come to terms with the fact that Jiang Zhixun was already married?
They were simply too cruel.
All those jokes and teasing laughter—they were like salt on her wounds!
Zhou Xiaomei realized her sister-in-law was angry again.
Though it felt a bit callous to think so, she figured that Lin Fengmian staying in her room was better than her lashing out at Shen Qingqing.
If worse came to worst, she'd reserve both drumsticks at dinner for the young woman.
With good food and drink at hand, if the sister-in-law still remained upset, there wasn't much else Zhou Xiaomei could do.
She headed to the kitchen and returned with ginger sugar water, handing a cup to each person.
Letting Xiao Bao play with Shen Qingqing for a while, Zhou Xiaomei went back to assist Lin Zhidong.
Chen Shaojie and the others, familiar with the family's atmosphere, didn't stand on ceremony and followed suit, heading to the kitchen to lend a hand.
"Old Lin, what are you cooking up?"
"Chicken stew."
Beyond that, he had two vegetarian dishes prepped and ready to stir-fry before serving.
The main course was corn buns.
The menu wasn't extensive, but the portions were abundant—they were sure to have their fill.
The coal stove had a pot simmering on top, and as he spoke, Lin Zhidong lifted the lid.
The rich aroma wafted out.
The little boy sitting in Shen Qingqing's lap let out an "Ah!" and scrunched his tiny nose.
Shen Qingqing thought he was adorable, lowering her head and sweetly asking, "Baby, do you want to eat meat?"
The toddler nodded enthusiastically, blurting out an unclear "Eat~"
Drool began to drip from his mouth.
Shen Qingqing, amused by his greedy look, scanned the room for a tissue to wipe his mouth.
Jiang Zhixun watched silently, imagining Shen Qingqing as a mother in the future.
She was so gentle—children would surely love her.
Both of them were no longer young; putting aside the drama from three years ago, having children now seemed appropriate.
As Xiao Bao's drool threatened to drip onto Shen Qingqing's hand, Jiang Zhixun swiftly grabbed the corner of the baby's bib, catching the drool.
"So young, and already so greedy?"
The toddler, too little to fully understand words, could discern tone.
Faced with Jiang Zhixun's serious demeanor, he misinterpreted it as scolding.
His mouth quivered, and he began to sniffle and bawl.
Crying, he burrowed deeper into Shen Qingqing's arms.
Tears smeared over Shen Qingqing's coat, making Jiang Zhixun's eyelids twitch.
Reacting instinctively, he tried to take the baby away.
But toddlers this age were quick; unwilling to leave Shen Qingqing's arms, he managed to grab hold of a lock of her long hair.
Jiang Zhixun was swift in his movements, causing Shen Qingqing to wince from the tug.
She involuntarily leaned toward Jiang Zhixun.
He stepped forward, positioning himself behind her protectively.
Giving a gentle pat to the child's hand, he said, "Let go already, will you?"
Zhou Xiaomei popped her head out and scolded Xiao Bao as well.
Perhaps it was Jiang Zhixun's intimidating aura, or perhaps the toddler understood the adults' words—Xiao Bao finally released Shen Qingqing's hair.
Looking around in confusion, his small face displayed utter helplessness.
Chen Shaojie joked, "It's undeniable—in Old Jiang's heart, not a single person can let his wife suffer!"