If you traced the family trees back another couple of generations, the Sun family and the Li family were, in fact, distantly related. County Magistrate Li was wealthy, generous, and loved hosting banquets. As long as someone could be considered a relative, even one connected by the thinnest of threads, he acknowledged them as family. Therefore,every New Year and festival, he would throw lavish feasts at his estate, inviting relatives and friends alike to eat, drink, and celebrate.
Sun Yushuang was the same age as Li Jintong. Ever since childhood, his family had often brought him along to the Li estate, so the two had known… not each other, but of each other from a young age.
But Li Jintong spent much of his childhood bedridden with illness.
Besides, County Magistrate Li naturally treated his younger brother’s family, his true blood relatives, very differently from those distant relations. They ate and lived together as one household, so Li Jintong only crossed paths with Sun Yushuang a handful of times.
But there had always been plenty of children running around during those gatherings. Li Jintong had never paid any attention to Sun Yushuang, and barely even knew his name.
Later, when they were around thirteen or fourteen, Sun Yushuang suddenly became close to Li Jinhe, who was still unmarried at the time. He would frequently visit the Li residence to chat with her while they worked together.
But in truth, Li Jinhe wasn’t particularly familiar with him either. She simply had the temperament of a genuinely kind person, so she got along with everyone, never embarrassed anyone, or turned them away. Whenever someone came to visit, she always welcomed them warmly.
She wasn’t naive, however.
After only a few visits, she realized that before long, every conversation would somehow circle back to her youngest brother. Therefore, it didn’t take many more meetings for her to understand Sun Yushuang’s intentions.
The Sun family wasn’t wealthy, but he was their only child, and they spared no expense on him. Anyone unaware of his background would have assumed, judging by his clothes and refined manners, that he came from a rich household. But the Li family had never cared about wealth or status, and besides, Sun Yushuang was fair-skinned and attractive.
So once Li Jinhe understood what was going on, she spoke to Madam Li about it. And yet, Madam Li’s mind was occupied entirely by her youngest son’s health. Moreover, she felt they were both still too young, so she didn’t pay the matter much attention.
Instead, she simply mentioned it to Li Jinfeng and asked him to sound out his younger brother.
But when Li Jintong first heard about it, his elder brother had to describe Sun Yushuang for quite a while before he finally figured out which ger he meant. At the time, the Second Young Master had been thinking that one day he’d marry someone like his father had, a wife with whom he shared mutual affection. He couldn’t even remember what Sun Yushuang looked like, so naturally, he refused.
As for Li Jinhe, once she learned of her brother’s feelings, she pretended not to understand Sun Yushuang’s intentions and quietly reduced the number of times they met. Later, she married and moved away.
By then, Li Jinhui had grown much older and wasn’t someone Sun Yushuang could casually approach, while Li Jinrong was so cold and indifferent that she gave face to no one. With no avenue left, he stopped coming to the Li residence altogether, and everyone assumed the matter had simply come to an end.
Until two years ago.
After returning from an outing with his uncle’s third son, Li Jintong fell gravely ill. He remained unconscious for more than ten days, hovering on the brink of death, so much that even an entire family of physicians was helpless.
In her desperation, Madam Li resorted to every possible remedy, so following the advice of neighbors, she decided to try bringing good fortune by arranging a marriage for her youngest son.
The problem was finding someone willing.
When Sun Yushuang heard the news, he personally asked a matchmaker to approach the Li family and volunteered himself as the prospective groom. At the time, Li Jintong’s condition was so dire that anyone marrying into the family might become a widow almost immediately. Yet despite that, Sun Yushuang still stepped forward of his own accord.
Madam Li was deeply moved and had nearly agreed on the spot. Even the betrothal gifts had been hastily prepared. But then, just as everything was about to be finalized…
Li Jintong woke up.
Obviously, Madam Li was overjoyed, but although her son had recovered consciousness, she still thought highly of Sun Yushuang. In her eyes, anyone willing to marry her son under those circumstances must truly care for him. So she wanted to simply settle the engagement, postponing only the wedding itself.
But when Li Jintong learned of the arrangement, he refused outright.
Madam Li asked him why, and the Second Young Master gave only one answer: “I don’t like him.”
She had always doted most on her frail youngest son, so of course she wasn’t going to force him. Fortunately, since the engagement hadn’t been formally concluded yet, the matter could still be withdrawn. And so it ended there, but the Li family still felt they had wronged the Sun family.
Li Jinfeng found an excuse to send them gifts as an apology, though he made sure to do it behind Li Jintong’s back. From then on, no one in the family dared mention the matter, for every time it came up, the Second Young Master became angry.
Unexpectedly, not long afterward, Sun Yushuang married County Magistrate Li’s third son instead. Madam Li naturally attended the wedding, though she never asked any questions. She merely felt that the wedding had been arranged in an unusual rush, as though everyone involved had been scrambling to get it done…
Li Jintong hadn’t explained everything to Jian Ru in such detail. He had only briefly mentioned that, after he fell gravely ill, Sun Yushuang had almost married into the Li family as a luck-bringing spouse. It was the following day, after Jian Ru had gone to pay his respects at the main residence, that everyone sat together chatting while working, and Li Jinhui filled in the whole story.
Li Jinhe happened to be there as well, so between the two sisters, they finally laid out the entire sequence of events from beginning to end. Having nearly caused a misunderstanding between her youngest brother and his new husband, Li Jinhui had received a thorough scolding from their mother. Now she treated Jian Ru with genuine warmth, speaking to him from the heart and telling him everything without reservation.
“Afterward, I don’t know how it happened, but Sun Yushuang somehow got together with our Uncle’s third son. That third son…” Li Jinhui clicked her tongue, but when she saw Madam Li glaring at her, she pouted. “Fine, I won’t talk about him! Anyway, Sun Yushuang married into Uncle’s family as their Third Young Madam, and that was the end of it.” Sitting close beside Jian Ru, she continued earnestly, “Sister was wrong this time. Don’t take it to heart.”
However, Jian Ru looked a little embarrassed. He wasn’t afraid when people argued with him, but it was this sort of gentle sincerity that he never knew how to deal with. “Eldest Sister, don’t worry,” he said. “I didn’t take it to heart. I was wrong that day too. I shouldn’t have said those things to Xianyu.”
“You have no idea how furious you made him!” Li Jinhui burst into laughter. “I spent forever coaxing him after we got home. That night, even in his sleep, he was talking in his dreams, shouting, Auntie Ghost is coming to catch me!“
Madam Li gave an exasperated cough, and only then did Li Jinhui realize what she’d let slip. She hurriedly clamped her mouth shut, annoyed with herself for speaking faster than she thought, then secretly peeked at Jian Ru from the corner of her eye.
With a snort, Jian Ru burst out laughing, and only then did Li Jinhui finally relax.
This little brother-in-law really is a good person, she thought.
The group continued working as they chatted. Jian Ru had learned embroidery from his mother when he was young, and was naturally deft with his hands; no matter how the thread needed to be manipulated, he always got it right. So he helped Li Jinhe continue embroidering her handkerchief.
Nearby, Li Qinglan was also embroidering another handkerchief, occasionally glancing over to admire their work. She hadn’t looked well these past couple of days, but when Jian Ru asked about it, she only smiled and said it was probably because the room had been too warm, making it hard to sleep. Once the charcoal brazier was removed in another day or two, she should be fine.
Madam Li said she’d have Li Jinfeng bring some nourishing medicinal herbs back from the clinic later so they could brew a tonic for her, and Li Qinglan quickly stood and thanked her.
Jian Ru ran out of thread. Stretching his arm toward the sewing basket, his sleeve slid up, exposing half of his forearm, and Li Jinhui happened to notice it. Unlike the scarred face, the exposed skin was smooth and delicate. Unable to resist, she reached over and gave it a squeeze.
“My little brother’s husband has such soft skin,” she marveled. “You could pinch water out of it.”
But the touch made Jian Ru’s skin crawl. Afraid she’d keep poking at him, he quietly tugged his sleeve back down while she wasn’t paying attention.
However, Li Jinhui didn’t notice the little movement, for her thoughts… had already wandered elsewhere.
So once everyone left the main house, Li Jinhui stayed behind to whisper with her mother. She told Madam Li aboutwhat she’d seen in her younger brother’s room the previous day, and the moment she heard it, Madam Li reached over to pinch her daughter’s lips.
“Oh, my little ancestor,” she scolded. “You’re the eldest sister! Can you be a little more proper?!”
Li Jinhui leaned away, begging, “No, Mother, listen to me first!”
“What?” Madam Li glared at her. “Stay out of your younger brother’s bedroom affairs!”
Grabbing her mother’s arm, Li Jinhui hurriedly explained, “You don’t understand! Yesterday I only glanced in for a second, and Jian Ru was like this…” She mimicked the posture she’d seen. “He was sitting right on top of little brother, pressing him flat into the bed! The force of it… you should’ve seen it!”
“Were they fighting?” Madam Li looked bewildered.
“No!” Li Jinhui exclaimed. “Mother, don’t you get it?! Think about it, Jintong is as beautiful as an immortal! Even though he’s always sick, who knows how many girls and gers have been pining after him? Jian Ru finally managed to marry someone that gorgeous. Of course he’s going to… make the most of it!”
At that, Madam Li’s eyes widened, and Li Jinhui stamped her foot. “They say it’s never the field that’s overworked; it’s the ox that wears itself out!” she righteously continued. “Besides, Jintong only recovered from that illness a few days ago! Jian Ru’s face may not be much to look at, but the rest of him is as tender as a fresh lotus root! Our little brother’s only just come of age; how could he possibly withstand such a young, healthy husband?! I’m a physician too! I’m only bringing this up because I’m worried about Jintong’s health. Why don’t you understand me?!”
After hearing her out, Madam Li’s brows knitted together. A moment later, she slapped the table, ordering, “No! Jinhui, go fetch Jian Ru! I need to have a word with him.”
Li Jinhui readily agreed and hurried off as though the matter couldn’t wait another moment. So after returning to his courtyard, Jian Ru had only just taken off his outer robe and exchanged a few words with the Second Young Master, who had been waiting for him, when Li Jinhui appeared outside to call him.
Puzzled, he followed his Eldest Sister back to the main house, but… she left him there alone with Madam Li.
However, Madam Li wore an awkward expression, as though the words she wanted to say simply refused to come out.
“Mother,” Jian Ru noticed immediately, “if you have something to say, just say it.”
Madam Li gritted her teeth. Still worried about her youngest son, she tried to phrase it as tactfully as possible, saying, “Xiao Ru… Jintong’s body isn’t strong. So… when you’re… in your room… please take it easy on him.”
Jian Ru frowned.
He had absolutely no idea what she meant, ah!!!
Seeing his confusion, Madam Li realized the young ger hadn’t understood. As his mother-in-law, it was incredibly embarrassing to speak so plainly about such matters, but she was afraid Jian Ru’s youthful vigor would end up harming her frail son.
So she steeled herself and said it outright: “You’re both still young! You’ll have plenty of time in the future! At night, get a proper night’s sleep. Don’t… overdo things. Wait until Jintong’s health has fully recovered.”
“…”
This time Jian Ru understood. His eyes flew wide open, and his face turned bright red. He knew perfectly well that he and the Second Young Master hadn’t actually done anything at all, but there was no way he could explain that to the man’s own mother!
But Madam Li felt just as embarrassed, so Jian Ru stammered awkwardly,
“I… I understand.”
And yet… Madam Li was just about to breathe a sigh of relief when Jian Ru suddenly seemed to realize something. Stamping his foot, his face burning scarlet, he burst out, “It must’ve been your eldest daughter who tattled on us!”
With that, he dashed to the doorway, then turned back to look at her, shouting, “A cucumber trellis can’t be built by just one person! Why don’t you go lecture your son too?!”
And… he yanked open the door and bolted out.
“…”
Madam Li was both exasperated and guilty. Knowing she was in the wrong, she swallowed her retort and merely muttered under her breath,
“What a dense child…”
A short while later, she heard hurried footsteps pounding back toward the room. The door creaked open, and the very same “dense child” had returned. He stepped inside, stood properly, bowed with perfect etiquette, then, after finishing the bow, said nothing at all.
Instead, he shot her a mildly aggrieved look before opening the door again and running off.
He’d simply remembered that he’d forgotten to bow before leaving the first time.
Madam Li stared blankly for a moment. Then she shook her head and couldn’t help laughing. Having such a son-in-law in the family…
Life really had become much more entertaining.
T.N: If you like this novel, you can read up to chapter 23 on my Patreon, with new updates coming every week!
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