Lin Zhidong never missed a chance to stir up a lively scene.
"When Old Jiang becos a father, I wonder who'll be more important, Mister Shen or the kid."
Zhou Xiaoi chid in, "Of course Mister Shen will be important! If the wife isn't kept happy, where's the kid going to co from? Surely not from a crack in a rock?"
Jiang Zhixun seed to be lost in thought.
Being teased repeatedly, Shen Qingqing was starting to feel a bit uneasy.
She grabbed a tissue to clean Xiao Bao's mouth and played with him, deliberately avoiding the awkward atmosphere.
Xiao Bao sat on Jiang Zhixun's lap, and oddly enough, this brought them closer together.
At a glance, they almost resembled a family of three.
Lin Zhidong, whose marriage was blissful with a wife and child, couldn't help but wish Jiang Zhixun would be the sa.
They were both married, yet Jiang Zhixun seed so stiff and distant—what kind of behavior was that?
Clearing his throat, he remarked, "Old Jiang, stop just sitting there and shell so sunflower seeds for Mister Shen!"
Jiang Zhixun only had two words in response:
"Pretentious!"
Shen Qingqing, a grown woman, if she wanted sunflower seeds, couldn't she shell them herself?
Xiao Bao seed to understand his father's words. He leaned forward, grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds, and placed them in Shen Qingqing's hand.
He mumbled sothing incoherently.
Judging by his expression, he was urging Shen Qingqing to eat them.
The adults were amused by his actions. "Old Jiang, you're not even as thoughtful as a child!"
Jiang Zhixun lowered his gaze, looking at the silly grin on the little boy in his arms. Xiao Bao's eyes hadn't left Shen Qingqing the entire ti.
He found this fascinating.
Could it be that even kids like pretty won?
Seeing Xiao Bao grin wide enough to reveal a few tiny teeth, Jiang Zhixun couldn't resist pinching his ear.
"This little rascal might grow up to be a flirt!"
Shen Qingqing glared at him, silently scolding, "What nonsense are you talking?"
The two were sitting close enough that her lightly teasing tone washed over him, and Jiang Zhixun instinctively held his breath.
Seeing his expression suddenly tense and his gaze evasive, Shen Qingqing assud Jiang Zhixun was displeased again.
She smirked to herself.
She should keep her distance from Jiang Zhixun; then she wouldn't have to spend her days dealing with his moods.
Wasn't she just asking for trouble?
Luckily, he would be returning to his unit tomorrow, and all she had to do was wait for news.
Not needing to see Jiang Zhixun anymore, the days ahead should be easier to bear.
The atmosphere took on a subtle shift, which Lin Zhidong didn't notice.
Looking proud, he said, "My son takes after !"
Zhou Xiaoi blushed and teased, "Well, Xiao Bao is still young; otherwise, he might try to steal your wife from Captain Jiang!"
Shen Qingqing couldn't help but chuckle.
She added a playful comnt, "In that case, I'll wait twenty years for him."
Zhou Xiaoi laughed so hard her hand shook, nearly cutting herself.
Lin Zhidong quickly took the knife away, raising his voice, "Mister Shen, are you trying to divorce Old Jiang!"
Divorce—such ominous words.
Zhou Xiaoi nudged her husband's arm, signaling him to watch his words and not jinx anything.
Realizing the inappropriateness of his remark, Lin Zhidong promptly fell silent.
Shen Qingqing continued to play with Xiao Bao, appearing unaffected.
In just a few short days, this was the second ti Jiang Zhixun had heard the word divorce.
The last ti was when he called ho from the hospital, and his mother had ntioned it.
If they kept up their cold war, might as well get divorced, she had said.
Every ti he heard it, Jiang Zhixun felt deeply unsettled.
Marriage was a lifelong commitnt. If divorce were so casual, why would he have bothered coming to the Northwest?
Watching Shen Qingqing's indifferent expression, his heart felt even more stifled.
He couldn't stop himself from wondering—during these three years Shen Qingqing had lived alone in Beijing, had she ever considered divorce?
His thoughts drifted to his birthday this year. Shen Qingqing hadn't called him.
That hadn't happened in previous years.
If she couldn't reach him by phone, she'd write him letters.
Jiang Zhixun belatedly realized that sothing felt off.
His gaze toward Shen Qingqing took on an inquisitive edge.
Could it be that her visit this ti was her final attempt at reconciliation?
His long fingers curled slightly; his expression beca hard to decipher.
Shen Qingqing's attention remained focused on Xiao Bao, oblivious to Jiang Zhixun's peculiar behavior.
The variety of dishes wasn't much, and the family only had one coal stove, significantly slowing down the cooking process.
When the chicken was finally tender, there was space to stir-fry the other dishes.
The scent of food grew richer and richer in the air.
Lin Fengmian, quietly crying in her room, couldn't sit still any longer.
If she didn't join them now, they'd get to eat the at, and she wouldn't—why should she let that happen?
She wasn't about to let Shen Qingqing have all the advantage!
The tightly closed door suddenly opened, and Shen Qingqing instinctively looked up.
Lin Fengmian erged with a washbasin in her hands, stomping heavily out of the house with a dark expression.
The family didn't have a separate bathroom.
Daily tasks like washing faces, brushing teeth, doing laundry, and using the toilet all required going outside.
Shen Qingqing glanced away indifferently, the corners of her mouth curling slightly with a mischievous gleam.
If she could let go of her frustrations, then it wouldn't be her who felt miserable.
Zhou Xiaoi, worried that her sister-in-law might throw a tantrum again, grabbed a small bucket under the pretense of fetching water and followed her outside.
She found Lin Fengmian downstairs.
Seeing her red-rimd eyes and tear-streaked face, she paused in surprise.
Jiang Zhixun hadn't even dated her, so why was she reacting so dramatically?
Looking at her sister-in-law's pitiful appearance, the words Zhou Xiaoi had prepared refused to co out.
She softened her tone, saying, "There's hot water at ho; why aren't you using it? You'll catch cold and get sick at this rate!"
"If I get sick, it's Shen Qingqing's fault. She was running around after being sick herself; if she hasn't fully recovered, what if she spreads it to others? She's so irresponsible!"
Zhou Xiaoi: "..."
Like she'd found her outlet for frustration, Lin Fengmian added with a sharp tone, "You even let her hold Xiao Bao. Don't you know how weak kids' immunity is? It's so easy for them to get sick!"
Zhou Xiaoi felt a headache coming on.
"What kind of nonsense is that? Just don't go making a scene in front of them later, or you'll make a fool of yourself."
Seeing Lin Fengmian's reluctance, Zhou Xiaoi brought out her trump card.
"Jiang Zhixun is from Beijing with an exceptional family background. The won around him must all be like Shen Qingqing—reasonable and composed. In his eyes, unreasonable won would just seem like savages."
Lin Fengmian froze as if soone had grabbed her by the throat. "Who's unreasonable? I'm just stating facts!"
Her tone was noticeably weaker than before.
Looking sullen, she wiped her face and picked up her basin and started heading back upstairs.
Passing Zhou Xiaoi, she muttered stiffly, "I won't give Shen Qingqing a chance to discredit ."
"Mister Shen isn't that kind of person. Don't overthink it."
Zhou Xiaoi genuinely admired Shen Qingqing's patience. If it were soone else, they'd have likely had a massive fight with Jiang Zhixun by now.
Even when Xiao Mian gave her nothing but attitude, Shen Qingqing didn't say a word.
Zhou Xiaoi understood that Shen Qingqing was trying to avoid making Lin Zhidong feel awkward, and she didn't want to strain Jiang Zhixun's camaraderie with his colleague.
She always put others first, which only made people ache for her more.
Suddenly, Zhou Xiaoi's thoughts turned again to the word divorce.
As a fellow woman, if Lin Zhidong ever treated her like that, she was certain she'd demand a divorce.
So why had Mister Shen co all the way to the Northwest? Was it really to reconcile?
If it were, why did she seem so detached from Jiang Zhixun?
One stayed at the guesthouse while the other used the dormitory...
Shouldn't she be finding ways to keep Jiang Zhixun overnight?
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