166: Chapter 7 The Eccentric Beauty 166: Chapter 7 The Eccentric Beauty Everyone has different levels of attraction to beauty, and if the one wailing in tears had been a slovenly and sleazy person, Lin Xiaoguai would have definitely chased them out without a second thought.
But when it was a great beauty, and moreover a great beauty whose appearance closely resembled her own husband, crying so desperately in front of her, even if Lin Xiaoguai wasn’t the type to pity and cherish the fairer sex, her first reaction was still one of concern, “This…
Miss, have you encountered sothing upsetting?”
The other party was so invested in her crying that she seed not to hear Lin Xiaoguai’s words.
Feeling a bit embarrassed, she handed over a handkerchief and said, “Wipe your tears.”
She was actually sowhat startled, seeing that the beauty’s emotions were extrely out of control, having reached the point of self-abandonnt.
But Lin Xiaoguai had always been quite reserved, and in her past life, facing such situations, she had never been this hysterical, which inevitably left her sowhat at a loss now.
After quite a while, the great beauty seed to have cald down.
She wiped her tears and said with a choked but calm voice, “Hello, I’m Han Shouzhen.”
Han Shouzhen!?
Despite previous guesses, Lin Xiaoguai was still sowhat shocked.
She paused before saying, “I’m Lin Xiaoguai, may we go inside to talk?”
“That’s what I was thinking too.” Having said that, she didn’t wait for Lin Xiaoguai to invite her in and walked into the house unceremoniously.
Lin Xiaoguai felt sowhat helpless and, rubbing her forehead, followed her in.
“This place is nice, you’ve decorated it well.” Speaking, Han Shouzhen’s voice was sowhat tearful, “If Mom were still here, she would definitely be happy that Shoulu married such a good daughter-in-law as you.”
Lin Xiaoguai felt a bit uncomfortable, was it her own misconception?
She just felt that this newly t elder aunt was a bit strange.
Moreover, she took a closer look at the other party and realized that for a daughter of a commander, her attire was too simple, and she was even wearing a pair of half-worn cloth shoes.
“Mommy, can I have a donkey roll?” At that mont, Little Niangao, rubbing his eyes, ca out from inside, “I brushed my teeth and washed my face by myself today.”
Han Shouzhen’s eyes instantly lit up, she rushed over to Little Niangao like a gust of wind, squatted down, and asked, “Is this Shoulu’s son?”
“Yes, his nickna is Little Niangao.” As for his real na…
Lin Xiaoguai instinctively chose not to say it.
Han Shouzhen suddenly laughed, her eyes still with tears, “That’s a nice nickna, your father also had a nickna when he was little, and it wasn’t any worse than yours.”
Not just Little Niangao, but Lin Xiaoguai was also intrigued, “What was it?”
“Little donkey.” Han Shouzhen laughed nostalgically, “Back then, Shoulu was still young.
Mom wouldn’t let him play in the fields alone, and he was always unhappy.
Seeing the little donkeys frolicking in the fields, he’d throw a tantrum saying he wanted to be a little donkey.
After saying it so often, he ended up with that nickna, and each ti we called him that, he would be particularly happy.”
Pausing montarily, she seed sowhat downcast, “Shoulu had gone missing quite early, and this is all I can rember about him.”
Lin Xiaoguai’s thoughts had drifted to the “little donkey” of future tis, but hearing this, she didn’t know how to comfort her.
After thinking for a bit, she said to her son, “Little Niangao, call her elder aunt.” Shen Xiu was previously around, and to avoid confusing the child, she decided to differentiate the titles.
“Elder aunt.” Little Niangao obediently said, then couldn’t help but bring up his earlier question, “Mommy, can I have a donkey roll?”
“Go get it yourself, but you can only take one, okay?” Lin Xiaoguai emphasized.
“Got it!” Little Niangao scampered off to the kitchen.
The donkey rolls had been made just yesterday, and Little Niangao, having eaten too much at dinner, hadn’t been allowed to have one—he probably thought about it all night.
Lin Xiaoguai poured Han Shouzhen so tea and asked, “Would you like to stay for dinner?
I can call Shen Chi back.”
“No need, no need.” Han Shouzhen hurriedly waved her hand, “I just ca to have a look.
I won’t et Shen Chi, maybe next ti, next ti…”
It was clear Han Shouzhen didn’t not want to see Shen Chi, but she seed to be considering sothing.
Lin Xiaoguai didn’t inquire further, simply keeping the question to herself.
“How has Shoulu been these past years?
Are his adoptive parents good to him?” After much hesitation, Han Shouzhen asked earnestly.
This elder aunt seed unaware of Shen Chi’s circumstances over the years?
Lin Xiaoguai pondered her words, “Grandpa and Grandma only had Shen Chi as their son.
Before Shen Chi enlisted in the army, they were very good to him.
After Grandma passed away and Grandpa remarried, that’s when their relationship started to fade.”
She always felt that Han Shouzhen was a bit too emotional, and after thinking it over, she still chose to relay Shen Chi’s experiences in a vague and understated way.
Han Shouzhen didn’t think too much into it and, with red eyes, said, “My brother ntioned that Shoulu didn’t go to high school, what was that all about?”
“The family was poor, and it took Grandpa and Grandma quite an effort to save up for the tuition, but it was stolen.
That’s why Shen Chi secretly went out to work,” Lin Xiaoguai told the truth.
“Do you lack money?
I have so money here…” Han Shouzhen’s hand paused as she was reaching into her pocket, and a bit embarrassed, she added, “I didn’t bring any money today.
Next ti, I’ll bring it next ti.”
“There’s no need,” Lin Xiaoguai shook her head and said, “We were short on money in the past, but Shen Chi is a Lieutenant Colonel now.
How could we lack money?”
“Oh, I see.” Han Shouzhen was sowhat disappointed but then happily said, “Shoulu has really made sothing of himself, he beca a Lieutenant Colonel even without the old man’s help.”
It was clear that she was genuinely delighted, holding Lin Xiaoguai’s hand and saying, “Since Shoulu is doing well now, don’t go back there.
Liu Yuzhi is a heartless woman.
You just live your own good life.”
Lin Xiaoguai noticed that when Han Shouzhen ntioned Liu Yuzhi, her tone was not just one of disgust but also carried a chilling hatred.
“Shen Chi has said he won’t return to the Han Family.” Instinctively, Lin Xiaoguai’s tone beca soothing.
“That’s good.” Han Shouzhen’s expression softened, and she smiled faintly, “Don’t worry.
Even if we don’t have the old man’s help, the connections my mother left are enough for Shoulu to use.
Not to ntion, my brother’s position is not low now, so Shoulu’s future is definitely not bleak.
As for money…”
Han Shouzhen’s face showed the first truly radiant smile since coming, “The Han Family’s money used to be in my mother’s control.
Before she died, she gave her dowry to , and split the Han Family’s money equally between my brother and Shoulu.
Liu Yuzhi has always been trying to get the share allocated to Shoulu for Han Shouyi, even the old man wavered, but don’t worry, my brother and I have hidden it well, they can go eat northwest wind.”
Lin Xiaoguai hadn’t expected such intrigues.
She rembered the ti when her own step-grandma died, it wasn’t long before the Cultural Revolution, and General Han Kuang had had a tough ti due to his one-quarter Russian ancestry — not to ntion inco, it was a blessing that his assets were not confiscated.
Maybe step-grandma, by hiding the family assets, might have inadvertently saved the Han Family’s fortune.
It was only a few years since the end of the Cultural Revolution, and the Han Family probably didn’t have much in the way of assets.
Thinking about Han Shouxin and Han Shouzhen possessing a substantial fortune while the rest of the Han Family was scraping by, Lin Xiaoguai couldn’t help but admire the late step-grandma.
Noticing Lin Xiaoguai’s expression, Han Shouzhen knew she understood and said with a laugh, “Liu Yuzhi may seem glorious, but she’s never really gotten anything good.
The Han Family’s business was made by my mother helping the old man, and Liu Yuzhi and Han Shouyi will never get a share of it.”
Han Shouzhen did not stay long.
She asked about Shen Chi’s situation and left a ssage for Little Niangao before she departed.
Lin Xiaoguai was also sowhat puzzled about what, exactly, she had co for.
In the evening, when Shen Chi returned ho, Lin Xiaoguai briefed him on Han Shouzhen’s visit, and then asked, “Do you know what your sister ans by this?”
“How could I know if I’ve never even seen her?” Shen Chi was also clueless.
But soon enough, soone ca to clear up their confusion.
“She wasn’t too emotional, was she?” Han Shouxin asked as he entered.
Lin Xiaoguai paused, “Does sobbing uncontrollably count?”
“No, that doesn’t count.” Han Shouxin breathed a sigh of relief and sat down.
“Are you really that anxious?
You’re sweating.” Shen Chi asked, seeing his sweaty brow.
“You don’t understand,” Han Shouxin sighed and said, “When it really cos down to it, among the three of us, Shouzhen’s the one who’s had it the toughest in her heart.”
“Make your point clear,” Shen Chi urged impatiently.
“Alright alright, I’ll tell you,” Han Shouxin acquiesced, “When the Cultural Revolution started, I was already in the military.
Shouzhen and Shouyi were at the age to go to the countryside as sent-down youth.
Our father managed to get a spot in the Military Departnt for a cultural soldier.
Liu Yuzhi didn’t want Shouyi to suffer and wanted that spot for him.
However, our father thought that since Shouzhen was a girl, she was more vulnerable, and that Shouyi, as a boy, could benefit from so hardship.
So, he gave the spot to Shouzhen.”
“This should have been a good thing, but Liu Yuzhi ca to despise Shouzhen.”
“Shouzhen had a childhood sweetheart nad Xu Qian, the youngest son of the Han Family’s long-ti friend, the Xu Family.
Their relationship was very close, and they had a smooth journey to marriage.
Xu Qian was a researcher at the Military Departnt’s research institute.
He had exceptional talent, broke through several difficult problems at a young age, and was highly regarded by the institute’s leaders.
I may not have ntioned this before, but Shouyi also worked as a researcher.
He was quite talented and achieved so success with my father’s support, but compared to Xu Qian, he was always overshadowed, always getting the leftovers when it ca to opportunities.
Shouyi, being a bookworm, didn’t mind, but Liu Yuzhi hated Shouzhen for new and old reasons combined.”
“Then one ti, Shouzhen was caught in a downpour while out.
A section of road in the outskirts of Beijing collapsed due to a landslide.
She was lucky and unhard, taking refuge in a farr’s ho.
To prevent Xu Qian from worrying, she called ho, but Xu Qian wasn’t there, so she phoned her parents’ house instead.
Liu Yuzhi was the only one there; Shouzhen asked her to pass the ssage to Xu Qian.”
At this point, Han Shouxin’s expression darkened, “Perhaps Liu Yuzhi just wanted to teach Xu Qian a lesson, not actually harm anyone.
But when Xu Qian called, she said she hadn’t received any call from Shouzhen.
Out of concern, Xu Qian rushed over during the night, but was involved in a car accident and ultimately died despite ergency treatnt.”
(To be continued.
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