Chapter 46, Part 1

From the start, Shen Guixiang never wished for her daughter to marry into great wealth. She just wanted her to find someone who would truly care for her so the couple could live a stable and harmonious life. Their family was fairly well-off and could help out if needed.

Qin Chuanrong thought along the same lines as his wife. He originally wanted his daughter to marry an officer, like Chen Baozhen’s husband, Gao Jianguo. He came from a simple farming background, was honest, hardworking, and had the drive to succeed.

Although their house was tight on space, they had everything they needed materially.

When it came to housing, Qin Chuanrong was deeply frustrated. Though people treated him with respect and called him "Master Qin," he had no connections for house allocation. Others always seemed to get ahead of him.

He didn’t dare make a fuss. Without a cook like you, would the world stop turning?

He wished for a good family connection.

Now that they had one, Qin Chuanrong had new concerns. He was afraid his daughter might suffer, since taking favors from others would put him in their debt.

Qin Chuanrong didn’t want to bow down to anyone. His second daughter-in-law had rightly pointed out that he wanted it both ways. He wanted his daughter to marry well but couldn’t stand the idea of her suffering or becoming a subservient wife in another household.

In his heart, he valued the latter more. What good would it do if the conditions were great? Our family doesn’t need to rely on that. If he isn’t good to our daughter, then they can divorce. With how she is, she’ll have no trouble finding someone else. It’s not like the old feudal days.

“Yaoyao, as long as Little Gu treats you well, your parents will be at ease.”

Qin Yao nodded, her face reddening as she met her parents’ caring eyes. Deep down, she had already accepted her parents and her brothers and sisters-in-law.

Joining this family, she had many opportunities to assess their true feelings toward her but ultimately chose not to test them. The care from her parents and brothers was something she felt deeply and couldn’t just sum up in numbers or quick judgments.

She loved these family members who treated her well.

In the morning, Qin Yao stayed in the room, boiling tea and eating sunflower seeds around a small stove, chatting with her family. After lunch, she was going with Gu Cheng to his home to meet his parents.

Before leaving, the second sister-in-law quietly pulled Qin Yao outside to the corner of the yard to share some whispered advice.

“Second sister-in-law, what do you want to tell me?”

The second sister-in-law was mysterious, speaking in a low voice, “Yaoyao, I’m going to teach you a trick.”

Then, she leaned close to Qin Yao’s ear and quickly rattled off a bunch of advice, the main point being “Don’t endure small troubles only to disrupt the bigger plan.”

“When you go to your brother-in-law’s house, be diligent and help out with chores… at least put on a show.”

“When I first came to this family, wasn’t that what I did? Just get past the elders’ approval first,” the second sister-in-law casually passed on her “lazy tricks” and “surface-level efforts guide” to her younger sister-in-law.

Qin Yao: “……”

“Okay, I’ll remember it. Thank you, Second sister-in-law.”

The second sister-in-law patted her shoulder in encouragement.

Qin Yao found this large family quite interesting.

After lunch, Qin Yao and Gu Cheng took their luggage to his home. Gu Cheng’s parents lived in the army compound. Gu Cheng had already made contact, and a jeep came to pick them up. The driver was a young comrade who didn’t talk much.

As Qin Yao and Gu Cheng got into the car, she felt a little nervous and quietly brought up the “surface-level efforts guide” that the second sister-in-law had taught her.

Gu Cheng couldn’t help but chuckle. “Don’t listen to her. Just be yourself.”

"I'm afraid your parents won't be satisfied with us."

Gu Cheng took her hand. "What if they're not satisfied? I'm the one marrying you, not them. As long as I'm happy, that's enough. Don't worry, we don't get to see them much anyway. If they're not happy, are they going to eat you or something?"

Qin Yao nodded, but still, she wanted to make a good impression.

Gu Cheng hadn't been home for New Year's in years. Ever since he joined the army, he only got about a month's leave each year, so he hadn't seen much of his family in over ten years.

Gu Cheng was the third child in his family. He had an older brother, Gu Xing, and an older sister, Gu Qing. His older brother and sister-in-law lived with his parents, and they had a daughter in elementary school, Gu Miaomiao.

The car arrived at a large gate with a guard post. The gate opened, revealing a wide road, large open spaces, and distant trees. In the cold winter wind, it all looked vast and desolate.

After passing through, the car drove by rows of family buildings. From the window, Qin Yao could see a hall and a big playground far off. Some people were shooting hoops on the court. Finally, the car stopped in front of a quiet, old-fashioned courtyard with short earthen walls around it. In the yard, there was a low stone table where two elderly men were playing chess.

"They're here. Your grandson is back," one of the old men rubbed his hands together. When he saw Gu Cheng get out of the car, he gave him a disapproving look.

This man was Qin Yao's grandfather, Chen Baozhen's father, Qin Hehua.

Qin Yao recognized the old man and called out, "Grandpa Qin."

"Oh, Yaoyao, you've become so beautiful," the old man looked at Qin Yao with admiration, though he still didn't like Gu Cheng much. Lucky guy, he thought.

Qin Yao was dressed in a military-green cotton coat, a white woolen scarf, and a brown sheepskin hat, her delicate face peeking out.

In the dead of winter, when everything was bleak, Qin Yao's fair and tender skin made her stand out like a rare gem.

Qin Yao's appearance was exactly the type that elders liked—bright and elegant, with a well-proportioned figure, fair and smooth skin, and bright black eyes. She looked like a rich flower painted on a porcelain cup, symbolizing peace and prosperity.

"What do you mean, Grandpa Qin? I'm the real grandpa here," another old man grumbled.

Gu Cheng led Qin Yao over and introduced them. "Grandpa, this is my wife, Qin Yao."

Old Master Gu nodded in satisfaction. "You really found a good one, boy."

They all went inside the house. Gu Cheng's father and older brother were not there, but his mother, Liu Shuqin, his sister-in-law, He An, and a distant cousin, Jiang Zhongyong, were present.

"Yaoyao, come in and sit," Liu Shuqin welcomed her warmly. He An, Gu Cheng's sister-in-law, was quiet like Chen Baozhen but very polite.

Qin Yao let out a sigh of relief. Gu Cheng's family seemed easy to get along with.

She glanced at Gu Cheng beside her and noticed that since they arrived home, he had returned to his work mode, his face expressionless and his lips tightly pressed together.

She should be familiar with this look of his, but after what happened yesterday and that morning, an inexplicable urge to laugh welled up inside her.

Before leaving, her second sister-in-law had taught her the "art of slacking" and the "complete guide to superficial politeness." But the man beside her seemed to have mastered 'the actor's handbook' and 'the art of changing faces.'

Qin Yao pressed her lips together, trying to suppress the laughter, but when she looked at Gu Cheng's profile again, the uncontrollable urge to laugh surged up.

She couldn't hold it in anymore and turned her head to cover her mouth and giggle quietly. After she finished laughing, she looked around and saw that everyone was busy talking, not paying attention to her. So she looked at Gu Cheng's profile again and turned away to laugh silently once more.

After another round of laughter, she became a little addicted. Since no one was looking at her, Qin Yao glanced at Gu Cheng again and burst into silent laughter.

Oh my god, this is too funny!

Gu Cheng's sharp, cold brows twitched. "...This silly girl!"

He told her to just be herself, but he didn't mean for her to come to his parents' house and perform silly giggles.

The people in the room were all sharp as tacks and experts at reconnaissance. Did they really think no one noticed?

Like a little groundhog, she'd pop her head out to laugh, then duck back, only to repeat it again. Even funnier, this clueless girl thought no one had seen her.

Gu Cheng bit his lip, trying hard not to laugh. He resisted the urge to pull the adorable woman next to him into his arms—his wife was just so cute!

Gu Cheng glanced up and crossed his arms, his voice cold and sharp. "What's so amusing?"

His voice was low, but it carried weight.

Qin Yao sat up straight and nodded. "I won't laugh anymore."

The others in the room exchanged glances, each lost in thought. They couldn't figure out what Qin Yao had found so amusing. One man, with a sneer in his eyes, couldn't help but look down on her.

What could she possibly be laughing at? Wasn't it obvious? She'd married into such a great family and was too happy to hold back her laughter.

Jiang Zhongyong seethed with resentment. He hated that Qin Yao had gained the upper hand in a situation he'd carefully set up.

Originally, Jiang Zhongyong had planned to marry Qin Yao's best friend, Chen Baozhen, hoping to become related to her family. But the old men, Qin Yao's grandfather and Gu Cheng's grandfather, had other plans. Chen Baozhen was sent south to meet Gu Cheng for a matchmaking session. Jiang Zhongyong flew into a rage.

And it didn't end there. Chen Baozhen married Gao Jianguo.

And Qin Yao, Chen Baozhen's best friend, married Gu Cheng.

Every time Jiang Zhongyong saw Gao Jianguo, or now, Qin Yao, he felt a deep resentment. He saw them as having taken what was rightfully his.

Every silent laugh from Qin Yao felt like a whip across his face, mocking him for all his efforts that had come to naught. He felt humiliated and tricked.

He bit his lip, unable to hold back any longer. "Comrade Qin, did you realize today that you married such a great husband?"

"Is that why you can't stop giggling?"

"Was being friends with Chen Baozhen all part of your master plan?"

As soon as Jiang Zhongyong spoke, the malice and sarcasm were clear in his tone. The others in the room reacted with varied expressions.

Liu Shuqin had harbored similar suspicions before, but since her son had taken a liking to Qin Yao, the girl must be special. She had no objections.

She had been pleased to see such a beautiful girl like Qin Yao, but after seeing her strange bouts of laughter, that happiness had faded.

It wasn't that she feared having a scheming daughter-in-law, but rather one who was easily impressed. Was she so happy that she couldn't contain herself?

This daughter-in-law seemed like a beautiful fool. Liu Shuqin worried that she might be easily deceived or manipulated.

"Baozhen and I became friends when we were in elementary school," Qin Yao said, looking at Jiang Zhongyong as if he were an idiot. "She was after my snacks and my dad's cooking."

Jiang Zhongyong was stunned. "?"

Gu Cheng, with a dark expression, warned, "Cousin, watch your words. Do I need to remind you who ended up losing out?"

Jiang Zhongyong's face burned with embarrassment, as if he were in a frying pan. Having his miscalculations exposed so blatantly was too much to bear.

At that moment, Liu Shuqin spoke up. "Xiao Yong, you should head back now. We're having a family dinner today since Xiao Cheng and his wife are visiting."

Liu Shuqin's tone was light, but it was clearly a dismissal.

Liu Shuqin wasn't unaware of her nephew's intentions, but since he was close in age to her youngest son and bore some resemblance, she had chosen to turn a blind eye and enjoyed his company. But not anymore.

Now that the youngest son she had been worrying about had returned and, after much effort, got married, she was determined to protect his wife. Even if her intentions weren't entirely pure, or even if she was a beauty but a bit naive, she was now part of the Gu family, and no one else was allowed to bully her.

Liu Shuqin was very protective of her family.

She gently sat beside Qin Yao and took her hand. With a gentle smile, she said, "Yaoyao, don't listen to his nonsense. This fellow’s always been a bit of a rogue. He's not worth your attention, so don't mind what he says."

"If you feel like eating something, just tell Mom."

Qin Yao nodded with a smile. "Thank you, Mom."

Hearing her call her "Mom," Liu Shuqin's smile grew even wider. Seeing her up close, she found her even prettier than she'd thought.

The longer she looked, the more she liked this daughter-in-law.

Her son certainly knew how to pick a good wife.