Volume One, Chapter 17: Returning to the Countryside Together

If it had been in the past, Wan Yue Su would never have overthought things like this.

But the Wan Yue Su of today was no longer the same as before.

She understood the intricacies of social interaction; with the entire family present, she couldn’t just seek out Old Master Lu while ignoring everyone else.

No matter how much her former mother-in-law looked down on her, after all, her own mother still owed money to that family. And the difficult, unmarried eldest sister-in-law was also someone she inevitably had to deal with.

As for her former father-in-law, he was an especially easygoing and honest man. His younger brother, though physically weak and prone to reckless spending, was fundamentally a decent person.

The next day, when Ze Tao Lu met Wan Yue Su, he was stunned to see her carrying a huge pile of things.

“Did you buy all this?” Ze Tao Lu raised an eyebrow, surprised.

“Yes. We’re going back to see Old Master, right? I can’t go empty-handed. These are gifts for your family—as a small token from me,” Wan Yue Su said with a smile.

Hearing this, Ze Tao Lu’s thin lips moved slightly, a flicker of surprise crossing his mind.

Since when had she become so sensible?

Not only sensible, but now she even understood these social customs.

The two maintained a polite distance, walking one after the other to the village entrance. They first took a tractor to the county town, then transferred to a bus.

From there, it was just another three or four kilometers to go.

Wan Yue Su had bought so many things that carrying them was quite a strain, but she didn’t complain once from start to finish.

Out of courtesy, Ze Tao Lu asked if she wanted help carrying some of the load.

But Wan Yue Su shook her head, saying she could manage on her own.

Thinking about the long walk ahead and the blazing sun overhead, Ze Tao Lu felt a pang of guilt.

“Wait here for a moment,” he said.

Wan Yue Su blinked, slightly taken aback. “Why? It’s just a bit further.”

“Just wait a moment.”

With that, Ze Tao Lu walked off in a certain direction, turning down a small path to the right of the station.

How strange...

Five minutes? Ten minutes? Wan Yue Su wasn’t sure how long she waited, but Ze Tao Lu still hadn’t returned.

She fanned herself, but the heat and irritation didn’t ease.

As she wiped the sweat from her brow, suddenly something landed on her head.

“Ah!”

Wan Yue Su cried out instinctively, thinking something had fallen on her.

She reached up and pulled off a sunhat.

It looked carefully chosen, adorned with small pink flowers and decorations.

“Is this for me?”

Wan Yue Su turned to look at Ze Tao Lu, who had finally returned, her eyes shimmering with surprise and delight.

He had never really looked at Wan Yue Su before. Now, with a calm mind, he noticed this woman was naturally beautiful and charming.

Once pampered and fair-skinned, now a bit tanned, yet possessing a special allure.

It was clear she had been working hard to earn money recently.

This improved Ze Tao Lu’s impression of her.

He said nothing, merely nodding.

This man... Wan Yue Su really didn’t know what to make of him...

However, since the hat could protect her from the sun, her mood brightened considerably.

They walked to the village entrance, the sun already high overhead.

From afar, someone was watching.

“Ze Tao! Wan Yue!” The person smiled and hurried over.

It was Ze Tao Lu’s honest old father, Fu Tian Lu.

“Dad! You’ve been waiting here a while, haven’t you?” Ze Tao Lu asked.

Fu Tian Lu waved his hand, smiling. “Not long, I just came out for some fresh air.”

Seeing Wan Yue Su, Fu Tian Lu showed no extra expression but smiled and reached out to help carry the load.

“Wan Yue, let me take some of that.”

Taking the things, he remarked to Ze Tao Lu, “Son, how could you let the girl carry all this?”

Though Wan Yue Su had little contact with this former father-in-law, her impression was quite good.

After a short walk, they arrived at the old Lu family residence—the place where Old Master lived.

“Guihua! Ze Tao and the others are back!” Fu Tian Lu called out before entering.

Soon, Wan Yue Su’s former mother-in-law, Guihua Zhao, came out, muttering, “What an attitude you’ve got, needing Ze Tao’s father to come pick you up when you visit your old home. Last time when we came, you weren’t this eager.”

Seeing Wan Yue Su, Zhao Guihua felt displeased and wanted to mock her, but since Old Master had specifically requested Wan Yue Su’s presence, she dared not embarrass him and simply pretended not to see her.

“What about Ze Min?” Ze Tao Lu inquired with concern about his younger brother.

“Went to buy meat. Heard you and Wan Yue were back, so Old Master specially asked for a batch of dumplings. Your brother went out to get the ingredients,” Zhao Guihua said with a hint of complaint.

“Let’s go inside and talk,” Fu Tian Lu said, carrying the things in. Everyone followed.

Sitting around the kang bed, Wan Yue Su’s face shone with a gentle smile. She carefully held out new clothes she had bought for Old Master, her voice soft and warm.

“Grandfather, please see if they fit.”

Old Master took the clothes, his eyes full of joy as he nodded repeatedly.

Wan Yue Su then smiled and took out a bag, turning to Zhao Guihua with a friendly tone.

“Auntie, these are for you.”

Zhao Guihua’s eyes scanned the bag, which contained cured meat, canned goods, and various treats. Her expression softened slightly, a faint smile playing on her lips as she spoke more politely.

“You’re very thoughtful.”

Wan Yue Su smiled and took out some snowflake cream from the bag, her eyes glinting with a touch of charm.

“These two jars are for you and Shu Fen Lu.”

Snowflake cream was a rare luxury; in the village, most people wouldn’t dare buy it. Only the daughters and wives of wealthy county families often used it.

Zhao Guihua’s eyes instantly brightened with surprise.

“These are for me and Shu Fen?”

Wan Yue Su nodded with a smile. “Yes, I specially bought them. Consider it a gift for the Dragon Boat Festival.”

Wan Yue Su thought to herself that since she would be staying here for a few days, she had to keep these two difficult women in good spirits to live more comfortably.

But upon hearing this, Zhao Guihua’s smile vanished in an instant, her gaze flashing with suspicion.

“You didn’t take that money from Ze Tao, did you?”

Wan Yue Su was stunned, her face full of confusion.

“What???”

Zhao Guihua’s expression changed faster than flipping a page, her brows furrowing as she sharply accused her.

“I told you, haven’t you divorced yet still clinging to Ze Tao, using his money to show off? That’s just too much.”

Wan Yue Su was dumbfounded by the accusation.

“Mom, what nonsense are you talking about?” Ze Tao Lu was the first to speak, his face showing clear displeasure.

Seeing her son defend an outsider, Zhao Guihua was instantly furious.

“Nonsense? Aren’t I right? All these things must have cost at least dozens of yuan. Where else would she get the money to flaunt? Isn’t it all from you, pretending to be wealthy?”

Seeing this, Fu Tian Lu quickly tried to smooth things over, waving his hands with a gentle smile.

“This Dragon Boat Festival, everyone should stay harmonious and peaceful.”

But before he could finish, Zhao Guihua cut him off sharply, hands on hips.

“Shut up! What do you know?!”

Wan Yue Su felt utterly speechless inside.