Carefree Farmwife: Training the Husband, Raising the Bun - Chapter 117

Ying Su nodded. “I understand.”

Officer Zhou didn’t linger any longer and left.

Shen Changyun, curious, tugged at Ying Su and asked, “Sis, was that man the head constable of our Fengyang County?”

Ying Su nodded. Shen Changyun looked at her with worshipful eyes, full of admiration. “Second Sister, you’re amazing! You don’t just know street ruffians, you even know the constable!”

It was only then that Liu Chuncao stepped forward and said to Ying Su, “Cuihua, you’re back? I heard from Mother that you… that you returned home?”

Ying Su nodded, pointing to Shen Changyun. “This is my younger brother.”

Liu Chuncao nodded at him with a smile. “Last time was my fault. I thought you were someone who is falsely claiming for kin. Please don’t hold it against me, little brother.”

Shen Changyun also smiled. “No need to be so polite, sister-in-law.” He knew what Li Dalang and his wife were thinking. But for Second Sister’s sake, he had to give everyone some face. After all, she was still in business with them.

Still, he thought to himself, if it were him, and Second Sister was so capable, he too wouldn’t want her to find her real family.

Madam Li had already told Li Dalang and his wife about Ying Su finding her relatives. With Shen Changyun visiting several times before, the couple had been somewhat prepared. Ever since Ying Su had regained her wits, she had only become more capable, earning money and handling matters with ease. There seemed to be nothing she couldn’t do, and they had come to rely on her. The thought of her leaving to return home made them reluctant.

“By the way, Cuihua, yesterday Third Aunt came over looking for you. Something about a flower that Li Yin broke? You compensated her with another, but she wasn’t satisfied. I saw Third Aunt all flustered, even wiping her tears when she came over.”

Ying Su raised an eyebrow. Not satisfied? It was just a pot of ink orchid, and she had compensated with a premium Jianyang butterfly orchid. That was like trading gold beans for copper ones, yet the Zhang family still wasn’t satisfied?

Ying Su and Shen Changyun stayed in the shop the whole morning. Considering the move would keep her busy, she sketched out the blueprints for next month’s new designs in advance. This astonished Shen Changyun yet again. He kept murmuring to himself, marveling at how his second sister had changed so much after just five years.

He couldn’t help but feel ashamed. Five years had passed, yet he was still stuck in the same place, earning nothing, unable to help pay for Mother’s treatment. Meanwhile, his second sister, a woman, had proven herself so capable. He too had to become stronger!

“Come here. When you head back later, take this wheelchair with you for Mother,” Ying Su said, pointing at the wheelchair placed in the shop. Mother Shen’s body was now so frail, like a lamp running out of oil, that she couldn’t stand for long. The wheelchair Ying Su had built earlier was now just what she needed.

Liu Chuncao and Li Dalang exchanged a glance but said nothing. After all, the wheelchair was Ying Su’s own creation. She had even saved Li Dalang’s life with it. It was hers to do with as she pleased.

But in their hearts, the couple felt anxious. They worried that if Ying Su rejoined her family, she would leave Dongjun Village. Over these days, they had witnessed her skills firsthand. If they stuck with her, surely they would never fear for their future livelihood.

There are some people who naturally inspire trust, making others unconsciously rely on them, and stirring up a desire to follow.

At noon, instead of eating in the shop, Ying Su took Shen Changyun to a restaurant.

Standing before the Lark Pavilion, Shen Changyun looked nervous and uneasy. He had never been inside such a large establishment. Even without stepping in, just from its grandeur, he could tell it wasn’t ordinary. A meal here must cost a fortune!

“S-Sis… we’re… eating here?” He asked, swallowing hard.

Ying Su curved her lips in a reassuring smile and stepped inside first. Shen Changyun hurried after her, sneaking glances at the surroundings.

Back when she had sold recipes, Ying Su had visited this restaurant once. But at that time, she had been destitute, completely different from now.

A sharp-eyed waiter quickly came over to greet them. Though their clothes were plain, he did not neglect them. “Honored guests, how many are dining today?”

“Two.”

“I must apologize. The hall on the first floor is already full. Please, would you care to move upstairs?” He led them toward the stairs.

Ying Su glanced at the bustling hall, it was indeed packed. Business at the Lark Pavilion was clearly thriving. She nodded and followed him upstairs with Shen Changyun.

They were seated by a window. The waiter listed several specialty dishes, and among them was the boiled fish fillet that Ying Su had sold them last time.

Ying Su smiled faintly and ordered two dishes, then let Shen Changyun choose two more.

But he winced at the thought of spending too much. Four dishes for just the two of them felt like a waste. In the end, he only picked a cheap vegetable dish.

Meanwhile, Wu Shumei had just entered downstairs. Her beautiful eyes lingered suspiciously on the figures disappearing up the stairs. Turning to her maid, she said, “Go upstairs and see if that was Shen Cuihua who went up with the waiter.”

The maid quickly obeyed. At the same time, a sharp-eyed waiter hurried over to greet Wu Shumei. His face lit up. “Miss, you’re here! The shopkeeper is busy in the back. Shall I send word for you?”

Wu Shumei gave a soft smile, her voice tender. “No need. I only came to take a look. Go on with your work.”

The waiter’s face turned red at once, stammering incoherently, “O-of course… right away…”

After he left, Wu Shumei’s lips curved into a mocking smile. Men, just give them a little kindness, and they were all bewitched. Yet the one man she truly wanted to notice her never did. The thought annoyed her. Who knew when he would return again?

The maid soon came back and nodded. “Miss, it is Shen Cuihua. She’s with a young man. They seem close, talking and laughing together.”

Wu Shumei’s eyes gleamed with calculation. She beckoned over the same waiter who had just spoken to her and was still sneaking glances at her, cheeks flushed.

Her face remained as soft and graceful as ever, her voice gentle and tender. The waiter felt as if he were floating. The moment she finished speaking, he nodded eagerly, afraid his enthusiasm wouldn’t show enough.

When he came back to his senses, he rushed off toward the kitchen.

Soon the dishes arrived. Ying Su and Shen Changyun began to eat. For all his years, he had never eaten in a restaurant before. Even when he had gone to Bianjing with his elder brother to find Liu An for Second Sister, they had only eaten a bowl of plain noodle soup from a street stall.

“Second Sister, the food here is really delicious. No wonder it’s so expensive!” Shen Changyun exclaimed between bites.

“If you had a restaurant like this, do you think you could run it?” Ying Su asked casually, as if in jest.