Married but Untouched! Her Soldier Husband Came Home Dumbfounded! - Chapter 47

Ye Fangfei carried the pastries into the house and poured a bowl of sweet soup for her brother. “Zhanqiang, come have some water.”

“I’m not thirsty, sis.” Shen Zhanqiang was holding little Tingting high in the air, making the girl giggle with delight.

As he turned, he suddenly noticed Shen Cuilan’s reddened eyes. Panic flashed across his face. “Sis… are you crying? Did Zhou Hongqi bully you?”

Before waiting for an answer, he handed Tingting to Shen Cuilan and grabbed a stick from behind the door, charging out with a growl, “Who does he think he is, bullying my big sister? I’ll go break his legs!”

Shen Cuilan was startled by his fierce expression and quickly grabbed his arm. “Little brother, no, he didn’t bully me. I’m not crying. I just stayed up too late last night, that’s why my eyes are red—it has nothing to do with your brother-in-law.”

Zhanqiang looked unconvinced. “Sis, don’t lie to me. If he ever did anything to you, you just came back to us. We’ll make him pay.”

“I really wasn’t bullied. He wouldn’t dare.” Shen Cuilan, afraid her tears would betray her, handed Tingting over to him.

“Zhanqiang, watch Tingting while I pick some vegetables. You can take them back with you later.”

“I’ll go with you,” he insisted.

“No need. It’s hot outside. Stay here and watch Tingting.” Shen Cuilan took the basket and hurried out.

She sat by the river for a while, washing her face, then headed to the vegetable plot. By the time she returned home with the vegetables, her face had regained its smile—no hint of the earlier tears.

“Little brother, don’t leave today. I’ll make dumplings for you.”

Zhanqiang shook his head. “Sis, I’m not eating here. I need to water the crops and later head to the city.”

“Then where will you have lunch?” Shen Cuilan knew how the others in the house were. Since the family had split up, nobody would prepare a meal for him.

“I’ll eat with Grandpa and Grandma.” Zhanqiang pointed to the food strapped to his bicycle. “I’m delivering their grain and pension money. Why wouldn’t I eat with them?”

In truth, he had some pastries in the basket. If Grandpa and Grandma didn’t feed him, he could just have those for lunch. He wouldn’t go hungry.

Shen Cuilan stuffed all the vegetables into a fertilizer sack and tied it to the back of his bicycle.

Seeing the huge pile, Zhanqiang asked, “Sis, all of this? Aren’t you leaving some for yourselves?”

“There’s plenty left in the field. If you weren’t coming today, I would have taken it to my sister-in-law’s family and had Big Tiger help deliver it to you.”

“Alright, I’m off then.” Zhanqiang waved without bothering to be polite. “Sis, you stay. I’ll come visit you and Tingting next week.”

“If you’re busy, don’t bother coming here. Tomorrow’s Dad’s birthday. I’ll go see him.”

“Okay. I’ll let Mom know.”

Shen Cuilan nodded, watching her brother ride off, tears streaming freely now that he was gone.

Zhanqiang had no idea. He first unloaded the vegetables at his home, then rode his bicycle to the Shen family’s old residence, running into Shen Zhanping and Liu Wenjing, who were also wheeling their bike inside.

On the road, one could pretend not to see, but face-to-face, ignoring them wasn’t an option.

Zhanqiang gave a perfunctory “Hey, bro, sister-in-law,” and went straight into the main hall, carrying the grain.

“Grandpa, Grandma, my parents asked me to deliver your grain and pension money. They worried you wouldn’t like it, so it’s all fine-quality grain,” he announced loudly, audible to the neighbors.

Shen Zhanping and Liu Wenjing exchanged a glance, parked their bicycles, and followed him inside.

They had taken a day off to settle debts. When they opened their restaurant a month ago, they borrowed 100 yuan from Shen Jianguo for two months. Now the time was up.

The restaurant was doing well, earning six to seven hundred yuan in just over a month. Not only had the money to repay their debt, Liu Wenjing also bought a bicycle, and both had bought a few sets of clothes.

The couple now dressed stylishly—no hint of their rural origins. Villagers watched them with envy, which gave Shen Zhanping and Liu Wenjing a rare sense of pride.

Inside, Shen Chunsheng was smoking when he heard his grandson’s voice. His eyelids flicked. “Why didn’t your dad come?”

Zhanqiang placed the grain on the table and plopped onto a chair. “Grandpa, Dad’s busy earning your pension and buying this grain. How else could we get it?”

Shen Chunsheng snorted, noting that the sacks were all wheat flour. His expression softened a little.

Zhanqiang pulled out three yuan more. “Here’s this month’s pension, Grandpa. Keep it safe.”

At that moment, Shen Zhanping and Liu Wenjing walked in, smiling.

“Grandpa, we bought these pastries for you and Grandma. Try them, if you like them, we’ll bring more next time.”

Shen Zhanping’s words were polished, learned from dealing with customers at the restaurant.

Shen Chunsheng’s face showed a faint smile. “You two are thoughtful. How’s the restaurant business?”

Shen Zhanping opened to answer, but Liu Wenjing interrupted, “Grandpa, business is average. City expenses are high and rent is expensive, so there’s not much profit.”

Shen Chunsheng disliked Liu Wenjing, knowing her meddling nature from the previous family split, second only to his dislike of Ye Fangfei.

Liu Wenjing didn’t care, smiling as she asked Zhanqiang, “I heard you opened a pastry shop. How’s business? Where is it? We should stop by sometime.”

Zhanqiang faked annoyance. “Sister-in-law, who told you that? The shop is run by my sister-in-law’s family. My parents and second sister just help out. How did it become our shop?”

He glared at her. “Be careful what you say. If Xihu hears, he’ll think our family has other intentions.”

Then he ignored them, asking Shen Chunsheng, “Grandpa, since we weren’t here these past days, did you help with our vegetable patch?”

Shen Chunsheng, annoyed by his impudence, scowled. “My legs hurt—I can barely walk. How could I help you?”

Zhanqiang shrugged, heading outside. “I’ll check the fields myself. I’ll stay for lunch—Grandma, add an extra bowl of water for me.”

He rode to the field, keeping the pastries in the basket for later.

Shen Chunsheng didn’t refuse him a meal. After all, this was his grandson delivering grain and pension money—it wouldn’t do to let him go hungry.

Liu Wenjing watched his back thoughtfully. She had begun suspecting the truth in his words.

If the shop truly belonged to Ye Fangfei’s family, the second branch wouldn’t send their whole family. That pastry shop must involve the second branch’s share.

She had already found the shop’s approximate location but hadn’t visited due to the restaurant’s busy schedule. Today, she planned to return to the city early and investigate Ye Fangfei’s shop.