Chapter 14 The Best Uncle and Aunt_2

"Let's go inside!" Sang Wan had no intention of continuing the conversation with Mrs. Li, pretending not to hear as she glanced at Shi Fengju, her eyes filled with apology.

"I am truly sorry!" Sang Hong said as he walked them into the courtyard and house, "Your sister-in-law was originally waiting at home, but she hurried out after hearing from our neighbor Dahai that our crops had been grazed on by the Li family's cattle. Please have a seat, I will go find her to prepare lunch!"

"Brother, why don't you sit down and let Liu Ya go check it out! I'm sure your sister-in-law will be back soon!" Sang Wan suggested, giving Shi Fengju a meaningful look.

Shi Fengju nodded and smiled, "It's still early, no rush, let's take a seat first!"

Shi Fengju secretly observed Sang Hong, not finding it surprising that after what had just transpired, a man like Sang Hong would stay at home while his wife went out to deal with the issue. Such an honest man, how could he ever confront others? What sort of character his wife must be!

Thinking again about the recent confrontation between Sang Wan and her second uncle and aunt, it seemed gentle on the surface, her face soft and smiling, but in fact, it was unwavering, her soft daggers hidden yet effectively wielded.

This family is quite interesting!

"Please," Sang Hong, upon hearing this, simply laughed and didn't insist any further, gesturing for Shi Fengju to sit down, while Mrs. Xu took the two little ancestors to the courtyard to play and came up to pour tea. Sang Hong cordially said to Shi Fengju, "Our home is humble and not fully equipped, please forgive us, brother-in-law!"

Shi Fengju humbly replied, "We're family, no need for such formality, big brother!"

As he took a sip of hot tea, Shi Fengju finally felt his senses clear up, the nagging and overwhelming enthusiasm gone, and he relaxed.

Liu Ya, without a word, left to find Mrs. Fang, while Chang Huan and others went to stop the carriage, unload and tether the horses, and Mrs. Li's and Song He's families sat in the wing room drinking tea and cracking sunflower seeds and resting.

Those Shi Fengju had chosen were indeed prudent and steady-mouthed; at the moment, each was doing their respective duties as if nothing had happened! Even the chit-chat and seed-cracking wives from Mrs. Li's and Song He's families didn't use the incident as tea-time gossip.

"Big brother, big son, you sit for a while, I'll go to the kitchen and see if there's anything to be done!" Sang Wan said with a smile.

"That won't do!" Sang Hong was surprised and quickly laughed, "Your sister-in-law will be back very soon! She has already prepared chicken and fish since morning, and the meat is washed and cut. In a while just pull a couple of greens from the garden, let your sister-in-law handle it! You should prepare to offer incense to our parents and maybe visit your second uncle and aunt after all, as elders, they should be respected."

"I know, big brother!" Sang Wan smiled and acknowledged the importance of respecting elders even if not particularly fond of them, as dwelling on such matters would make life impossible. "I have an understanding of it!" she said, then moved to change clothes and head to the vegetable garden.

Mrs. Xu, seeing this, hurriedly laughed and said, "My miss, you are the new bride today, you shouldn't be doing this work! Otherwise, people in the village might speak poorly of the master and mistress. Why don't you look after the young master and miss, and I'll go?"

Sang Hong also quickly agreed that this was a good idea.

Seeing this, Sang Wan smiled, nodded, and no longer insisted, going to the courtyard to play with her brother and sister, Sang Xiaoquan and Sang Xiaonuan.

"Miss Wan is a hardworking girl, seldom idle. I, as an elder brother, am not so capable, and have let my siblings endure quite a few hardships! Brother-in-law, I entrust my sister to you, please take good care of her. She is a good girl!" Sang Hong sighed softly and said to Shi Fengju.

Somewhat unexplainably, Shi Fengju felt a heaviness in his heart, as if he had done something guilty, and he unexpectedly felt a sense of guilt arise.

"Don't worry, big brother, I will take good care of Wan, and not let her suffer any grievances," Shi Fengju said somewhat flustered, avoiding his brother-in-law's gaze and forcing a smile.

"Then I am relieved!" Sang Hong, a straightforward man, unable to discern whether some words were perfunctory or heartfelt, was immediately reassured by a genuine smile spreading from the depths of his heart as he listened to Shi Fengju, nodding happily, "No wonder father praised the Shi family so much during his lifetime, saying the Shi family is different from others. Indeed, they were right! With your word, this elder brother has fulfilled his duty towards our deceased parents!"

Seeing Sang Hong's eyes light up with laughter, Shi Fengju modestly kept up with the smile but seemed to break out a cold sweat on his forehead.

"Our family's new bride is back! Hehe, unfortunately, she missed something important; sorry to the new bride!" The courtyard door creaked open, and a young woman with flat sideburns, wearing a silver hairpin and two red silk flowers the size of copper coins at her temples, wearing a jujube-red printed hemp fabric coat and matching skirt, walked in. Tall and slender, with a long face and medium-sized bright eyes under thin eyebrows, she exuded an aura of capable and neat energy.

Upon seeing her, Sang Xiaoquan and Sang Xiaonuan called out "Mother!" and ran towards her.

"Sister-in-law is back!" Sang Wan also smiled and moved forward, "We're all family, such words from sister-in-law make me feel a bit embarrassed!" she said, then inquired if the matter had been resolved.

Sang Wan felt puzzled inside, her sister-in-law was usually good to her but not to such a warm and smiling extent. Because of her marriage arrangement with the Shi family, she was to be the young mistress, and her elder brother cherished her, never allowing her to do fieldwork, and rarely let her handle household chores unless it was extremely busy, to which reluctantly only meticulous chores were assigned to her. Despite her sister-in-law never explicitly expressing discontent, there had been apparent displeasure, sometimes even showing a cold face.

Unlike her second aunt, her sister-in-law was not a weather-vane type of person, nor one to despise the poor and love the rich; her change must have a reason! Unable to help herself, Sang Wan looked towards Liu Ya, her eyebrows raising in curiosity.