Chapter Forty-Seven: Even More Cliché

The man who was slapped by Chen Liang was probably a lackey working for that notorious playboy; in Chen Liang’s eyes, he was nothing more than a petty thug. However, after this incident, it was likely that trouble would be trailing Chen Liang for some time to come.

Chen Liang merely slapped the man once, knocking out two of his front teeth, and then paid no more heed to what followed. He and Shazhu, together with Chen Xiaomei and He Yushui, left that troublesome place behind.

As they were leaving, a particularly beautiful young woman clung to Chen Rong’s hand, bombarding her with questions to the point of exasperation. Yet, not wanting to lose her temper, Chen Rong could only patiently explain to her classmate, “Xiaobai, don’t bother yourself. My second brother is already married. You won’t have the chance to become my sister-in-law!”

Teased by Chen Rong, Xiaobai blushed deeply, “Oh, Rong, what are you saying? I don’t have any such thoughts!” But the disappointment in her eyes did not escape Chen Rong’s notice.

How to explain this? Every woman has dreamt, at least once, that her beloved would appear before her in her loneliest, most helpless moment—descending from the heavens on clouds of rainbow light to rescue her from distress.

And just then, Chen Liang had appeared at her most vulnerable, as if justice itself had descended—or rather, like a divine champion, shielding them with commanding force and leaving a powerful impression on her.

Of course, all this is predicated on the hero being handsome enough; otherwise, it’s no different from those tales of young swordsmen rescuing noble maidens in ancient times.

If the swordsman looked like Pan An, the beauty would surely say: “Sir, your great kindness is beyond repaying; I can only offer myself in gratitude,” and thus, they would live happily ever after.

But if the swordsman looked more like Pan Zi, then, alas, the maiden would only say: “Sir, your great kindness is beyond repaying; I can only vow to serve you as a beast of burden in my next life.” Even the ancients were this practical, let alone people today.

Xiaobai’s curiosity about Chen Liang didn’t necessarily mean she intended to marry him, but a fondness was certainly there. Now, hearing from Chen Rong that her second brother was already married, the disappointment she felt was palpable. Why, she wondered, are all the good men always someone else’s?

When Chen Liang and Shazhu safely escorted Chen Rong and He Yushui out of the park, their elder brother, who had been anxiously waiting, finally breathed a sigh of relief. After the two sisters-in-law comforted the girls, everyone mounted their bicycles and rode home together.

This time, no matter what was said, Chen Liang refused to let Shazhu come along. Shazhu had no choice but to take his own sister on his bike, pedaling furiously, pretending not to hear He Yushui’s requests to slow down.

Bah! That silly sister—why insist on tagging along as an unwelcome third wheel when the couples are together? Are you hoping someone will feed you a mouthful of dog food?

Little Yushui sat on the back seat of Chen Liang’s bicycle, her arms wrapped around her one and only good man, her face pressed in bliss against his back.

Feeling her dependence, Chen Liang suddenly braked hard, the tires leaving black marks on the ground.

Caught off guard, Little Yushui tumbled forward, pressed up against Chen Liang’s back.

Sensing the softness behind him, Chen Liang’s lips curled into a mischievous, satisfied grin—a true scoundrel’s expression. What a rogue!

As for Little Yushui, who had bumped into him, she blushed furiously and pinched Chen Liang hard on the cheek, not letting go until his face was twisted in pain.

This was her man—so shameless and flirtatious, yet she adored him all the more.

Having been utterly transformed by Chen Liang, Little Yushui couldn’t bear to be apart from him for even a moment.

After dinner that evening, the family gathered around the coal stove, chatting for quite a while before dispersing to their own rooms.

Chen Liang fetched a basin of hot water, and when he brought it into the room, he found Little Yushui already starting to undress for bed. He quickly called her to sit on the bed while he adjusted the water temperature, preparing to wash her feet.

And what’s so shameful about washing your wife’s feet? In this old city, plenty of men do the same—Chen Liang was hardly alone.

Struggling to find the right words to describe her feet, the best Chen Liang could come up with were “slender jade toes,” “warm as polished jade,” “delicate and fair,” “dainty and exquisite”—all to capture the beauty of Little Yushui’s small feet.

As he rinsed her dainty feet, caressing, kneading, and massaging them with care, he failed to notice that Little Yushui, seated on the bed, was blushing so deeply it looked as though blood might drip from her cheeks.

Not until she finally let out a soft moan did Chen Liang look up. Seeing her face flushed as a peach blossom, eyes brimming with tears, he suddenly felt as though a new world had opened before him.

He didn’t even have time to pour out the basin of water before his affectionate little wife dragged him into the blankets.

On the second day of the New Year, when they went to visit her family, Little Yushui was still limping slightly from the night before—hmph! That’s what comes of overestimating oneself and trying to take on the final boss alone!

Carrying the carefully prepared gifts from his mother, Chen Liang cycled leisurely along with his now slightly incapacitated wife.

When they arrived, the Zhao family welcomed Chen Liang and the gifts enthusiastically, but paid no attention to Little Yushui, who hobbled in behind them, dark lines of frustration all over her face.

Mother, Father, what is the meaning of this? Now that you have a son-in-law, your daughter means nothing to you? Without me, where would your son-in-law have come from? At least spare me a glance—I’m right here behind you!

Little Yushui, whose status in the family had plummeted, pouted unhappily as she shuffled through the door, handed the gifts to her mother, and was ignored once more.

Unbearable! Fuming, she resembled a little hamster, muttering under her breath as she went to the inner room to pour out her woes to her sister-in-law.

A married daughter is treated as less than a dog! What is that saying about water spilled never being retrieved? That’s her, the daughter returning home.

Her sister-in-law, a woman of experience, took one look at Little Yushui limping in with bare legs and immediately understood. After teasing her a little, the two of them huddled together to share secrets.

Ordinarily, a newlywed like Little Yushui would never be able to keep pace with the seasoned banter of her sister-in-law, but alas, Chen Liang’s “driving skills” were simply too advanced.

Not only did Little Yushui outpace her sister-in-law, but she also boasted about her own impressive ability to overtake on the curves.

Seeing the shock on her sister-in-law’s face, Little Yushui was filled with pride. Bah! So what if you’re experienced? Now you’re left eating my dust!

The times were good—had it been in the modern era, the sisters-in-law would have immediately caught on to what was going on, and there would have been no such stories; the scoundrel husband would have been dealt with long ago.