Bride Swap Backfire: My Cousin's Rebirth Made Us a Power Couple-Chapter 87 - 52: Paying a Visit, Part 2

"Just do as your aunt says. She’s older and more experienced than we are. Listening to your elders is never a mistake."

Within moments, a thin layer of sweat broke out on Mrs. Mei’s face.

Mrs. Mei wasn’t what you’d call a classic beauty, but she was far from unattractive. She was pretty and delicate, and handled matters with a brisk competence. On top of that, the Qian family had been merchants in the county town for generations, and the family had a great many Silver Coins. When Mrs. Mei was young, she was the kind of daughter a hundred families would compete to marry.

Unfortunately, the Qian family had announced early on that they were looking for a live-in son-in-law for their daughter, which made many suitors withdraw in bitter disappointment.

This did not, however, deter a different sort of suitor—those hoping to marry into the family and inherit its fortune. After careful consideration, these families still put their sons forward. Yet in the end, the one chosen was Chen Bai, a man of unknown parentage from a small village.

It’s safe to say that the Qian family’s choice of Chen Bai as a live-in son-in-law left countless people dumbfounded.

Alas, in the eyes of the Chen family elders, this "great match" was nothing to be proud of...

But I digress. As mentioned, Mrs. Mei was quite pretty and had always been well-cared for. She used to be a vibrant, full-figured, and rosy-cheeked woman.

Looking at her now, however, she seemed to have just recovered from a serious illness. Her face was colorless, and she looked terribly haggard. It seemed giving birth to her third child had truly taken a toll on her.

"It’s nothing serious. With plenty of good food and drink to build her strength back up, her energy and spirit will return soon. Give her two or three years to recover, and even if she’s not quite what she was, she’ll be close enough."

After saying this, Mrs. Qian instructed Chen Bai to bring in the dishes, as they were ready to eat.

But Xu Su Ying said, "I haven’t seen my little nephew yet! Oh, look at that, he’s fast asleep. We’re being so loud, yet we haven’t woken him."

As she spoke, she placed a small longevity lock in the palm of the baby’s upturned hand.

The lock was fashioned from Silver, exquisitely and charmingly made. It was even engraved with the words, "Great fortune, long life; clever and wise." It was so lovely you couldn’t help but admire it.

Upon seeing it, Mrs. Qian protested, "You’ve spent far too much," and moved to push the gift away.

Xu Su Ying quickly intervened. "Yuzhu and Yucheng both got one, so Liang can’t be left out. Otherwise, when they’re older, he’ll accuse his aunt of favoritism, and what defense would I have then?"

Now that Xu Su Ying had put it that way, Mrs. Qian had no choice but to accept the gift with a happy smile.

There was a reason why Xu Su Ying gave such a generous gift.

Back when she and Chen Song were first separated from the family, they were so poor they had to share a single steamed bun between them. They later managed to build a small courtyard house, finally giving them a place to settle down, but doing so used up all the Silver they had painstakingly saved.

To make matters worse, Xu Su Ying was pregnant at the time and desperately needed nutritious food. When Mrs. Qian found out, she had Chen Bai drive his carriage over that very night, insisting on sending them some chicken, duck, and pork, as well as two full sacks of fine grain.

After Xu Su Ying gave birth to Chen Wanqing, Mrs. Qian came to see the baby and gifted her a pair of forged Silver bracelets.

In gratitude for her kindness, Xu Su Ying had a longevity lock made for each of Mrs. Qian’s children, determined to repay the favor.

As for Liang, his face was still red and wrinkled, and it was impossible to tell from his features who he resembled. But the little fellow slept soundly with his tiny hands raised, looking utterly adorable.

"This little one is a real trooper. He eats well and sleeps well," she said. "He only cried twice right after he was born. Other than that, he’s been a breeze to look after."

"That’s wonderful. That way, Mrs. Mei can have a restful confinement period, and you can get some more rest, too."

"Rest? What for? I’m still in my prime. I need to help the young couple out as much as I can."

As they spoke, the food was brought into the next room.

A brazier had been lit in that room well in advance, making it toasty and warm.

Liang was still sleeping, so he didn’t need minding. Mrs. Qian bundled Mrs. Mei up snugly in a thick quilt and had Chen Bai carry her directly into the other room.

Once they were at the dinner table, Mrs. Mei finally had a chance to speak with Chen Wanqing.

She remarked on how Wanqing had grown up and become even more striking, then made a snide comment about the "good deed" done by the main family, which had ironically resulted in Chen Wanqing securing a good marriage.

"By the time you get married, even if my confinement month isn’t officially over, it’ll be close enough. I couldn’t be there for your engagement, but I absolutely must be there for the wedding. I’ll be part of your bridal procession, just to spite..."

"COUGH, COUGH." Mrs. Qian placed a bowl of pig’s trotter and soybean soup into Mrs. Mei’s hands. "Look at you, can’t even eat a meal in peace. Drink some soup to settle yourself before you choke on your food..."

Chen Bai quickly changed the subject, asking Xu Su Ying, "Where is my older brother working? I haven’t seen him around town in a while."

Xu Su Ying hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided to tell them about the items that had been excavated on Xiaoao Mountain.