Chapter 1170: Chapter 898: Something’s Off

You Pei and Lijuan came by car. After they got married, Lijuan’s work in the Capital City became relatively easier. It’s been more than a year since their marriage, and Lin Wan thought Lijuan would be pregnant by now, but that wasn’t the case. When her mother-in-law asked, Lijuan just vaguely said to let things be, but something seemed off, though it was hard to pinpoint exactly where. She privately asked Lijuan when they planned to have kids, and Lijuan said they’d wait another two years.

This surprised Lin Wan quite a bit. You Pei isn’t young anymore, so their families must be pushing them, but why weren’t they in a hurry? Lin Wan thought they might have physical issues, but Lijuan said that wasn’t the case.

"Saozi, we’ve both had our check-ups; there are no problems. We just want to wait for another two years. You see... You Pei thinks that since I recently started working in the Capital City, having a child now would definitely affect my job and later promotions might be hindered, so our plan is to wait until I’ve achieved some results at work before having children."

Lijuan explained to Lin Wan like this, but Lin Wan felt that under the pressure from both families, they surely must be feeling some stress. Besides, You Pei’s mom isn’t old and is waiting eagerly for them to have a child so she can help take care of it.

But if they weren’t willing to talk, there was nothing she could do; she wasn’t privy to their innermost thoughts.

"Ai Yi, don’t you think there’s something off about the two of them?" Lin Wan asked Han Yi at night while they were in bed.

"I told you, they’re not suitable for each other. The key issue is that You Pei has someone in his heart; for many years, he didn’t get married because of that woman. How could he just let go? I think there might be some emotional issues between them."

"Ah, if that’s the case, it could be difficult. I used to think they were quite well-matched. When they first got married, weren’t they doing well?"

Han Yi was unimpressed. "They still look fine now. You Pei seems to go along with everything Lijuan says. You feel uneasy probably because You Pei’s affection for Lijuan seems a bit off, not like how we were back then."

Lin Wan nodded repeatedly, "Exactly, exactly. That’s it. Speaking of which, up until now, we still don’t know who that person in You Pei’s heart is."

"Hmm."

No one they knew was aware, and You Pei never mentioned it.

"I wonder if Lijuan knows?"

"You shouldn’t ask about this matter. We should all stay out of it. The more family gets involved in matters of the heart, the messier it becomes. It only adds to their conflicts. I know You Pei; he’s a responsible person."

"Being responsible is one thing, but the heart needs to be there too."

"Feelings develop over time; it’ll get better gradually."

Even though that’s what he said, Lin Wan was still worried for Lijuan. It was different from her and Shen Jie; that couple agreed not to have children, and all these years they still didn’t have any.

However, Uncle Hu and the mother-in-law hadn’t noticed this yet. It was rare for the daughter and son-in-law to visit, so apart from urging them to have kids, they just made delicious food for the kids.

On the second day of the lunar year, Uncle Hu and the mother-in-law took them to the eldest uncle’s house. Lin Wan noticed that the aunt seemed much thinner and older than a year or two ago. It turned out, as the cousin-in-law told her, that she had fallen ill a few months ago. While it wasn’t a serious illness, her appetite waned, and she gradually lost weight. Besides the illness, there was also the matter of Shen Rong.

When the cousin-in-law talked to her about it, she realized that Shen Rong should be back at her parents’ by now, yet she wasn’t. Upon asking, she learned that Shen Rong had started a relationship with a man from her shop, and the two had even secretly registered their marriage.

When the aunt learned of this, she resolutely opposed it, saying the man was an ex-convict with an unknown background, making her uneasy.

"How about having Han Yi check into it, to see what happened back then?" Lin Wan suggested.

"This matter, Bo Xu already checked into it, with help from Han Yi’s brother-in-law, who was his comrade. This man is named Wang Pengyun, from our S City. He used to have a family and a house. Honestly, he’s quite straightforward. Back then, he discovered his wife messing around with another man. Enraged, he beat up the man and argued with his wife, threatening divorce. Although she had a lover, she didn’t want a divorce because Wang Pengyun, who used to work on the railways, had a good salary and benefits, plus his parents were no longer around, leaving their house quite large. Used to this comfortable life without in-laws, where she could spend money as she pleased, she wouldn’t agree to a divorce. Wang Pengyun was no pushover. When he insisted on divorce, she conspired with her lover to take advantage of the prevalent crackdown on organized crime at the time, managing to get Wang Pengyun detained. He served several years in prison. Upon release, he found his wife had sold their house and eloped with her lover. His relatives, seeing him jobless and homeless, supported him for a while before they started to disdain him as a bachelor. They even treated him as free labor, making him work without pay. Having his pride, Wang Pengyun wouldn’t stick around if unwelcome, and would rather find odd jobs. At night, without a place to stay, he would just find a sheltered spot to manage as best as he could."

"Oh, I see. As long as his background is clear, being in reform isn’t akin to committing heinous crimes. It’s understandable. Now, as long as he treats Shen Rong and Ranran well, why can’t my aunt see reason?"

"Oh, you don’t know my mother-in-law well enough. Though she’s mellowed over the years, she still cares about face and is petty. She thinks Shen Rong, now being an entrepreneur, is in high demand. Even if she’s a divorced woman with a child, she could find someone better. But Bo Xu and I believe this Wang Pengyun is fine. He’s capable, quiet, and treats Rongrong and Ranran very well. He doesn’t have children, and now treats Ranran like his own. Besides, his cooking is excellent. Since being with him, Rongrong says she sleeps soundly every morning, with Wang Pengyun handling even the laundry. He takes care of the child and sends them to school. Now, all Rongrong has to mind is her shop."

Lin Wan found it quite intriguing. Hearing the cousin-in-law’s account almost made her think more highly of him than Han Yi.

"If Shen Rong could be so fortunate, it’s like a hardship finally paid off."

"Yes indeed. They say stepmothers are ghosts and stepfathers are demons, but I don’t think it’s always like this. Ranran truly sees Wang Pengyun as her real dad. I even asked Ranran privately, and she said Wang Pengyun treats her very well. Once, when some girls at school bullied her, Wang Pengyun, upon seeing this, loudly reprimanded them. Ranran said his protective stance resembled that of a mother hen, and it made her feel the father’s love. Sigh..." Tan Aixiang sighed deeply, for Ranran had grown up as if she had no father at all. Li Chang still hadn’t been released.

Li Family members seldom visited this granddaughter, and Shen Rong also didn’t let Ranran go to them. When Ranran was in first grade, Shen Rong changed Ranran’s surname to Shen. Ranran felt estranged from the Li Family. Apart from seeing the grandparents a few times, she wouldn’t recognize the others even if they crossed paths.

"This is a good thing; the aunt shouldn’t be sulking with them like this." Second marriages are hard enough, especially with a child. Even if they didn’t have much affection, if they could live peacefully, that would be fine. Now, with them being treated so well, that’s all the better.

You have to say, this Wang Pengyun is quite clever. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

"My father-in-law is open-minded; it’s mainly my mother-in-law causing a fuss. Honestly, we don’t need to mind her because she always figures things out eventually." Tan Ai knew too well how her mother-in-law’s temperament worked after all these years; the fuss never lasts long.

Lin Wan agreed. This aunt, being selfish and always wanting a piece of everything, doesn’t have a better life in the end, does she?

On the third day of the New Year, You Pei and Han Yi took the children to visit old comrades at the military base. Meanwhile, the mother-in-law and Uncle Hu went to visit relatives, so Xiao Wan and Lijuan paid a visit to Aunt Jin’s house in the morning. Xiao Dung went out by himself to hang out with his friends.

Among the kids, it was only Xiao Dung who remained single. Since Yang Kui Bao’s cousin went abroad, they had gone their separate ways. People thought Xiao Dung was hurt, which might explain why he hadn’t found someone new these past years.

This year, several neighbors were eager to introduce potential partners to Xiao Dung. With his high education, being a big boss, a successful person, his standards were naturally high, so they weren’t particularly hopeful. Surprisingly, on the morning of New Year’s Eve, Aunt Tang introduced someone, and they actually hit it off.

That girl turned out to be his high school classmate from the countryside, who had been the most inconspicuous girl back in school. After graduation, she attended a teacher’s college and taught for five years. With no backing or connections, she faced being marginalized by coworkers, unable to achieve her title and secure a permanent position. Eventually, she had no choice but to leave and rent a storefront near the school to open a tutorial class.

Tiger attended tutoring there, and over time, Aunt Tang learned quite a bit about her situation. Knowing she only lived with her grandmother and being a filial girl who moved her grandmother to live with her here, Aunt Tang saw her struggles and filial piety, and how they relied on each other. So she decided to introduce her to a partner.

When Aunt Tang ran into the mother-in-law and mentioned Xiao Dung’s recent blind dates, Aunt Tang only then learned Xiao Dung was single. After much contemplation, she suggested the girl to the mother-in-law.