Look Good
Holding the hand of his wife and walking out of the room, Shen Yanbei felt a bit of a miracle in his heart.
Shen Yanbei recalled his past life for 20 years. He had studied a lot of things that weren't suitable for children, but he had never touched any man's hands or made friends with them. Unexpectedly, once he was transmigrated, he was directly given a manly wife! This manly wife wasn't only good in the figure, but his character was even better!
The man looked at the hands of the two who were intertwined. The flush on his face had not faded.
Before they reached the front door, they heard a charming voice shout, "Shen Yan gēgē, are you there? Shen Yan gēgē!"
Shen Yan gēgē... is this referring to me? Shen Yanbei was goosebumped the whole of his body. When the man saw the woman was standing in front of the door, his steps were stagnant. His facial expression changed slightly.
After yelling several times, no one replied. The woman shook her feet bitterly then turned to leave after a few mutters. But as soon as she turned her head, she saw Shen Yanbei. The unpleasantness on her face immediately faded away and was replaced with a sweet smile.
"Shen Yan gēgē!" She screamed in a sassy tone. The woman walked towards Shen Yanbei with small steps. She looked at him with a surly gaze. "Where have you been? I called you for a long time!"
The woman's name was Lin Wanru. She was sixteen years old and was the village flower of Shenjiā Village. Lin Wanru was beautiful. She often acted like a baby relying on the fact that she was beautiful. As a result, young guys in the village liked her and Shen Yan was one of them.
As a scholar with good family background, how could Shen Yan not long for red sleeves to add fragrance? Although his family background wasn't as good as before, it didn't prevent Shen Yan from dreaming.
Shen Yan obtained fame as a scholar at a young age. He was also the only one at these ten miles of this village away. Because had been praised so much by everyone, Shen Yan couldn't help but be puffed up with pride. He even thought that he would definitely be on the gold list in the future.
Absolutely believing that he was destined to be an official, Shen Yan would naturally not feel that he was lacking than the others just because of the temporarily poor situation of the family. He even thought that because he was superior, the others must endure it.
At this point, Lin Wanru's behaviors exactly matched with what Shen Yan wanted. Every time she listened to the poems he wrote, this charming and lovely woman would be astonished. The admiration and worship among her words made Shen Yan feel comfortable. So he thought that Lin Wanru was different from others. The more he thought the more he believed about it. As a result, he indulged Lin Wanru.
But now, Shen Yanbei is no longer Shen Yan. So Shen Yanbei didn't have Shen Yan's idea of adoration of beauty in his heart.
He coughed and said, "Is there anything you want to do with me?"
He now had a family. So he must behave well and make a clear distinction between the opposite sexes.
Shen Yanbei's indifferent attitude made Lin Wanru frown. She felt a little unhappy. But thinking of her purpose, Lin Wanru bit her lip and said with red eyes, "Shen Yan gēgē and Wanru become so distant. Do you still blame me?"
Tears burst into her eyes as she said, "It's not that Wanru refused to agree, but Dad disagreed..."
A weeping beauty was like a pear blossom bathed in the rain, it looked so wonderful. But Shen Yanbei wasn't interested in this kind of set. He said directly: "Okay, don't cry. I didn't blame you."
Lin Wanru cried even more aggrieved. "If Brother Shen Yan didn't blame Wanru, then Wanru had been waiting here for so long and my legs were tired. Wouldn't Shen Yan gēgē invite Wanru to sit in and drink a glass of water? Wanru has something to tell you..."
Shen Yanbei was a little speechless. Lin Wanru was too shameless. An unmarried girl asked to go to a man's house to sit. Didn't she know how to avoid suspicion?
"Ms. Lin, if you are thirsty, I don't mind pouring you a glass of water. But you don't have to go in and sit down. Just say what you have to say!" Shen Yanbei said with no patience. He held the man's hand and pulled him out.
The man's face had been strained since Lin Wanru appeared. After hearing Shen Yanbei's rejection of Lin Wanru, his expression became a little bit calm. When he noticed Shen Yanbei's movements, his face flushed unnaturally.
Lin Wanru's eyes widened in astonishment. Shen Yan, who was always responsive to her, refused her?
It shouldn't be like this!
"Shen Yan gēgē, what do you want Wanru to do before you are willing to forgive Wanru."
Lin Wanru approached Shen Yanbei. She reached out to grab his arm, prepared to act like a baby as before.
Shen Yanbei quickly backed away to avoid Lin Wanru. "Miss Lin, please respect yourself!"
"Shen Yan gēgē..."
Lin Wanru paled. She bit her lip and looked at Shen Yanbei pitifully. On the contrary, she poured the dog's blood* into Shen Yan in her heart.
T/L: gǒu xuè pēn tóu; let loose a stream of abuse against someone. Harsh words and insults.
Shen Yanbei didn't want to make any unnecessary explanations anymore. He said with a serious face, "Miss Lin, you have nothing to apologize to Shen. Don't say about to forgive or not forgive in the future."
"If Shen has done something that caused Miss Lin to misunderstand, then Shen will come in for censure!" Shen Yanbei gave a deep salute and continued, "Shen already has a family. So, it’s inconvenient to invite a girl into the house. If the girl has something to say so it's fine to just say here."
The three people stood and talked at the door of Shen Yanbei's house. Besides, one of them was a village flower. People had already watched here for some time. For this reason, Shen Yanbei deliberately stated everything clearly and generously, to prevent anyone from making a fuss with Shen Yan and Lin Wanru's case in the future.
Lin Wanru was startled then realized that there was something wrong. How did Shen Yan change his person? She can't help but look at the man in front of her. Shen Yanbei was still a white gentle scholar but his eyes were indifferent and alienated.
Lin Wanru's gaze fell on the hands of Shen Yanbei and the man. Her eyes were flickering. It must be because she had rejected Shen Yan's marriage proposal before, it caused Shen Yan's self-esteem to be broken. So that was why Shen Yan was so indifferent to her!
Glancing at the man's rough face, Lin Wanru firmed up her guess. How could a man like Shen Yan be interested in such an ugly monster? He just was angry with her.
Thinking about it this way, Lin Wanru didn't take Shen Yanbei's words to heart.
Looking at Shen Yanbei sadly, Lin Wanru said aggrievedly, "Shen Yan gēgē is unwilling to invite Wanru to sit in the house, then forget it. Can you take a step closer to speaking?"
The misty apricot eyes saw Shen Yanbei with a pitiful and hurt look. If Shen Yan was still here, he would come forward to comfort her, but this person was now Shen Yanbei.
Why couldn't this woman understand a human's words? Did she try to entangle with a married man? Shen Yanbei frowned but remembered Li Wanru's character. He looked back at the man whose head had been lowered and patted his hand.
Shen Yanbei said with a smile, "I will come back after I talked to her for a while, ok?"
So many eyes were looking at them, he wasn't afraid of Lin Wanru's scheming.
The man was shocked. Was Patriarch reporting to him? He raised his head to see that Shen Yanbei was still looking at him as if waiting for him to answer. He nodded blankly.
After getting the man's response, Shen Yanbei only took two steps away. He walked to the edge of his fence and motioned to Lin Wanru. Lin Wanru glanced at the distance. After confirming that she couldn't be heard by others, she walked towards with a mincing step.
"Just say what you want to say." Shen Yanbei's tone wasn't very good. Laozi was in a rush to go back home and wanted to sleep in a hot Kang bed with Laozi's wife. Yet you have something to say!
"Shen Yan gēgē, you are still angry with Wanru..." Lin Wanru groaned. "Wanru knew she was wrong."
Shen Yan was in a good state now. It seemed that this chōngxǐ* i was working. Shen Yan wouldn't die for a while, so she had to use good words to coax him first.
*Save a patient's life by giving him a wedding to counteract bad luck.
"..." Laozi talked with you about business matters, but you acted like a baby with Laozi? Shen Yanbei's expression sank.
Seeing his ugly expression, Lin Wanru thought he was still angry. She hesitated for a while then said, "If you are really happy with Wanru and want Wanru to marry you, that's not impossible..."
"As long as you are Jǔrén, Dad will definitely agree to our marriage..."
Although Shen Yan's family was a little poor, as long as he was a Jǔrén, his status would be different! At that time, if Shen Yan asked to marry her, she could consider it!
Shen Yanbei rolled his eyes in his heart. He said coldly, "If Miss Lin has nothing else to say, please go back."
Then he turned to leave.
The shyness on Lin Wanru's face faded away in an instant. She hurriedly grabbed him, "Shen Yan gēgē!"
Shen Yanbei took out his hand with a black face. "It is improper for man and woman to hold each other's hands. This such pull and push, don't you know decency?"
The fist under the sleeve squeezed sharply. Lin Wanru took a deep breath to get rid of the anger in her heart. She tried to say in a tender, "Shen Yan gēgē, listen to me..."
"Say." Shen Yanbei snorted angrily and turned to look at his wife. Found that the man was staring at him intently, their gaze happened to meet. Shen Yanbei raised his eyebrows. The man immediately moved his eyes away embarrassedly, his ears were suspiciously red.
Shen Yanbei whistled with joy in his heart.
"Last year’s harvest was not good and my father was seriously ill. I have to spend a lot of money on medicine every day. It is a really difficult situation at home..." Lin Wanru said sadly, "Shen Yan gēgē, you see, can I pay the rent later?"
Rent? What rent? Shen Yanbei hurriedly checked the memory of the original owner. As he knew it, he almost couldn't hold himself in anger because of the original owner.
Lin Wanru's family just moved to Shenjiā Village. Those who had no land wanted to rent a few plots to plant. At that time, Shen Yan’s parents were still alive. Although the Shen family wasn't as rich and wealthy as before, there were still a lot of lands. Father Shen and Mother Shen couldn't work on farms when they were old. So The Lin's Family came and rented two acres of paddy fields after discussing the price.
In the beginning, Lin's Family would pay the rent on time. Unfortunately, after Father Shen and Mother Shen left, the rent was often delayed. Also, Shen Yan wouldn't ask for the rent bill if it wasn't urgent. After Lin Wanru grew into a slender and graceful lady, Lin's Family sent their daughter to say a few good things to Shen Yan so that she could pay the rent later. Lin Wanru was so sweet while coaxing Shen Yan so he always forgot about the rent.
When Shen Yan had found himself in poverty, Shen Yan remembered that Lin's Family still owed a lot of rent. By ignoring his conscience, he came to ask for rent. Unfortunately, Lin Wanru's father scolded him by pouring the dog's blood on him. Told him why the scholar smelled of copper. Shen Yan was embarrassed. But if he had no money, he would drink the northwest wind*. Then Shen Yan told him in shame that if he didn't give the rent bill, he would reclaim the field. If he disagreed, they could go to the village chief to judge!
*hēxīběifēng: suffer from cold and hunger
Lin's Family was always an outsider. Shen Yan was a scholar of Shenjia Village. He was expected to be a Jǔrén in the future. If they really needed the village chief to judge them, their family couldn't be tenable. Only then did the Lin family agree to make up for the rent owed. It was just that It wasn't a one-time payment, but an installment!
The rent was handed over to Shen Yan by Lin Wanru but the amount was wrong every time! As long as Lin Wanru acted like a baby, Shen Yan would be soft-hearted and would no longer be accountable! Because Lin Wanru's reason was very convincing!
Everyone in the village wore such a beautiful head flower, was tied with such a beautiful hair string, and put on such a fragrant powder. But I have nothing...
The beauty bit her red lips. There were tears in her eyes, aggrieved and pitiful. Shen Yan felt pitiful. He was busy comforting her. Don't cry. Gēgē will buy it for you!
Hearing the expected answer, Lin Wanru immediately smiled. She said in awe, I know that Brother Shen Yan loved me! Took out the first flower bought with Shen Yan's money and asked Shen Yan to put it on her.
A good flower matched with a beautiful woman. The beautiful woman smiled at him, Shen Yan's soul was floating. Then he forgot about counting the remaining rent bill, just focused on buying flowers for the little beautiful woman!
...
Babbling for a long time was to escape rent? Shen Yanbei glanced at Lin Wanru's clothes, full of mockery in his heart. His wife wore a short patch of coarse cloth but this woman was wearing a soft luō*. It also looked new, it must be a spring shirt that had just been made. Yet you dared to say that you have no money at home? Only a fool would believe it, right?
*罗; a kind of silk gauze
The more Shen Yanbei looked at her, the more speechless he became. Lin's Family wasn't the only one who rented the land from the original owner who didn't pay the rent. Since Shen Yan's aunt got into an accident, Shen Yan really had no idea about the land lease in the family. As a dúshūrén, he still had obtained the fame of being a scholar. So Shen Yan closed his eyes about anything outside the window*. Father Shen and Mother Shen also never let him worry about family affairs. Only let him study at ease, so much so that he developed a young master's temper who had only to open one's mouth to be fed and held out one's hands to be dressed**
*liǎng ěr bù wén chuāngwài shì; not bother about what's happening in the outside world.
** Fàn lái zhāngkǒu, yī lái shēnshǒu; to lead an easy life, with everything provided
be waited on hand and foot
those who eat and do not work.
At that time, when the bad news came, Shen Yan was completely dumbfounded. He only felt that the sky was falling. It was okay if he didn't know about the rent, he didn't even know his family's wealth. In the past, Mother Shen was in charge of the financial power of the family, but where did his mother hide all the money and property in the family?
After digging through the boxes and cabinets, he just found two pieces of silver. After finishing the funeral of my parents, there wasn't much money left.
He didn't know which family rented their own land, even those who had rented his own land didn't know the rent. Shen Yan, who was confused and always upright, had no confidence. He thought that finding someone to ask for rent would lose the face of a scholar. He didn't have any income, so these days would be getting worse!
"Miss Lin, it can't be delayed any longer. I used to live alone, it's no problem if I get hungry. Now I just married and have a wife, I can't let my family have no food," Shen Yanbei said sternly.
He saw Lin Wanru whose face showed disbelief. He said after a while, "Forget it, please go back and tell your family, if you don't want the land anymore, I want to take it back."
The original owner and this Lin Wanru were sticky. These accounts weren't clear at all. At this time, there was still more than half a month before Qingming, so it was better to take back the whole land. He would sow, raise seedlings, and plant seedlings before the rain.
Lin Wanru was stunned. She didn't believe what she heard was from Shen Yanbei's mouth.
Shen Yanbei ignored her. He glanced at the man and walked toward the door first. "Wife, I'm hungry. Let's go back to the house to cook."
The man had been paying attention to Shen Yanbei. After listening to him say so, he hastily followed.
Lin Wanru saw Shen Yanbei who was talking to the man with a smile. Her face turned red and white.
Was Shen Yan being confused? Actually, he wanted to take back the land? What would she say when she went home? They would be mad at her!
