NOVPUB
Chapter 312: Chapter 312: How Can the Big Brother Marry His Younger Brother’s Wife?
Si Xiaohui puzzledly said, "Mom, are you mistaken? Uncle Si Weimin really dislikes this dish. Last time Auntie made this dish, Uncle Si Weimin criticized it."
She said that she wanted to eat Braised Pork with Potatoes, so Auntie made a dish for her. However, the moment Uncle saw this dish on the table, his face changed. It was only when he heard that she wanted to eat it, he remained silent.
Lin Fengying, who was about to serve the dish to Si Weimin, froze in embarrassment. "Do you dislike Braised Pork with Potatoes now?" she asked, awkwardly.
In fact, she wanted to ask whether Si Weimin had stopped liking Braised Pork with Potatoes or if he was trying to avoid thinking about the one who normally prepared it.
"Uncle Weimin, did you used to enjoy this dish?" Si Xiaohui asked, looking curiously at Si Weimin.
Even Song Yu looked over, as he had the impression that there was something unusual about the relationship between Lin Fengying and Si Weimin.
Feeling a bit uncomfortable under the gaze of the three people, Si Weimin grabbed a piece of Braised Pork with Potatoes with his chopsticks and smiled, saying, "I don’t particularly dislike it, it’s just that I didn’t feel like eating it that day."
Lin Fengying gave a smile and quickly took another piece with her chopsticks and placed it in his bowl, "Then you should eat more. I intentionally stewed the meat until it was very tender today, so it won’t be greasy."
"Sister-in-law, don’t just serve me. You should eat as well."
Si Weimin awkwardly gave Lin Fengying a handful of vegetables too. It was just a casual gesture, but it made Lin Fengying feel as sweet as if she had eaten honey.
She didn’t know if it was intentional or unintentional, but she mentioned someone from the neighboring village who Si Weimin also knew, and sighed, "Uncle Wang’s Erniu died last year in December after getting drunk and falling in a snowy pit."
"Erniu died?" Si Weimin asked, slightly surprised. He paused in the middle of taking a piece of food and frowned, "Wasn’t he less than thirty years old?"
Si Weimin’s memory of Erniu was still from over ten years ago, when Erniu was just a child in his teens, robust and dark, with an honest and kind personality. Each time he saw him, Erniu would call him, "Uncle!".
Who would have thought that such a young life could be lost so suddenly? Life indeed has its ups and downs.
"Twenty-seven years old," sighed Lin Fengying. "His children... the oldest is only seven, and the youngest only just learned to walk and now he’s without a father. Erniu’s wife almost cried to death, if it was not for Daniu helping out, Erniu’s wife almost threw herself and her kids into the river."
For a woman, taking care of three young children on her own was impossible without someone’s help. Lin Fengying deeply understood this from her own experiences, which were quite similar to those of Erniu’s family.
"Daniu is a good person," said Si Weimin, remembering how he had left Lin Fengying and her three children alone for many years, and once more guilt washed over him.
"Who could say otherwise?" Lin Fengying changed the topic abruptly, "Daniu always stutters when he talks, and he’s kind but blunt. He’s not married yet, so after discussing with their relatives and asking both Danju and Erniu’s wife, the two were arranged to start a life together."
After saying this, Lin Fengying gave Si Weimin a sidelong glance. He seemed to understand some of Lin Fengying’s implications, but he didn’t say anything, his face seeming a bit troubled.
However, Si Xiaohui strongly disagreed with this arrangement, disdainfully saying, "Isn’t that sickening? How could Danju marry his brother’s widow? If this spreads, wouldn’t they become the laughing stock of the village? Which brothers have the same wife? If he really cares about his sister-in-law and the kids, he should simply take care of them. What does he mean by marrying his brother’s widow?"
"What’s so sickening about this?" an angered Lin Fengying retorted, "Erniu’s wife is left with three kids. If Danju doesn’t help, how will she, a single woman with three children, be able to survive? Who else would marry a woman with three children? Only Danju will truly care for Erniu’s children."
"But didn’t you raise us three by yourself?" Si Xiaohui sniffed, "I bet Danju and Erniu’s wife had an affair earlier. Otherwise, how could he marry his brother’s widow so soon after his passing?"
"How can you say such a thing?"
It was as if Lin Fengying’s tail was stepped on. She slammed her chopsticks on the table. Si Xiaohui was shocked; she had never seen Lin Fengying lose her temper that way.
"It’s just a conversation, why are you getting angry?"
"Yes, it’s just a conversation, don’t get angry." Si Weimin looked at Lin Fengying and said.
Lin Fengying realized that she has somewhat lost control of her emotions. She took a breath, calming down and remaining silent.
After this little incident, everyone was quiet.
When the meal was over, Lin Fengying cleaned up the dishes. Originally, she wanted Si Weimin to help her find a small hotel to stay in, but Si Weimin found it too late and he was not reassured to let her live in a place unfamiliar to her. Instead, he let Lin Fengying stay in his bedroom for the night and he slept in the living room.
Lin Fengying was very restrained as she had never stayed in such a nice room before. At the same time, she was full of curiosity about everything in the room.
Thinking about the past years when Si Weimin and Yuan Caizhen slept in this bed together, her heart filled with bitterness. She couldn’t help but feel jealous.
In the past, she had considered leaving her three children and going away with Si Weimin. However, Si Weimin didn’t want to leave Xiaohui, her youngest daughter, without a mother.
If she had known that Tong Yaohui would support her family back then, she would have disregarded everything and followed Si Weimin.
Unfortunately, there are no do-overs in life, and it was too late for regrets now.
On the table was a photo of Si Weimin and Yuan Caizhen. Yuan Caizhen was not as good-looking as Lin Fengying in her youth, but she looked younger than the current Lin Fengying. She was more fashionable and knew how to apply makeup. At her age, Lin Fengying had never seen the types of cosmetics on the table, let alone applied them to her face.
Lin Fengying walked to the wardrobe and, unable to resist, opened the door. Inside, Si Weimin’s clothes were few, but there were many of Yuan Caizhen’s, filling an entire large wardrobe.
Everything in the room was what Lin Fengying longed for, but none of it was related to her. It was painful...
Although they were separated by just a wall, Lin Fengying felt as though she and Si Weimin were worlds apart.
While Lin Fengying was silently mourning on one side, Si Chen had just finished his work in the family courtyard. As was his routine, he headed to the restroom to wash his hands and face. Tong Yao handed him a dry towel and casually mentioned the situation with Lin Fengying.
"Mom is here. She insisted on going to Uncle’s house and I couldn’t stop her. I just took her there. When you have a chance to get off work early, we should go and see her, okay?"
Upon hearing that Lin Fengying had arrived in Kyoto and had gone directly to Si Weimin’s house, Si Chen’s face immediately darkened. He wiped his face with the towel he took from Tong Yao and said with an expressionless face, "I am rather busy recently. If she likes to stay at Uncle’s house, let her enjoy the visit."
Looking at his nonchalant attitude, Tong Yao blinked her eyes and tilted her head to look at him, and asked, "Ah Chen, are you upset with Mom or Uncle?"
