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Chapter 692: Chapter 682: No Idea What They Were Thinking
After sitting at Uncle Shen’s house for over an hour, Li Hongjun and his wife left together.
It was obvious that some people didn’t want them there, and with dinner time approaching, it was wise to make a quick exit.
"You’d think my aunt wasn’t all that brainless by the look of her in the past, but seeing how she’s handled things these years, it really leaves one speechless. My uncle knows better than to indulge her, but he lets her be, hmph, just wait, in the end, they’ll definitely come to no good end," Shen Yunfang kicked a chunk of snow on the road. Sometimes, she really couldn’t understand—when it was plainly a bad move, even if Shen Yunxiu, caught up in the thick of it, couldn’t see it clearly, why would Uncle and Aunt willingly get muddled too?
"That’s true, maybe deep down, they’re still holding onto some hope," was all Li Hongjun could say to explain it.
"How could that be? When their son-in-law was around their hometown, my uncle was well aware of what kind of person he was. After he returned to the Capital, my uncle and aunt were fully aware of the suffering Shen Yunxiu endured with them. A family with such flawed character, they took advantage of Shen Yunxiu when they were down on their luck, not to mention when their son becomes successful," Shen Yunfang said, shaking her head.
Li Hongjun fell silent, unable to fathom what the Shen seniors were thinking.
"But still, it’s good that the truth will out eventually. He graduates next year, doesn’t he? If he has any ideas, it’ll likely be within these next two years, and there will surely be a commotion," Shen Yunfang felt she could almost predict how this matter would end.
"Oh well, in the end, it’s someone else’s problem. We just need to live our lives well and let others serve as a lesson," Shen Yunfang seemed to have come to terms with it, hastening her pace with Li Hongjun. Their child was still at home, and they felt uneasy being unfamiliar with the place.
As they were about to reach home, Li Hongjun asked again, "Are you really not going to throw a party tomorrow? Your uncle meant well, and if you were inclined, it could be a good opportunity."
Uncle Shen had just said that now Shen Yunfang had a job and was considered an adult; was she planning to take some time to arrange a gathering with these relatives during her visit? Despite the previous unpleasantness, they were family after all, and there’s no deep hatred.
But Shen Yunfang didn’t see it that way. As for her uncles and other relatives, besides Uncle Shen, whom she remembered with some fondness, she felt no kinship with the rest, only aversion. Regarding her mother’s family, she had even less contact. Her aunt had visited a few times but left on bad terms, and for many years afterward, they hadn’t even seen each other’s faces, so there was no need to talk about affection.
If she followed Uncle Shen’s suggestion and invited all these demons and devils over for a meal, she was convinced that they would try every possible way to cling to her for favors in the future. She hadn’t had enough of peace yet, so why invite trouble?
As for Li Hongjun, he felt that his wife’s side of the family was too isolated; effectively, it was just her. The rest of the relatives hardly interacted with her anymore. Aside from his eldest sister’s family, there wasn’t anyone else on his side who got along too well with his wife. He was concerned she might feel bad, which is why he asked.
"No party. If I did that, it would mean my head had been slammed by a door. Spending money to court trouble, why would I long for them like that?" said Shen Yunfang with utter decisiveness.
If possible, she didn’t even want to interact with these people. Not one of them was good.
"Alright, alright, your word is final," Li Hongjun saw she was getting agitated and quickly tried to appease her, "Let’s hurry home, the child must be getting anxious."
The topic was dropped, and they didn’t discuss it further.
That evening, the family of four went straight to Aunt Wang’s home for dinner. Since their house had been uninhabited for years, starting a fire to cook was a bit inconvenient. Since they didn’t plan to stay long, just for one day before leaving tomorrow, they imposed on Aunt Wang for a few meals.
That night, Shen Yunfeng declined Aunt Wang’s offer to stay over. They returned to their own house and carried back a bundle of firewood from Aunt Wang’s home to warm up the kang bed, making do for the night.
Early the next morning, after having breakfast at Aunt Wang’s place again, they prepared to leave. 𝖓𝔬𝔳𝔭𝖚𝖇.𝔠𝔬𝖒
"Auntie, when Brother Dashuan and my sister-in-law come back, tell them we came to visit. We’ll probably stay at my in-laws’ place until around the fifteenth of the first lunar month. After the New Year, I won’t be coming here, so tell them to visit us when they have the time," Shen Yunfang said, holding Aunt Wang’s hand at the entrance to the village.
Wang Da Niu expressed her understanding, saying that there were many relatives on this side, and that after the New Year it would still be necessary to adhere to certain formalities, which made things inconvenient.
"Okay, once they come back, I’ll tell them to visit you right away," she promised.
"That’s settled then. We’ll be on our way now. Granny, you should head back too. Take care of your health, and when you have time, let Brother Dashuan take the kids over to Z Province to have some fun with you."
"I’ll definitely visit. I’ve got to see for myself what that farm of yours is all about."
"Then it’s agreed."
After chatting with Wang Da Niu for a while about this and that, they finally took the children and started heading towards the county.
They wanted to take the opportunity of this visit home to call on some friends in the county.
On Li Hongjun’s side there were just a few comrades-in-arms, while Shen Yunfang didn’t know many people. The ones she was close to, and had maintained contact with over the years, were Jian Hui and her husband.
They had maintained contact over the years mainly through the connection between Xing Zhonghua and Li Hongjun, with the two women occasionally exchanging letters.
A while back, Xing Zhonghua and Jian Hui’s son, Xing Hongming, turned eighteen and insisted on not continuing his studies. With no other choices, Xing Zhonghua had to send him to the military, and later through Li Hongjun’s aid, he was transferred to the Z Province Military Region, effectively under Li Hongjun’s watch. As a result, the two families naturally grew closer.
Li Hongjun’s family visit was warmly welcomed by Xing Zhonghua and his spouse.
Jian Hui even prepared a table full of delicious dishes to entertain them.
Xing Zhonghua and Li Hongjun mainly discussed army matters. Meanwhile, Jian Hui pulled Shen Yunfang aside to ask about the climate and local customs in Z Province, revealing just how worried she was about her son.
After a while, Xing Zhonghua couldn’t stand it anymore and intervened, "That’s enough, stop fretting. With the Hongjuns there, your son will be fine in Z Province, so you can rest easy."
Jian Hui felt a bit embarrassed by her husband’s remark and realized she might have overdone it. She quickly laughed and said, "Do I need you to tell me that? I may not trust others, but would I not trust Yunfang? I’m just chatting to pass the time, so mind your own business, and don’t eavesdrop."
Li Hongjun and his wife both laughed, understanding very well Jian Hui’s parental anxiety.
"Hey, by the way, there’s something I want to tell you. Did you hear about your cousin’s situation?" Jian Hui suddenly remembered the gossip.
Shen Yunfang knew she must be talking about Shen Yunfeng, so she nodded.
During her last visit, Dashuan’s wife had mentioned that Shen Yunfeng seemed to have had an affair.
"Do you know she found someone else again?" Jian Hui asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
No matter how old a woman is, there’s always excitement when gossip is involved.
