Chapter 769: 772, Disgusting Face (Second Update)

"Nowadays, many young people don’t know how to cook, why would I laugh at you?" Zhao Yan continued, "However, my son-in-law is an exception; not only can he cook, but he also makes especially delicious meals."

Whenever Mo Zhixuan was mentioned, Zhao Yan’s face lit up with smiles; she was very fond of her son-in-law.

She also knew that for Chu Jin, Mo Zhixuan had made many sacrifices.

"Really?" Song Shiqin responded nonchalantly, "Isn’t there a saying that ’gentlemen stay away from the kitchen’? Your son-in-law really doesn’t sweat the small stuff."

In fact, Song Shiqin could tell from Zhao Yan’s face that she was very satisfied with Mo Zhixuan, which is why he deliberately made such a comment.

The saying that ’gentlemen stay away from the kitchen’ implies the opposite, that Mo Zhixuan was someone unlikely to achieve greatness.

A man should do what a man is supposed to do, how can he be close to the kitchen?

Zhao Yan did not think too much into it and said cheerfully, "That’s an outdated notion. A true man can adapt to any situation; not only can he handle the kitchen, but he can also take to the battlefield. Nowadays, we emphasize gender equality, and women shouldn’t be left busy in the kitchen all their lives. My daughter doesn’t know how to cook, so when the two of them are living on their own, my son-in-law does the cooking."

"Is that so?" Song Shiqin’s expression remained unchanged as he followed up on Zhao Yan’s words, "Then your son-in-law truly is a good man."

Zhao Yan nodded contentedly, "Song, could you please wash the ginger as well?"

"Of course, it’s no trouble," replied Song Shiqin, who took the ginger and carefully washed it,

After washing and preparing all the ingredients, Song Shiqin continued, "Auntie, could you possibly teach me how to stir-fry and cook today? That way, once you go back, I can also cook on my own, and it wouldn’t trouble you anymore. I could even cook for my future wife."

"Of course," Zhao Yan nodded with a smile, "Song, you really are a good kid. Whoever marries you in the future will be lucky. It’s just a pity I only have one daughter; if I had two, I would definitely want you as my son-in-law."

"Thank you for your affirmation, Auntie, but I’m not as good as you imagine," Song Shiqin said modestly.

Song Shiqin was a clever man and quickly mastered the way of cooking, and during the process, Zhao Yan also shared with him many life hacks.

For instance, how to quickly thaw frozen food and how to make rice fluffier and more delicious.

Watching Zhao Yan busy in the kitchen, in that moment, Song Shiqin felt a sense of motherly love that he had long missed.

How wonderful it would be if Zhao Yan were his mother.

He truly wished he could call Zhao Yan ’mom’ one day.

However, he believed that day was not far off.

Soon, a table full of fragrant homemade dishes was ready.

The dishes were simple.

Braised fish, stir-fried edamame with loofah, milk cabbage with wood ear mushrooms, spicy and sour bean sprouts, braised pork, plus a steamed egg and tomato with lean meat soup.

Though the dishes were simple, they were colorful, fragrant, and flavorful.

Zhao Yan took off her apron and said to Song, "Song, come sit down and eat, try and see if it tastes good."

"Sure," Song Shiqin said, placing two bowls of rice on the table, "Auntie, please sit down as well."

Zhao Yan sat opposite Song Shiqin and kept adding food to his plate with the serving chopsticks.

Originally, having Zhao Yan come over to cook was just part of Song Shiqin’s plan, but now he found himself genuinely looking forward to this homemade meal. As he put a bean sprout in his mouth, a multitude of emotions welled up inside him.

In that instant, Zhao Yan truly gave him a feeling of ’mother’.

He was only using Zhao Yan, but in return, he received sincere treatment from her; he could feel that Zhao Yan cared for him as if he were her own son.

"Does it not suit your taste?" Seeing Song Shiqin like this, Zhao Yan asked with some concern.

"It’s very delicious, Auntie. Thank you," Song Shiqin said, and began to eat quickly as if he had been starving for days, swallowing down the food along with the emotions in his heart.

He owed Zhao Yan an apology. Zhao Yan treated him like family, but all he wanted was to use her.

"Eat slowly; there’s more in the pot. If it’s not enough, I’ll make you some more," Zhao Yan watched Song Shiqin with a loving gaze, continuously serving him food.

She thought to herself, how nice it would be to have a son like Song Shiqin.

Unfortunately, she was not destined to have children.

At this thought, Zhao Yan’s expression grew dim.

After the meal, Zhao Yan did not linger at Song Shiqin’s place for long but went straight back by car. That afternoon, she still needed to visit the Mo family to see Chu Jin.

Song Shiqin stood under the camphor tree, watching as the black car drove away.

At that moment, Dai Yu emerged from the villa and stood behind Song Shiqin, respectfully saying, "Lord Ghost, should we continue with the original plan?"

"Mm," Shi Qin nodded slightly.

"Right," Dai Yu continued, "there’s another matter I need to report to you."

"Go ahead," Shi Qin’s face bore an inscrutable expression.

Dai Yu went on, "Miss Chu is carrying fraternal twins, and one of the fetuses is a common person, without a mutant bone, and won’t be capable of cultivating in the future. As a result, the Mo family is likely discussing aborting this child. The hospital has already reserved a surgery spot for them."

By normal human reasoning, the Mo family would not accept a child of average abilities.

That’s why the hospital had arranged the operation room in advance.

After all, she was the Ninth Lady, the reincarnation of an empress, and nothing untoward could occur.

"Is that so?" A glint flashed in Shi Qin’s eyes, and the corners of his mouth turned up in a sardonic curve, "A common person? What’s wrong with a common person? Are common people that despicable in their eyes?"

Feng’er must be very sad right now.

She must be very distressed.

For Shi Qin, this was also an opportunity.

Shi Qin narrowed his eyes, a streak of light passing over his fingertips, piercing a hole in a leaf on the tree opposite him. He then asked, "When has the hospital scheduled the surgery for the Mo family?"

"In three days," Dai Yu replied respectfully.

"Then let’s move up our plan," Shi Qin said.

He needed to act before the Mo family to save the child in Chu Jin’s womb.

Even if the child wasn’t his, he was willing to raise it.

"Understood, I’ll see to it," Dai Yu replied.

Shi Qin looked ahead, narrowed his eyes slightly, and then turned and left.

Dai Yu immediately followed.

After returning to the villa, Shi Qin went up to the second floor and began to arrange the room, from the wallpaper to the curtains, to the bed, table, and cupboards inside the room—everything was personally bought by Shi Qin and he methodically set each piece in place.

"Lord Ghost, you should rest. I can have the servants take care of it," Dai Yu said as she followed Shi Qin, casually placing a vase on the table.

"Put it down!" Shi Qin turned around coldly, his tone full of authority, every word as if coated with a layer of frost, sending a shock through the heart. It was as if Dai Yu had made some grave error.

"I..." In an instant, Dai Yu’s body tensed up, the vase in her hand neither to be placed down nor held, leaving her unsure of how to react.

"I told you to put it down!" Shi Qin burst forth in anger, his dark eyes flaming with fury.

Dai Yu trembled with fear, a cold sweat breaking out along her spine.

"Clang."

The vase in her hand fell to the floor in fright, shattering into pieces.

"I’m sorry, Lord Ghost, I didn’t mean to," Dai Yu’s face turned ashen, including her bloodless lips, and her legs bent, dropping her to her knees on the broken shards.

"Get out!" Shi Qin snapped fiercely, his hands clenched into fists, veins throbbing visibly.

Dai Yu shook uncontrollably, keeping her head bowed, not daring to draw a single audible breath.

She didn’t know when Shi Qin had become a completely different person.

His moods were capricious.

Just like now.

Shi Qin reached for an inkstone on the table, intending to smash it against Dai Yu’s forehead, but then, as if he remembered something, retracted his hand and yelled, "I told you to get out!"

"Yes, yes..." Dai Yu scrambled out of the room, shaking as she closed the door behind her.

With Dai Yu gone, the anger in Shi Qin began to subside bit by bit. He bent down and slowly began to pick up the shattered pieces of the vase from the floor.

Glass shards cut Shi Qin’s hand, and drops of bright red blood appeared at his fingertips, but he continued to pick them up, appearing unphased.

His lips still held a faint smile.

**

The Shen family.

As the engagement date between Duanmu Zhe and Mo Qingyi rapidly approached, Shen Haoguang became restless.

He had previously arranged a dinner with Duanmu Sheng, during which Duanmu should bring the Shen family to meet his parents, but Duanmu Sheng had canceled due to a last-minute issue.

"My son, what exactly is going on with Duanmu Sheng? Does she still want to marry into our Shen family or not? She’s shown no sincerity at all!" Shen mother complained with a look of disdain.

A month ago, Duanmu Sheng had promised to visit the Shen family, but to date, not only had they not seen Duanmu Sheng in person, but they hadn’t even received a phone call!

It was simply outrageous!

Shen mother was very angry.

"Isn’t she busy with work?" Shen Haoguang lit a cigarette and said, "Mom, we need to be patient. Right now, it’s us who want to form a marital alliance with the Duanmu Family, not the other way round. Since we are the ones asking for a favor, we should just bear with it for a bit longer. Once I’ve married her and brought her home, then you can deal with her however you wish."

In recent times, Shen Haoguang had come to a realization; he must firmly cling to the Duanmu Family tree.

It’s good to rest in the shade of a large tree.

Although he was still in the courting phase with Duanmu Sheng, he distinctly sensed that some of the power players regarded him with a hint of fear whenever they looked at him.

Although Duanmu Zhe’s and Mo Qingyi’s marriage had not yet been publicized, some of the big shots in the circle had been aware of it a month ago.

Consequently, Zhou Xunian had even taken the initiative to greet him.

While Zhou Xunian may not hold any official position publicly, being just a wealthy merchant from the Superpower World, he was indeed a close confidant of Mo Zhixuan, acting as a traveling merchant and covertly assisting Mo Zhixuan’s undertakings across various countries.

Shen Haoguang was an astute man; he was well aware of the significant benefits the Duanmu Family could offer him in the not-too-distant future.

Shen mother was also a clever person. Hearing this, she immediately smiled and said, "My son, I am relieved that you think this way."

Right then, footsteps and voices sounded from outside the door.

"Madam, young master, Miss Situ has arrived," the servant walked in front, breaking the news with a beaming face.

As soon as the words were spoken, Situ Ya stepped out from behind the servant and said warmly, "Auntie, Haoguang."

"Ya Ya." Shen Haoguang quickly stood up and looked at Situ Ya with a wide smile.

"Oh, Ya Ya, you’re here!" Shen mother also quickly rose to her feet, smiling kindly, "Ya Ya, look at you, bringing so many things with you. We’re not strangers, no need to waste money like this next time, remember."

Shen mother was considering Situ Ya with the eyes of someone looking at a future daughter-in-law.

Situ Ya was petite and exquisite and, more importantly, was good at making money. She hadn’t spent a penny of Shen Haoguang’s and even brought gifts whenever she visited.

The skincare and nutritional products she brought were very high-end, ones that Shen mother wouldn’t ordinarily splurge on herself.

Though the Shen family came from a scholarly lineage and had an impressive facade, their foundations were not particularly strong.

A generous daughter-in-law like Situ Ya who was willing to spend money was hard to find, even with a lantern.

Regrettably, Situ Ya couldn’t offer any help to Shen Haoguang’s career.

Had it not been for Duanmu Sheng, Situ Ya would have been the one Shen Haoguang was to marry.

Fortunately, Situ Ya was understanding and didn’t mind Duanmu Sheng’s presence; otherwise, things would have been difficult.

"Auntie, you’re making jokes. I really didn’t buy much, just some ordinary skincare and nutritional products," Situ Ya said as she placed the various packages on the coffee table and took out a skincare set from a fancy gift box, "Auntie, you must have finished the skincare products I bought for you last time, right? This is a new limited edition product from their brand. You should try it."

Shen mother immediately reached out to take it, her eyes gleaming with excitement, "Ya Ya, you are so thoughtful! This must have cost you quite a bit, right?" Shen mother had been coveting this new skincare set for a long time, but unfortunately, budget constraints held her back.

Unexpectedly, Situ Ya had brought exactly what Shen mother wanted, a much-needed relief.

With a nonchalant disposition, Situ Ya spoke, "Actually, I didn’t spend much. It was a prize for a comic book competition I entered. Knowing how much you love their products, I specifically brought it for you."

Situ Ya was an adult comic artist who rose to fame through her risqué comics. Given the scarcity of adult comic artists and her platinum-level talent, her monthly earnings were very promising.

"Oh my..." Shen mother affectionately stroked Situ Ya’s head, "Our Ya Ya is truly a thoughtful child!"

With an embrace, Shen Haoguang put his arm around Situ Ya’s shoulder and kissed her cheek, "Look at you, Ya Ya, the moment you arrived, Mom won’t give me the time of day! I’m starting to think you must be her real child?"

"What are you talking about?" Situ Ya, her face flushed with shyness, playfully punched Shen Haoguang’s shoulder.

Shen mother immediately chimed in, "Ya Ya, Haoguang is right. It’s about time for you to change the way you address me. Always calling me auntie is too distant."

"Auntie...," Situ Ya’s face turned a deep red with shyness as she spoke, "even you are teasing me..."

"Silly child!" Shen mother scolded affectionately, "Call me Mom!"

Situ Ya shyly looked up at Shen mother and spoke softly, "Mom..."

"Ah, good girl, that’s right," Shen’s mother said, clasping Situ Ya’s hands tightly. "Ya Ya, you must have felt wronged during this time. I know it’s not easy for you, but for Haoguang’s future and your own, let’s endure a little while longer. Once Haoguang settles things with Duanmu Sheng, he will surely give you an explanation. Rest assured, no matter when, in mom’s heart, you will always be the first daughter-in-law of the Shen family."

"I understand, Mom," Situ Ya smiled understandingly. "Don’t worry, it’s no big deal for me. As long as I can help Haoguang, the grievances I suffer are nothing."

The reason Situ Ya could swallow such indignities was twofold.

Firstly, she truly loved Shen Haoguang.

Secondly, her background was not good. She grew up among men and women, with a mother who was a madam, which also led her to become an adult comic artist.

It was because she had personally experienced and witnessed certain things.

They say fiction comes from real life, and comics are no exception.

Because of her poor birth, she desperately needed a new identity to conceal herself.

The Shen family was a well-known scholarly family. The children she would have with Shen Haoguang would be intellectuals, and they would have a good life following the Shen family, without suffering the disdain of others like she had.

Becoming involved with Shen Haoguang was a tremendous stroke of luck for her, and that’s why Situ Ya tried her best to please Haoguang’s mother.

As for Duanmu Sheng, Situ Ya never took her seriously.

To her, the third young miss of the Duanmu Family was just a fool who could be easily manipulated.

Seeing Situ Ya’s understanding manner, Shen’s mother was even more gratified. She patted Situ Ya’s hand and said, "Ya Ya, you really are a good daughter-in-law for Mom."

"Thank you, Mom," Situ Ya said with a shy smile.

"How about it, Mom? I have a good eye for a wife, right?" Shen Haoguang wrapped his arm around Situ Ya’s shoulders, looking at his mother with a face seeking praise.

"Absolutely, she’s many times better than Duanmu Sheng!" Shen’s mother nodded repeatedly, looking at Situ Ya, then adding, "In Mom’s heart, Duanmu Sheng doesn’t even compare to a little finger of yours."

Situ Ya smiled modestly.

Just then, Shen’s father walked in from outside. Situ Ya immediately stood up, greeting him with a sweet smile, "Dad, you’re back?"

Shen’s father was taken aback, pointing to himself in disbelief as he looked at Situ Ya, "What did you just call me?"

As for Situ Ya, Shen’s father had always looked down on her. He was a true scholar, proud to the core. How could he approve of Situ Ya, who came from a humble background?

But, there was no choice, since his wife and son liked her, he had to let them be.

Shen’s father was a scholar and somewhat of a bookworm. In the Shen family, he hardly held any real household authority. Officially, he was the head of the Shen family, but in reality, Shen’s mother was the one in charge.

"Dad..." Situ Ya started to speak again.

She had been with Shen Haoguang for seven years. During that time, she had visited the Shen family countless times. She knew that Shen’s father had always looked down on her, but it was Shen’s mother who really ran the household. Even if Shen’s father opposed, it wouldn’t make any difference.

She had even given up her status for the sake of Haoguang’s future. If Shen’s parents wouldn’t let her call them ’Dad’ or ’Mom’, that would be too unfair to her.

Upon hearing her words, Shen’s father’s face immediately darkened as he snapped angrily, "Look clearly! Who is your father?"

"Shen Liangxiao, you shut up!" Shen’s mother glared at Shen’s father with angry eyes, then continued, "I have already acknowledged Ya Ya as our Shen family’s daughter-in-law. You better improve your attitude and don’t scare Ya Ya!"

As the tension escalated, Situ Ya quickly played the peacemaker, saying gently with a smile, "Dad, Mom, don’t be upset with each other over a junior like me..."

She paused, then added, "Dad, I know you especially enjoy drinking tea. Look, this is the top-grade purple clay pot I bought for you. I heard that the tea brewed with this kind of pot is particularly fragrant."

With that, Situ Ya took out a tea set from a pile of gifts. Having been with Shen Haoguang for so many years, she knew the Shen parents’ hobbies all too well.

True to her expectation, upon seeing the top-grade tea set, Shen’s father’s anger vanished instantly. His eyes lit up as he took the set, saying repeatedly, "What a fine piece, such a fine piece! This tea set is made entirely by hand from Zisha Tianqing clay. Where did you get this? It must have been expensive, right?"

Situ Ya smiled gently, "As long as Uncle likes it, that’s what matters. Money and such are just material things."

Shen’s father looked up at Situ Ya, his eyes still harboring undisguised disdain, but he said anyway, "You’re thoughtful." With that, he turned and left with the tea set.

What a joke!

He was, after all, a scholar from a family that once produced a Grand Tutor. How could he be seen standing with a woman of loose morals?

Nor could he bear being called ’Dad’ by one.

Out of sight, out of mind.

It was better to have less to do with such people.

Even though he had accepted Situ Ya’s gift, Shen’s father still looked down on her from the bottom of his heart!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read