With this shout, Shen Yuning finally remembered where she had seen that squinting look before. When Xiaorou returned to the Xue family, her expression whenever she saw Shen Yuning was exactly the same as this man's.
Moreover, when she first met Yuanbao, Yuanbao always looked at people like this. It was extremely impolite.
She was angry at that time. Since Yuanbao wouldn't listen to her advice, she simply ignored the child.
Now it seemed that, somehow, Yuanbao no longer did such impolite things. Even her personality seemed to have changed.
The man in front of her was Shen Jingui, who had been exiled for two years by Xiaorou's scheme.
Seeing everyone in a daze, Shen Fugui quickly tugged at his elder brother's hand. "Look, after more than two years, Yuanbao still remembers you."
Shen Jingui was only twenty - five years old. But due to the hard labor during his exile, he looked much older. His mouth drooped, and his eyes scanned the people in the room. He was sure that the only young lady here must be his younger sister. He couldn't help but take a second look and nodded in satisfaction. This younger sister was indeed raised in a wealthy family. She was good - looking and stood there with a different air from ordinary girls who were either timid or shrewish.
He tilted his chin at Shen Yuning. "You're my younger sister?"
Shen Yuning nodded and saluted according to the etiquette. "My name is Yuning."
While Shen Jingui was sizing up the people in the room, they were also sizing him up.
Xuanzhi frowned. He thought this man looked unfriendly, not as easy - going as the second elder brother, Shen Fugui. Just as he was thinking, Yuanbao beside him took a step back, then another step, until half of her body was hidden behind him.
He turned around in surprise and saw the look of fear on Yuanbao's face.
During the more than a year in the small village, Yuanbao often looked lonely or uncomfortable, and sometimes tried to act tough and domineering. But this look of fear was the first time Xuanzhi had seen.
He reached out and patted Yuanbao's shoulder. Yuanbao immediately reached out and grabbed his hand, just like when Huzi couldn't crawl yet and always held his little toys tightly to feel secure.
Shen Jingui didn't bother with much politeness. When a woman came to pour tea, he took a sip and got straight to the point. "I made some inquiries this morning. Fugui, you married into this family?"
Shen Fugui's face stiffened. Back then, in order to take Yuning and Yuanbao away, he had concealed the fact that he had married into the Zhang family. He only said that he would wait for his elder brother to come back and then let Yuning and Yuanbao return to Shenjiapo.
However, many people who were exiled for crimes never returned. Although Shen Fugui didn't want to think that way about his own elder brother, the current life was so comfortable. He never expected that his elder brother not only came back but also traveled a long way to find him in the small village.
When he returned to the small village today and returned the meat to Dachun's family, he heard from the second uncle that someone claiming to be his elder brother had been looking for him for a whole morning. He was very happy at that time, thinking that the three siblings could finally be reunited.
But on the way back, his elder brother's tight - lipped and tense expression made him a bit uneasy. He could only comfort himself that his elder brother must be too tired from the journey.
Shen Jingui didn't come here just to reunite with his family. In his opinion, a younger sister who had been raised as a young lady probably couldn't do anything and would only be a burden. But he had no job at home, and Shenjiapo was getting poorer. He couldn't even support himself. When he heard that his younger brother, who had been missing for many years, had a good life when he came back and had taken his younger sister and daughter away with him.
He thought that if his younger brother didn't have a bit of money, he probably wouldn't have dared to support his younger sister and Yuanbao. That's why he had the idea of relying on his younger brother.
Another reason was that he thought that even if his younger brother had no money and couldn't support his younger sister and Yuanbao, he would probably sell his younger sister for money just like he did back then. How could he let his younger brother have all the benefits? Naturally, he wanted to use the excuse of looking for his younger sister and daughter to have a good talk with his younger brother.
However, this was his previous thought. When he rushed from Maohe County to Yun County, he was surprised to find that even the farmers in Yun County were much richer than those in Maohe County. They could eat their fill every meal, and what they ate were fine rice and noodles. Even the beggars on the roadside, who got leftovers, were all well - built. They didn't look like people suffering from hunger and cold at all.
Moreover, when he inquired about Shen Fugui in the small village today, he learned that his younger sister was now very famous. She had opened several embroidery workshops and earned a lot of money.
Unexpectedly, the young lady raised in the Marquis's Mansion was much more useful than his former younger sister, Xiaorou, who couldn't do anything but cry.
So, Shen Jingui didn't care whether his younger brother had married into the Zhang family or not. Instead, he nodded. "Seeing that you're doing well now, I'm relieved."
Shen Fugui let out a sigh of relief and grinned. He introduced Uncle Zhang and Zhang Rong to Shen Jingui, then picked up Huzi and coaxed him to call his uncle.
Huzi drooled and vaguely called out "uncle". He wasn't shy. Usually, when he called someone, that person would take out cakes and candies. So he thought it would be the same this time. He just grinned stupidly at Shen Jingui.
Shen Jingui looked at the chubby child and became a bit more interested. He picked up Huzi and pulled down his open - crotch pants to take a look. Seeing that it was a boy, his mouth no longer looked so tense, and a hint of a smile appeared on his face. "A son?"
Shen Fugui scratched the back of his head. "Yes, a boy."
But Huzi smelled the sour and stinky odor on the man holding him and was very unhappy. Since he was born, he had been doted on by everyone. Even in winter, he would take a bath every other day and be smeared with the fragrant balm bought by his aunt. If his mother or Aunt Cen came to hold him after cooking, they would definitely wash their hands with soap first so as not to let the smell bother him.
This smell was too strong. Huzi wriggled and pushed Shen Jingui away, then staggered towards Yuanbao while shouting, "Sister, hold me."
But his sister, who usually doted on him so much, was now hiding behind Xuanzhi and didn't even dare to make a sound.
It was Xuanzhi who picked up Huzi. Without saying a word, he led Yuanbao into the inner room with his other hand.
Shen Jingui looked very unhappy. He opened his mouth to ask who this rude boy was, but then he seemed to think of something and quickly asked, "Huzi? What's Huzi's surname?"
Shen Fugui was stunned for a moment and stammered, "Zhang."
Shen Jingui immediately frowned. "Humph, I thought he was a promising one. Turns out he's not from the Shen family."
Shen Fugui wasn't happy about this. "Brother, what do you mean? He's my son. Whether he's surnamed Zhang or Shen, he's still my son."
Shen Jingui glared at him angrily and didn't look at Huzi anymore. But Huzi's disgusted expression just now made him realize that as the weather was getting hot, after begging all the way here, his body must smell sour and stinky.
He looked up. Originally, he wanted to find his younger sister, Shen Yuning, but he didn't know when the girl had left. He couldn't find her. He looked around. Opposite him was his younger brother's father - in - law. In the yard now, there were only the three men and his younger sister - in - law, Zhang Rong.
So he shouted at Zhang Rong, "Go and tidy up a room for me. Then boil some water. I want to take a bath."
Zhang Rong was still in a daze. Uncle Zhang wasn't happy and shouted, "You're being so unreasonable. This is our home. You're a guest. We'll prepare what we should. Why don't you ask your younger brother to do it but order my daughter around?"
Shen Fugui quickly tried to smooth things over. "I'll do it. Brother, I'll do it."
"A guy who marries into another family is really useless." Shen Jingui was quite impatient but still bossed around. He pointed at Zhang Rong. "Isn't this kind of work what women should do? Besides, you're living in my family's place now. How can you say you're the host and I'm the guest?"
Uncle Zhang had a hot temper. He didn't like this man from the moment he entered the door. Now he was even more furious. "How is my son - in - law useless? I raised him with my own hands. He's much more useful than a person like you who doesn't do anything decent and only thinks about selling his younger sister for money."
Shen Jingui was hit on his sore spot and got angry too. "Isn't she just a girl? I didn't know she was the young lady of the Marquis's Mansion. Otherwise, how could I have sold her? I'm quite kind - hearted. Considering she's my younger sister, I only let her be a maid. There are many people who sell their sisters and daughters to that kind of place!"
Seeing his father - in - law and elder brother arguing, Shen Fugui was extremely annoyed. He tried to persuade them left and right, but the two were arguing so fiercely that no one listened to him.
It was Zhang Rong, who had been in a daze for a long time, who suddenly shouted, "Wait, what did you say? This is my home. When did it become yours?"
Only then did Uncle Zhang react. He stared at Shen Jingui in confusion.
Shen Jingui sneered. "The embroidery workshop was opened by my younger sister. This place was rented by my younger sister. Naturally, it's my younger sister's house. I haven't even driven you out yet, but you're still arguing about not wanting to tidy up a room for me?"
Shen Fugui also reacted. His face flushed red. "Brother, what are you talking about? It's true that the embroidery workshop belongs to Yuning, but I'm her elder brother. Rong'er and I have been handling all the affairs of the embroidery workshop. How can this not be our home?"
Shen Jingui was impatient. "You've married into the Zhang family. What does the Shen family's property have to do with you? What, do you still want to come back and fight for the family property? In my opinion, your family just saw that Yuning can make money and want to coax her into making money for your Zhang family. Let me tell you, dream on. You'd better move out quickly, or don't blame me for turning my back on you!"
Although Uncle Zhang thought that their family could live a good life thanks to Shen Yuning. But that was Shen Yuning's credit. This man in front of him had done nothing but come here and try to drive them out?
But when he thought about it carefully, it seemed that this man was right. Fugui had married into the Zhang family and couldn't be considered a member of the Shen family. And Shen Yuning hadn't gotten married yet. Her household registration was still in Shenjiapo. The business she was involved in naturally belonged to the Shen family. The current head of the Shen family was Shen Jingui in front of him, not the capable Shen Yuning.
At this time, Shen Yuning walked in from outside, holding a box in her hand. She said coldly, "Brother, you're wrong. The Shen family's embroidery workshop has nothing to do with me. It's Uncle Zhang and Xuanzhi's shop."