In the early morning, when the sky was just starting to brighten, the roosters from every household had already jumped to higher ground and were crowing loudly, waking people up.
Due to her youngest sonâs marriage, Mother Lin was both happy and excited. She had a restless night, tossing and turning. As soon as she heard the roosterâs crow, she immediately opened her eyes and glanced at Father Lin, who was still sleeping. She got out of bed quietly.
She didnât know what kind of person the third daughter-in-law was, whether Shiheng liked her or not She had only heard that she was efficient in her work and looked good, but she hadnât heard much about her personality.
As Mother Lin was thinking, she pushed open the door and was about to go to the small kitchen to cook when she saw a graceful figure busy inside.
She was startled and went forward to take a look. Sure enough, it was the newly-wed third daughter-in-law. She immediately smiled and said, âWhy are you up so early without making much noise?â
Li Lanlan was boiling water. When she suddenly heard someone speaking behind her, she turned around nervously and softly replied to her mother-in-law, âBack at home, I used to wake up at this time. Yesterday, my husband told me what we eat at home every day, so when I woke up today, I thought of cooking.â
Mother Linâs smile became even more kind. It seemed that this third daughter-in-law was different from the previous two lazy ones.
âYouâre a new bride. Itâs not right to have you cook on your first day.â
âItâs my duty.â
After Li Lanlan finished speaking, she cautiously looked at Mother Lin and saw the satisfaction on her face. She immediately felt relieved in her heart.
When a new daughter-in-law married into the family, as long as the mother-in-law was satisfied, she could quickly integrate into the family.
Her maiden family was unreliable, and she couldnât compare to her husband in any aspect, so she could only work diligently and be filial to her elders.
Mother Lin was indeed very satisfied. She wasnât a bad-tempered person to begin with, and as a mother-in-law, she naturally liked diligent people. Considering the contrast with the previous two lazy daughters-in-law who relied on her, even if her initial liking for Li Lanlan was only three out of ten, it had now evolved to seven out of ten.
However, her liking didnât matter; it was still important that her son liked her.
With these thoughts in mind, Mother Lin turned her head and looked towards her sonâs room, asking her daughter-in-law, âIs Shiheng still asleep?â
âYes, when I got up, Husband was still sleeping.â
A wider smile spread across Mother Linâs face. Usually, Lin Shiheng would be up at this hour to study, but since he hadnât risen yet, it seemed that their wedding night had been quite harmonious.
Moreover, he wasnât one to talk much, yet he was discussing kitchen matters with the third daughter-in-law. It seemed like he was also satisfied with this wife.
As long as he was satisfied, it was good. This way, Mother Lin could also be at ease.
Mother Lin loved her son and always followed his preferences. In addition, Li Lanlan presented herself as obedient and understanding, which made her more willing to quickly accept the third daughter-in-law.
When the eldest daughter-in-law got up and pushed the door open, she saw the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law busy in the kitchen. Seeing her mother-in-law smiling at Li Lanlan like that, she couldnât help but roll her eyes.
Coincidentally, the second daughter-in-law also woke up, and she immediately complained to her younger sister, âLook, no wonder sheâs the darling daughter-in-law of the motherâs heart. When has Mother ever smiled at us like that?ân/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
The second daughter-in-law yawned and didnât look too pleased when she heard that, responding in annoyance, âMother has always favored Third Brother. Itâs normal for her to like Third Sister-in-law.â
The two of them forgot that when they first entered the family, Mother Lin was just as enthusiastic towards them. The real change in attitude came when they persuaded their own husbands to give up on their biological father.
However, even if they thought about it, they probably wouldnât proactively speak up, especially the eldest daughter-in-law. At 42 years old and having given birth to four sons, she always believed she was the pillar of the Lin family. She thought that all the familyâs money should belong to the eldest sonâs household. Unfortunately, her in-laws held onto the money and favored the third son. If they continued living together without separating, she feared that all the money would be thrown at the third son.
So, she wasnât wrong. Not only was she not wrong, she had also done a good thing.
Thinking about how the villagers always talked behind their backs, criticizing their lack of filial piety and the cold treatment from their mother-in-law, the eldest daughter-in-law felt extremely wronged. Looking at the lively figure in the kitchen, she coldly snorted, âShe may be good-looking, but who knows if sheâll still look as good after serving Third Brother for a few years?â
Third Brother was lazy. On regular days, besides studying, all he did was write. He even needed someone to bring him a glass of water. If their own husbands were idle and needed to be served all the time, they would definitely cry and complain.
She was just waiting for Li Lanlan to realize that Lin Shiheng was a useless fool. Then it would be time to enjoy the spectacle.
However, the second daughter-in-law didnât think as far ahead as her eldest sister-in-law did. She simply regarded it as praise for someone else. Being plain-looking and older in age, she felt a tinge of sourness when she saw Li Lanlan, who should be called her sister-in-law, young and beautiful.
âEven if she looks good, so what? Third Brother has high standards. Maybe he wonât even be interested in her.â
âTrue, Third Brother has always wanted to marry a city girl. Perhaps he wouldnât even want to touch her with a finger.â
As they were happily discussing, Lin Shiheng walked out.
Their smiles froze, and they saw their younger brother-in-law, wearing a long robe, glance at them emotionlessly before heading straight to the kitchen.
âMother."
Lin Shiheng greeted Mother Lin first before looking at Li Lanlan, who stood by the stove, feeling somewhat uneasy upon seeing him, âWhy didnât you wake me when you woke up?â
Even though they had become husband and wife yesterday, Li Lanlan still felt quite nervous facing her husband, who seemed completely different from everyone else in the village. Her face reddened, and she whispered, âI saw that you were sleeping so soundly...â
âNext time, you can wake me up.â
After Lin Shiheng finished saying that, his gaze fell on his wifeâs hand. He noticed a small scar on it, and his fair face slightly wrinkled. He immediately lifted her hand and asked, âWhat happened to your hand?â
Being held by her husband, Lin Lanlan, under the clear sky and bright sun, blushed even more, especially since they were in front of her mother-in-law. She wanted to pull her hand back but didnât dare to defy her husband. All she could do was blush and answer with shyness, âI accidentally scratched it while carrying firewood.â
She didnât think it was a big deal. When she was still at home, her father often went to help others, neglecting their own family. At that time, as a young girl, Lin Lanlan had to learn to do various chores. She had acquired numerous scars of various sizes on her hands and didnât pay much attention to them. She knew they would scab over and heal on their own after a few days.
However, Lin Shiheng didnât see it that way. He, a scholar in a long robe, frowned and directly took his wifeâs hand, scooping water to wash the wound.
âBe more careful next time.â
Lin Lanlan had never seen any other husband treat his wife like this throughout her life. She stiffly followed his actions, her face so red it seemed as though blood would drip from it. Her heart felt like it was about to leap out of her chest. With her head lowered, she softly mumbled an agreement.
Her husband... was completely different from what she had imagined.
On the other side, Mother Lin smiled happily. She had been worried that her son wouldnât like his third daughter-in-law, but seeing Lin Shihengâs behavior, she felt relieved.
Intimacy, ah, intimacy was good. Only through intimacy could she have grandchildren sooner.
She was delighted, while the eldest daughter-in-law and the second daughter-in-law, who were watching from a distance, felt extremely uneasy in their hearts.
When has our husbands ever treated us like this?
Even if they accidentally cut their hands while chopping vegetables and bled profusely, they would only be scolded for being incapable.