Chapter 26: Even after a long while, it still felt beyond belief.

Chapter 26: Even After a Long While, It Felt Unbelievable

Qian Shihai looked at his niece standing obediently to the side, feeling a bit embarrassed and harboring a sense of guilt toward his elderly mother.

He gave an unnatural, light cough, stood up, and said, "Yunjiao, since your grandmother is asleep now, I have matters to attend to at the front. If you need anything, send someone to fetch me."

"Wait, Second Uncle," Yunjiao said, hurrying after him.

"What is it?" Qian Shihai asked, puzzled.

"It’s nothing major, but since Grandmother is so frail, she cannot stomach greasy or heavy foods. Could you please instruct the kitchen to prepare fresh, light meals for her?" Yunjiao looked at him with hopeful eyes, thinking that surely her uncle could manage at least this much.

Qian Shihai nodded, just about to agree.

The door curtain was lifted, and Shen Changdong walked in, followed by Qian Xianglan.

"Is my little aunt talking about Grandmother’s meals? I personally instructed the kitchen to prepare those to help her recover. Is there something wrong with them?" Shen Changdong walked over with a beaming smile.

The moment Yunjiao saw him, she felt as disgusted as if she had seen a maggot in an outhouse; the events of that morning were still fresh in her mind.

Jianjia and Mujin exchanged glances, both feeling a chill of fear.

Yet, Shen Changdong, the instigator, acted as if nothing had happened, chatting away with ease.

Yunjiao took a step back and looked at Qian Xianglan. "Cousin."

Qian Xianglan smiled softly. "Cousin, you’ve worked hard taking care of Grandmother."

This cousin of hers was generally pleasant in her interactions with others and had not taken after her mother, the second aunt. It was simply baffling why she continued to indulge Shen Changdong’s wickedness and even helped him cover his tracks.

Seeing that Yunjiao ignored him, Shen Changdong deliberately stepped forward and laughed, "Why haven't you called me brother-in-law today, little aunt? Are you feeling shy?"

His manner was so much like a casual joke between a brother-in-law and a sister-in-law that no one could detect a flaw in his performance.

If Yunjiao didn't respond, she would appear rude. But how could she bring herself to address this beast in human skin?

She lowered her eyes, remaining silent, locked in a stalemate with him.

Shen Changdong’s smile faltered, and his expression gradually darkened.

Qian Xianglan’s expression shifted. Thinking for a moment, she stepped in to diffuse the tension. "You know she’s shy, so why are you deliberately teasing her!"

Shen Changdong seemed to remember something; his expression softened, and he suddenly chuckled. "That’s true, it’s normal for a young lady to be shy. However, I heard you talking about Grandmother’s food. I am the one who arranges those, and your suggestion isn't entirely unreasonable. How about this: when you have time, come to my study and write out a list of dishes for me. I’ll instruct the kitchen to follow it."

Yunjiao gripped her palms so tightly that she barely suppressed the urge to slap him.

"That works too," Qian Shihai said, not sensing the underlying tension and nodding in agreement. In truth, he was somewhat surprised that his son-in-law was being so accommodating this time.

Qian Xianglan stood to the side, lost in thought.

Shen Changdong looked at Yunjiao with his hands behind his back. "What does my little aunt think?"

Yunjiao stared at his hideous face, realizing that what he said wasn't a question, but a threat. He might as well have told her directly that if she wanted her grandmother’s meals to be to her liking, she would have to submit to him.

Yunjiao froze for a moment, steadied her mind, and gave a faint smile. "I will do as brother-in-law says."

Shen Changdong was surprised at first, then became incredibly smug. He had thought this little aunt would be difficult to handle, but it turned out she was no virtuous martyr. He felt quite pleased, believing Yunjiao was already within his grasp.

"Then it's settled. Father-in-law, have the account books from the shop in the west of the city been delivered?" Shen Changdong asked Qian Shihai.

Qian Shihai replied, "The manager sent a clerk with them this morning. I’ll go get them for you."

The two men left together while talking.

Inside the room, besides the maids and the unconscious Old Madam Qian, only Yunjiao and her cousin Qian Xianglan remained.

"You all should go out for a moment," Qian Xianglan said after sitting quietly for a while, gesturing to Jianjia and the others.

The three maids looked at Yunjiao.

Yunjiao’s heart stirred, and she gave a slight nod.

A moment later, only Yunjiao and Qian Xianglan remained in the room with the sleeping Old Madam Qian.

"Good sister, come sit here," Qian Xianglan said, rising to pull Yunjiao to sit beside her.

"Cousin," Yunjiao called out obediently.

"Good sister, although I am your cousin, I am a bit older than you, so I can be considered half an elder. Are you willing to listen to what I have to say?" Qian Xianglan held her hand, her gaze deeply sincere.

"Of course," Yunjiao nodded.

"Then listen to me: you must never go to your cousin-in-law’s study." Qian Xianglan gripped her hand tightly.

"Why?" Yunjiao asked immediately.

"Don't ask questions; just listen to me," Qian Xianglan patted her hand. "You only need to know that your cousin will not harm you!"

"Cousin, if I am not mistaken, you actually know what he has been doing!" Yunjiao stood up, pulled her hand back, and said sternly, "Then why don't you stop him? Why let that beast do as he pleases, and even help him clean up his mess?"

Qian Xianglan sighed and looked away. "Do you think I don't want to stop him? Look at me."

She rolled up her sleeves, revealing bruised, purple-and-blue marks on her arms—new injuries layered over old ones.

Yunjiao was stunned into silence. After a long moment, she asked, "Did he do this to you? Do Uncle and Auntie just let him beat you like this?"

Qian Xianglan gave a bitter laugh. "I once had a sweetheart I was truly fond of. He was one of five brothers and was willing to marry into our family as a live-in son-in-law. But your uncle and aunt looked down on him because he was just a blacksmith’s apprentice. They said he had no future and wouldn't be able to manage such a large family business.

"Later, through a twist of fate, we met Shen Changdong, who had come from out of town. Because he was a scholar who could read and write, your uncle and aunt thought he was perfect in every way. Plus, he agreed to marry into the family. Your uncle happily finalized the marriage, and your aunt went around telling everyone how wonderful and outstanding her son-in-law was. I couldn't go against them, so I had to follow their wishes.

"But after we married, he revealed his true nature. He would beat and scold me at the slightest provocation, claiming that women shouldn't be pampered, or they would become pretentious. I couldn't handle him, and feeling wronged after being beaten, I would cry to my mother. At first, when your uncle and aunt saw me beaten, they were naturally heartbroken, and whenever I had a conflict with him, they would come to my defense. The first few times, he restrained himself.

"Then, one time, your aunt lost her patience and slapped him. He stopped pretending entirely. He turned around and beat both of them, showing not a shred of remorse. He even took us to court, claiming that a merchant family dared to insult a scholar."

Yunjiao listened, dumbfounded, unable to speak for a long time. That there could be such a person in the world who would distort the truth and disregard all human morality was simply inconceivable. Even after a long while, it felt unbelievable.

That a live-in son-in-law would dare to act so recklessly toward this family was unheard of. But, upon reflection, he was simply relying on the fact that he was a failed scholar and the Qian family had no sons, which gave him the confidence to run wild.

If Qian Xiangshan were still alive, it would never have come to this.