Chapter 56

“Yes… it’s the Xie residence,” Xu Maofang responded quickly.

Once the initial shock wore off, she began to feel a surge of disdain and a bit of regret.

So Xie Tingyu married that kind of woman—what kind of future could that bring…

In every way, Xu Maofang was inferior to Xie Jun’s first wife. After all, being a second wife meant she was constantly compared to Wen Zhihua. For example, she only had one daughter in her life, while Wen Zhihua gave birth to twin sons in one go. She lacked Wen Zhihua’s education and grace, wasn’t as good-looking, and even fell short in raising children…

She had lived under Wen Zhihua’s shadow most of her life. And now, her own daughter was only just entering college, while her stepson had become a farmer in the countryside—and married a peasant wife.

Her stiff expression softened into a forced smile.

“Shui’ya, come in quickly.”

---

Meanwhile…

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Fsxl qyxkzkya qynlp ryppkdt vbaswtb vbl xkzkvyau nsxrswde alnstdkgle Dkl Mkdtuw yde nyzzle swv vs bkx.

“Oh? Isn’t this Tingyu?”

“Brought your wife home this year?”

A middle-aged woman passing by couldn’t help but glance over at the new wife of the Xie family. The girl had just fallen, her clothes were scuffed and looked shabby, but she appeared simple and modest. It matched what she’d heard—that she came from the countryside.

But the girl kept her head down, with her face partially hidden by her hair and a large hat that covered most of her head. She looked pitiful and a bit disheveled.

The first impression wasn’t great.

Curiosity was eating away at the middle-aged woman. She wanted to walk past and get a better look—how could a girl like this have captured Xie Tingyu’s heart?

After all, Xie Tingyu was one of the most eligible bachelors in the entire compound. No young man in their generation could compare to him. Rumor had it he was extremely picky—hence still unmarried.

And after all that, he picked… a country girl?

No one knew what to say.

The middle-aged woman silently moved closer, trying to sneak a peek. Just as she was about to look down, Xie Tingyu suddenly picked Ye Qingshui up and carried her on his back.

She was stunned.

All that over just one fall? Wasn’t that a bit… much?

What kind of wife was so precious that even the tiniest bump couldn’t be tolerated?

“Aunt Ming, if there’s nothing else, I’ll take Shui’ya home first,” Xie Tingyu said.

Aunt Ming could only watch the couple disappear into the distance—never even getting a good look at the girl’s face.

Ye Qingshui’s face flushed red. She struggled a bit. “Put me down.”

How could he do this in public? It wasn’t like she couldn’t walk.

Even if they were married, carrying her on his back in broad daylight felt too intimate for the era’s standards of propriety.

Xie Tingyu adjusted her slipping position, holding her more securely. His hand brushed her backside, and he leaned down to whisper:

“Stay still.”

He took a less crowded path and soon reached the Xie home.

He set her down, took out his key, and quietly turned it in the lock.

Ye Qingshui leaned in and heard his stepmother’s fake-sweet voice from inside:

“Shui’ya, why are you dressed so lightly? Isn’t it freezing?”

“I’ll have Dongmei bring you some clothes. They’re old, but don’t be picky.”

She turned her head and caught sight of Xie Tingyu, whose face mirrored her own surprise.

Ye Qingshui silently pushed open the door.

The door opened noiselessly. Inside, a pretty young girl sat on the sofa doing her nails, looking annoyed.

Xie Tingyu’s stepmother was holding another woman’s hand affectionately, fussing over her.

Xie’s father silently set down his newspaper, expression unreadable.

Xie Tingyu blinked in confusion before smiling faintly and raising his voice: “Shui’ya?”

The woman mistaken for “Shui’ya” blushed and stammered, “I-I’m not Shui’ya.”

“My aunt said the commander’s family needed a housekeeper for the New Year, so I came to help out.”

Xu Maofang, caught in her assumption, flushed. She quickly let go of the woman’s hand and said awkwardly, “Ah, I see. Well, we don’t need a housekeeper. Sorry.”

The Xie family’s housekeeper had gone home for the holidays, and she had asked a relative to fill in temporarily. She hadn’t expected the new wife not to need help.

She had never intended to hire someone new. A fresh housekeeper was hard to manage—and since the new daughter-in-law was arriving, she figured they’d make her do the work. Sun Lingyu’s letter had said Ye Qingshui was diligent and hardworking—surely she’d want to impress.

After ushering the woman out, Xu Maofang turned and greeted her stepson with a smile:

“Tingyu, you’re back.”

“Brother—”

Ye Qingshui, still standing dumbfounded at the door, was pulled inside by Xie Tingyu.

“Aunt Fang, this is Shui’ya. Don’t mix them up.”

He gently patted the girl on the shoulder and said steadily.

All four people in the room turned their eyes to Ye Qingshui.

Xu Maofang’s expression shifted rapidly—shock, disbelief, amazement—all flashing through her eyes in a matter of seconds.

This rural girl was nothing like she had imagined. Her fair skin and lovely features were striking. Despite wearing a dull blue-gray cotton coat, she radiated a quiet, pure charm. Her hair was tied in two unfashionable braids, yet she looked adorable rather than provincial.

So much for being “plain-looking.”

This was what they called plain?

Ye Qingshui squinted slightly, looking innocent and naïve. Xu Maofang glanced at her own daughter—

Charming and bright, dressed modestly and gracefully. Yet when the two girls of similar age stood side by side, Ye Qingshui looked fresher, more vibrant, and more eye-catching.

Xu Maofang clenched her teeth.

The contrast was too much. Her earlier smugness now felt like a farce. Her face burned.

Xie Dongmei stared at Ye Qingshui too. Her nail clipper dropped with a loud thunk on the wooden floor.

They looked at Ye Qingshui, then at the woman who came for the housekeeping job.

Ye Qingshui couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. She started to piece it together. Had they mistaken that woman for her?

That woman looked at least 25. Ye Qingshui had just turned 18. That was a big age difference. Did they really think she looked like that?

Xie Jun finally broke his stony expression. His usually stern face softened a little as he said:

“You’re back.”

Xie Tingyu nodded.

He wanted to take the luggage upstairs and, not feeling at ease, brought Ye Qingshui with him.

“Shui’ya fell earlier. We’re going to change clothes,” he said to the elders.

Ye Qingshui hesitated before saying softly, “Dad, I’m going to change too.”

Xie Jun gave a barely noticeable nod.

Satisfied after seeing his daughter-in-law, he grabbed his coat and said, “I’m heading back to the unit. I’ll return tonight.”

Xu Maofang saw her husband off and closed the door.

Xie Dongmei slowly picked up her nail clipper. “Our new sister-in-law… looks kind of different.”

Xu Maofang replied, “What’s different?”

Yeah, what was different?

Sure, she looked decent—but that didn’t change the fact that she came from a backwater town. With only a primary school education, shy as a quail, and couldn’t even speak properly.

Thinking this made Xie Dongmei feel bad for her brother.

---

Xie Tingyu took Ye Qingshui to his room.

She retied her hair, washed her face, and took in the surroundings.

His room was large and clean, minimalist and spotless. Not a speck of dust. Only books and musical instruments. Shoes neatly lined up, shirts organized in the closet by color and direction—like someone with OCD¹obsessive -compulsive disorder.

The house had heating. Xie Tingyu removed his heavy coat, revealing long, lean legs—his entire lower half seemed like one straight line of limbs.

Ye Qingshui also took off her coat, showing a V-neck sweater. Without the bulky coat, her figure looked slim and graceful, her curves subtly outlined with the youthful charm of a teenage girl.

Xie Tingyu flushed slightly and turned his head away with a soft cough. “Is your foot okay?”

Ye Qingshui shook her head. “It hurts a bit, but it’s fine.”

He knelt to check her foot and pushed her onto the bed. Then he took off her shoes and socks.

Her ankle was slightly swollen and bruised.

The moment he touched it, she flinched in pain.

He chuckled. “That’s what you call ‘fine’? You think you can walk like this?”

Ye Qingshui’s face turned red. She wanted to throw her sock at him. What a rascal.

“Hurry up and go down! They’re waiting!”

He applied some ointment and gently massaged her foot. “No need. Shui’er, take a good nap. I’ll wake you for dinner.”

Ye Qingshui stared at him wide-eyed.

She hadn’t considered this house her home, but she knew enough to understand that as a new bride, she should at least show respect. Sleeping through her first day here might get her sent back to the village.

But looking at Xie Tingyu’s serious expression, he clearly wasn’t joking.

His dark eyes had a cool calm to them.

“It’s fine. You can sleep. My dad had official business.”

So Ye Qingshui took off another sweater and crawled under the fresh, warm blanket—and slept sweetly.

His bed was big, soft, and the covers weightless. It smelled clean, like snowy mountains after a storm.

---

Downstairs, Xu Maofang and Xie Dongmei waited… and waited. The new daughter-in-law never came down.

“She must be shy,” Xu Maofang guessed.

Xie Dongmei thought she was rude. Who came to their in-laws’ for the first time and acted like this?

Half an hour later, Xie Tingyu came down.

“Tingyu, where’s your wife?”

“She’s asleep,” he said calmly.

The two women stared in stunned silence.

This was… outrageous!

They were still downstairs waiting! What kind of new bride acted like this?

Xie Tingyu calmly unpacked Ye Qingshui’s New Year gifts. “These are Shui’ya’s gifts, brought all the way from the countryside.”

Xu Maofang wasn’t interested. Just some dried fruits and pickled veggies—not exactly prestigious.

“These things exist in the capital. Why bring them all this way?”

Xie Tingyu pulled out the smoked sausage and cured meats. “These? You can’t find in the capital.”

Ye Qingshui made them herself—so delicious the scent could make a child cry with hunger. She had saved them specially for his family.

Xie Dongmei, watching her brother’s serious expression, felt disappointed. Ever since that trip to the countryside, he seemed to have lost that magnetic charm he once had.

She was dizzy with frustration.

“She’s sleeping? Who does that their first time visiting their in-laws…”

Xie Tingyu smiled even more. “She was exhausted. I told her to rest.”

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