Shan Qihuan smiled and confirmed Shen Yuhan's guess: "Yes, she is coming back from where she left off."
"Is she just passing by and coming back to take a look, or is she planning to return to secular life?" Shen Yuhan had no idea about this magical mother-in-law who had never appeared. She had never seen her photo and rarely heard anything about her from Shan Qihuan.
Shan Qihuan mentioned these things to Shen Yuhan very lately because his impression of his mother was still stuck in his childhood. He only remembered that she often quarreled with Shan Tianfeng and her back when she left resolutely. Even her appearance was a little blurry.
His elder brother and second sister would find time once a year to go to the temple to burn incense, but he would never go. This woman had hardly paid any attention to him before she left him. He was a child who grew up with a nanny, and all her attention was on Shan Tianfeng. The time she left him was when their relationship was at its worst. All Shan Qihuan remembered was the cold look she gave him.
At the same time, he also remembered that the sentence she often said to the nanny was: "It's so annoying! Take him away, I don't want to see him now!"
Shan Qihuan shouldn't have been affected by the news that this woman was coming back, but she brought him only bad memories, and he could express his thoughts in a relaxed manner in front of Shen Yuhan, so he brought it up.
He said: "My eldest brother only said that she returned to Jiang City to live for a period of time, but it is not clear whether she returned to secular life or something else."
Shen Yuhan handed him a pair of chopsticks: "If she wants to go back, then she can go back. You don't have to worry about it, and it won't affect your life."
Shan Qihuan smiled: "That's true." Everything he had now was earned by himself, and it had nothing to do with her.
At this time Shen Yuhan thought of another thing: "If she comes back, should I go to visit her?" Since the other party has become a nun, it is not an exaggeration to use the word "visit". Now I should call her by her Buddhist name.
"I don't know. Let's see the picture when she comes back first." Shan Qihuan didn't intend to speculate about his mother with a malicious attitude, but the unpleasant experiences in the past made him do so, as if it had become a conditioned reflex.
"Honey, what kind of person is my mother-in-law?" Shen Yuhan was still a little curious. In fact, Shan Qihuan didn't look much like Shan Tianfeng, but his other brothers inherited Shan Tianfeng's appearance.
Shan Qihuan was so amused by his wife calling her mother-in-law that he could not help but feel distressed. "My mother-in-law, objectively speaking, my impression of her is not very high, but people still have a high opinion of her. Her mother was a wealthy family in Jiang City back then, and my father was just a grandfather from a small, run-down family, a playboy who could coax people. It is said that she chose to marry my father, but her mother didn't actually like him. But my mother insisted on marrying him and almost broke off relations with my parents-in-law. But she was the apple of Gu's eye back then, and we finally agreed to her request."
Shen Yuhan admired her for her persistence in true love: "Then how did it become like this? The status of both families seems to have been switched. What about my mother-in-law's parents? Are they no longer in contact?" He had been here for half a year and had never heard Shan Qihuan mention his mother-in-law's father-in-law. Logically speaking, the mother-in-law is very important.
Shan Qihuan satisfied Shen Yuhan's curiosity: "My parents-in-law passed away before I came out, and my mother passed away again, so the relationship between Qixin and I and Gu Xin is relatively weak. Now my eldest brother may still have some contacts with some close relatives, but it's also very rare, probably just a relationship of sending gifts during festivals. The relationship between the two families has switched, mainly because most of my parents-in-law's money is for my mother. They hope that Shan Tianfeng can take good care of her, so naturally they help him a lot. It's like Shan Xin has his current career thanks to Gu Xin."
Shen Yuhan said: "Although we say bad things about him behind his back, my father-in-law is now disregarding our dignity and expanding our family. Shouldn't my parents-in-law have turned against him a long time ago?"
Shan Qihuan shook his head and said, "It is said that my parents-in-law can't bear to see him until they die, but my mother won't leave him, there is nothing we can do."
"Then doesn't his practice violate the current legal provisions on monogamy?" Shen Yuhan is no longer ignorant of the law. When he was in Liangshui Village, the mobile phone signal was not good, so he often sat in the living room with Brother Lin to watch the legal channel. He also gained a preliminary understanding of modern marriage law.
Shan Qihuan said: "For this kind of thing, if we don't report it to the government, we can only condemn his behavior from a moral point of view, and the government can't do anything about it."
So that's how it is. After watching the legal channel, Shen Yuhan also felt strange. Why in a monogamous society, Dan Tianfeng could marry several wives? It turned out that he did not report to the authorities or investigate, which was equivalent to taking advantage of a loophole in the law. Moreover, this was a personal behavior in public and did not rise to the level of endangering society.
"That really puts us in a difficult position." Shen Yuhan somewhat sympathized with her husband.
"It's not bad." Shan Qihuan joked to himself, "After all, I am the son of the first wife, and my family background is very good."
Shen Yuhan smiled: "That's right."
After chatting with his wife for a while, Shan Qihuan felt relieved of the resentment that had been pent up in his heart for many years.
Since the two reconciled, they have been as sweet as honey. However, they both have their own things to do, so they are not too clingy. In the end, they understand each other's inner thoughts better, and their relationship is no longer so tense. Even if they encounter problems again, their relationship still has the ability to compete with each other.
The archaeological team was still cleaning out the last batch of cultural relics from the tomb. They decided to let Shen Yuhan take time to go to the museum after they had all been cleaned up. This would allow Shen Yuhan to continue to heal his hand.
Before he knew it, it was the day when Shen Yuhan's mother-in-law, whom he had never met, returned to Jiang City.
Since ancient times, the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law has been the biggest problem.
In the State of Qi, a daughter-in-law must not only listen to her husband, but also to her mother-in-law. She must never do anything that her mother-in-law forbids her to do, and her husband must also listen to her mother-in-law. Speaking for the daughter-in-law would be considered unfilial. If the mother-in-law does not like the daughter-in-law, she can divorce her for her son, and the son has to divorce her, otherwise he will also be considered unfilial.
Shen Yuhan learned a little from Shan Qihuan about his mother-in-law who had gone out and returned to Jiang City.
Her name is Gu Biqing, and she is four years younger than Shan Tianfeng.
That day, Shan Qiyuan still called them all together and had them all gather for dinner at his house in the evening. Gu Biqing would stay at his house for a while, but he didn't mention how long.
Shen Yuhan was still a little nervous when meeting his mother-in-law for the first time. He first went downstairs of the company to wait for Shan Qihuan to get off work, and then they went to Shan Qiyuan's house together.
On the way, Shen Yuhan was silent and didn't say a word. Shan Qihuan noticed that something was wrong with him today.
Shan Qihuan asked him, "Why don't you speak?"
Shen Yuhan took a deep breath and said, "The ugly daughter-in-law is afraid of meeting her parents-in-law."
Shan Qihuan pulled him to his side and said, "What's there to be afraid of? I'm not here anymore, what is she doing here?"
Shen Yuhan felt better after leaning against Shan Qihuan: "Okay."
But he was still an ancient man after all. He was taught from a young age to serve his parents-in-law well in the future, and before he got married, he was also taught by the maid in the palace how to serve his wife well.
In fact, before he set out, he had read about how modern daughters-in-law get along with their mothers-in-law, and thought that modern people would change. However, a lot of the content he read was complaining about how weird their own mothers-in-law were. Even the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationships in the news were not good. Some men and mothers-in-law abused their wives together, which was really terrible.
No one has yet been able to solve this eternal problem.
After arriving at the big villa where Shan Qiyuan lived with trepidation, this was not the first time Shen Yuhan had come.
There are more people in Danqiyuan Village, with about ten to twenty people including the driver and the nanny. The living quarters are also large, with a lawn on the ground. It takes some distance to drive to the main house. Shen Yuhan came here for dinner during the Chinese New Year, and he was still amazed by the various beautiful gardening facilities.
The feeling this time was different, and he was no longer in the mood to appreciate it all.
Shan Qihuan usually doesn't come to Shan Qiyuan's place. Firstly, his elder brother is also busy, and secondly, his sister-in-law is actually not very enthusiastic. She has the same attitude towards everyone and is quite cold, so the brothers always meet outside for dinner.
Everyone was there today. Shan Qixin, who was usually the last to arrive, was already here. He always liked playing with his nephew, but today he was in a low mood. He was probably in the same mindset as Shen Yuhan. One was meeting his mother-in-law, and the other was meeting his biological mother. In comparison, it seemed that meeting his mother was more important. Shen Yuhan felt relieved when he saw this.
My second sister and her husband and their son are here too. She should come here often, as she is quite familiar with the kids.
Shan Qihuan chatted with them, while Shan Qixin quietly moved to the side of Shen Yuhan. Among the four siblings, he was the youngest and had never seen his mother. Now more than 20 years have passed, and she suddenly said she wanted to come back and get together with her family. Shan Qixin had been very distressed since the past few days.
Shan Qixin whispered, "Third sister-in-law, I'm nervous."
Shen Yuhan replied: "I'm nervous too."
Shan Qixin suddenly found a resonance: "Why are you so nervous?"
Shen Yuhan said: "How can a new daughter-in-law not be nervous when meeting her mother-in-law?"
Shan Qixin came to comfort him instead, and immediately forgot his nervousness: "She has little to do with you. I think you are usually quite calm when encountering things."
Shen Yuhan said: "I don't understand, you will know after you get married."
Shan Qixin's attention was successfully diverted, and he was in a bad mood: "That's right, I'm not married, so even if I get married, I shouldn't have to face this."
It's really irrelevant. Shen Yuhan didn't want to talk to Shan Qixin anymore. To use modern terms, his uncle has a very low EQ.
Shen Yuhan didn't know why, he always felt that getting along with his mother-in-law was not a big deal, the structure of the Shan family was no different from most families in Qi, probably because of Shan Qihuan, so he would meet her this time. Of course, in addition to this, he was also a little uneasy, always feeling that this mother-in-law was not easy to get along with, this was his sixth sense.
After sitting for a while, the distance to Gu Biqing was getting closer and closer.
Shan Qiyuan suddenly stopped talking and answered a phone call. The driver sent to pick up the people said they had arrived.
Everyone stood up and walked towards the door. Although Shen Yuhan was nervous, he still paid attention to Shan Qihuan's current mood. While standing at the door waiting for someone, he quietly held his hand. Shan Qihuan looked at him, and Shen Yuhan gently squeezed his palm.
Shen Yuhan whispered, "Hubby, don't be afraid."
Shan Qihuan was amused by him: "I'm not afraid."
As the two were talking, the person who made everyone feel uneasy finally arrived.
The driver got out and opened the seat door.
Shan Qiyuan was the first to step forward as the eldest brother.
Completely different from everyone else's impression, the person who got off the bus was a woman with a silky bun and a stern face. There was no smile on her face. She first called Shan Qiyuan "Uncle".
Shan Qihuan called her, "Aunt Cheng."
She was not Shan Qihuan's mother, but someone who had always served Gu Biqing.
Aunt Cheng turned around and reached out to the car: "Madam, we're here."
At this time, the woman called Madam stretched out her hand. Her hands were still white and well-maintained. She slowly appeared.
She landed her feet on the ground first, then slowly raised her hand and placed it on the wrist of the stern-faced woman.
After waiting for a long time, the person finally came.
Gu Biqing finally appeared in front of her children. She was not wearing an intimidating gown, but a modern outfit, a close-fitting cheongsam that would never be out of fashion in any era.
Her face was bare and her hair was tied in a bun. Although she was over 60 years old, she was well maintained and her skin was still firm. If it weren't for the fine lines at the corners of her eyes, one would really not be able to tell her actual age.
She had the typical gentle appearance of a Jiangnan woman, and was not very tall. She glanced at the people present, her eyes particularly fixed on Shan Qiyuan.
Shan Qiyuan called out first: "Mom, you're back."
Gu Biqing then let go of the stern-faced woman's wrist. It was clear that she had not lived a hard life over the years. She still had someone serving her, a loyal servant of similar age.
Gu Biqing paused and smiled at Shan Qiyuan: "Yeah."
Shan Qibing also called her "Mom" at this time. Gu Biqing smiled and then looked at Shan Qihuan and Shan Qixin. Since they didn't say anything, she didn't say anything either and went straight into the house. As for the others, she simply ignored them.
Yes, she simply ignored it without even giving me a glance.
Before she left, Shan Qiyuan and Shan Qibing were not married. When she came back, everything had changed, but her attitude was not very pleasant.
Shen Yuhan felt a little nervous before meeting her, but after meeting her in person, she no longer felt nervous.
It is intriguing that a person who has been away for many years suddenly comes back, and he is a person with shaved hair, and he is not dressed up when he comes back. He has always been sensitive, and he knew at the first sight that this low-key mother-in-law who seemed to be non-existent was actually not simple, especially when she directly ignored the few people who were her children's partners, and her unique arrogance was not hidden.
Shen Yuhan didn't want to please anyone, so he no longer speculated on the purpose of Gu Biqing's behavior.
Shan Qiyuan asked someone to send her and Aunt Cheng's luggage to the room first, and asked her whether she wanted to eat or wash up first.
Gu Biqing finally spoke: "Let's eat first. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting for so long. There are so many people in the house, and I haven't seen them properly, including my grandchildren."
There was no sign of fatigue in her eyes and brows, and she looked very energetic.
Everyone then sat down in turn. Gu Biqing sat in the main seat and looked around again.
Shan Qiyuan introduced everyone to her one by one. He introduced everyone in his family first. Although the sister-in-law was cold towards her mother-in-law, she still greeted her seriously. She didn't like such private occasions. Gu Biqing looked at her and didn't seem to be displeased. Instead, she asked about her family's situation.
At this time, Gu Biqing looked kind and asked her, "Are your parents still alive?"
The eldest sister-in-law said: "He is still very healthy."
Gu Biqing said, "Then I'll visit them some other day. After all, they are my parents."
No matter how cold and indifferent my sister-in-law was on weekdays, she never made any mistakes in her response to the elders: "Wait, have a good rest, and then we can arrange a time. My parents are quite easy-going."
Gu Biqing smiled and said, "Well, let's settle it this way for now."
Shen Yuhan at the side just then remembered what her husband said, that the eldest sister-in-law and eldest brother were in a marriage relationship, and although she had some minor flaws in her character, she was a good person in general. It was also because of this that Shan Tianfeng handed the heavy responsibility of the Shan family to Shan Qiyuan.
Shan Qiyuan introduced his two sons to her. The children called her grandma obediently. Gu Biqing directly asked Aunt Cheng to hand over a red envelope as a gift.
Next came the second sister Shan Qibing's son-in-law. Gu Biqing glanced at this son-in-law for a few times, but since they already had a child, she didn't say anything and handed a red envelope to the child at the same time.
She looked at Shan Qihuan and Shan Qixin and said, "Old Three, Old Four, you have grown up too."
Shan Qihuan paused, "I guess so." He wanted to mention Shen Yuhan again, but Gu Biqing didn't give him a chance to speak, "Boss, how about we have dinner?"
Shan Qixin really couldn't call her mom. Seeing that her attention was not on him, he didn't say much. To him, she was just a stranger.
Throughout the whole process, Gu Biqing never even looked at Shen Yuhan, as if he didn't exist.
After dinner, Gu Biqing had no intention of enjoying the joy of family. She asked everyone to leave first, saying that she was tired.
Everyone went back home, and Shan Qixin was asked by her to stay and live in Shan Qiyuan's house.
From the moment Gu Biqing entered the door until the end of dinner, she did not ask anyone about Shen Yuhan.
Shan Qihuan and Shen Yuhan also drove back home.
As soon as they got in the car, Shan Qihuan couldn't help but frown: "What do you mean by her? Why do you ignore her? Is it because she is the son of my dad's best friend?" If there hadn't been a child there, he would have lost his temper on the spot!
Seeing him so indignant, Shen Yuhan smiled and said, "Hubby, what's there to be angry about? If you don't like me, then don't like me. The relationship between people depends entirely on fate. I'm not money, so I can't make everyone like me."
Shan Qihuan sneered: "That's right, she doesn't even look at me. Others love the house and the whole house, but she hates the whole house and the whole house?"
Shen Yuhan comforted her, "Then I will try my best to hang around in front of her in the future."
On the contrary, Shen Yuhan was not annoyed at all. Instead, he asked his doubts: "Didn't she become pregnant? I have met pregnant people before, but I don't think she is like that. On the contrary, she will not become pregnant again?"
Shan Qihuan fell into deep thought because of his question. Over the years, the one who had contact with Gu Biqing was his brother, and he knew a lot about his mother.
Could it be that his brother is hiding something from him
Shen Yuhan observed Gu Biqing's demeanor tonight. He did not think that this was a show of power. She was really just ignoring him on purpose. She simply did not like him, or she felt that the other party was of low status and not worthy of being associated with her.
A figure flashed through his mind. In the past, there was an eldest princess in Qi State. She had a son. She originally hoped that her son could marry a virtuous wife and a good mother, a decent and honest woman. However, her son was not like her. Instead, he asked his uncle to arrange a marriage for him and married a boy.
The eldest princess's consort had two younger brothers, so she hated younger brothers very much. Therefore, she looked down on her brother's wife. She asked him to serve her on snowy days, scolded him for no reason, and deliberately ignored him when she took him to banquets, just to see him make a fool of himself.
Once, Shen Yuhan couldn't stand it anymore, so he secretly helped the boy who was not good at writing poems, so that he wouldn't lose face at the banquet. He felt that it was not easy to be a daughter-in-law, especially the daughter-in-law of the emperor. In the past, the boy often wrote to him and gave him some fun treasures. He was a boy with a more positive personality and a good person. He just didn't know whether the young marquis treated him well.
As for Shen Yuhan, once he thought of the eldest princess of that year, he felt that there was something wrong. It was normal for his mother-in-law to dislike him. It could be seen that even when she was not around, she knew everything about Shan Xin's incident.
If his mother-in-law lived in Qi State, she would definitely become good friends with the eldest princess.