Chapter 17 I Don't Care About My Man's Reputation

Before Shen Qingyi could say anything, Anan spoke up, “Aunt Wang, did Uncle Wang find out what my dad did wrong?”

Shen Qingyi had always thought Wang Chunlian was someone who could put aside her pride, but unexpectedly, her own son was just as bold. It was as if the incident a few days ago had never happened. In comparison, she now seemed petty and unforgiving. The way he called her Aunt Wang…

Wang Chunlian glanced down at Anan, her eyes filled with maternal affection. She smiled, “Oh, there’s nothing like your own child—so thoughtful, no distance at all. Your dad? Well, he put his own brother in the hospital and wants to send his parents back to their old home. How can that be right?”

She then looked at Shen Qingyi. “I never expected Lu Yan to seem so gentle but have such a fiery temper. Now everyone at his workplace is talking, saying he’s cut ties with his family. You really should talk to him. He has such a promising future—don’t let it be ruined because of family drama.”

Hearing this, a storm raged in Shen Qingyi’s heart. Was he standing up for her? He had told her himself that he wanted his parents to return so he could bring her and Anan over. Shen Qingyi knew all too well what kind of people the Lu family were. Reasoning with them would only make them push their luck, so Lu Yan had finally acted.

Shen Qingyi smiled at Wang Chunlian. “I understand. Thank you, Sister Wang.”

Wang Chunlian was still counting on Lu Yan to help her husband solve problems, so she didn’t dare put on airs in front of Shen Qingyi. She forced a smile. “Oh, there’s no need to thank me. We’re neighbors, after all. Sometimes we quarrel, sometimes we help each other—perfectly normal, especially when it comes to the kids.”

Shen Qingyi neither agreed nor disagreed, only said, “I have something to do, so I’ll be going.”

Wang Chunlian watched her leave. “Alright, but you really should talk to your husband about this. Like I said, he’s worked so hard for his achievements—don’t let family matters ruin him.”

“Alright,” Shen Qingyi replied, pulling Anan along without looking back.

With Lu Yan’s written proof, Anan’s household registration was processed smoothly. All that was left was the formalities. On their way back, Shen Qingyi was in a good mood. “Come with Mom to fix the radio, then we’ll buy some fruit and groceries.”

Anan nodded obediently.

They arrived at a shop that specialized in repairing televisions and radios. Shen Qingyi took out the radio and handed it to the young repairman, who fiddled with it for a while but couldn’t find any problem. “There’s nothing I can do,” he finally said.

Shen Qingyi was puzzled. “Check again. It’s practically new.”

“There’s really nothing I can do,” he said, handing the radio back.

Helpless, Shen Qingyi took the radio and, a little annoyed, said to Anan as they left the shop, “See? You must have broken it when you took it apart!”

Anan looked aggrieved. It was clearly Dad who had dismantled and reassembled it after Mom brought it back yesterday—nothing ever happened when he did it himself. But he couldn’t tell Mom that. She’d just started to change her attitude toward Dad; if she found out the truth, what if she didn’t let Dad visit anymore?

“I’m sorry, Mom. I didn’t mean to,” he said softly, his childish voice full of remorse.

Shen Qingyi’s heart softened at once. “Forget it, let’s just go buy groceries.”

Thankfully, Lu Yan had handed over the living expenses; with the way he ate, Shen Qingyi really couldn’t afford to host him otherwise.

Mother and son entered the market. Shen Qingyi bought a chicken, half a pound of meatballs, ten eggs, and two bunches of greens.

“Well, if it isn’t Qingyi?”

A familiar voice sounded behind her. When she turned around, she saw two familiar faces. Chen Haixia was walking over, arm in arm with Qian Guihua, both carrying shopping baskets.

Shen Qingyi regretted turning around before confirming who it was. If Qian Guihua had stopped her, it was certainly not just for small talk or to see Anan.

“So this is Anan?” Qian Guihua’s gaze landed on Anan, and she stepped closer. He really did look alike. When Anan didn’t greet her, she turned to Shen Qingyi. “How do you raise your child? He doesn’t even greet his grandmother when he sees her.”

Shen Qingyi quickly pulled Anan behind her. “Aunt Qian, the child has never met you before. He’s scared. If there’s nothing else, we’ll be going.”

The moment Chen Haixia saw Anan, her heart shattered. No wonder… No wonder he would go to such lengths to protect Shen Qingyi, even if he had no feelings for her. If only she’d used a little trick back then to win him over—all because she’d been too confident, waiting for him to confess.

Qian Guihua, oblivious to Chen Haixia’s expression, eyed the contents of Shen Qingyi’s basket. “Is this how you run a household? Even if Lu Yan has acknowledged you and your son, you shouldn’t be spending money so recklessly. Lu Fan isn’t married yet, and your father and I are still ill. When we went to the hospital the other day, Lu Yan didn’t pay a cent. He really doesn’t care about his family at all.”

Chen Haixia quickly added, “Lu Yan just borrowed a hundred yuan from his boss yesterday.”

Shen Qingyi found it all rather amusing. “My son and I have never eaten a grain of your family’s rice or slept under your roof. What does any of this have to do with me? This is how I’ve always lived, and I’ve done just fine. I don’t need you to teach me how to live my life.”

Qian Guihua hadn’t expected the girl she’d once bossed around to speak to her so sharply. For a moment, she was speechless, her eyes nearly bulging out of her head.

Seeing this, Chen Haixia jumped in, “Comrade Shen Qingyi, you’re Lu Yan’s wife now. You should consider his reputation in your words and actions. Talking back to your mother-in-law like this—people might think you’re the one who talked Lu Yan into breaking with his family the other day. We’re all family; don’t keep bringing up the past and nitpicking at your mother-in-law. It just puts Lu Yan in an awkward position between you both.”

The pillow talk accusation made Shen Qingyi frown delicately. “This is the first time I’ve heard I’m so influential. If I could sway Lu Yan that easily, I wouldn’t let you still be standing here.”

As people gathered around, Qian Guihua began to wail, “Oh, what a sin I must have committed! My son married such a daughter-in-law—wasteful, unfilial, and she even incited my son to send us old folks back to the countryside. Heaven knows how much effort we put into raising him, only for him to forget his mother after getting married.”

Anan clung tightly to his mother’s hand, whispering, “Mom, let’s go. You said yourself that arguing with people like this is just a waste of energy.”

His voice was quiet, but Qian Guihua heard him. “See? Even the little one doesn’t acknowledge his grandmother.”

The crowd began to murmur, “Such a pretty young wife, but so arrogant and ill-mannered.”

“Looks can be deceiving.”

“It’s all just a fancy exterior hiding rotten insides. When you marry, it’s not enough for a wife to be pretty—she’s got to be sensible, too.”

Hearing the crowd take her side, Qian Guihua wailed even louder.

Shen Qingyi remained calm and untroubled, smiling sweetly at Chen Haixia. “If you don’t care about my husband’s reputation, let your Aunt Qian cry even louder and draw everyone here. I’m not afraid, after all.”