A Beauty in the 80s Goes on a Blind Date with Her Child, Captivating the Military Compound - Chapter 107

The woman near the door was in her early thirties with an oval face and skin so fair and delicate it looked as though it could drip with moisture. Her features were exquisite; beneath her curved willow-leaf brows were a pair of smiling almond eyes. A gentle warmth always lingered in her gaze, as if she could see right into one’s soul. When she smiled, it felt like a soft spring breeze—yet that smile never truly reached her eyes. It was as if a thin veil stood between her and the world, making her impossible to read.

The woman beside her was twenty-seven. They shared about seventy to eighty percent of the same facial features, though the younger one possessed a more spirited and cunning air.

“You must be Sisi!” Gu Wanyin rose, greeting Shen Sisi with great warmth.

Shen Sisi was struck by a sudden illusion—it felt as though Gu Wanyin was the true mistress of this house.

Gu Qingqian, the younger sister, stood up reluctantly. Her eyes flickered with an unreadable light as she scanned Shen Sisi from head to toe. She is indeed beautiful, she thought grudgingly, no wonder she has our brother so utterly infatuated.

“And you are…?” Shen Sisi asked hesitantly.

Gu Wanyin familiarly took her hand. “I am Chengfeng’s eldest sister, Gu Wanyin. This is his second sister, Gu Qingqian.”

Compared to Gu Wanyin’s immediate familiarity, Gu Qingqian appeared much more cold and aloof.

So, the sisters-in-law have arrived!

Shen Sisi suddenly remembered Xu Hongying mentioning that since the wedding date was approaching, she would invite Gu Chengfeng’s two sisters to help with the preparations.

“I had no idea you were coming today. I am so sorry!” Shen Sisi was caught completely off guard. Luckily, she had bought the roast duck for an extra dish; otherwise, she would have been dreadfully negligent in hosting her sisters-in-law.

“Even if you did know, what of it?” Gu Qingqian snapped.

Shen Sisi felt the sting of the remark but bit her tongue. “If I had known, I would have met you at the station. I’m sorry about today, but tomorrow I’ll treat you both to a mutton hot pot.”

Gu Wanyin’s eyes narrowed slightly, but she maintained her polite smile. “There’s no need for such trouble. I know you’re a very busy woman. It’s no problem at all; we’re happy just to eat a simple meal at home.”

The words were meant to be considerate, but to Gu Qingqian’s ears, they sounded like an insult.

“Busy? I think she’s busy finding ways to spend my brother’s money!” Gu Qingqian sneered. “A woman from the countryside like you doesn’t earn a cent. You eat off my brother and use my brother, yet you have the nerve to be so extravagant as to eat out at restaurants?”

When it came to the topic of money, Shen Sisi truly couldn’t argue. Almost everything she owned now had been given to her by Gu Chengfeng. Even her startup capital was thanks to him. She kept a strict record of these debts in a small notebook, intending to pay him back once the oil mill turned a profit.

However, being poked in the back like this didn’t sit well with her. Shen Sisi refused to back down. “I admit that Gu Chengfeng has shouldered a great deal. But I am not an idle person. The money I’d use to treat you to dinner is money I’ve earned with my own two hands. I wouldn’t spend a penny of his.”

“You?” Gu Qingqian reacted as if she’d heard a hilarious joke. “Shen Sisi, if I recall correctly, you only graduated from junior high!”

Shen Sisi chuckled softly. “I may lack a degree, but unlike you, I don’t lack a proper upbringing…”

“You—what did you just say?” Gu Qingqian flew into a rage.

Shen Sisi replied, “Isn’t it a lack of culture to assume a junior high student can’t make money?”

After all, she earned quite a bit; just two orders of medicated oil brought in several months’ worth of a worker’s wages.

Gu Qingqian hadn’t expected Shen Sisi to be so tough or that she would dare to fire back. Just as she was about to explode, Gu Wanyin gave her a pointed look. “Second Sister, look at yourself. You’ve only just met Sisi and you haven’t said a single kind word.”

Chastised by her elder sister, Gu Qingqian sat back on the sofa in a huff. “Fine, I’ll shut up. Satisfied?”

Gu Wanyin put an arm around Shen Sisi’s shoulder, walking with her all the way to the kitchen. “Don’t take it to heart. That’s just her temperament.”

Shen Sisi could only manage a tight smile. “It’s fine.”

Inside, Xu Hongying was wearing an apron and cooking. The kitchen was a chaotic battlefield.

“Sisi, you’re back!” Xu Hongying said, busy tossing vegetables in a wok.

“I’m back.” Shen Sisi set the roast duck down. “Mom, the sisters are here, and I happened to buy a roast duck. We can add it to the meal.”

“Good, go rest then!”

With two sisters-in-law watching her, Shen Sisi didn’t feel right just sitting outside waiting for dinner. “I’ll help,” she said, picking up vegetables from the sink and turning on the tap.

Gu Wanyin joined in. “Then I’ll do the chopping!”

Gu Wanyin truly didn’t act like a guest; she seemed more familiar with Gu Chengfeng’s house than Shen Sisi was. The harmonious scene felt strangely surreal. Especially regarding Gu Wanyin—she was so warm and friendly, yet Shen Sisi felt an instinctive urge to keep her distance.

“By the way, Mom, where’s Niu Niu?” Shen Sisi asked.

“Niu Niu is sleeping in her room. Wanyin played with her for a long time this afternoon. The little one got worn out and has been asleep ever since. We’ll wake her when the food is ready.”

Xu Hongying mentioned that Gu Wanyin liked Niu Niu very much and had even brought her a new outfit. Shen Sisi glanced at her eldest sister-in-law, who was busy chopping. While she murmured her thanks, her mind was racing. Generally speaking, very few families would easily accept an unwed mother like her, let alone show such kindness to her daughter. Even Xu Hongying, with her “knife-like mouth and tofu heart,” had required a long adjustment period.

Shen Sisi felt something was off about Gu Wanyin, though she couldn’t put her finger on it.

Dinner was served quickly: a simple spread of four dishes and one soup. Steamed pork with rice flour, steamed sausage, tomato and egg stir-fry, and green beans with eggplant, accompanied by a bowl of hot “Three Fresh” soup.

Shen Sisi went into the bedroom to get Niu Niu up for dinner. Behind the slightly ajar door, she heard hushed whispering.

“Sister, why did you stop me earlier? Look at this Shen Sisi. Our brother is out on a mission and she isn’t worried at all! She’s dressed up like a peacock, doesn’t watch the kid, doesn’t care about the house, and spends all day messing around outside.”

“Keep your voice down. Be careful, walls have ears…” Gu Wanyin’s low voice drifted off as she lowered her volume further.

Shen Sisi heard everything. Her heart was now as clear as a mirror. The two sisters shared a resemblance, but their personalities were worlds apart. Gu Qingqian wore her disdain on her sleeve; though her words were harsh, she was direct and didn’t hide her feelings. Gu Wanyin, on the other hand, was someone Shen Sisi couldn’t quite grasp.

She wondered if she was being cynical, or if Gu Wanyin really was harboring ill intentions. A person like Gu Wanyin was best kept as a friend; as an enemy, she would be terrifying.

After all, a ‘smiling tiger’ is the hardest to deal with.

The meal passed in relative silence. Perhaps having been warned by her sister, Gu Qingqian restrained herself, though her gaze toward Shen Sisi remained cold. How did my brother, such an elite bachelor, end up marrying ‘worn-out shoes’? It made her blood boil just thinking about it.

After dinner, Shen Sisi piled the dishes to the side and sat on the sofa to rest.

“Shen Sisi, what are you doing just sitting there?” Gu Qingqian demanded.

“I’m sitting here hatching golden eggs,” Shen Sisi replied crossly.

“Hatching golden eggs?” Gu Qingqian actually glanced under Shen Sisi’s seat for a second. Realizing she’d been mocked, she turned red with fury. “Don’t give me that nonsense! My mother is in the kitchen washing dishes and you don’t even offer a hand? Is this how you act as a daughter-in-law?”

Shen Sisi slowly raised her watery almond eyes and retorted: “That’s right. Your own mother is in the kitchen washing dishes, yet you two daughters don’t even offer a hand. Is this how you act as children?”