Chapter 10

Xiaoming stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly gripped the secret letter from his mother.

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The little girl had now washed the dirt from her face. Her almond eyes and delicate nose, her pink lips, and her perfectly proportioned features were flawless. Her skin was fair and smooth, and she didn't look like a beggar at all. She was now looking at Shen Xi with a shy expression.

Shen Xi hadn't expected the little girl to be so beautiful. He was momentarily stunned, then quickly snapped out of it, thinking to himself that it was ridiculous for a man in his thirties to be captivated by a little girl's beauty.

Shen Xi looked up and saw Zhou Shi beaming with joy, as if she had found a treasure. She chuckled, "Brat, I've made up my mind. I'm going to take this little girl home and raise her as a foster daughter-in-law."

Shen Xi was taken aback for a moment, then pretended to be confused and asked, "Mother, what is a foster daughter-in-law?"

Zhou Shi gave him a playful glance and laughed, "A foster daughter-in-law is just that. What else could it be?"

Shen Xi felt a chill and asked directly, "You don't mean to have her become my wife when she grows up, do you?"

Zhou Shi's expression turned sour at Shen Xi's reaction. She put her hands on her hips, frowned, and said, "How old are you? Do you even know what a wife is?"

Zhou Shi paused and continued, "This little girl is so pretty. Wouldn't you be happy to have her as your wife? Once we get to the county, I'll have your father register her with the authorities and bring her into our family... This is settled. There's no room for negotiation. Don't be as nagging as you used to be."

Shen Xi felt something was wrong and questioned, "Mother, you're making her our foster daughter-in-law without her consent. Won't the authorities investigate?"

Zhou Shi frowned, "Investigate what? It's not illegal! Do you think I'm uneducated and easy to fool? Your third aunt was also a foster daughter-in-law. The Shen family is a prominent clan; they wouldn't do anything illegal."

Shen Xi stammered, finally finding a somewhat reasonable excuse, "But... she... she is older than me."

Zhou Shi laughed and teased, "Are you stupid? A foster daughter-in-law is someone you raise to be your future wife. Of course, she will be older than you. Otherwise, how could she be a foster daughter-in-law?"

Shen Xi was speechless for a moment, realizing Zhou Shi had a point. He had also known this in his previous life. Feeling a sense of despair, he tried to act cute, "Mother, I only want you, not a wife... I'm not even seven yet, why do I need a wife?"

Zhou Shi glanced at Shen Xi and sneered, "Do you think I want this? You're only seven, but it won't be long before you need to get married. Once you're old enough, you might not find a wife... Our family isn't wealthy. This little girl coming to our home will ease my worries."

Shen Xi protested, "Mother, I have the ability to find my own wife."

"Rubbish, what abilities do you have? Let me tell you, with our family's means, when you grow up, you won't have enough money for the traditional marriage rites. Besides, there are many younger generations in the Shen family. You're the youngest, and more brothers might be born. It's unlikely you'll get a turn... Go away, behave yourself, and don't bully your future wife."

Shen Xi smiled bitterly. The marriage problem he hadn't solved at twenty-eight in his previous life was now being resolved before he was seven.

The little girl, blushing, saw Shen Xi's gloomy face and timidly stepped forward. She looked back at Zhou Shi and then nervously whispered, "Brother, are you upset because I'm dirty? Don't worry, I'll wash myself clean and smell nice!"

Shen Xi forced a smile that didn't match his age and said, "I'm not your brother, I'm your husband."

Looking at the little girl's delicate face filled with hope and longing, Shen Xi felt he couldn't refuse. If not for Zhou Shi's plan to make her a foster daughter-in-law, what other reason would there be to take in this little girl? Even in peaceful times, a fragile little girl in the countryside would struggle to survive, and having a meal might be her greatest luxury.

After a long silence, the little girl became more anxious, blushing and gently pulling on Shen Xi's sleeve, "Brother, don't worry, I'll listen to you. As long as you don't send me away, I'll do whatever you say."

Shen Xi turned his head away to avoid the emotional scene.

Zhou Shi, seemingly remembering something, squatted down and asked warmly, "Little daughter-in-law, what's your name? Call me Mother."

Seeing Zhou Shi's eager expression, Shen Xi was both amused and exasperated, pouting and moving to the side.

"My name is Lin Dai, my nickname is Dai'er. I'm nine years old, Mother..." the little girl said hesitantly.

"Good, good, what a beautiful name. Look at him, he's called Shen Xi, his nickname is Hanwa. I also call him Little Rabbit, but you can't call him that. He hasn't had his coming-of-age ceremony yet, and he doesn't have a courtesy name. You can call him anything... He will be your husband. If you treat him well, and he does well in the future, I promise you will be the main wife. Okay, Dai'er?"

Lin Dai nodded, saying nothing. She watched Shen Xi squat by the river, looking at his reflection in the water, her eyebrows furrowed, deep in thought.

After a while, Zhou Shi called Shen Xi, and the three of them returned to Shuangxi Town. They found an inn in a narrow alley and haggled with the owner for a while before settling in.

After a short while, two inn boys brought a bathtub into the room and kept adding hot water, while also relaying a message from the owner:

"Sir, the owner said the bathtub will cost extra, and it's non-negotiable. He wants us to confirm with you. If it's okay, it's okay. If not, we'll take it away."

Seeing the impatient look on the inn boy's face, Zhou Shi's smile faded, and she coldly said, "Thirty coins just to take a bath? You're really good at business. But I'm in a good mood today, so I won't argue over this small amount. Tell the owner I'll pay later."

Shen Xi was unhappy, "Mother, why are you so fickle? I'm your own son. Thirty coins could buy two or three pounds of meat."

Before he finished, Zhou Shi turned and glared at him, "Little Rabbit, what do you know? Girls need to be more refined. You can't bathe in the yard like a wild child."

Shen Xi was speechless, but the little girl timidly asked, "Brother, can you not watch me bathe?"

Before Shen Xi could respond, Zhou Shi laughed, "Hey, the little girl is still shy. It's fine. You're both young, so it's okay. Once the brat is ten, he can't watch anymore, got it? My precious little daughter-in-law."

Lin Dai blushed and nodded, while Shen Xi was annoyed. He grunted and was about to leave the room when Zhou Shi called out, "Hanwa, where are you going? Sit down and behave. I'm going out for a bit. You stay here and take care of your little wife. Don't leave this room, got it?"

Shen Xi could only nod and sit back down, idly playing with a teacup on the table.

Zhou Shi warned, "Don't run around. This isn't home. There are many bad people, and kidnappers love innocent children like you. Dai'er, go into the bathtub and wash yourself. I'll go buy you a pretty dress."

After Zhou Shi left, only Shen Xi and Lin Dai were left in the room.

The sound of water splashing reached Shen Xi's ears. He kept his eyes averted, thinking a little girl's body wasn't worth looking at.

Lin Dai, however, was nervous and whispered, "You're not allowed to peek."

Shen Xi walked to the window, looking at the bustling street, and said dismissively, "No one is peeking. Hurry up and wash. Mother will be back soon."

"Okay."

Lin Dai obediently agreed and began to wash herself.

The sound of splashing water continued, making Shen Xi restless. He tried to focus on the people on the street, guessing their identities. After a while, he felt bored and turned back to the table to sit down.

Lin Dai suddenly shouted, "Ah... Brother, you're lying. You said you wouldn't peek."

Shen Xi snapped back to reality, realizing he had forgotten Lin Dai was still bathing. He felt speechless, thinking it was strange to be called "brother" by a cute little girl, making him feel like his reputation was tarnished.

Lin Dai hid in the bathtub, using the sides to cover herself. She pouted and looked at Shen Xi with a hurt expression, as if trying to melt his heart with her eyes.

Shen Xi met her gaze and smiled, "Little sister, you don't even know the difference between a husband and a brother, let alone the structure of the body... From now on, you should call me brother. Only then can we get along well, and I won't bully you. Do you agree?"

Lin Dai blinked, only half understanding. Girls mature earlier than boys, but she wouldn't fully understand until she was twelve or thirteen. She finally said, "Okay, I understand. I'll call you brother... Don't be angry, okay?"

Shen Xi, seeing the little girl's reluctant and shy expression, couldn't help but smile. He tilted his head and looked into her clear, bright eyes, asking, "What about your parents? Why were you abandoned by the roadside?"

A sad look flashed across the little girl's face, but she tightly pursed her lips and said nothing. Shen Xi, seeing this, didn't press further and sat back down, lost in thought.

After about an incense stick's time, Zhou Shi returned with some clothes, which she must have bought in town. Shen Xi, seeing her happy expression, wondered when she had become so generous. Last year, she hadn't even bought him new clothes for the New Year, yet now she was so generous without hesitation...

Zhou Shi entered the room, ignoring Shen Xi, and walked to the bathtub, smiling, "Child, are you done washing?"

Lin Dai nodded, looking at Zhou Shi with a hint of dependence.

"Then get up. I bought you new clothes. Try them on and see if they fit. If not, I'll exchange them," Zhou Shi said kindly.

Because Shen Xi was watching, Lin Dai blushed and refused to get out of the bathtub. Zhou Shi, seeing Lin Dai's shyness, glared at Shen Xi and scolded, "Little Rabbit, turn around. Don't you want to avoid bad luck?"

Shen Xi sighed and obediently turned around.

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