“Yes, that’s right. I’m getting to know my cousin’s wife better.” Han Lin got up and stood in front of Ji Yan, then looked up and asked, “By the way, what’s your name?”
Ji Yan flashed her a kind smile and said, “You’re Han Lin, right?” Although she was not familiar with the Han family, it did not mean that she would tolerate being bullied by them.
Stunned, Han Lin answered discontentedly, “Answer me first.”
“Since Jinshen is your cousin, then you may just call me your cousin-in-law.” Ji Yan had asserted her dominance over Han Lin in public by giving the latter an irrelevant answer. She would not let Han Lin bully her so easily.
Han Lin was not quick-minded enough to refute Ji Yan. Thus, Han Xiulan got angry and said, “Ji Yan, where are your manners?”
Ji Yan’s facial expression turned serious. “Mom, Han Lin is Jinshen’s cousin, so she’s my cousin-in-law, isn’t she?”
Ji Yan had not dared to talk back to Han Xiulan in the past few days, so the latter was about to stand up and teach Ji Yan a lesson when Han Lin’s mother stopped her. “Xiulan, Han Lin is too ignorant. Please stop standing up for her, or you’ll spoil her.”
Meanwhile, Ji Yan glanced at Han Lin’s mother and could not help thinking that the woman was different from Han Xiulan. The reason Ji Yan grew so bold today was that she thought Han Xiulan and the Han family would not embarrass her in order to not lose face. Now, it seemed that it was true.
She refused to bow down to them all the time. Otherwise, Han Lin would order her around and make fun of her as her sister did before.
“Mom, I’ll go prepare dinner first,” Ji Yan said. With that, she turned around and went to the second floor.
She was taken aback when she realized that Shang Jinshen was watching her from the second floor. “Jinshen.”
Shang Jinshen snorted and said, “You’ve been out for only a few days, yet now you’ve grown really bold.”
Ji Yan remained silent as he continued, “You dare to argue with my mother today. So I assume you won’t even take me seriously in the future?”
However, Shang Jinshen did not tell her that he was impressed by her cleverness just now. He did not expect that such a soft woman would stand up for herself like this.
Ji Yan bit her lip. “Er… I’m going to change my clothes and make dinner. Madam will be angry if I’m late.”
“Didn’t you just call her ‘Mom’ just now? Ji Yan, it seems like you speak with a forked tongue.”
Ji Yan suddenly looked up and looked at him with sadness in her eyes. “Then tell me, should I call her ‘Mom’ or ‘Madam’?
Shang Jinshen, if you truly treat me like a maid, you shouldn’t have married me in the first place!” She rarely lost her temper like this. Perhaps it was because she had just returned from the countryside, and her heart was filled with injustice.
Shang Jinshen narrowed his eyes and asked, “Did you just say I wanted to marry you? Wasn’t it you who was in a hurry to marry me?
I remember my family wanted me to marry Ji Gui, your sister, instead.”
Ji Yan’s eyes were full of tears. “Do you think I really wanted to marry you? Will you believe me if I tell you that I wasn’t willing to do it at all?”
…
Shang Jinshen was shocked by her facial expression. He stared deeply into her eyes and saw that they were full of sorrow and fragility.
Could it be that she’s truly not the one who has plotted to marry into my family?
Could this be a ruse? Even though Shang Jinshen’s thoughts had begun to sway, he did not show any mercy.
At this moment, Ji Yan was completely speechless. She concealed her emotions and walked around Shang Jinshen, heading to the guest room to change her clothes.
When Ji Yan came out of the room again, she appeared calm. Upon seeing the Han family members in bright-coloured clothes as she pushed Shang Jinshen down the stairs, she flashed a considerate smile and said to Shang Jinshen, “Jinshen, can I help you sit on the sofa?”
She had changed her attitude too drastically. She had been full of complaints just now. But now, she had turned into a well-behaved wife, looking at Shang Jinshen tenderly and gently.
Shang Jinshen did not say anything and let Ji Yan serve him.
When Han Lin saw Shang Jinshen, she immediately came over and said, “Jinshen, this wife of yours is not a simple character.”
Ji Yan ignored Han Lin’s hostile glare and politely greeted the Han family members one by one. Then, she went to the kitchen.
“Oh my, why are you here, Madam Ji Yan?” Madam Zhang pushed Ji Yan away, trying to persuade her out of the kitchen. She thought it was not Ji Yan’s job to help out in the kitchen.
Ji Yan smiled and replied, “Madam Zhang, Mrs. Shang asked me to come. I’ll take care of dinner tonight.” Ji Yan had practiced cooking for her family for decades, so her culinary skills were impressive. In fact, she thought her cooking would taste better than a professional cook’s.
Later, Han Lin’s mother tasted Ji Yan’s cooking and said appreciatively, “Your cooking is really good. They’re more delicious than my family’s cook’s.”
Han Lin’s father, Han Xiulan’s younger brother, nodded as well.
Han Xiulan took a glance at Ji Yan, showing her a rare kind smile while saying to the Han family members, “My daughter-in-law is only good at cooking.” There was a hint of complacency in her words. However, it was not for Ji Yan, but for Ji Yan’s cooking, which gave her an opportunity to show off in front of the Han family.
This was the mentality of a noblewoman. No matter how miserable her family’s life was, she would still want to show off to prove that she was living a good life.
Han Lin’s mother nodded to Ji Yan and asked the recipe for one of the food, “This cake tastes really fresh and soft. How did you do it?”
Ji Yan had a good impression of Han Lin’s mother, so she smiled and replied, “I used fresh ingredients, including fresh flowers that I’ve just picked today. That’s why the taste is well-preserved.”
Unexpectedly, Han Xiulan spoke to Ji Yan. “Do you still have the cakes?”
Ji Yan nodded. “There are still some in the kitchen.”
Han Xiulan then said to Han Lin’s mother, “Since you like it, take the rest home when you go back.”
On the other hand, Han Lin uttered with slight contempt on her face, “Unfortunately, it’s not as exquisite as a Michelin star dish.”
Ji Yan did not know whether to cry or laugh when she heard Han Lin comparing her cooking to a Michelin star dish.
Before anyone else could speak, Han Lin’s mother knocked on Han Lin’s head and said, “You don’t even know how to cook, girl. I’d better sign you up for cooking class when we get home. As a modern woman, you can’t be talentless and only know how to show off.”
Han Xiulan’s face blanched upon hearing those words. The Han family had raised their daughters, including Han Xiulan, protectively. Thus, she had never learned to do house chores either.
Han Lin refused to accept her mother’s advice, and she became even more dissatisfied with Ji Yan, blaming the latter for making her mother criticize her.
She pursed her lips and said, “What’s the big deal about cooking? Her cooking is not even presentable. Now that she’s Jinshen’s wife, the most important thing is that she has to be presentable. Cousin-in-law, you’d better learn to dress up well. If you go out like this, you may bring shame to the Shang family.”
Upon hearing this, Han Xiulan, too, looked at Ji Yan with dissatisfaction. Obviously, Han Lin had read her thoughts.
Ji Yan put down her chopsticks and said nothing. Instead, Shang Jinshen broke the silence and said coldly, “Mom, Ji Yan won first place in the national designer competition this time.”
Stunned, Han Xiulan turned to look at Ji Yan. She had always looked down on Ji Yan, as she worked as a designer in a small company, and thought it was a disgrace. Therefore, she did not expect Ji Yan would participate in a competition and even win first place.
Shang Jinshen looked at Han Lin and said with a patronizing tone, “Han Lin, you should also write more authentic stuff.”