Chapter 515

Chapter 515: Chapter 480

Fu Mingyu’s parents had stopped coming around after their last attempt to cause trouble ended with them getting taught a lesson.

Fu Mingqi, however, took a page out of Sun Ni’s book and hired people to harass Fu Mingyu.

As it happened, Yun Jiao and her Fifth Brother were there that day.

The thugs were even cruder than the ones Sun Ni had hired, spewing vulgarities at Yun Jiao.

Anyway, it ended quite badly for them.

The money they were paid wasn’t nearly enough to cover their medical bills.

Yun Jiao and her brother beat them up and made a run for it.

The thugs must have felt they’d gotten the short end of the stick, because they actually went to the police station to report the three of them.

Of course, when they were summoned by the police, the three of them stuck to the same story: they hadn’t seen anyone and hadn’t hit anyone.

‘There was no evidence, anyway. Who saw us hit them?’

In the end, the matter had to be dropped.

As she was leaving, Yun Jiao “helpfully” reminded them to go after the person who hired them.

Yun Jiao never found out what happened in the end.

But she later heard that half a month later, Fu Mingqi had been beaten up—someone had thrown a sack over her head and attacked her. No one knew who did it, but she ended up in the hospital.

Unable to find the culprits, Fu Mingqi took her anger out on Fu Mingyu.

His father and stepmother, who had been quiet for some time, came looking for Fu Mingyu again, but they missed him.

The university was on winter break, and since Fu Mingyu had just completed a project, he went to Bailong Village with Yun Jiao and Yun Xiaowu.

A whole litter of cats came with them.

The mother calico’s hiding spot had been discovered.

In this world, there are always some wretched, meddlesome people with dark hearts. One of them had poisoned the mother calico.

Luckily, Yun Jiao and Fu Mingyu visited them often. The moment they discovered the mother cat had been poisoned, they rushed her to the veterinary hospital.

They managed to save her life, but she couldn’t stay there any longer, so they decided to just bring the whole family home.

It wasn’t as if they couldn’t afford to keep them. They had plenty of space at home.

Since cats weren’t allowed on the train, they paid for a long-distance pet transport service to take them back.

The cats arrived three days later.

Shen Yunlian and her family warmly welcomed the litter of cats.

“This must be the calico you were talking about. Oh, she’s gorgeous! Her coloring is so pretty, and she’s long-haired too. Look at that sweet face, she’s so well-behaved.”

“This white one is long-haired too, and just as beautiful!”

The family gathered around the cats, a lively scene unfolding.

The family’s two old dogs, Fu Mingyu’s dog Bubai, two chubby puppies, and an old tabby cat all came over to investigate.

The puppies were from one of their own dog’s litters; they had kept these two instead of giving them away.

Surrounded by so many people and animals, the calico family was still a bit uneasy in their new environment.

The mother cat was quite brave, however, and so was Little Sanhua.

After all, they were used to being around people at the university, which made them much bolder than most cats.

They watched as the mother calico and Little Sanhua curiously but cautiously nudged the other animals with their noses.

The family’s other pets were good-natured, so everyone simply watched and let them get acquainted on their own.

In just three short days, the mother calico and her kittens had completely settled into their new home.

Yun Jiao and the others began preparing for the New Year.

They drove the electric tricycle into town, some to shop for supplies, others to visit their mentors.

The routine was the same as every other year, but everyone loved the festive hustle and bustle.

Oh, but some things were different each year. For example, the fireworks and firecrackers became more varied and beautiful.

For instance, Yun Jiao had gotten everyone new cell phones.

It made calling each other much more convenient.

Her phone was already full of contact numbers.

On New Year’s Day, everyone busily prepared a huge feast together.

“To the new year! Happy New Year!”

Everyone raised their glasses and cheerfully clinked them together.

Yun Jiao was old enough to drink now, though she stuck to beer.

The New Year holiday was a time for visiting relatives, exchanging greetings, and giving and receiving red envelopes.

Although Yun Jiao was still the youngest in her immediate family, that wasn’t the case in the wider village.

She now had to give red envelopes to the younger children of close relatives.

She was actually quite happy to do so.

“Your cousin’s wife is about to have her baby, and your older brother mentioned he wants to bring his girlfriend’s parents over for a visit…”

Shen Yunlian’s eyes were full of laughter as she spoke.

Her eldest cousin had gotten married the year before last.

Yun Jiao hadn’t been able to make it back for the wedding, but she had sent a gift.

Now that his wife was having a baby and Yun Jiao was home, she would certainly go visit them.

Now that Yun Jiao was back, she naturally had to visit the sea and the island.

The animals on the island were already very familiar with her family. It was perfectly safe as long as no one ventured into the forest.

Sometimes, Shen Yunlian and the others would even stay on the island.

The scenery was beautiful and it was quiet, making it an excellent place to relax and recuperate.

They could even grow vegetables and other things on the island.

Yun Jiao visited all the animals on the island one by one, then went into the ocean to find her friends: the killer whale, the Humpback Whale, the sea turtles, and the dolphins.

Finally, she went to check on the pearl mother shells she was cultivating.

They had grown larger and had even reproduced, creating many more.

The island’s climate was perfect for their proliferation. Colorful corals had started to grow in the sea lake, and small ocean fish would swim in through the channel that connected it to the sea.

The sea lake had become a miniature marine world. Its water was so clean and clear you could see straight to the bottom. Looking down from the shore, it was so beautiful it felt like peering into a tiny, perfect world of its own.

This was way cooler than keeping fish in an aquarium at home.

Sometimes, Yun Jiao would even catch particularly beautiful fish and release them into the sea lake.

She spent her time on the island until her cousin’s wife was about to give birth.

She went to the hospital, bringing a few pearls with her.

She had met this cousin-in-law before. The woman was efficient and capable, with a somewhat simple and honest personality.

For the delivery, they naturally went to the hospital, checking in ahead of time.

When Yun Jiao arrived, her grandmother and aunt were already there, having brought homemade chicken soup.

Seeing her arrive, they all broke into happy smiles.

“Grandma, Auntie, Sister-in-law.”

Grandma Shen was so delighted the wrinkles on her face deepened.

“You’re here, and that’s all that matters. You didn’t have to bring so many things.”

Yun Jiao was holding a bouquet of flowers and had even brought a vase.

Before buying them, she had specifically asked her cousin-in-law if she was allergic to pollen.

A large, beautiful bouquet was now placed in the hospital room, and its fragrance immediately filled the air.

Yun Jiao then turned to the other expectant mother sharing the room.

“Ma’am, does the scent of these flowers bother you at all?”

She was pretty, and her voice was soft and polite. The woman shook her head and said it didn’t.

Yun Jiao was relieved to hear that.

Shen Yunlian then gave the other woman a large apple.

“I’ll put the flowers here, Sister-in-law. Just looking at them should brighten your day. When the baby comes, I’ll have my cousin buy you an even more beautiful bouquet.”

Yun Jiao’s cousin-in-law, Xu Lan, was a little embarrassed but smiled happily.

“This is a gift for you, Sister-in-law.”

Xu Lan opened the box and her eyes were immediately drawn to the large, perfectly round pearl inside, which shimmered with a golden luster.

“This… this is far too precious.”

“It’s not that precious,” Yun Jiao said. “You’re the one doing the hard work of having a baby. We have more at home, so just take it.”

At a loss, Xu Lan looked toward her mother-in-law and Grandma.

Only after seeing both women nod did she carefully accept the gift.

She felt like she’d fallen into a honeypot ever since she got married.

Her family had been poor. She and Shen Kuan were childhood sweethearts. Her family was full of girls, but her parents had always treated her and her sisters relatively well. Although they longed for a son, they never mistreated their daughters the way families with a strong preference for boys often did. They had even sent a few of her younger sisters to school.

She just hadn’t been born at the right time; it was difficult to get an education back then.

But with so many mouths to feed, the family was very poor.

After Shen Kuan’s family became wealthy, the two of them started dating. However, many in the village had their eyes on Shen Kuan—or rather, on his family. People would even tell Xu Lan to her face that she wasn’t good enough for him, and she had felt deeply insecure.

Fortunately, Shen Kuan never chose anyone else.

After marrying into his family, she truly felt she must have done some tremendous good deed in a past life to deserve marrying Shen Kuan.

For her wedding, this younger cousin-in-law had given her incredible gifts: a solid golden bracelet engraved with an auspicious dragon and phoenix motif, as well as a gold necklace.

‘Simple and unadorned,’ perhaps, but it was a gift that went straight to her heart.

You could say that everyone in the village, from grandmothers in their seventies and eighties down to teenage girls, would have wanted a gift like that.

Now, on the verge of childbirth, she was being given such a large, golden pearl.

‘I don’t even have to guess. This pearl must be incredibly expensive!’

‘This cousin-in-law is just too wonderful! From now on, I’ll definitely treat her like my own sister!’

After Yun Jiao and her family left, the woman in the next bed said enviously.

“Your family is so wonderful. I’ve never heard of anyone getting flowers for having a baby. That bouquet is so beautiful, and all that fruit, too!”

Grandma Shen immediately beamed and began to tell the woman all about how wonderful and exceptional her grandchildren were.

The woman listened, her eyes filled with envy.

Xu Lan’s face was also wreathed in smiles.

On the day Xu Lan went into labor, Yun Jiao bought a beautiful bouquet of roses and brought it to the hospital while they waited.

When the door opened, the doctor offered his congratulations.

“It was a smooth delivery. Mother and son are both healthy and safe.”

“Thank you, thank you! Thank you so much, Doctor.”

The baby was brought out first, and Grandma Shen and the others immediately crowded around for a look.

But they didn’t leave, all of them waiting for Xu Lan to be brought out.

Yun Jiao handed the roses to Shen Kuan.

“Cousin, remember to give these to your wife.”

Shen Kuan nodded again and again.

When Xu Lan was wheeled out, he immediately rushed over to her, holding the bouquet.

Seeing this, Xu Lan’s parents and sisters felt a warmth spread through their hearts.

‘Their daughter had married into such a blessed family. Her happiness was secured for the rest of her life.’

Yun Jiao was delighted to have a new little nephew—even if he was technically her cousin’s son. She gave him a large red envelope and bought him a golden longevity lock.

He couldn’t use it now, of course, but it could be saved for him.

Yun Jiao made sure to remind them.

“Cousin, don’t you two go spending his money. Save it for him.”

The Shen family wasn’t short on money now, so of course they wouldn’t dip into their child’s red envelope funds.