Su Xiaoqi had always known Shen Yun was handsome, but for various reasons, she had never truly taken the time to observe him as she did now.
His handsomeness was as if meticulously drawn with fine brushstrokes, perfectly balanced.
A touch more would be too much, a touch less, not enough.
Shen Yun watched as the woman before him stared unblinkingly at him.
Her brows and eyes held a hint of bewilderment, mingled with admiration.
But she simply did not respond to his words.
This left him feeling somewhat at a loss for a moment.
"What is it?"
"Oh, nothing, I was just admiring your good looks."
Su Xiaoqi unknowingly spoke her true thoughts.
After saying it, she realized she had spoken out of turn and quickly lowered her head, focusing on the floral and bird motifs on her embroidered shoes.
Shen Yun chuckled lightly. If anyone else had said that to him, he would have already turned grim.
But it was her, and his heart was filled only with joy.
He then slowly approached her, gently took her hand, and drew her into his embrace: "Then, Xiaoqi, do you fancy me?"
"Ah…" Su Xiaoqi was flustered.
What was all this about?
She had merely been captivated by his male beauty and spoken a careless word.
Now he was pressing his advantage, and she quickly struggled.
Of course, she couldn't break free.
How could the esteemed Master Shen, not having received the answer he wanted, let her go?
Su Xiaoqi's mind raced. She glanced at the writing on the table and hurriedly explained:
"This, these three words, 'family heirloom,' were written by Zhao Ye. See how good his handwriting is?"
Shen Yun's eyes narrowed slightly, his voice carrying a hint of displeasure that even he himself didn't notice: "Why did Zhao Ye come to the estate?"
"To accompany Xiaozhu in delivering seasonal gifts."
Su Xiaoqi was a little flustered at the moment and didn't notice the odd tone in Shen Yun's voice.
She just wanted to cover up her earlier slip of the tongue.
As expected, Shen Yun followed her words:
"He delivered seasonal gifts, why did he write on them."
And using his desk, his usual wolf-hair brush.
If this was the case now, was he coveting something else?
Shen Yun's eyes narrowed, fixed tightly on Su Xiaoqi.
However, Su Xiaoqi's expression was calm as she spoke of the circular piece of unknown material that Zhao Ye had given her.
"Can you recognize what material this is?" Su Xiaoqi took out the circular object and handed it to Shen Yun.
Shen Yun didn't take it. Instead, he reached out with one hand, cupping her wrist, and with the other, gently fiddled with the circular piece in her palm.
"This is the material for making Ma Shuo," Shen Yun said slowly.
This material used Zhimu as the core, bonding the thinly sliced Zhimu, prepared into strips, together with Tung oil and fish glue.
Then it was coated with raw lacquer. Wrapped in Ge cloth, soaked in a hole for several months, then dried, coated with raw lacquer again, wrapped in Ge cloth, and soaked in oil. This process was repeated, taking three years to complete.
Generally speaking, this was used to forge weapons.
The finished Ma Shuo was heavy and sturdy, possessing both rigidity and flexibility, capable of instantly returning to its original shape after bending or flexing. Blades would strike it as if against metal.
However, due to the complex manufacturing process, the cost was prohibitively high, and it was time-consuming and labor-intensive. Moreover, there was no guarantee of success even after production.
Therefore, ordinary families could not possess it.
In the Great Liang Dynasty, only a select few renowned noble families would have it.
Su Xiaoqi had no expertise in weapons and didn't quite understand.
However, Shen Yun's words were very direct, and she understood. At the same time, she learned that Zhao Ye's background seemed unusual—of course, assuming this item was truly his family's heirloom.
If not, then the situation was less clear.
Shen Yun was a man with an exceptionally keen and perceptive mind.
Since he knew about this matter, Su Xiaoqi believed he would definitely investigate.
However, she was unsure if he would share the results of his investigation with her.
Moreover, Su Xiaoqi didn't want to worry about this matter at the moment. For some reason, she had a premonition that this was not something she could handle.
She felt it was better for her to focus on things she could manage.
For example, finding out who from the He family had infiltrated the small courtyard of the supermarket and uncovering the traitor(s).
Thinking of this, Su Xiaoqi felt a pang of heaviness in her heart.
If possible, she didn't want to deal with such matters.
With a conflicted heart, Su Xiaoqi made a decision.
Since some things had already happened, she couldn't escape them.
She had to face them and resolve them!
Winter Solstice was an important festival for most families.
Even the serfs on the estate attached great importance to it.
Su Xiaoqi gave each family some mutton and radishes, allowing them to cook their own mutton soup.
Steward Li, along with several families, was deeply grateful to the Shen family.
He said many words of thanks and pledged his loyalty.
Next was for everyone to gather for their evening meal.
Old Madam Yu and Madam Zhao both placed great importance on this meal.
They repeatedly instructed them to return home early to eat.
Even Shen Xiaomei and Shen Er Dan were brought back.
At this moment, standing at the entrance of the main house, upon seeing the two approaching, Shen Er Dan shouted from afar to greet them: "Big Brother, Sister-in-law. You're back."
He said this while skipping towards the two of them.
Shen Xiaomei lifted the curtain and informed the elders inside before coming to greet them.
Shen Er Dan had recently been studying with Zhao Liushun in the small courtyard of the supermarket and had also been practicing martial arts with a martial arts instructor hired by Su Xiaoqi.
His physique had become much stronger, and he rushed towards the two of them like a gust of wind.
Fortunately, Shen Yun, though appearing frail, possessed considerable strength in his hands.
Thus, without effort, he intercepted Shen Er Dan halfway, grasped his wrist, and steadily supported him, preventing him from rushing into Su Xiaoqi's embrace.
"Big Brother…" Shen Er Dan pouted.
He really liked his Sister-in-law.
His Sister-in-law had hired teachers for him to learn literature and martial arts, and she also gave him small snacks from time to time.
His Big Brother, on the other hand, only urged him to read and write.
Every ten days, he would also check his homework.
If he passed, there was no reward, but if he failed, he would be punished.
Shen Yun, seeing his intention to throw himself into Su Xiaoqi's arms, put on a stern face and lightly chided, "No manners."
Shen Er Dan was terrified of his elder brother.
Normally, when he smiled, it was fine, but if he put on a stern face, he immediately dared not act rashly, and he scurried aside timidly.
"Oh, Er Dan is still young," Su Xiaoqi couldn't bear to see Shen Yun discipline Shen Er Dan as if he were some miscreant.
He was only eight years old, and the teachers she arranged for him to learn from every day were for his own good.
Yet, Shen Yun could smile at others, but when it came to his brother, he was either grim or scowling.
It was as if he was depriving him of his childhood.
Su Xiaoqi said this, pulled Shen Er Dan over, and intended to hold him and comfort him, but Shen Yun's hand immediately came between them.
She sighed, resignedly patted Shen Er Dan on the shoulder, stuck out her tongue where Shen Yun couldn't see it, and whispered in Shen Er Dan's ear: "Don't pay attention to your Big Brother."
Shen Er Dan also stuck out his tongue in return, looking incredibly cute.
Seeing this, Su Xiaoqi reached out to ruffle his hair, but her hand was intercepted halfway by Shen Yun, who said with a serious expression: "A man's head cannot be touched."
Su Xiaoqi's eyes twitched. She sent Shen Er Dan into the house and then leaned closer to Shen Yun to finish her sentence: "A woman's waist cannot be touched either, so from now on you are not allowed to touch…"
Before she could finish, Shen Yun's arm wrapped around her waist from behind, and he said earnestly: "My wife is right. But for us old married couples, there aren't so many strict rules."
"Shen—Yun!" Su Xiaoqi gritted her teeth.