Chapter 13: Starting a Business

Once Yang Junwei marries her, his official career will surely go from strength to strength, and Yang Junwei will certainly treat her even better than my brother treats Si Rong!

"Right! When you go to the Yang family, you must speak well of your little sister," Shen Mu urged, "If your little sister marries well, she can help you out in the future!"

Si Rong sneered, "Based on her? What does she have to help my Si Family with?"

Is it that they are richer than the Si Family?

Or that they have more power than the Si Family?

The Si Family doesn't even hold a Deputy County Magistrate like Shen Lan in high regard, let alone the obscure Yang family.

It's truly laughable.

Shen Mu was instantly furious.

Her belly heaved in and out.

"Since you married into our Shen family, you are a member of our Shen family; don't keep bringing up the Si Family at every turn," Shen Mu squinted at her with great dissatisfaction.

She didn't know what was wrong with this daughter-in-law; she used to be respectful and submissive, but now she actually dared to talk back.

"By the way, in a while, A-Lan will be running for County Magistrate; you should remember to pull some strings for the Si Family to help out."

Come to think of it, with her own son becoming County Magistrate, Si Rong, as the County Magistrate's wife, would be the one to benefit the most.

It's really a bargain for this capitalist's daughter!

Si Rong watched quietly as this old hag threw a tantrum; her double standards were truly something else.

Now that she needs the Si Family's help, it becomes "your Si Family" again.

At this moment, Shen Lan also returned from work.

He happened to hear Si Rong say, "Rest assured! I will definitely have my family help Shen Lan; only when he does well can our whole family do better."

Shen Lan felt deeply comforted inside.

A man struggles for half a lifetime; isn't it just to crave support behind him whenever he needs it?

It's just that he still has to find a way to keep Li Xuan from pushing too hard.

In all fairness, Si Rong is a good and virtuous wife.

Even after he becomes County Magistrate, he won't heartlessly kick Si Rong away as Li Xuan expects.

He is a man who values loyalty and affection deeply.

Even though Si Rong hasn't borne him any children—which in ancient times would have been one of the seven grounds for divorce.

"Wife, I'm home!"

Shen Lan hung his coat on the coat rack and announced loudly.

But Si Rong did not run over and throw herself into his arms as she used to.

Shen Lan didn't think much of it, assuming Si Rong was just shy because his mother and little sister were there.

However, with those words from Si Rong, he knew that this election was in the bag.

The Si Family still has a lot of influence in Huaiyang City, as they were well-regarded in Huaiyang for acting as a treasury for the People's Liberation Army during the War of Resistance.

Whether it's the Bureau Chief of Finance or others, these are dignitaries that ordinary people cannot reach.

They can easily help him secure the position of County Magistrate.

That night, Shen Yuan was still sleeping between them; originally, Shen Mu didn't feel at ease leaving Shen Father alone in their hometown and wanted to go back, but because Shen Yun was thinking about the suitor she had just met, the mother and daughter decided to stay a few more days.

"Mom, I forgive you," Shen Yuan said, hugging Si Rong's waist with a very sensible look, "Let's go to the concert after my College Entrance Examination! I want a new denim outfit, okay?"

Si Rong tried her best to hold back a mocking laugh.

Forgive?

She looked at Shen Yuan's brows and eyes beside the pillow, and the more she looked, the more she felt they looked exactly like Shen Lan's.

When she first got married, she had fantasized countless times about giving birth to a child with brows and eyes very similar to both of them.

Unfortunately, she is infertile.

But now, looking at this young face that was fifty percent like Shen Lan's, she only felt cold and annoyed.

What a fine performance of settling for second best—postponing the concert to get her to buy clothes instead.

It's truly laughable!

Regardless of whether Shen Yuan was happy or not, she turned over with her back to Shen Yuan, "Mom has already bought you many clothes; now that your father is running for County Magistrate, our family should keep a low profile to avoid giving people any reason to find fault."

Shen Lan had originally wanted to have Si Rong take her to buy the clothes tomorrow when he heard his daughter only wanted an outfit.

Girls should be raised with abundance.

But upon hearing Si Rong considering everything for his sake, he agreed deeply.

At a time like this, it is indeed better to be cautious.

"Listen to your mother; Dad will definitely buy it for you in a while."

By the time he becomes County Magistrate and everything is stable, his daughter will naturally be able to wear whatever she wants.

Shen Yuan fell asleep unhappily.

"Wife, it's fortunate to have you."

Shen Lan's arm reached over their daughter and gently patted the back of Si Rong's hand.

A mocking smirk curled the corner of Si Rong's mouth.

Yes!

It is Shen Lan's good fortune to have her, but meeting Shen Lan was truly the unluckiest thing to happen to her in eight hundred lifetimes.

Fortunately, that phone call warned her, otherwise she wouldn't know how much longer she would have been deceived.

Now that she knows in advance, she cannot be fooled so blindly for so many years.

So, a person can deceive their own spouse without even changing their expression.

She has learned her lesson.

"Husband, it's fortunate that I have you."

Her soft voice sounded delicate in the quiet night, and Shen Lan felt very comforted in his heart.

Yes, he thought.

It was fortunate that they had each other.

"I'm so bored at home every day while you're at work; I want to open a dance studio."

Si Rong said.

"You could go shopping with Ming Zi, why the sudden thought of opening a dance studio?"

Deep down, Shen Lan was not very willing for Si Rong to go out; he hadn't been since they were young.

One had to know that back in school, Si Rong was a beauty on the level of a campus queen, and as a man, he understood men's thoughts best, so he had always disliked Si Rong talking to other men.

Even now that Si Rong was nearing forty, she was still a beauty for her age group.

"But, I have already made up my mind."

Si Rong said again.

In her life, she did not want to depend on others anymore.

In her childhood, she was the daughter of the Si Family; after marrying, she was Mrs. Shen.

But now, she wanted to be herself.

Perhaps because he rarely heard such a firm and resolute tone from Si Rong, Shen Lan remained silent for a long time.

He liked the gentle, obedient Si Rong.

He did not like her having independent thoughts.

"In the future, Husband, you will continue to climb higher, and I also hope that I can help you in the future."

Si Rong added another sentence.

So that was it; Shen Lan immediately felt at ease.

Si Rong loved him deeply, and perhaps she felt uncomfortable that she always had to use her maiden family's money and influence to help him.

Since it was for his sake, Shen Lan agreed.

"Fine, feel free to use our savings,"

He knew that Si Rong was a good woman who knew how to manage a household; even if he let her use it, she would be reluctant to.

The savings of over two hundred thousand were not just his salary, but also the subsidies the Si Family had given this only daughter over so many years.

However, his wife was right; he had to do more than just be a County Magistrate, he had to go even higher.

With Si Rong going out to start a business, her two older brothers and the two elders of the Si Family would certainly help; it would be a guaranteed profit.

He emphasized another point, "But there is one thing, you are not allowed to tire yourself out."

Listening to his extremely hypocritical concern, Si Rong only felt disgusted.

She forced herself to close her eyes.

She did not know when she fell asleep, but she had a dream, and in the dream, she heard that urgent ringing of the telephone again.