Chapter 89: Better to Dismantle a Temple Than to Break Up a Marriage

“This isn’t my fault!”

“I didn’t use a single swear word, nor did I utter a single accusation.”

“If I’d known they were so fragile, I should’ve been even more tactful.”

Seeing the helpless expression on her face, Chen Rongying chuckled and beckoned.

“Have a seat first!”

“You scared them off, yet you claim you didn’t use a single swear word.”

“Just by quoting the leader’s exact words as you did, you could’ve frightened even demons and monsters out of their wits.”

“Let alone those inexperienced young people.”

Hearing this, Shen Yi’an immediately protested, “Sister Rongying, why are you taking their side?”

“They were the ones who came looking for trouble.”

“If I weren’t so clever, I might’ve been the one scared off in disgrace!”

“Impossible!” Chen Rongying dismissed the idea as soon as it was voiced.

“Even if we don’t know you well, we certainly know Beichen.”

“With his personality, he’d never marry someone as soft as dough.”

After saying this, she glanced teasingly at Shen Yi’an.

“You two are different from me and your brother-in-law.”

“Although your brother-in-law works for the government, he comes home every day outside of work hours.”

“But Beichen is a soldier. Forget about taking care of the family—being able to return home once a year is already considered good.”

“If he married someone as soft as dough, she’d be too busy crying over her own troubles to handle any real challenges.”

After analyzing the situation, the conclusion came naturally.

“So, the person he likes must be someone who can shoulder responsibilities, fully bear the weight of a family, and still have the energy to take care of herself.”

“And you are his destined other half.”

After saying this, she patted the back of Shen Yi’an’s hand.

“So, Yi An, if you two start a family, the burden of the household will undoubtedly fall on you.”

“But if that’s the case… I almost want to break you two up!”

“You’re my sister, Chen Rongying’s sister, and a graduate of a prestigious university. Suffering like this would be nothing but self-inflicted hardship.”

The more he listened, the more absurd it sounded, leaving Song Chaoxu utterly exasperated.

“Wife, what are you doing?”

“As the old saying goes, ‘Better to dismantle a temple than to break up a marriage.’ Why are you going against it?”

“If Fourth Brother finds out, will my handsome face still be intact?”

After stopping Chen Rongying from continuing her tirade, he immediately turned his attention to Shen Yi’an.

“Sister Yi An, don’t listen to your sister.”

“Although marrying a soldier is tough, what does it matter? All the money he earns is yours. What’s wrong with having an extra sum to spend?”

Seeing Shen Yi’an nod slightly, he pressed on.

“Besides, the Li Family is ruled by the Old Master, and Fourth Brother is his favorite.”

“If you have children in the future and don’t want to raise them, you can just leave them with the Old Master. He adores his great-grandchildren and will surely treasure them and keep them by his side…”

Seeing her sister being completely taken in, Chen Rongying slapped Song Chaoxu’s thigh hard.

“Enough already!”

“You can fool others, but this trick won’t work on my little sister.”

After saying this, she turned to Shen Yi’an.

“Yi An, it’s true that the Old Master loves his great-grandchildren, but that’s all in the past.”

“Why?” Shen Yi’an asked, her confusion evident.

“Is the Old Master tired of how noisy great-grandchildren can be?”

Interrupted mid-sentence, Chen Rongying wasn’t offended. She waited calmly for the question to finish before responding.

“It’s not what you think.”

“Initially, Old Master was very fond of his great-grandsons. He personally raised the first three grandsons born into the family and wouldn’t allow anyone else to interfere.”

“But the eldest, second, and third sons were too successful – each time their wives gave birth, it was a boy. Another pregnancy, another boy. Yet another pregnancy, still a boy. When the fourth child also turned out to be a grandson, Old Master was utterly exasperated.”

“Not only did he return the three grandsons he was raising to their parents, but he also declared that unless they produced a sweet granddaughter, they wouldn’t be allowed to visit.”

After saying this, she couldn’t help but laugh. When her laughter subsided, she continued with the rest of the story.

“Though he said that, whenever his great-grandsons visited, he would still beam with joy.”

“So Yi An, I hope your pregnancy proves fruitful – it would be best if you could give birth to a little girl.”

“That way, not only would you avoid the trouble of raising children yourself, but you’d also have extra time to pursue your own interests.”

Learning that Old Master only pretended to dislike his great-grandsons because he lacked a great-granddaughter, Shen Yi’an smiled until her eyes narrowed. “If that’s the case, then I’d be willing to have a daughter.”

“Just like our Xiao Shu – well-behaved, adorable, and someone to proudly take shopping.”

As she spoke, she reached out to pinch the little one’s tender cheek.

Perhaps sensing she was being praised, Song Shu lifted her small head and suddenly broke into a wide smile.

The sight made the three adults present absolutely delighted.

As long as the little girl showed responses, it meant the subsequent treatment process would proceed more smoothly.

Just as the atmosphere was particularly cheerful, Song Yao frowned and tugged at Shen Yi’an sleeve.

“Auntie, do you only like younger sisters?”

“Although I like younger sisters too, I still hope you’ll have a younger brother first.”

“If we have a younger brother before a younger sister, then the sister will have one more person to protect her. Don’t you think so?”

This simple logic made the three adults momentarily pause before they all burst into laughter simultaneously.

“Yes, yes, A Yao is absolutely right.”

“Having a younger brother first, then a younger sister is truly ideal – just like you siblings.”

Hearing this, Song Yao proudly lifted his chin.

Hmph, adults!

Just as the group was chatting animatedly, a friendly voice sounded near them.

“This topic you’re discussing is quite interesting. Having an older brother before a younger sister is indeed wonderful.”

“The older brother learns responsibility and duty from childhood by having someone to protect.”

“And the younger sister, having someone to protect her, can grow up in a carefree environment.”

“It’s really good – I quite like this kind of family atmosphere.”

The unfamiliar voice caused a brief pause in Shen Yi’an and the others’ conversation.

Sensing no malice in the words, Song Chaoxu was the one who responded.

“You’re absolutely right, sir.”

“Other families might be different, but this is exactly how it is in our household.”

“My son is three years older than my daughter. He’s been like a little parent since childhood, yet the siblings get along exceptionally well – so well that I sometimes feel jealous as their father.”

Hearing this, the owner of the friendly voice waved his hand with a smile.

“That’s exactly how it should be.”

“We can’t control how they’ll be when they grow up, but the bond cultivated from childhood is genuine and substantial.”

After a brief exchange and managing to secure seats, the owner of the amiable voice briefly introduced himself.

“My surname is Zhou, you can just call me Uncle Zhou.”

“Since we’ve become somewhat familiar, it’d feel awkward to keep addressing each other so formally with ‘you’ and ‘sir’.”

“Don’t you think so?”

To this, Shen Yi’an and the other two nodded in synchronized agreement, then each introduced their own surnames.

They all thought that since they wouldn’t need to interact in the future, remembering surnames would be sufficient.

Just as the atmosphere had become quite comfortable, Uncle Zhou casually inquired, as if by chance.

“I was eating not far behind you earlier, and I seemed to hear you mentioning something about a political commissar and a niece from the maternal side.”

“Could you tell me what that was about?”

Noticing the slight wariness on the faces of Shen Yi’an and the other two, he had no choice but to wave his hand helplessly.

“There’s no need to be nervous, I’m really not trying to pry for information.”

“If I were a bad person, I definitely wouldn’t have been able to enter the Base.”

“Let alone eating in the cafeteria, I probably would’ve been invited for tea before even getting near the Base.”

They knew he made a valid point, but Shen Yi’an and the others were no children.

Song Chaoxu, who worked in market regulation, was well-versed in bureaucratic tactics and knew there were countless ways to probe for information.

Just by observing his demeanor, his wife Chen Rongying understood exactly how to respond.

As for Shen Yi’an, who had been reborn, it went without saying.

The vigilance carried over from her previous life, combined with the cleansing effects of the Spirit Spring Water in this one, made her particularly sensitive to shifts in people’s emotions.

Although Uncle Zhou appeared perfectly normal in every aspect, all three of them felt something was off.

Because of this, despite his natural demeanor, their responses remained as slippery as eels.