Chapter 52: Husband, is this alright?

"Brother-in-law!"

Before he even reached the house, the little one rushed out to meet him, spreading her arms wide and flailing her limbs, eager to embrace Chen Jie.

Chen Jie smiled and said to her, "Did you miss your brother-in-law?"

"I did!"

"Really? You're not lying to me, are you?"

"Liars are little puppies!" the little one declared with certainty.

"Hmm, I believe you," Chen Jie said with a smile. He looked up and saw Su Yunjin standing at the doorway. She had just finished her chores; her hair was slightly disheveled, and beads of sweat clung to her forehead. He reached out to wipe the sweat away for her.

"Husband is back," she said tenderly to her husband.

Chen Jie smiled. "Mhm."

"Why did you buy so many things again?"

"I went to town and saw things the house needed, so I picked some up."

The three of them entered the house and began carrying the goods inside. Seeing that Su Yunjin was covered in sweat and noticing a hoe in the courtyard, Chen Jie asked, "Were you working in the yard?"

"The yard was just sitting idle, so I thought I'd turn the soil. When the time comes, I'll buy some seeds and plant some vegetables. It'll be enough for our family to eat."

Chen Jie said, "That works, but don't overexert yourself."

Su Yunjin thought for a moment and said, "Husband, I... I want you to take me to town."

"Hmm? What for?"

"I want to sell a few chicks and ducklings. If we raise them, we'll have eggs to eat in the future."

"Alright, I'll take you tomorrow when I return."

"Brother-in-law, I want to go too!"

"Fine, I'll take you along as well."

"Thank you, brother-in-law!"

As they entered the house, Su Yunjin poured a cup of water for Chen Jie, and being truly thirsty, he drank it in one gulp.

Then, Chen Jie brought out the meat buns and roast chicken he had bought today.

Seeing the food, the little one's eyes nearly popped out of her head. She lunged forward to hug Chen Jie. "Thank you, brother-in-law! You're the best!"

Chen Jie teased, "Is it because I didn't buy you something delicious that you weren't being nice?"

The little one hesitated.

After a long pause, she said against her will, "W-well, it's fine, I guess."

"You little ungrateful thing."

Chen Jie playfully flicked her nose, and the little one laughed heartlessly.

Su Yunjin said from the side, "Husband, don't spoil her so much. Once she gets used to the good stuff, she'll think sorghum rice isn't tasty anymore."

Hearing this, the little one protested, "Sister is talking nonsense! Ruirui loves eating sorghum rice the most!"

Chen Jie said, "Mhm. Since Ruirui likes sorghum rice so much, wife, please cook a pot of sorghum rice for Ruirui. We will eat the roast chicken and meat buns."

"Ah, no!" the little one shouted urgently.

Chen Jie teased her on purpose, "What do you mean no? You just said you love sorghum rice the most. So, sister and brother-in-law will eat the meat buns and the roast chicken."

"Actually... actually, Ruirui doesn't like sorghum rice that much anymore," the little one said weakly. She then blinked her large eyes at Chen Jie. "Just give Ruirui one meat bun, okay? Brother-in-law... Ruirui promises not to eat too many."

She held out her hand as if making a solemn oath.

Chen Jie laughed.

Su Yunjin laughed as well.

What a little glutton.

The three of them enjoyed a harmonious dinner. After the meal, Chen Jie took two sets of new clothes out of a cloth bag.

"Wife, Ruirui, come here."

Hearing the call, Su Yunjin wiped her hands with a cloth. Ruirui also came into the outer room, and they both saw the clothes in Chen Jie's hands.

"Wow, new clothes!" the little one cheered, rushing over.

A flash of pleasant surprise appeared on Su Yunjin's face, though it quickly faded.

"Wife, come here and see if you like them," Chen Jie said with a smile.

"Husband, I don't even go out. Why buy me new clothes? We aren't wealthy right now..." Su Yunjin felt the fabric of the clothes, unable to put them down, even though her words sounded like complaints.

Chen Jie asked, "Do you like them or not?"

"They must be expensive," Su Yunjin countered.

Chen Jie replied, "Whether they are expensive doesn't matter; what matters is if you like them."

"Of course I like them! Sister, sister, look! Do you think I'll look pretty in this skirt?" The little one held the new skirt against herself, twirling around on the floor.

Su Yunjin said, "Stop twirling, you'll drag the skirt on the ground and get it dirty."

The little one stopped and, in her excitement, hugged Chen Jie and gave him a kiss. "Thank you, brother-in-law!"

Chen Jie laughed. "Good. Ruirui knows how to show gratitude. Unlike certain people, who don't show any appreciation at all, right?"

The little one's eyes snapped toward her sister.

Stared at by both the large and small eyes, Su Yunjin's face instantly turned red, and she ran into the inner room clutching the clothes.

Seeing this, Chen Jie called out, "Hey, you're just going to run off like that?"

Su Yunjin did not answer.

Chen Jie looked at the little one and said, "We shouldn't learn from your sister. That's not very proper, is it?"

"Brother-in-law, what does 'proper' mean?" the little one asked with her usual inquisitive wisdom.

Chen Jie thought for a moment. "Being improper means not knowing etiquette. For example, if I buy you new clothes and you're happy, you give your brother-in-law a kiss, right?"

"Mhm, mhm!"

"Now, if I also buy your sister new clothes, shouldn't she also give her brother-in-law a kiss?"

"Mhm, mhm, right!"

"But she didn't fulfill her promise; she ran away. Don't you think she's being improper and lacks etiquette?"

"Mhm, mhm! Brother-in-law is right! Improper! Sister is too improper!" The little one nodded solemnly, then leaned in to kiss Chen Jie again, saying proudly, "Brother-in-law, Ruirui is proper, right?"

"Yes, proper. You are very proper," Chen Jie said with a smile. He then pointed toward the inner room. "Go tell your sister to put on the new clothes and come out to show me. Tomorrow, I'll buy you candied haws, alright?"

"Really?" The little one's eyes widened.

Chen Jie smiled. "Has your brother-in-law ever lied to you?"

The little one thought for a moment. "The bad brother-in-law from before lied, but the good brother-in-law now has never lied."

"Then will you go?" Chen Jie asked.

The little one thought and said, "I'll go! Candied haws!"

"That's right, candied haws!" The little one looked at Chen Jie. "Okay, I'm going then."

She ran inside, but soon Su Yunjin's voice drifted out from the room.

"No, Ruirui. We haven't bathed in a long time. We'll wait until your brother-in-law leaves tomorrow, then we'll wash up before putting on the new clothes. If you wear them now, they'll get dirty!"

"Oh, but brother-in-law promised to buy me candied haws."

"Oh, you little thing, a single candied haw and you've already been bought by your sister?"

"It's not about sister! Then you tell Ruirui, were you happy when brother-in-law bought you new clothes?"

There was a brief silence. Su Yunjin seemed to say something that Chen Jie couldn't quite hear from outside, but then he heard the little one shouting from the inner room.

"Sister, if you like them, why didn't you kiss my brother-in-law? Doing this... this is just too improper! Too improper!"

The little one spoke with heartfelt indignation. Su Yunjin was caught between laughter and tears, while Chen Jie smiled knowingly. The little one's brainwashing had been a success!

Soon, unable to deal with the little one's pestering, Su Yunjin walked out. Seeing Chen Jie pouring water into a pot to heat it, she asked, "Husband, what are you doing?"

Chen Jie replied, "Oh, my master gave me a medicinal bath recipe to help with my cultivation. I'm just heating some water."

"Oh, let me do that then." As she spoke, Su Yunjin snatched the ladle from his hand. As she drew close to him, she suddenly gave him a kiss.

Chen Jie looked at his wife in surprise.

With blushing cheeks, Su Yunjin said shyly yet boldly, "Just so that little girl doesn't keep saying I'm improper..."

"Husband, is my behavior like this... proper?"