Chapter 510: The Family Heirloom

At that moment, Zhu Ping’an truly felt as though he might not be his mother’s biological son at all. Seeing the seriousness on Madam Chen’s face, he had no doubt—if he ever dared to wrong Li Shu, his mother would not hesitate to “uphold justice by sacrificing family,” personally disciplining him and clearing the household name.

There was a lyric in Xue Zhiqian’s “The Ugly One” that said: “With just a single tear, someone can become a femme fatale.”

But Zhu Ping’an felt that line was far too pale to describe Li Shu. A single tear bringing ruin—that spoke only of outward beauty. This girl, however, possessed not only the beauty that could topple kingdoms, but also the cunning within to match. With just a single sentence, she could sway the world. At the very least, the entire Zhu family had now become her staunchest supporters.

“Did you hear me?” Madam Chen asked, her expression utterly serious as she fixed Zhu Ping’an with a firm gaze.

“Mother, Husband risked himself to protect me back then—I believe he will treat me well,” Li Shu said, pressing her cherry lips together as she smiled sweetly at Zhu Ping’an. Her bright eyes flickered with intelligence, her small nose tilted slightly upward, making her look like a smug little fox. “Isn’t that right, Husband?”

“…Yes.” Zhu Ping’an met her gaze and replied with a firm nod.

After lunch, Madam Chen went into the main bedroom and returned with a small wooden box. Opening it in front of everyone, she carefully took out a jade bracelet—its style identical to the one worn by Juan’er.

Calling Li Shu over, Madam Chen spoke with solemn sincerity, “Shu’er, this bracelet is a family heirloom of the Zhu family. It is passed down to daughters-in-law, not to sons. This one is for you—your sister-in-law already has hers.”

In ancient custom, there was a saying: “Without a bracelet, the marriage is incomplete.” For a mother-in-law to pass down a family bracelet to her daughter-in-law was a symbolic rite—an acknowledgment of acceptance. Sometimes it happened early, sometimes later. But if the mother-in-law never truly approved, the bracelet would never be given.

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It was, in essence, a quiet coronation—one that only a recognized daughter-in-law could receive.

“Thank you, Mother…” Li Shu’s face flushed as she extended her delicate hand.

Madam Chen personally slipped the jade bracelet onto her wrist. Then she called Zhu Ping’an over, taking Li Shu’s hand—now adorned with the bracelet—and placing it firmly into his.

Her skin was soft to the touch, smooth as congealed cream, warm and delicate beneath his fingers…

“Zhizi, this is your wife,” Madam Chen said earnestly. “From now on, treat Shu’er well. The two of you must live a good life together.” Then she turned to Li Shu. “And Shu’er, if Zhizi ever bullies you, come tell me. I’ll stand up for you.”

“Thank you, Mother,” Li Shu replied sweetly, her voice as soft as honey.

Zhu Ping’an, however, still seemed slightly dazed. Even now, he had yet to fully process everything. It all felt like a dream. In the blink of an eye, he had become a married man—and that proud, cunning Li Shu had somehow become his wife.

When he first left the capital, he had assumed she would return home only to break off their engagement. Yet when he awoke from unconsciousness on the beach, he had seen her squeezing blood from her own wound to feed him. Then, on the island, he had discovered that she actually liked him…

Before he could even digest that revelation, everything had changed again—suddenly, they were already married.

By modern standards… they wouldn’t even be considered adults yet.

After receiving the bracelet, Li Shu busied herself helping Juan’er wash pots and dishes. The two sisters-in-law worked together in perfect harmony, while Madam Chen watched from the side, smiling so broadly her eyes nearly disappeared.

Not long after lunch, the house began to fill with visitors—women from the village, aunties, sisters-in-law, young wives, all bringing along children. Officially, they had come to “visit,” but in truth, they were all there to see the new bride, Li Shu.

It was a village custom—whenever a family married, half the village would come by to join in the excitement and take a look at the bride.

“Oh my, the new bride is so pretty! Look at that skin—so smooth, like a peeled egg!”

“Exactly! Ping’an is truly blessed.”

“With hips like that, she’ll bear children easily…”

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“Hehe… people from wealthy families are just different—so fair, so refined. What kind of fabric is that clothing made of?”

Before long, the room was packed with women, surrounding Li Shu as they chattered endlessly. The noise rose and fell like a marketplace, buzzing without pause.

Li Shu maintained a polite smile, greeting each auntie and sister-in-law sweetly as Madam Chen had instructed. Outwardly, she was warm and gracious—but inside, her patience was already wearing thin. She didn’t want to deal with any of them for even a second longer.

Didn’t they brush their teeth? Their breath smelled strange…

And their clothes—how long had it been since they’d been washed? They almost seemed to shine under the sunlight…

And why were they touching her? Talking was fine, but why were their hands all over her? Had they even washed them? There was dirt under their fingernails… Touching her clothes was bad enough—she could always change—but why grab her hands? And her face? Was that something they had the right to touch?

Li Shu felt as though snakes were crawling over her skin where they held her hands. And her face… it made her skin crawl.

To make matters worse, right before her eyes, a snot-nosed child wiped his nose on her clothes—then smeared it twice for good measure.

“It’s fine… hehe… what a cute child…” she said with a strained smile.

But only heaven knew how badly she wanted to throw that brat out the door.

As soon as the group finally left, Li Shu immediately found an excuse and returned to the new house across the courtyard. If she didn’t bathe and change clothes at once, she felt like she might actually collapse. Experiencing something like that once was more than enough—she never wanted to go through it again.

Seeing her rush off like a gust of wind, Zhu Ping’an grew curious and followed her over.

“Hua’er, bring me a fresh set of clothes.”

“You—why are you just standing there? Go prepare bathwater.”

“And you—cut this outfit into pieces and throw it away. Just looking at it disgusts me.”

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The moment he stepped inside, Zhu Ping’an heard her issuing commands to the servants in a sharp, authoritative tone—completely different from her gentle demeanor at his family home.

Ah… so this was her true self.

Soon, the maids hurried out in a line. Upon seeing Zhu Ping’an, they bowed from a distance, greeting him respectfully as “Young Master,” before rushing off to carry out their tasks. The round-faced maid was nowhere to be seen—likely inside fetching clothes.

Entering the room, Zhu Ping’an saw that the round-faced maid was indeed helping Li Shu change. She was nearly finished dressing, adjusting the ribbons at her waist.

At Li Shu’s feet lay the bright red bridal dress she had worn earlier, now discarded. Another maid crouched nearby, gathering it up.

“Cut it up and throw it away,” Li Shu ordered coldly, her face full of distaste.

“Young Master…” the round-faced maid greeted as she tied the final ribbon, having just noticed Zhu Ping’an.

Only then did Li Shu realize he had entered. Her cheeks flushed instantly. Crossing her arms over her chest, she glared at him and pouted, her voice tinged with embarrassment. “Why didn’t you knock before coming in?”

“Hehe… Young Master must have missed Miss,” the round-faced maid giggled, sticking out her tongue as she hurriedly finished tying the sash.

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