The two chatted for a long time before the other members of the Shi family arrived belatedly.

As soon as Tao shi stepped into the kitchen, she was also shocked by the somewhat exaggerated display in the kitchen…

He Ketian, who had been chatting with Shi Fa Ke, immediately stood up and sweetly called out “Mother,” with the characteristic shyness of a new bride.

“Ketian… why are you up so early? Where’s Chonghai?” Tao shi opened her mouth and said.

He Ketian suddenly remembered her somewhat ambiguous answer when Shi Fa Ke had asked earlier. “…I’ll go call him right away.”

After saying this, she blushed and hurriedly walked away with her head down.

Before she could even cross the kitchen threshold, she heard her sister-in-law helping her curry favor with her mother-in-law behind her, “Third Sister-in-law just said that seeing Third Brother was too tired yesterday, she couldn’t bear to disturb him, so she quietly got up first…”

He Ketian’s face burned with embarrassment as she walked even faster with her head down.

When she returned to the room, Third Brother Shi had already gotten up. Seeing her, he was a bit surprised. “Ketian, where did you go so early?”

“I went to check the kitchen and had the cook help prepare breakfast.” He Ketian’s eyes flickered as she spoke.

“My wife is so virtuous.” Third Brother Shi walked to her side, pulled her into his arms with one motion, lowered his head to kiss her sweetly, and said with a mischievous smile, “It seems your husband wasn’t diligent enough last night, since you still had the energy to get up so early?”

He Ketian immediately blushed with shame and spat at him, “Lecher!”

Third Brother Shi blinked innocently, “How am I a lecher for flirting with my own wife?”

He Ketian’s face was burning hot as she pushed him away, “Stop fooling around, go wash up and prepare for breakfast.”

Having gotten his advantage, Third Brother Shi obediently went to wash up.

After washing up, Third Brother Shi happily took his wife to the main hall for breakfast, looking like a winner in life. When they arrived, the whole family was already assembled. Tao shi was leaning to one side whispering with Shi Changhuai about something. When she saw her son and daughter-in-law arrive, Tao shi immediately sat up straight and stopped whispering.

Third Brother Shi suddenly had a strange feeling… had Mother just been talking about him? Why did he feel inexplicably cold behind his back!

But Third Brother Shi’s attention was quickly drawn to the large table full of various plates, dishes, cups and bowls. He couldn’t help but be dumbfounded… this was the breakfast his wife had prepared? Wasn’t it a bit… well, overly abundant?

He Ketian immediately understood his expression and said somewhat shyly, “I didn’t know what everyone liked to eat, so I had the cook make several varieties.”

Tao shi cleared her throat lightly, “This is also Ketian’s thoughtfulness. Sit down and eat.” Then she said very kindly to He Ketian, “Ketian, from now on this is your home. However you were at your original home, you can continue to be the same way here. Don’t be overly restrained.”

“Yes, Mother.” He Ketian obediently responded and said very movingly, “Mother, you’re so good.”

Tao shi smiled. She naturally understood the anxiety of a new daughter-in-law; she would get used to it in time.

“Thanks to sister-in-law’s blessing, today we can truly feast.” Eldest Brother Shi said very honestly.

He Ketian smiled demurely, “As long as eldest brother likes it.”

Third Brother Shi sat down and picked up a piece of thousand-layer cake for her, “You worked hard getting up so early, eat more.”

He Ketian lowered her head to take a small bite of the thousand-layer cake and smiled until her eyes curved.

The breakfast was very harmonious and pleasant.

After the meal, the cook diligently brought a soup bowl and placed it in front of Third Brother Shi, “Young master, this is cistanche mutton bone soup specially stewed for you. Please drink more, it’s particularly good for nourishing the body.”

He Ketian looked at the cook with some surprise. She hadn’t instructed the cook to make any soup this morning. The cook smiled without speaking. This matter had been instructed by the eldest young master before he went out yesterday, saying that naturally the young lady would be too embarrassed to speak of such things, so he as the elder brother had to worry about it.

The eldest young master was truly a good brother, the cook sighed.

Looking at the steaming hot bowl of soup, everyone fell into a strange silence.

Eldest Brother Shi and Second Brother Shi looked at their youngest brother with somewhat strange expressions…

Cistanche mutton bone soup was a superior aphrodisiac soup.

At the table, except for the innocent Shi Fa Ke who looked completely puzzled like a monk trying to figure out a riddle, everyone else looked at Third Brother Shi with very meaningful expressions.

Tao shi especially so.

She thought again of what Ah Ke had said before… and worried somewhat, so her youngest son’s body was already so weak that even his wife couldn’t help but want to nourish him? Could those previous rumors not be entirely groundless after all?

In the midst of this strange silence, Third Brother Shi suddenly reacted. He stared wide-eyed and jumped up as if his bottom was on fire, “Hey! What kind of looks are those?! My body is perfectly fine!”

However, for some reason, this agitated Third Brother Shi seemed to carry a sense of bluster and trying to cover up the truth.

Tao shi looked at her youngest son with complex emotions, “…Just drink the soup.”

Third Brother Shi felt like he was about to die of injustice…

He Ketian’s first breakfast after marrying into the Shi family could be said to be very harmonious and pleasant, mm, except for the groom being a bit moody…

Third Brother Shi couldn’t understand why everyone reacted so strongly to just a bowl of nourishing soup. His eldest and second brothers weren’t married so he wouldn’t argue with them, but why did even Mother react so dramatically? As if there was something he didn’t know about.

Afterward, he couldn’t help but mutter about this matter with his wife.

He Ketian’s expression was extremely guilty.

Third Brother Shi immediately understood where the problem lay. Holding his wife, he coaxed and threatened her… He Ketian was worn down until she had no choice but to guiltily reveal that very ambiguous statement from before.

Third Brother Shi’s expression was spectacular.

Indeed it was! They say a moment of spring night is worth a thousand gold, yet his wife had gotten up early as if nothing happened and could even energetically cook, while he slept like the dead in confusion? Wasn’t this being weak!

Then the next day, virtuous as He Ketian was… she slept until the sun was high in the sky before getting out of bed while supporting her waist.

Everything was understood without words.

Waking up when the sun was already high in the sky, her whole body aching as if crushed by a horse cart, He Ketian felt she had no face to see anyone. This was only the second day of their marriage! Fortunately, when she got up, her in-laws and elder brothers-in-law had all gone out for business. Only her inconsiderate husband and the extremely innocent sister-in-law were at home.

This gave her tense mood some relief. Not wanting to deal with her inconsiderate husband, He Ketian took the meeting gifts she had prepared earlier to find her sister-in-law.

“Ke… Third Sister-in-law.” Seeing He Ketian, Shi Fa Ke opened her mouth, then quickly and obediently corrected herself.

He Ketian nodded with satisfaction, placed the two heavy wooden boxes she was carrying on the nearby table, shook her aching arms, then assumed the manner of a sister-in-law and gently took Shi Fa Ke’s hand, “Ah Ke, from now on we’re family. This is the meeting gift sister-in-law prepared for you. I was too busy the past few days and didn’t have time to give it to you, so I’m bringing it to you today.”

Shi Fa Ke nodded with understanding and said very considerately, “You were indeed exhausted the past few days, no wonder you got up so late today.”

He Ketian choked. Even though she knew Shi Fa Ke didn’t mean anything by it, she felt guilty!

“Cough, I haven’t finished organizing my dowry yet, so I’ll go back first. I’ll come find you to play later.” He Ketian was afraid Shi Fa Ke would continue discussing why she got up so late, so after saying this, she hurriedly left.

Like her bottom was on fire.

Truly coming and going in haste.

Shi Fa Ke curiously glanced at the two wooden boxes on the table, went forward to open them, and was stunned.

These two wooden boxes didn’t contain anything else—they were the two paintings by Master Linyuan that He Ketian had previously treasured like precious items.

One was the birthday gift her brother He Kexian had specially bought for her from the capital, the “Forest Sea” worth 1,300 taels. The other was the apology gift she had asked Second Brother Lu to help paint after she broke her porcelain last time. But if what He Ketian had said before was true, that Second Brother Lu was Master Linyuan, then this painting should also be a valuable authentic work…

But now He Ketian had given both paintings to her, saying they were meeting gifts from sister-in-law. Wasn’t this meeting gift a bit too… grand? And these were things she had previously treasured like precious items, yet now she gave them away without batting an eye?