Chapter 3: Is the New Daughter-in-Law a Jinx?

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Xu An usually held himself in high regard and looked down on them completely. Unexpectedly, now he was speaking to them with such politeness. Had he been bewitched, or had he changed after a brush with death?

“All right, all right, my brother is still weak. Let’s not disturb him here any longer. Let’s all leave,” Xu Panpan urged hurriedly.

Hearing this, the crowd dispersed, still filled with endless doubts.

Xu Panpan gave Xu An a few instructions before leaving the courtyard with several village women.

“Let’s go back inside!” Xu An glanced at the little girl before him and smiled faintly.

The little girl was short, barely reaching Xu An’s chest, slender and tiny, about 1.5 meters tall by estimation.

Her bright eyes, with a faint trace of purple still lingering, were clear and pure. She looked utterly adorable.

Outside the courtyard, one of the slightly plump village women said to Xu Panpan, “Madam Zhao, have you noticed that your brother’s new wife’s eyes seem a bit strange?”

Xu Panpan asked, puzzled, “What’s wrong with them?”

“Their eyes seem to have a purple tint... It’s somewhat like the legendary heterochromia,” the plump woman said.

At this, the other village women’s faces instantly showed fear.

“Now that you mention it, I think I saw that too. That young wife’s eyes really are different from ours. I thought I was just imagining things.”

“Panpan, if that’s true, it’s serious. Heterochromia is said to be a sign of a demon reincarnate, a harbinger of disaster!”

“Exactly. If she truly is a disaster star, we can’t keep her in the village, or she’ll doom us all.”

Seeing the women say this, Xu Panpan’s protective nature flared up once again. She frowned and looked at the plump woman.

“Sister Wang, you might be talking nonsense. How come I haven’t seen it?”

Sister Wang replied, “Madam Zhao, your brother’s wife kept her head down most of the time. If she hadn’t lifted it accidentally just now, I wouldn’t have seen it either!”

“Right, Madam Zhao. Before you came, even though she was crying sadly, she kept her head bowed the whole time,” another village woman chimed in.

“That can’t be. You must be mistaken. My sister-in-law can’t possibly have heterochromia. You can eat bad food, but you can’t say wild things!”

Xu Panpan had just been out borrowing things to manage the funeral and didn’t know much about Su Yan’er’s situation. But she wouldn’t believe such rumors just because of a few words.

“Ah, Madam Zhao, don’t be angry. There’s no need to spread rumors. Let’s just go back and have a look, then it’ll be clear,” Sister Wang urged.

“Yes, Panpan. This concerns the entire village’s safety; you can’t cover for her!”

“Besides, Madam Zhao, have you thought about this? Your brother was perfectly fine before. Why did he suffer this misfortune the very night this young wife arrived?”

“That’s right. Mr. Xu is a scholar; if it weren’t for that young wife, how could he have been driven to jump into the river?”

The women continued chattering like a machine gun.

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Hearing these words, even Xu Panpan felt unsettled.

Xu An was the only male heir in the Xu family this generation. If the newlywed wife truly was a disaster star that brought harm to Xu An, the Xu family line would end.

Moreover, this wouldn’t only ruin the Xu family but possibly the entire village.

“All right, since that’s the case, let’s go back and take another look.”

Xu Panpan said this, unable to calm herself, and quickly turned toward the gate of Xu An’s courtyard.

…

Xu An followed Su Yan’er inside.

On the table were a plate of cabbage, a plate of pork cracklings, and a bowl of red bean soup.

The meal looked passable.

But Xu An knew these dishes were considered a luxury by these villagers. Except for major occasions like weddings or the New Year, they usually ate coarse corn bread and pickled vegetables.

There was hardly any chance to eat such food.

Originally, even at the wedding, the original lady wouldn’t have eaten such dishes. Fortunately, Xu Panpan had noticed the house lacked anything and brought some over.

“Sigh, after this meal, I have to think about the next one,” Xu An muttered softly as he sat by the table.

The little girl scooped a bowl of rice for him, then sat down beside him.

Xu An devoured a couple of mouthfuls and looked at the little girl in puzzlement. “Aren’t you eating?”

“My husband eats; I’m... not hungry,” the little girl said, stealing a glance at the plate of pork cracklings and swallowing hard.

The pork cracklings looked delicious.

She hadn’t tasted such a treat in many years.

But such good food had to be saved for her husband.

She lowered her head again, trying hard not to look at the pork cracklings.

Suddenly, a rumbling sound came from inside the room.

The little girl’s face flushed immediately. She clutched her stomach and bowed her head deeply, utterly embarrassed.

Why did her stomach have to growl right now, with her husband right there?

Xu An smiled gently at her awkwardness.

He pushed the plate of pork cracklings toward her and handed her a pair of chopsticks. “I don’t like these. You eat them, but you should get some rice to go with it.”

Villagers generally ate very plain food. Meat was rare throughout the year.

After becoming used to plain meals, suddenly eating rich, greasy food could upset the stomach.

“I... I won’t eat. These are good things. My husband is a scholar. Eating these helps him gain knowledge. It’s no use if I eat them,” the little girl said, lowering her eyes.

Xu An found this little girl irresistibly adorable. For a moment, the usual allure of distant mountains and peaks paled in comparison.

She was simply delightful!

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“I don’t like greasy food either. If you don’t eat it, it’ll spoil, and that would be a shame.”

Ah? That won’t do!

These pork cracklings were precious; they couldn’t be allowed to go bad.

The little girl quickly said, “I’ll eat!”

She hurriedly scooped about half a bowl of rice for herself.

Then, after some thought, she took half of that rice and put it back in the pot.

Only then did she sit back down.

Xu An noticed there were only two mouthfuls of rice left in her bowl.

When she picked up the cracklings, she only took tiny bits, seeming reluctant to eat them.

He couldn’t help but snatch her bowl away.

Then, he took half from his own full bowl and put it into hers, along with several chopsticks full of pork cracklings, placing the bowl in front of her.

“Here, eat it all.”

Looking at the bowl full of rice and cracklings, the little girl swallowed saliva softly.

“Husband, I can’t eat so much. You’re a scholar and will take the imperial exam. You should eat more.”

Xu An smiled. “What does eating more have to do with the exam? If you want good results, studying hard is what matters most.”

“Is that so?”

“I’ve heard before that eating well helps the brain grow!”

Su Yan’er looked at the rice and cracklings quietly.

“That makes some sense. But don’t think too much. Just eat!”

Xu An smiled at her.

“H-Husband, do you not dislike me?”

“Now that you’re my wife, we’re family. How could family dislike each other?”

Xu An smiled gently.

The little girl was pure and sweet. He quickly took on his role.

Family, huh?

The word filled her with an incomparable warmth.

I must work hard so my husband can live well!

Su Yan’er silently resolved.

Xu An glanced at her still slightly purple pupils and asked, “Do your eyes affect your vision?”

The little girl shook her head. “No, husband. When they turn purple, I can see farther and clearer.”

“Then it’s fine. Eat up.”

Xu An didn’t know the reason either, but since it didn’t affect her sight, it was probably just a genetic trait.

After all, foreigners have blue eyes—how else could that be explained?

“Xiao An, come out here with your wife.”

Suddenly, Xu Panpan’s voice came from outside the courtyard.