Chapter 1004: 1004: What a Coincidence (8)

Chapter 1004: Chapter 1004: What a Coincidence (8)

By the time the servant led Jiang Bin out, Shu Wen finally opened the door and came out.

Shu Jiao frowned and said, “Sneaky like this? That’s not your usual style. How exactly did you two break up?”

Shu Wen had always been straightforward, bold, and efficient. Even though she’d had a brief relationship with Jiang Bin, in her eyes, there shouldn’t be any need to skulk around like this, acting as if she were afraid of him. This was entirely unlike Shu Wen’s usual way of handling things.

Shu Wen pouted, popped a grape into her mouth, and mumbled indistinctly, “Just incompatible personalities, what else could it be? Sis, let’s stop talking about him—so annoying.”

Still, recalling the conversation she’d overheard earlier, her expression turned slightly complicated as she glanced at Shu Jiao, asking, “Sis, are you really going to the Jiang Family?”

“Hmm? Why?”

“You know about those two sisters in the Jiang Family fighting like rabid hens over the years, right?”

The Jiang Family originally consisted of six siblings. Jiang Xun’s father, Jiang Yuanlong, was the eldest, while Jiang Bin was the youngest. Jiang Bin had three older brothers, one of whom passed away before reaching adulthood, as well as two older sisters.

Conflicts within large families weren’t unusual, but the infighting in the Jiang Family was peculiar. The brothers had decent relationships, but the two sisters fought relentlessly, garnering quite a few jokes across Beidu.

Sometimes Shu Wen couldn’t wrap her head around it—after all, it wasn’t a matter of step-relatives; they were all biological siblings from the same parents. How could their feud escalate to such a point?

For her part, if a situation like this arose, she wouldn’t bother competing. If Shu Jiao wanted something, she’d gladly hand it over, no questions asked. She trusted her brother Shu Lang would do the same.

Likewise, she believed that if they wanted something, Shu Jiao would willingly hand it over without any conflict.

“I’ve heard a bit about it,” Shu Jiao replied. “I caught wind of some details four years ago, back when I visited Beidu.”

“Well, in that case, breaking up with Jiang Bin wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Sisters-in-law like that? Sure to make life difficult,” Shu Jiao commented.

Shu Wen curled her lips but remained silent. Still, her eyes flickered with emotion.

Shu Lang returned the day after Shu Wen’s arrival. He didn’t like traveling by train, always driving on his own instead, stopping and going at his own pace. The journey usually took him several days, and by the time he arrived home, it was past 1 PM. Fully expecting an enthusiastic welcome, he stepped inside—only to find the Shu Family residence completely deserted.

Every single member of the household, including Ruanlin and Old Shu himself, had gone out shopping for the entire day.

The weather was fairly decent today—cold, but with a bit of sunshine.

The shopping spree lasted until dusk, and the family returned with their hands full, every one of them utterly satisfied. Especially Jiaojiao—first, Shu Wen decided to buy her two outfits. Upon seeing this, Ruanlin thought, “That won’t do. My sister-in-law is buying clothes for my daughter; I must reciprocate the gesture.” So he whipped out his wallet and bought two outfits each for Shu Wen, Shu Jiao, and Jiaojiao.

This act didn’t sit well with Old Shu, who refused to let himself be outdone. Determined to make a statement, he instructed the sales clerk to pick out five additional outfits exclusively for Jiaojiao. The clerk was grinning ear-to-ear by the end of it all.

And when one thing leads to another, there’s no stopping it—throughout the rest of the trip, whenever Shu Wen bought something for Jiaojiao, the two men insisted on one-upping each other by buying even more for her. The result was a mountain of goods accumulated for Jiaojiao.

Ruan Jie and Xiu Xi, trailing behind and carrying all the bags, were nearly at their wit’s end—they looked as if their arms might snap off.

By the time they finally returned home, nearly everything they brought back was meant for Jiaojiao—including over a dozen outfits. If she hadn’t seriously put her foot down and protested, who knows how much more they would’ve added to the pile!