Chapter 117: My younger sister Wen Shu

As November arrives, the autumn chill deepens.

The maple leaves on Yuelu Mountain are beginning to turn red, and the temperature is much lower than in previous years.

University life was generally peaceful.

Hua Qing has already told Ding Heng that she will be going to the Beijing Dance Academy, but since she hasn't finished her senior year yet, she won't risk everything and will leave tonight.

Once she receives her graduation certificate next semester, she will rush over immediately to participate in the rehearsal and training of a new dance production.

Ding Heng supported her, but he was also troubled by the fact that Hua Qing's romantic relationship hadn't progressed at all since that night.

70% is like a hurdle.

Whether he's acting on emotion or lust, whether it's gentle or stimulating, the progress bar remains completely still.

Hua Qing's threshold seems to have been raised even further...

Looking back now, I realize how lucky I was to find the little white rabbit Wenjing during my newbie quest; it was practically free.

This day was a weekend, and it also happened to be the beginning of winter.

Zhao Yanxi, I don't know which marketing account she saw again, kept insisting that they make dumplings together.

Just then, Ding Wenjie sent back some beef and mutton, so Ding Heng agreed, and the meeting place was chosen to be Hua Qing's house.

Ding Heng didn't arrive at Hua Qing's house until after 9 a.m. on Saturday morning, having been working on his homework until 2 a.m.

Pushing open the door, the room was already bustling with activity.

The living room smelled of flour, and several plates of seasoned fillings were laid out on the coffee table: pork and scallion, spiced beef, and a small bowl of chives and eggs, all prepared by Wenjing who had come early in the morning.

Several people sat around the table, chatting and laughing as they made dumplings.

Among them, besides the familiar faces, there was also a girl that Ding Heng had never seen before.

She was a little over 1.6 meters tall, wearing a vocational high school uniform jacket, with her hair tied in a ponytail, and her eyebrows and eyes bore a resemblance to Wenjing's.

Ding Heng placed the two bottles of vinegar he was carrying on the entryway cabinet and asked curiously, "And this is... Wen Shu?"

"Hello, brother-in-law!"

Wen Shu called him "brother-in-law" in a very open and natural way, without the slightest bit of awkwardness.

Upon hearing Wen Shu's address, Ding Heng immediately felt that several girls' eyes were all on him.

Zhao Yanxi held the dumplings, a forced smile on her face.

Hua Qing's expression changed slightly, but she quickly regained her composure, lowered her head and continued making dumplings, appearing completely unconcerned.

Hua Yue sighed softly, for her cousin and for her two best friends...

Only Wenjing herself was extremely embarrassed and gently pushed her younger sister, saying, "Xiaoshu, don't shout like that."

Wen Shu blinked, looking completely innocent. "What's wrong? Isn't he my brother-in-law?"

Wenjing's ears turned bright red: "We...are only freshmen..."

"It's only a matter of time."

Wen Shu replied matter-of-factly, "Let's just get it straight now, so it won't feel awkward later."

Wenjing was unable to refute, and could only cast an embarrassed look at Ding Heng.

Ding Heng didn't seem to care. He calmly walked to the pool, washed his hands, and then went to the coffee table.

"How's it wrapped?"

"See for yourself."

Zhao Yanxi raised her chin and pointed to the dumplings in front of her.

Ding Heng glanced down and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

The dumplings in front of Zhao Yanxi were of various shapes. Some were round and pretty, some were crooked and exposed their filling, and a few were not even dumplings at all, but looked more like lumps of dough.

Ding Heng picked up a dumpling wrapper and started helping to wrap the dumplings, asking as he did so, "Wen Shu, what brings you here?"

Wen Shu chuckled, "Something came up at school, so we got two extra days off. I didn't know where to go, so I came to visit my sister... Brother-in-law, you don't mind, do you?"

"Welcome! You're definitely welcome!"

Ding Heng was very enthusiastic, then turned to Wen Jing: "Have you arranged where your sister is staying?"

Wenjing shook her head: "Not yet."

"Shall I arrange a room for her at the Chujiang Hotel?"

"Um……"

Wenjing didn't hesitate for long and nodded in agreement.

More than an hour later, hundreds of dumplings were ready to be cooked.

Roughly estimated, Wenjing made two-thirds of the more than one hundred dumplings on the table by herself.

The rest were either deformed or exposed, and were made by several other pampered young ladies who never lifted a finger.

Wenjing also had to find time to salvage those "defective products" and reshape them.

Zhao Yanxi and Hua Yue didn't do it on purpose; they were truly people who never lifted a finger in the kitchen and had never done this kind of work at home.

Being able to wrap it into any shape is already an extraordinary achievement.

Seeing Wenjing busy by herself, Ding Heng was about to go over and lend a hand when Wenshu suddenly came over.

"How about it, brother-in-law? Isn't my sister virtuous?"

"Aren't you going to help your sister?"

"I'd be more of a hindrance than a help."

"Don't you usually do housework at home?"

Wen Shu spread her hands and shrugged.

"There's no way around it, I've understood one thing ever since I was little, just by looking at my sister."

"What's the reasoning behind that?"

"The more sensible a child is, the more grievances they suffer, and the more chores they have to do."

Wen Shu glanced at Wen Jing, who was busy in the kitchen, and said in a complicated tone.

"My sister has always been like this since she was little. She always volunteered to do everything and never complained. So, it was only natural that any chores at home would be left to her. As for me, since I can't do anything, they don't expect anything from me."

Ding Heng didn't reply, but turned to look at the sofa.

Zhao Yanxi and Hua Yue chattered and teased Hei Dou, who was so exhausted from being petted that it let out helpless meows.

I glanced again at Wenjing, who was busy working alone in the kitchen.

I glanced again at Wenjing, who was busy working alone in the kitchen.

It wasn't that Zhao Yanxi and Hua Yue were deliberately being lazy.

Their personalities and upbringing mean they are not good at housework, and if they were to enter the kitchen, they would only make things worse.

At most, I'll help wash the dishes and pots after meals.

Suddenly, the bedroom door opened.

Hua Qing came to the kitchen and handed a large red envelope to Wen Jing.

"Wenjing, this is for you."

Wenjing froze, her hands still covered in flour, unsure whether to accept the gift.

"Sister Hua Qing, this is...?"

"The new house is now open for cooking."

Hua Qing explained, "According to old tradition, the first time someone properly cooks a meal, you have to give the chef a lucky gift."

After buying this house, she usually just boils eggs and heats up milk, and today is the first time she has ever cooked a proper meal.

Wenjing declined a couple of times, but finally accepted it, looking a little embarrassed.

"Thank you, Sister Hua Qing..."

"You're welcome."

Watching the harmonious scene between the two, Wen Shu sighed with admiration.

"Brother-in-law, look how capable my sister is."

"She's quite capable."

Ding Heng nodded, without denying it.

Wen Shu continued reciting, her tone earnest.

"Although my family can't help much, in this day and age, if you can really marry a girl like my sister, it's a blessing you've accumulated over eight lifetimes."

Ding Heng glanced at her and smiled calmly.

"Didn't your sister say that? She's only a freshman. Let her finish college in peace."

He could tell that Wen Shu was outgoing, but her emotional intelligence wasn't as high as Zhao Yanxi's.

The little girl didn't have any bad intentions; she just wanted to flatter her older sister, and was also a little insecure.

She felt that her family was not well-off and was afraid that her sister would be looked down upon.

But what he said wasn't very pleasant to hear.

To someone with a narrow mind, it meant—you should be grateful that you can marry my sister.

Half an hour later, the dumplings were served, along with a large pot of radish stewed with mutton. The radishes were tender, the soup was milky white, and the aroma filled the whole house.

Everyone sat in a circle, picked up their chopsticks, and started showing off.

Since they were all college students, their conversation naturally revolved around university life.

How difficult are the major courses? Which teacher is strict about taking attendance? Which food stall in the cafeteria is the best?

Wen Shu didn't resonate much with the discussion, nor could she join in.

Until Hua Yue suddenly asked jokingly, "Wen Shu, are you in a relationship?"

Wen Shu's eyes lit up, and she got excited.

"We talked about it!"

She put down her chopsticks and began to describe it vividly.

"Our school's heartthrob, he's over 1.8 meters tall, and he's incredibly handsome when he plays basketball. When he was pursuing me, he bought me breakfast every day and walked me home after school. All the girls in my class were so envious of me."

Everyone at the table laughed.

The tone, the details, the animated manner—it was obvious he was bragging, but no one would dare to call him out on it.

Seeing that her younger sister had gone a bit overboard, Wenjing picked up a large piece of lamb chop and put it in her bowl.

"Stop nagging and eat."

"Oh……"

Wen Shu pouted and continued eating.

Zhao Yanxi teased Hua Yue, "See that? She already has the school heartthrob boyfriend in her second year of high school. What about you? You haven't even held a man's hand yet, have you?"

Hua Yue rolled her eyes: "Go away... I'd rather stay single, what's it to you? It's better than fighting with other people for a man!"

The moment she finished speaking, the atmosphere at the table immediately became tense.

Wenjing paused, her chopsticks still in her hand, her expression subtle.

Although Hua Qing didn't look up, her fingers tightened slightly as she held the chopsticks.

Zhao Yanxi's smile froze for a moment.

Only Wen Shu remained oblivious to the change in atmosphere, her eyes blazing with gossip: "Sister Yan hope, are you fighting with someone else for a man?"

Zhao Yanxi smiled awkwardly, unsure how to respond.

Wen Shu, however, became even more enthusiastic.

"I have experience with this kind of thing!"

She put down her chopsticks and began to offer suggestions.

"My best friend had a similar experience. A woman was relentlessly pursuing her boyfriend, and she got really angry. In the end, I gave her some advice..."

She counted them one by one on her fingers.

"First, you have to stay calm and not rush. Women who want to steal men love to see you get flustered. If you get flustered, she'll feel smug. If you stay calm, she'll panic."

Secondly, you need to get your man on your side. Don't argue with him, but rather be affectionate and playful – "Honey, look at her! She keeps messaging you, it makes me so sad!" Men respond to this. The more you argue, the more annoyed he gets; the more gentle you are, the more he feels sorry for you.

Then you need to find opportunities to show affection in front of that girl. Post on social media, post photos of you two together, post videos of you eating and shopping together, so that she knows she has no chance.

Finally, and most ruthlessly! If you have the chance, talk to that woman alone. Don't argue, don't swear, ideally use words to make her break down and hit you, then get a minor injury yourself…

She got more and more excited as she talked, completely unaware that her sister was frantically giving her meaningful glances.

"This tactic is the most deadly; once a man knows that a woman has targeted you, your chances of winning are much higher... Ouch!"

Wen Shu suddenly let out a strange cry and looked down at the table.

"Sis, why are you stepping on me?!"