Reborn as a Landlord-Chapter 1285 - 656: Homecoming
The second watch, asking for pink.
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Lian Manman sensitively noticed Shen Jin’s anomaly and stopped speaking further. Shen Jin had something on her mind, which became more apparent the more time Lian Manman spent with her after Shen Liu left. Her behavior manifested in sudden dazes. However, since both Shen Liu and Shen Qian had hinted at this but wouldn’t disclose anything, Lian Manman guessed it was something unspeakable, and therefore she never probed Shen Jin about it.
In such situations, Lian Manman would quietly sit beside Shen Jin. Shen Jin would recover, and then it would seem as though nothing had happened, and Lian Manman would play along.
As expected, it was the same this time. Shen Jin was in a trance for a while, then she came to.
"Manman, what you said makes a lot of sense." Unlike previous times, this time Shen Jin brought up the topic on her own. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶
"I was just speaking off the cuff." Seeing Shen Jin like this, Lian Manman quickly laughed.
But Shen Jin waved her hand, stopping Lian Manman from continuing.
"Always residing in the mansion, I never realized. Coming to the Nian Garden this time and meeting you, and your girlfriends, learning how you live your daily lives, has made me understand many truths that I previously didn’t grasp." Shen Jin’s gaze was distant, her tone solemn yet tinged with a light melancholy. "Small families have their concerns, just as our large families have our discontent."
Every family has its difficult scripture; this saying is universally valid.
Lian Manman gently murmured an affirmative, showing the appearance of earnest listening. As for Shen Jin’s worries, if Shen Jin didn’t talk about them, she wouldn’t inquire; now that Shen Jin was willing to speak, she was willing to be a good listener.
"Let’s not talk about others, let’s talk about us," Shen Jin continued. "Your cousin Yeye, her family’s situation is not good, so she has to worry about the household’s food and clothing. Your family now is considered a big household in Jinyang, so you don’t have to worry about food and clothing, but you still have to help with household chores."
Saying this, Shen Jin’s gaze fell on Lian Manman, and she smiled.
"I know you are the head young lady of your family. In your family, you can be the head of most of the household."
"Fifth sister, please don’t tease me." Lian Manman also smiled, "It’s because my parents indulge me, and my brothers and sisters all yield to me."
"You’re too modest in saying that. Perhaps you didn’t know before, but after these days at Nian Garden, I heard about it. Manman, your competence is something I greatly admire," Shen Jin added.
"Fifth sister, you mentioned Yeye and me, but haven’t said anything about yourself?" Lian Manman said.
"I seem to be even freer than you," Shen Jin laughed lightly. "There’s naturally no worry about food and clothing—I’m not boasting, but if it’s something that exists in this world, as long as I ask for it, my family can find it for me. Household affairs are also managed by others, without me having to exert any thought. Such a life, as it seems, many people surely envy. If I have anything more to complain about, people would consider me unaware of how good I have it..."
A girl from a Zhu Men Embroidered Background family lives such a life until she marries.
"Like Sixth Brother, Ninth Brother, and other brothers, they still have to strive and labor for this family. I don’t even have to do that; it seems I only need to enjoy. But, that’s not entirely the case..."
At this point, Shen Jin paused. Her eyes were fixated on the blooming lotus flowers outside the window, lost in thought.
Lian Manman quietly sat without making a sound. In fact, by this point, she had mostly guessed Shen Jin’s troubles. What else could there be for a girl from a big family, if not marriage?
However, in this era, which girl can fully control her own marriage? It’s still all under the command of parents and the arrangements of matchmakers. Even in ordinary farmstead families, they still place importance on familial ties or marrying into friendly families, thus forming bonds between two surnames. As for the large families, of course, they place a greater emphasis on alliances.
Take the Shen Family, for instance; Shen Jin is naturally going to be involved in alliances organized by the Shen Family. Even Shen Liu and Shen Qian, these disciples, cannot decide their own marriages; most of their marriages would be political and interest-based alliances.
This is fundamentally a common issue. Shen Jin, having grown up in the Shen Family, should already be well accustomed to this. Her lament now is merely due to always having lived in comfort and having her way.
In observing Shen Jin’s eating, dressing, and etiquette these days, Lian Manman discovered that even within the Shen Family, girls as pampered as Shen Jin should not be many.
