Chapter 302 - 153: Lou Shishi

Chapter 302: Chapter 153: Lou Shishi

In a quaint, antique courtyard.

The old master, Shan Changqing, was chatting and drinking tea with a young girl.

"Hehe~ Is that right? Then I’ve come on the right day. I’ll get a good look at what Weizi’s boyfriend is like later."

Her name was Lou Shishi. By relation, she was his wife Lou Qiaoqiao’s younger cousin.

Shan Changqing was seventy this year, while Lou Shishi’s father was sixty. He’d had a daughter late in life, giving birth to Lou Shishi when he was forty-three.

Lou Shishi was the same age as Shan Weizi, but they weren’t in the same generation. Lou Shishi’s seniority was three generations higher.

A classic case of the youngest branch producing the eldest generation.

Eighteen-year-old Lou Shishi called Shan Changqing ’Cousin-in-law’.

A genuine, bona fide sister-in-law!

Shan Changqing held great respect for this sister-in-law, who was fifty years his junior.

Meanwhile, Shan Zhentian addressed the eighteen-year-old Lou Shishi as "Aunt."

"By the way, Shishi, do you have a boyfriend? If you do, you must bring him for your cousin-in-law to see. You know your Sister Qiaoqiao doted on you the most when she was alive. If you get a boyfriend, you have to bring him for me to meet, understand?"

"I know, Cousin-in-law. I don’t have a boyfriend yet, but when I do, I’ll definitely bring him for you to see. What I’m most looking forward to today is Weizi’s boyfriend. I’m so curious what kind of amazing person could woo Weizi, hehehe... He must have his ’strong points’."

"...Actually, Su Ran doesn’t have any particular strong points. He’s just a steady and devoted young man."

The old master praised Su Ran with the most unadorned words.

It had to be admitted that Su Ran did have the look of a steady and devoted type.

But then again, he really was devoted. Whenever he was with a girl, she was the only one in his eyes. When he was drunk, no matter how you asked him "Who do you love most?", "Who do you want to marry most?", or "Who do you only want to do ’it’ with?"... the answer was always you, you, and only you.

It was enough to move a girl to tears.

As they were chatting, a KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK sounded at the door.

"Speak of the devil. That must be them."

"You stay seated, Cousin-in-law. I’ll get the door."

Lou Shishi stood up, her lithe figure moving toward the entrance. She opened the door to see a young man knocking. Behind him, Shan Zhentian was approaching, panting as he carried Liu Piaopiao on his back.

Seeing a delicate and pretty young woman open the door, Su Ran thought he’d knocked on the wrong one. ’But that’s not right,’ he thought. ’There’s only one house here by West Lake.’

Lou Shishi sized Su Ran up and said, "You’re Su Ran?"

Su Ran: "You know me?"

Lou Shishi: "Of course. Shan Weizi’s boyfriend, right?"

Su Ran: "Right, right. And you are...?"

"I’m... hehe..." Lou Shishi chuckled without introducing herself. Instead, she waved at the people behind Su Ran. "Zhentian, Piaopiao."

’Zhentian?’

’Piaopiao?’

’What kind of address is that?’

Su Ran was stunned.

Shan Zhentian set his wife down, and the couple trotted over, very attentively taking the young girl’s hands and asking after her well-being.

’This woman is someone important.’

"Wait..." Su Ran interrupted them, asking, "Uncle Shan, who is this pretty young lady?"

Shan Zhentian: "What ’young lady’? Show some respect for your elders! This is my aunt."

Su Ran was shocked. "What? Your aunt?"

Lou Shishi smiled. "Can I not be his, Shan Zhentian’s, aunt?"

Su Ran: "No, no, that’s not it. I’m just confused about the relationship."

’A young girl and an old man... aunt and nephew? What the hell?’

Liu Piaopiao smiled and explained, "The relationship is easy to understand... Shishi’s father is the younger brother of Weizi’s grandmother, which puts Shishi in the Old Master’s generation. Zhentian calls Shishi’s father ’Grand-uncle’, so naturally, he calls Shishi ’Aunt’."

Su Ran tried to sort out the relationships, only half-understanding. "The Old Master calls her sister-in-law, you two call her Aunt, so what should I call her?"

Liu Piaopiao laughed. "You, just like Weizi, will call her... Grand-aunt!"

This...

Su Ran’s eyes widened as he looked at Lou Shishi.

A real, live grand-aunt had arrived.

Liu Piaopiao: "An elder in the family is a treasure. In our family, besides the Old Master, we also have this Grand-aunt. She’s basically one of our ancestors, you know?"

The words were crude, but the logic was sound. That was the gist of it.

Su Ran was deeply impressed. At such a young age, she was already at an ancestral level of seniority in the Shan Family. ’This seniority...’ he thought. ’Er... if I sort this out, since I have to call her Grand-aunt along with Weizi, does that make me part of the grandchildren’s generation?’

’Wouldn’t she have to call me ’grandson’ or ’grandson-in-law’?’

Lou Shishi smiled and extended her hand. "Hello, Su Ran. I’m Lou Shishi. I’ve heard all about you from Weizi. Seeing you today, you’re not bad—quite handsome. It’s a pleasure to meet you."

Su Ran quickly reached out with both hands, eagerly shaking Lou Shishi’s. "Hello, Grand-aunt! I never expected Weizi’s grand-aunt to still be in such good health! Grand-aunt, how old are you this year, if I may be so bold as to ask your venerable age?"

For someone of the grandchild generation to ask someone of the grandparent generation for their ’venerable age’ was technically correct, but it was comical when applied to Lou Shishi. Liu Piaopiao and Shan Zhentian chuckled.

Lou Shishi: "Me? I’ve reached the venerable age of eighteen this year."

Su Ran: "Oh, Grand-aunt is so young! The same age as me. After you, Grand-aunt. Watch your step, Grand-aunt..."

Lou Shishi nodded, quite fond of this ’obedient grandson’.

’DING! The Goddess Authority for Lou Shishi is as follows:’

Name: Lou Shishi

Age: 18

Seniority: Grand-aunt

Height: 168cm

Appearance: Moon-eclipsing beauty

Figure: Willow waist, flower-like grace

Special: Has never experienced the ’burning of the nest and storming of the cave’

Comment: Rouge scattered, petals fragrant; a delicate form, veiled and drunk, time and again.

’Such a high evaluation!’

’It’s actually ’moon-eclipsing beauty’. Doesn’t that mean she’s comparable to Diao Chan?’

Su Ran studied this grand-aunt carefully. She really was something else. Her skin was fair with a rosy blush, her figure was graceful, and her posture as she walked exuded an aura of confidence. It was somewhat similar to Xiao Wanqing and the others who studied dance, but not quite the same. She was probably involved in some kind of artistic profession.

Wait...

Su Ran took two steps, then stopped and glanced back at the distant film crew for ’Dreaming of the Tang Dynasty’. He remembered that Weizi was supposed to perform Yang Yuhuan’s ’Feathered Robe Dance’ tonight.

And this grand-aunt before him possessed ’moon-eclipsing beauty’. Didn’t that mean—he had now gathered both the ’moon-eclipser’ and the ’flower-shamer’?

’This is getting interesting.’

...

For dinner, Su Ran personally cooked several fine dishes to treat the Grand-aunt. The group sat at the dining table but didn’t pick up their chopsticks, as they were waiting for the Grand-aunt to return after changing her clothes.

A moment later, the Grand-aunt returned, having changed into a Tang-style, strapless Hanfu, paired with a graceful, long outer shirt. The overall look was gentle and demure. The youthful, fresh-faced Grand-aunt stepped into the dining room, and the Old Master stood up, inviting her to take the seat of honor.

According to seniority, she did indeed deserve the seat of honor.

Su Ran sat next to Liu Piaopiao, his eyes fixed on the Grand-aunt. It wasn’t about her beauty; he just hadn’t gotten used to a grand-aunt being so young.

He had always grumbled that the women around him were a bunch of ’grand-aunts’ to deal with. Well, now a real one had shown up.

Liu Piaopiao nudged Su Ran with her elbow and whispered, "Stop staring at Grand-aunt. It’s rude."

Su Ran: "Sister Piaopiao, I’m just curious how old Weizi’s great-grandfather was when he had the Grand-aunt."

Liu Piaopiao leaned in and explained in a low voice, "The Lou Family had eight siblings, and Shishi’s father is the youngest. He had Shishi at forty-three and is sixty-two now, seven years younger than the Old Master. When I gave birth to Weizi, her father brought her to the one-month celebration. I thought she should be called ’Big Sister’, but the Old Master said she had to be called ’Grand-aunt’. Her seniority is just that high."

Su Ran: "It really is high. So what’s her major? I noticed she walks with a lot of grace. Is she a dancer?"

Liu Piaopiao: "Her mother’s family has always been involved in Kunqu opera. She’s been learning it since she was a child and has a solid foundation, which is why she has such a graceful bearing."

Su Ran: "Kunqu opera, huh? Nice, nice."

They stared at each other, wide-eyed.

Su Ran: "..."

Liu Piaopiao: "..."

AHEM...

As they talked, their faces had moved closer and closer together.

Su Ran stared at the face of this Beautiful and Seductive Young Lady.

Liu Piaopiao stared at the face of this young hunk.

After an awkward cough from both of them, Liu Piaopiao immediately sat up straight. "Insolent! Why are you so close? Are you looking to die?"

Under the table, a high heel viciously ground into Su Ran.

All the weight of the high heel was concentrated on a single point on the top of Su Ran’s foot. It really hurt.

He really couldn’t stand how his mother-in-law would stomp on him at the slightest disagreement.

The pain made Su Ran flare up in anger.

So he reached out and pinched her stocking-clad thigh, making Liu Piaopiao stare in stunned disbelief. ’He pinched me?’

Su Ran whispered, "Sister Piaopiao, you bully me like this, and you still want me to be a live-in son-in-law? If I became one, you’d probably torture me with that high heel every single day... HISS..."

But under the table, Liu Piaopiao’s jade-like foot, clad in its high heel, pressed down with even more force. Above the table, she chatted and drank with Lou Shishi as if nothing were wrong.

’Son... of... a... bitch!’

Su Ran really couldn’t take her anymore.

"..." Su Ran was in despair. This was the most unreasonable mother-in-law he had ever met.

He wasn’t at all afraid of being tormented to death by Shan Weizi, but he was terrified of being tormented to death by Shan Weizi’s mom.

’This is too much.’

"Behave, and I’ll stop stepping on you." After saying this, Liu Piaopiao finally retracted her long leg, adjusted her slit qipao, and sat with perfect posture. From the back, her curves were as graceful and rounded as a Ru ware flower vase.

At that moment.

Lou Shishi had two drinks with Shan Changqing and his son. Su Ran asked again, "Sister Piaopiao, is Grand-aunt a good drinker?"

Liu Piaopiao placed a clump of chives on Su Ran’s plate. "She can drink a thousand cups without getting drunk. Her tolerance is excellent. Stop being so curious about your Grand-aunt. Here, I got you some chives. Eat up."

Su Ran: "Sister Piaopiao, you’re the best."

Liu Piaopiao: "Tch. I’m the best, yet you still dared to pinch my thigh?"

Su Ran: "I was wrong, I was wrong. How about this, I’ll punish myself with a drink." With that, Su Ran downed his glass in one gulp, and Liu Piaopiao refilled it for him.

Just then.

Lou Shishi raised her glass. "Su Ran, since this is our first meeting, I’ll toast to you."

Liu Piaopiao released her high-heeled foot. Su Ran raised his glass with both hands. "Grand-aunt, please, stay seated. It should be me toasting you. I’m so happy you’re here. Tonight, let’s not stop until we’re all drunk!"

"Hahaha..." Shan Changqing, who loved alcohol as much as life itself, laughed heartily. "I’m also very happy that Shishi is here! Tonight, no one leaves sober! After we’re done drinking, we’ll go watch Weizi’s performance. And when it’s over, we’ll come back and keep drinking! There’s more than enough alcohol to go around."

Liu Piaopiao: "Don’t drink so much. The three of them—Shishi and the others—can’t match your tolerance. Especially Su Ran. He can’t hold his liquor but still thinks he’s the best. You should drink less."

Lou Shishi: "So Su Ran can’t handle his alcohol?"

Liu Piaopiao: "It’s not his tolerance that’s the problem, it’s his behavior when he’s drunk."

Liu Piaopiao recalled the last time Su Ran got drunk. She had been helping him back to his room to rest, but the rascal mistook her for Weizi, unbuttoned the first button of her qipao, and even left a hickey on her neck.

She had almost killed him.