Ever since they learned that Qiao Shu could write fairy tales and even make money from those stories she wrote, the Feng family members had cleaned out the guest room next to hers. They even hired people to renovate it completely, turning the original guest room into a large study.
They also knocked out a wide double door in the wall between the two rooms to make it convenient for Qiao Shu to move between them.
Faced with the study that the Feng family had prepared for her in less than two days, Qiao Shu felt deeply moved.
Especially when she saw that expensive-looking Rosewood Carved Desk, along with the comfortable leather chair padded with a fluffy wool blanket.
It was clear they had considered her delicate constitution and prepared it specially since hard wooden chairs would not suit her.
There was also the massive bookshelf covering an entire wall, filled with famous works from both China and the West. The largest portion consisted of children’s books—various children’s magazines and fairy tale novels from both East and West…
It was obvious how much care the Feng family had put into this for her.
Faced with a study overflowing with love for her, Qiao Shu felt truly moved.
She had never even thought to ask for a dedicated study for writing, yet the Feng family had prepared one immediately upon learning of her talent…
“How is it, Shushu? Do you like it? I had a friend specially buy this chair for me. Give it a try—see if it’s comfortable?”
He Hong looked at Qiao Shu with a beaming smile, her tone filled with eagerness.
“Shushu, this Huanghuali Table I specially snatched from your Grandpa Wang. Hehe, that old fellow wasn’t willing to give it up, but who could resist how beautiful this table is? I took one look and knew it was perfect for a pretty and talented girl like our family’s Shushu!”
With that, Elder Feng rapped the table happily with a smug grin on his face.
Feng Shengli was not one to be outdone and began showing off the bookshelf and the rows of books from various fields and countries, East and West alike, that he had prepared for Qiao Shu.
“Shushu, don’t you love reading? These are all gifts from me…”
Unfortunately, Feng Shengli had not even finished boasting when He Hong called him out.
“What do you mean they’re all from you? Most of these books were bought with help from your daughter and son-in-law. Without them, when would you have filled this entire bookshelf?”
Seeing his wife mercilessly expose his exaggeration, Feng Shengli immediately protested.
“I paid for half of them too! And I personally placed every one on the shelf!”
Qiao Shu watched her father-in-law and mother-in-law “argue” over trying to take credit with her and could not help but find the two elders, both over fifty, utterly adorable.
Though they shared no blood relation, they valued and cherished her so much, giving her the very best. Her treatment in the Feng family was probably even better than that of He Yingzi and Feng Xiao, the true children of the family.
“Grandpa, Mom, Dad, thank you. I really like this study!”
Qiao Shu smiled softly, her gaze gentle as she looked at the three of them, her eyes full of sincerity.
Though the Feng family had grown somewhat accustomed to their daughter-in-law being a stunning beauty like a heavenly fairy, when they saw her gazing at them with that gentle smile, her clear eyes filled only with them, the three still stood stunned for a long moment before snapping out of it from her captivating smile.
“Ai! As long as you like it, that’s what matters.”
“Yeah, Shushu, we’re glad you like it.”
“Shushu, if the study is missing anything, just tell Dad. I’ll go buy it for you.”
The three Feng family members, who already doted on Qiao Shu, were now even more willing to pluck the stars and moon for her, determined to fulfill her every wish.
Once the Feng family members left the study, leaving only Qiao Shu and the two little ones behind, the three held hands and stood before the row of large bookshelves, curiously browsing the books.
Soon, Qiao Shu picked out a picture book for each of the two little ones, He Anning and Jiang Lekang. Then she began reading the foreign fairy tale books the Feng family had bought for her.
As she read, Qiao Shu realized that this world seemed different from the one she had known before.
It was more like a parallel world.
Many of the famous fairy tales she remembered from her previous life were missing.
Not entirely absent, but incomplete, missing key parts.
For example, the stories of Snow White and Cinderella existed, but there was no Little Mermaid.
The most famous collection from her previous life was reduced to just Grimm’s Fairy Tales, with no Andersen tales.
After roughly flipping through the thick original edition of Grimm’s Fairy Tales, Qiao Shu confirmed in her heart that the world she was now in was indeed very similar to her original one but with some subtle differences—a parallel world.
Perhaps the broad historical paths of countries and the world were the same, but there were minor divergences in these fine details that did not affect much.
At that moment, Qiao Shu did not dwell on it. After all, these small differences had no impact on her.
“Wow! Little Aunt, can you read English?!”
He Anning looked up and saw her Fairy Little Aunt holding an English book she could not understand. Her eyes widened instantly.
“Mm, I can. Ningning, Kangkang, do you two want to learn?”
Qiao Shu smiled and set down the Grimm’s Fairy Tales, saying it calmly.
The original host could not read English, but with the Qiao family absent now, who was to say what she could or could not do?
Later, when the Qiao family learned she knew things the original host did not, she could just say she picked them up at the Feng family’s. Perfect!
“Ah…”
Hearing that it meant more studying, the learning-averse He Anning felt her head about to explode and subconsciously wanted to refuse.
But she had her own younger brother next to her, an overachiever who studied like a machine!!!
“Kangkang wants to learn! Kangkang wants to learn from Little Aunt!”
Jiang Lekang nodded vigorously, looking every bit the brainless fanatic who would do anything his Little Aunt asked.
Hearing Jiang Lekang say that, the reluctant He Anning had no choice but to grit her teeth and say she wanted to learn too.
In the end, He Anning did not even get to read her picture book. Instead, it was copybooks and writing English letters, exhausting the poor study slacker.
Then, at lunchtime, she learned another piece of bad news—
“What?! Grandma Wu is taking leave to go home tomorrow?!”
The most agitated upon hearing Wu Ma was leaving was not Qiao Shu, the biggest foodie who loved Wu Ma’s cooking the most, but He Anning.
No helping it—the second biggest fan of eating in the house after Qiao Shu was little He Anning.
As for why the family’s top foodie Qiao Shu was not upset and trying to stop Wu Ma from leaving, that was naturally because—
Great! She finally had an excuse to cook for the Feng family and use spiritual spring water to nourish their bodies!