Jiang Han's parents were both martyrs who died on the anti-drug front lines. With no relatives willing to adopt her, she was originally sent to an orphanage, but later ran away from there alone and walked back to the police station.
The group of gruff older men at the police station all wanted to adopt her but lacked the means, while those who already had families had their own difficulties.
Not wanting to go back to the orphanage, Jiang Han ended up staying in the pantry at the canteen, with the canteen auntie looking after her. Everyone felt bad that she had lost her parents at such a young age, so they often slipped her tasty treats, causing Jiang Han to become a little chubby under everyone's care.
At the time, Jiang Han was very young. After listening to the gossipy canteen auntie say a few words, she thought Shen Youfei was a bad woman and threw a rotten egg at her head. With Shen Youfei's fiery temper, how could she possibly endure this? She immediately took Jiang Han back home - first, using the excuse that the child was too fat, which impacted her health, to supervise Jiang Han in losing weight while "coincidentally" teaching her manners; second, to threaten Yan Xingnan - with Jiang Han in her hands, Shen Youfei was not afraid that Yan Xingnan would not come knocking at her door.
Shen Youfei swung a fragrant roasted chicken leg under Jiang Han’s nose, “Do you want to eat it?”
Jiang Han was lying on a yoga mat with a coach supervising her doing leg raises. Shen Youlin had found a pediatrician, nutrition specialist, and fitness coach to formulate a scientific and comprehensive weight loss plan for her that arranged every minute of her day clearly.
Jiang Han humphed and turned her face away, “Don’t want to.”
“Tsk, you kid, why are you pretending to be tough? Did you learn this stubborn, contrary attitude from your Yan dad?” Shen Youfei continued to tease her. “Yan Xingnan is your stepdad so shouldn’t you call me stepmom?”
“Yan dad would never like a bad woman like you!”
“Impossible,” Shen Youfei retorted decisively. “How could he not like me? How could anyone in the world not like me?”
Indeed, how could anyone in the world not like her?
Yan Xingnan's hesitation was merely due to concerns over their difference in status and background. But Shen Youfei liked him, so none of those were problems.
Yan Xingnan soon surrendered and bowed to her in the name of love.
Yan Xingnan liked her; Jiang Han liked her; Shen Youlin naturally liked her too. No one would not like her.
"Don't you think my laughter sounds weird?" Shen Youlin hugged Yu Shu as he chuckled. "I learned it from her as a kid."
If Shen Youfei had any flaws, it would be that when she was happy, she would often let out honks like a goose. Having followed her since he was little, Shen Youlin failed to pick up the goose honks. Instead, he took a detour and learned "heeheehee" laughs. Shen Youfei found it amusing so she didn't correct him in time. By the time Shen Youlin grew up, the habit was too ingrained to change.
When the siblings were happy, one would go "Honk honk honk" while the other went "Heeheehee", with Jiang Han "Hahaha"-ing on the side, and the dog Yun Duo adding "Woof woof".
Yan Xingnan often joked, "Oh no, I accidentally wandered into a zoo again."
Every time he said this, he would inevitably suffer a round of beatings, with Shen Youfei, Shen Youlin and Jiang Han ganging up against him.
Shen Youfei joked, "Look, we're not even married yet but we already have a perfect pair of kids!"
From the day they got together, Shen Youfei was ready to be his bride.
On their graduation day from college, she put on a wedding dress and brought Jiang Han and Shen Youlin, dressed up as flower girls and ring bearers, to force Yan Xingnan into marriage at the police station. But she didn’t expect that Yan Xingnan would take out a diamond ring first, “Miss Shen, can you please not rush things so much?”
As it turned out, Shen Youfei really was in a hurry. After Yan Xingnan finished proposing, she dragged him straight to the civil affairs bureau to get their marriage certificate.
Shen Youfei hurried to get registered because only as legal spouses could they process Jiang Han’s adoption papers. She wanted Jiang Han to attend their wedding as their daughter.
Shen Youlin didn’t continue. Nestled in his arms, Yu Shu didn’t rush him.
After a long time, Shen Youlin finally spoke again, “My sister was targeted for revenge by drug dealers around then too. She had forced a certain drug cartel’s number two to stop back when she made them halt that vehicle. Somehow the news leaked out. Worried for her safety, Shen Chaowen hired dozens of bodyguards to protect her, but the problem arose from those bodyguards - two of them were flipped.”
Shen Youlin’s voice trembled as he spoke, “She was taken...taken away in her wedding dress...”
“Jiang Han was brought away together with her.”
Yan Xingnan crouched down to gently wipe away the tears on Shen Youlin’s face. “Your brother-in-law promises you that I will definitely bring them back safe and sound.”
Later, Shen Youfei and Jiang Han did return safely. But when Shen Youlin saw Yan Xingnan again, he had become a small box draped with the national flag.
After multiple unsuccessful suicide attempts, Shen Youfei was taken away by an old Taoist nun. On the day she left, Shen Youlin, Jiang Han and Yun Duo chased after the car, but she didn't look back even once.
She was still alive but had died inside.
Originally, Jiang Han was going to be sent to a collateral branch of the Shen family for care, but she refused and went back to the police station instead, moving back into that pantry at the canteen.
After that, Shen Youlin never saw her again until the recent bombing case.
"I really didn't expect that she would become a cop." Shen Youlin gave a self-deprecating laugh. "She wanted to be an interior designer before. We even attended art classes together for two years.”
“Oh.”
Shen Youlin said earnestly, “You can be a little jealous. After all, Jiang Han and I really were childhood sweethearts.”
“She wouldn't bother with you, you scrawny chicken.”
“Tsk! I've been working out a lot lately! My abs are getting hard! The coach said I'll have defined lines soon!”
Yu Shu patted his soft tummy. “Talk to me again when you really develop them. Keep going, you were getting to your tragic backstory.”
“Tsk, you heartless wife, you have no sympathy for your husband at all.”
