Wen Ying looked to be in her mid-thirties, with thick, fluffy black hair tied simply in a ponytail, giving a fresh, minimalist look. Her face had just a touch of makeup, nearly bare.
Though she hadn't dressed up much, Wen Ying was naturally beautiful, with fair skin dotted with faint freckles, a tall, graceful figure, and youthful style that made her look about thirty-one or thirty-two.
Seeing Wen Ying, Li Bin couldn't help but think of Kim Hee-sun. Wen Ying bore a striking resemblance to her. This was Wen Ying bare-faced—if she dolled up, she'd be an absolute stunner of a milf.
"Xiaoyan! It's been half a year—you're getting prettier!" Wen Lan laughed, pulling Li Xiaoyan into a hug, affectionately ruffling her hair.
"Lan-jie, you're the one getting prettier, like a celebrity," Li Xiaoyan said, gazing enviously at the increasingly glamorous Wen Lan, her praise sincere.
Li Bin recalled that his cousin Li Xiaoyan was about 15, probably in her third year of junior high, soon to enter high school. He wondered how she'd done on her exams.
He remembered Li Xiaoyan was a top student, one of the best in her area.
The girl had inherited her parents' good genes—slim, tall, with delicate features and snowy, fair skin, a quintessential youthful beauty.
Appearance-wise, Li Xiaoyan did resemble a young Kim Hee-sun. But her outfit made Li Bin cringe.
For a visit, she wore a tacky fake Adidas tracksuit, her hair unstyled, just tied in a simple ponytail like her mother's.
Next to the dazzling, sexily dressed Wen Lan, Li Xiaoyan looked like an ugly duckling from the countryside.
Even so, her beauty shone through. Bare-faced, in a frumpy outfit and plain student ponytail, she was still a 90-plus beauty.
Li Bin always wondered what she'd look like if Wen Lan styled her—could she outshine Wen Lan and Wen Ting?
But aura wasn't something you could change overnight. Growing up in rural Tonglu County under Hangzhou's jurisdiction, from a modest family, it'd be tough for Li Xiaoyan to match Wen Lan's vibe anytime soon.
Still, Li Bin liked Li Xiaoyan's simple, girl-next-door purity and bare-faced charm.
"Wen Ying, you didn't need to bring all these gifts. Why so formal? Come in, sit!" Shen Han smiled lightly, stepping out and seeing Wen Ying's pile of presents, warmly inviting her in.
"Sister-in-law," Wen Ying smiled kindly, a bit reserved as she greeted Shen Han. She seemed slightly intimidated by her, always acting humble around her.
Just then, Li Bin's uncle, having parked the car, stepped out, grinning at Shen Han. "Sister-in-law, is Big Brother not around today?"
Wen Wan's uncle, Li Limin, was an honest electrician. Compared to the urban Wen family, his rural family from a county under Hangzhou seemed downright poor. Li Limin was always respectful and reserved at the Wen household.
Tall, about 175 cm, a bit chubby with a round belly, Li Limin had a kind face and a constant, warm smile that made him approachable.
Li Bin had heard from Wen Wan that Uncle Li Limin was a soldier in his youth, super handsome back then. Despite their family being much better off than his, Aunt Wen Ying fell hard for him, determined to marry him.
No matter how much her family objected, nothing stopped Wen Ying and Li Limin from getting together and having their daughter, Li Xiaoyan, early on.
Rumor had it, the two had a legendary love story!
Though Li Limin's family was modest, Wen Wan said he treated Wen Ying like gold, never fighting, always doting on her, never letting her suffer, and handling most of the housework himself.
Compared to her own parents' marriage, Wen Wan envied her aunt's relationship more.
Wen Wan's personality mirrored her aunt's—gentle, kind, honest, friendly, indifferent to fame and wealth, never chasing status or comparing herself to others.
Wen Lan, on the other hand, took after her mother, Shen Han, craving fame and vanity.