Described as unlucky, he became a son-in-law through Xu Jiajia. Zhao Chunlan questioned why Xu Jiajia would let him become a son-in-law if she was such a good person. There were rumors that Shen was not actually a son-in-law but just helping with the banquet at the Xu family, which Xu Jiajia supposedly corrected on the day of the banquet.
