After the two brothers finished speaking, several of the aunts nearby had sparkling eyes, sizing them up.
It looked like they were already considering them as potential good sons-in-law.
Meanwhile, Yang Shufen and Su Lijuan’s faces darkened even more.
Yang Shufen angrily shouted, “Xia Wan! Who do you think you are, daring to insult Lijuan?”
Xia Wan winked at her: “Let her get riled first. She started insulting my cousin, so I just retorted.”
“I’m your mother-in-law! How dare you talk back? Do you believe I’ll rip your mouth off?”
Xia Wan leaned closer and whispered, “Go ahead and try. We’ve already severed all family ties so it won’t matter.”
“I’m still your elder! Elders have the right to discipline juniors!”
Yang Shufen raised her hand and swung fiercely at Xia Wan.
But Xia Wan grabbed her hand firmly with one hand and slapped Yang Shufen across the face with the other.
A crisp smack echoed, and everything went silent around them.
“You? What kind of elder are you? Just because you’ve lived longer than me, you think you can boss me around?”
“Who decided that living a bit longer gives you the right to bully someone younger?”
“Elder? You’re not worthy!”
Yang Shufen clutched her face, staring at Xia Wan in shock.
She felt completely unfamiliar with this person.
Was this still the same Xia Wan who used to endure everything silently?
Su Lijuan panicked. “Xia Wan, how can you speak such blasphemous words? Aren’t all these aunts our elders? Shouldn’t juniors show respect to their elders?”
Xia Wan blinked. “You want Xia Wan to respect her? First, she needs to be a decent person.”
Aunt Wang spat at Yang Shufen. “Pah! Did you think we neighbors didn’t notice? Xia Wan’s father is gone, her mother went insane from trauma, and she’s been tormented at home every day. You really think we didn’t see it?”
Yang Shufen snapped angrily, “She deserved it! My husband sacrificed himself to save her mother! Without him, my mom would have burned too!”
She waved this around as an excuse, and the people nearby didn’t dare speak.
Xia Wan calmly said, “I know Uncle Lu saved my mother’s life, and I’m grateful. That’s why I married his son, to repay the favor. But what does that have to do with you, Yang Shufen?”
“Were you even there during the fire? Or did you carry two buckets of water to help put it out?”
“How come I heard that when the fire broke out, you ran off? But these aunts here actually helped fight the fire. So, technically, they also saved my mother’s life. Without them, she wouldn’t have survived.”
Aunt Wang waved her hand quickly. “Don’t say that. It’s our own courtyard. If anyone’s house caught fire, we’d help. You don’t owe anyone a favor!”
Another aunt agreed. “Exactly! You married him to repay a favor and served her for a year. That should be enough!”
Xia Wan exclaimed dramatically, “Did you hear that? Yang Shufen, these aunts are my elders, right? So I have to listen to them. But… speaking of that fire, it’s really strange. It’s been a year, and the cause still hasn’t been investigated.”
Yang Shufen tensed immediately. “Why are you investigating this?”
“My father died in that fire. Of course I want the truth. Was it an accident, or… was it intentional?”
Xia Wan emphasized the last word, stretching it out: “intention al!”
Yang Shufen and Su Lijuan both shivered.
Seeing their guilty expressions, Xia Wan became even more certain that these two knew the truth about the fire.
It seemed it was time to figure out what really happened.
“Enough, I’m done wasting words with them. Aunt has made something delicious at home. Two cousins, let’s go back.”
Chen Zhiqiang replied, “Okay, we’ve loaded everything. Let’s go.”
They secured the items on the truck, and Chen Zhiqiang drove them back to Xia Wan’s residence.
The others left on foot.
Before leaving, Xia Wan looked at Aunt Wang and thanked her.
“Thank you all for witnessing this today. When I get into college in a couple of months, I’ll invite everyone to a meal. Be sure to come.”
Aunt Wang excitedly said, “No problem, it’s nothing. You must study hard!”
Xia Wan nodded firmly, “I won’t let our factory down!”
Aunt Wang beamed, “Alright, we’ll wait for that day!”
Xia Wan and Chen Yuling walked away hand in hand.
Aunt Wang excitedly shouted after them, “Come visit again when you have the chance!”
One of the aunts nearby looked at her in surprise. “You really like Xia Wan, don’t you? Want her to be your daughter-in-law?”
Yang Shufen snorted coldly, “A twice-married woman, cheap and no one wants her!”
Aunt Wang rolled her eyes. “Xia Wan is capable! I think my son isn’t good enough for her.”
“She not only scored way higher than second place on the office job exam, she can fix our factory’s machines, and she knows foreign languages! No matter what she does in the future, she’ll make big money!”
“Look at all the dowry items she took each piece is valuable. All Xia family money! Only you, Yang Shufen, can’t tell the difference, and you drove away a treasure for a piece of junk.”
Su Lijuan protested, “Aunt Wang! I didn’t provoke you!”
Aunt Wang looked at her with disdain. “You see! Just like Xia Wan said. You have no skills, so you fixate on other people’s things. Can someone like you even handle an office job?”
Su Lijuan proudly raised her head. “Aunt Wang! I know my son isn’t capable, so he didn’t get the office job. But my own job has the factory director’s approval. That’s how it is.”
Aunt Wang grinned smugly. “I’m not upset about the job. Xia Wan gave up the job immediately to take the college exam, and she’ll soar! Those without ability, even if they got the office job, still couldn’t handle it. The director would have to come find my son in the end.”
Su Lijuan stomped angrily. “Why do you look down on people? Recently, merchants from Shanghai came after me! If I agreed, I’d be a rich lady! People like you wouldn’t even get to meet that class of person!”
Aunt Wang looked at Su Lijuan with disdain.
“See, Xia Wan will soon get into college and earn her own money. Some people are still staring at the well, waiting for a rich husband to fall from the sky. Not realizing their own abilities.”
Su Lijuan’s face darkened. “What if I really had one?”
No matter how tragic her previous life ended, she did marry a wealthy merchant and lived as a rich lady for a while.
“Enough, I’m tired of listening to her dreams. The girl just watches too many movies and likes to dream.”
The aunts left the Lu family house, snickering and mocking.