The fact that they were thinking this way meant that Su Nian’an had achieved her goal.
Now that the neighbors had the impression that the Su family treated her terribly, regardless of whether the Fu family ended up being useful in the future, as long as the Gu family had even a little common sense, they wouldn’t want to associate closely with the Su family anymore, right?
Unless the Gu family actually hated her?
Su Nian’an believed that with her sharp tongue and her skills at cooking, there was no way the Gu family would hate her.
If the Su family saw that the Gu family had risen again in the future and tried to establish a connection with them, it would be impossible.
“Then… are you still going to hit me?” Su Nian’an asked pitifully.
Although Su Aiguo knew perfectly well that his daughter was putting on an act, there were outsiders watching, so he couldn’t lose his temper. He could only swallow his anger.
“No, we won’t. Whoever dares to hit you, I’ll beat them myself!” Su Aiguo said.
Those words instantly turned Liu Cuilian’s face livid.
She was about to argue, but under Su Aiguo’s sharp gaze, she didn’t dare say a single word.
In the entire Su family, everyone basically still acted according to Su Aiguo’s wishes.
“Thank you.” Su Nian’an raised her head and looked at Su Aiguo pitifully.
She was actually enjoying the performance quite a lot!
Su Nianxi didn’t dare show her face the entire time. She was afraid that if she provoked Su Nian’an too much, Su Nian’an might blurt out the fact that she wasn’t actually the Su family’s biological daughter.
She still had to get married, after all, and there were plenty of good families in Beijing.
If they found out that she was merely the Su family’s adopted daughter, then no matter how much the Su family doted on her, those well-off families would probably think twice before considering her.
Let Su Nian’an enjoy herself for now. Once she went to the countryside, wouldn’t the hard days begin?
When Su Nian’an had first been brought back to the Su family, she had acted timid and cowardly.
But after learning that the reason she had been brought to the city was so that she could marry in her place, Su Nian’an had seemed to become an entirely different person. She would make a scene at any time and anywhere.
Su Nianxi guessed that, at first, Su Nian’an had probably only been pretending to be obedient and weak in front of their parents to make them feel guilty.
Once she realized that their parents favored Su Nianxi more, Su Nian’an could no longer keep up the act and simply stopped pretending.
Now, Su Nian’an was probably planning to throw caution to the wind and drag Su Nianxi down with her.
Su Nianxi thought she was extremely clever. She wasn’t stupid enough to fall for it, so she decided not to argue with Su Nian’an today.
Feeling that she had already seen through Su Nian’an’s scheme, Su Nianxi even hurried over to Liu Cuilian and stopped her.
“Mom…” Su Nianxi called softly.
“Hm? Good daughter, what’s wrong? Just wait. Once we close the door later, I’ll teach that little wretch Su Nian’an a proper lesson for you,” Liu Cuilian whispered into Su Nianxi’s ear.
“Mom, please don’t!”
Remembering the fear she had felt that morning when she had experienced firsthand just how strong Su Nian’an was, Su Nianxi didn’t want to go through that again.
Her mother was just like her she had been spoiled and pampered since childhood. How could she possibly compete with Su Nian’an, that vulgar country girl who had grown up in the countryside and had the strength of an ox?
Afraid that Liu Cuilian would get hurt, Su Nianxi added, “Mom, let’s just endure it for one more night. Tomorrow morning, Dad will send that little wretch Su Nian’an to the train station.”
Liu Cuilian looked at Su Nianxi in surprise before saying incredulously, “You’re actually willing to endure it and back down?”
Liu Cuilian knew her daughter’s temperament better than anyone. Asking Su Nianxi to swallow her anger was almost like asking her to die.
That was why, in the neighborhood where they lived, Su Nianxi had never gotten along particularly well with the girls nearby.
Yet she hadn’t expected her to tolerate Su Nian’an this time.
“Mom, you don’t understand. Su Nian’an was right about one thing. Being sent down for political re-education isn’t the same as simply living in the countryside. Once Su Nian’an marries into the Gu family, she’ll have plenty of hard days ahead of her. So there’s no need for us to fight with her just for the sake of winning for the moment.”
Liu Cuilian felt deeply gratified that her daughter had finally become sensible.
“Xixi, you really are smart. I almost fell into that little wretch’s trap,” Liu Cuilian said bitterly.
“Exactly! Su Nian’an is too cunning. She probably deliberately wanted to provoke us. I suspect she doesn’t want to go to the countryside at all and is planning to run away with the money.”
“How dare she! No, I’m going to tell your father and have him guard against that little wretch!”
With that, Liu Cuilian went to find Su Aiguo.
At that moment, Su Aiguo was standing near Su Nian’an, afraid that she would storm out of the house again and expose the family’s embarrassing affairs to the neighbors.
“Nian’an, you have to keep your word. I’ve already given you the money and ration coupons, yet you still caused such a scene. Don’t you think that’s a little inappropriate?” Su Aiguo stared at Su Nian’an coldly.
He was genuinely beginning to wonder whether it was really a good idea to have someone who resented the Su family marry into the Gu family.
What if Su Nian’an tried to sow discord between the two families once she was with the Gu family?
But then he thought about the Gu family’s current situation. The Su family truly didn’t want to get involved with them.
Back then, in order to avoid being sent down for political re-education, the Su family had paid a considerable price.
So at this moment, Su Aiguo felt that since the Gu family wasn’t close to the Su family, if anything happened to them after they went to the countryside, they certainly wouldn’t think of coming to trouble the Su family.
Besides, Gu Qingyu’s personality…
Su Nian’an still had plenty of hardship ahead of her.
Gu Qingyu didn’t even like his own daughter, Su Nianxi. Would he really take a liking to Su Nian’an, this thin and frail country girl?
Su Nianxi was beautiful and already well-known throughout their neighborhood for her looks. Yet even so, whenever Gu Qingyu saw Su Nianxi, he always acted indifferent toward her.
Su Aiguo didn’t believe Gu Qingyu could possibly have such poor judgment that he would overlook Su Nianxi but take a liking to Su Nian’an.
So even if the Gu family really accepted Su Nian’an as their daughter-in-law, she probably wouldn’t have an easy time there.
Thinking of this, Su Aiguo became even less concerned about showing any consideration toward his biological daughter.
Since she wasn’t willing to leave the Su family any dignity, Su Aiguo couldn’t be bothered to keep pretending either.
“Su Nian’an, I hope you understand this clearly. You accepted the money and ration coupons, so you have to do what my Su family needs you to do. Don’t think that you’re the only person who can take the place of the bride. I have plenty of ways to make you obey me,” Su Aiguo said coldly.
Su Nian’an was stunned for a moment when she realized he wasn’t even going to pretend anymore.
Good. It was better this way.
To be honest, Su Nian’an was also quite annoyed by Su Aiguo constantly putting on that act of deep fatherly affection in front of her.
What kind of affection did they actually have between them? Didn’t he know that perfectly well?
Wasn’t he simply trying to make Su Nian’an remember the good things the Su family had done for her, so that if they ever needed her help in the future, she might be willing to lend the Su family a hand?
Su Aiguo had truly lived up to his past as a businessman selfish and calculating, with nothing but profit on his mind.
Even toward a biological daughter he didn’t like, he still wanted to build some sort of relationship with her before she left the Su family.
Having to interact with Su Nian’an while wearing that mask was, honestly, disgusting to her.
This was much better.
Now that both sides had made their interests clear, he could stop trying to use emotional ties against her.
“I accepted the money and ration coupons because I intended to do what I agreed to, didn’t I? But please keep your wife and daughter under control and don’t let them keep provoking me. Was what happened today really my fault? You know the answer perfectly well.”
Su Nian’an spoke with complete composure. She wasn’t frightened in the slightest by the threat Su Aiguo had just made.