“Chuxia is a good child. Yixuan, hurry up and apologize to her, beg for her forgiveness,” said Huo’s eldest aunt-in-law as she hurriedly walked into the house.
She had been busy from morning till night, preparing three meals a day for the entire family. Especially since Yunxiao was injured last night, Little Four and Little Six had been staying at the hospital to care for him.
She had stewed chicken soup and prepared the meals, waiting only for the father and son, the third brother, to return home for dinner before sending the food to the hospital for the brothers to eat.
“Xiaxia, Uncle will take you and your mother inside to meet Grandpa,” Huo Tieniu said softly.
“Alright, Uncle Huo, let’s go.” Seeing him holding Liu Cuihua’s right hand, Wen Chuxia walked over to Liu Cuihua’s left side.
Liu Cuihua kept her head down the entire time, not saying a word. Huo Tieniu patiently held her hand, then turned his head and glared fiercely at the others.
Huo Yunxiao was baffled by his glare and slunk away through the side door to his room to change clothes.
“Xiaxia, I’m sorry, I was wrong. If I had known it was you coming, I would have stopped… something like this from happening,” Huo Mingzhu said, chasing after Wen Chuxia with a sincere apology.
“I don’t blame you, Ninth Sister,” Wen Chuxia replied, even shyly calling Huo Mingzhu by that title.
It wasn’t that she was unwilling to call her that, but her mental age was much older than Huo Mingzhu’s, making her feel a bit awkward.
“Xiaxia is so kind, not only not blaming me but also willing to call me Ninth Sister. Then let me kindly remind you: my grandfather is not in good health. In the future, you must be careful in what you say and do,” Huo Mingzhu said worriedly.
She didn’t dare tell Wen Chuxia that her grandfather strongly opposed Third Uncle marrying Aunt Liu, fearing the Huo family would become a laughingstock in the Dayuan.
During their argument, Grandpa said that if Third Uncle insisted on marrying Aunt Liu, he would transfer Third Uncle away from the Northern War Zone in Jingjiao.
But Third Uncle was determined to marry her, saying he would rather be transferred to Da Xibei than give up marrying Aunt Liu.
Seeing how strongly Grandpa opposed it, the brothers didn’t dare openly oppose or support it either.
They could only secretly investigate Aunt Liu and her two daughters. It was said that the eldest daughter, Wen Chuxia, was treated like a servant girl in the Wen family.
Meanwhile, the younger daughter who came to the Huo family with Aunt Liu was doted on by the Wen father and sons, spoiled rotten. All she cared about was dressing up and looking beautiful, obsessed with her appearance.
Now that the one coming to the Huo family was Wen Chuxia, Huo Mingzhu glanced at the slap mark on her face and silently vowed to treat her well from now on.
“Thank you for the reminder, Ninth Sister,” Wen Chuxia said sincerely. She could tell Huo Mingzhu genuinely accepted her.
This young girl was simple-minded, having been pampered and spoiled by the Huo family since childhood, protected and cherished by her father, brothers, and Old Master Huo.
Shielded from all the filth and ugliness of the world, she was like a magnolia flower hanging high on a branch—pure, bright, and untainted by even a speck of dirt.
“I’m sorry, new sister,” Li Yixuan also caught up, offering a reluctant apology.
“It’s alright, Tenth Sister,” Wen Chuxia replied flatly, not taking the little girl’s petty antics to heart.
She couldn’t bring herself to pull a little girl’s hair. Considering how Li Yixuan had tormented Wen Yuyan into depression in her past life, she wouldn’t take the initiative to attack.
As for whether this little girl’s heart was as malicious as Wen Yuyan claimed, she would have to experience it for herself.
Wen Yuyan was beautiful and sweet-tongued, and especially good at pretending. Since she wanted to enter the Huo family to enjoy a life of luxury, she would surely endure this humiliation with patience.
However, Wen Yuyan was beautiful on the outside but not on the inside, and she held grudges fiercely. It was only natural that she and Li Yixuan would engage in open and covert struggles later on.
“Tenth Sister, from now on you are not allowed to tease Eleventh Sister anymore. We must all get along well.” Huo Mingzhu turned her head to warn Li Yixuan.
“Alright, I’ll listen to Ninth Sister.” Li Yixuan said obediently, though inwardly she was seething with resentment.
Over the past five years, she had often carried Huo Mingzhu’s schoolbag, helped wash her clothes and socks when they returned home.
Even when Old Master Huo wasn’t at the dining table, she had served soup and rice for Huo Mingzhu and several older brothers, just to earn their approval.
Yet this capitalist’s daughter, with just a pitiful look, could make Eighth Brother and Huo Mingzhu treat her differently!
As Wen Chuxia stepped over the threshold into the Huo family living room, she saw Old Master Huo sitting on the sofa reading a newspaper, with a formidable middle-aged guard standing behind him.
Whether he hadn’t heard the footsteps or something else, he didn’t look up until she and her mother, following Huo Tieniu, were almost right in front of him.
“Dad, I’ve brought Cuihua and Xiaxia back. Xiaxia, greet Grandpa.” Huo Tieniu didn’t dare ask Liu Cuihua to greet him, afraid she might feel awkward.
“Hello, Grandpa Huo.” Wen Chuxia called out obediently.
Hearing Wen Chuxia’s voice, Old Master Huo finally put down the newspaper. His gaze swept past Liu Cuihua, who was hanging her head low, and settled on Wen Chuxia.
Seeing the many finger marks imprinted on the little girl’s pale face, a fleeting trace of pity flashed in Old Master Huo’s eyes.
Then, with a stern expression, he asked, “Since you’re here… where are your belongings?” Old Master Huo had intended to warn them, “Behave yourselves for me.”
But when he saw his future daughter-in-law with swollen eyes and the frail young girl, he changed his words at the last moment.
“Grandpa Huo, we have no belongings. My mother and I were driven out by my father. He said since we were coming to the Huo family to live in comfort, we couldn’t take anything from the Wen family.”
Wen Chuxia spoke without arrogance or servility. If she hadn’t been staring intently at the old man, she might have been frightened by his imposing demeanor.
Her poor mother, however, was trembling all over from Old Master Huo’s sharp gaze, leaning against Huo Tieniu as if shivering with chills.
“What nonsense!” Old Master Huo blurted out the curse before realizing it was inappropriate. He then said sheepishly, “Xiaxia, is it? Come here quickly and let Grandpa take a look.”
“Alright, Grandpa Huo. This is a small token from my mother, but Eighth Brother paid for it.”
Wen Chuxia walked past Huo Tieniu and approached Old Master Huo, handing him a net bag she was holding.
“That rascal Little Eighth has learned to be sensible after all. Xiaxia, come sit by Grandpa. Third Son, what are you standing there for? Invite your wife to sit down!”
Old Master Huo scolded with a stern face, but his mood at that moment was exceptionally good. No belongings, no money—perfect!
What he had feared most was that his future daughter-in-law and daughter would be delicate and bring loads of luggage to their home.
That would have given those old men who didn’t get along with him ammunition to gossip everywhere, saying Third Son coveted the Wen family’s wealth and deliberately stole Wen Xiuyuan’s wife.
The thought made him feel his old face had nowhere to hide. But now it was all good—from now on, he could righteously refute those old men.
His Third Son was acting bravely for justice, unable to bear seeing women oppressed by capitalists, rescuing her from dire straits… Old Master Huo laughed wildly in his heart.
“Thank you, Dad. Cuihua, sit here. Don’t be afraid, my dad is very kind.” Huo Tieniu said, feeling overwhelmed by the unexpected favor.
He quickly pulled Liu Cuihua to sit down. He never expected that the old man, who had been so adamantly opposed before they left, would not only accept Cuihua and her daughter but also refer to Cuihua as his wife. Was this his verbal acknowledgment of Cuihua’s status?
Huo Tieniu was bubbling with joy inside. “Mingzhu, go help your third aunt make a cup of hot tea.”
“Third Uncle, I’ll go.” Li Yixuan said with a bright smile, though no one knew what she was really thinking.
“Grandpa, don’t scare Xiaxia, she’s so pitiful.” Seeing Li Yixuan go to make tea, Huo Mingzhu sat down next to her grandfather and started acting coquettishly.
“Which eye of yours saw me scaring Xiaxia?” Old Master Huo glared at Huo Mingzhu, his beard bristling.