Seeing her mother’s timid, fearful manner always afraid of causing trouble Su Wan felt a wave of bitterness in her heart.
She didn’t insist. Instead, she left the main gate slightly ajar and stood on the steps outside, looking at her.
“What is it, Mom? Why are you so flustered?”
Sun Guilan tightly clutched the hem of her clothes. Under the dim yellow light, her weathered face was filled with anxiety.
She glanced around to make sure no one was nearby before carefully asking,
“Xiao Wan… tell your mom the truth… did you really… really remarry into the Lu family’s eldest son’s household?”
Su Wan wasn’t surprised that she already knew.
After all, good news doesn’t travel far, but bad news spreads quickly.
Her maternal family was only a few streets away. With something this big, it was probably already all over the neighborhood.
“Yes.” Su Wan nodded calmly.
Hearing that, Sun Guilan swayed, tears immediately pouring down her face. She slapped her thigh repeatedly as she cried,
“What a sin! What a sin this is! What are you even doing, child?! You were the one who insisted on marrying Lu Ming in the first place, and after finally getting what you wanted, how did things turn into this just after the wedding?!”
Su Wan’s brows furrowed slightly.
From the tone, it was obvious that what happened last night had already been distorted by the time it reached her mother.
No need to guess it was most likely her troublemaking aunt, Sun Yujiao.
That woman had finally found something to use against her and would definitely twist it as much as possible. She probably painted last night as Su Wan acting improperly and recklessly remarrying.
Su Wan took a deep breath and cut off her mother’s crying.
“Mom, don’t cry yet. Then have you heard what Lu Ming did?”
Sun Guilan froze, wiping her tears in confusion.
“Lu Ming? What did Lu Ming do? Isn’t he pretty good? He works in an office…”
“Good?”
Su Wan let out a cold laugh.
“He’s been messing around with that widow Zhang. I caught them last night red-handed! That widow Zhang’s red undergarments were even on him!”
“What what?!”
Sun Guilan’s eyes nearly popped out. Her mouth hung open for a long time without a single word coming out.
Seeing her mother’s shocked expression, Su Wan calmly asked,
“Mom, do you think I could still continue living with Lu Ming after that?”
Sun Guilan stood frozen for a long time before finally letting out a heavy sigh, her face filled with disappointment and pain.
“Lu Ming… he looked so proper and refined… how could he… how could he do something so shameful…”
As she spoke, she looked at her daughter and wiped her tears in distress.
Seeing this, Su Wan softened a little. She stepped forward and held her mother’s rough hand.
“It’s okay, Mom. I’m married to Lu Zhaoye now. I’m fine. He may look fierce and have a bad reputation, but he treats me sincerely. He’s a thousand times better than that hypocrite Lu Ming.”
At the mention of Lu Zhaoye, Sun Guilan immediately tensed again. Her brows knitted tightly as she sighed repeatedly.
“Child… I know you’ve been wronged. But that Lu Zhaoye’s reputation in this area… everyone knows it. People even call him the ‘living King of Hell’! Even though he’s just returned after being away for years, his reputation hasn’t improved at all. Everyone in the neighborhood shakes their head when his name is mentioned…”
She gripped Su Wan’s hand tightly, her eyes full of worry.
“My poor girl… you’ve really suffered…”
“Mom, life is lived by people, not by rumors. Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.”
Su Wan patted her hand and changed the subject with a smile.
“By the way, tomorrow morning I’ll be going back to my natal home with Zhaoye. He even took me to buy a lot of things today proper etiquette, all prepared.”
The moment she heard “going back home,” Sun Guilan reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. Her face turned pale instantly, and she waved her hands frantically.
“No! No, absolutely not! You can’t go back tomorrow!”
Su Wan froze. “Why not?”
Tears welled up in Sun Guilan’s eyes again as her voice trembled.
“Your father… your father’s gone mad after hearing about you! He’s been smashing things at home, yelling that if he sees you tomorrow, he’ll break your legs! He even said he’ll come to the Lu family to take back your dowry… If you go back tomorrow, aren’t you walking straight into a trap?!”
She pushed Su Wan backward urgently.
“Don’t go back yet! I’ll try to persuade him these next couple of days. Wait until he calms down…”
Looking at her mother’s terrified expression, Su Wan felt a deep sadness in her heart.
“Persuade him?”
She stopped and looked at her mother, a bitter smile on her lips.
“Mom, do you really think he’ll listen to you?”
Sun Guilan froze.
She opened her mouth, wanting to refute, but no words came out.
The light in her eyes dimmed, her whole body deflating as if all strength had been drained from her.
Yes… how could Su Jianmin possibly listen to her?
She had been bullied by that man her entire life, working herself to exhaustion, always swallowing her grievances, always trying to please him carefully.
In this family, she didn’t even have the right to speak loudly. And now that her daughter’s situation involved his pride and money, how could he possibly listen to her?
Seeing her mother like this, Su Wan’s heart ached, but her resolve only grew firmer.
She tightened her grip on her mother’s hand.
“Mom, tomorrow is the official return visit. The proper etiquette cannot be skipped. If we don’t go because we’re afraid of him, people will only say the Lu family doesn’t understand manners. We’ll handle things as they come there’s nothing to fear.”
“But…”
“No buts.”
Su Wan interrupted her firmly, her gaze steady.
“Mom, believe me. I’m no longer the same Su Wan who could be pushed around by anyone.”
Sun Guilan stared at her daughter, momentarily dazed.
She felt like her daughter had changed so unfamiliar, yet somehow giving her an unprecedented sense of stability.
As if she had become a completely different person, carrying a strength she couldn’t quite name.
After a few more words, Su Wan escorted her to the entrance of the alley.
“That’s enough, don’t see me off anymore!”
Sun Guilan quickly pushed her back.
“Go back quickly. Don’t stay out too long or the Lu family might get upset. I’m going now…”
Watching her mother’s hurried figure disappear into the night, so thin and hunched in the darkness, Su Wan opened her mouth as if to speak but in the end, she only let out a quiet sigh.
She knew her mother had spent her entire life enduring Su Jianmin’s temper. That deeply rooted mindset couldn’t be changed in a few words.
She had always tried to please others carefully, even when dealing with her own daughter always compromising, always yielding.
But in this life, she would never let her mother repeat the same fate.
Su Wan turned back, her gaze gradually sharpening.
She had already made her plan.
Tomorrow, she would not only return home to silence the gossiping mouths but also help her mother accomplish something she had never dared to imagine in her previous life, and never even dared to hope for in this one.
It would be the first gift she gave to her mother, and to her own rebirth.