Seeing this, Liu Qianqian immediately narrowed her eyes and revealed a malicious smile.
“Auntie, please don’t force my younger cousin to apologize to me. Look—these injuries on my body were caused when Mom forced me to come apologize.”
Su Xiaomei had been quietly watching the drama the whole time. When she saw the adults blaming Ruanruan, she quickly stepped forward as if speaking up for her sister.
“My little sister is still young. I’ll apologize on her behalf. Cousin, she’s just a child and a bit narrow-minded. In the future we’ll slowly teach her.”
She paused and added meaningfully,
“Before, Ruanruan even told me that no matter what she does wrong, her dad will always back her up and told me not to provoke her.”
Lin Dayong raised an eyebrow. That was indeed something he had said before.
“And also,” Su Xiaomei continued, “Ruanruan said she doesn’t like Mom, so she doesn’t like Uncle’s family either. That’s why she deliberately slandered him for cheating!”
As soon as she finished speaking, Su Xiaomei quickly put on a regretful expression, secretly observing Ruanruan’s reaction as if she had accidentally revealed the truth.
Su Ting had originally just wanted to send the relatives away quickly, but hearing those words made her expression suddenly change.
“Lin Ruanruan!!!”
Su Ting immediately grabbed a willow branch, ready to punish her.
Lin Dayong quickly stepped forward to block her.
“Su Ting, she’s still young. We can teach her slowly.”
Ruanruan wasn’t foolish either. She immediately ran away, shouting loudly as she left.
“Everyone knows Cousin Uncle cheated! Auntie, if you don’t believe me, just ask anyone!”
Liu Dazhuang and his wife instantly exchanged pale looks.
Wang Guihua raised her voice guiltily.
“Su Ting! If you don’t discipline this little brat Lin Ruanruan properly, she’ll definitely cause big trouble someday!”
Liu Dazhuang, who had been like background scenery until now, also looked dissatisfied.
“Su Ting, our two families are relatives. Only if I do well can I help you in the future. But look what your daughter has done!”
Su Ting looked unhappy, but in order to maintain her image she forced herself to speak.
“I’ll compensate for your losses.”
A calculating look flashed through Liu Dazhuang’s eyes.
This couple had only recently married, but they were both employed—meaning they had money.
Rubbing his hands, he said, “We’re relatives, so I won’t ask for much. Just give three hundred yuan and we’ll forget about it.”
Su Ting sucked in a sharp breath.
She only earned a little over forty yuan a month—this was outright extortion!
She looked at Lin Dayong.
Ruanruan hadn’t gone far. She was peeking in from the doorway, and hearing Liu Dazhuang’s demand made her little face flush red with anger.
What would the heroes in storybooks do in a situation like this?
Her chubby little fist tapped her own head.
Suddenly her eyes lit up.
She ran back quickly and thump—hugged Su Ting’s leg tightly.
Her big eyes filled with tears, looking as pitiful as could be.
“I won’t let you bully Auntie! I really saw Cousin Uncle trading with fishermen! Waaah… Ruanruan isn’t a bad child! If you don’t believe me, we can go find the village chief! I can definitely find the fisherman uncle! Oh, and Uncle Chen Hai saw it too!”
Wang Guihua hadn’t expected Liu Dazhuang to be so bold that others had seen him.
Thinking about the money spent, her heart immediately began to ache. She grabbed Liu Dazhuang’s ear and said fiercely,
“Let’s go home and settle accounts! You actually dared to spend three hundred yuan buying fish!”
Liu Dazhuang was embarrassed.
He couldn’t explain that he had just tried to extort Su Ting, so he could only keep shouting,
“You crazy woman, let go! That hurts!”
Su Ting half-heartedly tried to pull them apart while smiling.
“You two should talk things through. Don’t fight.”
Wang Guihua didn’t want to hear it and shoved Su Ting aside.
“Get lost! Don’t get in my way, or I’ll deal with you too!”
Left behind, Liu Qianqian looked around in confusion. She didn’t understand why her parents had suddenly gotten angry again.
Would Lin Ruanruan still apologize to her?
Su Ting patted Liu Qianqian’s head and suppressed her impatience.
“Qianqian, your parents already went home. You should go back too.”
Liu Qianqian nodded blankly.
She glanced at Ruanruan—who was now being held in Lin Dayong’s arms—and a flash of envy and jealousy appeared in her eyes.
Panicking, she chased after her parents.
“Mom! Dad! Wait for me! Don’t leave me behind!”
The next moment Wang Guihua’s sharp voice rang out.
“You little brat! I almost forgot about you!”
Smack!
A slap landed on Liu Qianqian’s face.
“What did I tell you before we came here? Every day you stir up trouble and tell lies! You even wanted Lin Ruanruan to apologize to you. Look at yourself—do you deserve someone apologizing to you?”
Liu Qianqian could no longer hold back and burst into loud sobs.
Unfortunately, that only triggered even harsher punishment from Wang Guihua.
The surrounding onlookers hurried over to try to stop her, but since it was a mother disciplining her own child, they couldn’t say much.
After the Liu family finally left, Su Ting looked at the two children in the house and felt her anger flare up again.
“Ruanruan, no matter what, our families are relatives. How could you do something like this and chill the hearts of relatives? How are we supposed to get along with them in the future? You have no sense of propriety!”
Lin Dayong patted Su Ting’s shoulder and said with a cheerful smile,
“Su Ting, don’t be angry over people who aren’t worth it. Did you know Ruanruan won first place in the fishing competition?”
Su Ting froze.
She hadn’t expected Ruanruan to really have that ability—to win first place right under the noses of so many skilled fishermen.
“Mom, I didn’t take the small trophy. I asked for a bicycle instead.”
Ruanruan handed over a ticket.
“Here’s the bicycle coupon. When you have time, go pick it up from the cooperative store. Then you won’t have to take the bus to work every day.”
Su Ting’s anger instantly disappeared.
Instead, a complicated warmth rose in her heart.
She suddenly remembered a rainy day not long ago.
She had gotten up early to go to the market, and when she was returning a heavy rainstorm began. She thought she would have to walk home drenched.
But unexpectedly, she saw a tiny figure holding a small umbrella waiting to pick her up.
At that moment, an indescribable feeling had filled her heart.
The neighbors who were sheltering from the rain with her all envied her for having such an obedient and thoughtful daughter.
Later when she returned home, she had seen Su Xiaomei sleeping soundly inside the house.
Just as she sank into those memories, the uneasy Su Xiaomei grabbed her clothes tightly and glared unhappily at Lin Ruanruan.
It was all her fault!
“Mom, when I grow up I’ll definitely earn lots and lots of money and buy you lots of candy and beautiful clothes!”
Hearing this, Su Ting snapped out of her thoughts.
Looking down at Su Xiaomei’s uneasy face, she sighed softly.