Lu Yanxi watched Su Xiaowan handle the snake and felt a wave of disgust. He couldn’t help speaking up: “How can you be so cruel? What kind of woman are you?”
Su Xiaowan didn’t even look up and replied calmly, “Who says women have to be a certain way? These days it’s all about equality. Women can hold up half the sky. Lu Yanxi, if you keep spouting such outdated nonsense, don’t be surprised if someone reports you—you’ll be the one in trouble.”
She admitted to herself that the task was a bit bloody, but wasn’t it all for the sake of this family? Sometimes, people just don’t recognize good intentions.
She glanced at Lu Hanzhou.
The man had been watching the whole scene unfold quietly.
When she turned, their eyes met.
His expression remained unreadable, cold as ice, as if nothing happening around him concerned him at all.
But Su Xiaowan keenly noticed a faint glimmer of approval hidden within that indifferent gaze.
It seemed Lu Hanzhou agreed, at least in part, with what she had just said.
By the time Zhang Meiju called them to eat, Su Xiaowan had already finished preparing the snake.
All that remained was to soak it in strong liquor with some herbs—a medicinal wine that, once ready, would be good for both Lu Hanzhou and Zhang Meiju’s health.
Hearing the call for lunch, everyone headed toward the kitchen.
Watching Lu Hanzhou walk ahead, Su Xiaowan noticed something odd: his legs seemed stiffer, less steady than before.
Earlier, when he walked slowly, it wasn’t obvious.
But now, even at a reduced pace, he appeared to limp slightly.
When had this started? He had seemed fine just a moment ago.
Suddenly, Su Xiaowan realized—it must have been when she had slipped and fallen into him, and he had caught her.
That must have aggravated his old injury!
She felt a pang of guilt. She hadn’t been stable on her feet and hadn’t expected him to endure it silently. The man truly had endurance.
She resolved to check his injury later.
Lunch was simple: a plate of stir-fried greens, a dish of pickled vegetables, and a bowl of taro braised with meat.
Before anyone had eaten, Lu Yanxi picked up a small bowl and started taking meat, muttering, “Mom, earlier Wenxi was going to bring you yam porridge, but the bowl broke. She meant well—we can’t just ignore that. I’ll pack some of this for her, you don’t mind, right?”
“When did Tang Wenxi come?” Zhang Meiju asked, busy in the kitchen, completely unaware of her arrival.
“I was finishing work, and Tang Wenxi tried to come in, but some people gave her cold looks and drove her off. She didn’t even get a chance to enter,” Lu Yanxi said, sneaking a glance at Su Xiaowan.
Her dislike for Su Xiaowan was obvious on her face.
But after a few failed attempts to provoke her, she didn’t dare directly confront her.
Su Xiaowan wasn’t about to indulge her. She spoke firmly: “Why don’t you just bring the whole plate over to her? One small bowl isn’t enough to show your sincerity.”
“That’s too stingy! Tang Wenxi often sends us food and bread. Now we’re giving her some meat—what’s wrong with that?”
Su Xiaowan remembered all of this clearly.
Lu Yanxi had always liked Tang Wenxi. The Tang family was poorer than theirs and rarely got to eat meat. Tang Wenxi herself earned a salary but had several younger siblings to support, so she rarely indulged in good food.
The reborn Tang Wenxi knew how to curry favor with the Lu family and had benefited greatly.
The original Su Xiaowan had been satisfied with whatever she could get.
But now, thinking of Tang Wenxi’s greedy gaze toward Lu Hanzhou, Su Xiaowan felt uneasy.
She was possessive and couldn’t bear others eyeing what was hers.
Besides, Tang Wenxi didn’t truly like Lu Hanzhou—she only wanted to use him.
“Everything she gives is worthless, and you’re trying to send the best of our house to her?” Su Xiaowan snapped.
“You don’t understand! My parents always taught me that if someone does something good for you, you return it twofold. Unlike you, you’ve never had parents to teach you,” Lu Yanxi retorted, his tone dripping with barely concealed sarcasm.
Su Xiaowan raised her hand and slapped her.
“Smack!” Lu Yanxi clutched her face in shock. “You hit me? On what grounds?!”
“I’m your sister-in-law. Can’t I teach you a lesson?” Su Xiaowan said calmly.
Lu Yanxi’s body trembled with anger. She wasn’t used to being treated like this and immediately wanted to retaliate.
Zhang Meiju quickly held her back. “Yanxi!”
“Mom! Why are you siding with her? I’m your daughter!” Lu Yanxi cried, both angry and hurt.
“That’s enough!” Lu Hanzhou’s cold voice cut through the commotion. “Stop arguing.”
He frowned, annoyed by the spectacle.
This Su Xiaowan in front of him was completely different from before.
He didn’t know why she had changed, but as long as she was still his wife, it was his duty to protect her.
“You’re all taking her side?” Lu Yanxi couldn’t believe her eyes, looking at her brother and mother.
Meeting Lu Hanzhou’s gaze, Su Xiaowan said decisively, “I’m not apologizing. No way.”
She smirked inwardly. What was intimacy for, if not venting when annoyed?
She would teach a lesson where it was needed.
Su Xiaowan knew that as long as her medical skills remained, she would never go hungry wherever she went.
These days, everyone had headaches, fevers, or minor illnesses—people always needed a doctor.
She was surprisingly pragmatic.
“I never asked you to apologize,” Lu Hanzhou said, frowning.
He genuinely didn’t understand why Su Xiaowan immediately assumed he wanted her to bow and apologize to Lu Yanxi.
Su Xiaowan was taken aback—she hadn’t expected him to defend her.
She really thought Lu Yanxi was foolish.
If she remembered correctly, in the original story, Lu Yanxi later became Tang Wenxi’s accomplice.
She had often secretly reported Lu Hanzhou’s whereabouts to Tang Wenxi, making him feel indebted, while Tang Wenxi pretended to show interest in him.
In the end, Tang Wenxi still chose Bai Fulin, whose family was wealthier and more influential.
Even though Lu Hanzhou later had a position in the military, his humble background couldn’t compete with the Bai family’s roots.
Su Xiaowan thought she had been generous enough to Lu Yanxi—reminding her to take care of herself several times—but the girl hadn’t appreciated it.
Now, for Tang Wenxi, Lu Yanxi came running to ridicule her, claiming she was uncultured.
Whether or not Su Xiaowan had manners was none of this girl’s business.
Fuming, Lu Yanxi shoved Zhang Meiju aside. “Mind your own business!”
Then she turned to run out.
Zhang Meiju wanted to stop her, but suddenly her vision went black. She felt dizzy, couldn’t stand, and began to fall forward.
No one expected Zhang Meiju to suddenly faint.
Su Xiaowan’s face tightened, and she quickly reached out to catch her.
Lu Hanzhou reacted faster, catching his mother in his arms.
“Mom! Mom!” he called twice, but Zhang Meiju’s eyes were closed, her face pale, completely unresponsive.
Su Xiaowan checked her pulse. It was faint, almost imperceptible—a sign she was close to shock.
Frowning, she told Lu Hanzhou, “Carry Mom back to her room first.”
At this moment, Lu Yanxi, who had run off, heard the commotion and turned back. Seeing her mother collapsed on the floor, she immediately rushed over.
“Mom—Mom! What happened?”
Red-eyed, she glared at Su Xiaowan. “It’s all your fault! If something happens to Mom, it’s on you!”
Panicked and scared, tears streamed down her face.
Su Xiaowan had no time to argue.
Time was critical.
Lu Hanzhou understood the urgency. He picked up Zhang Meiju and carried her to her room.
Once his mother was settled, he turned to leave.
Su Xiaowan immediately stopped him. “Don’t go looking for help. I can treat Mom.”
She said this while pulling the silver needles she always carried from her waist.