Even if Su Xiaowan had been reborn, it was impossible for her to suddenly master medical skills—or to see through Tang Wenxi’s schemes so clearly.
“Su Xiaowan, you’re going too far!” Lu Yanxi, relieved that her mother was fine, now saw Su Xiaowan mocking Tang Wenxi and instantly became furious.
She quickly stepped in front of Tang Wenxi to protect her. “If it weren’t for you, my mom wouldn’t have passed out from anger. And now you want to cause trouble for Wenxi too?”
Su Xiaowan was silently exasperated. Why did her sister-in-law always have to poke her nose into other people’s business, undermining her own family in front of everyone?
Well, it worked out—this was the perfect opportunity to set things straight.
“You know exactly who’s causing trouble,” Lu Yanxi said calmly.
“My mom only had a minor condition, yet someone deliberately made such a huge scene. Isn’t it just an excuse to criticize me? If I hadn’t treated her successfully, would you have blamed me?”
As she spoke, she subtly pricked her finger with the tip of a needle. The pain instantly made her eyes water.
“Yes, I admit I’m lazy and don’t like doing farm work. But I married Hanzhou because I truly like him. Every day I dress up, it’s for him—to make him happy. Isn’t it natural for a woman to look nice for her husband?”
She turned her gaze to Lu Hanzhou.
His lips were tightly pressed together, his expression unreadable. He could tell she was putting on a show; her movements were slightly stiff.
But having been a scout, he had exceptionally sharp eyes—others wouldn’t be able to notice what he did.
“You’re lying! You used to chase Bai Fulin all the time, bringing him food, groveling to do work for him—don’t think I don’t know!” Lu Yanxi shouted, unwilling to concede.
Su Xiaowan was irritated—why did this sister-in-law always defend outsiders?
But then she thought—this was a good chance to clarify everything.
She looked at Bai Fulin, leaning lazily against the door, arms crossed, seeming bored with the whole drama.
Yet when Su Xiaowan looked at him, he was staring at her intently.
“We grew up together, and our families are close. His parents helped my family a lot. When my mother heard he was coming to the countryside, she specifically told me to look after him. He’s never done farm work—so what if I helped him?”
Su Xiaowan recalled the original story. Bai Fulin was indeed a young master by nature, but not completely helpless with chores—at least better than the original self.
Even if she was making this up, Bai Fulin had no way to disprove her.
After she spoke, she clearly felt Bai Fulin’s gaze turn colder.
He slightly squinted his long, sharp eyes, looking at her as if seeing her for the first time.
Su Xiaowan followed his gaze, determined to hold her ground no matter what.
Bai Fulin’s lips curved into a faint smile, catching Su Xiaowan off guard.
She was unnerved—what was so funny?
She glared at him, then turned back to everyone else. “This is the truth. You don’t need to doubt my sincerity in this marriage. Since I married Hanzhou, I will treat his family as my own.”
This was the perfect opportunity to clear up the previous rumors and restore her reputation.
The people exchanged glances. Secretary Li Hongjun cleared his throat. “Since that’s the case, Comrade Lu Hanzhou, what do you have to say?”
Lu Hanzhou looked at Su Xiaowan, seeing her blinking nervously as if afraid he would speak the wrong words.
Her lively expression reminded him of a kitten he had once raised—so clever and cute while playing with a ball of yarn.
Though she had seemed odd recently, he found himself liking this version of her even more.
He turned to the two officials. “Captain, Secretary, thank you for coming here. This is all a private matter in my family. I failed to handle it properly and caused you extra trouble.”
“Seeing the situation, everyone can understand—there’s no need to say more.”
“Since there’s nothing serious, we’ll take our leave.”
“Yes, there’s still work to be done,” others chimed in.
Gradually, the onlookers dispersed.
Tang Wenxi, simmering with frustration, had no choice but to leave as well.
Before leaving, she glanced back and saw Su Xiaowan wrapping her arms around Lu Hanzhou’s waist, cooing softly, “I was so scared just now with so many people talking around me… Husband, I’m glad you were there to protect me.”
She leaned against the tall man’s chest, looking exceptionally small.
Her long, black hair cascaded down, brushing lightly against his strong arms.
Together, they looked strikingly well-matched.
The sight was unbearable for Tang Wenxi. Distracted, she didn’t notice the threshold and suddenly tripped.
“Wenxi, are you alright?” Lu Yanxi rushed forward to help her.
Su Xiaowan, watching her flail, muttered under her breath, “Serves you right!”
Who cared if she was a reborn heroine? If she came near her, she wouldn’t hold back!
Especially after Su Xiaowan had been kind enough to save her mother yesterday—truly, good deeds went unrewarded.
Unbeknownst to her, Lu Hanzhou heard her quiet remark. He looked at her intently, a faint smile creeping onto his lips.
The matter was now settled.
Zhang Meiju had recovered well, walking without panting and speaking with energy.
Grateful that Su Xiaowan had saved her, she thanked her repeatedly, making Su Xiaowan a little embarrassed.
Lu Hanzhou and Lu Yanxi, seeing Zhang Meiju stable, felt relieved.
Lu Yanxi hastily ate a few bites of food before rushing off to work, not looking back. She was still not planning to forgive Su Xiaowan.
Lu Hanzhou also had work to attend to in the afternoon.
Before leaving, Su Xiaowan pulled him aside. “Husband, Mom still needs rest and shouldn’t exert herself. So, I’ll take care of the household from now on, okay?”
Her main goal was to cook herself, improving the meals—they had barely been eating just to fill their stomachs lately.
Lu Hanzhou looked at her and nodded. “Okay.”
Su Xiaowan then asked, “Can you give me some money and ration tickets? I want to buy a few things.”
Even though most goods required ration tickets, she knew there were black markets where money could buy supplies.
She wanted the tickets to be better prepared.
Lu Hanzhou didn’t say anything. He went to the wardrobe, took out money and various tickets, and handed them to her.
Seeing these unfamiliar bills, Su Xiaowan felt a warm sense of joy and familiarity.
“Thank you, husband!” She took the money, joyfully stood on tiptoe, and lightly kissed his cheek.
The kiss was warm, faintly fragrant, leaving Lu Hanzhou momentarily stunned.
He couldn’t help but think: this woman… really is impossible to handle…
When he regained his senses, he turned around to find her already counting the money seriously.
Lu Hanzhou said nothing and left.
Once he was gone, Su Xiaowan touched her bracelet and entered her personal space.
She immediately noticed a row of fresh meats in the produce section—pork, chicken, and beef—all common but of very good quality.
She guessed her connection with the space wasn’t strong enough yet, so only these items were unlocked.
Still, the quality was excellent—Su Xiaowan, being an experienced cook, could tell at a glance.
She also noticed two bottles of water in the fridge, which surprised her.
She opened one and took a sip; it was just as fresh and sweet as before, like mountain spring water.
After drinking, she felt relaxed and refreshed, her skin even seeming more hydrated.
She considered using the other bottle for cooking.
After leaving the space, a thought occurred to her: could she use this space as a storage warehouse?
With that, she reached for the jar of snowflake cream on the table, testing if she could store it in her space.