He Changchun stood still, bringing the sachet close to his nose and gently inhaling its fragrance, his face showing intoxicated delight.
It was quite fortunate to have obtained her possession so easily. Now he wouldn’t have to worry about people pointing fingers at him.
The thought of revealing that matter in a couple of days excited him immensely – both the girl and the Su family’s wealth would all become his.
That day when he was drunk, he hadn’t properly savored what the girl tasted like. After succeeding in his plan, he would definitely sample her more thoroughly. After not seeing her for a few days, the girl had become even more charming, and her complexion had improved somewhat. Tsk!
Su Ying was walking back when she discovered Su Mo waiting for her halfway. Seeing her approach, he accompanied her back home.
Su Ying felt an indescribable warmth in her heart – her younger brother had intentionally stopped here to wait for her, afraid that she might be bullied by bad people again.
What a clever little one!
Night fell at the Su residence.
The large compound enclosed by white walls was the foremost household in the entire Xiaohe Village. Originally, this should have been the residence of the eldest branch of the Su family, but now the courtyard had become the exclusive domain of the second son Su Changdong’s family, along with the elderly Su couple.
The east room housed Su Youwei and Old Lady Shao Shi, who had already retired for the night.
The central room was occupied by Su Changdong and Mrs. He, where candlelight still glowed. Su Changdong stumbled back from outside after drinking some alcohol and, seeing the charming Mrs. He waiting for him, laughingly pounced to pinch her buttocks.
Seeing him return, Mrs. He angrily slapped his wandering hand and glared coldly at him. “Gambling again? Did you win or lose today?”
Su Changdong chuckled, “Lost!”
Mrs. He stamped her feet in fury. “Losing every day! The shops and money your dead elder brother left you will eventually be gambled away!”
“Impossible! Mother said she would ensure we never worry about food and drink for the rest of our lives. She even swapped Miao’er’s destiny with Juan’er’s. Our Miao’er is destined for wealth and prosperity – we can just rely on our daughter and son-in-law!”
Su Changdong sat down, casually grabbing some melon seeds from the table to crack open.
“Hmph! Don’t get your hopes up too much. Mother said there could still be variables. Today a man went to the old residence, talking and laughing with your eldest niece. Many people saw it. I took a special look – the man carried an air of nobility about him. If he ends up with Su Juan, what will become of our Miao’er?”
“Originally, we planned to choose between He Juren and Du Xiucai for our Miao’er. Who would have thought your eldest niece would expose this matter? Now everyone in the village is gossiping about me behind my back!”
“I originally thought that after succeeding, our whole family would move to the county town. Even if people gossiped, I could still find ways to explain it away. But now, many villagers question our character – how can we possibly succeed?”
“And what’s more, you don’t know that Wang Shangnian kept staring at Su Juan today. He must still have feelings for Su Juan in his heart. How can he wholeheartedly treat our family well then?”
“If you ask me, your eldest niece is nothing but trouble. With her around, we’ll never have a good life!”
As Mrs. He spoke these words, a flash of malice appeared in her eyes.
Hearing that there might still be variables, Su Changdong immediately furrowed his brows. “That can’t be. Mother has always been very capable – she can even summon many snakes. Didn’t all the villagers believe that those three siblings have an auspiciously inauspicious fate?”
Mrs. He spat disdainfully, “Don’t even mention that matter. Today, your second niece publicly declared in front of everyone that the man who visited said the old courtyard we used to live in has good Feng Shui and wants to buy it. Guess why he wants to buy it? Isn’t it because he noticed snakes in the yard and treasures buried underground?
This whole affair about the ‘Auspiciously inauspicious fate’ has made the villagers skeptical! Thankfully, Mother reacted quickly and managed to salvage our reputation, otherwise those three siblings would have truly turned their fortunes around!”
Hearing his wife’s words, Su Changdong grew restless. The situation had indeed shifted significantly, and it was possible that all of Mother’s previous efforts would come to nothing.
“What should we do then, wife? We need to find a way to ruin them. If necessary, we could quietly…”
Su Changdong made a throat-slitting gesture.
He had always been a reckless troublemaker. Since his elder brother made his fortune, he had been constantly pestering him for money to squander outside. To save face, he specifically bought Mrs. He, a former top courtesan from another town, and passed her off as a respectable woman to bolster his image.
Besides that, he had committed numerous outrageous acts—robbing people, setting fires, and even causing deaths. Moreover, the three siblings weren’t his own flesh and blood. For his own gain, he was fully capable of such deeds.
Mrs. He glared at him. “Don’t you dare do that. With more blood on your hands, how will you escape if the authorities investigate?
I’ve thought of a plan: we should marry off the two sisters, whether to beggars or old widowers. Ideally, they’d get into trouble and be seen by others…”
Su Changdong quickly caught on and came up with an idea. “I owe money to a man lately. One day, I’ll get him drunk and bring him home. You seize the chance to summon Su Juan. If this succeeds, it fulfills your wish, and I won’t have to repay him. Two birds with one stone!”
“Better not do it at home. If people find out, they’ll think we schemed it. We need to plan carefully. Besides Su Juan, there’s still Su Ying!”
Mrs. He’s sharp eyes resembled a venomous snake lurking in the darkness, waiting to strike.
Su Changdong, however, was unconcerned. “Mother said our Miao exchanged destinies with Su Juan. We only need to deal with Su Juan. Let Third Brother handle Su Ying himself!”
“How can you think that? Have you forgotten what Mother said? Su Ying has the noblest and wealthiest Destiny, while Third Brother’s Su Yin has the typical Jinxed fate. If something happens, our whole family will suffer. That’s why Mother had no choice but to swap their destinies.
Besides, Su Ying’s complexion has improved lately. If she rises, Su Yin’s fate alone could doom us all!”
Reminded by Mrs. He, Su Changdong recalled this and nodded. “Alright, I’ll go to the county town someday and talk to Third Brother. Let’s see what they can do to get rid of that girl.”
Seeing that he had taken her words to heart, Mrs. He finally breathed a sigh of relief.
It wasn’t easy. Some people were born with a good Destiny without any effort, unlike them, who had to scheme in the shadows just for a life of wealth and luxury.
Outside the central room, a figure pressed against the wall, revealing eyes burning with jealousy.
This was Su Changdong’s unmarried second daughter, Su Miao, sixteen years old.
She had stepped out to relieve herself and noticed the candlelight in her parents’ room. Intending to check in, she never expected to overhear their conversation.
She didn’t catch much else clearly, but every word about Su Ying had registered perfectly in her mind.
In this household, the person she envied most was Su Ying—beautiful in appearance and blessed with the noblest and finest Destiny. Upon hearing about this, she had once thrown a tantrum, demanding that the family transfer Su Ying’s Destiny to her, but unfortunately, Su Yin’s own Destiny was utterly inadequate.
Even so, it did nothing to diminish her jealousy toward Su Ying.
How had Su Ying’s face recovered, when she herself had deliberately disfigured it with charcoal fire just a month ago?
Could it be that those with good Destiny receive such divine favor from heaven?
No, she refused to believe it.
She was determined to see for herself just how well that face had healed. Even if it had recovered, she would find the right moment to ruin it once more!