Wu Xiuxia had always thought she was good at hiding her true thoughts, but she hadn’t expected Lin Yuzhen to expose her so ruthlessly.
She gave up pretending. The fake smile vanished instantly, replaced by a sharp, malicious expression as she sneered:
“Lin Yuzhen, you keep clinging to your maternal home, and you’re not even afraid of being laughed at.
My cousin doesn’t have any sons. Logically, the houses he left behind should belong to our family. Who told you that your cousin is the only male heir in our branch? And now, with such a good marriage proposal right in front of you, if you don’t accept it… are you stupid?
A widow like you with three kids, and Captain Qin is willing to take you in—that’s a blessing you’ve earned in this life… Ah! Su Luowan, you little shameless brat, how dare you!”
Wu Xiuxia quickly covered her mouth. Just moments ago, Su Luowan had smashed a porcelain cup against her mouth, and her teeth were still aching.
Su Luowan looked at Wu Xiuxia coldly, unflinching:
“What do I have to be afraid of? Are you deaf? My mom just said it clearly—our family will have nothing to do with yours from now on.
Stop scheming over our house. That house belongs to my maternal grandparents—what business is it of yours?
And let me give you a piece of advice: don’t do too many immoral things, or be careful that karma catches up with you.
Also, my father isn’t dead—who told you he’s gone? My dad still has a marriage certificate with my mom. So what exactly is your intention, trying to persuade my mom to remarry when she’s not divorced?”
As she spoke, Su Luowan shouted toward the yard:
“Xiao Nian, grab a stick! If this auntie doesn’t leave, we’ll throw her out!”
Hearing Su Luowan’s command, Su Luonian immediately ran to the woodpile in the yard and grabbed the thickest branch she could find.
Seeing this, Wu Xiuxia, who had intended to retaliate, suddenly hesitated. She looked at Lin Yuzhen and threatened:
“You better think carefully. Are you really going to cut ties with us? Know this—once you do, you really won’t have any family left!”
Lin Yuzhen stared at Wu Xiuxia’s ugly face, disappointment filling her eyes:
“You still have the nerve to call yourself family? I’ve remembered how your entire family treated us over the years. Want me to tell the whole village?”
Wu Xiuxia’s face turned red and pale with shame and anger. Pointing a finger at Lin Yuzhen, she yelled:
“Fine! Cut ties then! Don’t regret it!”
Glancing at Su Luonian, who stood in front with a stick, ready to act at any moment, Wu Xiuxia could no longer stay. She began retreating toward the door, still cursing:
“Hmph! Lin Yuzhen, why don’t you admit you’re born unlucky in marriage? Your husband was a fine man, and you’ve ruined him! Everyone says so! Do you think you’ll marry someone better in the future? Captain Qin already values you enough—yet you’re still so ungrateful!”
As she cursed, seeing Su Luonian charging toward her, Wu Xiuxia panicked and ran toward the door.
Su Luonian, furious, threw the stick at Wu Xiuxia’s ankle. Wu Xiuxia yelped in pain but, afraid of being pursued, endured it and continued running, shouting as she went:
“Murder! Murder!”
However, Su Luowan’s house was in a secluded location, and Wu Xiuxia didn’t want to draw a crowd. She only shouted to scare Su Luonian and fell silent once she escaped.
Inside, she was anxious. Not only had her plan failed, but she had also been hit twice. Most importantly, with Lin Yuzhen cutting ties, there was no hope of claiming the house.
Even her daughter going to the Worker-Peasant-Soldier University seemed unlikely now. Wu Xiuxia frowned, deciding to go home and consult her husband.
After Wu Xiuxia left, Lin Yuzhen sat on the hall bench, a little downcast. Su Luowan knew Lin Yuzhen valued family, but in her eyes, relatives like her cousin weren’t worth keeping.
Su Luowan had assumed Lin Yuzhen was sad over her cousin’s actions and was about to comfort her when Lin Yuzhen asked:
“Luowan, where do you think your father is now? Is he still alive?”
Su Luowan paused at the question, then smiled:
“Of course! My dad would never abandon the four of us. He probably hasn’t come back because something has detained him. Mom, don’t worry—once things settle down, I’ll go find him!”
Actually, Su Luowan had already concluded her father was safe after looking at Su Luonian’s features. But traveling now was inconvenient without a letter of introduction, so she planned to go after a couple of years when the situation eased. Her mystical arts weren’t as skilled as medicine, but finding a relative was no problem.
Just as Lin Yuzhen was about to speak, Su Luonian returned with the stick. Hearing Su Luowan, he was silent for a moment, then looked up at her with disapproval:
“Why bother looking for him, sis? He’s a grown man. If he wanted to come back, he would have already. Why should we look for him instead of him coming to find us?”
Su Luonian’s eyes gradually reddened. Su Luowan noticed and gently asked:
“Xiao Nian, did someone say something to you? Or did someone make fun of you?”
Su Luonian shook his head stubbornly, holding back tears:
“No, I’m going to wash my face!” He walked toward the kitchen.
Su Luowan frowned. No matter how sensible, he was still only thirteen—someone must have said something to provoke such a strong reaction.
Lin Yuzhen, forgetting her own sadness, worried about her youngest son, stood up:
“Luowan, go rest for a bit. I’ll talk to Xiao Nian.”
She walked to the kitchen.
When Lin Yuzhen and Su Luonian returned, his emotions were much calmer, though his eyes were still a little red. Su Luowan smiled and said:
“Come on, I’ll teach you how to practice!”
Su Luonian, still in a gloomy mood, asked unenthusiastically:
“Practice? What kind of practice?”
Su Luowan laughed:
“Of course, the kind that lets you eat wild rabbits and pheasants every day!”