Xu Suyu looked at Cao Meiru with an innocent, harmless expression and said nothing.
Originally, Cao Meiru had thought that if Xu Suyu would take the initiative to say there was no need to repay the favor, she wouldn’t bring it up again. She would simply say a few polite words and go home to report back. After all, it wouldn’t be that their Han family was unwilling to repay the kindness—just that she didn’t need it.
But the girl who had been so sharp-tongued just moments ago was now merely staring at her with a blank, guileless look, silent.
Cao Meiru forced a smile. “Shumo said he’d like your Uncle Han and me to take you as our goddaughter. That way, you’d have family in this compound. If anyone bullied you in the future—”
“Hey, hey, hey!” Jiang Sun cut her off directly. “You old rotten lotus root, who are you trying to disgust? Once my sister marries me, Jiang Sun, even if your entire Han family gets bullied to death, she won’t be bullied!”
“Jiang Sun!” Cao Meiru gritted her teeth. “Even if your own mother didn’t raise you, your stepmother has treated you well, hasn’t she? How did you learn to speak so unpleasantly?”
Xu Suyu’s gaze darkened. Cao Meiru was clearly poking at Jiang Sun’s deepest wound.
Sure enough, Jiang Sun exploded. He raised his hand and shoved Cao Meiru. “You old beast! You want to say I was born but not raised, but you don’t dare say it outright—so you drag that wretched Sun Rou into it to disgust me? Are you asking for death?”
Xu Suyu didn’t manage to stop him in time. She quickly grabbed Jiang Sun, who was about to shove Cao Meiru again, and stepped in front of him, preventing him from making a bigger scene in public.
Cao Meiru had just been pushed by a junior in full view of everyone—how could she swallow that humiliation? She turned and began knocking loudly on the gate.
“Old Commander Jiang! Your grandson just hit me in public! Please come out and judge this!”
The old master, who had been eavesdropping in the courtyard, saw things escalating and immediately regretted it. Had he known the Han family had come to recognize a goddaughter, he wouldn’t have let that rascal Jiang Sun go out to stir up trouble.
Just as he was about to step out to calm things down, Xu Suyu’s unhurried voice sounded outside.
“Aunt Cao, Grandpa Jiang isn’t feeling well. He’s been lying down in his room for over an hour. I’m afraid he can’t come out.”
Jiang Sun snorted indifferently. “Let her shout. If she drags the old man out and he faints from anger again, then her son will have to treat him. And if he dares not cure him properly, I’ll go make trouble at the hospital.”
Cao Meiru indeed didn’t dare to act rashly. No matter what, she couldn’t risk her son’s future over this. And Jiang Sun was infamous for being unreasonable—if he said it, he would do it.
“Jiang Sun, what’s wrong with you? You pushed me—this has nothing to do with my son!”
“You old shrew know not to drag innocent people into it? Then what does this have to do with my family’s old man?”
Xu Suyu turned and glanced at Jiang Sun. “Enough, A-Sun. Close your mouth.”
Jiang Sun clicked his tongue.
Xu Suyu stepped toward Cao Meiru and gently took her hand, her face mild and graceful. “Auntie, I know you’re a kind and gentle elder. Please don’t be angry with Jiang Sun. He didn’t truly mean to disrespect you. Perhaps your words reminded him of his mother—who sacrificed herself for the country during his childhood. She surely never wished to give birth without raising her child. She simply had no choice. Between country and family, she chose the greater good over her own home. She’s a hero worthy of our admiration. Isn’t that also why the military families in the compound have always taken extra care of Jiang Sun?”
Cao Meiru’s heart tightened. The girl had elevated the matter so high—now it would look like she was bullying the child of a martyr.
She absolutely did not want that reputation. Her attitude changed at once. “Ah, thinking of Jiang Sun’s mother… she truly was a good person. Forget it. I’ve watched Jiang Sun grow up in this compound. Let’s just drop today’s matter. I—”
“Auntie is truly magnanimous,” Xu Suyu interrupted softly. She turned to Jiang Sun. “Alright, A-Sun, for my sake, don’t stay angry with Auntie. She didn’t mean to bully you.”
Cao Meiru: …
Who exactly bullied whom just now?!
Jiang Sun snorted. “Sister, if it weren’t for you, I’d have taken this to the organization.”
“Alright, alright. I know you’ve been wronged. Be good.”
After gently patting Jiang Sun’s shoulder in comfort, Xu Suyu looked back at Cao Meiru.
“Auntie, I know you and Uncle Han are good people. You truly wish to repay my grandfather’s life-saving kindness to Han Shumo. But… let’s forget about recognizing me as a goddaughter. I can tell Comrade Han is doing his best to draw clear boundaries with me. If I became your goddaughter, our two families would inevitably continue interacting. That would make both him and me uncomfortable.”
Every sentence sounded reasonable. Put together, they were flawless.
Yet beneath the surface, the implication was unmistakable—that her son Shumo was being ungrateful.
The benevolent smile on Cao Meiru’s face stiffened. She truly had underestimated Xu Suyu these past few days.
“Suyu, you’ve misunderstood Shumo. Didn’t I just say? It was his suggestion. He—”
“Auntie, really, there’s no need. Things are fine as they are. Grandpa Jiang and Jiang Sun treat me very well. Thank you.” She gave Cao Meiru a proper, respectful nod.
Cao Meiru noticed several people nearby whispering among themselves. Were they thinking her son was ungrateful?
That wouldn’t do.
She quickly opened her bag and took out a small stack of large-denomination bills, holding them out to Xu Suyu. “Suyu, then how about this? You’re about to get married. Your uncle and I will add something to your dowry…”
“No, no, Auntie. I’m not your daughter, so it wouldn’t be appropriate for you to add to my dowry. And if this money is meant as a wedding gift, it’s truly too much—I wouldn’t be able to repay such a favor in the future. If it’s meant to repay my grandfather’s life-saving kindness, that’s even more unnecessary. He saved someone out of goodwill, not for money.”
Trying to use money to wipe away a life-saving debt and feel at ease?
Don’t even think about it.
Jiang Sun snatched the stack of bills from Cao Meiru’s hand and flung it directly at her face. “Your Han family really has no shame! Using money to insult a life-saving benefactor. Your son did it this afternoon at the supply cooperative, and now you’re doing it too. Is this the morality taught by a mother who actually raised her child? Disgusting!”
With that, he grabbed Xu Suyu’s wrist and strode toward home. “Sister, stop letting them bully you here. Let’s go home!”
“A-Sun, look at your temper,” Xu Suyu struggled lightly, but couldn’t break free…
She could only let herself be dragged away, turning back helplessly as she called out, “Auntie, thank you for your kindness. You should head back first. When I have time, I’ll come visit you and Uncle. Goodbye, Auntie.”
With a loud bang, the gate slammed shut.
Cao Meiru was so furious that her chest rose and fell violently. The two of them had worked together perfectly—one civil, one forceful—echoing each other so seamlessly that no matter what she said, it was wrong; no matter what she did, it was useless.
It was simply… too much bullying.