“Apologize for what?” Jiang Sun slouched back into his chair again, looking every bit the delinquent. “Doesn’t he claim he truly respects you? He’s so aggrieved just taking a beating in your place to repay his father’s debt. Is that what he calls respect—just lip service?”
“Big Brother, that’s not what I meant…” Jiang Mingguang had already been beaten up for nothing that afternoon. He was still aching all over. Though he suspected Jiang Sun was behind it, the noon incident had blown up so badly that without evidence, he didn’t dare accuse him again. He could only swallow it.
But now that Jiang Sun had kicked him twice more, and he finally had a chance to bargain in front of the old master, how could he waste it?
“Of course I’m willing to repay Dad’s debt. But Big Brother, didn’t you just imply that if I weren’t here to take the beating for Dad, you would’ve hit him instead? That’s wrong. You should apologize to Dad.”
“If you weren’t here…” Jiang Sun’s disdainful gaze shifted directly to Sun Rou. “I wouldn’t object to a wife repaying her husband’s debt.”
Sun Rou lowered her head and wiped her tears. “A-Sun, do you really hate Auntie that much?”
Jiang Sun let out a mocking laugh. “I truly don’t know what you’re pretending for. What decent woman marries into a widower’s home just one month after his wife dies? I hate you—isn’t that only natural?”
“At that time, your father and I—”
“Hey, hey, stop right there. Don’t bring up whatever filthy business you and Comrade Jiang Anbang had between you. You may not find it dirty, but I do.”
Jiang Anbang slammed the table. “Jiang Sun! That’s enough! I know your mother’s death and my quick remarriage have always been a knot in your heart. But at that time, I was at the busiest point in my career. Your grandfather was ill and couldn’t help me. If your aunt hadn’t come to take care of you, I wouldn’t have been able to complete my work. You should be grateful to her—not accuse her!”
“Grateful?” Jiang Sun shot Sun Rou a sideways glance. “Grateful that when you were all away, she let her kids prick me with needles? Grateful that she gave all the meat and eggs in the house to her own children and wouldn’t let me eat, so I had to steal corn cakes from the neighbors because I was starving? Grateful that she beat and cursed me every day, calling me a mute bastard who still hadn’t died?”
Xu Suyu frowned. Jiang Sun’s childhood had been filled with such suffering.
No wonder he had grown into this kind of personality—
Sun Rou covered her face and burst into tears. “A-Sun, how can you slander me like this? I’ve given you so much. I don’t expect you to repay me, but you can’t fabricate lies about me. Are you trying to drive me to my death?”
Jiang Anbang glared at Jiang Sun. “Enough! I investigated back then. When I wasn’t home, your aunt treated you well. She never mistreated you. How can you be… so unruly!”
Jiang Sun sneered at his father’s expression. “I shouldn’t even be wasting my breath arguing with you today.”
“You—”
“Enough!” the old master barked. “Jiang Anbang, are you people going to let us eat or not? If not, get out!”
He sat down and patted the seat beside him, his tone softening. “Suyu, come sit next to Grandpa.”
After Xu Suyu sat down, Jiang Sun circled around and took the seat on her other side.
The family of three exchanged glances before sitting as well.
Sun Rou wiped her tears, her voice still choked. “Dad, Anbang came back tonight because he heard A-Sun is getting married. He wanted to learn about Comrade Xu’s family background.”
“Didn’t I already say? Suyu is the granddaughter of my lifesaving benefactor.”
“I know, but when we came back this evening, we heard people saying that Comrade Xu had arrived at the compound days ago, originally to marry Han Shumo from the Han family. So why has it suddenly changed to—”
The old master shot her a look. “Why are you snooping around gossip? That boy from the Han family also owes Suyu’s grandfather a life debt. The Han couple wanted to recognize her as a goddaughter. They were seeking sworn kinship, not marriage! But Suyu didn’t want to trouble them, so she declined.”
“I see. Then shouldn’t we meet Comrade Xu’s parents and relatives?”
“Suyu’s parents have both passed away.”
Sun Rou looked surprised. “Both passed away? Comrade Xu, how did they die?”
The old master set his chopsticks down. “Why are you asking that?”
“Dad, I’m blunt—don’t take offense. I’m just worried that if her parents died of illness, there might be hereditary issues. Even if A-Sun dislikes me, a stepmother is still a mother. I must look into this for his sake.”
Jiang Sun slammed his chopsticks down in front of Sun Rou. “You think you’re fit to be my mother?”
Jiang Anbang, seeing Jiang Sun’s attitude, grew furious. “Jiang Sun! Your aunt is thinking of your welfare. If Little Xu’s parents truly had a hereditary disease, I will not agree to this marriage!”
“Whether you agree or not, no one cares!”
The old master added, “Jiang Anbang, you’re not the head of this household.”
Xu Suyu gently patted both men’s arms in reassurance before speaking.
“Uncle, Auntie, my parents did not die of illness. When I was very young, my mother went out to purchase medicinal herbs and was killed in an enemy air raid. My father loved my mother too deeply. He couldn’t bear losing her. On the hundredth-day memorial of her passing, he secretly took his own life in front of her grave.”
As soon as she finished, the two across the table fell silent.
Jiang Sun was genuinely surprised. He hadn’t expected such devoted love to exist in this world.
Then, with venom on his tongue, he looked at Jiang Anbang. “So not all men remarry immediately after their wife dies. There are fathers-in-law worthy of respect. Sister, compared to that, my mother was wonderful—but my father? Not much to speak of.”
Jiang Anbang’s face darkened, but he didn’t want to argue about his late wife again.
Jiang Sun felt his blade hadn’t cut deep enough and twisted it further. “Sister, you won’t dislike my family for having cowardly genes, will you?”
Xu Suyu shook her head calmly. “No. Auntie was a hero worthy of respect.”
“Exactly. Sister, don’t worry—I definitely didn’t inherit Comrade Jiang Anbang’s faithless-man genes. I take after my mother.”
Jiang Anbang was nearly too angry to eat.
Seeing she had gained nothing and only humiliated herself, Sun Rou could only think of other ways to break them up later.
For now, there was something else more important.
After taking a few bites of food, she seemed to recall something suddenly. “Oh, Dad, I heard Minister Liao came to visit you again a few days ago.”
The old master lifted his gaze. “And?”
“Well, it’s like this—didn’t Minister Liao owe you a favor before and say he could give you a job placement? So I was thinking… could you give that spot to me?”
The old master suddenly recalled what Xu Suyu had said that afternoon. Sure enough, after making scene after scene, she truly did have an ulterior motive.
His expression remained calm, but his tone carried a trace of impatience. “What, you’ve grown capable now? Planning to enter the medical system and become a fifty-year-old apprentice?”
“Oh, Dad, what are you thinking? I’m just asking on someone else’s behalf. I want to arrange a job for my niece.”
“Your niece? Which one?”
“The one from the Qin family in our compound—Wanqiu. She graduated from the same school as that boy from the Han family. Look at Xiao Han—he’s already standing on his own two feet. But Wanqiu is still at home helping her brother take care of his child. It’s quite pitiful, really. So I was wondering… could you help her?”