Xu Suyu didn’t answer his question. Instead, she asked,
“Yesterday I told you to think about working hard from now on—to change your future. Have you thought about it?”
Jiang Zhun rolled his eyes lazily.
“Don’t try to fool me. I’m not thinking about it. And I won’t compare myself to anyone else.”
“Jiang Zhun, Grandpa isn’t young anymore. Your father is only the deputy factory director. Your uncle and aunt both serve in the military and have real authority, but they’re stationed out of town—and they have their own families to care for. If one day Grandpa is no longer here, you’ll become a fish on the chopping board—just like today, at the mercy of others. No one will be there to clean up your messes anymore. Can you stand living like that?”
“Xu Suyu, stop trying to scare me. I still have my mother’s military merits to protect me.”
“Your mother’s honors are meant to add to your glory, not serve as your shield. Relying on others is never as good as relying on yourself. Jiang Zhun, you—”
“I’m not listening, I’m not listening!”
Jiang Zhun slapped his hands over his ears.
“Xu Suyu, why can’t you ever think in a positive direction? What if I work hard and still fail? Then I’ll just be wasting my time, making myself miserable, and people will laugh at us! Don’t push me. I really can’t do it!”
Xu Suyu looked at him—so content to drift, so unwilling to change—and felt no anger.
He’d been lazy his whole life.
It would have been stranger if a few words from her could change him instantly.
Still, even if good things take time, she didn’t plan to wait too long. She needed a chance—something to make him face reality.
Meanwhile, Sun Rou was in turmoil.
Just after finishing her conversation with Han Shumo, Qin Wanqiu hurried to the medical equipment factory’s family compound to find Sun Rou and tell her: Xu Suyu was a capitalist’s daughter.
Sun Rou was stunned.
Never in her life would she have imagined that her clever father-in-law actually dared let Jiang Zhun marry a capitalist-born girl.
If the authorities found out, the entire Jiang family would be doomed.
Even though they could publicly sever ties with the old man to avoid implication—
Her own two children were about to finish high school.
Jiang Anbang was only a deputy factory director. Even with his help, the kids would have to start from the workshop—and her children absolutely could not do manual labor.
She needed her father-in-law’s connections to get her children lightweight, high-paying jobs.
She gripped Qin Wanqiu’s shoulders.
“Wanqiu, pretend you don’t know anything. Don’t spread this. And don’t worry about your hospital job—I’ll help ask around and pull some strings. As long as you show even a little real skill, you’ll be fine.”
Reassured, Qin Wanqiu left.
Sun Rou didn’t waste even one minute.
She went straight to the factory to find Jiang Anbang, and in less than half an hour the two of them rushed back to the old man’s home.
After Jiang Zhun brought Xu Suyu back earlier, he’d noticed Grandpa hadn’t returned for a long time, so he went to the unit to pick him up.
Which meant—
Xu Suyu was home alone.
Perfect for a “quick solution.”
Jiang Anbang pulled Sun Rou to sit on the couch.
He looked at Xu Suyu, who was pouring tea for them, and asked sternly:
“Comrade Xu Suyu, I heard… you’re the granddaughter of a capitalist?”
Xu Suyu set down the teapot.
“Yes. But my grandfather has already publicly severed ties with me.”
“So you admit it! What good is him severing ties? You’re still a capitalist’s young lady! You think the Jiang family is someplace someone like you can marry into? Know your place! Go pack your things and get out!”
Sun Rou stroked his arm soothingly and said in a low voice:
“Anbang, calm down. Speak nicely to Comrade Xu.
“I asked around—she originally came to marry into the Han family, but they refused. Obviously they knew her background was trouble. She understood and left them willingly. She won’t make things difficult for us.”
Then she walked to Xu Suyu with a gentle tone:
“Comrade Xu, it’s not that we don’t want to take you in. Your background is simply too problematic. We can’t let your status ruin the old man’s lifelong reputation. Please understand us.”
Anyone else, being insulted and ordered out like this, would have broken down or stormed out already.
But Xu Suyu remained calm.
“I know Grandpa Jiang is a hero, and I understand your concerns. But I hope you recognize a simple truth: Others may criticize my background— but you cannot. Because if my grandfather hadn’t saved Grandpa Jiang back then, he would have died. There would be no ‘Jiang family’ today, and no ‘Uncle Jiang’ at all.”
Jiang Anbang slammed a teacup onto the floor.
“So what, you expect me to thank your capitalist family for saving us?!”
The crash of porcelain and his roar didn’t faze her.
She nodded lightly.
“That is the fact.”
Jiang Anbang let out a cold, angry laugh.
“You outrageous woman! I don’t care about your twisted logic. Pack your things and GET OUT!”
“I’m here because Grandpa brought me back personally. If I leave, it must also be Grandpa who tells me to go. Uncle Jiang, what you say doesn’t count.”
“You—! Fine, very well!”
He turned toward the stairs.
“Sun Rou, come help me pack her things!”
Sun Rou cast Xu Suyu a mocking look before quickly following him upstairs.
She murmured soothing words, but every piece of Xu Suyu’s belongings was shoved into a bag by her hands.
Jiang Anbang carried the luggage downstairs and threw it directly into the yard.
Standing at the entryway, he glared at Xu Suyu—who still sat calmly in the living room.
“Xu Suyu, your things are already outside. YOU get out too! And if you dare shamelessly entangle my son again, I won’t spare you!”
Xu Suyu ignored him.
She sat down on a single-seater sofa.
“Uncle Jiang, this fuss is pointless. I already said—I won’t listen to you.”
Jiang Anbang, furious, stormed toward her.
Sun Rou hurried to block him.
“Comrade Xu, you don’t want the Jiang family torn apart because of you, right? Please just leave.”
“Aunt Sun, you’ve got the cause and effect wrong. Before you two came here to cause trouble, the Jiang family was perfectly peaceful. It’s YOU who barged in and made a mess. It has nothing to do with me.”
“You shameless woman! Why are you still arguing? Get her out!”
Jiang Anbang shoved Sun Rou aside, grabbed Xu Suyu’s arm, and dragged her toward the door—
And then a thunderous voice exploded from the entryway:
“Jiang Anbang! LET HER GO!”