Chapter 263
“Really? Then why have I heard that my sister has often been bullied by you all? When she first started dating Jiang Yexun, his two half-brothers’ wives frequently picked on her and caused her trouble. Even when Jiang Quansheng was buried, you all didn’t miss a chance to criticize her,” Su Hongchen said bluntly, exposing their past deeds without any pretense.
Jiang Guoli stood at the back with a stern face, not attempting to smooth things over. He had already warned that Su Xiaoxiao’s brother was difficult to deal with, but his cousins hadn’t listened. Now, they had set themselves up for a confrontation right from the start.
Jiang Guosheng’s smile froze, unsure how to respond. Jiang Guohua stepped forward, forcing a smile. “You know how it is, these things are mostly caused by the women at home. They’re small-minded and jealous that Comrade Su is from the city and living well. But we’ve already reprimanded them at home, and they promise not to bother Comrade Su again.”
Su Hongchen smiled but said nothing more. Yet, his demeanor made it clear that he wasn’t accepting their excuses. Jiang Guohua immediately shot a glare at his wife. Although Aunt Tian had rarely spoken ill of Su Xiaoxiao, and most of the time she had tried to curry favor with her, now was not the moment to argue.
“Xiaoxiao, it’s my fault for speaking without thinking and upsetting you. Please don’t hold it against me,” Aunt Tian said, smiling apologetically, her face full of contrition.
Seeing that her sister-in-law had never truly spoken ill of Su Xiaoxiao and had now offered an apology, Aunt Zhou dared not show any further defiance.
“Xiaoxiao, I was wrong. I was just envious that, at such a young age, you have so much—good food, a nice place to live, and a family that dotes on you. That’s why I tried to impose rules on you. But in truth, I’m not even your real mother-in-law. You shouldn’t take my words to heart; I just have a sharp tongue.”
As she spoke, she slapped herself harshly across the face a few times.
Su Xiaoxiao lifted her chin and turned her face to the side, clearly not accepting their apologies.
The two women looked awkward, not knowing what else to do.
The atmosphere grew awkward, but Su Hongchen, ever indulgent of his sister, patted her head. “My sister has been cherished by our family since she was a child. She came to the countryside to support national construction, and in just six months, she’s faced so much trouble. It’s normal for her to hold a grudge. Just don’t bother her in the future. If there’s any issue, deal with Jiang Yexun. My sister may be marrying into the Jiang family, but she remains a Su, and she won’t be your servant.”
His threatening gaze swept over them, making the Jiang family members shrink back. Though they felt Su Hongchen was being unreasonable, his imposing presence in uniform made them too afraid to speak out.
When Su Hongchen looked away, Jiang Guoli stepped forward, trying to smooth things over. “Let’s discuss things over lunch. The food will get cold even with the stove on.”
“Alright, let’s eat first,” Su Hongchen agreed, leading Su Xiaoxiao inside. The Jiang family members breathed a sigh of relief and followed.
Auntie Tian and Auntie Zhou trailed at the back. They didn’t dare glare at Jiang Yexun, so they tugged at Aunt Guo. When Aunt Guo looked back, they made faces, implying they’d settle this later.
“If you’re upset, say it outright. No need for the eye-rolling,” Aunt Guo retorted, not backing down.
Hearing this, the people ahead stopped and turned to look at the trio. Auntie Tian and Auntie Zhou nearly exploded in anger but forced smiles. “We’re not upset. The cold winter wind just makes our eyes hurt, so we blinked a bit,” they explained, exaggerating their blinks to prove their point, looking comical.
Su Hongchen, uninterested in arguing, led the way into the hall. Su Xiaoxiao held back her sarcasm and followed.
In the hall stood three young girls, around seventeen or eighteen, all unmistakably bearing the distinct features of the Jiang family. Their skin was dark, and they wore garishly exaggerated makeup that completely obscured their otherwise delicate features.
Jiang Guosheng, noticing that Su Hongchen had already seen the girls, immediately prepared to introduce them with a smile. But before he could speak, Jiang Guohua discreetly pulled him back. The more they flaunted their daughters now, the more suspicious it would seem. If Su Xiaoxiao’s brother became wary, all their plans would come to nothing.
Though Jiang Guosheng was impulsive, he had always heeded his elder brother’s advice. No matter how anxious he felt inside, he didn’t dare show it.
However, the three girls couldn’t hide their fascination. The moment they laid eyes on Su Hongchen, their gazes were fixated.
“You must be Xiaoxiao’s brother, right? I’m Jiang Simeng, a year younger than Xiaoxiao. By all rights, I should be calling you brother too,” Jiang Simeng said as she made her way toward him, intent on sitting beside Su Hongchen.
In a flash of urgency, Su Xiaoxiao lifted her foot and planted it firmly on the stool.
“What are you doing?” Jiang Simeng snapped, immediately flustered.
The advice she had repeated to herself before coming—that she mustn’t provoke Su Xiaoxiao or make her angry—vanished from her mind. All she could think about now was how unbearable life would be if she married Su Hongchen and had to deal with such a spoiled, bad-tempered sister-in-law.
No, she had to come up with a plan, something that would make the Su family grow tired of Su Xiaoxiao, this troublesome girl who had already been married off.
If she could marry Su Hongchen, then she would be the true member of the Su family, the one to bear children and carry on the Su lineage. Her thoughts raced ahead, and she stood frozen in front of the stool.
Su Xiaoxiao, feeling awkward with her foot raised, shot a glance at Jiang Yexun. He pressed his lips together and walked over, waiting for her to lower her foot before casually brushing the stool off and sitting down in her place.
Jiang Simeng snapped back to reality, immediately exasperated. “Jiang Yexun, why are you taking my seat?”
“Because I have more dignity than you,” Jiang Yexun shot back without hesitation.
Jiang Simeng choked on her words, wanting to say more, but her sister quickly tugged her back. Dealing with someone like Jiang Yexun—who feared nothing—was a losing game.
If it weren’t for the fact that he was trying to restrain himself in front of his future bride, his words would have been far harsher.