Chapter 281
Su Xiaoxiao wanted to protest further, but she noticed her brother’s furrowed brow, his gaze fixed firmly on her. In their two lifetimes, Su Hongchen had rarely gone against his younger sister’s wishes. So, seeing him so resolute this time, she dared not push back. With a huff, she pouted and turned to walk toward her room.
Jiang Yexun watched her retreating figure, a blend of helplessness and fondness flickering in his eyes. Finally, he turned to Su Hongchen, pleading, “Brother-in-law, please go in and talk to Xiaoxiao. Comfort her instead of lecturing. She’s had a rough evening, and she won’t sleep well if she’s upset.”
“She’s my sister; I know how to take care of her!” Su Hongchen shot Jiang Yexun an irritated glance before striding toward Su Xiaoxiao’s room.
He knocked on the door, but there was no response. After another gentle knock, he coaxed softly, “Xiaoxiao, don’t be mad anymore. I’ll get you whatever you want, okay? I’m sorry; I shouldn’t have ruined your mood. Can you give me a chance to explain?”
Su Xiaoxiao, who had initially been just stirring up trouble, didn’t really want to make her brother beg.
“I’m not angry; you can come in,” she replied, pulling the door open before he even had the chance to push it.
As she welcomed Su Hongchen inside, she took a dry towel and patted the dust off his clothes. Only now, in the light, did she notice that half of his military coat was damp from the night air.
“Brother, what if you catch a cold wearing this wet coat?” Su Xiaoxiao’s concern was genuine this time. The northeastern winters were harsh, and even a tough person couldn’t endure wearing a damp coat.
Su Hongchen laughed as he took off his coat and placed it on a chair away from the stove. “It only snowed a bit on the way back,” he said, checking his pants to ensure they were dry before sitting down by the stove.
Watching his sister slowly move to the heated bed, he sighed deeply. “Our Xiaoxiao has grown up and is about to get married. I know Jiang Yexun treats you well, and you act according to your temperament without much scheming. But the quarrel next door is with his blood relatives, even if they are half-siblings, they’re still family. You need to let him handle his family issues himself. Over time, if you always jump in to solve problems, he might feel you’re meddling too much and that your temperament is too fiery, which could disrupt their family harmony.
Men should naturally protect their wives. How can you, as a young girl, always be the one to confront others? If you continue this way, it will become a habit—every time something happens, you’ll be the one rushing to resolve it, while Jiang Yexun remains passive. You used to be so gentle and never argued with anyone; now, you immediately want to be at the forefront of every conflict.”
Su Hongchen wasn’t against Xiaoxiao arguing with people per se; he simply felt it was Jiang Yexun’s fault for not taking better care of her, which led to her developing this habit.
“I’ve realized since moving to the countryside that sometimes being too easygoing just makes you a target for others to exploit and bully. I’m not trying to take anyone’s place; I just can’t stand things being left unresolved,” Su Xiaoxiao said with a guilty look and a pitiful expression.
But deep down, she knew her fiery came from a place of hatred. Whether it was Pan Yongsheng, Dong Jiaxuan, or the Jiang Family, even Peng Huijing from Beijing and the mysterious mastermind behind it all, she couldn’t forgive any of them. Even if she had to live another life, she wanted to settle the scores of her past life with them and nip any unaccounted-for issues in the bud.
Seeing Su Xiaoxiao hanging her head and sneaking glances with a cute look, Su Hongchen couldn’t bear to scold her further. “Fine, as long as you’re aware. I’m just giving you advice. No matter what happens, your happiness is most important. If Jiang Yexun dares to treat you poorly in the future, you should leave him immediately and come back home. Mom and Dad will always be there for you. I’m a man too, and I can also make money to support you,” he said with a light laugh.
“I knew that you, mom, and dad are the best,” Su Xiaoxiao said sweetly, smiling and acting cute with her brother. Once Su Hongchen looked satisfied, she became serious. “But brother, I trust that Jiang Yexun will treat me well in the future. If there ever comes a day when he doesn’t, I will definitely let you know right away and come home. I won’t have anything to do with him again.”
Su Hongchen, seeing his sister’s roundabout way of defending Jiang Yexun, snorted in slight dissatisfaction but then smiled at her following words. “Alright, as long as you understand.”
Just then, Su Hongchen noticed the enamel basin on the stove table, filled with a light-colored paste and some small round pills beside it, and was about to help with making them.
However, before he could even scoop some out, a panicked scream came from next door. “Stop it! Jiang Yexun, stop! He’s gonna die if you keep hitting him! Someone! Help!”
Hu Yuezhen’s voice was now hoarse from shouting, clearly indicating her desperation as she hoped someone from the production team would come to help.
Su Xiaoxiao immediately jumped off the heated bed and ran outside. Su Hongchen wanted to follow but was stopped by Su Xiaoxiao’s stern shake of the head. “Brother, don’t go! You don’t know how shameless the Jiang Family is. If you go, they’ll drag you into it, saying that as a soldier, you should help ordinary people. Besides, Jiang Mancang is just a child under four. We’re going to be relatives soon. To avoid inevitable trouble, it’s best not to go.”
Seeing his sister had thought of this, Su Hongchen felt a bit relieved. “It’s fine; they can’t extort me.”
If joining the army meant being easily morally blackmailed or reported, no one would dare join.
But Su Xiaoxiao remained serious and said, “Right now, it’s better if you stay out. If you go, it’ll end the conflict. I want to see how the situation develops. With Jiang Yexun there, he can handle many people by himself. Don’t worry, he and his friends used to fight a black bear on their own. Even if it’s a tough battle, he’ll handle it. I won’t be in danger just by watching.”