Chapter 282
“I came here to back you up. If my presence makes it easier for people to extort you, why would I even bother coming?” Su Hongchen said with a wry smile, tapping Su Xiaoxiao’s forehead.
He had initially hoped that Jiang Yexun would be able to handle the situation himself. But seeing the commotion next door, he felt he needed to personally check how Jiang Yexun was resolving the issue. The loud noise had even frightened his sister.
When Su Xiaoxiao saw her brother’s stubborn determination, she reluctantly allowed him to come along. She opened the door, just as Aunt Guo was leaving.
On the other side, Hu Yuezhen was still crying and fussing, and even Jiang Guoli was angrily shouting.
“A family shouldn’t be so petty, should they? If you’re going to act like this, I’ll just burn this house down,” Jiang Yexun said with a cold, mocking laugh.
Jiang Guoli’s eyes twitched as he saw Jiang Yexun walking towards the kitchen. He immediately yelled, “You little rascal! If you really dare to do that, I’ll move next door. The new house there is not only bigger but also has firewalls. It’s definitely more comfortable than living here.”
“You can try. If you forcibly take the house built by educated youth, you might just end up in jail,” Jiang Yexun sneered.
Jiang Guoli, still trying to act tough, was startled when he saw Su Xiaoxiao and her brother walk in together with Aunt Guo. His heart raced, fearing that Su Xiaoxiao’s presence would cause more trouble.
Before Su Xiaoxiao could speak, Su Hongchen had already directed a stern look at Jiang Yexun. “Is this your idea of solving the problem? Are you here to resolve the issue or just to let it slide? If you don’t warn them, sending them directly to the police station might be a more effective solution.”
His tone was filled with disdain and criticism.
Jiang Guoli was initially infuriated, thinking that Su Hongchen’s harshness was unbecoming of a soldier. But seeing his usually unruly little son looking guilty and remorseful, he nearly lost his temper again.
“Yes, I didn’t handle it well. It won’t happen again,” Jiang Yexun said with no trace of anger in front of his elder brother-in-law. After apologizing, he turned to Jiang Guoli, “I’ll say it again: either pay up or I’ll burn down your house.”
Jiang Guoli, suppressing his panic, looked at Su Hongchen. “You’re a soldier. Are you really going to watch as your brother-in-law commits arson?”
“This is your family matter. It’s not my place to intervene,” Su Hongchen replied coldly.
Jiang Guoli couldn’t believe that a soldier could be so indifferent. But he also knew that the saying “a just official finds it hard to settle family disputes” applied here, and he couldn’t blame Su Hongchen for the Jiang Family’s mess.
Desperate to turn the situation to his advantage, Jiang Guoli thought of a new tactic. “Comrade Su, my grandson is in the hospital right now. The doctors in the city say he needs to be taken to a big city like Shanghai or Beijing for treatment. The cost for transportation, accommodation, and treatment is at least seven or eight hundred. You know we’re just poor farmers. Where could we get so much money? Could you lend us a few hundred? We know that soldiers are always the most helpful.”
Su Xiaoxiao, standing behind them, internally scoffed at this blatant moral blackmail. She knew her brother probably didn’t want her to speak out, so she kept silent and watched to see if her brother would be easily manipulated.
Unaware of Su Xiaoxiao’s intentions, Su Hongchen’s gaze remained calm. “So, why is your grandson in the hospital?”
He didn’t directly agree or refuse; he simply asked for more information.
Su Xiaoxiao didn’t understand what her brother was aiming at and tilted her head in confusion. However, Su Hongchen’s face remained composed, unaffected by Jiang Guoli’s pressure.
Jiang Guoli, feeling embarrassed and guilty, could only give a vague answer. “My grandson is in the hospital. If you don’t believe it, you can go see him.”
“I’m not ready to visit yet. If you need money from me, you must tell me what happened and what caused this situation,” Su Hongchen said with unnerving calm.
Even without uttering a harsh word, he made Jiang Guoli feel as if he were being hunted by a beast. Although he didn’t understand what purpose this confrontation could serve beyond humiliating him, his instincts warned him to remain silent. Otherwise, he feared he might not even realize how he would meet his end.
“It was my father-in-law who hit him this afternoon! He found Mancang too rowdy and gave him a good beating, and now look what’s happened!” Hu Yuezhen rushed to explain, fearful that Su Hongchen wouldn’t provide any financial help.
Jiang Guoli felt a chill run through him, sensing his doom approaching. He dared not glare at Su Hongchen, instead directing a fierce look at Hu Yuezhen. But even with Jiang Quankun backing her in this matter, Hu Yuezhen felt no fear from her father-in-law. So, when confronted, she retaliated with a biting sarcasm.
“Father-in-law, if Comrade Su is going to help, he needs to understand the situation first, doesn’t he? Our family can hardly afford such expenses. If you want to save Mancang, we can only answer honestly. If you keep this hidden, what if you anger Comrade Su and he refuses to help? We certainly can’t cover this ourselves!”
“Shut your mouth!” Jiang Guoli barked, not wanting to hear another word from Hu Yuezhen.
Fool! She was a complete and utter fool! How had he ever listened to his ex-wife, allowing her to choose brides for his sons? Just look at the result—what nonsense had she selected! With such a mindless imbecile, how could he not worry that she would raise his grandchildren to be just as foolish?