Chapter 47: Drawing a Line

“You dead girl, how dare you talk to your mother like that?”

“Besides, this is Ji Yang’s home; why should I leave?”

“Look at you, you’ve never been a proper girl. If you were in another family, they would have killed you long ago; how did you even live this long?”

“We raised you and married you off to such a good man like Ji Yang.”

“Ji Yang is so capable; you’re lucky to have him.”

Li Cuihua didn’t hold back when speaking to Su Ai because if she was even slightly polite, Su Ai would ride all over her.

When Su Ai was a child, if she cooked eggs for her son, Su Ai would always steal them.

Su Ai ate so many of her eggs and always defied her.  When Li Cuihua scolded Su Ai, saying, “What’s the use of a girl eating so much?”,

Su Ai would retort, “Why are you, an old woman, still alive?”

It made Li Cuihua so angry; someone suggested that since she was just a child, she should be nicer to her, and she’d gradually become obedient.

She really believed it.

Later, she cooked eggs for Su Ai too. The result?

Both eggs were stolen.

When she said she wouldn’t let Su Ai go to school, Su Ai stole Su Peng’s tuition fees.

Over the years, Li Cuihua had been battling wits with Su Ai and understood her daughter’s nature.

If you’re cunning, she’s even more cunning.

So she didn’t confront Su Ai directly; instead, she turned to Ji Yang with a gentle expression.

“Ji Yang, Mom came to see you.”

“My daughter can’t do anything; I know that. You’ve worked so hard, taking care of everything with a crippled leg.”

“Now I’m here to help you. You don’t have to worry about anything; just focus on recovering.”

Li Cuihua thought Ji Yang was easy to talk to.

“No need. Su Ai’s wishes are my wishes.”

“She’s the head of this household now.” Ji Yang said only this, sitting in his wheelchair beside Su Ai, making his position very clear.

Li Cuihua was speechless.

This was the first time this son-in-law had refused her.

Usually, she would come over and take some meat or eggs, sometimes even borrowing some money from Ji Yang, and he had never refused.

She had thought her son-in-law was very easy to talk to.

“Ji Yang! I’m your mother!”

Su Ai, arms crossed, looked at Li Cuihua with an amused smile.

Ji Yang calmly hummed in agreement.

“You have to ask Su Ai. If Su Ai acknowledges you as her mother, then you’re my mother; if Su Ai doesn’t acknowledge you, then I don’t have a mother.”

I don’t have a mother like you.

Su Ai chuckled, looking happily at the mother and son at the door whose expressions were changing rapidly.

“Do you understand who’s in charge of this house?”

“Given up?”

“Had enough humiliation?”

Su Ai’s three questions made Su Peng’s face burn with shame.  He was about to get angry when Li Cuihua stopped him.

She stood there, refusing to leave.

She even pushed Ji Yang’s wheelchair aside and walked into the house.

“I don’t care who’s in charge of this house; I’m your mother, Su Ai.”

“I’m staying here for a few days, and I’ll help you.”

“No matter what you say, I’m not leaving.”

Li Cuihua didn’t want her son and Su Ai to fight because she had tried before; Su Ai would really fight, and Su Peng couldn’t beat Su Ai.

When Su Ai got angry, she would even beat Li Cuihua; she was a complete scoundrel.

Su Ai blocked their path again.

Ji Lele peeked out from the living room doorway, then cautiously hid behind Su Ai.

“Mom?”

Big eyes, full of confusion.

“What are they doing here?”

Ji Lele didn’t even call her grandmother.

Li Cuihua rolled her eyes.  A bad person had a bad child; he didn’t even know to call her grandmother.

“They’re probably here to get a beating,” Su Ai said bluntly.

“Mom, he stole my things and hit me before.”

“This old woman hit me and pinched me too, calling me a little bastard.”

Ji Lele intensely disliked these two people.

He really, really disliked them.

Su Ai burst out laughing.

She thought the grievances from her past life were settled; this life, they hadn’t done anything yet, so Su Ai decided to only guard against them, keep her distance, and warn them.

But she didn’t expect this.

After hearing their child’s words, Ji Yang and Su Ai glared at them with cold, murderous intent.

The murderous aura in their eyes made the two of them take a step back; it was a little scary.

“No…” Li Cuihua forced a smile: “Children are too young; they talk nonsense and make things up.”

“When did I ever hit him or scold him?”

“Never.”

“Su Peng has seen everything; how could he possibly steal from a child?”

“Right, Su Peng?”

Su Peng’s face was already very unhappy, but he still nodded.

“Brother-in-law, what are you doing? Are we not family anymore? You won’t even let us in?”

“My sister has such a bad temper; are you going to be estranged from us too?”

Ji Yang coldly replied with one word.

“Mm.”

Whether you say you’re family or not, whether you’re allowed in or not, or whether you’re estranged or not all correct.

It’s just ‘Mm’.

My wife told you to get out; you have to get out.

My wife says you’re not family; then you’re not family.

Ji Yang’s position was clear: his family consisted only of himself, his wife, and his son.

Everyone else was not.

The cold light in Su Ai’s eyes softened slightly, then she said coldly: “Don’t bother with these excuses.”

“I know what you’re after without you even saying it.”

“If you want something, just say it.”

A gleam flashed in Li Cuihua’s eyes.  She had been so nice to Ji Yang because they thought the family was rich and that Ji Yang had earned all the money.

When they came, they heard about the “ten-thousand-yuan household” Su Ai’s family had become a ten-thousand-yuan household but they didn’t know Su Ai had earned the money.

They thought Ji Yang had earned it; they looked down on Su Ai, thinking that someone who spent her days goofing off couldn’t earn any money.

“Look at what you said; we just wanted to see Ji Yang.”

After saying this with a false smile, she suddenly changed her tone: “But we do have something to ask.”

“Your brother is getting married soon; he has a girlfriend; taking her out to play, eat, and drink costs money.”

“Our family isn’t well-off.”

“It’s been a long time; we can’t afford it anymore.”

“Besides, for the wedding, the bride price, the ‘three turns and one ring,’ it costs a lot of money.”

“We can’t afford it; you’ve become a ten-thousand-yuan household; you have so much money; we’re family, so we should help each other.”

“Can you lend some money to your brother to tide him over? We’ll pay you back when we have the money.” Li Cuihua’s words were completely false.