Chapter 12: Yes, I’m Talking About You!

Zhu Wanrou panicked immediately. Xu Sinan was already 16, the age to discuss marriage prospects. What if her reputation got ruined?

She hurried to stand and apologize on her daughter’s behalf, but Xu Sinan stopped her.

“Mom, keep the door shut in the future. Don’t let any riffraff wander in.”

Wu Cuihua’s beady eyes widened instantly, veins bulging on her forehead as she pointed at Xu Sinan and started screaming.

“You disrespectful wretch! Is this how you talk to your elders? Get down on your knees and apologize!”

Zhu Wanrou quickly stepped forward to pull Xu Sinan back, trying to stop her from saying anything more.

Xu Sinan gently shook her head and reassured her mother. “Mom, we’ve split from the family. They’re nothing to us anymore. There’s no need to be afraid.”

Years of being oppressed had made Zhu Wanrou accustomed to swallowing her grievances.

Xu Sinan turned to look at the rotund woman seething with rage and found it amusing.

Her rosy lips curled into a smile. “Apologizing isn’t out of the question.”

“At least you know your place.”

Wu Cuihua snorted, thinking the young girl wouldn’t dare to truly oppose her.

“Start with three loud kowtows. Then I might let this slide.”

Xu Sinan wondered if this woman had a comprehension problem or if she only heard what she wanted to hear.

Just as Zhu Wanrou was about to step in and take the humiliation for her daughter, Xu Sinan stopped her again.

“Alright, but only if Aunt moves out of the ancestral home first.”

“What?” Wu Cuihua was momentarily stunned.

Xu Sinan smirked. “Oh, Aunt, how conveniently you’ve forgotten things.”

“The deed to the ancestral home is in my hands. If I’m unhappy, your family will be sleeping on the streets.”

Wu Cuihua stared in disbelief, thinking this girl must have gone mad.

She pointed at Xu Sinan and yelled, “How dare you!”

“We’re your elders! How could you treat us like this?”

Xu Sinan snorted. “Why wouldn’t I dare?”

Wu Cuihua opened her mouth to curse again but hesitated when she saw Xu Sinan’s calm, fearless demeanor. The memory of Cui Jinfeng kneeling in the temple flashed through her mind, making her uneasy.

Then her gaze landed on the items Xu Qianxing was carrying, and her eyes lit up with an idea.

“You’re buying food and clothes. Why aren’t you thinking about your grandmother?”

“Aunt, with 10 acres of rice fields producing 20 taels of silver annually, what can’t be bought?”

“We’ve already fulfilled our duty. Can’t we buy something for ourselves now?”

Wu Cuihua tried to argue, but Xu Sinan cut her off. “Don’t even start with ‘poor harvests.’ Even in bad years, it’s more than enough to support Grandma.”

“In the past, my dad worked tirelessly at sea, and my brother slogged in the fields. How much money did they bring in?”

“The dowry furniture my dad made for Cousin—how much was that worth?”

“And my mom, taking care of the entire family all these years—what about her labor costs?”

With every sentence, Xu Sinan took a step closer, her gaze growing sharper, her presence more oppressive.

Wu Cuihua felt a pang of guilt and instinctively stepped back. “How can family calculate things so clearly?”

“We’ve split!”

Xu Sinan retorted immediately. “Before, we didn’t make a fuss because we thought of everyone as family.”

“But things are different now. Aunt, you’d better understand that no one will be your servant forever.”

Her words were firm and resolute, each one hitting its mark.

Wu Cuihua clenched her teeth, unable to lift her head to retort.

For once, she had to admit that Xu Sinan made a good point.

Recently, without the second household working in the fields, the earnings weren’t even enough to cover the cost of hired help.

Without anyone fishing, there was no extra income.

With no one to handle the housework, everything inside and outside fell on her, forcing her to work from dawn until dusk, nearly exhausting her.

Wu Cuihua couldn’t take it anymore. This time, she came intending to trick Xu Shuisheng and Zhu Wanrou into coming back to work for free. Unexpectedly, midway through the conversation, Xu Sinan returned.

The most infuriating part was her complete change in demeanor—no longer the obedient and docile girl she used to be. She was now utterly beyond control.

What was even more enraging was that the deed to the ancestral home was in her hands. Wu Cuihua felt as if someone had seized her by the throat. In hindsight, she deeply regretted giving the ancestral home to the second household.

Taking a step back, she steadied herself and sneaked a glance at Xu Sinan.

This little brat wasn’t the same as before. Why was she suddenly bold enough to talk to her like this? Was there a special reason?

Suddenly, her eyes lit up with calculation, and she straightened her back. “I see now why you’re acting so tough, daring to defy Cui Jinfen. Turns out, you’ve found yourself a powerful backer, haven’t you?”

“The noble young master who came yesterday—what’s your relationship with him? Don’t tell me you’re planning to become someone’s concubine?”

A distinguished guest had visited their house the day before. Although she hadn’t seen it herself, she’d heard that a noble young master had arrived and seemed to be chatting warmly with this little brat.

Xu Sinan was utterly speechless. Unable to win the argument, this idiotic pig resorted to slander and defamation. Before she could retort, a thunderous voice interrupted.

“If you can’t speak properly, then shut up!”

Everyone turned to see Xu Shuisheng entering with a furious expression, his pant legs still wet from just returning from the sea.

His face was as dark as the bottom of a pot. How could his precious daughter be slandered like this?

“Wu Cuihua, you need to speak with evidence. How can you tarnish someone’s reputation so casually?”

“If anyone dares bully Anan, I’ll fight to the death to seek justice!”

Xu Shuisheng’s eyes were wide with rage, his arm muscles bulging, looking as though he was truly ready to risk his life.

Zhu Wanrou and Xu Qianxing froze in shock—they had never seen him this furious or speak so loudly.

Xu Sinan, on the other hand, was delighted to see someone standing up for her. It was about time her pushover parents showed some backbone.

Wu Cuihua was startled. Xu Shuisheng had always respected her, but today he seemed like a completely different person. The usually mild-mannered man was quite intimidating when angry.

Still, she refused to back down, her face stern. “Shuisheng, is this how you talk to your elder sister-in-law?”

Xu Shuisheng was unmoved. He had always treated his elder brother’s family as kin, working tirelessly for over 20 years.

But it wasn’t until the family split that he realized they had only ever seen him as a servant.

After half a lifetime of toil, his wife and children were still stuck living in a thatched hut. The thought filled him with anguish.

From then on, he resolved not to let anyone exploit them anymore and to ensure his true family lived a good life.

He said coldly, “Wu Cuihua, I just went to see Mother. She’s been coughing for several days now, and you haven’t even gotten her medicine.”

Wu Cuihua scoffed indifferently. “That old ailment of hers? She’ll be fine in a few days.”

“Old people always have health issues. Why waste money on it? That money is better spent buying more ink and paper for Wen Yuan.”

Xu Shuisheng nodded. “I see. Since the elder brother’s family doesn’t want to care for Mother, I’ll go to the village head and reclaim the 10 mu of paddy fields entirely.”

With that, he turned to leave.

Wu Cuihua panicked and hurriedly shouted, “Stop! Who said we’re not caring for her?”

“If you’re going to care for her, then do it properly. Based on the yield from the 10 mu, it’s 20 taels a year. Start by buying some ginseng to help her recover.”

Wu Cuihua’s eyes bulged, and her chest heaved as if the air was stuck in her throat. She hadn’t even bought ginseng for Wen Yuan to study, yet this old crone was supposed to eat it!

“Still unwilling?” Xu Shuisheng made as if to leave again.

“I’m willing!” Wu Cuihua blurted out in desperation, only to regret it immediately after.

Xu Shuisheng nodded. “Remember what you said today. I’ll visit Mother in a few days, and I expect to see it.”

Xu Sinan silently gave her father a big thumbs-up. A pushover awakening could be incredibly powerful!

Wu Cuihua’s chest rose and fell as she seethed with anger. The second household was acting like firecrackers, ready to explode at any moment. She needed to hurry back before they demanded something else.

“Wait a minute,” Xu Sinan called out to her.