Previous
Fiction Page
Next
Font Size:
Chapter 17: Settling the Score with Wang Xifeng
When Su Tangxue got home, Lu Shan had already set the table—only waiting on her.
“Little sister, does your family always eat this well?” Lu Shan stared at the glistening, fragrant braised pork on the table, his mouth watering.
You have to know, in their home they couldn’t even afford one proper meat meal a month. And even when there was meat, their grandmother would save it for her two great-grandsons—there was never any left for the rest of them.
Seeing her fourth brother practically burning a hole into the bowl of braised pork with his eyes, Su Tangxue couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Fourth brother, if you like it, eat more later.”
“Then I won’t hold back.”
“No need to be polite, eat as much as you like.”
After speaking, Su Tangxue picked up a piece of braised pork and placed it in her grandmother’s bowl before beginning to eat herself.
Today, Lu Qinglin’s braised pork was especially tender and flavorful—truly appealing in both taste and appearance.
Even though it smelled amazing, Su Tangxue still wouldn’t touch the fatty parts. She only ate the lean pieces.
Lu Shan soon noticed his little sister’s habit of avoiding the fatty meat.
“Little sister, you don’t eat the fatty parts?”
Su Tangxue shook her head. “No, I don’t like fatty meat.”
Lu Shan’s eyes lit up. “Little sister, give the fatty parts to me. I’ll help you eat them—I love fatty meat.”
Hearing that, Lu Qinglin paused for a moment as he was about to take Su Tangxue’s fatty piece, then quickly withdrew his hand.
Su Tangxue didn’t notice anything unusual from Lu Qinglin and simply handed the fatty meat she had bitten into over to her fourth brother.
Lu Shan didn’t mind at all. He picked it up and popped it straight into his mouth.
Seeing that her fourth brother really enjoyed it, Su Tangxue gave him all the fatty bits every time she picked up a piece of braised pork.
Watching this scene left Lu Qinglin feeling a little sour inside, but he didn’t say anything. After all, that was her fourth uncle.
After finishing their meal, Lu Shan helped Lu Qinglin clean up the dishes before heading off.
Su Tangxue stayed seated in the courtyard, waiting for Lu Qinglin to finish tidying up so they could go to Wang Xifeng’s house together.
“Grandma, if you’re feeling tired, go ahead and sleep—you don’t need to wait up for us.”
Before leaving, Su Tangxue spoke to her grandmother who was sitting in the courtyard.
Yun Xiangrui simply waved her hand with a smile to show she understood.
Ever since Lu Qinglin brought Yun Xiangrui to live with them, her health had visibly improved. She even seemed more spirited overall.
It was pitch dark in the village at night. Few people were seen walking the main road. Strange bird calls echoed from the trees along the path. Su Tangxue followed closely behind Lu Qinglin, afraid she’d lose him.
But Lu Qinglin, with his long legs, didn’t realize how fast he was walking. Su Tangxue had to alternate between walking and jogging to keep up. Eventually, she just grabbed Lu Qinglin’s hand to slow him down.
Meanwhile, at the Wang household—
Wang Xifeng was sulking in her room, still brooding over the humiliation she suffered at Su Tangxue’s hands earlier that day.
No matter how much Sun Hong knocked on the door, Wang Xifeng refused to open it.
Seeing the grim expression on the family head’s face, Sun Hong sensed that a storm was brewing. She anxiously knocked again.
“Xifeng, open the door! If you don’t, your father will get angry—and I won’t be able to protect you.”
Inside, Wang Xifeng remembered how scary her father could be when angry. Reluctantly, she opened the door.
As soon as the door opened, she threw herself into her mother’s arms, completely unaware of the shocked look on her mother’s face.
“Mom, you have to stand up for me! That little b*tch Su Tangxue actually hit me with a broom today!”
“Su Tangxue? Isn’t she supposed to be in the city?”
“She came back, and she’s living with Brother Qinglin!” Wang Xifeng cried, sobbing and sniffling as she told her mother how unfair it all was.
“What? She’s back?”
“Mm-hmm.”
After getting bullied by Su Tangxue, Wang Xifeng had locked herself in her room. Her makeup was still on, and now after a crying session, she looked absolutely ridiculous.
Still, Sun Hong held her patience and comforted her. “If Lu Qinglin won’t work out, we’ll just find someone else. I think Captain’s son Caibao is quite nice.”
“What?! That lazy bum Li Caibao? I’d never marry him! I only want Brother Qinglin! I want Brother Qinglin, Mom!” The moment her mother mentioned Li Caibao, Wang Xifeng cried even harder.
Hearing his daughter’s wails, Wang Qiang slammed his chopsticks down on the table in anger.
“You don’t want this one, don’t want that one—just when do you plan on getting married? You lie around all day doing nothing, and still dare to criticize Li Caibao?”
Wang Xifeng stomped her feet in frustration. “Mom, look at Dad! What kind of father talks about his daughter like that?”
“Only your mother spoiled you into this! That’s why you act like you own the village, doing whatever you please.”
Wang Qiang knew exactly how out of hand his daughter had been in the village. Back when Lu Qinglin wasn’t around, he had no objections to her wanting to marry him. She could act up all she wanted and he wouldn’t care.
But now that Lu Qinglin was back and had married Su Tangxue, there was no way he’d allow her to keep acting so crazily.
Time to find her a proper husband and get her married off.
Sun Hong couldn’t bear to see her daughter so upset and snapped at her husband: “You know she’s heartbroken, and yet you still speak so harshly. Do you want to make it worse?”
“Xifeng, stop crying. Eat first. When your brother gets back, we’ll go demand justice from Su Tangxue.”
Only when she heard they were going to confront Su Tangxue did Wang Xifeng calm down a bit. With her brother backing her up, she didn’t believe Su Tangxue could still act tough.
She pulled away from Sun Hong’s embrace and plopped down at the table.
“Mom, I want eggs.”
Seeing her daughter’s ruined makeup, Sun Hong said, “Maybe you should wash your face first?”
“No, Mom. I want to eat now—I’m hungry.”
With no choice, Sun Hong went into the kitchen to fetch the fried eggs.
When Su Tangxue and Lu Qinglin arrived, the Wang family had just sat down for dinner.
Hearing the knock, Sun Hong opened the door and looked at the unfamiliar but stunning face in front of her. She was puzzled—since when did the village have such a beautiful young lady?
Before she could say anything, the handsome young man beside her spoke up:
“Auntie Sun, is Wang Xifeng home? We have something to discuss with her.”
Only then did Sun Hong’s eyes fall on Lu Qinglin—tall, well-mannered, and handsome. She assumed he must be one of her daughter’s educated youth friends and hurried back inside to call her.
“Xifeng, come out! Someone’s here to see you!”
Wang Xifeng hated being interrupted while eating and replied impatiently.
“Whoever it is, they can wait.”
Sun Hong, angry at her daughter’s behavior, slapped her on the shoulder and leaned in to whisper. After hearing what her mother said, Wang Xifeng immediately put down her chopsticks.
She was afraid the handsome man outside would leave.
“Why are you panicking? Wash that garish makeup off your face first—you’ll scare him off!”
That woke Wang Xifeng up. She rushed into the kitchen, scooped up a ladle of water, splashed her face, and then scrubbed it vigorously with a cloth.
Afraid the visitors might leave, Sun Hong hurriedly invited Su Tangxue and Lu Qinglin inside.
“Xifeng’s washing her face—she’ll be right out. Are you two thirsty? Would you like a glass of water?”
Previous
Fiction Page
Next