Chapter 103 : Fight Out

When Su Xieqiu heard the knock at the door, she immediately guessed it was her troublesome cousin paying a visit.  

She hung up the laundry and took Chenchen and An an to the main room for some water.  

Worried that the scene might scare the two siblings, she warned Chenchen, “Auntie Su is going to deal with a bad person soon. Don’t be afraid if you see me getting angry.”  

Hearing there was a “bad person,” Chenchen darted into the kitchen and returned moments later, holding a rolling pin and a fire poker.  

“Auntie Su, use this to fight the bad guys,” he said, handing her the rolling pin while keeping the fire poker for himself.  

Su Xieqiu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry but accepted the rolling pin. She decided that if she wanted to keep her cousin from troubling her in the future, she’d need to handle things firmly this time.  

She opened the door slowly, with Chenchen standing behind her, gripping the fire poker in one hand and holding onto An an with the other. His little face was fierce as he glared at the visitor.  

—

When Su Xieyun saw her cousin, she was taken aback.  

‘This wretched girl used to cower with her head down whenever she saw me, always timid and meek.’  

But now, she was standing there with calm composure, radiating confidence. Her aura had completely changed, shedding any trace of her former meekness.  

Her complexion was rosy, her skin smooth and glowing, it was clear she was well-fed. In fact, her beauty, already impressive before, seemed even more radiant now.  

Despite living in the countryside for six months, she hadn’t gotten darker or rougher. Instead, her skin had become fairer and healthier. Was the rural environment really that nourishing?  

Seeing her cousin become even more beautiful twisted jealousy into Su Xieyun’s heart. She had always disliked Su Xieqiu for being prettier and had often fantasized about ruining her face.  

But now that she had to live in her house, eat her food, and rely on her cousin’s husband for help with work, she knew she couldn’t afford to act the same as before.  

Suppressing her envy, she forced a smile, feigning affection, and stepped forward to embrace Su Xieqiu.  

“Qiuqiu, I’m so happy to finally see you! Your family has missed you so much these past six months. We were so worried you’d feel homesick out here alone. When the street office arranged for me to join the countryside program, I signed up immediately so we sisters could take care of each other.”  

She continued with her saccharine words, but Su Xieqiu remained unmoved.  

Feeling annoyed at the lack of response, the smile on Su Xieyun’s face faded, and she dropped her pretense.  

Knowing that her second uncle had always intimidated Su Xieqiu, she adopted a commanding tone:  

“When I came here, Second Uncle told me to stay at your house. Go clean up a room for me. I’m exhausted from the long trip, so I need to take a shower and eat something.”  

Hearing this, Su Xieqiu was almost amused. She had truly underestimated her cousin’s shamelessness. To say such entitled things with a straight face, she really thought the world revolved around her.  

Ignoring her cousin for the moment, Su Xieqiu turned her attention to the girl standing beside her, whose eyes were darting around. To her surprise, it was someone she recognized, her former classmate, Li Bihua.  

Back in school, they had sat next to each other but never got along. In fact, they had clashed during their final semester of junior high.  

Yet now, Li Bihua acted as if nothing had happened. She greeted her with a big smile and said, “Su Xieqiu, long time no see! It’s so nice to run into you here. We can hang out together again, just like before.”  

If someone else had heard her, they might have thought they’d been the best of friends.  

Su Xieqiu smirked and said, “Tsk, tsk. Who are you? Do we know each other?”  

The question visibly embarrassed Li Bihua. Gritting her teeth in frustration, she forced a smile and replied, “Come on, Su Xieqiu, don’t you recognize me? I’m Li Bihua. We were classmates in junior high. I sat right behind you in school!”  

“Oh, it’s you.” Su Xieqiu pretended to suddenly recognize her, then her expression hardened. Angrily, she said, “What are you doing here? You and your classmates bullied me at school, and I haven’t even begun to settle the score with you. Now you dare to show up at my house? Do you want a fight?”

As she spoke, she started rolling up her sleeves and waved the rolling pin in her hand menacingly.

Behind her, Chenchen immediately raised the fire poker and shouted fiercely, “Bad person! How dare you bully my Auntie Su! I’ll beat you to death!”

Li Bihua quickly stepped back and stammered, “Su Xieqiu, I’m not here to cause trouble. I just came to check on you, to see how you’re doing.”

Then, she feigned irritation and added, “Why are you so petty? Whatever happened at school is in the past. I’ve already forgotten about it, but you’re still holding a grudge.”

“Of course, you’ve forgotten you weren’t the one being bullied,” Su Xieqiu retorted coldly. “Let me tell you something: I hold grudges. I’ll never forget anyone who’s wronged me. Don’t show your face in front of me again, or don’t blame me for what happens.”

Hearing this, Li Bihua’s face changed. She hadn’t expected such a blunt rejection.  

In her mind, she thought: ‘Logically, since I’m here extending an olive branch, she should at least pretend to be polite and greet me with a smile, right? How can she humiliate me like this in front of others? This woman doesn’t play by the rules at all!’

But Su Xieqiu wasn’t concerned with Li Bihua’s inner thoughts. She sneered and then turned to Su Xieyun, saying bluntly, “And you. Stop pretending to be my sister. Who do you think you are?  

Let me make this clear: I’ve severed all ties with Su Dacheng’s family. I don’t even care about them, let alone you, the little brat who’s bullied me since we were kids. Stay away from me in the future, or don’t blame me for being rude.”

Raising the rolling pin, she pointed at the two women and shouted, “Get out! Don’t ever come back to my house again. If you do, I’ll beat you up every time I see you.”

Su Xieyun was furious but also intimidated by the sight of the rolling pin. She took a few steps back, cursing, “You ungrateful brat! How dare you talk to me like this? Just wait tomorrow, I’ll call home and get Second Uncle to come deal with you.”

“Go ahead and do it!” Su Xieqiu sneered, crossing her arms. “But let me warn you, if you dare come to my house again, I won’t be as polite as I was today.”

Seething with anger, Su Xieyun was at a loss for words. She couldn’t believe her cousin was so heartless. She had traveled all this way, only to be driven out of the house without even stepping inside.  

As she looked enviously at the big, tiled house in the distance and thought about the cramped dormitory at the Youth League Home, her resentment only grew.

Glaring at Su Xieqiu one last time, she grabbed her luggage and began dragging it back to the Youth League Home.  

Seeing this, Li Bihua, who had been stuck carrying a smaller bag, decided to leave her cousin behind. She had planned to stay with Su Xieqiu as well, but now that things had turned sour, she wouldn’t gain anything by staying.  

Without a second thought, she abandoned the heavier bag on the ground and sprinted back to the Youth League Home.  

‘The good spots on the kang are probably already taken. At least if I get there before her, I’ll have more choices.’

Watching her run off, Su Xieyun’s anger boiled over. Grumbling, she cursed under her breath, “You little snake! Useless piece of trash!”

As she cursed, she happened to pass by Sun Dahan’s house.  

Inside the yard, Wang Fengqin was pickling cabbage with her eight-year-old daughter. Hearing the stream of vulgar insults, she paused and moved quietly to the door. Peeking through the crack, she saw the new female educated youth struggling with two bags while dragging her luggage toward the Youth League Home, cursing all the while.

‘She must’ve been kicked out by Su Xieqiu,’ Wang Fengqin thought. ‘Didn’t even make it inside the house. It looks like Zhenyu’s wife doesn’t get along with her cousin.’  

Hearing the string of obscenities, Wang Fengqin smirked. ‘If I hadn’t heard it myself, I wouldn’t have believed that such a delicate city girl could have such a foul mouth. You really can’t judge a person by their appearance. I’d better steer clear of these educated youth to avoid trouble.’

—

When Su Xieyun finally returned to the Youth League Home, she was out of breath and furious. Seeing that all the best spots on the kang had been claimed, she felt even more humiliated and resentful.  

As she thought about the farm work she would soon be forced to do, she decided she couldn’t stay here any longer.  

‘Tomorrow, I’ll call home or send a telegram. I’ll tell them everything, that damn girl bullied me! Let’s see if Dad and Second Uncle will come here and put her in her place.’