In the morning, Liu Cuilan got up to make breakfast and was startled by the scene in the yard as soon as she opened the door.
A person was hanging upside down from the big apricot tree in the yard, with their face down. Maybe they had been hanging too long; their face was all flushed, black and red.
Seeing her come out, the person looked as if they’d seen a savior.
But their mouth was stuffed with something, and they could only mumble while desperately shaking their head, unable to speak.
Liu Cuilan looked closely at what was stuffed in the person’s mouth and found it somewhat familiar. Wait, wasn’t that the stinky sock of her second child?
As she was wondering, Su Xiaoxiao came out of the room, rubbing her messy head. Seeing the person hanging in the yard, she was momentarily dazed before her stalled brain finally kicked into gear.
She realized what happened last night and immediately told Liu Cuilan all about it. Orıginal content can be found at 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹·𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾·𝗇𝖾𝗍
"That bastard dared try to bully you? He has a death wish."
Liu Cuilan cursed angrily, rushed back inside, grabbed the stick used for sweeping, and gave Chen Guangyuan a good beating.
By the time she vented her anger, Chen Guangyuan had fainted again after being beaten multiple times.
After breakfast, Su Xiaoxiao and her little brothers cleaned the table while Su Fusheng and Su Wenbing found a cart and pushed the unconscious Chen Guangyuan to the town’s police station.
Liu Cuilan took a sip of water and was about to head out to work when suddenly there was a loud knock on the door.
"Sister-in-law, are you home?"
A sharp female voice rang out from outside the courtyard gate, sounding somewhat familiar.
Su Xiaoxiao quickly recognized the voice—it was none other than her cheap aunt, Zhang Guifen.
Liu Cuilan harbored a dislike for this sister-in-law deep down.
With a cold face, she walked over to open the gate and stood in the doorway, asking, "Sister-in-law, what do you want?"
Not intending to invite her in at all.
Zhang Guifang, thick-skinned as she was, paid no mind to the unwelcome air and squeezed in with her son Su Xiaobao from the side.
Once inside the yard, she looked around disdainfully before walking directly into the house with an air of superiority.
"Where’s that girl, Xiaoxiao? Tell her to come out, I have something to talk to her about."
As she spoke, she already made herself at home inside, finding a stool to sit on.
Su Xiaoxiao was just in the game, seeing someone wanted to buy wild mugwort, thinking of going out to call her younger brothers to gather some.
Everywhere you looked, the hills were full of mugwort; it was a business with no cost.
Dry the mugwort leaves after collecting them; they could sell for seven yuan per pound.
As she stepped out, she saw a middle-aged woman with trendy short curls sitting boldly in the living room.
Beside her was a six or seven-year-old boy, holding a sticky milky candy, licking it one bite at a time.
Her two cheaper younger brothers were eyeing the candy in the boy’s hand, their drool almost hitting the floor.
Su Xiaobao gave his two cousins a disdainful look and deliberately stuffed the candy into his mouth, biting into it with a crunch.
Zhang Guifang, seeing Su Xiaoxiao come out, seemed to notice the two little boys for the first time. She dug around in her pocket, pulled out two fruit candies, and smiled, waving at the two, "Come, Auntie will give you candy."
She placed a fruit candy in each of their hands and then turned as if only noticing Su Xiaoxiao, smiling at her, "Xiaoxiao, come here for a moment, Auntie has something to tell you."
Smiling as if bathed in a spring breeze.
Based on Su Xiaoxiao’s understanding of this aunt, she was surely up to no good.
But after all, the other was an elder, so she couldn’t be too harsh, reluctantly went over, and called her ˋAunt’ once.
Zhang Guifang’s eyes drifted over Su Xiaoxiao: "Wow, our Xiaoxiao is looking prettier and prettier. It’s a pity, though, that her father passed early, and look, she doesn’t even have a decent outfit."
Then, she looked at the two younger brothers: "See, these two kids are pitiful too, eating a piece of fruit candy like it’s a treasure, unlike our Xiaobao, who never eats anything other than Big White Rabbit candies."
In just a few words, Su Xiaoxiao could hear the blatant sarcasm and disdain in her aunt’s speech.
She was just changing the way of saying how poor her family was.
Liu Cuilan’s expression immediately turned cold upon hearing this: "If you have something to say, say it directly. Don’t beat around the bush."
Zhang Guifang smiled and turned to Su Xiaoxiao, "Xiaoxiao, Auntie knows you’re an understanding child. Look at how your whole family lives. If you marry into the village chief’s family, just the betrothal gifts will significantly improve your family’s life."
As soon as Liu Cuilan heard this, her face immediately fell, and she pulled Zhang Guifang up from the chair: "Get out of here. You’re not welcome in my house."
"Ah, Sister-in-law, why can’t you appreciate a good person’s kindness? I’m doing this for your own good."
"Bah, go to hell. Why don’t you let your daughter marry over there?"
At this moment, Liu Cuilan was so angry that she forgot to act weak. This series of actions scared Zhang Guifang into a daze.
She froze for a moment, then turned her head to look at Su Xiaoxiao.
This Liu Cuilan, who usually seemed delicate, was actually someone quite stubborn, not easily swayed once she decided on something.
But this stubborn girl had a soft heart, and maybe if she offered enough reasoning, this might work.
Thinking of this, she forced a smile and looked at Su Xiaoxiao: "Xiaoxiao, listen to Auntie. Do you think any girl wants to be the daughter-in-law of the village chief’s family just because she wants to? In all the neighboring villages, how many can match up to the chief’s family conditions? Even if you don’t think of yourself, think of your family."
Zhang Guifang finished speaking, eagerly waiting for Su Xiaoxiao to agree.
Unexpectedly, Su Xiaoxiao outrightly refused: "Auntie, our family may be poor, but my mom would never sell her daughter for money. You don’t have to say these things in our house in the future."
At these words, Zhang Guifang’s expression turned dark immediately, not expecting this stubborn girl to be so unyielding.
She snorted coldly and dragged Su Xiaobao away: "I’m telling you, there’s no other opportunity . Don’t regret it later."
As she passed by Jianwen and Jianwu, she grabbed the unopened candies from their hands: "Eat, eat, do you think you can eat our family’s candy?"
After speaking, she dragged Su Xiaobao away with her head held high.
Su Xiaobao smugly made a face at the younger brothers, Jianwen and Jianwu.
Even if the two children were precocious, they were still just kids, and their eyes immediately turned red.
Su Xiaoxiao walked over and lifted them up: "Come on, Third Sister will take you to earn money and buy candies."
The corners of their mouths, which had just drooped, lifted again immediately: "Really, Third Sister?"
"Of course, as long as you work hard, Third Sister will buy you whatever kind of candy you want."
Su Xiaoxiao skillfully painted them a rosy picture.
By the time the two excitedly carried their sacks and followed Su Xiaoxiao to the place, they were dumbfounded by what they saw before them.