Chapter 167: Twisting Ears
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The brothers and their wives lived under one roof, with their mother-in-law as the family’s matriarch. Hence, it was inevitable for small conflicts to occur daily.
Of the three women that had married into the family, two of them did housework, while the last had to tend to the fields and toil under the hot sun to earn credits. That woman was none other than He Yulan.
Su Xiu nodded in understanding. The situation He Yulan found herself in was not uncommon in the village. There were plenty of families in similar situations. Su Xiu had witnessed these internal conflicts within families since she was young. While she had grown accustomed, it never stopped her from feeling disgusted, especially with those women who treated their sisters-in-law as their lesser.
“I want to be like Big Sister in the future and find myself a live-in son-in-law. This way, I can be with Big Sister and everyone else forever.” Su Xiu rubbed her forearm, feeling embarrassed.
Su Xiu’s proclamation left He Yulan dumbfounded. “No…” She was anxious to stop Su Xiu from walking down that unconventional path. With everyone jostling for a chance to lay their hands on the sewing machine, someone accidentally knocked into another and caused it to topple over.
Su Xiu was given quite a fright. Thankfully, she reacted in time and prevented the sewing machine from falling.
Had she not acted as swiftly as she had, the sewing machine her Big Sister had obtained with much effort might have broken.
He Yulan stomped her feet in anger when she lost her opportunity to complete her sentence. She was done for if Su Xiu decided to follow in Su Wen’s footsteps. Would Big Brother be unhappy if he found a live-in son-in-law at home?
She definitely would not allow Big Brother to become a doormat for others.
Standing to one side, He Yulan examined Su Xiu sadly. She could not fathom what her older brother saw in Su Xiu. She was so plain! While Su Xiu was a little more literate than most, it was nothing noteworthy. She was dark-skinned and thin… Wait a minute…!
He Yulan’s eyes widened as she stared at Su Xiu’s side profile, the sight of which dazzled her.
Now that she had a better look, He Yulan discovered that Su Xiu was not as dark as she had believed: her skin was fair and seemed to glimmer with warmth under the sun. While she was still thin, she did not look emaciated.
Coupled with the hereditary trait the Su sisters all possessed, those sparkling gem-like eyes, Su Xiu stood out from the crowd, a young swan among crows.
When had Su Xiu changed so much, and how had she not noticed it before? Had she not noticed because Su Xiu and she always saw each other daily?
With Big Brother’s sharp eyes, there was no way he would have missed Su Xiu, this diamond in the rough.
While He Yulan was standing at the side, letting her imagination run wild, Su Xiu and Su Qing found it increasingly difficult to fend off the advances of the crowd. Eventually, Little Sister Su lost her patience and screamed, “Get lost!” Even though Little Sister Su was still young, she resembled a lion when she roared at the crowd.
A hush descended on the crowd.
They looked back and forth only to realize a young girl had shouted at them. It sparked anger in many of those present. Grandma Gou Dan grabbed Little Sister Su’s ear and twisted viciously. “You no good girl! How dare you raise your voice at your elders? I think well of your family; otherwise, I would not borrow your sewing machine.”
Previously, Su Wen had instilled the fear of god in Grandma Gou Dan. It was only recently that she overcame her fear. Grandma Gou Dan felt that Su Wen had played her and wanted revenge.
Borrowing Su Wen’s sewing machine was the best way to get back at her. Su Wen, who could not give birth, let alone produce a son, was not worthy of possessing such an item.
“It hurts, it hurts, it hurts…!” Little Sister Su cried out in pain. Grandma Gou Dan used so much strength that Little Sister Su’s feet did not touch the ground as the former twisted her ear. Little Sister Su did her best to pull away, but she could not match the elderly woman’s iron-clad grip.
Grandma Gou Dan’s cruel actions enraged Su Qing and Su Xiu. They quickly stepped in and wrestled their sister from the old woman’s clutches. Grandma Gou Dan was no match against the three of them and was soon pinned to the ground, her bunned hair a mess. Several buttons on Grandma Gou Dan’s blouse came undone in their struggle, revealing her aged, wrinkled skin.
Those fishing in troubled waters earlier stepped back, distancing themselves from the commotion..