Chapter 370: Distress
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Third Grandma, who had followed them, kept shaking her head. She turned to look at Su Wen, squatting on the ground with her hands on her knees, surprise and regret gnawing at her heart.
It seemed she had made a mistake in her old age.
Regardless of the situation, she was sure Su Wen had played a role in the mess, considering the fire had not affected the house and kitchen.
At the very least, it was not as simple as it seemed.
However, this time, Third Grandma chose to side with Su Wen. Compared to Su Xuefang, who had married out of the family, Su Wen was at least one of their own.
“Big Sister, are you alright?” Sixth Sister squeezed through the packed crowd alongside Little Sister Su, Su Qing, and Su Xiu.
“I’m fine.”
“I was so worried…” Sixth Sister shivered, not wanting to relieve her frightful thoughts. “Big Sister, is Uncle here to take me away?” Sixth Sister asked, keeping her tone measured and neutral.
Su Wen looked up sharply. “Why do you ask?”
“I overheard it at our aunt’s house. They plan to sell me.” Sixth Sister’s button-like nose twitched, and she said, “Shi Caiyue thinks I’m too pretty and is jealous; that’s why she harbors all these evil thoughts about us. If it weren’t for me, our family would not have been subject to all this bad luck, and you wouldn’t have had to face danger alone.”
“Hah!” Sixth Sister huffed in distress.
Su Wen did not know what to say to that. It was almost… funny.
Why did she feel like laughing?
“Cough, cough…” Su Wen choked. “You’re overthinking things. Don’t be silly.” “But…”
“It has nothing to do with you,” Su Wen did not elaborate, fearing she would scare her sisters. She comforted Sixth Sister dutifully and forced herself to her feet. Now that the danger had passed, she felt like a fish left to dry on a sandy beach, her limbs refusing to respond to her commands.
Su Wen knew she was coming down from an adrenaline-induced high, and all her fear and nervousness were flooding back into her system, having been pushed aside earlier.
It was her first time deliberately setting fire to her home and being schemed against so maliciously. She reckoned that she would not get much sleep in the following days with all the nightmares that were sure to plague her.
Su Wen missed Zhou Hengyang’s comforting presence at home in times like these. While she did not particularly enjoy having to curry favor with the man or put up with his tantrums, he always had a way of making her feel safe.
Zhou Hengyang was a reassuring figure she could rely on in times of trouble or when danger came knocking. She could leave it all to him, and he would handle it effortlessly.
Still, things escalating so far could not be a good sign. Su Wen massaged her throbbing temple, discussing the details of the incident with the village chief and how Tian Gang and Tian Yong were to be handed off to the police. She held nothing back, repeating all she had heard or learned from the two. It would be enough to trigger an investigation into their dealings.
If the police followed the clues, they would discover how the trail connected to Shi Caiyue. Many of the tragedies that occurred in the novel were linked to human traffickers.
Li Youtian, the village doctor, examined Tian Gang and Tian Yong’s injuries. While they looked miserable, they had not been injured seriously. At most, they would suffer a few bruises. He did not care. Wicked people like them were not deserving of sympathy.
The greater part of the Su family appeared. When Third Grandma heard that one of the two miscreants was Su Xuefang’s husband, she almost fainted from anger. She immediately got a member of the extended family to call Su Xuewu and Su Xueqiang.
In addition, she got a runner to call Su Dachun and his wife, who were still visiting their relatives, back at the crack of dawn. To think her son-in-law could be so evil as to prey on his own relatives was the greatest embarrassment she had suffered in her long life. It was too much for her, and she had to excuse herself.
As Third Grandma discussed with Li Youcai how best to handle the matter, Su Wen approached them..