Su Wanying cried for a while, her emotions calming down considerably, but she firmly shook her head:

"No, someone is definitely trying to harm you. I can't abandon you. I want to stay with you, sister."

The two sisters hugged each other and comforted one another.

Su Wanwan spent very little time in the Su family since she was a child.

Apart from his grandfather, he wasn't very familiar with the other members of the Su family.

If it weren't for her cousin Su Chengen bringing Su Wanying to Jinling three years ago to escort her to her wedding, she wouldn't even have a memory of Su Wanying.

It was during the fire on the way to her wedding that her cousin died, and Su Wanying went missing. It took three years for them to reunite.

Su Wanwan once thought that the fire was just bad luck and they had encountered water bandits.

It turns out that someone deliberately harmed him.

My poor cousin is so young, and his child is still an infant.

He had just been appointed as a secretary in the Imperial Secretariat by imperial favor, and his future looked bright.

And so he died a violent death.

But it was because of her that he was implicated.

Su Wanwan felt a lump in her throat.

What grudge could she possibly have against the Xia family?

However, she had a past relationship with Lu Xingjian.

But she has already married someone else and moved to Jinling. How could she still attract their harm?

The standoff on the canal came to mind.

The standoff likely alerted the Xia family.

She was worried that Lu Xingjian still had feelings for her and was determined to get rid of her.

A cold smile appeared on Su Wanwan's lips.

A blood feud.

How can we not report it?

She needs to go and meet the Xia family.

After comforting Su Wanying, Su Wanwan went to see Han Xiufen.

When Lady Qingyang, who was sitting in the guest seat, saw her enter, her expression immediately changed.

The old nanny beside her also looked somewhat unnatural.

Xia Xueting, on the other hand, looked at Su Wanwan, her future widow, with great interest.

Han Xiufen looked somewhat displeased. "If you're not feeling well, you should rest in your room. What are you doing here?"

Lady Qingyang's expression gradually softened upon seeing this.

Su Wanwan smiled without changing her expression:

"Distinguished guests are visiting. Daughter-in-law, please ask if we should steam or braise the newly arrived live shad?"

Han Xiufen immediately became excited: "Wanwan, you actually managed to get a live shad?"

Her daughter-in-law is truly incredibly resourceful!

Lady Qingyang raised an eyebrow, her tone surprised.

"This shad is one of the three delicacies of the Yangtze River, and it has always been very precious. It dies as soon as it is taken out of the water. Every year, the imperial court sends fourteen ships to transport shad as tribute!"

"But I heard that even the emperor ate dead shad."

"Your Duke of Wei's mansion is really capable of getting live shad."

These words were somewhat sarcastic, implying that the Duke of Wei's mansion was overstepping its bounds by eating better than the emperor.

Su Wanwan didn't explain, but smiled calmly.

"It's just a few fish, Madam, you're too kind."

Lu Xingjian has never liked eating fish since he was a child, let alone dead shad.

She didn't believe Lady Qingyang's bluff.

Xia Xueting's eyes flickered.

"According to my sister, the Empress, the shad only arrived in the capital at the end of June. It was then used to make offerings at the Imperial Ancestral Temple on the first day of July, followed by serving it at the imperial banquet, and finally as a reward for the ministers."

"The Grand Secretary Li's family only received six shad as a reward, while the Second Grand Secretary's family only received four. I wonder where the Crown Prince's wife got these shad?"

Su Wanwan did not answer her directly, but only slightly curved the corners of her lips.

"It couldn't have been stolen or robbed. We are guests, so please rest well, Madam Xia and Miss Xia. I'll take my leave now."

Lady Qingyang's expression shifted between light and dark. She gripped the handkerchief tightly in her hand, and a fierce glint appeared in her eyes as she looked at Su Wanwan's retreating figure.

For some reason, Su Wanwan suddenly turned around, which allowed her to see the fierce look in Su Wanwan's eyes.

Their eyes met for a fleeting moment.

Su Wanwan was neither surprised nor dodged; instead, she smiled gently at the Lady of Qingyang.

This made Lady Qingyang feel extremely guilty and uneasy.

That evening, Han Xiufen called Su Wanwan over and discussed the matter with her in a kind manner.

"Wanwan, regarding the matter of Bangrui inheriting the title, I have a compromise. Please see if it's feasible?"

Su Wanwan curled her fingers.

Han Xiufen's attitude was very unusual.

It seems that this compromise has harmed Su Wanwan's interests.

She obediently replied, "Please speak frankly, Mother."

Han Xiufen looked somewhat embarrassed.

"The Duke's intention is to have Bangrui adopted into Pengju's family."

“After Pengju’s death, the title of Duke will still fall to Bangrui.”

Su Wanwan felt a chill run down her spine.

She lowered her eyes and said calmly, "Pengju can agree to this, but can the Xia family agree to it?"

"The Xia family originally disagreed, but they came today and changed their tune before leaving, saying that it was negotiable."

"As for you, you have no children to rely on, and you don't have to stay in the Xu family. You can remarry while you are still young. The Duke and I don't mind."

"Hasn't the imperial court issued a new decree requiring widows to remarry? Our Duke's Mansion certainly cannot openly oppose the imperial court."

As she spoke, Han Xiufen picked up several name cards from the table and handed them to Su Wanwan.

"These are a few husbands I've found for you. Take a look and see. They're all from wealthy families. You'll be a proper wife if you marry into them, which is much better than being a widow in the Duke's mansion."

Su Wanwan did not accept the invitation, and looked at Han Xiufen with a cold gaze:

"Since Mother has already made her plans, why does she need to make excuses to discuss them?"

"But how can you face Peng'an in the afterlife by forcing me to remarry like this?"

She never expected that the Xu family would not tolerate her and would force her to remarry.

And they acted so quickly, they even found her a new husband!

Han Xiufen was immediately enraged.

"How dare you mention Peng An? If it weren't for you, this jinx, killing him, he wouldn't have died a perfectly healthy man!"

“Su Wanwan, considering our past relationship as mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, if you honestly remarry, we'll still have some face left.”

“The Xu family can be considered your maternal family to support you in the future. If you insist on tearing off the mask of civility…”

Han Xiufen sneered and threw the name card in her hand on the ground.

"Don't even think about climbing up to these good families!"

Su Wanwan casually picked up a name card from the ground and read it aloud:

"Zhang Guanlin, the seventh grandson of the Duke of England."

She raised an eyebrow and said, "I remember he was an idiot who strangled two of his wives. Is this the good family my mother chose for me?"

Han Xiufen glanced at her disdainfully, "Do you think you can find a better family to marry into?"

Su Wanwan casually tossed the name card aside.

His expression was calm and composed, neither humble nor arrogant.

"A daughter-in-law's first marriage is arranged by her parents, but a second marriage is her own choice. Mother, you need not worry about your daughter-in-law's marriage."

"Since the Xu family cannot tolerate me, please provide a written document so I can leave."

Han Xiufen's face turned pale and then red, and she slammed her fist on the table in anger!

"Dream on!"

Su Wanwan ignored her and went straight back to her room, but felt extremely exhausted.

Han Xiufen's attitude today is suspicious.

There was never any mention of her remarrying before.

It's likely that the Xia family was behind it.

Too.

The life-or-death hatred between Jiang Ye and Da Huo is there, and the Xia family is probably afraid that she will retaliate.

The best option is to get rid of her discreetly through Han Xiufen.

Su Wanwan sneered repeatedly.