Su Yicen had served in the military for several years and believed he had met many tough men. Even his younger brother, Su Qingyue, had served in the military and was full of integrity.
But the one in front of me is completely different.
That kind of coldness and composure that comes from the bone cannot be cultivated in just a few years of military service—it is the aura of a man who has truly experienced life and death and emerged from mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
"Big brother."
Shen Zhiyu noticed his gaze, turned slightly to the side, a faint smile playing on his lips, and greeted him softly.
His voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear, conveying a convincing sincerity.
Su Yicen's heart stirred, and she vaguely felt that this son-in-law was not simple.
His face remained tense, deliberately stern, as he stared coldly at Shen Zhiyu, his voice low and serious: "If you dare to mistreat my little sister, I'll be the first to not forgive you."
"Won't."
Shen Zhiyu responded crisply, his voice short and forceful, without the slightest hesitation, as if saying an extra word would be a waste.
Su Yicen snorted twice before reluctantly nodding, her brows still slightly furrowed, clearly still somewhat displeased, but she didn't press the matter further.
"Why did you take so long? You spent most of the day in the county. What happened?"
Zhu Xiuqin couldn't help but ask, her eyes fixed on Su Yicen, her tone filled with anxiety and worry. The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she felt. She had a feeling that something must have gone wrong on the way back because they had come back so late today.
Su Yicen's face darkened, and her expression instantly turned cold: "I ran into Su Manxi on the way. She stopped me and we talked for a while."
He paused, a cold smile appearing on his lips, "They just stood there, blocking the car, refusing to let it move no matter what."
Zhu Xiuqin frowned, a hint of anger flashing in her eyes: "She insisted on getting a divorce in the first place, so why is she coming to you now? Didn't our family already do as she said? The divorce agreement was signed, all the things were cleared out, and even all her junk was returned. What else does she want? Who is she putting on this act for?"
Mentioning her former daughter-in-law ignites anger in Zhu Xiuqin, causing her chest to feel tight as if a fire were burning inside.
She remembered clearly that when Su Manxi brought up divorce, she didn't even give her family a second glance, only coldly saying "I can't take it anymore," before turning around and leaving, even packing her luggage.
She was in a hurry to leave even before anything happened at home.
When things really got into trouble, with Su Yicen under investigation, her company's funds frozen, and rumors spreading, she suddenly remembered this place again.
She's back, pretending to be all lovey-dovey, trying to cling to him again.
What is she after?
Rekindling old flames?
Or is it so that if the case is overturned in the future, they can still benefit from it?
Less than a week after the divorce, her parents arranged for her to be married to the mentally challenged son of Director Zhang at the factory.
I heard that the idiot has been slow-witted since childhood, has a bad temper, and is quick to resort to violence. He doesn't hold back when he hits her and doesn't treat her like a human being at all.
The neighbors spread the word in great detail, saying that Su Manxi was covered in bruises, and that she cried as she tried to climb over the wall to escape at night, only to be caught and beaten even more severely.
A few days ago, she finally couldn't hold back anymore and called Su Yicen in tears. Her voice was so trembling that it was almost inaudible. She said that if things continued like this, she would be beaten to death. She begged him to take her away. Her tone was mournful. She also said that she was willing to go back to him and live with him. She said that she was ignorant before, but now she understood everything.
After hearing this, Su Yicen felt utterly unlucky.
He didn't say a word and hung up the phone immediately.
He didn't want to get involved in this mess again.
She had long since torn apart the past relationship herself, so who can she blame now that she's crying and wailing?
But Su Manxi herself felt that her parents were doing this for her own good.
They said things like, "You're down on your luck now, you need to find someone to rely on," and "The Su family will collapse sooner or later, you'll only suffer if you follow them."
Over the years, the things she moved out of this house could practically fill a small warehouse—refrigerators, washing machines, complete sets of tableware, even sofas and bed sheets were all taken and transported back to her parents' home.
Her family treated her well, always thinking of her first when there was something good to eat, and never neglecting to give her new clothes. Even the clothes that Su Yueyue had outgrown, as long as they were still wearable, would be saved for her.
But as soon as they heard that something had happened to her family, Li Laiying and the others urged her to get a divorce without saying a word, fearing that they would be implicated and that they would lose a penny.
She has brought this situation upon herself, and she has no one else to blame but herself.
The key point is, when her parents proposed marriage, she didn't say "no" once?
Su Yicen still remembers that day. She smiled and said, "Mom, the Zhang family is well-off, and the child is honest. They're very good."
It was only because the Zhang family was rich and had a deep pocket that they agreed to the terms.
She had only been married for a few days when she discovered that the idiot not only had a bad temper but also drank heavily, went crazy at night, and caused chaos in the house. Life was not as pleasant as she had imagined, and she cried and begged to escape again.
What is this called?
This is called insatiable greed, which leads to reaping what one sows.
Wanting a stable family while also trying to climb the social ladder, one wrong step leads to another, and now that they're suffering, they long for the good old days.
"Serves you right!"
Zhu Xiuqin said coldly, her voice as cold as ice, making no attempt to hide her disgust, "She chose this path herself, and she has to finish it, even if she has to crawl on her knees. Don't expect anyone to shed tears for her, and don't expect our family to lend her a hand again."
Although it was Su Manxi who plotted against Su Yicen first, setting him up to take the blame and almost ruining his future.
After the marriage, her family treated her like their own daughter and never treated her like an outsider.
She had everything Su Yueyue had – new dresses, pocket money, and New Year's money; she got everything.
During holidays and festivals, when she returns to her parents' home, she is always impeccably polite and gives generous red envelopes; Zhu Xiuqin is never stingy.
Who in the neighborhood wouldn't be envious?
Everyone says that the daughter-in-law of the Su family is blessed, as her parents-in-law are understanding and reasonable, and their life is prosperous.
But what about her?
Her heart was only set on her parents' home, and she was always thinking about how to move things back home, gradually emptying the Su family's coffers.
She even secretly took away the old clay pot in the kitchen that she had used for ten years, saying she wanted to "keep it as a memento."
Hmph, longing?
They're probably hoping to make some money selling them!
They didn't stop them, nor were they stingy, but some people, no matter how good you are to them, they always think it's their due.
Even if you hold an umbrella for her to shield her from the wind and rain, she won't say thank you; even if you pour your heart out to her, she'll just glance at you indifferently, as if it all was rightfully hers.
That's how people are; once they get used to taking, they forget to be grateful and even take other people's contributions for granted.
The more Zhu Xiuqin thought about it, the colder she felt. The chill didn't come from the weather, but from a icy cold that seeped out from the bottom of her heart.
Zhu Xiuqin felt utterly disheartened.
It was like a basin of boiling water being poured into an ice cellar, instantly freezing into bone-chilling frost.
She once thought that once her daughter-in-law entered the family, the family could live happily together, but reality slapped her in the face.
The cold stares, perfunctory attitudes, and impatience she experienced during those days felt like needles pricking her heart.
It wasn't that she hadn't been patient or accommodating, but all she got in return was increasingly coldness and alienation.
Looking back now, she feels it was all for nothing, that she wasted so much affection.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
