Lu Xiaoting quickly pulled someone in front of him, steadying a young boy who almost knocked someone down with his other hand.
"Little buddy, be careful."
The six or seven-year-old boy looked up, his tears brimming due to the formidable presence of the man, and pouted, "So-sorry."
"That's okay, just watch out next time, slow down a bit, and don't hurt yourself or others."
Seeing the tearful young boy, Susu gently touched the little fellow and then quickly pulled the man away.
She was mainly worried that the boy would be frightened into tears by the man.
Lu Xiaoting frowned, "Wife, I didn't scare the kid."
Susu couldn't help but laugh and cry, "Yeah, kids are easily scared; it's not your fault."
Lu Xiaoting nodded seriously, muttering about how the kid was too timid and that his own son would need to be braver in the future.
"Cough cough cough."
Susu choked and coughed a few times, thinking this man sure was looking far ahead.
"Oh, you two are so sweet together."
"Xiaoting stays right by his wife's side as soon as he comes home, following wherever she goes."
"Such love between you two, why not hurry up and have kids? Both of you are good-looking, so the baby will surely be cute, too."
...
"Granny, Auntie."
Unable to withstand the teasing from a group of old ladies, Susu jogged all the way home.
"Aunties, please don't tease my wife too much, look, she's embarrassed."
After saying this, Lu Xiaoting quickly left. He, a grown man, was even finding it hard to handle the chatty group.
Time flew by, and two days passed in the blink of an eye.
As Susu woke up, there was no sign of the man in the room.
Accustomed to the man's company, facing the empty room, Susu struggled to adapt for a moment.
Noticing her sighing daughter-in-law, Mrs. Lu teased, "What's wrong, Susu? Missing your hubby?"
Seeing her mother-in-law's mocking scrutiny and her cousin Xian Yue's beaming smile, Susu felt extremely shy, her cheeks burning: "Mom~"
"Oh dear, Susu's embarrassed, alright alright, Mom will stop."
Though Mrs. Lu said this, the teasing didn't stop in her eyes, and she even winked at Xian Yue.
"Xian Yue, stop laughing. Look how shy your sister-in-law is. Don't upset her; careful she might ignore us both."
"Mom~ Xian Yue~ I'm not talking to you anymore."
Annoyed and embarrassed, Susu stomped her foot and led a confused Xiao Yu into the kitchen.
"Ha ha ha..."
Listening to the laughter of her aunt and cousin outside, Xiao Yu scratched his head, his little eyebrows furrowing into a caterpillar shape.
Provincial City
"Old Lu is back? What's with all these big and small packages? What delicious food did your wife prepare for you this time?"
"Hey, not the braised dishes from last time again? I can already smell them. Don't forget your brother here."
Lu Xiaoting raised an eyebrow, smirking with pride, "Yeah, my wife worries I won't eat well alone. I'll share some braised dishes and meats with you guys at lunch."
Everyone was envious, continuously praising 'sister-in-law,' almost making Lu Xiaoting unable to keep his grin in check.
"Cough, cough, you guys don't need to envy me, I only have one wife like this."
Susu was still hawking near the cinema, feeling like her ears were burning up.
She muttered, "Don't know who's talking about me, my ears are so hot."
Now the Dragon Boat Festival was approaching, and the weather was getting intensely hot.
On her way home, Susu bought five bottles of soda, ice-cold and refreshing, which instantly relieved much of the heat.
However, Susu's good mood disappeared upon entering her family's yard.
In the yard, the original owner's mother and young brother were bossing around their cousin Xian Yue, while a thin and helpless little girl with yellow hair stood to the side—it was the original owner's younger sister, Su Sanya.
"Oh, Erya, you're finally back. Mom and Bao Gen are hungry."
Seeing her daughter, Mrs. Su's wrinkled old face immediately brightened with a smile as she rushed over.
Susu dodged Mrs. Su's dirty hands and frowned, "What are you doing here?"
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Su immediately became discontent and began to complain, "It is all because of you, living it up in the city, eating delicacies and savoring spices, without a thought for your poor parents and brother toiling away in the countryside."
Susu took a step back and faced her mother, who spat when she spoke and bore a heavy garlic smell, frowning, "I'm just earning a meager living here, neither feasting nor drinking extravagantly."
"Erya, I'm hungry, go buy some big pork buns."
Bao Gen covered his stomach and complained of hunger.
Xian Yue was about to speak up when Susu interrupted loudly, "Bao Gen, what are you dreaming about? You want big pork buns? I think you're dreaming of a big beating."
Bao Gen, who had thrown tantrums before, seemed to remember the previous slaps and promptly covered his face, quietly rising from the ground.
Seeing this, Mrs. Su stealthily walked over to Su Sanya, pinched her fiercely, and hissed, "What are you staring at? Go talk to your sister."
Su Sanya, with tears brimming in her eyes, dared not disobey her mother, for fear of another brutal beating.
Seeing that Su Sanya was still hesitating, Mrs. Su pinched her arm harshly.
"E-er-sister…"
Su Sanya whimpered and shuffled over, head bowed, not daring to face her older sister.
Worried that showing any softness toward Su Sanya would attract the troublesome old lady, Susu looked expressionlessly at the old Mrs. Su and Bao Gen, whose little eyes were shining shrewdly.
"Didn't you say that a married daughter is like water that has been splashed out, and whether I live or die it should no longer concern the Old Su Family?"
Caught off guard, old Mrs. Su's face twisted as she plastered a smile and moved closer again, "I was just scaring you, afraid you wouldn't work hard at your in-laws'. How could I not care about you, when you are a piece of meat that fell from my body?"
Susu sneered and issued an eviction order, "Don't think I'm still the old Erya, whom you could manage by giving me a piece of cornbread to scramble your in-laws' home. From now on, don't even think about coming over to sponge off us. If you come, I'll bounce you out every time."
Saying this, Susu picked up the yard broom and chased them away.
Mrs. Su tried to cajole her but saw her daughter brandishing the broom and coming towards them.
Mother and son scampered off with their heads covered, the broom-snapped places on their bodies stinging hot.
"You heartless wretch, had I known you'd turn out this heartless, I would've drowned you in the piss pot long ago."
"Erya, stop hitting Bao, it hurts, please stop."
…
Susu chased the people out and closed the door behind her, all in one smooth motion.
At the door, Mrs. Su was still cursing. Seeing the door suddenly open and her fierce-looking daughter charging out with a broom, she was so frightened that she immediately grabbed her son and ran.
Looking at the little aunt standing dazed by the door, Susu glanced at her and then looked away.
She instructed her mother-in-law, "Mom, if the Su Family comes again, you don't have to deal with them."