"Dad, don’t worry. Wanwan is my own sister—I’d never abandon her!"
Su Shanshan wasn’t foolish. She understood the principle that a family rises and falls together.
Moreover, if this matter wasn’t resolved, how could she ever hold her head high in her in-laws’ home or the military compound?
But as for how to help, Su Shanshan had no clear plan yet.
She spoke frankly, "Dad, Wanwan’s situation is a bit tricky."
"What’s so tricky about it? Just go back and beg your father-in-law. He’s the commander of the Beijing Military District! A small matter like this could be resolved with just one phone call."
Su's Mother said it as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "That wretched Old Third of yours—no matter how shameless he is, can he really defy his own father?"
Su Shanshan was about to explain that it wasn’t so simple when Su's Father cut in sharply, "What do you, a woman, know about these things?"
Though he hadn’t interacted much with his in-laws, he knew his son-in-law’s father was a rigid, by-the-book man.
Besides, the higher one’s status, the more cautious they were about protecting their reputation.
When it came to matters of principle, his in-law would never interfere, let alone plead for leniency.
After Su's Father’s analysis, Su's Mother grew anxious.
"Then… what should we do? Should Shanshan go and beg her mother-in-law instead?"
Beg her?
Su Shanshan shook her head immediately. Her mother-in-law had always been shamelessly biased.
She claimed to treat all four children in the family equally, but in reality, it was anything but.
Asking Old Third for help was even more pointless. If he had any respect for his eldest brother and sister-in-law, he wouldn’t be so heartless in the first place.
Last time, for Wanwan’s sake, she had already swallowed her pride and called him twice.
And what did Old Third do? He made Wanwan pay for her own lodging at the guesthouse.
Now he’d even sent Wanwan to the military detention center—what a piece of work!
"Mom, you have no idea how awful they’ve been!"
"Old Third’s fiancée hasn’t even married into the family yet, and my mother-in-law is already preparing betrothal gifts and a settlement fund for her."
"When I mentioned how unfair it was, she immediately threatened to divide the household and kick our family of six out!"
"What?!"
Su's Mother was furious. "Has your mother-in-law lost her mind? You’ve given the Huo Family three healthy grandsons, and now you’re carrying another—you’re their greatest benefactor! How dare they treat you like this?"
Pregnant women were already emotionally fragile. Hearing her mother defend her so fiercely, Su Shanshan felt even more wronged.
"She has lost her mind! Instead of cherishing the eldest son and grandson, she’s poured all her affection onto Old Third’s side."
"I heard from some of the wives in the compound that my mother-in-law has been splurging at the Beijing Department Store lately—all on expensive, high-end goods."
"And she’s shipped everything to Old Third’s fiancée, leaving us with nothing!"
Even if the money came from the old couple’s salaries, since the family hadn’t divided the assets yet, it was still considered shared funds.
Every penny they spent now meant one less penny for Su Shanshan when the division happened.
Naturally, she wasn’t happy about it!
Besides, her mother-in-law was just trying to make up for Old Third’s childhood—when he got lost.
But whose fault was it that he got lost? His own!
He was greedy and easily fooled—a stranger lured him away with just a piece of candy.
Tingtao was there too—why wasn’t he tricked?
So in the end, it was all Old Third’s fault.
At first, Su's Mother thought the situation wasn’t too serious. But after hearing her daughter’s account, she began to worry.
"Old Su, what do we do now?"
"Don’t panic. If her in-laws won’t help, there are still two ‘unshakable pillars’ above them."
"You mean… Grandpa Huo and his wife?"
Su's Father nodded solemnly and instructed his daughter, "Shanshan, when you get back, don’t say a word to Grandpa Huo and his wife. Just kneel and cry."
"Don’t get up until they agree to forgive Wanwan."
"Old Su, will that work? Shanshan is already six months pregnant. If she kneels for too long, her body won’t be able to take it."
Su's Mother fretted, "What if something goes wrong?"
"There’s no other way. No pain, no gain!"
Though his words sounded cold, Su's Father had his own calculations.
For the older generation, nothing mattered more than family harmony.
Right now, Shanshan was carrying the Huo Family’s child, and she and Wanwan were deeply bonded as sisters.
If anything happened to Wanwan, as the eldest sister, Shanshan’s emotions would surely be affected.
And if things escalated to a tragic outcome—like losing both mother and child—how would the Huo Family’s third branch ever live it down?
But Su's Father doubted it would go that far.
After all, the Huo Family was a respected household.
They wouldn’t want the eldest and third branches to feud over such a trivial matter.
"Shanshan, I know this is hard on you, but don’t just kneel there like a fool."
"If things look bad, just pretend to faint, understand?"
"Remember—you’re carrying their grandchild. They won’t dare let anything happen to you."
Hearing this, Su Shanshan’s eyes lit up.
Of course! How could she forget the golden ticket in her belly?
She really had been foolish. When her mother-in-law brought up dividing the family, she should’ve fainted on the spot.
Yes, that’s exactly what she’d do.
Next time her mother-in-law said something infuriating, she’d just collapse dramatically.
With this plan in mind, Su Shanshan couldn’t sit still any longer.
Patting her belly, she declared confidently, "Mom, Dad, just wait and see!"
By the time she returned home, it was already late.
Su Shanshan glanced around the eerily quiet living room, puzzled.
At this hour, Grandpa Huo and his wife were usually here, reading newspapers or listening to the radio.
Strange—why hadn’t they come down yet?
Just as she considered going upstairs to check, Yang Meina, her lazy sister-in-law from the second branch, emerged from the kitchen carrying a bowl.
"Eldest Sister-in-law, I made noodles. Do you want some?"
Yang Meina offered out of politeness.
But Su Shanshan was preoccupied with the drama she was about to stage and had no appetite.
Waving her off, she asked, "Why are you cooking today? Where’s Little Ding?"
Little Ding was the orderly assigned to Grandpa Huo by the organization, responsible for household chores and meals.
"Oh, Little Ding? Grandpa and Grandma went to Daihe for their recuperation trip, so he went with them—"
Before she could finish, Su Shanshan shrieked, "When did this happen? Why wasn’t I told?"
Yang Meina frowned. It was common knowledge that the old couple went to Daihe for recuperation every year.
This time, they’d just left a little earlier—why was she making such a fuss?
"This morning. I only heard about it from the neighbors just now."
Su Shanshan was stunned.
Of all times—why did they have to leave now?
The sanatoriums on the other side of Dai River were still restricted military zones—without sufficient clearance, you couldn’t even get in.
Even if Su Shanshan rushed over now, there wouldn’t be enough time.
What should she do?
Just as Su Shanshan’s mind was in turmoil, Yang Meina spoke up again.
"Oh, by the way, Mom, Dad, Grandpa, and Grandma are all away these few days. I’ll just eat at the work cafeteria tomorrow."
"If you’re cooking, Sister-in-law, no need to prepare portions for us."
"Mom and Dad… they’re not home either?"
"Right. Dad went to inspect work at the Jinling Military District, and Mom’s unit is heading to Jiangxi’s revolutionary base areas for a goodwill performance…"
Whatever else Yang Meina said after that, Su Shanshan didn’t hear a single word.
That very afternoon, she relayed the news back to the Su family.
At this point, Su Shanshan still hadn’t grasped the severity of the situation, venting her frustration instead.
"Honestly, these people! They couldn’t have picked a worse time to leave—everyone’s gone right at this critical moment!"
"Dad, what should we do now?"
What should they do?
Su’s Father wished he knew. Unlike his daughter, he wasn’t one to act without thinking.
As a seasoned veteran navigating city government circles, he understood exactly what the Huo Family’s move implied.
"Old Su, you can’t just abandon Wanwan."
"Stop crying!"
Su’s Father wiped his face. "If they’re leaving us no way out, then we’ll have to fight fire with fire."
