With Xie Jiankang serving as a cautionary example, the Xie family members dared not cause any trouble in front of Wang Cuifen, no matter how many questions they had in their hearts.
Though Wang Cuifen didn’t have to explain the changes in Xie Jianhua’s marriage arrangements to the younger members of the family, she still needed to clarify things with her husband. After lunch, she pulled Cripple Xie into their room and laid out the Su Family’s misdeeds in detail.
"The Su Family has no sense of propriety," Cripple Xie said with a headache. "Marrying into that family is nothing but trouble. Su Qing seems like a reasonable girl—why don’t you talk to her and suggest calling off the wedding? We can compensate them with money. Once the truth comes out, any gossip will be directed at the Su Family, not us."
He didn’t mind spending a little extra now if it meant avoiding future problems.
But Wang Cuifen insisted, "No. I like Su Qing—I want her as my daughter-in-law."
Her reasoning was so firm that Cripple Xie couldn’t argue. He sighed and asked, "What exactly do you like about her?"
"Everything. I took a liking to her the moment I saw her. It’s fate from a past life," Wang Cuifen declared without hesitation. "Besides, Su Qing and our son were caught in bed together. If they don’t get married, the neighbors will never stop talking. They have to marry!"
"Fine, we’ll do it your way," Cripple Xie conceded. Once his opinion was overruled, he didn’t dwell on it and accepted Su Qing as his future daughter-in-law.
Even if the truth came out and everyone knew the Su Family was at fault, Xie Jianhua would still face whispers behind his back. With his reputation tarnished, it would be hard for him to find a good match anytime soon.
Su Qing, on the other hand, had already secured a job and residency status, making her a decent marriage prospect. Rather than waiting years for Xie Jianhua to find another bride, it was better to marry Su Qing now.
Once he made up his mind, Cripple Xie took the afternoon off from work. He and Xie Jianhua were kept busy by Wang Cuifen’s orders—either gathering wood and bricks to fix up a room or buying candies, fabric, and sending out wedding invitations.
Despite the winter chill, the two men were sweating from the nonstop tasks.
As for Su Qing, Wang Cuifen assigned her a much lighter duty: studying.
"Just sit there and read. Let the men handle the chores—it’s not right for you to busy yourself with your own wedding preparations," Wang Cuifen said.
She had neatly stacked textbooks from first to fifth grade on the desk.
Worried that Su Qing might get bored, Wang Cuifen even stuffed her pockets with sunflower seeds and candies.
"No rush. Read if you feel like it, snack if you don’t. Once things settle down in a couple of days, we’ll focus on studying properly."
Curious about the old textbooks, Su Qing didn’t refuse. She cracked sunflower seeds while flipping through the elementary school materials.
As a former top student, even fifth-grade math was as easy as reading a novel to her. She breezed through the pages, skimming one per minute.
When Xie Jianhua came to clean up the sunflower seed shells, he found Su Qing dozing off from boredom.
Awkwardly, he nudged her awake. "Mom’s made up the new bed. If you’re tired, sleep there instead—you’ll catch a cold like this."
Neither of them had gotten much rest the night before.
Su Qing yawned and waved him off. "No need."
Even after nearly a full day in this new world, she still wasn’t fully adjusted. The thought of lying on that garishly floral bedsheet felt strange. Though clean, it wasn’t her familiar bed or environment, and she doubted she’d sleep well.
After spending the afternoon at the Xie household, Wang Cuifen and Xie Jianhua personally escorted Su Qing back to the Su Family.
"Don’t be afraid. It’s just one night—Jianhua will come for you first thing tomorrow," Wang Cuifen reassured her.
After giving Su Qing a few more comforting words, she turned a fierce glare on Su Youjin and He Laidi. "Look at the mess you’ve made! Now we’re scrambling to throw a wedding banquet tomorrow. You’d better behave, or else."
Satisfied by the Su couple’s cowed silence, Wang Cuifen nodded and prepared to leave.
Having been under Wang Cuifen’s protection since her transmigration, Su Qing felt uneasy about the sudden separation. She tugged at Wang Cuifen’s sleeve, looking pitiful.
"Don’t worry. Take a page from my book—if anyone in your family dares mess with you, fight back. With the leverage we have, I doubt they’ll dare act up," Wang Cuifen said, patting Su Qing’s hand before delivering another round of threats to the Su Family.
Only after Wang Cuifen and Xie Jianhua had truly left did Su Qing turn to Su Youjin. "Did you borrow the remaining hundred yuan? The Xie Family only gave you two days."
"You ungrateful brat! How dare you bring that up!" Su Youjin swung a slap at her, hoping to teach her a lesson.
Su Qing blocked swiftly and, out of reflex, grabbed a fistful of his hair.
Whether it was childhood fights in the orphanage or beating up scumbags as an adult, hair-pulling had always been her winning move.
She yanked his hair back lightly and scolded, "I didn’t even curse—just asked about the money. How dare you hit me? Think I’m an easy target?"
Her reputation wasn’t strong enough. Without Wang Cuifen and Xie Jianhua around, Su Youjin and He Laidi immediately grew bold.
Seeing her husband losing, He Laidi rushed to help. "You disrespectful wretch! I should’ve dragged you out of bed and beaten you to death this morning!"
Her words only poured fuel on the fire. Having neighbors catch someone in bed was bad enough, but stripping them naked before beating them? That was downright cruel.
Just imagining the humiliation made Su Qing’s blood boil. "Parents like you don’t deserve the title!"
She yanked Su Youjin’s hair and flung him aside, intending to neutralize him first before dealing with He Laidi.
Su Qing thought she’d used normal strength, but a pained scream followed, and she found herself holding a clump of hair.
Disgusted, she shook the strands off her hand and stared in surprise at Su Youjin’s scalp—now missing a sizable patch.
Plucking a few hairs was one thing, but ripping out a whole handful? In all her years of hair-pulling, she’d never achieved such a spectacular result.
He Laidi was also stunned, swallowing hard before abandoning any thought of fighting. She rushed to her husband’s side, inspecting his injury.
"He’s your own father! After raising you, how could you be so vicious?"
Su Qing ignored her, instead studying her own hands in fascination. Her strength seemed greater than in her past life.
Remembering how fragments of the original soul had merged with her during the transmigration, Su Qing suddenly understood.
She cast a dangerous look at Su Youjin and He Laidi. Though she hadn’t chosen to cross into this world, the original owner had left her with gifts. The least she could do was settle some old scores on her behalf.
Su Qing took aim at He Laidi’s hair, ready to strike, but He Laidi leaped up in fright and dashed around the room in a panic.
"Su Qing, you crazy brat, have you lost your mind?"
