Old Madam Zhao's face instantly turned livid.
It felt great when she was spouting nonsense earlier about Su Ning being deeply scheming and needing the Zhao family's help, but such thoughts were only meant to be spoken in front of a daughter-in-law she could control.
If others actually heard it, she knew she would be mocked.
Let alone being overheard by the person herself. Su Ning was universally known to seek revenge for the smallest grievance, never letting anyone off even if she was right, and certainly not if she was wrong.
Just yesterday.
Rumor had it that to fight for a piece of land, she directly ordered her subordinates to shoot and kill the Japanese businessman Sato. The municipal government even acted as her accomplice, sealing off the pitiful Japanese man's trading company and arresting his men!
"Miss Su, what brings you here."
Shang Wenyun's awkward voice broke the heavy silence in the hospital ward. Half-lowering her head, she didn't even dare to look at Su Ning. Her face flushed so hot it felt like it was burning.
It was truly mortifying!
Miss Su had done her such a huge favor, paying her salary in advance, arranging the hospital, covering the medical expenses, and even having her undergo a physical examination.
Just saving the lives of her two children made her a massive benefactor.
Yet, the deeply offensive nonsense her mother-in-law had spewed in her hysterical fit was actually heard by Miss Su. Shang Wenyun hadn't even resented her mother-in-law this much when she was driven out by her in-laws.
But now, she couldn't suppress the hatred in her heart at all.
Su Ning's expression was cold.
Her light gaze swept over everyone in the room. Old Madam Zhao awkwardly turned her head away, not daring to meet her eyes. Then there was the little girl on the hospital bed, who shrank back at first, but then gave her a shy yet brave smile.
Like a newly budding daisy.
Children were still the cutest.
No, there was one who wasn't cute. On the other bed, young Zhao Xuewen couldn't steady his emotions, his eyes revealing a deep wariness and dislike.
"Just a sudden whim to visit my employee," she answered Shang Wenyun's question nonchalantly. Her other subordinates quickly entered, bringing in a massive pile of gifts.
There was a wide variety, including pastries, fruits, and other foods, as well as precious medicinal herbs like ginseng, polygonatum, and lingzhi mushrooms, and even clothes and dresses for the children.
Once these items were brought in, they immediately took up a large area, making the already spacious ward seem small.
Lin Sen was quite clever; he specifically had people place the gifts in the corner, right next to the small amount of supplements Old Madam Zhao had brought, which she claimed were specially meant to nourish her grandson.
With such a comparison, the things brought by the biological grandmother looked increasingly meager and shabby.
"No one has answered my question from earlier yet." Ignoring Shang Wenyun's stammering thanks, Su Ning took the initiative and sat down in the ward, her soft chuckle carrying a heavy dose of mockery.
She deliberately emphasized the word answered.
Falling into Old Madam Zhao's ears, it sounded more detestable than the voice of a devil from hell. Having lived for over half a century, she was actually being cornered like this by a wet-behind-the-ears little girl!
Gritting her teeth, she tried several times but couldn't speak.
Old Madam Zhao looked at Shang Wenyun again.
This shameless slut, just watching her mother-in-law get humiliated without knowing to step up and say something... She really shouldn't have agreed to let her son marry her back then.
Shang Wenyun tucked her daughter in, pretending not to see.
In reality, she felt extremely satisfied.
"The Zhao family, our Zhao family is a family of scholars and farmers. Our descendants dutifully rely on the land for a living, and read the Four Books and Five Classics to cultivate their moral character."
Old Madam Zhao squeezed these words through her teeth, trying hard to straighten her back and put on an awe-inspiring posture, striving not to lose the upper hand in front of a woman like Su Ning:
"Although we aren't some massive clan, fortunately, we have many descendants who have each found their own way. Quite a few serve in the government... However, Miss Su is so lofty, you probably haven't noticed."
She was showing off that their family was large and deeply rooted.
She was genuinely proud of this. A family like the Zhaos might not seem to have much limelight, hiding their wealth and status, but they were steady. Even changes in dynasties hardly affected them.
A temporary downfall meant nothing.
As long as their foundation in the land remained.
They could quickly rise to prosperity again once they found the opportunity!
She could show off all she wanted, but Su Ning felt nothing. Or rather, she wasn't listening carefully at all, with thirty percent of her mind wandering and seventy percent focused on chatting with the system:
"This old woman actually came to visit the patients... Does she not know her grandson isn't biologically related?"
"Of course she doesn't."
Such minor details weren't written in the original novel, so the system explained it to Su Ning: "In this arc, the male and female leads have a sadomasochistic romance. The heartbroken female lead runs away pregnant and meets the second male lead, whom she knew in her youth, which is Shang Wenyun's husband..."
"The female lead is somewhat pitiful too."
Before the system could finish, Su Ning couldn't help but interrupt. The earlier plot was just too cliché yet classic: running away pregnant, encountering a warm-hearted second male lead who takes care of her, and developing feelings over time.
But the original novel truly deserved to be a bestseller.
It directly innovated.
The female lead, though delicate, was quite strong, finding a job and preparing to support herself. Meanwhile, the already married second male lead put on a one-man show.
Unable to suppress his love for the female lead, he felt pained seeing his own pregnant wife, getting tangled in self-torment. When Su Ning had forced herself to read the original novel, she had felt pained and tangled reading this part too.
It was just so disgusting.
Anyway, this second male lead with his abnormal brain circuits didn't help the female lead much. When she gave birth, he felt that raising a child alone would put too much pressure on her.
So he took it upon himself to take the baby away, telling his wife Shang Wenyun, who had also just given birth, that this was one of their twins.
And he lied to the female lead, saying her child had died.
The female lead broke down in self-blame.
This was also one of the main reasons she and the male lead missed out on each other for many years.
His baseness could literally go down in history, Su Ning sincerely commented.
The system: "...Anyway, the second male lead didn't tell a single soul, including his own family. But in a few days, which is after Shang Wenyun's daughter dies in the original novel, he will write to his family to tell them the son isn't his."
"Stop talking, I feel a little sick."
Anyway, the point was that the Zhao family didn't know right now.
Forced to recall that melodramatic plot once again, the air pressure around Su Ning dropped. Just then, Old Madam Zhao finished her secret boasting.
She spoke scathingly:
"So basically, not a single one has made a name for themselves. No wonder I've never heard of the Zhao family. Mediocre and not worth mentioning."
Old Madam Zhao's face darkened like the bottom of a pot. Just as she was about to retort, she saw Su Ning gently wave her hand, and the pretty-boy assistant beside her crouched down, lowering his head to take orders.
Immoral and unchaste!
The next second.
"Seeing how unconvinced this old lady looks, the Zhao family descendants must hold decent positions in the government. Pass a message to Mayor Chen that I've decided what positions the Su family members should take."
Su Ning's smile deepened, and she tilted her head slightly, saying:
"Many thanks."
"Otherwise, as someone who hasn't been back from abroad for long, I wouldn't have figured out which positions are good and which are bad."
She acted as if she were truly grateful.
But her tone was disdainful.
It leaked out unscrupulously from every aspect of her demeanor and body language.
Old Madam Zhao's face had no more room to change color, so she pointed a finger at Su Ning, her throat making rattling sounds but forming no words. Finally, she only managed to say:
"You, you... impossible."
Then, she slowly collapsed to the ground.
"Mother-in-law!"
"Old Madam, what is wrong?"
Zhao Xuewen, his little face pale, climbed down from the bed and threw himself beside Old Madam Zhao. Voice trembling with tears, he continuously called out for his grandmother. Seeing that she would not wake up, he yelled at Su Ning:
"You made my grandma pass out from anger! Get out! You are not welcome here!"
"You awful woman!"
Then... all sounds faded away. Shang Wenyun covered her mouth in disbelief. She looked at her son with a mix of anger and worry, then cast a pleading, fearful gaze toward Su Ning.
The servants of the Zhao family also fell completely silent.
The young master's filial piety was certainly commendable.
But he was simply too audacious!
