Chapter 136: Protecting the Stomach

Translator: 549690339n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Han Hu and Han Quan admired how easily Su Wenyue subdued the Jiang Family members, and they also realized how formidable her tactics were. The Fourth younger sibling appeared gentle and soft-spoken, but her methods were truly impressive!

The Jiang family made a fuss, but failed to gain any advantage from Su Wenyue. Despite their dissatisfaction, they were powerless. With Jiang Chunlan as a precedent, no one dared to really harm Su Wenyue; opposing her had led to Jiang Chunlan’s current dire situation.

Seeing no progress at Su Wenyue’s, Yang Juxiang had no choice but to fall back and seek out Yang Guixiang once more. Naturally, she couldn’t use force this time and began to weep and complain to her Elder Sister, Yang Guixiang. It was a drama Yang Juxiang was adept at and often employed in the past.

Yang Guixiang had been feeling guilty about this matter from the start. Regardless of Jiang Chunlan’s wrongdoing, the incident had occurred at the Han Family home. Initially, Yang Juxiang’s aggressive attitude had irked Yang Guixiang, but now seeing her younger sister’s weeping appeals made her heart soften. But she was also helpless; Jiang Chunlan had already been locked up in the County Government Jail, and she lacked the ability to make the County Magistrate release her.

Separated by such a distance from Xinhe Village, the Jiang family members couldn’t possibly return immediately upon arrival, especially since they had set out early in the morning after only a light porridge and had now reached the heat of the noon, all of them famished. After some thought, Yang Guixiang had Mrs. Liu prepare meals. Although not very lavish, they at least filled their stomachs.

Mrs. Liu was quite dissatisfied with the mother-in-law’s actions. Why should their family provide food to entertain the Jiang Family members? She had no fondness for Jiang Chunlan and even less so now for the food-wasting Jiang Family members, maintaining a cold face throughout the meal.

Yang Juxiang had brought so many people with the intention of using their number to intimidate Su Wenyue. Now that this tactic proved ineffective, there was no need to keep them all. Someone had to watch the house, and work in the field had to be done. Yang Juxiang, along with a few grandchildren who were unable to work, stayed in the Han Family home, scheming to freeload meals to save some food at home.

Mrs. Liu could see through Yang Juxiang’s intentions. Previously, Yang Juxiang and her daughter had already freeloaded at the Han Family for quite some time. Her expression was quite unpleasant, but she couldn’t go against her husband’s and mother-in-law’s wishes. She firmly controlled the family’s food supply, serving even less generous meals than before, and either over-salted or under-salted the food, making Yang Juxiang frown as she ate.

As Su Wenyue, having had her fill of food and sleep, sat outside basking in the sun, she saw the Eldest Sister’s two girls gnawing on a handful of sorghum roots, with the younger Second girl holding her stomach as she ate.

“Older Sister, sorghum roots really don’t fill you up. I’m still so hungry.” Han Xiaohua looked pitifully at her sister, and Han Xiaofeng, feeling sorry for her sibling, could only pat her head in comfort.

Su Wenyue used to give the children snacks and cakes when they hadn’t split the family. But now, with less time spent together and being drowsy due to her pregnancy, she had paid less attention to the children, especially since Yang Juxiang’s family was staying in the Main House. Mrs. Liu, feeling unequal, deliberately made meals more frugal. Because Yang Juxiang was watching closely, it wasn’t easy to make separate meals for her own children, leaving the two girls to suffer.

“Auntie!” Eldest girl and Second girl saw Su Wenyue approaching and called out excitedly, shedding their dejected looks, perhaps because they were particularly fond of the beautiful and gentle Su Wenyue.

“Eldest girl, Second girl, why are you squatting here? Eating sorghum roots, I see.” Su Wenyue looked at the two children with a beaming smile. She had always loved children and cherished and pitied them all the more with one growing in her own womb.

“Auntie, some of my Cousin’s boys took over our room at Aunt’s house, and we have nowhere to go. The meals aren’t enough, and we’re so hungry!” Han Xiaohua, being young and not very worldly-wise, started to complain when Su Wenyue asked.

“How about you come and play at Auntie’s place? There are tasty things to eat at my house.” Su Wenyue said as she took the Eldest girl and Second girl back to her Room, first giving them a piece of cake to stay their hunger, then asking Xiao Xi to cook a bowl of noodles for each girl so that they could eat their fill before sending them back. She also tucked a few candies into their pockets.

The Eldest and Second girls left joyously. Mrs. Liu had seen her daughters follow the Fourth Daughter-in-law into the house. The Fourth Daughter-in-law was always good to the children, having often slipped them food, and upon observing Xiao Xi firing up the stove in the makeshift Small Kitchen and sending food inside, the aroma reached her from afar. Grateful to Su Wenyue, it touched her mother’s heart more than the occasional small favors, as every mother worries for their Child.

“Miss, you have such a kind heart, treating the children so well. These last few days must have been tough for the Main House. That wretched old Aunt of yours is up to no good, leading a bunch of rowdy teenagers who must’ve bullied our Eldest girl and Second girl quite a bit.”

“After all, they are my nieces.” Su Wenyue laughed, relieved that such matters no longer concerned her after the Han Family had split.

Su Wenyue chatted with Xiao Xi intermittently when suddenly cries from the girls could be heard outside, sounding like Second girl. Su Wenyue and Xiao Xi hurried out only to see Yang Juxiang’s grandsons surrounding the sisters, pulling and tugging at them.

“What are you doing? These are candies Auntie gave us, don’t you dare take them!” The Eldest girl protected the Second girl, who shielded the candies in her pocket, weeping as she spoke. Yang Juxiang’s grandsons, coveting the candies the girls were indulging in, had tried to snatch them away.

“Such poor upbringing, these kids!” Xiao Xi, already disliking the Jiang family members, found the half-grown boys ganging up on the two younger sisters despicable. She went over without any niceties and separated them from the girls. Su Wenyue, cautious not to jostle the Child in her Stomach, remained standing at a distance and didn’t approach.

“You rascals, daring to bully my daughters?!” Mrs. Liu, hearing the commotion, also came out and charged when she saw her daughters being bullied. The boys, somewhat scared of Mrs. Liu, scattered quickly, and in their haste, one of them ran straight into Su Wenyue.

Su Wenyue was standing apart at a distance and had not anticipated the boy suddenly charging at her. Unable to dodge, she protected her Stomach and fell to the ground. Seeing what happened, Xiao Xi’s face turned pale with fear.