Chapter 294: 302: Hard to say it out loud

When the mother-in-law spoke those words, Su Wenyue felt uncomfortable but it wasn’t appropriate for her to interject. Her gaze shifted toward Han Yu, waiting to see how he would respond, but her eyes carried a hint of warning.

Han Yu found the standoff between his mother and his wife somewhat helpless but also amusing, especially the warning look in his wife’s eyes. That expression was adorable rather than threatening, yet he did harbor some fear of it. Usually, his wife was easy to appease when angry, but when it came to mother-in-law and daughter-in-law issues, a single misstep could lead to hurt feelings.

For some reason, perhaps because of that so-called dream, Han Yu could sense that his wife was particularly sensitive and vulnerable about certain matters. He had carefully cultivated their relationship to the point where his wife trusted him completely. If he allowed some unworthy people to upset his mother and wife, or worse, to damage his wife’s trust in him, it wouldn’t be worth it at all.

“Fourth child, Mother knows this request might be too much, but each of you is my flesh and blood, born after ten months of pregnancy. Even if the third one lacks ambition, you are still brothers by blood. During New Year, I cannot bear to think of him alone in the village,” Mrs. Yang said, her words even moving Old Man Han, as it was his son they were talking about, and there was no way he could truly be indifferent to his child’s plight.

Su Wenyue, listening on the side, really wanted to retort. What did she mean by ‘alone’? The Third Sister-in-law and the children were there with him. Moreover, Mrs. Wang didn’t care that much about her mother’s family; she could have gone back to her mother’s house for the New Year. Yet Su Wenyue could only voice these thoughts in her heart, feeling quite frustrated.

“Fourth, why not take the third brother’s family with us? We won’t stay long, just going to the city for the New Year. We’ll come back right after, just spending two or three days there. It shouldn’t lead to any trouble,” Old Man Han finally couldn’t resist speaking up.

Old Man Han usually kept silent, not meddling in household affairs, so when he spoke up, it seemed inappropriate for Han Yu to refuse. Su Wenyue understood this, but she still felt uneasy about it.

“Father, Mother, since you’ve put it that way, let’s all go together. If we are going, we might as well stay for a few days. It’s such a long journey; the travel alone will take up two or three days. If we stay for only that long, the travel time would outweigh our stay. Besides, it’s rare that we go to the city; we should take the time to explore properly,” Han Yu said. He initially considered suggesting they stay until after the lantern festival, but considering his mother’s temperament, which seemed to worsen with age, and the unpleasantness last time in Xinluo Town, he decided not to voice this thought. They could decide based on how things unfolded.

“Ah, good, good, that’s settled then. Fourth, whatever you say is fine, we’ll all listen to you,” Mrs. Yang, hearing her son’s agreement, was overjoyed and responded enthusiastically. Seeing the daughter-in-law’s displeased expression, she restrained her smile, feeling somewhat awkward; after all, it was the daughter-in-law who had bought the house, and it seemed a bit inappropriate to impose like this.

Han Yu’s reply pleased the parents, but Su Wenyue was not happy. Her displeasure was obvious, and Han Yu discreetly took her hand, whispering something to her. Her expression softened, and she stopped giving Han Yu the cold shoulder. However, she still pursed her lips, obviously waiting for Han Yu to explain.

Seeing that he had pacified his wife, Han Yu breathed a sigh of relief, but he also felt happy. His wife was increasingly trusting him, allowing a few words from him to placate her. If it had been before, she probably would have turned her back on him, not bothering to listen to his explanation.

“Fourth Daughter-in-law, don’t be upset with the fourth child. He is obedient and listened to his father and me. If you must blame someone, blame me. I really didn’t want the third child to be left alone in the village during the New Year, it breaks my heart to think about it,” Mrs. Yang said, her tone pleading, no longer exerting her authority as a mother-in-law. Considering the house belonged to Su Wenyue, even she, as a mother-in-law, felt somewhat inferior in front of her daughter-in-law. Moreover, Su Wenyue had given the old Han family grandchildren, which was extremely important to Mrs. Yang, affecting her attitude toward Su Wenyue.

“Indeed, Fourth Daughter-in-law, I’m aware of your concerns, but I couldn’t harden my heart in the end. Don’t blame the fourth child. When the third family goes to the city, I’ll keep a close eye on them. If they dare do anything disgraceful, I’ll break their legs!” Old Man Han spoke firmly, as if making a promise to his daughter-in-law.

With the father-in-law and mother-in-law being so humble, Su Wenyue had nothing more to say. To persist would be unfilial. She could disregard her own reputation, but she had to consider Han Yu’s feelings. Furthermore, Han Yu’s words in her ear earlier made it clear that it wouldn’t be so easy for the third son and his wife to go to the city.

“Father, Mother, you misunderstand. I’m not angry, just concerned about the Third Sister-in-law’s temperament. I worry that it might lead to unpleasantness during the New Year, which wouldn’t be good. But you both are right; we can’t leave the third brother’s family alone in the village for New Year. Let’s all go to the city and have a lively celebration as a big family.”

Having said this, Su Wenyue’s face regained its smile. Old Man Han and Mrs. Yang both felt that this daughter-in-law was indeed sensible and reasonable, and they felt even guiltier for putting her in this position. They both thought to themselves that they must keep a close watch on the third son and his wife, so they wouldn’t cause trouble for the Fourth Daughter-in-law, or else it would reflect poorly on them as in-laws.

Han Lin remained silent on the side, only showing joy on his face after Han Yu had agreed to let his family join the trip to the city. He also shot Mrs. Wang a warning glare, fearing she might say something out of turn and ruin his opportunity. He now understood that sticking with his youngest brother was his best and most promising course of action.

The decision to go to the city for New Year was thus settled, and not just Han Lin, but Mrs. Liu, Mrs. Li, and the rest of the family were unable to hide their excitement and anticipation.

The family sat together again, discussing New Year arrangements, before finally dispersing.

“Fourth child, Fourth Daughter-in-law, you’ve been busy all day. Rest for a bit, and I’ll call you when it’s time for dinner,” Mrs. Yang said, showing even more kindness toward Su Wenyue.

Su Wenyue nodded, and as everyone left, Mrs. Li remained in her spot, not making a move to leave, and her face showed some difficulty.

“Second Sister-in-law, do you have something you’d like to say to me?” Su Wenyue proactively asked.

“This…” Mrs. Li glanced at Han Yu, who stood next to Su Wenyue, hesitating as if she found it difficult to speak.