novelraw Chapter 256: What Are They Disdainful About?
Chapter 256: What Are They Disdainful About?
If Chen Shulan hadn’t pulled him back and shot him a warning glance, he probably would have called Xu Su out to scold her right then and there.
He huffed loudly, the sound carrying through the door, but Xu Su paid it no mind.
Early on the morning of New Year’s Eve, Chen Shulan knocked on her door. Apparently having completely forgotten yesterday’s unpleasantness, she wore an expression suggesting that mothers and daughters don’t hold grudges. "Hurry and get ready. We’re going to your grandparents’ house for the New Year again this year."
Xu Su gave a quiet "okay." She had no intention of stirring up trouble on New Year’s.
By the time she was ready and the family of four headed out, Xu Weiping was still simmering with anger over the previous night’s events, his face stern and sullen.
Xu Su pretended not to notice. Laden with bags of all sizes, the family took a bus to the old Xu family home.
Before they even stepped inside, they could hear lively chatter from within. Xu Su paused, surprised. For the past two years, Xu Xiaogu had only come for New Year visits on the second day of the festival. This year, she had actually brought her husband and two daughters back to her parents’ home for the holiday.
When they saw the family arrive, the men of the Xu Family who had been warming themselves by the fire in the main hall, along with Xu Xiaogu’s husband, all stood up to greet them. They froze for a moment upon seeing Xu Su, then greeted her, their warmth tinged with an unreadable quality.
After only a moment’s confusion, Xu Su understood.
’It was most likely the fallout from that incident in Kang County. Xu Weiping and his wife must have told the Xu Family about their daughter befriending a man with a powerful background.’
’And now, Xu Xiaogu had even made a point of bringing her whole family back for the New Year. Seeing the entire family’s strange attitude, what was there not to understand? They probably just wanted to see if they could leech off her for some benefits.’
Even Xu Hao and his brother, who had always looked down on Xu Su, were pushed forward by Xu Weiguo and his wife to reluctantly call out, "Sister."
It was the first time in three years her two cousins had called her "Sister." Xu Su felt nothing at all. In fact, she almost wanted to laugh.
For that matter, her own younger brother, Xu Yang, had never once called her that. Every time he saw her, he would just scowl with disdain.
And yet he always acted as if she owed him, as if she was supposed to curry his favor, always ordering her around as if it were his right.
’In her past life, she had been a fool, insisting on being a doormat, desperately trying to curry favor with the entire family only to be met with cold indifference. Later, they sold her off without a second thought. And even then, that family, with an air of utter entitlement, wanted to cling to her and suck the blood she’d earned by selling her body. It was utterly disgusting.’
Hearing the commotion in the outer hall, Xu Xiaogu came out of the kitchen with her two daughters. She, too, stared at Xu Su for a long moment before giving an awkward greeting and telling her daughters to do the same.
The sisters, Zhang Yingying and Zhang Tingting, were still frail and thin. Like little chicks, they chirped, "Cousin."
Xu Su nodded, offering a small smile in return. She didn’t hold any ill will toward the two sisters.
After telling Xu Su to take a seat in the main hall, Chen Shulan put on an apron and bustled off to the kitchen to help.
And so, aside from Mrs. Xu, Xu Su became the only woman in the old house who was just sitting around waiting for the meal.
She had no intention of standing on ceremony. She rolled up her sleeves and held her hands over the charcoal fire to warm them, revealing the watch on her wrist.
Xu Su used to only wear the watch Xi Zirong had given her, but the leather strap had cracked last month. She hadn’t had time to take it to a shop for a replacement, so she was now wearing the one from Shen Chen.
The band was rose gold, and the face was simple yet elegant. It sparkled brightly on her pale wrist; even someone with no eye for luxury could tell the watch wasn’t cheap.
Xu Hao’s eyes lit up instantly. He asked Xu Su bluntly, "Where did you buy that watch? How much was it?"
He had always wanted a watch of his own. And while the band on Xu Su’s watch was rose gold, the overall design wasn’t too feminine. It wouldn’t look out of place on a man.
Xu Su shot him a glance and didn’t intend to answer, but Mr. Xu, who was sitting nearby, chimed in on behalf of his eldest grandson. Only then did she reply, "It was a gift. I don’t know how much it cost."
A look of disdain flashed in Xu Hao’s eyes, but he said, "Then give this one to me. Just have that person send you another one."
"It’s rare for Haohao to ask you for anything," Mrs. Xu, who had always doted on her eldest grandson, chimed in from the side. "As his older sister, you have so many nice things; you can spare this one." She glanced at Xu Su, her eyes flashing with the exact same disdain as Xu Hao’s. "Just give the watch to Haohao."
Xu Su’s eyes widened in disbelief at the shameless demand. She refused decisively. "No."
Mrs. Xu’s face fell. "Does a grandmother’s word mean nothing to you now? Your father said you’d gotten defiant, and I didn’t believe him. I didn’t expect it to actually be true!"
Xu Su laughed out of sheer anger. Just as she was about to speak, Xu Weiping grabbed her arm. With a stern face, he scolded, "Go to the kitchen and lend a hand! Sitting around waiting to be served at your age—what kind of manners are those!"
Xu Weiping was also a little annoyed at his daughter’s stinginess. But seeing things were getting ugly, he didn’t want the family to antagonize his daughter, nor did he want to lose his authority as a father in front of everyone. He thought his words were defusing the situation for Xu Su.
Unfortunately, Xu Su wasn’t about to appreciate the "favor." She stood up, glanced at the varied expressions on her family’s faces, and walked toward the kitchen without a word.
From behind her, she heard Mr. Xu’s cold huff. "Second Son, what a fine daughter you’ve raised! She doesn’t even know how to respect her elders, and she’s supposed to be a student at a prestigious high school."
Xu Su clenched her fists. ’Thinking back on their attitude—a strange mix of disdain and enthusiasm—she couldn’t make sense of it. What were they so disdainful about?’
In the kitchen, Chen Shulan was busy preparing the New Year’s Eve reunion dinner. When she saw Xu Su come in, she assumed her daughter had come to her senses and was offering to help. She smiled, praised her briefly, and told her to wash the vegetables.
Xu Su rolled up her sleeves, took off her watch, and set it by the sink. In silence, she began to pluck the leaves from the vegetables.
As her hands soaked in the icy water, Xu Su suddenly came to her senses. ’She really was a glutton for punishment. She knew exactly what this family was like from her past life, yet she still stubbornly refused to give up hope.’
’Always holding out hope for a familial affection that never existed, only to be disappointed time and time again, yet still unwilling to completely despair.’
She kept washing until her fingers were red and raw. During that time, the phone in her jacket pocket vibrated several times, but with her hands wet, she couldn’t take it out to check. After she finished washing the last bunch of garlic sprouts, Xu Su dried her frozen hands, pulled out her phone, and walked outside.
There were several unread text messages. One was from Huang Feng, and a few classmates had sent New Year’s greetings.
Zhou Mochen had also sent a text, asking if she could meet him in the afternoon.
Xu Su was about to reply when a call came in.
It was from Shen Chen...
She glanced at the time. It was a little past eleven, nearly lunchtime. ’Why was he calling her now?’ After a moment’s hesitation, Xu Su answered the call.
"What are you up to? Took you long enough to answer," Young Master Shen’s voice came through, tinged with its usual playful nonchalance.
"Nothing." Xu Su stood in the courtyard, staring at the orange tree in front of her. She could feel several pairs of eyes on her back, and her mood was far from good.