novelraw Chapter 257: "Xu Su! You’re out of your mind!
Chapter 257: "Xu Su! You’re out of your mind!
She asked in a low voice, "Shen Chen, what’s up?"
Shen Chen paused. "It’s New Year’s, isn’t it? Just calling to wish you a Happy New Year. You don’t sound very happy. Who’s bothering you again?"
"No one’s bothering me." Not wanting to take her anger out on him, Xu Su pulled a thorn from the tangerine tree and forced some cheer into her voice. "Happy New Year to you, too. May all your wishes come true and everything go your way."
He chuckled on the other end of the line. "Such sweet words. In that case, Xu, let me get you a New Year’s gift. Is there anything you want? I can’t just take your good wishes for nothing, can I?"
"I don’t want anything. Please don’t." Xu Su’s voice was flat. Thinking of the watch, she couldn’t help but ask, "Shen Chen, how much did that watch you gave me cost?"
"Why the sudden question?" Shen Chen thought for a moment before saying, "It’s been so long, who can remember? I think it was around a hundred thousand yuan or so. Didn’t you say you didn’t want the diamond-encrusted one? Speaking of which, I’ve never seen you wear the one I gave you. Don’t tell me you think it’s too cheap?"
He had come to Chang City several times over the past six months, and on every visit, the watch on Xu Su’s wrist was never the one he had given her.
Xu Su was speechless for a moment. ’A hundred thousand is cheap? I’m just a poor student...’
Shen Chen said, "How about I pick out another one for you? You’re about to start college. What do you say to a better watch as a gift?"
"Don’t!" Xu Su refused immediately. "I’m wearing the one you gave me right now. I don’t need that many."
Shen Chen laughed. "Really? Somehow, I don’t believe you. Take a picture and send it over."
"...Why would I lie to you about that... Just wait. I’ll take a picture for you."
Xu Su hung up abruptly. She was about to take the picture, but when she rolled up her sleeve, her wrist was bare.
She froze, remembering she had taken the watch off and set it by the sink while washing vegetables earlier.
She went to the vegetable sink by the kitchen’s side door, but it wasn’t there. She searched high and low but still couldn’t find it.
"Susu, what are you looking for?" asked Chen Shulan, who was stir-frying some vegetables.
Xu Su looked up at the several busy women. "Mom, Auntie, Younger Auntie, has anyone seen the watch I just put here?"
"I didn’t see it," Chen Shulan said, shaking her head.
"Has anyone else been here, then?"
Xu Xiaogu, who was dicing vegetables at the cutting board, chimed in. "Haohao was wandering around here a little while ago. He said he was hungry and grabbed a rice cake."
Her younger aunt-in-law, Yang Yun, stiffened, and her expression soured.
A cold glint flashed in Xu Su’s eyes as she strode toward the living room.
"Out with it!"
Xu Hao, who was warming himself by the fire, looked innocent. "Out with what?"
Xu Su held out her hand toward him. "The watch. Hand it over."
"What is the matter with you, child?" Before Xu Hao could even speak, Mr. Xu flew into a rage. He shielded his grandson behind him and smacked hard at Xu Su’s outstretched hand. "You never gave Haohao that watch, so how dare you ask him for it?"
Xu Su stared at her now-reddened hand and sneered. "You’ll have to ask your precious grandson about that. I didn’t give it to him, but he’s more than capable of stealing."
"You damn country bumpkin, you’re the thief!"
A boy of fourteen or fifteen is at an age where pride is everything. Xu Hao, who had been smirking smugly at Xu Su from behind his grandfather’s back, was enraged at being called a thief in front of the whole family. He puffed up with anger, lowered his head, and charged straight at her.
Caught completely off guard, Xu Su staggered back from the impact. Before she could even regain her footing, he shoved her again, hard.
"You shameless thing!" Xu Hao shoved Xu Su to the ground and said viciously, "Grandma and Grandpa said it! The money you make as a mistress is for us to spend! If you won’t give it to us, I’ll just take it myself!"
The half-grown boy had no real cunning; he simply blurted out the words he’d heard the adults muttering. At once, the expressions on everyone’s faces changed.
"What nonsense are you spouting!" Xu Weiguo smacked his son hard on the back. "Is that how you speak to your cousin? Apologize! Now!"
He then gave Xu Su an embarrassed smile. "Susu, please don’t take it to heart. He’s just a kid who doesn’t know any better. He’s just spouting nonsense."
"I’m not apologizing!" Xu Hao roared. "That’s exactly what Grandma and Grandpa said! That at such a young age, she’s already gone bad, fooling around with men outside! The money she makes as a mistress is for her younger male cousins to spend! Otherwise, when she can’t get married, we won’t let a woman who has disgraced the family back in this house!"
Xu Weiguo was so furious he looked ready to grab a stick and beat him.
Mrs. Xu quickly jumped in to stop him, pleading that Haohao was still young and didn’t know any better. If he had to hit someone, she said, he should hit her.
The living room descended into chaos.
Mr. Xu’s face remained stony. He let out a cold snort, apparently seeing nothing wrong with what his eldest grandson had said.
Xu Weiping looked at his daughter on the floor and frowned. "Get up. Haven’t you caused enough of an embarrassment?"
Sitting on the floor, Xu Su was completely stunned. She finally understood where that strange feeling she’d had all morning had come from.
’The whole family’s attitude toward her was a mix of disgust and flattery!’
’They thought she was fooling around outside, being some rich man’s "mistress," and they were disgusted by how dirty she was.’
’But they also wanted to leech off the benefits of her being a "mistress," so they couldn’t help but try to suck up to her!’
’It was that very contradiction that made everything feel so bizarre.’
’That included her father, Xu Weiping, and his wife last night. They’d rather play good cop, bad cop than switch rooms. They were probably afraid she was dirty and would contaminate their precious son, weren’t they?’
Xu Su was trembling with rage. She slowly got to her feet and looked around at the twisted, ugly faces of her blood-related "family." She was filled with a burning, directionless anger. Her gaze fell upon the bowl of chicken soup that had just been placed on the dining table. Without a second thought, she grabbed it and flung its contents at Xu Hao, who had run up close to her.
She moved so quickly that no one had time to stop her. The living room was silent for several seconds before being shattered by Xu Hao’s loud sobs.
He was dressed warmly for the dead of winter, and Xu Su hadn’t thrown it directly at his face. The large bowl of chicken soup didn’t injure Xu Hao, but it soaked his new jacket. He stood stunned for a few seconds before breaking into a loud wail.
His crying finally jolted everyone else into action.
"Xu Su! Have you lost your mind!"
Xu Weiping—who hadn’t moved a muscle when his own daughter was shoved to the ground and insulted—rushed over and slapped Xu Su hard across the face. "Have you no respect for your elders? You latch onto some rich man and suddenly you forget your own family name? Look at what you’ve become! How dare you throw scalding hot soup on your cousin? Are you trying to kill him?!"
Seeing her eldest grandson splattered with soup, Mrs. Xu was beside herself. She started pinching and cursing at Xu Su. "We raised a shameless, worthless thing like you! If you’ve sold yourself, then fine, but you don’t even know to look out for your own cousin! You’re trying to kill him! Throwing scalding soup just like that! I’d like to see who’ll be there to take care of you when you’re old and alone!"
"Mom, that’s enough, that’s enough. Let Second Brother handle this. It’s his family’s business," Xu Weiguo said, quickly pulling his mother back. Though his own son had been doused with hot soup, he barely maintained his composure. His words to Xu Weiping, however, were cold. "Second Brother, you’re the head of this family. I’m sure you can manage your own daughter."