Gu Jiaojiao tossed aside her melon seeds, walked over, and gently patted Su’s mother on the back. She was very satisfied with her mother-in-law’s attitude.

"But Dongni said she’s going to bring her parents-in-law to our house after the autumn harvest.

Jiaojiao, you might not know Dongni’s personality. All she cares about is her husband’s family; she wishes she could move everything from our house to theirs.

Right now, she’s living in our Su family’s ancestral home with her in-laws, and she even gave her own house to her husband’s younger brother so he could get married.

Back then, Chi was so badly injured that he refused to even step outside, let alone go back to our hometown. That’s why we didn’t plan on returning.

I’m not afraid of Dongni coming here. I’m just afraid she’ll come and make a huge scene, affecting your and Chi’s reputation.

Otherwise, I’d take a broom and chase her out myself. But then everyone would point fingers at you two.

It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t been soft-hearted and sent her those clothes, she wouldn’t have latched onto us like this!"

Su’s mother’s voice caught in a sob as she spoke, her tone heavy with dissatisfaction toward her daughter, Dongni.

Hearing this, a flicker of displeasure crossed Su Shuochi’s face. The situation his mom described was indeed tricky to handle.

She was his biological sister, after all—his parents’ own daughter. If they disowned her, people would definitely accuse them of turning their backs on their own family.

When Gu Jiaojiao heard this, the corners of her lips curled into a cold smile. ’It doesn’t matter what era it is; people always assume the weaker party is in the right. They always sympathize with the underdog.’

"Mom, just start ignoring her from now on. The autumn harvest is still three months away. She’ll probably have lost interest by then."

What she didn’t say was that, at most, Su Dongcao would just call and make a few demands.

She would block Su Dongcao’s phone number later, so it could no longer get through.

A ruthless glint flashed in Gu Jiaojiao’s eyes. She despised people who wouldn’t let things go.

Seeing her daughter-in-law speak so confidently, Su’s mother felt a little better. Mr. Su was also urging her to go knead dough to make buns to sell the next morning.

They had all known hardship, so they would never let an opportunity to earn money slip away.

Gu Jiaojiao also needed to apply the silver needles and set up the IV drip for Su Shuochi, so the couple went to wash up first.

Although Su Dongcao’s call had soured the Su family’s mood, it didn’t have a lasting impact; everyone had their own tasks to attend to.

After parting ways with Gu Jiaojiao, Sheng Shiwu rushed home to find his parents arguing. No one had even started making dinner.

"Dad, Mom, why are you two fighting again? I’ve never seen you argue before. You must be hungry. I’ll go cook some noodles for you."

"Thanks, Xiao Wu."

"Don’t bother cooking. Your dad has made me so angry I’ve lost my appetite. I don’t want to eat," Mrs. Sheng said sullenly.

"Mom, you’ve gotten so thin lately. You have to eat something. Please don’t be angry. I’ll go make you some noodles."

Sheng Shiwu suppressed his inner rage and spoke calmly. He bitterly regretted rushing back home.

’If I had gone with Jiaojiao to the Su family’s place, I’d be eating a hot meal right now. Wouldn’t that have been nice?’

Hearing her third son’s concerned voice, Mrs. Sheng was so moved that tears streamed down her face.

’My daughter suffered the bitterest hardships imaginable, and now she cries every day over her problems with Song Zijin.

Yueyue was always as delicate and pitiable as a white lotus, deserving of love. What was so wrong with me favoring her a little more?

Even my own husband won’t try to understand me. Why is my life so hard!

I’m a failure as a wife and a failure as a mother. I’ve truly failed my daughter.’

From birth until Sheng Yueyue’s return, Mrs. Sheng had lived a very good life. At her parents’ home, she was doted on by her parents and two older brothers.

She was beautiful, and after graduating, she joined the cultural troupe and was pursued by many outstanding and talented young men.

In the end, she chose the most handsome and promising young man, Mr. Sheng, and married him.

Mr. Sheng married the goddess of his dreams, and in the second year of their marriage, they had a big, healthy baby boy. He was also very happy.

Therefore, Mr. Sheng always treated his wife wonderfully. He had spent the better part of his life cherishing her, his elegant and beautiful wife.

After getting married, Mrs. Sheng’s life was smooth sailing. She gave birth to three sons and a daughter in succession. You could say she was on top of the world. How could she not have been happy?

Unfortunately, her bad luck began the moment she learned that the daughter she had raised for almost eighteen years was not her biological child.

Mr. Sheng looked at his tearful wife. Although she was middle-aged, she still had her charm. After all, she was the woman he loved.

And so, Mr. Sheng tried to reason with her patiently. "Cui Ping, you have to stop being so delusional. The way you blindly spoil Yueyue...

...isn’t helping her, it’s ruining her. What she asked for this time was completely out of line. You really don’t know that?"

"What’s so out of line? We raised that ungrateful wretch, Gu Jiaojiao! What’s so unreasonable about asking her to come visit Shi Wen?"

"Yueyue wanted to trick Jiaojiao into coming to the hospital, drug her, and send her to Song Zijin’s bed! You’re telling me you really didn’t know?"

Mr. Sheng roared. He had only learned this after grilling his second son. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Even Xiao Wen knew. He refused to believe his wife was in the dark.

That’s why he was absolutely furious. But no matter how angry he became, he didn’t hit Mrs. Sheng. She was, after all, the woman he loved, and he couldn’t bring himself to lay a hand on her.

’Come to think of it, our biological daughter is strange. It’s as if Yueyue was born inherently interested in everything that belonged to Jiaojiao.

Jiaojiao’s childhood sweetheart, Song Zijin—Yueyue snatched him away just like that. She had to steal her parents’ love and the love of her three brothers as well.

I saw through Yueyue’s little schemes from the start. Back then, I thought that since Yueyue had suffered so much...

...we should be more tolerant of her. To make her happy, I even went so far as to publicly disown Jiaojiao in the newspaper.

But it didn’t make her happy. I just can’t figure out what’s wrong with my own daughter. It’s like she’s sick in the head.’

Mrs. Sheng was deeply shaken when she heard her husband’s words, but her shock lasted barely a second.

Once her heart was set against someone, it didn’t matter how good Gu Jiaojiao was; in her eyes, Jiaojiao was less appealing than dog shit on the ground.

But for her biological daughter, Yueyue, anything she did, no matter how outrageous, could be justified. So, after a moment of shock...

...she roared at her husband, "Since you knew, you were bound to stop it. And if you were going to stop it, what was there to be afraid of?

So what’s wrong with just going along with Yueyue’s plan and calling that ungrateful wretch to the hospital?

But no, you had to send our daughter back to the Song Family in front of all those people. Do you have any idea how much that hurt her?

Besides, Gu Jiaojiao has always wanted to be with Song Zijin. Our Yueyue was just being kind..."

"Enough! Ren Cuiping, you’ve gone mad! When did you become this irrational?"

Mr. Sheng cut his wife off, his voice filled with pain.

He looked at the hysterical woman before him. ’She’s a complete stranger. She’s mad. My daughter’s mad, and now my wife is mad, too.

Yueyue didn’t grow up with us, after all. She really turned out wrong. If I’d known this is how she was, I’d wish she never came back.

I regret giving up on Jiaojiao so much. She was so brilliant... the daughter I’d poured my heart into raising.

How could I have just given up on her like that!’

Sheng Shiwu, listening from the kitchen, was utterly shocked by what his parents were saying. ’Mom’s definitely gone mad...’