Village Belle Chapter 154
Translated by Digitalian (ko-fi)
Chapter 154: I Like Milksop Much More Than You
Su Jinbao and Su Laicai were no longer young. They knew that their mother protected them the most in the family, and they didn't want to stay in the Su family.
They wanted to be like Su Tao, able to go wherever they wanted without worrying about being scolded or beaten.
Both of them nodded.
Mrs. Su-Qian looked at them as if they had defied the heavens. "Get out, get out right now! Do you think you're like Su Fu and his family, who have the Xie family backing you up? Dream on."
Mrs. Su-Jin gritted her teeth, grabbed her two sons, and turned to leave.
When they were almost at the door, Su Dagui, who hadn't said a word, shouted, "What are you making a scene about now? Come back here!"
Mrs. Su-Jin pretended not to hear him. The Su family members had been mistreating them. She grabbed her two sons and ran out, but didn’t know where to go after running a distance.
Her family had helped her too much these past few years, and her sisters-in-law were starting to complain.
She thought for a moment, then headed toward Su Tao's house.
Just then, she bumped into Lin Sanzhu. The two didn't get along, and Lin Sanzhu, pulling Su Dou along, was about to walk around them.
Unexpectedly, Mrs. Su-Jin suddenly knelt on the ground, pleading, "Sister-in-law, please take us in! We'll definitely repay you when we have the money."
Lin Sanzhu was startled and quickly dodged. She shrieked, "What are you doing? Get up!"
"Sister-in-law, I was wrong before. I apologize. Please take us in!" Mrs. Su-Jin slapped herself twice, trying to soften Lin Sanzhu’s heart.
Lin Sanzhu refused outright, "Don't do this. Our family can’t even fend for ourselves." With that, she grabbed Su Dou and ran away.
Back home, she immediately closed the door. Su Tao's eyes widened. "That wretched old woman is here again?"
"No, your aunt was kicked out, and she asked me to take them in, but I refused. She didn't help me back then." Lin Sanzhu felt aggrieved whenever she recalled those years.
Hearing this, Su Tao quickly stood up. "Mother, take them in."
Mrs. Su-Jin definitely had nowhere to go. If she couldn't make ends meet in a couple of days, she'd definitely go back to the Su family.
That wretched old woman would be smug again.
She had to get rid of everyone Mrs. Su Qian could control.
"What did you say?" Lin Sanzhu's eyes widened.
Su Tao nudged her. "Mother, call them over first. I'll tell you later. Don't worry, I won't do anything to my disadvantage."
Compared to Mrs. Su Qian, Mrs. Su-Jin was insignificant; she could tolerate her.
Lin Sanzhu didn't know what she was up to, but half-heartedly, she left the courtyard to find Mrs. Su-Jin.
Mrs. Su-Jin was still kneeling and crying, which made Lin Sanzhu sigh. Life in the Su family was truly difficult.
"Sister-in-law, come home with me."
Hearing the voice, Mrs. Su-Jin looked up in disbelief, then kowtowed repeatedly. "Thank you, sister-in-law."
Lin Sanzhu felt inexplicably better. She had always been suppressed by her sister-in-law, and had always felt aggrieved. Seeing Mrs. Su-Jin like this, she naturally felt appeased.
The group returned to Su Tao's house. Su Tao gave a written contract to Mrs. Su Jin. "Aunt, we can't take you in for nothing. We'll charge you three hundred coins a month."
"We know you don't have any money right now, so we're not in a hurry to collect. I can introduce Su Jinbao to work. The Xie family is hiring people to repair the village road for thirty coins a day."
Hearing the first part, Mrs. Su-Jin's face paled slightly, but upon hearing the second part, she was overjoyed. "Really?"
"Of course it's true, I don't lie. But if Su Jinbao slacks off at work, then it isn’t my fault."
As soon as Su Tao said this, Su Jinbao quickly assured her, "I won't be lazy, cousin, don't worry." His face turned red as he said this.
He had become more sensible in recent years and understood some things.
Su Tao glanced at him. Now he looked decent. She waved her hand. "No need to thank me."
"I have one more request. You can't go back to the Su family. If you can't do that, then forget it."
Without hesitation, Mrs. Su-Jin said, "Taozi, we won't go back, absolutely not."
"Su Jinbao, put your handprint on the contract then." Su Tao passed the paper to Su Jinbao.
Su Jinbao could read a little, and it took him a while to understand before he pressed his handprint.
Su Tao took it and put it away. "Mom, clean up the attic for them to live in."
Last year, there was no place to store grain, so they removed the roof and added an attic.
Lin Sanzhu glared at her. Her wretched daughter thought she was in charge of the house now? But thinking of the three hundred copper coins, she nodded. As long as they weren’t going to leech off them, it was fine.
Mrs. Su-Jin and her children followed Lin Sanzhu to clean the attic for a long time. When Su Fu returned and learned about it, he didn't say anything.
He was honest by nature.
Knowing she was living under someone else's roof, Mrs. Su-Jin went to the kitchen to cook before Lin Sanzhu could speak. Lin Sanzhu didn't dislike her as much as before and helped her.
Seeing Mrs. Su-Jin scoop a bowl of rice, clearly intending to cook like when she was living with the Su family, Lin Sanzhu quickly said, "One bowl isn't enough, make it five. My wretched daughter won't let us eat porridge. She complains for ages every time I cook it."
Mrs. Su-Jin was stunned, somewhat incredulous. "Five bowls? Plain rice?"
"Yes."
Seeing her like this, Lin Sanzhu couldn't help but say a few more words to her, "I used to think that moving out meant starving to death, but later I realized that it’s a good thing. As long as the family isn't lazy, having enough to eat is no problem."
Mrs. Su-Jin's eyes reddened, not caring if Lin Sanzhu laughed at her, and she said softly, "I'm not as lucky as you, sister-in-law. Su He is a scumbag."
If Su He had protected her, she wouldn't have had such a hard time in the Su family.
Lin Sanzhu knew Su He's character perfectly well. "Who’s lucky? You didn't see how angry Taozi had made me all those years."
"It's not Taozi's fault..."
Lin Sanzhu knew what Mrs. Su-Jin meant. Su Tao was infuriating because she was driven mad by the beatings and was mentally unstable.
After steaming the rice, Lin Sanzhu started making tofu. Su Tao rushed in, whining, "Mom, save me two bowls of soy milk. Xie Yuntang will be back later."
"Don't use Yuntang as an excuse. Just say you want it."
Lin Sanzhu glared at her, but still ladled out two bowls of soy milk for her. Su Tao kissed her. "Mom, you're so sweet. Can you put two spoonfuls of sugar in it too?"
Su Zhi and Su Dou liked to steal sugar, so Lin Sanzhu hid it. She said irritably, "Go get it from the drawer in my room."
"Okay."
Su Tao took the soy milk and went out. Just as she put in the sugar, she saw Xie Yuntang arrive.
"Milksop, come here. I saved some soy milk for you."
Xie Yuntang, still carrying the food container, strode over upon hearing this. "Thank you, Sister Taozi."
"Don't mention it. Drink it quickly, or Su Zhi will kick a fuss when he gets back."
Su Tao had just finished speaking when Su Zhi came running in. Su Zhi, with sharp eyes, ran over and said, "I want some too."
Su Tao glared at him, fed Su Dou half of the drink, and then drank it all herself in one gulp. "There's none for you. Ask Mom for some yourself."
Su Zhi was already used to it and pouted. "Sister, you really are my sister. You always leave some for Brother Yuntang and not for me. You're so biased."
Su Tao grinned and said, "I can't help it. I like him much more than you."
