Chapter 53 - 53: Breaking Face

Translator: 549690339

Han Yu was thinking about how to counteract Mrs. Wang’s schemes, but a twitch appeared in the corner of his eye when he heard Su Wenyue’s remarks. It really took some skill to spout nonsense, especially to do it so earnestly and seriously. Indeed, his wife could be considered quite a talent.

Mrs. Wang, who had been planning to cry and complain, suddenly froze, her premeditated scene disrupted. For a moment, she didn’t know whether to keep kneeling or to stand up. Thinking of her elder brother waiting at home for her to bring silver, Mrs. Wang steeled her heart and turned to kneel before Old Man Han and Mrs. Yang.

“Father, Mother, I implore you to have Fourth younger sibling save my big brother. He’s my only elder brother; if anything happens to him, what will my parents do? Pity the child in my womb, barely two months along. If anything happens to your maternal family, Mother won’t want to live either. My son, if that’s the case, you’ll follow your mother; after all, your father’s family doesn’t care whether you live or die. Oh, how unfortunate we are!”

“Be quiet! What nonsense are you spouting? If my eldest grandson were to truly suffer, you wouldn’t be allowed to stay with our Han Family anymore!” Mrs. Yang abhorred anyone speaking ill of her eldest grandson. The color drained from her face when she heard Mrs. Wang’s words, and she scolded her. Mrs. Yang, however, had to be cautious and turned to look at Su Wenyue.

“Fourth Daughter-in-law, look at this. The Third Daughter-in-law has really been pushed into a corner, and after all, we’re all one family. Maybe…” Mrs. Yang trailed off, uncomfortable with continuing, likely realizing her request was excessive. However, everyone understood her implication: Su Wenyue was expected to help Mrs. Wang’s elder brother pay off his gambling debts.

“What do you mean by this, Mother? Third Sister-in-law is in dire straits, so you put pressure on me? What have I done wrong to have you calculate against me time and time again, never letting go, just because I’m easygoing? Even my Third Sister-in-law’s family affairs are my responsibility—why?!”

“Fourth Daughter-in-law, I… uh…” Mrs. Yang felt ashamed at Su Wenyue’s questioning. She was only concerned about her eldest grandson, but indeed there was no reasonable argument as Fourth Daughter-in-law had made it clear that the affairs of the Third Daughter-in-law’s family had nothing to do with her. How could she still interfere in such matters? But Mrs. Wang was making a fuss, refusing to let go of Fourth Daughter-in-law, especially when Mrs. Wang was pregnant.

“Fourth younger sister-in-law, we are family after all. Sister-in-law is truly out of options. Just think of it as me begging you. I was wrong before for targeting you. Please help me, can’t you? Forget about doing it for me; think of your unborn nephew,” Mrs. Wang said as she tried to grab Su Wenyue’s hand, but Su Wenyue swiftly dodged behind Han Yu, not even allowing her sleeve to be touched.

It wasn’t that Su Wenyue was overly suspicious; she couldn’t afford to give Mrs.

Wang any opportunity to frame her. And based on her knowledge of Mrs. Wang, Su Wenyue reckoned that if Mrs. Wang did manage to grab her hand, a scene of being pushed down after a failed appeal to the sister-in-law would likely ensue. She had seen such dramas before, and had even played such a role while at the Mansion. This was a clichéd but effective tactic.

If things really went as she imaged, even if she had nothing to do with Mrs. Wang’s elder brother’s affairs, a scheme by Mrs. Wang could cost her fifty taels of silver, or perhaps even more.

Mrs. Wang’s grasp met air, and a shadow flitted across her eyes. She hadn’t expected Su Wenyue to be so wary, leaving her no room to operate. If things continued like this, getting the silver would be very difficult.

“Mrs. Su, what are you doing? Can’t you see my wife is pregnant? Not only did you not support her when she came over, you even dodged. If anything happens, can you bear the consequences?” Han Lin was displeased as he watched Su Wenyue dodge and began to berate her.

If Xiao Xi were there, she would undoubtedly have backed Su Wenyue up against Han Lin. But as Xiao Xi had been sent out on an errand by Su Wenyue, Han Yu, seeing Han Lin raising his voice against his wife, was displeased,

“Third brother, that’s enough.”

“Fourth child, don’t shield your wife. This isn’t a trivial matter. It’s one thing if your wife doesn’t want to help with Qian Ru’s family issues, but Qian Ru is carrying a child. If something happens to our old Han family’s child, your wife can’t afford to compensate for it. I’ve waited years for a son.”

“Why do you insist on sugarcoating things, Third Brother? I haven’t done anything to wrong you and your wife. Should I just stand there and wait to be framed as Third Sister-in-law eagerly comes at me? Do you think I’m foolish?” “What did you say?”

“Third Brother, can’t you understand what I am saying? Isn’t that the case? Third Sister-in-law is the best at such things. When it comes to acting, she can put on one show after another. It’s better for me to avoid any misunderstanding, lest I get falsely accused. You also mentioned that Third Sister-in-law is carrying the precious grandchild of our Han family. If there is any mishap, I cannot afford to be blamed, so it’s better to keep a distance—for everyone’s sake.”

Since the matter was out in the open, Su Wenyue had no intention of sparing the feelings of the third couple. After all, today’s events wouldn’t end well by her submission alone. With people like Han Lin and Mrs. Wang, the more she gave in, the more they would take advantage. It was better to be straightforward and lay it all out.

“Fourth Daughter-in-law makes sense. I need to keep my distance too, lest someone accidentally gets hurt and blames me—that would be an injustice.” Mrs. Liu was never one to stay quiet, and after watching the drama unfold, she finally saw an opportunity to interject. Even Mrs. Li, usually silent, shifted a few steps after hearing Su Wenyue’s words, thinking it best to stay away from Mrs. Wang.

Mrs. Wang was infuriated, unable to determine whether her anger was due to Su Wenyue seeing through her plot or for leaving her helpless. She felt a severe headache coming on and weakly pressed her forehead.

Mrs. Yang, who was most concerned about Mrs. Wang’s health, had been watching cautiously. Seeing Mrs. Wang like this, she grew anxious and, forgetting her manners, quickly supported Mrs. Wang and sternly addressed Su Wenyue from the perspective of a mother-in-law.

“Fourth Daughter-in-law, knowing full well that Third Daughter-in-law is pregnant, couldn’t you just be a bit accommodating! Besides, with your capabilities, the silver isn’t beyond your reach. Fifty taels mean nothing to you, just consider it a loan to Third Daughter-in-law, and she’ll repay you later. You should lend it to her for the emergency. If Third Daughter-in-law’s pleas aren’t enough, surely my appeal as an old lady will be?!”

As Mrs. Yang uttered these words, Su Wenyue distinctly noticed a look of triumph on Mrs. Wang’s face, as if challenging and threatening her, making Su

Wenyue’s heart ache with fury..