After Transmigration, I Picked Up A Husband and Daughter
Chapter 146: No Longer In The World

Chapter 146: Chapter 146: No Longer In The World

She calculated silently in her heart, thinking that if there was sincere remorse, it wouldn’t hurt to show some leniency.

Just as Jiang Ziling had said, there was no reason to be constantly on guard against one’s own family in life. Living perpetually in a state of vigilance and scheming was unbearable for anyone.

Yet, the road to reconciliation was always filled with twists and turns.

Upon hearing Su Yu’s straightforward response, Lady Zhao quickly chimed in, "Ah, it’s wonderful that you think this way! It’s all my old foolishness, I wasn’t good enough to Ziling in the past, which led him to leave home. Now that the misunderstanding is cleared up, you and your husband should bring Xixi and move back in with us, let’s live together."

Su Yu’s heart skipped a beat, suddenly filled with a foreboding feeling.

She looked around, Jiang Ziling’s brows were tightly knitted; Xie Xinghua silently pushed around the grains of rice in her bowl with her head lowered; the children looked puzzled, while the others had various thoughts of their own.

After a moment of deliberation, Su Yu chose to prevaricate for the time being, "Mother, what are you talking about? Aren’t we living together right now, all as one big family?"

Her tone sounded gentle, but it carried an almost imperceptible sense of estrangement.

Seeing that this tactic was ineffective, Lady Zhao hastily added, her smile growing even more brilliant, "Maybe I wasn’t clear. I mean that as a family, we should make decisions together on everything, big or small, and act unified. It’s only when we’re all bustling about together that it truly feels like a complete family."

Lady Zhao’s proposal sounded warm and wonderful, but to Su Yu, it seemed so impractical.

How could Jiang Ziling, who had finally become independent after years of difficulty and whose life was getting on track, easily go back to that place which had once made him feel so restrained, to get involved in those endless and complicated family matters? And if the family didn’t differentiate between what was yours and mine, would she be expected to manage everything from daily necessities to their daily routines? Su Yu smiled bitterly to herself; such a thought was like a pipe dream.

Su Yu leaned lazily against the chair back, her eyes holding a hint of disdain as she spoke bluntly, "Jiang Youfu is longer with us, so what’s this about a joyful and united family?"

Her tone was calm yet sharp, obviously intended to touch on the pain that Lady Zhao didn’t want to face, shattering the false peace on the surface.

Lady Zhao’s complexion immediately darkened, anger churning in her eyes, but she struggled to control it, not allowing her emotions to erupt.

The people around, seeing Su Yu’s stubbornness and her somewhat sharp and caustic remarks, couldn’t help but show a look of displeasure.

At this moment, an old man, white-haired just like Uncle Li and seemingly of similar age, stood up. His voice, though tinged with the weight of years, was still strong: "How can you, a daughter-in-law, speak to your mother-in-law like that? Even if Jiang Youfu had many faults, he was still your younger uncle. Not to mention familial affection, out of respect for the deceased alone, aren’t you afraid of divine retribution for speaking so irreverently?"

The old man’s words were both reproachful and carried a teaching tone from an elder.

Su Yu’s gaze shifted as she sized up the unfamiliar yet seemingly respected elder, a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth, "Divine retribution?"

Her tone was tinged with sarcasm, and then she casually continued, "You’re right, the heavens are always fair. Jiang Youfu died an accidental death by drowning; maybe that was the so-called retribution coming his way. As for me, a person who devotes herself to treating and saving people, accumulating good deeds, I should naturally receive the heaven’s protection, living a long and peaceful life. Why would I fear such talk of retribution?"

The elder, upon hearing her words, widened his eyes in shock. Clearly taken aback by Su Yu’s sharp and direct speech, he found himself at a loss for words.

In this small Willow Village, where he was a respected former Village Chief, he had never been so directly challenged, especially not by a young woman.

Uncle Li at her side, having previously benefitted from Su Yu, held a more understanding attitude towards her stance and position.

He knew in his heart that this seemingly indifferent girl had once saved his wife’s life, as for Jiang Youfu’s character... Uncle Li sighed silently, this was indeed a difficult thing to assess.

After all, since the person had passed away, respect should be given.

As the current village chief, Uncle Li was not impressed with some of Lady Zhao’s actions, and his visit was more out of a sense of duty, hoping to reconcile the feud between the two families.

After all, as neighbors, harmony was treasured, and it was easier to resolve disputes than to entangle them further, living under the same roof, having fewer confrontations was always better.

However, witnessing Su Yu’s resolute attitude, he couldn’t help but worry inwardly that this matter might not be easy to resolve.

Seeing everyone at a loss for words after Su Yu’s remarks, Fang Qin became anxious and couldn’t help but stand up to scold, "You woman are indeed too harsh, in what way did my Youfu mistreat you? The man is gone, yet you still speak so coldly!"

Fang Qin’s words were filled with a sense of defensiveness.

Hearing this, Su Yu sneered in her heart.

Yes, they didn’t know what Jiang Youfu had done to her by the river that day.

Well, today, she might as well rip off this veil of shame and reveal the truth to the world.

"How did he mistreat me? Oh, it seems that you really don’t know."

Su Yu’s voice carried a hint of sarcasm, "Not long after my marriage, I encountered a crisis by the river, and the person who plotted against me was Jiang Youfu. He tried to assault me and nearly caused the entire Ziling Village to fall into panic and chaos! Afterwards, harboring hatred, he even barged into my house in the middle of the night, knife in hand, intending to kill all three of us! Tell me, is such deep hatred and grievance not significant enough?"

"Doesn’t such a person deserve to be punished by Heaven?"

Su Yu’s words fell heavily, and the surrounding fell silent; even the experienced Old Village Chief was shocked, as they were completely unaware of these events.

About that incident with Jiang Ziling holding a knife, people only heard it was a misunderstanding that got him knocked out as a suspected thief, but they never imagined that behind it laid such a horrifying story.

Uncle Li looked at the village chief, exchanging glances full of astonishment, unable to express the shock they were feeling, as behind this family grudge lay such intricate entanglements.

Lady Zhao’s eyes seemed lit by a sudden realization as she muttered in a low voice, each word tinged with disbelief, "So you mean to say, that day when Youfu came back disheveled and humiliated, that disgraceful scene, it was also your... carefully planned scheme?"

Su Yu’s expression remained calm, but a sharp light flashed in her eyes as she admitted without any attempt to hide, "That’s right, it was my doing. If he did not learn his lesson and continued to indulge his lust, then it was inevitable for him to be taught a lesson."

"You... you this..."

Lady Zhao, beyond shock, trembled, her finger pointing directly at Su Yu, the tip quivering unconsciously with anger.

In Lady Zhao’s heart, there was not only rage but also profound helplessness and sorrow—if none of this had happened, how could Youfu have harbored resentment from that public humiliation, leading him down a harmful path and, in the end, to a deranged outcome from drowning.

Meanwhile, Fang Qin, seeing the atmosphere controlled by Su Yu, had a flash of shrewdness in her eye,