The Female Cannon Fodder With Boundless Merits
Chapter 490 - 494 Unrivaled Under the Heavens (Six)

Chapter 490: Chapter 494 Unrivaled Under the Heavens (Six)

Su Li had been through much and had seen the depths of human nature.

Good, evil... Whether it be familial love, friendship, or romantic love, the interactions between people—whether kind or cruel—inevitably revolved around one word.

A word that encompassed all: "benefit."

When benefits lead, nothing is impossible to happen.

If the benefit at hand does not move the other party, then it surely is because the offered benefit is not enough.

Love can deteriorate, friendships can be betrayed, and family bonds can be severed.

In this world, there is no such thing as affection without desire.

The pure motherly love a mother feels for her newborn child demands effort, time, and emotional investment, but ultimately, she too hopes for a return.

People always say, "Raise sons for your old age, raise sons for your old age."

This is the "benefit" parents expect in return for their familial love.

The original owner had nothing to her name except for the failing body she was born with.

Everything she possessed was given by the Su Family.

The truth was, even if she were to enter into a marriage alliance, no other family would accept her.

If it weren’t for Young Master Liu personally agreeing to their engagement, it’s likely that even if the original owner hadn’t died suddenly, no one would have wanted to marry her.

The more it was like this, the more Su Li couldn’t understand why Mrs. Su could go against her own feelings to dote on the former self.

How huge must the benefits have been for Su Yao to overlook her sister’s plight and pretend ignorance?

As for the master of the Su Residence, as well as Old Master Su and the Old Madam, she hadn’t met them yet, so it remained to be seen if these two were the same as Mrs. Su, feigning affection insincerely.

But what could be confirmed was that the original owner’s sudden death was definitely not unrelated to these people.

It was nothing more than her smashing the medicine bowl, and one by one, they all showed their true colors.

That medicinal broth indeed had some "nice additions" in it.

An ordinary person would at most feel poorly for a few days, but for Su Li’s frail body...

She might not die, but the already frail body became even less able to withstand hardship.

Who knew how long she had been drinking this adulterated medicine.

No wonder, despite ingesting many precious medicinal herbs, the original owner kept falling ill every few days.

Based on the rate at which her body was weakening, she was clearly not going to live past twenty.

Yet, the original owner passed away at sixteen, and what’s more, it happened just as she felt slightly better, without any warning, going to sleep and never waking up.

What made the person behind the scenes change their mind?

By dinner time, she also met the two individuals, Old Master Su and the Old Madam.

Changing their usual practice of having the meals taken to the room, Aunt Hong—who was favored by the Old Madam—conveyed her wish for Su Li to join them for dinner in the main hall.

With a playful smile, Su Li agreed, changed into a set of clothes, and followed them.

Previously, the original owner also dined with everyone else but ate bland food and at a slow pace; while she chewed a mouthful, others had already helped themselves to second servings.

The Su Family rose to prominence under Old Master Su’s direction, and although the Old Madam had since become the Old Sealed Lord, the innate personality formed by years of wealth hadn’t been altered.

Having been unable to afford meat in her youth, she grew to favor greasy, meaty dishes in her old age and couldn’t stand to watch the original owner eat as slowly and carefully as a kitten.

Although she never voiced it, the original owner was sensitive, contemplative, and dutiful—especially to her grandmother who always showed her warmth and concern—naturally, she didn’t want to make her grandmother uncomfortable.

The original owner suggested eating in her room herself, a habit she took up at ten years old and maintained to this day.

It has been nearly six years, and everyone had been at ease.

Unexpectedly, today they had the trouble of asking Aunt Hong to come, probably because it related to her "drastic change in temperament."

At her movement, all kinds of deities and divine beasts popped out.

How wonderful!!!

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When Su Li arrived, all the masters from her residence were already there.

Su Qingqing sat to the left and Su Zhi to the right of the Old Madam, chatting about something that had the Old Madam laughing nonstop.

The outfit that Su Li had forcefully made Su Qingqing wear had been changed. This time, she did not show off, wearing simple everyday clothes that were neither flashy nor plain, but comfortably fitting.

Her originally stunning appearance had been toned down a bit, showing a touch of docility.

Su Yao sat next to Old Master Su, forming a circle of their own.

They were discussing serious matters of the court, and Old Master Su occasionally offered his guidance to Su Yao, his eyes showing approval and satisfaction.

Mrs. Su, however, didn’t sit down with them. Instead, she stood behind them with a smile on her face, serving food to the Old Madam and Old Master Su with gentle grace.

Given the Su Family’s current status, Mrs. Su, as the housekeeper, really didn’t need to humble herself and do such things.

But since the day she married into the Su Family, she had always insisted on doing so.

Her persistence was not in vain, as the Old Madam and Old Master Su greatly appreciated it.

In practical terms, over the years, aside from a few common chambers, Old Master Su had taken no concubines.

Although the Old Madam was displeased within, she had not imposed anyone on her son’s residence. It was clear that Mrs. Su had very much pleased both the Old Master and Old Madam.

Upon seeing Su Li, the Old Madam called out endearingly, sizing her up with a worried look and called out a few more times with concern.

"My Ah Lee has suffered... The skirt you are wearing, is it newly made? It looks lovely."

The Old Madam’s eyes flickered, meaningfully glancing towards Mrs. Su’s direction, "Dress like this in the future."

Mrs. Su’s smile froze at the corners of her mouth, her hand holding the chopsticks tightened.

She knew this was a warning from her mother-in-law.

It was just a pregnant maid. If dealt with, then dealt with. Even the master hadn’t said much, but the Old Madam...

After all these years of humbling herself to win her favor, she had still not warmed the Old Madam’s heart. For a moment, Mrs. Su felt dispirited and uneasy.

Suddenly, her hand was stealthily squeezed by Old Master Su, and the unexpected discontent was replaced by a sweet emotion.

Su Yao observed the secret interaction between his father and mother, but pretended to be unaware.

Su Li took in the expressions of everyone present. In addition to that, Su Qingqing’s eyes were fixed on Su Li, her lips pursed, and her teeth clenched, like a volcano ready to erupt.

All because Su Li was wearing the Floral Skirt that had been dirtied.

On Su Li’s body, the skirt neutralized the sickly pallor on her face. Her usually pale complexion now had a glow, making her unexpectedly attractive.

It was then that Su Qingqing realized for the first time that her elder sister’s appearance was truly top-notch.

Indeed, among the Su Family’s children, there was no one who wasn’t pleasing to the eye. Old Master Su was also handsome, and Su Yao had even been designated as the third place by the Holy Mountain, which attested to his outstanding look.

As Su Yao’s own younger sister, how could Su Li’s appearance be any less? Even she herself outshone her sisters whenever she went out.

But what unsettled Su Qingqing the most was that Su Li’s appearance seemed to be even more beautiful than hers.

The others also noticed the change in Su Li. The difference of just one skirt made the person in front of them seem like a completely different individual.

In truth, what they said wasn’t wrong—the person within had indeed changed.