IV. The Daughter-in-law Acknowledged by the Wang Family

“Enough.” The old man’s voice boomed like a bell. “Let the Wang family speak for themselves.” With that, he turned and walked into the firewood room.

Su Chen was furious, shooting Su Wan a meaningful look, urging her to follow him outside.

Just as Su Wan was about to speak, the old man emerged from the firewood room, carrying a dust-covered Phoenix-brand bicycle with a sturdy frame. He wiped the seat clean with his sleeve. “The injury on your head could be serious or minor. We’d better go to the city for a proper checkup.”

Before he could wheel the bicycle out, two people suddenly appeared at the gate—it was Wang Luo and his father.

Wang Luo’s father, quick to act, helped carry the bicycle outside. “Uncle Su, where are you heading?”

The old man shot him a withering glare and said nothing.

Seeing the response, Wang Luo’s father hurriedly kicked his son. “Aren’t you going to greet your grandfather?”

Though reluctant, Wang Luo greeted the old man with proper respect.

Wang Luo’s father turned to Su Wan. “Xiao Wan, my boy is young and doesn’t know any better. If he’s said anything out of line, please don’t take it to heart. Our family has already chosen you. We won’t be letting any disreputable woman into our house.”

Before he could finish, Wang Luo cut in, “Wan Jun is not some disreputable woman! She’s wonderful. She’s the one I love, and in this life, she’s the only one I’ll marry.”

Such heartfelt words left everyone in the courtyard visibly shaken.

Su Chen nearly leapt up. “If you’re marrying someone else, that’s your business. Give back what our family gave you!”

This was precisely what Wang Luo’s father dreaded hearing. At once, he swung and delivered a crisp slap to his son’s face.

“What nonsense are you spouting? This household isn’t yours to command!”

Wang Luo, stubborn as ever, stuck out his neck and shouted again, “I insist on breaking off the engagement! I want to marry Wan Jun!”

Another slap landed, and Wang Luo repeated his declaration. “I want to break off the engagement! I want to marry Wan Jun!”

Smack!

“I want to break off the engagement! I want to marry Wan Jun!”

Smack!

The two traded lines and slaps rhythmically, like a performance of paired clappers.

Su Wan was utterly stunned.

She remembered that the heroine, Chen Wan Jun, was hardly lacking in any way—beautiful, well-educated, with a family of workers and two doting brothers. Why wouldn’t the Wang family want her as a daughter-in-law?

Puzzled, Su Wan glanced at the old man. Given how far Wang Luo had pushed things, surely the old man would agree to break off the engagement. But the old man only remained silent. Only after repeated assurances from Wang Luo’s father did he nod, making it clear he had no intention of dissolving the betrothal.

At that moment, the mechanical, emotionless voice of the system rang out inside her mind: [Task issued. Without violating your character, you must advance the plot and succeed in breaking off the engagement with the male lead.]

Now it was Su Wan’s turn to panic. Her role was to be infatuated with the male lead—at this point, she would want nothing more than for the matter of the engagement to be quietly dropped. How was she supposed to push for the break-up?

But what if she failed? The question had barely formed in Su Wan’s mind when the system provided the answer: [If you fail, you will immediately become feeble-minded, and the Wang family will agree to break off the engagement.]

So it turns out the only reason the Wang family was refusing the split was because of her!

By now, Wang Luo’s father had delivered over thirty slaps, yet Wang Luo’s face was only faintly flushed. Clearly, he wasn’t hitting hard.

Their performance was only meant to placate Old Master Su.

Though the scene was strangely satisfying, Su Wan knew she had to move the main plot forward. She rushed over and grabbed Wang Luo’s father’s hand.

“Uncle, please, don’t hit him anymore.”

Wang Luo’s father, relieved someone had finally intervened, secretly exhaled, but still put on a fierce face and pretended to strike again. “Xiao Wan, don’t stop me. This unfilial son needs a beating!”

He knew Su Wan was devoted to his son and would do anything to shield him, so he raised his hand even higher, making his threat look even more menacing. He was sure Su Wan would intercept the blow.

But, unexpectedly, Su Wan withdrew her hand at the last second.

Unable to stop himself, Wang Luo’s father landed a ferocious slap on his son’s face.

The effect was immediate—Wang Luo’s face swelled visibly, far more than after the previous thirty slaps.

Baffled, he turned to look at Su Wan.

Was this girl doing it on purpose?

But before he could say anything, Su Wan’s eyes reddened, a look of utter grievance on her face. “Uncle, I agree to break off the engagement. Please, don’t hit Wang Luo anymore.”

Wang Luo’s father was dumbstruck.

This wasn’t the outcome he wanted...

“You silly girl, what are you saying? Your aunt and I have our hearts set on you. In this world, only you are worthy of being our family’s daughter-in-law!” As he spoke, he shoved Wang Luo, limp as a dead pig, “Say something!”

But Wang Luo suddenly dropped to his knees. “Grandfather, Father, I truly cannot marry Su Wan. The one I love is Wan Jun.”

“Wan Jun is like the air I breathe. Without her, I can’t go on.”

Now Wang Luo’s father was truly enraged. He jumped up and kicked Wang Luo square in the chest. “Then go die!”

Despite the force, Wang Luo braced himself and endured the blow without budging, causing Wang Luo’s father to lose his balance and land heavily on his backside.

For a moment, the spacious courtyard held a strange tableau: Wang Luo kneeling, his father sprawled on the ground.

The three members of the Su family watched coolly. At last, the old man shot a glare at the siblings. Only then did Su Chen stifle his laughter and step forward to help Wang Luo’s father up.

Wang Luo’s father acted as if he’d been seriously injured, clutching his waist and groaning in pain.

With tempers cooling, further argument felt pointless. The old man told Wang Luo to take his father home.

Once the Wang father and son had left, the old man mounted his bicycle and took Su Wan to the city hospital.

Su Wan had just settled herself on the rear seat when a sharp creak made her jump up in fright.

The old man swung his leg confidently over the frame. “Sit tight. This brand of bicycle is sturdy.”

Reassured, Su Wan sat back down.

The old man gripped the handlebars and began pedaling rhythmically, the bicycle gliding swiftly along the dirt path under his control.

Dappled sunlight fell on the winding lane, a gentle breeze wafted by, and Su Wan listened to the “creak creak” of the chain beneath her feet, unable to resist swinging her legs.

She glanced back at the small, stooped figure of the old man and suddenly felt there was nothing so bad about this place after all.

At least here, if she fell ill, there was someone to take her to the hospital.

A smile tugged at Su Wan’s lips. She reached out, wanting to touch this strict but loving old man.

Just as her hand extended, a deep voice exploded, “Sit still! Don’t you know your own weight? What are you swinging those two pig’s trotters for?”

Startled, Su Wan hastily sat up straight.

The old man gave a satisfied grunt and continued pedaling forward.