Uncle Su pulled the door open and glared coldly at Su Yaoguang: "The old lady is still unconscious. She got hurt at your place, so your family is responsible for her treatment, and you need to take her back and look after her. When the old lady can get up, just like before, full of energy, then this matter will be settled."
"If you want Grandma to wake up, that's easy—I can wake her up right now." Su Yaoguang said, handing the two pig's feet to Zhou Wangshu beside her, and marched straight into the yard.
Second Aunt Su didn't try to stop her.
This brat isn't a real doctor—let's see how she gets Grandma Su to wake up. If she can't do it, they'd have plenty of reason to squeeze her for money.
Grandma Su and Grandpa Su lived in the main house. Right now Grandpa Su wasn't home, only Grandma Su lay on the bed.
Su Yaoguang saw the sewing basket nearby, picked up a needle from it, and stabbed it straight into Grandma Su's finger.
"Ah..." Grandma Su woke up in pain, and shot up from the bed. "Ay-yo... ay-yo..."
Her back was already injured, and now she sat up so suddenly, the pain was even worse.
Su Yaoguang took the needle out and stuck it into the yarn, then said to Grandma Su: "Grandma, you just hurt your back—let me massage you, you'll recover right away."
Uncle Su and Second Aunt Su were watching from the side, seeing Su Yaoguang use this trick to wake Grandma Su—they both looked constipated, unable to say a word.
Without waiting for them to react, and without waiting for Grandma Su to agree, Su Yaoguang went straight to massaging Grandma Su's waist.
Crack!
"Aah..." Grandma Su howled in pain.
"Su Yaoguang, do you have a death wish?" Second Aunt Su wanted to rush over and stop her, but Zhou Wangshu blocked her way.
Zhou Wangshu stared coldly at Second Aunt Su, his eyes as clear and icy as frozen water.
While Second Aunt Su was stunned by his glare, Uncle Su also wanted to stop Su Yaoguang. But Su Yaoguang moved faster. After a couple of quick cracks, she released Grandma Su.
Grandma Su's screams shot straight into the sky: "Ah... it hurts, it hurts... it's killing me..."
"Alright, Grandma, you're fine now." Su Yaoguang smiled, "Try moving a bit."
"Su Yaoguang, I'm going to kill you!" Grandma Su was furious, grabbed the pillow beside her, and swung it at Su Yaoguang. "I'm going to beat you to death today, you worthless jinx!"
Su Yaoguang dodged Grandma Su's attacks, looking all wounded and sad.
"Grandma, I came especially to see you and brought you meat, yet you try to kill me. Boohoo... Grandma, I'm your real granddaughter, why do you treat me like this?"
Grandma Su got off the bed swinging the pillow, chasing after Su Yaoguang and trying to hit her.
"You useless thing, stop acting pitiful! I know you're just trying to get me killed. You didn't manage to kill me when I fell, now you want me dead in bed!"
Su Yaoguang grabbed Zhou Wangshu's wrist and started running out, shouting while running: "Grandma, you're sick, I tried to massage you, but you're still not satisfied with your granddaughter? I thought you hadn't tasted wild boar, so I brought you the last piece of wild boar meat from our house."
"Pfft, who cares about that crap? If you really cared, why didn't you give it to your elders first when you caught the wild boar? You're just pretending now."
"Grandma, you know how things are at our place. My mom's been sick for so long, we've spent all our money. It's all my dad's fault—why'd he have to leave us behind and join the army? If he was still here, Mom and I wouldn't be having such a hard time. Dad, if you can hear us from heaven, do you see how much Mom and I suffer?" Su Yaoguang wailed loudly.
People from nearby households poked their heads out.
"Grandma Su, it's only a bit of wild boar meat, not even tasty. If Lady Yaoguang sells it she can get some money for medicine."
"Exactly. Yaoguang's dad joined the army instead of his brother, so honestly, your second son lucked out. As an uncle, he never helps his sister-in-law and niece."
"Su Yaoguang, it's just a bit of wild boar meat, who cares. Stop howling and get lost." Uncle Su was furious.
Lately, Su Yaoguang was like possessed—she kept bringing up the fact his brother enlisted for him. Before, that mother-daughter pair were tough, swallowing their losses and never talking about it. Now look, she didn't even care about saving face, crying over every little thing till the whole village heard. If she won't save face for herself, he still cares about his dignity as an elder.
"No way, I'm gonna make this jinx pay today. I'm her real grandma, and she dares disrespect me." Grandma Su cursed, hands on her hips.
"Grandma, your words really break my heart. Aren't you awake 'cause I helped? Aren't you running 'cause I massaged you?"
Su Yaoguang looked like she'd been wronged by the whole world, her gaze at Grandma Su full of despair.
"Fine, I know you don't like me, you just care about my cousin from Second Uncle's house. He's a boy, can carry on the Su Family name. I'm just a girl, supposed to be humble like mud. Grandma, you don't want wild boar meat? Fine. Me and Wangshu will go home." She said as she dragged Zhou Wangshu away, still sobbing loudly.
Zhou Wangshu played the part of a quiet, obedient prop the whole time. He didn't stop till Su Yaoguang dragged him far away.
"I'm exhausted." Su Yaoguang took the two pig's feet back from Zhou Wangshu. "Went there and didn't lose any meat—instead, pissed them off. Perfect."
"You went through all that just to annoy them?"
"Of course not." Su Yaoguang said. "Grandma and Second Uncle's family are trouble. If we don't break things early, they'll just keep oppressing us. I don't want what little I get to end up in their hands. So I want the villagers to see that Second Uncle, Second Aunt, Grandpa and Grandma just want to suck us dry—do it enough, and when the right moment comes, we can cut ties for good. By then, no matter what we have, they won't get a single thing."
Not yet.
These small disputes aren't enough to completely cut ties.
She needs the right opportunity for every conflict to explode, then slice it clean.
"Mom, we're back." Su Yaoguang carried the stuff into the yard.
Zhang Zhaodi was cooking in the kitchen, and hearing her, asked: "How's your grandma doing? Did Second Uncle and Second Aunt give you trouble?"
Su Yaoguang brought the stuff back, and said: "Don't worry, Wangshu's really capable—he'll protect me."
Zhang Zhaodi eyed Zhou Wangshu skeptically: "Him? With that weak look, I bet you'd have to protect him. Why'd you bring the meat back? Second Aunt didn't want it?"
That can't be right! Second Uncle's family loves getting freebies—they'd never turn down something handed to them. Not only would they take it, they'd find ways to squeeze more, since the old lady's unconscious.