Volume One, Chapter 12: Gu Hanxiao Discovered That I Was Pretending to Cry...

Gu Jinghuai stepped forward with a shy smile. “Brother, you came out just in time. Mom asked me to call you all for dinner.”

Gu Hanxiao’s gaze swept over him and Su Nuan, finding nothing unusual, then gave a faint acknowledgment.

“Brother, Grandma is in your care. I’ll take Sister Su Nuan to the living room first!”

Gu Jinghuai’s intentions were obvious to everyone, so Grandma Gu quickly emerged from the room, casting them a displeased look.

Su Nuan understood that both Grandma Gu and Gu Hanxiao did not want her to have too much contact with Gu Jinghuai, so she took the initiative. “Grandma Gu, let me help you.”

Gu Jinghuai was touched. “Sister Su Nuan, you’re so filial. Any man who marries you will surely live a very happy life!”

These words did not make Su Nuan happy. She thought of her mother, who had worked hard for the Su family for years but never earned a kind word from her worthless father or grandparents.

With that in mind, Su Nuan said coldly, “Being filial to elders and taking care of the family should be a responsibility shared by both spouses. If it’s always ‘outsourced’ to the wife alone, I don’t think such a marriage can be happy or last long.”

Gu Jinghuai scratched his head, a bit confused. “But haven’t these always been things women do? My mom has taken care of the family for most of her life... everyone praises her for being filial, a good daughter-in-law.”

“Isn’t it unfair to judge a woman’s worth solely by her selflessness?” Su Nuan retorted.

“Well...” Gu Jinghuai was stumped, not fully understanding what Su Nuan meant.

However, Grandma Gu and Gu Hanxiao were deeply moved by Su Nuan’s words, especially Grandma Gu. Grandpa Gu had passed away early, and she had raised two sons alone, taking care of her in-laws and managing the household by herself. Yet, despite all this, the in-laws constantly criticized her, even publicly calling her unfilial and unvirtuous, turning Grandma Gu into the neighborhood’s notorious wicked daughter-in-law who endured disdain for most of her life.

Grandma Gu had not expected someone so young as Su Nuan to have such profound insight, and her attitude toward her softened considerably. She even felt she shouldn’t judge Su Nuan by appearances alone.

But this change in perception was like dust compared to the lifelong concern over her two grandsons’ futures.

Grandma Gu still wanted to find a way to separate the two.

So at dinner, she took the initiative to start a conversation. “At your age, you should have graduated from high school by now. Have you started working in the city?”

Song Niannian spoke quietly, “I started school late because of my household registration, so I’ll graduate next year. As for Sister Su Nuan, she didn’t attend high school and has been working for two years. She used to be a temporary worker at a textile factory.”

Those words cast a hush over the table, and Su Nuan’s gaze darkened.

Seeing Su Nuan silent, Gu Jinghuai assumed she was unhappy. He quickly raised his sleeve and said, “Well, since the college entrance exams haven’t resumed, academic degrees don’t matter much. Having a skill is most important. Sister Su Nuan, you have a talent for sewing. You’ll definitely become the best tailor in all of China someday!”

Everyone then looked at Gu Jinghuai’s sleeve and was surprised to see that the patch sewn by Su Nuan was neater and more beautiful than the original stitching on the other side. Even Grandma Gu couldn’t help but praise it aloud.

“Ah, Niannian, this sleeve patch is really well done, not losing out to any old tailor around here.”

“Exactly!” Zhang Ping rubbed her hands shyly and said, “Niannian, do you know how to mend suits and skirts? Auntie’s dress for meeting a client is torn, and I was thinking...”

Su Nuan smiled and nodded. “Auntie, leave it to me. I promise to mend it as good as new.”

“Great, great. Then I’ll trouble Niannian. Later, Auntie will make you some double-skin milk pudding~” Zhang Ping beamed with joy.

At the Su family dinner table, it was always Song Niannian and her mother who received compliments and flattery. Seeing everyone now gathered around Su Nuan, especially thinking about how they had mocked her before, only to have her still turn their opinion around, made Song Niannian so furious she nearly snapped her chopsticks in half.

Feeling indignant, she steered the conversation back. “Grandma Gu, I hope you and Brother Gu can help me consider the local high schools in Pengcheng. I don’t want to let Uncle Su down. I want to finish my studies.”

Grandma Gu also believed girls should pursue more education, as more learning would bring more opportunities. Besides, many high schools in Pengcheng had dormitories for students’ convenience.

If they could use the excuse of schooling to send both Su Nuan and Song Niannian to school, everyone would be happy.

“Of course, that’s no problem,” Grandma Gu said kindly, then turned to Su Nuan. “Xiao Nuan, what’s your educational background? Are you interested in continuing your studies?”

Before Su Nuan could answer, Song Niannian laughed lightly with jealousy, “Sister Su Nuan only went to junior high. She told us before that she doesn’t like studying and doesn’t want to go to school.”

Song Niannian’s tone implied that Su Nuan was unambitious and preferred to waste her potential.

The Gu family clearly picked up on this, and their eyes toward Su Nuan became somewhat loaded with meaning.

Seizing the moment, Su Nuan lowered her head and shrugged her shoulders.

From the side, the silent Gu Hanxiao heard a faint sobbing and glanced toward Su Nuan, only to find her secretly pinching her thigh under the table.

“...”