Chapter 35: I Can Be Immoral Too
Su Tao ran home, crying the whole way. When she got back to the Old Su Family’s house, she dove straight into her woodshed room, threw herself onto the bed, and started to wail.
Although she had previously managed to get her family to drop the idea of marrying her off to that fool by threatening to report them to the Women’s Federation and the Public Security Bureau, plenty of people had caught her and the fool in the same bed that day. No matter how much she denied it, she couldn’t change the fact that they were discovered together on the same bed.
She knew the villagers looked down on her now. Many families even told their daughters to stay away from her. Even the few close friends she used to have were keeping their distance.
That wasn’t even Su Tao’s biggest worry. She was most worried that with such a reputation, she would never be able to marry into a good family. She also feared that if she couldn’t find one, her mother and grandmother would end up marrying her off to just anyone, or even secretly sell her.
And the source of all this was Su Qing!
But today, of all days, Su Qing had to go and reopen her wounds in front of everyone!
Su Tao clutched the two wounds on her chest, her eyes blazing with a bone-deep hatred. ’I have to find a way to make that bitch Su Qing suffer the same fate.’
Old Su was in the courtyard picking wild vegetables. Now that Su Qing had moved out, the household chores had fallen to Su Tao and Tian Aixiang. This afternoon, Old Su waited and waited, but Su Tao and Tian Aixiang hadn’t come back. So as not to delay Old Su’s meal, she had to start cooking herself. That’s when she saw Su Tao run back to her room in tears.
Old Su couldn’t help but feel a surge of anger. "What’s with all the wailing in the middle of the day? All you know is how to slack off! Get over here and work! If you make your grandpa late for his meal, see if I don’t beat you."
Hearing Old Su’s scolding, a fresh wave of sorrow washed over Su Tao. Ever since Su Qing moved out, her life seemed to have reverted to how it was before. Both Old Su and Tian Aixiang would berate her at the drop of a hat, and all the dirty, tiring chores were dumped on her. Now, just like Su Qing before, she not only had to work in the fields but also handle all the housework.
Thinking of her miserable life, Su Tao cried even louder.
Old Su was livid. "You damn girl, get out here and work right now!"
Just then, Tian Aixiang rushed back from outside. Hearing Su Tao’s cries, she stormed straight into the woodshed and started beating Su Tao. "I’ll beat you to death, you damn girl! You’re such a disgrace! Someone can come into your room in the middle of the night and you don’t even know it? Why don’t you just sleep yourself to death! Now I can’t even hold my head up high outside because of you."
Regarding the incident with Su Tao and Shitou, Tian Aixiang knew full well her daughter looked down on Shitou. After all, what normal girl would be interested in a fool? It must have been Shitou who got up in the middle of the night, went into the wrong room, and ended up in Su Tao’s.
Tian Aixiang was furious that Su Tao had been completely oblivious. Not only had that fool taken advantage of her, but so many villagers had seen it happen with their own eyes.
Su Tao screamed in anger, "Why do you blame me for everything? Why don’t you go beat up that fool? I’m the victim here! Why do you have to blame everything on me?"
Hearing the mother and daughter’s words from the courtyard, Old Su felt the blood rush to her head. She went into the woodshed, grabbed a piece of firewood, and started swinging it at both Su Tao and Tian Aixiang. "Keep shouting! A little louder! Why don’t you bring the whole village over so everyone can hear more about this worthless girl’s scandal!"
Tian Aixiang howled as she was hit. "Mom, it was that damn girl Su Qing! She brought up the thing with Taotao and Shitou again in front of the villagers!"
When Old Su heard this, she was fuming. She didn’t dare go and block Su Qing’s door this time, afraid of bringing Zhao Youcai and Wang Xuehong over again. Instead, she ran to the wall of the neighboring courtyard and began stomping her feet and cursing, "Su Qing, you damn girl! You just can’t stand to see the Old Su Family doing well, can you? What are your wicked intentions? You black-hearted, unfilial, unrighteous thing! Why doesn’t heaven just strike you down with a CRACK of lightning!"
Su Qing had just walked through her gate and heard Old Su’s curses perfectly. She raised an eyebrow and ran to the wall. Climbing this wall was a piece of cake for her. In a few quick moves, Su Qing scrambled up onto the wall. The sight of her head popping up gave Old Su a fright.
Su Qing didn’t care one bit if she had scared Old Su. She narrowed her eyes at the old woman and said, "Grandma, if we’re talking about filial piety, I’d dare say no one in all of Lihua Village is more filial than me. I was your servant for six years, wasn’t I? For all those years, you lived a life of leisure like the old lady of some rich landlord’s family. Even now that I’ve moved out, I’ve given you and Grandpa every single cent of your support money. If heaven is going to strike down the unfilial, it won’t be me. It’s the ones who have done wicked, cruel things who should be careful not to get struck by lightning when they’re out walking."
"You... you damn girl, you dare curse me!" Old Su shrieked, stomping her feet in a rage.
Su Qing raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Grandma, I didn’t say it was you. Why are you so eager to claim it? It seems you also think what you’ve done in the past was wicked. So you admit you’re cruel and black-hearted!"
"You damn girl..."
Just as Old Su was about to curse again, Old Su came out of the house and roared, "That’s enough! Shut your mouth!"
Old Su was afraid of him. Hearing what he said, she immediately shut her mouth, but she continued to glare viciously at Su Qing.
Su Qing wasn’t scared at all. She even shot Old Su a provocative smile, making the old woman practically ache with anger.
Old Su watched Su Qing with a dark expression. ’This granddaughter of his has changed,’ he had to admit. ’She’s changed so much he barely recognizes her. And now, she’s completely cold and unfeeling toward the Old Su Family, with no sense of familial connection whatsoever.’
"Erya, she is your own grandmother, after all. You should show her some respect," Old Su said in a heavy voice.
Su Qing gave a sarcastic laugh. "Grandpa, so you do remember she’s my own grandmother? Then why, during all those years she was abusing me, did you never stop to think that I was her own granddaughter?"
Old Su was struck speechless for a moment, then said angrily, "Even if the family has wronged you in some ways, you are the younger generation, do you understand? No matter what, your surname is Su!"
Su Qing replied coldly, "Hmph. I’ll treat you exactly how you’ve treated me. Don’t try to threaten me with all that bullshit about family ties. If you want to guilt-trip me, I can be just as shameless."
"You little brat!" Old Su was about to go mad with rage from Su Qing’s words. It had been years since she’d been so thoroughly defeated, and the last time was because of Li Wan. Now this damn girl was following in her footsteps. ’Like mother, like daughter,’ she thought. ’That mother-daughter pair must have been sent to be the bane of my existence.’
"Grandma, if I’m a little brat, what does that make you? An old brat?" Su Qing asked with a cold laugh.