Chapter 54: I Learned from You Guys

Chapter 54: I Learned from You Guys

A shadow flashed in Su Jianjun's eyes, as if he didn’t want to continue discussing the matter.

He quickly changed the subject, “Why didn’t Zhao Daxing come back with you like he usually does?”

“Oh, he’s hospitalized.”

“What? He’s hospitalized?” Su Jianjun looked up at Su An in disbelief.

Su An nodded with innocent wide eyes, “Yes, he’s hospitalized.”

“What happened? Is it serious?”

Su An shook her head, “It shouldn’t be serious. I accidentally bumped into him.”

Su Jianjun raised his voice, “You bumped into him? Did you two quarrel?”

Su An said nonchalantly, “Oh, Dad, don’t make it sound so dramatic. Fighting is passion, and scolding is just part of our love.”

Su Jianjun became anxious, “What’s wrong with you? Your mom’s job isn’t settled yet. Why did you quarrel with him? And affection? At a time like this, shouldn’t you be trying to smooth things over instead of fighting with him?”

“I’ve told you before, the principles of being a daughter-in-law and a wife. Have all those teachings gone to waste?”

Su Jianjun couldn’t stay calm. They had agreed that after a week, they would go see him. At this critical moment, Su An had let them down. Would something go wrong with the job?

While twisting the cap off the bottle of medicine, Su An said, “I mistreated his child. That’s why we quarreled.”

Su Jianjun was so angry that his voice rose, “You married into his family and started mistreating his child right away?”

“He spent so much money to marry you back, and it was for you to mistreat his child? Are you out of your mind?”

“At a time like this, why did you come back home? Go back right now and beg him to forgive you. Even if you have to kneel down and apologize, you need to make him forgive you. I’m telling you, if something goes wrong with your mom’s job, I’ll make sure you regret it.”

Su An looked unbothered, “I’m not going back. I was worried that if I stayed at home, I’d lose my temper with those three kids from his previous marriage. That’s why I came out so it wouldn’t affect the job opportunity.”

Su Jianjun couldn’t believe it, “Su An, are you really sick? I think you’ve gone crazy. You used to be a good, honest girl, but now, what’s happened to you?”

Su An replied calmly, “Before, I had no choice. I was begging for a living under my stepmother. If I wasn’t obedient, I might be dead by now. But now it’s different. As a stepmother in another family, it’s time to show what I’ve learned from Ji Qingqing over the years.”

“Dad, don’t worry. Men are all alike—heartless and ungrateful. Zhao Daxing won’t trouble me because of those three brats. I’ll be more careful for a while, and once the job opportunity is settled, I’ll deal with those three mercilessly.”

Su Jianjun couldn’t sit still, “No, no, Su An, are you feeling alright? Are you really not sick?”

“What are you thinking? Do you even want to live a good life? The child is fine, and you want to kill them?”

Su An looked innocent, “I’m not sick. Oh, Dad, don’t worry. Trust me, as long as I whisper in Zhao Daxing’s ear, it’ll be fine. They’re just three brats left from his previous marriage. Once I have his child, those three won’t matter anymore, and I’ll have full control. Don’t worry, I’ll play the role of a caring mother for a while and keep a low profile.”

Su Jianjun roared, staring at Su An as if he had seen a ghost.

Was this really his once timid daughter who didn’t dare to pick up food, speak, sit at the table, or even raise her head?

What on earth had turned his once gentle daughter into such a cold and calculating person?

“Have all the years of teaching you morality and ethics gone to waste? He married you to take care of the family and run the household, not to cause chaos and destruction. What the hell is going on in your head? Are you mentally ill?”

"How can you be so cruel? Even animals know how to protect their young. You're saying Zhao Daxing wouldn’t do the same? If Zhao Daxing doesn’t protect his own child, then what makes him any better than an animal? If you keep harboring such vicious thoughts, don't come crying to me when they arrest and execute you!"

A surge of anger rose up inside Su Jianjun as he saw Su An’s smirking face.

What kind of monster had he raised? This thing would eventually ruin him!

"I’m telling you, you’d better stop thinking like that or you’ll ruin the Su family name!"

Su An gave Su Jianjun a meaningful look.

It made Su Jianjun feel uneasy.

Feeling a bit intimidated by Su An, Su Jianjun suddenly grew angry and shoved her aside.

"Did you hear me? A woman’s most important duty is to be obedient, to think about the big picture, to take care of her in-laws, and to raise her children properly. If your in-laws say something, you have to endure it. If the children are disobedient, you need to teach them well..."

Su An interrupted Su Jianjun. "Dad, I haven’t done anything wrong. I learned all of this from you and my stepmom!"

"Didn’t Ji Qingqing always abuse me and my brother? She spread rumors that we were thieves, ruining our reputations. She didn’t give us food. She hit us with a red-hot fire iron and exploited my brother. When I first got my period, I took one of her pads, and she chased me around the courtyard, screaming insults and calling me names. You remember that, Dad? You even slapped me for it!"

Even though Su An no longer cared about this father, her nose still stung as she spoke.

She would never forgive him, nor did she have the right to forgive him on behalf of herself and her brother.

He should have been their strongest support. He should have protected them...

Su An remembered she was almost fifteen when she first got her period.

Wang Xiaocui had already been gone for over two years by then, and no one had taught her these things. Back then, it was considered a shameful and humiliating matter, something people hid and didn’t talk about. Being introverted, she had no way of learning about it.

She had been so scared that she cried in the bathroom. It was Ms. Wei who found her and gave her a sanitary pad, explaining menstruation to her.

She recognized the pad; there were some in the closet at home that Ji Qingqing had bought for Su Jiao.

After school, the pad Ms. Wei had given her was soaked through. She would never forget how Ji Qingqing chased her, cursing and insulting her with filthy language—words that pierced her heart like sharp swords, making her too ashamed to ever look up at people again.

What made her even more desperate was that she had also been slapped by Su Jianjun. The shy, sensitive, and timid girl almost died that winter.

It was her brother who found her and brought her home. It was Grandma Qin upstairs who took pity on her and cut two pant legs from an old pair of cotton pants to sew some makeshift pads for her.

She was narrow-minded; both her in-laws' family and her own family were guilty of deadly sins!