Such an experience had deepened Su Yu's compassion for Xixi because she too had been abandoned by her biological parents in the wilderness, and only by chance t a ntor who took her in, allowing her to grow up to this day.
Her fondness for Jiang Ziling in her heart increased a few notches.
She gently stroked Xixi's small face and greeted her with a smile, "Hello, Xixi!"
But Xixi got scared and hid behind Jiang Ziling, peeking out with only one eye to surreptitiously observe Su Yu.
"She can't speak; she has been unable to cry out loud since birth," Jiang Ziling said matter-of-factly.
Upon hearing this, Su Yu was taken aback and imdiately caught on to the key information.
"Even her cries are silent?"
Seeing Su Yu's serious expression, Jiang Ziling nodded, "Is there a problem?"
"Have her cooperate with , I need to examine her."
With Jiang Ziling's patient coaxing, Xixi gradually beca less afraid of Su Yu.
This scene made Su Yu even more certain of her diagnosis:
Most mute individuals result from deafness, yet this child could hear sounds but was unable to speak, likely due to an acquired condition.
After a thorough examination, Su Yu concluded, "She is not born mute, but has been rendered so by a muting drug given to her."
Jiang Ziling was shocked, "What? Is there an antidote?"
Su Yu shook her head regretfully, "It seems she was fed the drug as a newborn, and I can't guarantee a cure."
Jiang Ziling's eyes brimd red with urgency, and he was about to kneel to Su Yu, but she quickly stopped him, "What are you doing?"
"My leg can remain untreated, but Xixi is just a child; please, you must find a way to help her."
Su Yu helplessly agreed, "Rest assured, I will do my utmost. As for your leg, whether to treat it or not, I need to conduct a detailed examination before deciding."
Lady Zhao could not bear to see Jiang Ziling make a fool of himself as she had hoped and felt indignant.
"You little wretch, I wonder how long you can hold out!"
Su Yu completely ignored her snide comnts and began adeptly processing the fish.
At this mont, both father and daughter were disabled, and Su Yu naturally did not expect them to be able to cook any delicacies to treat her.
However, with scant ingredients at ho and only a bit of flour and seasonings found after rummaging through the cabinets,
Luckily, top-quality ingredients only need the simplest cooking thods.
In a short ti, Su Yu made a pot of snow-white fish soup, complented by homade rolled noodles, which was truly an extraordinary taste.
The aroma instantly perated the entire courtyard, and even Lady Zhao, despite rancor for Su Yu's previous attitude, could sll it but felt it improper to co forward and ask.
Su Yu watched Jiang Ziling and Xixi enjoy their noodles with relish, filled with a sense of accomplishnt.
In her previous life, following a finicky master, Su Yu had already perfected her cooking skills.
After a satisfying al, Su Yu did not forget her promise and brought a bowl to Shen Changping, Jiang Ziling's elder brother.
Upon seeing Shen Changping lying in bed but dressed neatly with his room free of odors, Su Yu knew that he had been well cared for.
A woman took the noodles Su Yu handed over and gratefully said, "Thank you, sister-in-law. Our family is poor and we couldn't offer you a proper wedding ceremony, but fortunately, the second child here is genuinely honest and will certainly treat you right."
Su Yu nodded gently, agreeing in her heart: Jiang Ziling indeed was a good man.
As they ate and talked, Su Yu learned that the woman's na was Xie Xinghua and that she had three daughters, who were currently busy helping their grandfather in the fields.
She also inquired about the condition of other family mbers and found out that the injuries of the two brothers stemd from a wild boar attack during a hunting trip years ago.
What shocked Su Yu even more was that Jiang Ziling had sustained an injury to his legs because he tried to save his older brother.
Although his older brother beca paralyzed, if it hadn't been for his tily intervention, his brother might have already passed away from this world.
However, so maliciously spread rumors that he was a disaster, not only causing his mother's death but also bringing misfortune to his brother.
He himself didn't like to explain, so he hadn't managed to get married even at the age of twenty-five.
Seeing that the conversation over here was lively and harmonious, Lady Zhao gnashed her teeth with frustration on the side.
She ca over angrily and ridiculed Xie Xinghua with a snide comnt, "You useless hen that can't lay eggs, do you even deserve to eat such good food?"
Xie Xinghua's eyes brimd with tears as she held back her grievances, "This was specially made by my sister-in-law to nourish Changping's body."
Lady Zhao glanced at the patient on the bed with contempt, "What good will it do to nourish that broken body of his? Will he be able to work after being nourished?"
"My grandson Dazhuang is growing, and he should be the one eating this."
Saying this, she reached out to snatch the bowl from Xie Xinghua's hand, only to be blocked by Su Yu.
Su Yu was speechless. Why did this old lady always like to snatch things from others?
"I think you just want to eat it yourself, you thick-skinned old thing."
Lady Zhao's face turned livid as her thoughts were so bluntly exposed, "What nonsense are you talking about!"
"Am I spouting nonsense? Your precious grandson is only a few months old, can he eat noodles?"
"This fish was caught by in the river, and the noodles were cooked by my own hand, specifically to nourish my older brother. I would like to see who dares to touch it today!"
Su Yu spoke forcefully and with a determined attitude.
From Xie Xinghua, she had learned that Lady Zhao was simply a venomous mother-in-law, extrely good at taking an inch and wanting a mile. Su Yu wasn't about to fall for her manipulations.
When she realized she couldn't snatch it by force, Lady Zhao started to throw a tantrum and wailed, slapping her thighs and shouting, "I can't live like this anymore, this new daughter-in-law just entered the family and is already mistreating this old woman, there's no justice!"
Her piercing cries drew the villagers to peek over, curious to see what exactly had happened.
Seeing people gathering around, Lady Zhao cried even harder, "Everyone co and judge this for yourselves, it's hard being a stepmother, I've raised these two brothers through hardships."
"Now I just want to get so fish soup to nourish my grandson who isn't getting enough milk, and this is how I'm bullied, such a heart of a snake and scorpion!"
"Oh, how bitter my life is..."
In the face of Lady Zhao's loud wailing and Jiang Ziling's anxious expression, Su Yu remained calm and composed.
She crossed her arms, watching the drama unfold before her, silently reflecting on how adept this woman was at stirring up trouble and muddling right and wrong with just a few words!
But spreading rumors, who couldn't do that? Su Yu wasn't vague either and raised her voice to start her performance, "Fellow villagers, since you're all here, please judge this matter for ."
She squeezed out a few tears, "Ziling and I, we didn't have our parents' arrangent or a matchmaker's involvent, let alone the various marriage customs. We're just two people struggling through life together."
"Yet even so, my mother-in-law insists on causing trouble, determined to take for herself the fish we worked hard to catch. Our household is already so poor we can't afford our als, and there's a mute child at ho crying out of hunger, could I agree to that? Little did I know she would be so malevolent, throwing dirty water at !"
"The way she's treating right after I've entered the family clearly shows she's trying to scare off, so that Ziling will remain a bachelor for life!"
Su Yu said indignantly, "Even if he's only a stepson, you can't be so cruel! What are you really planning?"
With these words, Su Yu's lodramatic speech and tearful expression could easily arouse a heated discussion among these villagers who loved to spectate without thinking much.
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