"Song... Qingya!! You..."
Sun Zhenhai looked like he was about to explode, his face flushed and his eyes bulging.
Before he could finish, a loud sound rang out beside his ear.
SMACK!
A solid, heavy slap landed on the back of his head!
The slap was so forceful it knocked so of the anger right out of him.
He was stunned.
"Sun Zhenhai!"
Sun Qiang scolded him in a low, stern voice, his gaze severe.
"What kind of attitude is that? How can you call your sister by her full na? That’s going too far! It’s completely improper! Hurry up and apologize to your sister right now!"
Sun Qiang had been sitting off to the side, observing from the start.
"..."
When he saw his son call Song Qingya by her full na in front of everyone, without even adding "sister," Fei Jin’s expression imdiately darkened.
Sitting to the side, Sun Qiang’s heart lurched.
He imdiately realized the situation was dire.
He clearly rembered the night a few months ago when Fei Jin had called him out for a private word.
His son-in-law was an extraordinary man with powerful backing, the family’s pri target for currying favor and climbing the social ladder.
They had to stay firmly in his good graces to have any hope of benefiting from his connections.
If his son angered Fei Jin again this ti and severed that connection, then the family’s grand plans for wealth and success would likely go up in smoke.
The more Sun Qiang thought about it, the more frightened he beca, and beads of sweat ford on his forehead.
He hardly dared to dwell on it. He rushed over to Sun Zhenhai, grabbed him by the collar, and yanked him close.
"Zhenhai, apologize to your brother-in-law this instant! Do you hear ?"
"We’ve clearly spoiled you rotten! To act so disrespectful in front of the family, with no manners at all!"
Sun Qiang said, furious and flustered.
"If you keep acting like such a good-for-nothing, how are your sister and brother-in-law supposed to help you find a decent job? How will they help you get promoted and make a fortune? Tell that!"
Sun Zhenhai’s head spun from his father’s sudden tirade.
He was already twenty years old, yet he was still mooching off his parents at ho, idling his days away without a care.
He knew he was at an age where he should be supporting himself, and the sha of it had long worn on him.
He’d been worrying lately about how to find a way into a proper job.
What he’d said just now had indeed been rash and reckless.
The slap had finally knocked so sense into him, and he cald down.
After a mont of silence, he lowered his head and mumbled, "Sorry... Sister. And... Brother-in-law... I wasn’t thinking straight. I was talking nonsense."
"It’s fine."
Song Qingya, who had been silent all this ti, finally spoke, her voice flat.
"This isn’t the first ti you’ve called that, is it?"
Hearing Song Qingya’s loaded words, a knot of anger tightened in Sun Zhenhai’s chest. He clenched his fists so hard his knuckles turned white.
"He’s just a kid, young and ignorant, he doesn’t think about the consequences."
Yang Yunhua chid in with a forced, apologetic smile.
"Qingya, dear, be the bigger person and don’t hold it against him. Co on, have a piece of waterlon. I even picked out the sweetest slices just for you, knowing how much you love it."
As she spoke, she picked up the fruit platter from the cutting board and offered it to her.
Slices of neatly cut waterlon were arranged on the white porcelain plate.
Song Qingya rely glanced at it before looking away.
Yang Yunhua, who had been holding the platter with a wide smile, froze mid-motion. Her hand hovered awkwardly in the air, and her smile faltered when it beca clear Qingya wasn’t going to take a piece.
"I bought this waterlon just for you. I even chilled it in the well for a while to make it extra refreshing."
"I rember how much you loved it as a child, so cool and sweet. Why aren’t you having any today? Or do you think we’re just putting on an act for you?"
At these words, the corner of Song Qingya’s mouth curled into a cold sneer.
’It’s true, this body does love waterlon.’
’But in the original owner’s mories, how many tis did she actually get to eat any?’
’Every ti she reached out to try a piece, she would be stopped.’
"Don’t snatch your brother’s."
’And what about that child, Sun Zhenhai?’
’Even when his little belly was bulging, he wouldn’t stop.’
’He’d devour the entire plate until only the thin rinds were left, finally tossing her a few leftover scraps.’
’Back then, she could only look pitifully at Yang Yunhua, pleading for help.’
"Look how much my son can eat! He’s bound to be successful in the future!"
’Although the current Song Qingya wasn’t the original one, she was still affected by those lingering emotions.’
She coldly rejected the hypocritical display of affection, her tone utterly flat.
"I already said I’m not eating."
’Where was all this concern before?’
’Only now do they rember to start sucking up.’
’They’re only putting on this act because I’m the Village Chief’s Wife now, aren’t they?’
Faced with her sudden coldness, the husband and wife exchanged a stunned glance.
Finally, unable to hold back, they spoke, their voices laced with complaint. "Qingya, if there’s sothing you’re unhappy about, just say it. Don’t keep pushing us away, making it seem like we have to grovel to you."
"We don’t even know what you’re angry about. Can you please just explain?"
"Mom, Uncle Sun, you’ve misunderstood."
"Misunderstood?"
"Qingya isn’t angry," he continued. "Her health just doesn’t permit her to eat those things."
"Her health doesn’t permit it?"
Auntie Sun was the first to look surprised.
Yang Yunhua frowned and pressed, "But I rember she used to eat anything."
Just then, Sun Zhenhai scoffed and stepped forward, his arms crossed and his face full of disdain.
"Stop acting so high and mighty. You just latched onto a rich man and now you think you’re too good for us, is that it?"
"Uncle Sun," Fei Jin said, turning to Sun Qiang. "You really need to discipline your son."
The atmosphere instantly froze.
Everyone held their breath.
"Yes, yes, he needs to be disciplined!"
A chill shot down Sun Qiang’s spine, and sweat broke out on his forehead instantly.
He nodded profusely, grabbed the still-dazed Sun Zhenhai, and shoved him toward a room door.
With a BANG, the door was shoved open and then quickly locked from the outside.
Leaving only a panting Sun Qiang on the other side.
Inside the room, Sun Zhenhai clearly hadn’t processed what had just happened. "Dad, I was just complaining a bit," he was heard saying. "Did you really have to lock in here?"
This was followed by the sound of him pounding on the door and his increasingly furious shouts.
"Mom, co on, stick up for ! Are you really going to let Dad starve for a whole day?"
Hearing this, Yang Yunhua was about to open her mouth to appeal to Sun Qiang.
But Sun Qiang’s expression changed instantly, and he stopped her. "Don’t you dare speak up for him," he said sternly.
"I’ve said it before, no one is to go soft. Let him learn his lesson the hard way. He’s not coming out until he truly understands his mistake."
His tone was unyieldingly resolute.
Then, he turned back around, his face instantly plastered with a smile.
He faced Fei Jin and Song Qingya.
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