She sighed, "Mrs. Su, this is neither the ti nor the place to discuss this. We should remain quiet. Grandma is not far gone and is watching..."
Shang Qingi couldn’t help but shiver, glancing at the black-and-white photo. A chill rose from her feet, causing her to grit her teeth silently.
Su Rongxing looked at her dressed in mourning clothes and felt much displeasure. He had long wanted to speak. Hearing her words, he sneered, "What right do you have to speak for Grandma? What right do you have to stand here on behalf of Su Ronggui? Is your surna Xu? Or is it Su? Don’t forget—your surna is Tu."
Tu Hengsha did not argue with her, only looked at her calmly. Indeed, her surna was neither Xu nor Su. If one spoke of rights, Su Ronggui’s words "let them go" were her greatest qualification. Today, she could stand up for Su Ronggui and shield him from everything. This was her most potent qualification, but she didn’t say it. It wasn’t that she didn’t dare, but she was unwilling. She knew Su Rongxing too well. As soon as she spoke, the scene would explode, and she didn’t want Grandma to see such a scene when she hadn’t been gone long.
She was unaware of what happened behind her, only seeing Su Rongxing’s sharp gaze gradually soften. Then, a cold voice sounded from behind, "The qualification I give, is it enough?"
Tu Hengsha’s eyelids trembled slightly, her lowered hand touched the fibers of her clothes, and her hand trembled softly as well. Instinctively, she sought his hand and found it, clasping it.
His fingers paused briefly, then allowed her to hold them. A pair of bloodshot eyes, deep and cold.
"You..." Su Rongxing had always been afraid to show off in front of him. His gaze fell on their clasped hands, and his eyes reddened with grievance.
Shang Qingi had her own concerns, unsure if her son knew what happened on the mountain. She wanted to probe. Seeing him, her eyes also reddened, "Ronggui, Mom knows you had deep feelings for Grandma. This happening, Mom is also very sad."
He remained silent, the lines on his face becoming more rigid.
"Ronggui..." Shang Qingi had been used to his silence for twenty years and was helpless against it. But this ti, as Tu Hengsha said, she felt insecure in front of his silence. Her eyes reddened, and, suddenly, tears fell, "Mom really didn’t expect... the road on the mountain was slippery... it’s Mom’s fault for not taking good care of Grandma... I just wanted... just wanted to take Grandma to see Dad..."
He still said nothing.
"Ronggui..." Shang Qingi stepped forward. Suddenly, she found her son was so tall now, taller than Xu Pingzhang and Su Zhen. She was genuinely distressed, but she couldn’t say why. Unable to resist, she leaned against her son’s shoulder, "Ronggui, please say sothing. Even if you bla Mom, even if you’re angry at Mom, can you just say one word? Mom really didn’t expect Grandma to slip. I went down to save her myself and even got hurt... I didn’t want this..."
"Mrs. Su." He finally spoke.
Shang Qingi was stunned and rose from his shoulder. "What did you call ?"
Su Rongxing was also taken aback.
His gaze unchanged, he bowed slightly to Shang Qingi, "Thank you, Mrs. Su."
Shang Qingi stumbled backward two steps, "Mrs... Mrs. Su?" She liked hearing this title from others, but not from her son!
After a few seconds of shock, Shang Qingi ca to her senses and beca furious, "Su Ronggui, I am your mom!"
The voice was a bit loud, shattering the "harmony" she had previously feigned, attracting the attention of the grandpas and grandmas present—all friends from the alley who usually had interactions with Grandma Xu.
His face remained aloof, never showing emotion, "If Mrs. Su still wants to continue being Mrs. Su, it would be best to maintain so composure."
"You..." Shang Qingi felt guilty. At tis, she thought her son did not know the truth; at other tis, she felt he surely knew. Inevitably, she blad her late mother-in-law for being gossipy, telling Su Ronggui everything, and even in death, sowing discord between her and her son. Thousands of thoughts swirled in her mind, but she dared not be arrogant.
As they confronted each other, others arrived—Su Rongcheng and Xin Wan. Both dressed in mourning black, they ca forward to pay their respects. Afterward, Su Rongcheng gave Su Ronggui a hug, patting his back, "Condolences."
Su Ronggui and Tu Hengsha expressed their gratitude.
Su Rongcheng turned, "You’re here too?"
Shang Qingi, already sowhat apprehensive of him, quickly collected herself and restored her dignified deanor, "Yes, after all, she’s Ronggui’s grandma."
"Big Brother!" Su Rongxing hadn’t expected Shang Qingi’s "fighting strength" to be so weak. Seeing his big brother co, he imdiately felt he had soone to rely on.
Su Rongcheng patted her head, "I’ll have a word with Ronggui." Then he instructed Xin Wan, "Spend so ti with Little Sha, you won can chat."
The tense atmosphere was thus broken, and the two n went aside. Xin Wan, holding her stepmother’s hand in one hand and Tu Hengsha’s in the other, gathered the won. Four won, one play.
Xin Wan seldom spoke, but when it was her turn, she had an excellent ability to control the topic. With her soft words, all four won followed her lead. Shang Qingi held back in front of her daughter-in-law and naturally didn’t speak recklessly. Whenever Su Rongxing showed the slightest hint of indiscretion, she resolved it swiftly. The conversation among the four won turned out surprisingly harmonious.
Tu Hengsha admired secretly, as the Su family’s matron, Xin Wan seed not inferior to Shang Qingi. Moreover, one was sharp and discerning, the other gentle but resilient. It was hard to say who was superior.
When the ti was about right, Su Rongcheng got up to leave with Xin Wan and called his sister, "Rongxing, co back with . I have sothing to tell you." Finally, he asked Shang Qingi, "How about you? Join us? Or stay a little longer? If you plan to spend more ti with Ronggui, I can have Xin Wan stay with you."
"..." Shang Qingi had no words—stay to keep her company? Monitor her instead? Guilt-ridden, she feared that her actions would be discovered by the Su family. If it all escalated, and Xin Wan learned of what she did, how could she maintain her image before Su Zhen in the future? Naturally, she also got up, "I’ll go with you!" Of course, not forgetting to put on another act, admonishing Su Ronggui with a whole string of "condolences" and so forth, ultimately leaving in trepidation and anger.
Night had fallen upon the Su family. A serene silence lay over all.
In the master bedroom, Shang Qingi had fallen asleep.
Suddenly, a long and mournful call broke the silence: "Qingi... Qingi..."
She was suddenly startled, "Who? Who?"
Suddenly, her late mother-in-law appeared before her, face covered in blood, a gaping wound in her head from which blood gushed.
"Ah—" she scread in terror, awakening in fright.
The lights instantly ca on, "What’s wrong? A nightmare?"
She saw Su Zhen’s face illuminated by the light, her body drenched in cold sweat, heart racing.
"What did you dream to be so frightened?" Su Zhen wiped her sweat away.
She panted and shook her head, "Nothing... just seeing ghosts..."
Su Zhen laughed, "Afraid of ghosts at your age! If the children hear, they’ll laugh at you!"
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