They needed to cross two streets to get to Su Wan’s courtyard house from Shisan Elementary School. There weren’t many cars on the street. Su Wan and Xie Changan walked shoulder to shoulder, saying nothing.
When they almost reached home, Su Wan suddenly stopped and called, “Xie Changan.”
“hm?”
Xie Changan immediately turned to smile at her. “What’s the matter?”
“Nothing. Thank you for bringing me back.”
Su Wan smiled faintly at Xie Changan. She turned and walked inside the door. Xie Changan stared at her silhouette for a while before smiling at himself and then walking back to his house.
Su Guoliang was never off work by the time Su Wan got out of school. However, the moment she entered, she saw Su Guoliang and Liu Li both sitting by the dining table. The five years old Su Qingmei was sitting in Liu Li’s arms with teary eyes. Liu Li’s expression changed a bit upon seeing Su Wan coming inside. Meanwhile, Su Qingmei’s gaze brightened and she struggled to get out of Liu Li’s arms. She immediately ran to Su Wan’s side. “Sister, sister, quickly persuade mother and father to not divorce!”
Divorce?
Su Wan jumped and subconsciously looked at Su Guoliang. This honest man was now wearing a serious expression, however, sitting on his chair. Glancing at the cigarette ash by his feet, Su Wan couldn’t help but walk forward and whisper, “Father?”
“Mn, Xiao Wan, you’re back.”
Su Guoliang forced a slight smile on his face when he heard his daughter. He didn’t go to work today. After calling in saying that he needed a day off at work using a public telephone, he returned home on his back. Seeing Liu Li working in the kitchen, he silently went to his neighbor’s house. Everyone knew about Su Guoliang’s family matters. However, the people here didn’t like to meddle in other people’s business. Now that Su Guoliang made his way over to ask them about it, the neighbors originally didn’t want to tell him but after seeing how difficult his situation was, they told him about how Liu Li would scold Su Wan everyday.
Su Wan and the neighbors revealed Liu Li’s disguise.
Su Guoliang felt really pained. He felt sorry for his daughter. During his hardest time when he was young, Su Wan’s mother had stayed with him and helped him overcome it. Now that his life finally got a little better, she had died due to exhaustion.
After his wife died, she left him Xiao Wan. She was his weakness. These years, his daughter had said nothing and he was busy with work. He always thought that Liu Li would treat Su Wan as she did with Su Qingmei. Unfortunately, the truth was that Su Guoliang was wrong, completely wrong.
“Father, are you really going to divorce mother?”
Su Wan had placed her backpack down and stared at her father, stunned.
“Yes.”
Su Guoliang nodded firmly.
“Su Guoliang! Do you have no conscience?”
Liu Li suddenly stood up wearing an unfriendly expression. “For the past six years, who has been the one taking care of the family for you? I married you and helped you with all these things, helping you care for your daughters. Now that you’re in a good position, you just want to ditch me? There’s no free thing like this in the world. I’m going to talk to your factory director tomorrow! I want people to judge this!”
“Liu Li!”
Su Guoliang’s expression also turned gloomy. “Are you done with your tantrum? You did do a lot for the family. I am also really grateful. But how did you treat my daughter? Do you want me to call the neighbors over to reason for me? You want to go to the factory? Then go! Go right now! Let’s see who will lose their face.”
Even rabbits bite when they are anxious. Honest men were more terrifying when they got angry.
As expected, Liu Li immediately quietened down. She looked fiery on the surface but most of the time, she was only acting.
“Su Guoliang, Guoliang, Qingmei is still so young. Xiao Wan needs a mother too. I…I won’t hit and scold her in the future anymore, okay? If you divorce me, who else can you find? Which woman will be like me? Be willing to raise your children and worry about you?”
Seeing that Su Guoliang was determined, Liu Li immediately softened her tone. She turned and pulled on Su Wan’s hand. “Xiao Wan, Xiao Wan, don’t be angry with me. I promise you that I’ll never beat and scold you in the future. Please persuade your father. If we really do get a divoce, what should you and your sister do then?”
Su Wan sneered in her heart listening to Liu Li’s promise. However, she revealed a hesitant expression. “Father, mother, she…” “Xiao Wan, don’t interfere with adults’ matter.”
Su Guoliang sighed. He had been thinking about this the entire day. He had an obligation regarding the family. If he couldn’t even take care of his daughter or protect her, then how was he worthy of being a man and a father?
“Wah! Wahh!”
The moment Su Guoliang said this, Su Qingmei sat on the ground and started crying. “I want mommy. Daddy, I want mommy. I don’t want a stepmother!”
This child…
Su Guoliang forze. Liu Li took this opportunity to bend down and hug Su Qingmei tightly in her arms. “My poor child. Don’t cry. Mommy won’t leave you. Su Guoliang, I’m sorry. I’ll fix my mistakes. Do you dare to hand your two daughters over to another woman?”
This was the first time Su Guoliang hesitated hearing his youngest daughter cry and Liu Li’s words.
True, though Liu Li was Su Wan’s stepmother, she was at least Su Qingmei’s birth mother!
How could he feel safe to leave his two children to another woman after getting divorced?
Needless to say, the female lead was smart. She used Su Guoliang’s weakness to her advantage by crying.
“Father.”
Seeing the change in situation, Su Wan walked forward and tugged on Su Guoliang’s sleeves. “Father, don’t divorce mother. Mother is actually really nice to me. She only hits me because I’m not sensible and disobedient. Now that I’ve grown up and matured, mother won’t hit me in the future anymore. Right?”
Su Wan widened her eyes and stared at Liu Li with her clear eyes. She froze before nodding hard. “Right, Xiao Wan listens to me the most. Mother won’t hit you!”
Sigh.
Su Guoliang sighed and silently turned around, returning to his room.
Liu Li sighed and hugged her daughter after seeing this scene.
In this era, divorce was a huge matter to women. Liu Li truly liked Su Guoliang, this honest man. She knew that if she lost this man, she would never be able to find another Su Guoliang anymore.
“Xiao Wna.”
Liu Li wiped Su Qingmei’s tears and then smiled at Su Wan. “Xiao Wan, what do you want to eat tonight? Mother will cook for you.”
“Mn, pork chops. Little sister enjoys eating them.”
Su Wan looked innocently at Liu Li. The latter smiled and exclaimed, “Okay, pork chops it is.”
After Liu Li went to the kitchen, Su Wan also returned to her room. She just placed her backpack down when Su Qingmei appeared in front of her.
“Sister.”
“Mn, what’s the matter?”
Su Wan grabbed her pencil case while looking at Su Qingmei at the door.
“Sister, don’t be mad at mommy. She won’t hit you anymore. And…Qingmei has grown up. I can protect my sister too!”
Su Wan: Heh.
Such deep sisterly love!
How come you didn’t know to protect me in your past life? Now that you wanted to steal your sister’s man, you’re feeling guilty and want to protect me?
Damn your sisterly love.
Su Wan sneered but still revealed a touched expression. “Thank you Qingmei. I know you’re a good child.”
Therefore, you fake loli, go on and pursue your fake cute neighbor. Of course, whether she could actually get him or not was another question!
Xie Changan didn’t know what to say.
Su Wan’s gaze flickered thinking of the male lead who seemed to have been reborn. What went wrong during this mission?