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Su Wenyue sneered, “Mother-in-law really has a way with words,” she said. “I really don’t understand what Mother-in-law is referring to when she talks about the family business that my husband has earned. When we divided the family assets, everything that our Fourth house received was documented clearly. Apart from those two old houses, we hardly got much land, and all in all, it wouldn’t amount to more than five taels of silver. Surely Mother-in-law doesn’t think that my husband has made a fortune from being an official for a few months?”

Su Wenyue’s words were laden with undisguised irony. As for the silver Han Yu had given her, Su Wenyue knew for sure that he hadn’t told the Old lady about it, and naturally she wouldn’t mention it either—to prevent the Old lady from thinking she had some leverage and making a fuss about it.

The facts were crystal clear, and Mrs. Yang wanted to refute them but couldn’t find the words. Her face turned red with effort, knowing that her son had previously mentioned that many things at home now relied on the daughter-in-law’s support. In other words, the family business she claimed she needed to help her son keep an eye on was actually the daughter-in-law’s dowry, and she had no say in it.

“What do you mean by that? That my son Han Yu lives off a woman and relies on you to support him?” Mrs. Yang knew in her heart that she didn’t have a leg to stand on, but she couldn’t let go of her pride and tried to scrape some dignity together, especially since what bothered her the most was hearing people say that about her son. In fact, there was a part of her that shared the sentiment and felt humiliated by it.

“Those were your words, Mother-in-law, not mine. My husband has been working hard in the military camp, relying on his own abilities. As for the dowry I brought with me, my husband has never inquired about it, let alone dictate how I spend it. So there’s no need for Mother-in-law to worry. Even if my dowry is spent completely, it is my own business. For a mother-in-law to covet her daughter-in-law’s dowry is something that wouldn’t sound so good if it were to spread,” Su Wenyue said coldly.

“You! What nonsense are you spouting? When have I ever coveted your dowry? This old lady would never be so shameless. How dare you, Mrs. Su, wrong your own Mother-in-law like this…” Mrs. Yang pointed at Su Wenyue, genuinely having no designs on the daughter-in-law’s dowry. Her sole intention was the welfare of the family. Accusations of the sort were absolutely slanderous, but unknowingly to her, previous actions might have indeed warranted suspicion—no, it could be said that she had done exactly that but was just deluding herself.

“I wouldn’t dare to accuse Mother-in-law of anything, but if you insist on taking my words that way, there’s not much I can do. However, since Mother-in-law claims to have no such intentions, perhaps it would be best to steer clear of such matters in the future, just to avoid any misunderstandings,” Su Wenyue stood her ground firmly. With a person like Mrs. Yang, showing any weakness could lead to bigger problems. As for Han Yu, having restrained herself for so long, she believed he would understand.

“Oh, what a fine daughter-in-law the Han Family has married, looking down on this old lady now that she’s become the Wife of an Official,” Mrs. Yang could indeed be both a bully and a coward. Seeing Su Wenyue’s unyielding stance, she backed down from imposing any more. She felt aggrieved, genuinely acting out of concern for the family but being taken for granted. Once her son returned, she would definitely have a thorough talk with him.

Old Man Han, worried about the situation escalating, had been following his wife from the outset. He originally intended to intervene but upon reflection, he considered that his daughter-in-law tended to be a bit too extravagant in managing the household. He thought it wouldn’t hurt for his wife to give her a few pointers on frugality. The Fourth Daughter-in-law was too spendthrift by his standards, now even taking in outsiders, which seemed quite improper. While Old Man Han was a reasonable person, his background influenced his perspective, which was indeed different.

Seeing his wife being so defiantly challenged by his daughter-in-law made Old Man Han uncomfortable. Yet, the daughter-in-law hadn’t really been too outrageous, her disrespect merely verbal, and her arguments not entirely baseless. Ultimately, the wife was also at fault, and considering the daughter-in-law was pregnant, it wasn’t the time for reasoning.

“Let’s go,” Old Man Han sighed, pulling his wife away after seeing her sorrowful state. The Fourth Daughter-in-law had always been decisive, and any further commotion wouldn’t favor his wife. After all, the daughter-in-law was on the side of reason, and even if the Fourth child returned, he would probably not side with his mother. A grown son is beyond a mother’s grasp, and ultimately, it’s the son and daughter-in-law who have to live their lives together.

Su Wenyue showed a bit more respect when Old Man Han appeared, as she genuinely respected the broad-minded and fair elder, her Father-in-law.

“Father, some issues were misunderstood by Mother, and it has indeed been very difficult for your daughter-in-law. It wasn’t my intention to disrespect Mother. I hope Father can offer some guidance. If there’s anything lacking on my part, please feel free to point it out, and I will strive to do better,” she said sincerely.

Old Man Han, seeing her courteous demeanor, felt his discomfort ease a bit and nodded before departing.

Knowing her Father-in-law was upset but having no alternative, Su Wenyue realized that some matters could be endured while others could not be tolerated. Otherwise, Mrs. Yang would only push further. She hoped Han Yu would understand her.

Not wanting to aggravate the tension with Mrs. Yang further today, Su Wenyue did not immediately bring Feng Susu and her child over. Some things she didn’t need to report to her parents-in-law, but they required Han Yu’s consent. With the affection and trust Han Yu had for her, she believed he would agree. The reason she had befriended Feng Susu and her son and wanted them to come over was for Han Yu’s sake.

Previously, Su Wenyue had been confident in this, but today’s altercation with Mrs. Yang had shaken that certainty a bit. After all, Mrs. Yang was Han Yu’s Birth Mother, and her Father-in-law’s stance wasn’t very clear—he seemed to side with his wife. Han Yu’s attitude would undoubtedly be influenced by them. A positive matter had unexpectedly grown complicated, creating additional obstacles. This left Su Wenyue feeling quite agitated.

After some thought, Su Wenyue sent a little girl to wait at the door. Although she trusted Han Yu greatly, since the other party was his parents, she couldn’t rule out the possibility of Mrs. Yang complaining first and influencing Han Yu’s impartiality. Su Wenyue decided to explain the whole situation to Han Yu first, allowing him to make his own judgment, as she believed she had done nothing wrong.

“How is it, has the Master returned?” Su Wenyue asked the servant girl she had sent to wait, who had returned but without Han Yu, leaving her uncertain of his whereabouts.

“Madam,” the girl replied, “the Master went first to Madam’s place and said he would come here afterwards.”

“Was it Madam who went looking for the Master?” Su Wenyue inquired further.

The Servant girl shook her head. “It was the Master who went there on his own, I didn’t see Madam go,” she replied.

Hearing this, Su Wenyue’s heart sank a little. What did Han Yu mean by this? He knew she had sent a girl to wait for him, but he deliberately went the other way first.