Mr. Su pushed the wheelchair, Su's mother held Gu Jiaojiao's arm, and Su Qinchun carried the pork in one hand and a pig's leg in the other.
The family headed cheerfully toward the Su family home, and everyone they passed on the road automatically made way for them.
Although people would continue to gossip behind their backs, no one dared to point and stare in front of Su Shuochi.
The women had wanted to gloat at Gu Jiaojiao's expense, but the Su family's cripple had actually gone out personally to buy rice and meat.
Some of them could count on one hand the number of days they ate meat in a year, so they were in no mood to laugh at Gu Jiaojiao's misfortune anymore.
Once the Su family went inside, the courtyard erupted in a flurry of conversation, with everyone chiming in.
"What do you think it means, the Sheng Family publishing that notice to disown her?"
"What else could it mean? Gu Jiaojiao married a cripple. Her life is guaranteed to be miserable from now on. It's only normal for the Sheng Family to abandon her."
"Haven't you heard? The Su family's cripple personally took Gu Jiaojiao out and came back with a lot of rice and meat."
"Really? Are you sure? Is the Su family that wealthy?"
"What's the use of being rich? That guy from the Su family is a cripple, after all. He has no future. He probably can't even have children."
"Let me tell you, Aunt Sheng and I work at the same hospital. She told me."
That imposter, Gu Jiaojiao, was born frail and almost didn't make it. If she hadn't been lucky enough to be taken in by the Sheng Family, she wouldn't have even lived to see her first birthday.
Aunt Sheng said that for the past eighteen years, the Sheng Family fed that imposter all sorts of rare and expensive medicines. Who could afford to raise a child like that in an ordinary family?
But even so, that sickly thing can't have children and can't do any work. She's basically a porcelain doll with a pulse."
"Pah... What makes her a porcelain doll? She's an earthenware pot at best."
"How can you people be so cruel? She's still just a girl and hasn't done anything wrong. The Sheng Family already published a notice to disown her, and here you are, kicking her while she's down."
Aunt Song scolded them in her booming voice. Everyone in the courtyard was a little intimidated by the Song Family, so no one dared to argue with her.
"Mom, my older cousin doesn't even like that sickly Gu Jiaojiao anymore. Why are you still defending her?"
"I dislike Sheng Xinglian even more than I dislike Gu Jiaojiao. I seriously question your cousin's eyesight. It must be covered in a pound of cement. How could he fall for a creature like that?"
"Mom, Sheng Xinglian is the real heiress of the Sheng Family! How can you talk about her like that?"
"There's no one else around!" Aunt Song glanced left and right. In truth, she wasn't particularly fond of Gu Jiaojiao either.
Although the girl had been well-raised by Mrs. Sheng, she had become unreasonable after Sheng Xinglian returned.
Aunt Song had wanted her own daughter to marry the Sheng family's second son, but unfortunately, he had hurt his adoptive sister for the sake of his biological one.
Because of that, she had no favorable impression of the Sheng's biological daughter, who had corrupted such a perfect potential son-in-law.
"Stay away from Sheng Xinglian from now on. She clearly grew up on a farm and is plenty strong, yet she always puts on a weak, deceptively kind act."
"My older cousin likes delicate beauties. Mom, it seems like Sheng Xinglian knows my cousin's preferences very well."
"A truly well-bred person wouldn't interfere in someone else's relationship. If she were my daughter, I'd slap her silly."
Aunt Song couldn't stand Sheng Xinglian's affected airs. The more she looked at her, the more she disliked her.
Old Sir Sheng and Old Song were playing chess under the old scholar tree in the Song Family's courtyard. They were both veterans who had retired from the battlefield.
Though they were in their sixties, their hearing was astonishing. They could hear the unrestrained gossip of the long-tongued women just beyond the wall.
"Your second daughter-in-law is a clear-headed one. Alas, the eldest's wife is a bit lacking," Old Sir Sheng sighed.
"Why did your Liang Yuan suddenly decide to break things off with Jiaojiao? And Jiaojiao, really... how did she become so unreasonable!"
"Sigh! If we didn't, there would be no peace in the family. It's true that Lian'er suffered for more than a decade, but it's also true that she's become petty and small-minded."
It's true the girl is eager to learn, but her ambition is too great. She's biting off more than she can chew. It's better to master one thing than to learn many poorly. Old Song, I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you with this."
"The young will have their own fortunes. I'm old, I'm not getting involved in their messy affairs anymore. But your two grandsons are a bit too ruthless, don't you think?"
"A bit ruthless, yes, but in my opinion, Su Shuochi might not be a bad match. Didn't the people outside say he personally went out to buy rice and meat for Jiaojiao today?"
"I hope Su Shuochi can have a good influence on Jiaojiao and help her return to her old, well-behaved self!"
"Let's go. Time to head back to my eldest's place for dinner. As for your old cold-weather leg pains, they can be treated once Divine Doctor Jiang arrives in Qing City."
"It's been decades already, I don't mind waiting a little longer. You have a bad heart, you shouldn't worry about the younger generation's affairs."
Mr. Su and Su's mother brought Su Shuochi and Gu Jiaojiao home, then hurried off to work.
Su Qinchun was like a busy little bee, sorting the things her brother and sister-in-law had bought.
"Qin Chun, go start the fire. I'll handle the pig's feet and the pork. In this June weather, it'll go bad if we leave it out too long."
"You were busy all morning. Are you sure you're up for it?" Su Qinchun asked, a little worried.
"Well, do you know how to make soy-braised pig's trotters?"
"No. You do?"
"Mhm, I do."
Su Qinchun had eaten noodles made by Gu Jiaojiao once before, and she could still recall the incredible taste.
So, she scurried off to start the fire, her eyes glued to Gu Jiaojiao's every move.
Gu Jiaojiao washed the pot, filled it with water, and blanched the chopped pig's trotters along with half of the pork in the boiling water.
While Su Qinchun was adding wood to the fire, she took peanuts, a packet of spices, a little cilantro, MSG, rock sugar, a bottle of soy sauce, and hoisin sauce from her space.
Then, she cooked the pig's trotters, pork, peanuts, and spices together on high heat for 15 minutes before turning it down to a low simmer.
At the same time, she cooked rice for three people. In reality, Gu Jiaojiao and Su Shuochi hadn't eaten lunch.
They had eaten a large, late breakfast, so they hadn't bothered to eat at a restaurant while they were out.
A rich fragrance filled the air, and Su Qinchun stared, dumbfounded, at the busy Gu Jiaojiao.
Gu Jiaojiao ladled a bowl of the cooked braised pig's trotters and garnished it with cilantro.
"You're drooling. Hurry up and dish out the rice so we can eat."
"Isn't that bowl for my brother?"
"We'll all eat together. We can get more when it's finished. There's plenty left."
Su Shuochi had been sitting in his wheelchair the whole time. Since the kitchen was small, he just watched from the doorway.
Seeing Gu Jiaojiao carrying a fragrant bowl of braised pig's trotters, he reached out to take it. "It's hot. Let me."
It was indeed a bit hot to the touch, so Gu Jiaojiao didn't hesitate to hand it to him. Then she helped push his wheelchair.
Su Qinchun fetched a porcelain basin of water for her brother to wash his hands.
The three of them feasted heartily. After a while, Su Qinchun asked hesitantly, "Gu... Sister-in-law, did you see the newspaper today?"
"No."
'She wasn't in the habit of reading newspapers. In her past life, she always used her phone, and she hadn't had time in the two days she'd been here.'
"Your... Sheng family father published a notice in the paper disowning you."
Gu Jiaojiao bit her lip. Her smile froze for a moment, but then she smiled gently again, as if nothing was wrong.
"I was never really one of the Sheng family anyway. It's only right that they cut ties." Gu Jiaojiao genuinely didn't care.
'Last night, the original owner of this body came to her in a dream and told her that all debts between her and the Sheng Family were settled...'