Chapter 58: A Daughter Honoring Her Father Is a Matter of Natural Law!

At that moment, Su Ruan took over the conversation, and in a calm tone added, "Just giving them a bowl of rice is not a long‑term solution."

"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." I think Douzi, though introverted, is reliable, and Yaya is clever and sweet‑mouthed, so I wonder if we can get them to do something themselves.

"I happen to have made some small items like purses and handkerchiefs, so I tried teaching them to sell them."

She then explained, step by step, how she matched each child's temperament with a different sales tactic—using premium pricing for one and a group‑order promotion for the other—including the later Hunger Marketing that made the goods scarce and whetted customers' appetites.

"…I didn't expect it to work so well; not only did it earn them living expenses, it also gave our brand a bit of reputation within the small circle."

Su Ruan smiled faintly: "Douzi and Yaya are both very diligent; they now help earnestly in the shop."

The Jiang Family members listened, their mouths agape.

They had originally thought the son and daughter‑in‑law were kind‑hearted, rescuing two pitiful children, giving them a bowl of rice and a place to stay.

But they never imagined there was such a clear support plan behind it and a remarkably clever business operation!

Li Huijuan looked at Su Ruan in surprise: "RuanRuan, these… these ways of selling, did you come up with them?"

Su Ruan modestly nodded: "Just some attempts that fit the actual situation."

Jiang Jiaojiao couldn't help clapping and exclaiming, "My god, RuanRuan, you're unbelievably amazing!"

"Differentiated sales and Hunger Marketing again! How did you get such a mind? You're better than the old salespeople in our department!"

Jiang Jianguo looked at Su Ruan, his eyes full of admiration and relief.

He had previously only thought the daughter‑in‑law looked good and had a steady temperament, never expecting such a clear business mind and execution ability; even rarer was her kindness and wisdom that offered dignity and opportunity instead of indiscriminate pity.

He said in a deep voice, "Well done, well executed! Helping people in the right way is true assistance. RuanRuan, you have great ideas and great resolve."

Jiang Nainai smiled even wider, grasping Su Ruan's hand and fondly rubbing it: "Oh my, my wonderful granddaughter‑in‑law, truly both clever and kind‑hearted! A bodhisattva's heart, a top‑scholar's mind! A thousand, even ten thousand times better than those who only know how to talk!"

Jiang Ran proudly wrapped his arm around Su Ruan's shoulder, his chin held high, beaming: "Of course! Just look who the daughter‑in‑law is!"

……

Su Dazhuang and Wang Juhua, under the contemptuous gazes and pointing fingers of the crowd, slunk back home like dogs of a bereaved family.

Just as the rickety wooden door slammed shut, Wang Juhua flopped onto the floor, slapping her thigh and wailing, "This is outrageous! The Jiang Family, a thousand curses upon them, and that little scoundrel Su Ruan! They're driving us to death! How can we ever face anyone now—"

Su Dazhuang's face turned ashen, his chest heaving violently; he kicked the broken stool beside him with a sudden force, producing a "Clang!" that rang out, then, panting, shouted, "Shut up, why are you howling! Still not embarrassed enough?!"

He felt a boiling resentment inside, as the written self‑criticism and its public reading was like having his old face pressed against the ground and rubbed!

But what could he do?

The Jiang Family is powerful; they simply can't be provoked!

This frustration could only be forced down, choking him so that his chest ached.

Amid the house filled with gloomy clouds of worry and impotent fury, a doleful, dragging hum drifted from the courtyard.

Su Yaozu appeared, wearing a garish shirt, a blade of grass between his teeth, swaying as he came back from outside.

Seeing his parents' state, he was momentarily stunned, then curled his lip and said nothing more.

He lounged on the only broken deck chair in the yard, crossed his legs, grabbed the half‑slice of watermelon left on the table, "Crunch!" he bit a huge mouthful, juice streaming down his chin, and he didn't mind at all.

Wang Juhua, seeing her son's reckless demeanor, grew even more incensed, her wailing becoming louder.

Annoyed by the noise, Su Yaozu wolfed down the watermelon in a few bites, tossed the rind aside, wiped his mouth with his sleeve, stood and walked to Su Dazhuang and Wang Juhua, extended his hand, and with a mischievous grin said, "Dad, Mom, stop wailing; you can't wail money out of anyone. By the way, give me some cash; I'm short on funds lately."

Su Dazhuang, still fuming, heard that and erupted, pointing at Su Yaozu's nose and shouting, "Money, money, money! All you ever think about is money!"

"You prodigal! Where would I get the money?! The household is about to run out of funds! It's all because of that good sister of yours!"

He vented all the resentment he had taken from the Jiang Family onto his son.

Wang Juhua also sobbed, "Yaozu, the household really has no money… your sister's side too… sigh…"

Su Yaozu, stung by the scolding, shrank his neck, but his eyes flicked and a brazen grin resurfaced; leaning close to Su Dazhuang, he lowered his voice: "Dad, don't be so hasty. The household is broke, but… someone does have money!"

"Who has?" Su Dazhuang asked irritably.

"Su Ruan!" Su Yaozu declared confidently, "She's now the Jiang Family's prized darling; the Jiang Family is so rich that even a drop leaking through the cracks of their fingertips is enough for us to feast and drink!"

"She opened that shop—what's it called? I heard business is good; she must have earned a lot!"

Wang Juhua, upon hearing that, stopped crying, lifted her tear‑streaked face and said, "Ask her for money? She hates us to death now; how could she possibly give us money?"

Su Yaozu chuckled, a look of certainty on his face: "Mom, you just don't get it, do you?"

"Even if she hates us, officially she's still my father's own daughter, right? This blood tie can't be broken!"

"Now that she's successful and rich, isn't it only natural to lift her own family, to support her father and younger brother?"

"If she refuses, that's unfilial! We can cause a scene at her shop's entrance, let everyone see how ungrateful and covetous a wolf she is!"

The more he talked, the more he felt his idea was brilliant, as if he could already see bundles of cash flying into his pockets.

"Besides, isn't she the one who cares most about face? We're barefoot and not afraid of those with shoes; if she fears harming her business or the Jiang Family's image, she'll have to obediently hand over money to silence us!"

Su Dazhuang listened to his son's words, and a glint flickered in his gloomy eyes.

Indeed, how had he not thought of this?

Su Ruan has now climbed the high branch; what if she just takes some money to spend?

She is his own daughter; honoring her father is a matter of natural law!

He had previously been beaten down by her and that damn husband, and he still hadn't gotten his chance to vent this resentment!

If he could squeeze money out of her this way, it would both solve the urgent need and let him vent his pent‑up anger!

Wang Juhua felt a flicker of interest, but recalling Su Ruan's cold, resolute demeanor and the Jiang Family's power, she hesitated: "Could this… work? The Jiang side…"

"What's impossible about that!" Su Yaozu waved dismissively, "We're not asking the Jiang Family for money; we're asking our own daughter for money, and even the heavens can't stop us!"

"If the Jiang Family dares to intervene, we'll go around saying they're abusing their power and preventing the daughter‑in‑law from being filial to her own father!"