Chapter 88: His Daughter‑in‑law Really Isn't an Ordinary Person

A few daring men tried to step forward and break them up, but Jiang Ran, in his fury, was astonishingly strong, and for a moment no one could pull him away.

Su Dazhuang had been beaten until his nose and face were bruised and swollen, blood streaming from his mouth and nose, rolling on the ground moaning, his strength even to scream nearly gone.

"Jiang Ran!!"

At that moment, a familiar voice rang out at the Alley entrance.

Su Ruan had been waiting at home left and right for Jiang Ran to return, feeling uneasy, and had gone searching all the way here; she never expected to see this terrifying scene from afar.

Hearing Su Ruan's voice, Jiang Ran's swinging fist abruptly halted in midair.

He gasped heavily, his chest heaving violently, his blood‑red eyes turning toward the rushing Su Ruan, the raging fury inside still not fully subsiding.

Su Ruan rushed to his side, looking at the mangled Su Dazhuang on the ground and at Jiang Ran, whose hands were still stained with blood; her heart felt clenched by an invisible hand, both painful and shocking.

"Jiang Ran, stop right now!"

She gripped Jiang Ran's arm tightly, her voice trembling with fear, "It's not worth it for someone like him! You'll kill him!"

Jiang Ran looked at Su Ruan's pale face and worried eyes, and the boiling murderous intent in his chest began to cool, little by little.

Breathing heavily, he threw aside the dog‑like Su Dazhuang and spat at him, "If I hear you chew on my daughter‑in‑law's or grandma's tongue again, I'll cripple you!"

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a bone‑chilling cold that made everyone nearby shiver.

Su Dazhuang lay sprawled on the ground, only exhaling and not inhaling, wheezing, unable to utter a word.

Wang Juhua lunged forward, hugging her husband while crying and wailing.

Jiang Ran no longer looked at them, grabbed Su Ruan's hand, and turned to leave.

His upright silhouette bore a barely perceptible tremor, his grip on Su Ruan's hand cold yet forceful.

Being pulled by him, Su Ruan glanced back at the chaotic scene and the variously expressioned neighbors, feeling a chill in her heart.

This matter today probably can't be settled peacefully.

Jiang Ran, pulling Su Ruan, almost fled from that Alley saturated with the scent of blood.

He didn't go home, but turned into a secluded dead‑end not far from his house.

Upon entering the Hu Tong, he abruptly stopped, turning his back to Su Ruan; his shoulders heaved violently, his clenched fist trembling slightly from overexertion, the knuckles a blur of blood and flesh.

After that world‑shattering fury faded, a deeper sense of helplessness and lingering fear surged up.

He wasn't afraid of the Su family's retaliation, nor of causing trouble; he was afraid… afraid that if he truly lost control and killed Su Dazhuang just now, it would bring a calamity upon Su Ruan, the grandmother still in the hospital, and the entire family.

"I…" he opened his mouth, his voice hoarse, nasal, "I'm fucking a waste!"

He abruptly turned, and the blood‑red in his eyes was no longer fury, but filled with pain and self‑loathing.

This fearless young man was now as vulnerable as a wounded cub.

"Grandma is lying in the hospital, I have no way… I can only watch helplessly… I can't protect her…"

His voice choked, "I also… I almost… I clearly promised you I'd curb my temper, not cause trouble…"

"But I… when I heard them say that about you, I couldn't control it… RuanRuan, am I so useless?"

He spoke, overwhelmed by immense grievance and self‑blame, and tears finally burst from his eyes.

He was like a lost child; taking a step forward, he tightly pulled Su Ruan into his arms, burying his face in the hollow of her neck, the scorching tears instantly soaking her collar.

His body trembled slightly from the suppressed crying.

Su Ruan, held tightly by him, could clearly feel his body's tremor and the hot, damp moisture at his neck.

She didn't panic or start crying like an ordinary woman, not even a trace of lingering fear.

She simply let him hold her, one hand gently patting his back, the other stroking his stiff short hair, her movements gentle and steady.

Beyond the Alley, faint noisy voices could still be heard, further highlighting the unusual silence within the dead‑end.

After his emotions settled a bit, Su Ruan finally let out a soft sigh, her voice calm as if stating a fact: "Jiang Ran, lift your head and look at me."

Jiang Ran, as instructed, lifted his head, his tear‑blurred eyes gazing at her.

He expected to see reproach or worry, but only met a pair of crystal‑clear eyes.

"First of all, you're not a waste," Su Ruan's voice was soft yet carried a strange power, each word striking Jiang Ran's heart, "Grandma's illness is an accident, no one could foresee it, and it's not your fault."

"All we can do is stay with her, do everything to treat her, trust the doctors, and also trust Grandma."

She paused, her fingertips gently wiping away the tear marks on his face, her gaze sharpening: "As for Su Dazhuang… he deserves to be beaten."

Jiang Ran was stunned, unable to believe his own ears.

Su Ruan's mouth even curled a faint, cold‑tinged curve: "Defaming me, cursing Grandma, just knocking out a few of his teeth, that's a mercy to him."

"If I weren't afraid of causing unnecessary trouble for you and the family, I would have even handed you a stick just now."

Her tone was flat, but her eyes flickered with a madness and ruthlessness even greater than Jiang Ran's.

She came from that cut‑throat, bottomless place; regarding malice, her retaliation has always been double‑backed, only usually restrained by the era's rules and the warmth around her.

"Jiang Ran," she cradled his face, forcing him to look into her eyes, "You protect me, I'm glad. That shows you care about me, placing me at the tip of your heart."

"My man, Su Ruan's man, should have this kind of blood‑spirit."

"But," she turned the point of her words, her gaze deepening, "We must learn to protect the ones we care about in smarter ways."

"Fists are the last resort, and must be used at the critical moment, ensuring a single decisive strike, leaving no aftermath."

"Like today, under everyone's eyes, for that kind of scum to drag oneself in, it's not worth it."

She wasn't rebuking his impulsiveness, but teaching him how to use his strength and anger more effectively.

Jiang Ran watched her analysis, calm to the point of coldness, hearing her not fear but deem the 'light strike' as appropriate, and the negative emotions churning inside strangely settled.

His daughter‑in‑law… truly isn't an ordinary person.

Her composure and the ferocity hidden beneath her gentle exterior were like a bucket of ice water, dousing the fire of his agitation and giving him an inexplicable sense of peace.

"Hmm…" he muttered in a low voice, burying his face back into her neck hollow, rubbing, like a large dog seeking comfort, "I understand, daughter‑in‑law… from now on I'll try my best."

Su Ruan patted his back, her tone softening: "Alright, stop thinking about it. We'll first go home to get things, then to the hospital. Grandma is still waiting for us."