Chapter 167: Uncle

"It's a domain you don't understand. Besides, she clearly wants to have a career of her own."

Su Yu certainly knew that. "Career and marriage aren't mutually exclusive!"

【If you don't hurry up and give birth to a little sister or little brother, how am I supposed to throw away this heir's identity? The longer it drags on, the higher the sunk costs get—what if you refuse to swap heirs? Does the Su Family need its own wealthy-family drama too?】

Su Yu had spent a long time interacting with Liang Yan and understood the changes in Liang Yan's life as an ordinary wealthy-family scion versus a future heir. Even the things she studied were different! Liang Yan felt that since Su Yu was an heir just like her, she would occasionally share some knowledge, making Su Yu realize that the difference between a wealthy-family scion and a wealthy-family heir was more than just a title. In a family of their scale, the gap in resources and connections between these two types of people was like a chasm between heaven and earth.

Su Yu's taking on the heir role at the time was only a stopgap measure. She guessed that the family didn't force her to study heir courses probably because they thought she was smart, young, and—because of what she'd been through before—felt sorry for her. But by five years old at the latest, she would be forced to study.

She didn't want that!

If she could let someone else work to support her and be a winner in life who just collected stock dividends, why should she support herself?

"If I get married, it'll be very troublesome."

"What trouble? As long as you ask to get married, Great-grandmother can sort it all out for you!"

【If she can't sort it out, I'll smash a Lucky Card and Draw card to sort it out for you!】

Su Yu glared fiercely at Su Xi. "Stop dawdling, say something!"

"Nothing's come of it yet, don't worry about it!"

Su Yu was furious when she heard that!

【I hate people like you who only say half of what you mean! And you even threatened me with a feather duster! Do I look like the kind of person you can threaten?】

Su Yu stomped out "thump thump thump," stepping on the floor extra loud, using the sound of her footsteps to tell the people inside the room that she was very angry!

"If your feet start hurting, remember to have the steward send you a medicinal bath!"

Su Yu, who had stomped her way out, nearly slipped when she heard this.

Su Yu puffed out her cheeks and went downstairs, "Hmph"-ing extra loudly, and buried herself in her mother's embrace.

"What's wrong, baby?"

Ji Yan and Rou Huiqing had just started discussing business directions when this big baby appeared in her arms—and an angry big baby at that.

"It's Uncle! He bullied me!"

Rou Huiqing, who was about to lean in and check on her little boss:??? What uncle?

"Did you provoke your uncle again?"

Ji Yan could tell from how Su Yu interacted with Su Xi how Su Yu would interact with Su Yi. Every day she wanted her daughter to build a bond with Su Yi, also because she feared that if Su Yu got ruthless, she'd throw cards at Su Yi. When the time came, if she sided with her daughter, wouldn't Su Yi throw a huge fit?

Su Yi could be quite dramatic sometimes too, and Ji Yan felt Su Yu definitely wouldn't be able to stand it.

So with some affection between them, Su Yu wouldn't go too hard on him. It would also be easier for her, as the peacemaker, to side with her daughter.

"I didn't!"

Su Yu's eyes darted around as she said accusatorily, "I just asked about Auntie's situation, and he said the family situation is complicated!"

Rou Huiqing, who still hadn't figured out what "Uncle" was about, was stunned. How did this matter get dragged into her?

Ji Yan understood—this was a definite sister-in-law!

"Da—Huiqing's business, you're just a child, stop prying!"

Rou Huiqing felt that being called "Da Huiqing" was a bit strange, but compared to Su Yu's "just a child," it seemed somewhat normal?

"Actually, it's not really something that can't be asked about."

Rou Huiqing genuinely wanted to work under Ji Yan and start a business, and didn't mind airing her family's dirty laundry.

"Our family favors sons over daughters, and has the kind of behavior that's a remnant of feudalism. My mother is no different from a matriarch of ancient times—managing the household affairs while also looking after my father's mistresses, who in my mother's eyes are concubines. My ex-fiancé Qin Yuanjun and his lover had a passionate romance that everyone knew about. They only felt I was useless for failing to win over Qin Yuanjun's heart before the wedding."

【How is this complicated? Was Uncle brushing me off?】

Su Yu declared that this wasn't an issue at all!

"This actually isn't that big a problem either."

Rou Huiqing sighed. "It's because you don't understand!"

Rou Huiqing understood Ji Yan. Although Ji Yan's family also favored sons over daughters, their situation was different from hers.

"The premarital assets of the daughters of the Rou Family all go to their Natal Home brothers. So I never thought about starting a business. And after I lost the marriage arrangement with the Qin Family, who knows who they'll sell me off to next. Finding a job was so I could trick them into giving me my ID documents, ready to run away at any time."

Rou Huiqing had wanted to run before, but she had no money!

Ironically, a young lady in everyone else's eyes had no money in her pockets! Whenever any of her bank cards or apps had money in them, it would be scraped away by her family. Their exact words were, "If you need money, you can submit a request. Under reasonable circumstances, we'll give you even a million."

She lived worse than an ancient young lady! At least ancient young ladies actually had money! And they didn't have to account for every single cent after spending it like she did. If she bought something she shouldn't have, she'd be sent to the Buddhist hall to meditate on her mistakes.

Since she intended to partner with Ji Yan to start a business, she spoke more plainly.

"I want you to go in an international direction, and the purpose is so that later I can openly go abroad and not come back."

Abroad wasn't safe, but domestically was even more dangerous. Abroad, she could legally possess weapons. If anyone dared break into her villa, she'd kill them! Including her parents!

Su Yu stayed in Ji Yan's arms, turning her head to look at Rou Huiqing. "Then you'll never come back?"

"That's right, what would I come back for?"

"Living abroad is dangerous!"

Living alone abroad, she'd be a walking gold coin—everyone would want to rob her! Thieves abroad were rampant! And with her pretty face, the chances of being targeted were even higher!

"Living domestically, I'd either be a puppet or end up in prison!"

"Huh? That extreme? There's no other way?"

"No!"

If there were, Rou Huiqing wouldn't have confessed to Ji Yan and Su Yu. She wanted to live abroad first, then help Ji Yan remotely. All the information she'd gathered over the years and the secrets she knew, she could hand over to Ji Yan—she just needed to leave this place!

"But you were willing to marry Qin Yuanjun before, so why aren't you willing to marry my uncle? Is our Su Family that much worse than the Qin Family?"

Rou Huiqing:???

"What uncle exactly?"

"My uncle Su Xi, of course! You were willing to marry Qin Yuanjun before, so why aren't you willing to marry Su Xi? Objectively speaking, Su Xi beats Qin Yuanjun in every aspect. Subjectively speaking, if my uncle dares to bully you, I'll stand up for you!"

Su Yu slapped her chest with a loud smack!

Rou Huiqing thought of the just-now puffed-cheek, pig-like "oink oink" Su Yu, and suspected Su Yu was joking!

"Su Xi isn't your father?"

"My dad is Su Yi, not Su Xi!"

"But the Su family outwardly claims, you are Su Xi's daughter!"

Thanks for the votes, cuties~