After Transmigration, I Picked Up A Husband and Daughter-Chapter 239: Fearing Not Avoiding It Quickly Enough

In such an atmosphere, He Xiaolian felt like an isolated, helpless little creature, surrounded by blazing fire, with every breath being an agony. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Although Zhang Yufei’s words came from a good place, they fell on her already burning heart like ice water, a bone-chilling cold that made her self-esteem collapse instantaneously.

Despair and unwillingness filled her eyes as she stared unwaveringly into Zhang Yufei’s, her voice trembling yet resolute, with every word saturated with the pain of being misunderstood.

The surrounding noise seemed to freeze at that moment, leaving only her accusations echoing in the air.

As she turned around, driven by some intense emotion, He Xiaolian rushed towards Su Yu heedlessly, in a near-blind impulse, seeking an outlet to vent her fury.

Su Yu, calm as ever, sidestepped gracefully, as if she had anticipated it, and just like that, He Xiaolian tumbled to the ground, the scene freezing amidst astonishment.

The crowd’s reaction receded as quickly as the tide, leaving only He Xiaolian crying helplessly, her sobbing laden with complex emotions – grievance, anger, frustration, and deep self-doubt.

She was no longer the gentle wife she usually was but had become the "madwoman" people talked about; at that moment, she lay bare under the world’s indifference.

A complex look flashed across Su Yu’s eyes, a mix of sympathy and helplessness. Her words were clear and firm, leaving no room for Zhang Yufei.

Her stance was a defense of her own reputation and also a decisive farewell to this unnecessary entanglement.

Zhang Yufei’s repeated apologies felt powerless; he knew well that nothing he said could make up for the awkward situation at hand.

For Su Yu, even though she acted openly and aboveboard, the controversy still caused her a twinge of guilt, realizing that sometimes, even well-intentioned acts in male-female interactions must be more cautious to avoid misunderstandings.

Her introspection earned her even more respect from those around her and made Zhang Yufei feel even more ashamed, knowing that the source of it all was related to him, more or less.

Zhang Yufei’s mind was in turmoil; he reflected on his actions and grieved over He Xiaolian’s transformation.

Once upon a time, she was so tender and understanding. They had weathered countless storms together but had lost their past harmony as life became more comfortable.

He Xiaolian’s change pained and confused him; the rift in the family seemed to become a scar that couldn’t heal.

Su Yu’s departure also made Zhang Yufei realize how one thought of his had set off a chain reaction, leading to the current shambles.

He sighed deeply and resolved that no matter what, he must manage all the problems before him, even if the road ahead was fraught with thorns.

As for He Xiaolian, she lay on the ground, tears streaming down her face, a stark contrast between the beauty of past memories and the brutality of reality, eliciting sighs.

The warmth that had once helped them through tough times now seemed like a distant dream, untouchable.

And the onlookers’ indifference only intensified her unprecedented loneliness and helplessness.

As for Scholar Qian’s awakening, it seemed like the only bright spot in this farce, his decision possibly bringing some positive influence to the turmoil.

As for how the outside world viewed this series of events, and what new rumors would emerge, all that could do was to let gossip continue to spread in every corner of the small town.

The speaker was a plump middle-aged woman with a sharp face, her eyes revealing a deep dissatisfaction and jealousy towards Su Yu.

This middle-aged woman, dressed in dark red, had her hair tightly coiled at the back of her head, each strand seemingly charged with resentment towards Su Yu’s calm confidence and an "I’m very capable" air.

Being a woman herself, she couldn’t stand that Su Yu could save people with her medical skills, earning the reverence and love of the townspeople, while she could only whittle away time in the trivialities of daily household chores.

Jealousy, that was an emotion potent enough to distort human nature. She had a profound understanding of this.

She knew that in this small town, if one wanted to completely bring down a woman, nothing was more effective than spinning a series of rumors, letting baseless scandals grow wildly like weeds in summer, and all this at a low cost, requiring only a mouth skilled in stirring up trouble.

Once a woman’s reputation was tarnished, even if she possessed the ability to turn back time, she’d have a hard time rebuilding her status under the crushing weight of slander.

This sharp statement plunged the surroundings into an eerie silence, as no one wanted to get involved in the storm that was about to break out.

Su Yu had already taken a few light steps, her silhouette exuding an unquestionable pride and determination.

However, the harsh words pierced through her calm facade like needles in the cold wind, making her pause in her stride before turning around, her skirt tracing a definite arc in the wind.

With two crisp slaps, like thunderclaps in summer, Su Yu’s palms landed heavily on the middle-aged woman’s face, with such force that even the onlookers could feel the air tremble.

The crowd around them was instantly engulfed in shock and confusion, their eyes full of astonishment at Su Yu’s formidable action—a reminder that this woman, who usually appeared gentle as water, also had a side that would not tolerate provocation.

The woman who was struck saw stars flashing before her eyes, Su Yu’s icy words resonating in her ears. Her voice, though not loud, was filled with an undeniable power.

"Keep your mouth shut. If I hear even half a word of idle gossip from you, I won’t hesitate to teach you the true meaning of ’silence.’

That warning was not so much a threat as it was a profound lamentation, a scathing denunciation of the malice within human hearts.

Su Yu hadn’t intended to stay long, but as she was about to walk away, she inadvertently caught a subtle detail, a clue about the woman’s health, which brought a slightly sarcastic smile to her lips.

"Are you aware that your five viscera are imbalanced, and the anger accumulating in your chest is like a smoldering flame? It not only burns you but also pollutes the air around you. Your halitosis is a clear sign of this internal heat escaping. Why not restrain yourself a bit, lest others find you unbearable?"

Su Yu’s words were both scornful and somewhat pitying; she well understood what health meant to a person.

Then, she changed the subject and directly addressed the unspoken suffering in the other’s family life, "You might be better off paying attention to your husband’s feelings instead of meddling in my household affairs. Day after day, having to face your breath—as if you had swallowed filth—what agony must he endure internally?"

The tale-bearing woman’s face turned the color of iron, completely taken aback that Su Yu could see through her illness and in no way sparing her the public embarrassment.

Usually, she would speak with her hand carefully covering her mouth, trying not to let others notice her embarrassment. But in this sudden conflict, all pretenses were stripped away, and her foul breath spread like a toxic mist.