Chapter 78: Chapter 78: She’ll Behave After a Few Beatings

"You want money?" Chen Danou sized Su Tao up with a sneer. "Who knows what kind of lousy idea you’re trying to sell. Demanding money for just a few words? You must be desperate."

Su Tao clenched her jaw. ’She’s right. I *am* desperate for money.’ She didn’t have a single cent to her name. The Sun family guarded their money jealously and wouldn’t let her near it. To leave, she needed cash.

"Aunt Liang." Su Tao pursed her lips and said to Chen Danou, "I know your family already sent a matchmaker to discuss a marriage with Su Qing, but she rejected you on the spot, didn’t she? That’s why you came to the Old Su Family—you were hoping they could help make the marriage happen. It’s obvious your family is very eager to marry Su Qing. Since that’s the case... your family wants Su Qing, and I want money. I help you get her, and you give me some money as thanks. Isn’t that perfectly reasonable?"

Hearing this, Chen Danou gave a dry laugh. "You’ve certainly done your homework. But I’m not about to make a deal with someone who won’t even show their face."

With that, Chen Danou turned to leave.

"Wait, Aunt Liang, don’t go!" Su Tao rushed forward, grabbing Chen Danou’s arm and pulling her toward the side of the road.

Chen Danou was instantly furious. "What do you think you’re doing? It’s broad daylight! Are you trying to rob me?"

"No, that’s not it." Seeing that Chen Danou was completely unreceptive, Su Tao hurriedly pulled down the scarf covering her face. "Aunt Liang, let’s just talk."

Seeing the bruises on Su Tao’s face, Chen Danou gasped. "Good heavens! Who did that to your face?"

"It’s nothing." Embarrassed, Su Tao quickly pulled the scarf back over her face. "Aunt Liang, now you see why I had it on."

Chen Danou had no real interest in the reason for Su Tao’s injuries; she had just been startled by the sight. She studied Su Tao carefully and said, "So who are you, exactly? You can at least tell me your name."

"My name is Su Tao," she said quickly.

"Su Tao?" Chen Danou looked at her. "You’re one of the girls from the Old Su Family?"

As she spoke, Chen Danou’s brow furrowed. Before coming to the Old Su Family to see Old Su, she had made a point to ask about their situation. She knew the Su Family had a granddaughter who had been married off after being caught in bed with a man. With this in mind, her eyes filled with disdain as she looked at Su Tao. "You wouldn’t be that girl from the Su Family, would you? The one who was married off after getting caught fooling around with a man."

Hearing this, Su Tao’s eyes reddened with grievance. "Aunt Liang, if I told you I was framed, would you believe me? I wasn’t... doing anything with a man. Someone... someone snuck into my room in the middle of the night. But now, there’s no way I can clear my name. I just have to live with this reputation. It’s so unfair."

As she spoke, Su Tao began to cry. She truly felt she had been wronged. ’In her heart, she suspected Su Qing was the one who set her up,’ but she didn’t dare voice that suspicion to Chen Danou now. She was counting on helping the Liang Family marry Su Qing so she could get some money and escape.

As for whether Su Qing would have a good life or not after marrying into the Liang Family, she couldn’t afford to care. She desperately needed money. She couldn’t stand to stay with the Sun family for another second.

Chen Danou was skeptical of Su Tao’s story, but considering she was a relative of Su Qing’s, she asked, "You said before that you have a way for the Liang Family to marry Su Qing?"

"That’s right." Su Tao nodded eagerly.

Chen Danou gave another dry laugh. "Speaking of which, I’m having second thoughts. Your grandmother just said that Su Qing girl is quick to pull a knife. What family could put up with someone like that? I need to go home and think this over."

Su Tao grew anxious. "Aunt Liang, your family has already made the trip to Lihua Village twice. That shows how much you really want to marry Su Qing. You can’t let a few words from my grandmother scare you off! She only said that because her branch of the family has separated from Su Qing’s, so she has no say over her. She’s also afraid the village chief and party secretary will side with Su Qing and reprimand her. As for the knife business, I’ve known Su Qing far longer than you have. Her temper has changed, it’s true, but she’s not someone who just pulls a knife on people. In fact, she’s incredibly diligent. She can handle any chore, inside or out. She’s a fantastic worker."

After a pause, Su Tao added, "Besides, so what if she does use a knife? Your family has plenty of people, doesn’t it? A few of you can’t handle one woman? If she gets aggressive, just give her a few good beatings. She’ll learn to behave, right?"

Chen Danou smiled. "Those bruises on your face... that’s not from your in-laws beating you for not behaving, is it?"

"My situation is different. My husband... he’s a violent man," Su Tao said uncomfortably.

"Oh." Chen Danou nodded slightly, mulling over Su Tao’s words. ’Her youngest son only wanted to use Su Qing as a stepping stone anyway. Once his business was taken care of, he could just divorce her and marry someone he actually liked. If Su Qing really was unruly, then just as Su Tao said, a few beatings would solve the problem. As the old saying goes, "a wife is beaten into submission, just as dough is kneaded into shape." There was some truth to that.’

"So, this method you mentioned... what is it?" Chen Danou asked.

Seeing Chen Danou finally getting to the point, Su Tao’s spirits lifted. "Aunt Liang, do you know when a woman becomes completely devoted to a man? It’s when the deed is done."

’This came from Su Tao’s own experience. When she had first married into the Sun family and truly become Shitou’s wife, she had resigned herself to her fate. He was her husband, after all. If it hadn’t been for the unbearable beatings from the Sun family, for the fear that they would one day kill her, she never would have considered leaving.’

Chen Danou listened, sizing Su Tao up once more. ’She sucked in a sharp breath. ’This girl is ruthless.’ But then again, it made sense. This was exactly how Su Tao herself had ended up married.’

But...

"That seems... inappropriate," Chen Danou said, raising an eyebrow. "What if Su Qing makes a scene? What would happen to the Liang Family’s reputation?"

"Aunt Liang," Su Tao said, seeing from Chen Danou’s expression that she was tempted. "If you’re willing to go with my suggestion, I have a powder. It makes a person’s whole body go limp and weak. Once the deed is done, I guarantee she won’t dare tell a soul. Marrying into your family will be her only option. Otherwise, as a ruined girl, who else would have her? Am I right?"

"Look, you think it over. If you decide my idea is any good, come find me tomorrow afternoon around this time in the woods behind Yuan Shan Village. I’ll give you the stuff. But let me be clear, you have to give me money. If there’s no money, I’m not giving you a thing."