Twisted Logic and Harmful Beliefs
"Cheng Jin is that arrogant?" Su Li clicked her tongue. He actually beat up his bride right after the wedding—what a scoundrel!
But then again, with Cheng Jin’s character, Su Li wasn’t surprised at all by his rotten behavior.
"Auntie, why did he hit her?" Su Li asked curiously.
Madam Chen replied, "I wasn’t there, so I only heard about it afterward. Apparently, Cheng Jin brought Lanxiang back home and wanted Third Uncle to go to the Prince’s estate and ask for an official position for him. Third Uncle refused—he said he never liked that son-in-law and wouldn’t lower himself to beg the Prince. Cheng Jin got furious, punched Su Lanxiang to the ground, and threatened that if Third Uncle didn’t agree, he’d beat Su Lanxiang to death every day. Third Uncle saw Lanxiang getting hit and was so angry his eyes turned red—he rushed up and fought Cheng Jin. Sigh, it’s maddening. Lanxiang is really disappointing—her father was fighting for her, but instead of helping him, she sided with Cheng Jin and even got Third Uncle kicked by him several times."
"Later, Su Lanxiang even turned around and scolded Third Uncle, blaming him for hurting her husband. That nearly drove Third Uncle mad with anger—he shouted at them to get out of his sight."
Su Li was dumbfounded. Was Su Lanxiang suffering from Stockholm syndrome? To be this self-destructive was truly rare.
Madam Chen saw Su Li’s expression and mirrored her disbelief. "I don’t understand how Lanxiang ended up like this either."
"So... what did Lanxiang’s mother say?" Su Li knew that Madam Sun was still in the capital.
Mentioning Madam Sun, Madam Chen’s expression turned scornful. "Third Uncle’s wife—her? Hmph! She said that since Lanxiang was already Cheng Jin’s woman, she should accept her fate. If she remarried, people would gossip and look down on her, and it would ruin the family’s reputation too."
"Accept her fate? Pah!" Su Li spat in disdain.
"Madam Sun heard some twisted nonsense somewhere and brainwashed Lanxiang, saying she was a mill owner in her past life who whipped the donkey every day to grind grain. This life, the donkey turned into Cheng Jin, and he beats Lanxiang as payback for her karmic debt. Only by staying with Cheng Jin and repaying that debt will she have a good life in the next life," Madam Chen said.
Su Li’s eyes went wide. Madam Sun was a real expert at ruining her daughter’s life. What kind of brain even comes up with such a ridiculous story about reincarnation between a donkey and a mill owner?
Madam Chen clearly held Madam Sun in contempt. She glanced at Silver Bean, who was playing with Li Huahua, and said, "If my Silver Bean gets married and her husband treats her badly, I’ll bring her home myself. Who cares about reputation? Chastity and loyalty be damned—how could a mother bear to see her own daughter suffer? If you ask me, Madam Sun was the real mill owner in her past life, and her brain got kicked by that donkey!"
As the two chatted, Su Li snuck a glance at Su Sanyun. She saw Third Uncle and Fourth Uncle sitting together, talking and drinking, but Third Uncle’s eyes had lost their usual spark. He looked listless, his face still bruised from the fight with Cheng Jin.
But Su Li thought that what hurt Third Uncle most wasn’t the injuries—it was Su Lanxiang’s attitude toward him.
He loved his daughter so much, but because of Madam Sun’s meddling and Su Lanxiang’s stubbornness, father and daughter had become like enemies.
At that moment, Su Sanyun was a bit drunk. He gave his brother a helpless, sorrowful smile and murmured, "She’s my daughter. I raised her from a tiny child. No matter how lost she is, I can’t abandon her... After all, I’m her father. If her mother keeps pushing her into the fire pit and I stop caring, what will happen to Lanxiang in this life?"