She looked at Joy Zheng, her eyes filled with even more mockery.
On the way here, Susan Xu had already briefed the other wives about everything.
They called it a simple sisters’ gathering, but in reality, it was all set up to give Joy Zheng a hard time.
"Whitewood may be small, but at least the air’s clean. If you’re so sheltered, next time I can take you there for a tour," she said.
Joy Zheng looked at her, feeling a bit annoyed inside.
Claire Zheng nodded in agreement. "The air over there really is good, and honestly, the people are easier to get along with—none of that scheming nonsense."
"It’s better to live simply. I spent a month there and it was so relaxing. If you ever get the chance, you should go—I’ll treat you," she added.
Hearing Joy Zheng and Claire Zheng’s words, the rich wife snorted.
It was obvious they were calling her ignorant—and also saying she was scheming and insincere.
Before the rich wife could retort, another woman jumped in and laughed, "That’s true. In a backwater like that, there’s only a few fields—if anyone wanted to play tricks, there wouldn’t even be a chance!"
"And I heard it was your kid who wanted to come to Oceanport? Weren’t you pretty determined when you left the Zheng family back then? I’ve heard all about what happened—honestly, I admired you at the time. But now you’re coming back? Looks like your kid just got scared of being poor, didn’t he?"
"But then again, you’re just a teacher—how much do you even make in a month? That’s not even enough to cover one of my meals. You really must have had it rough all these years."
Another woman, sharp-tongued and fake-smiling, chimed in.
Joy Zheng was even angrier at those words, and Claire Zheng kept frowning, itching to slam the table.
These people were all out for blood. If the house wasn’t so empty right now, Claire Zheng would’ve dragged someone out and demanded an explanation.
She turned to Susan Xu and said, "Sister-in-law, don’t you think you’re taking things too far? No matter what, Joy is still my sister. Even if she left for seventeen years—or seventy—she’s still my sister! She’s still a Zheng!"
"You brought all these people here just to say this stuff in front of Joy. You know exactly what you’re trying to do! Or should I just call my dad right now and have him sort it out?"
Claire Zheng was furious.
Susan Xu didn’t even flinch. She slowly picked up her tea, took a sip, and said, "Call him? The old patriarch is at Mount Wutai right now, and his phone’s completely off. Even if you tried, you wouldn’t get through."
"Besides, bothering the old patriarch over something this minor is really making a mountain out of a molehill. And as for Joy Zheng coming back—I’m more than happy to welcome her."
Susan Xu smiled. "Sure, Joy Zheng is Leon’s sister—blood is thicker than water. But whether she really counts as one of us Zhengs? That’s still up for discussion!"
Her words were icy, and the atmosphere was getting tense.
"Alright, alright, let’s not lose our cool over a few people and a minor issue. We’re all respectable folks here," another woman said, trying to smooth things over.
They didn’t care about Joy Zheng at all. Even if she did come back to the Zheng family, she’d spent so many years away from Oceanport—she basically had zero connections here.
Even if she returned, the best she could hope for was to live comfortably in the Zheng household. With no network, no background, there’s no way she’d ever make a splash in their social circle.
That’s exactly why they weren’t afraid to offend Joy Zheng. But Claire Zheng was different—she had a successful daughter who’d apprenticed under Master Yan, so she actually had some say in the Zheng family.
Seeing Claire Zheng get angry, the women quickly shut up.
"Respectable folks? What does that even mean—‘respectable’? And what do you mean by ‘a few people and a minor issue’?"
Claire Zheng’s face changed, but after she spoke, no one bothered to argue—they just ignored her.
‘Respectable folks’ clearly meant their little clique of rich wives, and ‘a few people and a minor issue’ was aimed straight at Joy Zheng.
"How about this—when that Yi kid shows up, let’s take a look. If he’s decent-looking, maybe I’ll see if I can find him a girlfriend, set him up with someone."
"Those girls might not have the best looks or backgrounds, but they’re still way better than anything you’d find in a little county like Whitewood. I guarantee, they’re all the kind of high-class ladies that Yi kid could never even meet!"
"When you get the chance, have that Yi kid contact me. I’ll give him an address, he can take a taxi over and wait outside the girl’s house for her to come out and meet him!"
One of the women chuckled happily.
Whenever they mentioned that Yi kid, their tone was extra heavy—full of disdain.
Susan Xu nodded. "That would be perfect. Just make sure you don’t pick someone from too powerful a family—otherwise, the kid might not be able to handle it and end up blaming me for getting him bullied."
"Wouldn’t you agree, Joy Zheng?"
Susan Xu looked at Joy Zheng and smiled.
She’d called Joy Zheng by her full name from start to finish.
"By the way, Xu-jie, it hasn’t been that long since we last saw you, but your skin looks amazing!" someone said to Susan Xu, laughing. "You must’ve found some great beauty secret, right? If you did, you’d better not keep it to yourself!"
"That’s right, Xu-jie! You look at least five years younger," another woman said, full of envy.
"No secret recipe, but I do have a great beauty pill—my son Jason Zheng got it for me himself!" Susan Xu said proudly.
"Jason really is impressive, and last night, didn’t he just rely on his own talent to break through to Vajra Realm?"
"I’ve heard the Vajra Realm is a big deal. In a few years, Jason might be able to carry the Zheng family’s banner himself!"
The women all started talking at once, each with something to say.
Susan Xu looked utterly pleased and proud.
"By the way, Xu-jie, Jason doesn’t have a girlfriend yet, does he? I’ve got a niece at home, she’s pretty, has a great personality, and is well-educated. Next time, I’ll bring her over for Jason to meet!"
"Don’t! I’ve got a daughter, she’s beautiful and has a great figure, and she’s looking for an outstanding young man. I think she’d be perfect for Jason!"
The moment Jason Zheng was mentioned, the women got excited, practically tripping over themselves to offer up their daughters.
Susan Xu’s face was all smiles, but her eyes flickered with contempt when she looked at Joy Zheng.