Chapter 16: Relatives Like Wolves

“Sister-in-law, you’re awake?” Seeing her come out, Yi Lun immediately stepped forward with a fawning smile.

“Don't tell me, your fourth brother ran off, didn't he?” Su Zhirui pursed her lips and continued, though she already knew the answer in her heart. From what she had observed lately, whenever something was up, her man would always be the first to rise.

“Yes, he ran off before dawn.”

“It would be stranger if he waited until daybreak to run,” Su Zhirui snorted.

“Uh, Fourth Sister-in-law, how exactly did you end up marrying Fourth Brother?” As the two walked into the flower hall one after the other, Yi Lun asked with some curiosity. It was truly baffling, a complete mess of confusion.

Su Zhirui thought for a moment, then suddenly turned around, closed her eyes for a moment, and upon opening them, shrugged.

“You’re not telling me you chose Fourth Brother just like that, are you?” Yi Lun asked, somewhat surprised.

“No, I also asked him if he wanted to marry me,” Su Zhirui added.

“It took a long time to convince him?”

“No, we held the wedding ceremony that very night.”

“My god!” Yi Lun sprang up from his chair.

“Stop wailing like a ghost,” Su Zhirui said, rubbing her ears in annoyance.

“Fourth Sister-in-law, you, you... you... him?”

“Sorry, please speak in complete sentences.”

“I can't do it, I won't be able to sleep tonight.” Yi Lun was clearly caught in a state of uncontrollable excitement. “Fourth Sister-in-law, do you know what happened to the first woman who took the initiative to marry him?”

“What?”

“Her neck was snapped. And then there was a second, a third...”

“So, I have reached a conclusion.” Su Zhirui set her rice bowl down with great disdain.

“What?”

“Your fourth brother treats all women like sows.”

“Exactly! Fourth Brother only treats you as his Diaochan!” Yi Lun laughed heartily.

“In fact, at the time, he was wearing a pair of straw sandals and had a cold face, so I assumed he had no money, no power, and was a man of few words... In short, he was a fraud.” Su Zhirui said with some irritation before picking up her bowl and beginning to wolf down her food again.

“And yet you still went with him,” Yi Lun sneered.

“The rice is already cooked; would it be any different if I went to cook it with someone else? Sorry, it would just burn,” Su Zhirui said indifferently.

“The trouble is still ahead...” Yi Lun muttered under his breath, not daring to let Su Zhirui hear him. He wondered what kind of expression his sister-in-law would make when a pack of wolves and tigers arrived. “Fourth Sister-in-law, some relatives are coming to the house today. Since Fourth Brother isn't here and I have to head out to the streets in a moment, could you please look after them?”

“Let's get this straight: I don't know them. Don't blame me if I'm impolite,” Su Zhirui smiled faintly, her priority still being her meal.

“They all know Fourth Brother is married, so they want to meet you. Today is Fourth Aunt; she traveled all the way from Mobei, and since Fourth Brother couldn't easily refuse, so...”

“You talk too much. Weren't you leaving?” Su Zhirui interrupted Yi Lun impatiently.

“Master... at the door...”

“I got it, Sister-in-law, I'm slipping away first!” Seeing a guard enter the hall, Yi Lun’s face turned deathly pale. Was he going to be busy? He was clearly running for his life.

“Madam...”

“Fine, let them in.” Su Zhirui set down her utensils. She actually wanted to see just how much of a temper this Fourth Aunt from Mobei possessed.

“Who is Si Yao's wife?!” A deafening roar nearly tore the white paper off the door. “Quick, bring some cow dung!”

Watching a grand procession of women march into the flower hall, Su Zhirui hurriedly ducked to the side. What on earth was happening? Was her man a fresh flower, and she was... what, the dung? Su Zhirui lost her composure, and the group of women were not idle either; they grabbed a random maidservant and immediately began slapping her left and right. “With your behavior, you think you're worthy of Little Si? Hua Chun, bury her with cow dung!”

“Pfft, Hua Chun...” Sorry, she really didn't want to laugh, but she simply couldn't hold it in. Seeing several sharp glares shooting straight toward her, Su Zhirui immediately coughed a few times to regain her composure and began to offer serious advice. “Ahem, uh, Fourth Aunt, is it? The red water trousers...”