Chapter 27: She Deserves the World's Contempt

Su Hanwei, seeing a crowd of neighbors gathered, repeatedly questioned those around her.

"Where is my grandfather? Has anyone seen where he went? Why has my home been sealed? My grandfather is the Prefect of Liangzhou; who would dare to be so bold?"

She looked like a madwoman, and wherever she walked, the neighbors immediately backed away. The truth about Su Hanwei and Liang Shucheng had long ceased to be mere gossip; the local residents all knew of the Su family's disgrace.

These neighbors had always held Su Tong in high esteem. Seeing this unfilial daughter of the Su family return, those with bolder spirits could no longer hold back.

"You actually have the nerve to ask where your grandfather is? He has been ruined by that wild man you took up with!"

Once the first person stepped forward to condemn Su Hanwei, others quickly followed.

"That's right! Liang Shucheng framed your grandfather for corruption and bribery! Now your family home is sealed, and Master Su has been taken away by the Assistant Prefect!"

"You really are blind! You hooked up with a scoundrel and caused your grandfather’s downfall, yet you were completely oblivious to it all!"

"Poor Master Su, his lifetime of virtue has been ruined by an unfilial granddaughter like you!"

Listening to the crowd’s accusations, Su Hanwei was filled with disbelief.

"Impossible. Brother Shucheng is the best man in the world; how could he possibly frame my grandfather?"

"To think you are still speaking up for Liang Shucheng even now—you are truly beyond saving!"

"It is utterly absurd! I have never seen anyone like you in all my years!"

Su Hanwei, now acting as if she had lost her mind, could no longer hear anything anyone else said. She kept muttering to herself:

"Brother Shucheng is so good to me, how could he harm my grandfather?"

"You must all be spouting nonsense!"

"I will go find Brother Shucheng right now to get to the bottom of this and expose your hypocritical faces!"

"Su Hanwei!" an elder roared. "Your grandfather has been dragged to the Assistant Prefect's yamen. You aren't even thinking of visiting him, yet you are still plotting to find your lover? What kind of terrible misfortune did your grandfather suffer to raise such an unfaithful and unfilial granddaughter?"

Su Hanwei stopped in her tracks, her delicate body trembling. It was true—her grandfather had been arrested, and yet her first thought was to find Liang Shucheng? Was she even a human being?

Yes, she had to go to her grandfather first.

Stumbling along the way, Su Hanwei eventually arrived at the yamen. The guards, seeing it was Su Hanwei, did not make things difficult for her and allowed her to enter the cells to see Su Tong.

Seeing her grandfather already dressed in prison garb, Su Hanwei suspected she was dreaming. She slapped herself hard across the face, the stinging pain proving it was real. She stared at her grandfather for a long time before finally sinking to her knees.

Su Tong had not wanted to see this unfilial granddaughter, but she was, after all, the only kin he had left in this world.

"Who told you to take Liang Shucheng's money?" Su Tong asked, gritting his teeth, his words sharp and punctuated.

"Grandfather, I..."

"Don't 'I' me! How many times did I tell you not to associate with Liang Shucheng? Did you listen to a single word? Who told you to take his silver? Do you think that money was clean?"

Su Tong spoke a few more sentences before trailing off. There was no point in saying more. His granddaughter had been destroyed by her own stupidity; without his protection, he had no idea how she would survive the rest of her life. Blaming her further would change nothing. He had long been a thorn in the side of Zhao Mingshan, who would never miss a chance to strip him of his position.

"Leave quickly. Go to the capital and find a man named Lu Da. He is the only true friend I have left in this world. Ask him to take you in, change your name, and live out your days in obscurity!"

Su Tong could not bear to lose his temper any longer. He turned away, unwilling to look at her. Pitiable people often have hateful traits, and Su Tong did not feel Su Hanwei's mistakes were worth forgiving, nor did he harbor any hope that Xu Mu would protect her. Leaving this place of turmoil was her only option.

Having learned the full truth, Su Hanwei’s world collapsed. It was laughable that, on her way back, she had actually intended to seek comfort from Liang Shucheng—the very man who had framed her grandfather.

She had believed that while the rest of the world would never forgive her, only Liang Shucheng could offer her solace. Only now did she realize she had been deceived by him. Her grandfather was her true reliance, not Liang Shucheng.

She suddenly recalled her three years living in the Xu household. Although Xu Mu’s money was spent on his mother’s medical care, he had always been doting and obedient toward her. Xu Mu’s mother, Zhou Wanlian, had been even more tolerant. Even when Su Hanwei made mistakes or spoke harsh words, it was always her mother-in-law who apologized first.

She remembered how Xu Mu would scrape together meager savings to buy supplements for his mother, yet his mother would always save more than half for her to eat when she came home. Meanwhile, she had embezzled the subsidies her grandfather gave her and spent them all on Liang Shucheng.

Xu Mu and his mother were the people who had treated her the best—better even than her own grandfather. She had been spoiled and arrogant, yet they had never once blamed her. She had never managed anything in the house; Xu Mu had shouldered the burden alone. Aside from her grandfather, they were the only ones who had ever treated her as family. And yet, she had conspired with outsiders and called Xu Mu a useless coward!

She finally understood why Xu Mu had insisted on a separation. She even found it hard to grasp why he hadn't simply sent a formal letter of divorce to her grandfather. That separation agreement had been his final act of kindness. Despite all the terrible things she had done, he had preserved her dignity to the very end. Yet, she had repeatedly assumed he was following her around, trying to provoke her or force her to bow down. She was pathetically self-centered.

A woman like her was not worthy of Xu Mu’s love.

But now, as she finally awoke to the truth, it was too late. Xu Mu did not want her; Liang Shucheng had treated her as a plaything and harmed her grandfather; and now, even her grandfather had turned his back on her, unwilling to see her face.

"Su Hanwei, you brought this upon yourself. You deserve this! You are worthless!"

She kowtowed to her grandfather several times before leaving the cell. She truly had no face left to see him, or anyone else. She deserved to be spurned by the world.

But she felt a lingering desperation. Her mother-in-law had been killed by her actions, and her grandfather was in prison because of her. She couldn't save her mother-in-law, but she wanted to save her grandfather.

She suddenly thought of Xu Mu and rushed to the Xu residence. She knew Xu Shuangyi had great influence and might have the power to save her grandfather. She knew she had no dignity left to appear here, but she had no other choice.

Falling to her knees in front of the Xu residence, she felt a tearing sensation in her mind, as if her soul were being shredded. With a dull thud, Su Hanwei collapsed to the ground, losing consciousness.