Chapter Fifty A Guessing Purple Jasmine

  When Su Yisuo opened the refrigerator, she found that it was empty inside, with only a few eggs on the fresh-keeping layer, and all the others were bottles and jars, without knowing what they contained. In the past, Shen Xiulan would always put in new ones to freeze for dinner.

  Mom is so busy? Su Yisu's mind flashed a hint of doubt, and finally had to sigh, carrying the basket, locking the door, and rushing to the vegetable market. Hopefully there are still vegetables for sale, Su Yisu thought to herself.

  Time slipped away quietly, and Su Yisou busied herself making three dishes and one soup. By the time she finished, night had already fallen. Su Yisou was so focused on her work that she hadn't even noticed until she carried the dishes out of the kitchen and saw that it was already dark outside. She was startled, "It's already this late? But why haven't Dad and Mom come back yet?"

  She hastily brought the dishes to the dining table and frantically searched for her phone.

  "Ah!" But after almost turning the living room upside down, Su Yisuo still couldn't find her phone. She let out a frustrated sigh, gave up searching and ran to the landline to dial Su Yu's number.

  Just after the call was connected, Su Yisu heard the familiar ringtone of her father's mobile phone coming from the courtyard. She hastily hung up the phone and rushed out, only to see Su Yu and Shen Xiulan returning with exhausted faces.

  "Dad! Mom!" Su Yisu called out happily, "Why did you just get back?"

  Mr. and Mrs. Su were somewhat surprised. Shen Xiulan hugged Su Yisuo who rushed over, asking softly: "How did you come back?"

  "The school is having a holiday tomorrow for its anniversary and another day off the day after tomorrow for Mid-Autumn Festival, so I'm coming back."

  "Oh..." Shen Xiulan's face was somewhat unnatural, and she forced a smile, saying: "You must be hungry, I'll go cook for you." She then headed towards the kitchen.

  "Mom!" Su Yisu hastily pulled her, and the other hand stretched out to pull over Su Yu, "Dad! I've cooked all the dishes, let's eat quickly, or they'll get cold."

  Su Yu's couple looked at Su Yi Su in surprise, "You said you've cooked and waited for us?"

  Su Yisu nodded with a smug expression, "Right! Don't think I'm not good at cooking. Come and see my great culinary skills!" She then pulled the two of them towards the dining table.

  Su Yu looked at Shen Xiulan, seemingly wanting to say something, but Shen Xiulan quickly lowered her head and said lightly: "Let's eat first."

  Su Yi's heart was filled with joy as she busied herself, pulling over a stool, arranging bowls and chopsticks, and ladling out the soup. The series of actions were completed in one smooth motion.

  Su Yu nodded with a smile, "Our family's Su Su has indeed grown up."

  Su Yisuo immediately became dissatisfied upon hearing this and pouted: "I've long since grown up!"

  "Great! Haha......" Su Yu laughed brightly and picked up a dish, "Let me see what kind of craftsmanship the great chef has."

  "That's certainly very delicious." Su Yisuo was not modest at all.

  "Yeah, as expected, you've lost again to your mom."

  Su Yisu said so, but in fact, she was still a little nervous. At this moment, hearing Su Yu's praise, she didn't care about the authenticity anymore and excitedly said: "Yes! Mom! Did you hear that? Dad said it's delicious!"

  Shen Xiulan gazed at Su Yisou with a hint of disdain, saying: "So you're just going to let it go like this? Maybe your dad is just afraid of hurting you and that's why he said that." As she spoke, her eyes involuntarily drifted towards Su Yu, who was also looking at her. For an instant, her smile stiffened and she lowered her head.

  Su Yisu didn't notice Shen Xiulan's expression and simply said, "Anyway, it tastes good."

  Su Yu put a pair of chopsticks of vegetables into her bowl and deliberately made a stern face, saying: "You talk so much even when eating, shut up and eat obediently!"

  "Yes! Father!"

  After dinner, Su Yisu wanted to pull Su Yu and his wife to watch TV together, but Shen Xiulan shook her head and refused, saying: "Susu, I have something to do with your dad, you go ahead and watch it yourself, okay?"

  "Oh..." Su Yisu responded dejectedly.

  Shen Xiulan's eyes flashed with a hint of guilt, but she finally calmly called out to Su Yu: "Su Yu, come in."

  Su Yu's expression was somewhat awkward, "Xiulang..."

  Shen Xiulan silently turned around and entered the house, leaving him with only a silent gaze.

  Su Yu could only sigh and follow him.

  Su Yisuo stared blankly in the direction of the inner corridor, unable to make sense of it no matter how hard she thought. She muttered: "What's wrong with Father and Mother?"

  She couldn't think of a solution, so she waved her hand and broke off her train of thought. "Forget it, forget it... don't forget to go guess the adult world..."

  The sound from the TV kept coming, a thrilling plot was unfolding, but Su Yisuo sat on the couch listlessly pressing the remote control to change channels, changing her sitting posture one after another, feeling uncomfortable no matter how she sat.

  "Ugh! How annoying! There's nothing good to watch!" She finally turned off the TV with a huff and stomped upstairs.

  Without the dialogue from the TV, the house suddenly became quiet, and the faint sound of the clock was vaguely audible to Su Yisuo's eardrum.

  At first, she didn't quite believe it, thinking that her father and mother were just discussing something in the room. But finally, she felt that something was wrong...it seemed like they were quarreling?

  As soon as this idea arose, Su Yisu immediately vetoed it and thought to herself: "I must have misheard, Dad and Mom are so loving, how could they be quarreling? They're the model working-class couple in the neighborhood!" So she lay back down on her bed, feeling at ease, and started playing with her phone. Little did she know, her parents downstairs were currently arguing fiercely.

  Su Yu paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back, occasionally glancing at Shen Xiulan who was sitting on the couch with a sulky expression. He sighed and said, "Xiulan, we're not young anymore, why are we still being so petty and childish? Is it worth it?"

  At this, Shen Xiulan raised an eyebrow and sneered, "Not interesting? What's interesting then? If I don't take care of it now, tomorrow some little fox spirit will run to my doorstep, threatening me and forcing me to divorce you, Su Yu, that would be very interesting, wouldn't it?"

  "Xiulian!" Su Yu called out in a deep voice, feeling both annoyed and helpless. "How many times do I have to tell you? I really don't have any women outside! I'm busy every day at the factory, where would I find time to fool around?"

  "Where did the scent of perfume on your clothes come from? Where did that strand of flaxen hair stuck to you come from? Are you going to tell me that the perfume is mine and so is that hair? Ha! This is simply a huge joke!"

  "I... I really don't know where it came from..."

  Shen Xiulan sneered again, "Can't say it clearly? You're just guilty conscience!"

  Su Yu finally couldn't stand Shen Xiulan's unreasonable behavior, and slapped the table beside him, roaring: "Shen Xiulan! When did you become like this? Where is your dignity? Your warmth? Your rationality? Look at yourself now!"

  Seeing Su Yu's tantrum, Shen Xiulan couldn't help but cover her face and sob, "Su Yu, it's all your fault! You wronged me!"

  Seeing Shen Xiulan cry, Su Yu's anger dissipated, and he wanted to comfort her, but his footsteps stopped after taking a step forward. In the end, he only pulled over a chair from beside the table and sat down, sighing: "Xiulan, I thought that after all these years of sharing weal and woe, you would understand me."

  At this time, a soft and cautious voice came from outside the door: "Dad, Mom, what's wrong?"

  Su Yisuo was startled, and Shen Xiulan hastily wiped away the tears on her face, silently opening the door to Su Yu's room with a forced smile: "Yisuo, why did you come down? Did we disturb you?"

  Su Yisu shook her head and noticed Shen Xiulan's red and swollen eyes, and couldn't help but ask: "Auntie, why are you crying?"

  Shen Xiulan hastily rubbed her eyes and stiffly smiled: "Mom didn't cry, it's just that there was sand in my eyes."

  "Really?" Su Yisu raised a suspicious question, poking her head into the house and seeing Su Yu standing there in a daze, she asked: "Dad, did you guys have a fight?"

  Su Yu could only walk out and laugh: "Silly child, isn't it normal for couples to occasionally bicker with each other?"

  "But..."

  Su Yisu wanted to say something, but Su Yu interrupted her and said: "Alright, Susu, Dad remembered that there are still some things unfinished at the factory, I'll hurry back to take a look. You stay here to accompany your mom, okay?"

  "Hmm." Su Yisu nodded slightly.

  So Su Yu took a stack of materials and left, glancing at Shen Xiulan one last time before leaving without saying anything.

  "Mother."

  Shen Xiulan was dazed and saw Su Yu leave, and suddenly heard Su Yisu calling herself. She quickly came back to her senses and asked: "Susu, what's wrong?"

  "Mother, don't be angry with Father."

  Shen Xiulan couldn't help but laugh and said softly, "Silly child, I'm not mad at your father."

  "But I clearly heard you guys arguing just now, and you even cried."

  "You heard wrong. Alright, it's late at night, you should go to sleep too, hurry up and go to bed."

  "But..." Su Yisu still hesitated, Shen Xiulan waved her hand and said: "Do you really want to listen to your father's words and stay here with this old woman?"

  Upon hearing this, Su Yisuo couldn't help but laugh and said: "Auntie, you're not an old lady at all, you're only 42 years old, still young."

  Shen Xiulan sighed and said: "At 42 years old, compared to you young people, I'm really old."

  "Ah-ma..." Su Yisuo coquettishly shook Shen Xiulan's hands, "I say you're not old, so you're not old."

  "Alright, alright, Mother will never grow old, how about being an eighteen-year-old Guanyin every year?"

  "Good!" Su Yisuo responded loudly.

  "Silly child." Shen Xiulan shook her head and urged, "You should go to sleep now?"

  "Uh, goodnight, mom."

  "Good night."

  Su Yisu walked a few steps, then turned back to look at her again with some unease. Shen Xiulan stood at the door and gave her a faint smile. Only then did Su Yisu feel reassured enough to return to her own room.

  But no matter what, she knew that there must be emotional problems between her father and mother, and her mother was like a purple jasmine, suspicious and unable to find real evidence, but still guessing endlessly.