C15 Smart and Clever!(part II)

"Miss, let's head back. It's almost noon," said Hongzhao softly from the side.

"What do you think Su Yu'an meant by that?" Su Yuleng never called Su Yuxi and Su Yu'an her sisters in private. With no one around, she naturally addressed them by name.

Hongzhao was used to this and replied, "Miss, you know how Third Miss is. She always talks in circles. You don't need to pay her any mind."

"If you can't figure it out, just say so," Su Yuleng snapped, casting an annoyed glance at Hongzhao. "She's telling me that to our parents and the whole Su family, only the Eldest Sister matters. In front of her, I'm nothing."

Hongzhao was taken aback. Did Third Miss really mean that?

Seeing Hongzhao's confusion, Su Yuleng muttered bitterly, "Even a maid is better than me."

Hongzhao lowered her head. Though she felt indignant, she didn't dare to argue. Outwardly, Fourth Miss appeared aloof and proud, but in private, she often scolded and hit the maids. Even Hongzhao and Hongying, her closest attendants, weren't spared.

Meanwhile, Su Yu'an returned to Orchid Snow Residence, feeling a sense of relief. She sent Lvqing to Glorious Youth Hall to inform Mrs. Soong, then lay down on the couch by the window. It wasn't long before Mrs. Soong hurried over with her maid, Yupei.

Before Su Yu'an could get up, Mrs. Soong sat down beside her, anxiously asking, "Did they bully you again?"

"No way!" Su Yu'an immediately retorted, "How could they possibly bully me? Mom, you're overthinking it."

But Mrs. Soong wasn't convinced and turned to Danzhu, "You tell me!"

Danzhu, not daring to hide anything from Mrs. Soong, recounted the whole incident and added, "Ma'am, they tried to bully her, but they didn't succeed."

Hearing this, Mrs. Soong finally breathed a sigh of relief, though she still felt a bit unsettled.

"It's just too much. If it weren't for Ann's cleverness, who knows what she would have endured," Mrs. Soong said, starting to wipe her tears again.

"Ma'am, you've raised our Third Miss to be so sharp and smart, yet here you are crying," Yupei teased from the side.

"She is smart, but... but they're just too mean. This won't do..." Mrs. Soong suddenly stood up, declaring, "I need to write to your brother, tell him to study hard and earn a name for himself, so you won't be bullied anymore."

With that, Mrs. Soong hurriedly turned to leave. Su Yu'an was left speechless by her mother's train of thought and was about to stop her when she noticed a small head peeking in from the doorway.

"Mom, I'll study hard too, so they won't bully Third Sister," Su Zhaoke said with determination.

"Good child, that's the spirit. Come over here to your mom," Mrs. Soong said, beckoning Su Zhaoke with a wave.

"Mom, don't worry. My brothers and I are here," Su Zhaoke replied, thumping his little chest confidently.

"Then why are you back home at this hour?" Mrs. Soong asked, grabbing Su Zhaoke with a stern look.

The Su family had risen to prominence in less than a decade, and without a private tutor, the children attended school at the neighbor, Mr. Wu's, house. Even though Su Zhiguo had become a respected scholar, it was impossible to find a better teacher than Mr. Wu, so the arrangement continued.

Mr. Wu was strict, with early start times and late dismissals, so Su Zhaoke should have still been in class at this hour.

"I... I..." Su Zhaoke stammered, avoiding eye contact. Mrs. Soong immediately realized he had skipped school, so she picked up a feather duster and gave chase.

The mother and son raced out of the Orchid Snow Residence.

"Miss, what should we do with this jade button?" Danzhu asked, pulling a handkerchief from her pocket. Nestled inside was a beautifully crafted jade button.