Chapter 278: Zhao Wan

Chapter 278: Zhao Wan
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Feeling indebted for his life, Su Zhen had always treated Zhao Wan as a parent. When he was young, his parents passed away, and he grew up under the care of his grandmother. Hence, in his heart, he saw Zhao Wan as a mother figure.
No wonder Su Zhen knew so much about the Zhang family.
At the Zhang residence, Su Zhen always referred to Zhao Wan as his godmother and politely called the Old Master Zhang as his godfather. However, deep down, he didn’t feel close to the old man.
While traveling with Jiang Chuan, Su Zhen referred to Zhao Wan as Aunt Zhao, because he wasn’t sure of the exact relationship between the two families. After all, despite being related by marriage, the two families hadn’t seen each other for two years. What if there was a disagreement? It’s always wise to tread lightly and not show all your cards at once.
Today, as Su Zhen brought the Jiang family up the mountain, he was sure to inform Zhao Wan in advance to prepare her.
Zhao Wan, staying in her room, opened the door upon hearing a knock. Seeing Su Zhen, she greeted him with a playful smile, “You’ve been quite late this month.”
Zhao Wan regarded Su Zhen as her own son. He was the same age as Zhang Ling, and she once hoped to matchmake them.
However, after realizing that they saw each other more as siblings and had no romantic feelings, she gave up on that idea. Especially after learning that Zhang Ling wanted to marry into the Jiang family as a bride, in part to escape her own family, Zhao Wan didn’t hold her back.
Seeing Zhao Wan in a white cheongsam adorned with white fox fur, probably a new outfit for the recent mourning in the family, Su Zhen expressed his condolences.
When Old Master Zhang passed away, Su Zhen had just descended the mountain. Had Zhao Wan informed him, he would have rushed back immediately. But no one from the Zhang family told him, and he only found out during a census later on.
Zhao Wan smiled gently, seemingly not too upset, “It’s okay. We all have to face this day someday. I’ve made peace with it.”
Su Zhen could see that his godmother and godfather didn’t share a strong bond, and he always wondered how they ended up married, especially since none of Zhao Wan’s children seemed close to the Old Master Zhang. But he refrained from asking.
Changing the subject, he said with a hint of mystery, “Godmother, guess who I came up the mountain with this time?”
Zhao Wan couldn’t figure who, as Su Zhen always went to the mountains alone. He seldom brought any companions with him. She had told him countless times that he hunted too much wild animal meat to carry down by himself and should bring more people next time.
However, Su Zhen replied, “The mountains are not safe. The fewer people who know your exact location, the less danger you’re in.”
So every time Su Zhen went to the mountains to hunt, Zhao Wan would have Zhang Ping help him carry the wild animal meat down the mountain.
Seeing the puzzled look on Zhao Wan’s face, Su Zhen decided not to tease her any longer, and said, “The Jiang family of four.”
Zhao Wan paused for a moment, then uncertainly asked, “You mean Jiang Qing’s maternal family?”
“Yes.”
This was beyond unexpected.
Zhao Wan really disliked this family. She vividly remembered when Jiang Qing first came to their home. She was wearing clothes patched numerous times, and the two sleeves were of different lengths.
The basket Jiang Qing carried was empty, indicating that her family hadn’t prepared anything for her when she left, showing a clear lack of concern for their daughter.
Jiang Qing had been married into the family for two years, and there had been no word or visits from the Jiang family. They hadn’t even inquired about how their daughter was doing. It was as if they regarded her as water that had been thrown away – utterly heartless and callous.
Now that Zhao Wan had taken good care of Jiang Qing, making her plump and healthy, this family dared to visit at this time. Zhao Wan was determined to make them look foolish.
In the two years since Jiang Qing’s marriage, Su Zhen had occasionally heard Zhao Wan’s comments about the Jiang family and knew of her prejudice against them. He hurriedly explained to her, “Auntie, based on my understanding of them during our journey, I believe they may have had their reasons for selling their daughter. Perhaps we should observe them more closely before making a judgment?”
The last sentence had a hint of probing. Zhao Wan looked at him with a mix of belief and doubt.
Just then, Jiang Qing knocked on the door. Seeing that it wasn’t latched, she walked in directly, not having heard what Su Zhen had just said.
Jiang Qing approached Zhao Wan, taking her arm affectionately. Their close bond was evident. “Mother,” she said, “my family has come. They would like to invite you to sit with them for a while and talk..”