266: One Move Ahead

"Let's not dwell on the past," Yan Yi didn't intend to discuss useless matters and went straight to the point. "Can I have this chicken? Grandma Jin isn't feeling well today, and I want to stew some chicken soup for her."

Upon hearing this, Su Hanyan burst into laughter.

She glanced at Yan Jia and thought to herself: Look at this, she's playing at a higher level!

Starting with a greeting and immediately resorting to moral pressure.

If Su Hanyan agreed to give up the chicken, then Yan Yi could take it back, claiming credit for managing to buy it. While the chicken might be hard to come by, Yan Yi would be the one who bought it. As for Su Hanyan's name, it wouldn't even come up in Grandma Jin's presence.

If Su Hanyan refused, Yan Jia would definitely embellish the recent incident and tell Grandma Jin. This would inevitably alter Su Hanyan's image in Grandma Jin's eyes.

Truly a move ahead!

"I'm sorry, I can't give it to you. I reserved this chicken, and today we have guests who specifically requested this dish. I promised and can't go back on my word!" Su Hanyan returned the smile. "Please understand and give it back to me!"

Yan Yi was momentarily stunned. She hadn't expected Su Hanyan to refuse her.

This was indeed unexpected and outside her calculations!

"Since that's the case, I won't press you." Yan Yi, although losing the chicken, had found a leverage point and would have something to say when she returned.

"Thank you." Su Hanyan extended her hand towards Yan Jia. "Please give it back to me!"

Yan Jia was impulsive.

She was decent in academics but lacked social finesse.

Moreover, growing up in a sheltered environment, she didn't understand Yan Yi's intentions and acted impulsively.

"No way! I bought this, why should I give it to you?"

"That's unreasonable! I reserved this chicken, so it rightfully belongs to me! You disrupted a normal transaction; this is malicious competition!" Su Hanyan retorted.

"Don't give me that! If you have a problem, take it up with the boss. He sold it to me! What's it to me?" Yan Jia scoffed.

Knowing this would be the outcome, she regretted not ignoring the chicken seller earlier. Why did she turn back just to let Yan Yi intimidate her?

She didn't expect that this would be the result.

"Him?" Su Hanyan glanced at the boss. "I'll settle accounts with him later. Right now, I just want my chicken back!"

"Fine!" Yan Jia held the chicken in front of Su Hanyan, taunting her. "Heard the boss? You want to buy it back at a high price? Sure, I'll sell it to you for a hundred bucks! Take it or leave it!"

"Don't do this, I won't play along with your games!" The boss was hoping to profit from the bidding war between the two, but now Yan Jia was setting a price outright.

"Get lost!" Yan Jia glared at him. "You unethical businessman! You thought you could play us for fools?"

"Yeah!"

"You're terrible at business!"

"Exactly! You should have some ethics!"

Onlookers began criticizing the chicken seller for his unethical behavior, saying such dishonest practices were heartless.

Taking advantage of the crowd's attention being on scolding the chicken seller, Su Hanyan smiled faintly and walked straight up to Yan Jia. With a swift move, she grabbed the chicken right from her hands.

"Hey!" Yan Jia exclaimed loudly. "How dare you snatch it from me!"

267: Not a Match

"Snatch? This chicken clearly belongs to me!" Su Hanyan placed the chicken back into her basket and firmly pressed down on it. Turning to the passersby, she said, "Everyone just heard what happened. Be the judge—whose chicken should this be?

"I paid for this chicken and even paid for processing it with the boss! I told him beforehand that I would come back after buying some other things. But these two women knew someone had already bought this chicken and still added more money to take away what belongs to me! And this boss, only seeing money, was the first to break the deal, showing no credibility at all! If this is how business is conducted, won't the market fall into chaos?

"I may not be in business, but I understand one thing: reputation is paramount! People like this shady businessman shouldn't be supported in the future!"

With these words, she criticized both parties.

Onlookers and customers chimed in, condemning both sides, especially criticizing the chicken seller for his unethical behavior.

Su Hanyan achieved her goal, smiled, and slung her basket over her shoulder, ready to leave.

"You're not leaving!" Yan Jia blocked her path. "Hand over that chicken!"

"You can't stop me!" Su Hanyan smiled mischievously. "Is your hand no longer hurting? Looks like you've conveniently forgotten the pain!"

"Fresh grievances and old resentments are settled together!"

"Let it go, Jiajia." Yan Yi wanted to save face and didn't want to make a scene here. "Let's call it quits!"

"No, how am I supposed to explain this to Grandma Jin when we get back?" Yan Jia said angrily.

"We can actually not explain."

"What are you saying? No way!" Yan Jia insisted on taking what didn't belong to her from Su Hanyan. She grabbed Su Hanyan's basket and refused to let go. "If you don't give it to me, you're not leaving today!"

Su Hanyan shook her head with a smile.

"Why are you laughing?" Yan Jia asked angrily.

"I'm laughing at you!" Su Hanyan grinned. "I'm laughing because you never learn your lesson! You just have to stir up trouble for yourself. You're no match for me!"

"What do you mean?"

Su Hanyan lifted her foot and stomped fiercely on Yan Jia's foot.

"Ah!" Yan Jia screamed in pain. Tears welled up instantly as she released her grip, bending over to clutch her foot, rubbing and massaging it.

"That's what I mean!" Su Hanyan was satisfied. She made a face at Yan Jia. "Goodbye!"

Yan Yi squatted down, sighed softly, "You, why do you have to compete with her?"

"Aren't I doing it for you?" Yan Jia looked at her with grievance. "Otherwise, why would I bother getting into a conflict with her? Did you see that? This woman is so hateful!"

Yan Yi gently wiped away Yan Jia's tears. "Jiajia, thank you. You've been wronged, and I appreciate what you did. I remember your kindness."

"Don't just say that. You need to think about how to win back Jin Chen ge's heart!" Yan Jia said tearfully.

"I understand." Yan Yi helped her up. "I promise I'll think of a way. For now, let's go back and let Grandma Jin see how serious your foot injury is!"

Upon hearing this, Yan Jia suddenly understood something.

"Sister Yan Yi! Let's go complain to Grandma Jin and let her see what kind of person Su Hanyan really is! Come on, even though we've been wronged today, we won't lose out in the end!"

Yan Yi smiled and tapped her on the head. "Now you're starting to think clearly!"

268: Filing Complaints and Slandering

Just as the two were about to leave, Yan Jia suddenly remembered something, "Wait! We haven't gotten our money back yet! We nearly let that unscrupulous boss get away with double the profits! Let's go demand it from him!"

...

Passing by a small shop at the mouth of an alley, Su Hanyan dialed the Industrial and Commercial Bureau and reported the dishonest chicken seller. He needed to be fined and taught a lesson to stop his shady business practices. Let's see if he continues to operate like this!

Upon returning home, she found her father, Su Dajiang, and Su Tong sitting on small stools in the yard, enjoying the sun.

"This place of yours is really nice," Su Dajiang remarked. "Much better than our three-part courtyard. More people and more trouble there. Your place is a small courtyard all to yourself, quiet and peaceful! Hanyan, moving out was the right choice!"

"Dad, when you're tired in the future, you can bring Tongtong over here for some peace and quiet! No one else can!" Su Hanyan smiled.

"Alright, just having you say that makes your dad content."

"Dad, I bought a lot of groceries. How about you show off your skills at lunch today!" Su Hanyan placed the fresh vegetables in front of him. "Honestly, your cooking tastes much better than Mom's!"

"Rare for my daughter to enjoy it. I'll make a few extra dishes for lunch today!"

"Great! I'll help you out!"

"I'll help too!" Little Tongtong was eager and rolled up her sleeves to wash her hands at the sink.

"Auntie bought you some crispy sweet apples. Be a good girl and eat them yourself!" Su Hanyan pulled out a few large apples from the basket and handed them to her. "Go wash them clean!"

"Thank you, Auntie!"

Su Hanyan handled the chopping while Su Dajiang did the cooking. Seeing that Su Hanyan had prepared plenty of meat and vegetables that the three of them couldn't possibly finish, he commented, "Daughter, you've prepared too much. It won't taste good if it sits until the next meal!"

"Dad, it's okay. Just prepare a bit more. I'll take some to someone later!" Su Hanyan replied while rinsing rice.

"Who are you taking it to?" Su Dajiang was curious.

"Do you remember the doctor who operated on you last time?" Su Hanyan asked.

"I have a vague memory." At the time, he was almost at death's door and barely knew who had performed the surgery. After the operation, the doctor who operated on him checked on him twice. He had seen that person twice.

At the time, the doctor was wearing a mask, and he couldn't see the other person's face clearly.

"I'm taking food to his grandmother." Su Hanyan thought of Jin Chen's gaze and softened slightly. "He saved your life. His grandmother isn't feeling well, right? I thought I'd take some food over!"

"That's necessary!" Su Dajiang agreed. "Since we know he's done us a kindness, we should repay it! Otherwise, if that's the case, I'll go with you!"

"No need for that. I've helped him once before. We're quite familiar with each other. He's been on a business trip recently, leaving his grandmother alone at home. I'll just go check on her." Su Hanyan said.

She didn't want to tell her father about her relationship with Jin Chen for now. With so many people at home and so many things going on, it wouldn't be good to cause trouble by using her name to seek medical help later on.

When the two of them have a stable relationship in the future and are ready to talk about marriage, she can tell her family.

"Okay, then take care."

"Okay. Got it!"

Lunch was indeed sumptuous—stewed chicken, braised pork ribs, and a few stir-fried vegetables. Su Hanyan prepared these dishes in advance, packed some in lunch boxes, and specially filled half a chicken and half a bucket of chicken soup in a thermos. With everything prepared, she was about to head out.

"Dad, you guys enjoy. I'll be right back!"

"Be careful on the road, hurry back!" Su Dajiang reminded her twice.

Jin's house.

Yan Jia's acting skills exploded in front of Grandma Jin, crying with snot and tears, "Grandma Jin, did you see that? Yan Yan tried to discuss it nicely with her and mentioned that you weren't feeling well and wanted some chicken soup. But she wouldn't let us have any. And she even snatched it from my hands. When I refused, she stomped on me so hard! Look, it's already bruised!"

"Alright, Jiajia! Don't make trouble for Grandma Jin!" Yan Yi gently admonished her, "It's because we arrived late, our handling of things was ineffective!"

"It's obviously her!" Yan Jia insisted it was Su Hanyan's fault. "Stop defending her! You clearly saw the situation then!"

269: Character Comes First

"Yanyan, is what she said true?" Grandma Jin looked at Yan Jia crying so heartbreakingly, as if she had suffered a great injustice. But she didn't believe that Yan Yanyan would do such a thing, so she wanted to ask Yan Yi.

This child was older than Yan Jia and relatively more mature, unlike the temperamental children of the Yan family.

"Grandma, what exactly are you asking about?" Yan Yi answered cautiously this time.

"The things Yan Jia said!" Grandma Jin replied.

Yan Yi didn't answer directly. Instead, she looked troubled and hesitated several times before swallowing her words back.

Jin Yan vaguely understood in her heart.

"Alright, if it's not something easy to say, then don't say it. It's okay, it's not a big deal! If we can't eat chicken, we can eat something else, right?" Grandma Jin smiled and raised her hand to pat Yan Jia's hair. "Okay, okay, stop crying! You're already a grown-up girl, crying like this is laughable."

"It hurts! I feel wronged!" Yan Jia pointed to her bruised face. "Do you see how much hatred she has against me? Look at the strength she used! Do you see how greedy she is? It's all for you, but she refuses to let me have any!"

"Jiajia! Don't always say that." Yan Yi lowered her eyes, her expression lost and helpless. "After all, she's the person Jin Chen likes. There must be another reason for what she did."

"Yanyan, you're so kind-hearted! I really don't understand how Jin Chen could like that girl..."

"Don't say that. Jin Chen has good taste. It's just that I'm not fortunate enough!" Yan Yi smiled.

"But don't say that. Yanyan is also a good child. Grandma cares about you! You've grown up together since childhood, and we adults also know each other very well. We really hope you can be together! But, after all, he is an adult now and has his own thoughts. Grandma can't force him to like someone, right?" Jin Yan's words considered Yan Yi's face and spoke up for Jin Chen.

"Grandma, rest assured, even if Jin Chen doesn't like me, it's okay. You'll always be my Grandma Jin, and I'll come visit you often in the future!" Yan Yi gently held Jin Yan's wrist. "Please don't find me annoying!"

"How could that be?"

Hearing the noise in the living room, Jin Shujing came down from upstairs with a cane. "What's going on? It's so late, and you're not cooking yet?"

"We're already cooking. Almost done!" Jin Yan smiled and said, "It won't delay your meal. Just waiting for the rice to steam, and Yanyan will start cooking!"

"Okay, that's good." Jin Shujing saw Yan Jia's nose and face turn red from crying, and asked curiously, "What's wrong? You disappear for a while and come back crying?"

"Grandpa, you have to help me!" Yan Jia took the opportunity to complain about Su Hanyan again.

"Is there more to this?" Jin Shujing had only heard Su Hanyan's name but had never seen her. He had always wanted to meet her, but Jin Chen, this boy, always refused to bring anyone home, which made him anxious.

Now hearing Yan Jia say this, he formed a doubt about Su Hanyan in his heart.

"Of course!" Yan Jia immediately answered.

"Old lady, is this true? Have you met that girl? What do you think of her character?" Liang Shujing said earnestly, "The future daughter-in-law of our family Chen must have good character, which is paramount! Otherwise, no matter how beautiful she is, we can't accept her!"

[then u shouldn't accept those yan snakes]

270: You Can't Stop Me

"Whether her character is good or not, you'll know once you meet her," Jin Yan didn't make a conclusive statement and instead urged Jin Shujing to see for himself.

"But that kid won't bring her home. How am I supposed to meet her?" Jin Shujing was extremely annoyed when this topic came up. "Among our children, I have the highest hopes for him! Because his father passed away early, I've always been concerned about his marriage! But this boy is always so calm. Do you know how frustrating that is?"

"Old man, be content," Jin Yan reminded him.

Jin Shujing understood what his wife meant and nodded slowly. "You're right. We can't rush him. We have to go according to his wishes!"

"Grandpa Jin, I don't like Chen Gege's girlfriend." Yan Jia fearlessly spoke her mind, "She really can't compare to Yan Yi Sister in any way, I'm not lying to you! When you see her, you'll know!"

"Hmm... hmm." Grandpa Jin nodded, thinking that he really wanted to meet Su Hanyan and see if the woman Jin Chen liked was really that bad.

Seeing that this topic was not suitable for her to participate in, Yan Yi went to the kitchen to cook.

Soon, the meal was ready, and the dishes were stir-fried.

The four of them gathered around the dining table, preparing to eat. Jin Shujing regretfully said, "It would be even better if we had a bowl of chicken soup!"

"Alright, stop mentioning it! The two children have done their best. If you want to eat it tomorrow, let's talk about it then." Jin Yan smiled.

"I just want you to have some. You haven't been eating properly lately... You've lost weight..."

"Grandpa Jin, since you care so much about Grandma Jin, rest assured, I'll go early tomorrow morning to queue up. Buying a chicken won't be a problem here. Even if we can't find it in our market, there will definitely be one in another!" Yan Yi gently smiled.

"Oh, no need, no need, it's not that important..."

The atmosphere at the dining table was joyful, and everyone began to eat.

At this moment, there was a banging on the door.

"Who's there?" Jin Yan paused with her chopsticks.

"Is it Jin Chen back from his business trip?" Yan Jia ignored her sore feet and immediately got up, hurriedly opening the door. "Gege!"

The door opened.

But she froze in place.

"It's you!" Yan Jia glared angrily at Su Hanyan. How could someone have such thick skin to follow them home?

"Yes, it's me. There's no Jin Chen here, just Yanyan." Su Hanyan smiled and tilted her head.

"What are you here for? You're such a killjoy!" Yan Jia slammed the door shut.

Su Hanyan reached out and blocked the door, her face showing a pleasant smile. "Jiajia, I'm here to see Grandma Jin. How can you keep me out of the door like this? Isn't it inappropriate?"

"Who's your Jiajia? Stop pretending!" Yan Jia crossed her arms and blocked the doorway. "If you're sensible, leave now and stop causing trouble here!"

"You can't stop me!" Su Hanyan stood at the door, raised her voice, and shouted, "Grandma Jin, it's Yanyan! I've come to see you!"

Grandma Jin heard the commotion at the front door from the dining room, listened carefully, and recognized it was Su Hanyan. She put down her chopsticks and walked outside. When she saw Su Hanyan standing at the door, her face immediately lit up with a smile. "Yanyan is here! Come in quickly!"

Su Hanyan waved the food container and thermos in her hand. "I came specifically to bring you some food, Grandma!"