Jiang Pan said solemnly, "My in-laws are joking. Although I'm the village chief, I'm just running errands and handling matters for the village. I don't have that much power to say whatever I want."
"The silver used to buy this land for the small mountain village isn't from our Jiang family. If I dared to say that, I'm afraid my term as village chief would end right here."
Su's father quickly smiled sheepishly, "I misspoke. But in-law, you must help us think of a solution. We are family now. Living in the same village, we can help and support each other in the future, don't you think? Eldest Brother and the others are young and inexperienced. With the support of Ah Qing and his brothers, their backs will be straighter in the future."
Jiang Pan politely said, "I will help ask for the villagers' opinions, but whether it can be done, I cannot guarantee it for you."
Mrs. Tian smiled and said, "If you ask me, it's not that troublesome. In-law Uncle, your courtyard is so large, enough for several families to live in. Why don't you just give us half of the space? This way, it will save you the trouble of running errands. We won't be occupying the village's land, so the villagers definitely won't interfere with this matter."
Her two sisters-in-law, Zhang and Li, quickly chimed in, "This method is good, it's simple and worry-free. Living together, it will be lively in the future. When Ah Luo has a baby, having so many people to help raise it, what a good thing."
Jiang Wan was so amused she almost laughed. She feigned innocence and ran to Jiang Pan, tilting her small face up with a worried expression, "Dad, does our family owe the Su family money?"
Jiang Pan was startled and shook his head, "No, why do you ask?"
Jiang Wan looked relieved, "It's good that we don't owe them. I thought our Jiang family owed the Su family a large sum of money that we couldn't repay, so they came to our house to ask for land and a house. But Daddy, since we don't owe them money, how can they have the nerve to ask us for land and a house? Can't they buy it themselves?"
The atmosphere instantly became very awkward, and the Su family's faces turned pale.
Jiang Pan and Chen Yuezhi almost burst out laughing. Some things, they as adults couldn't say due to concerns about face, but Jiang Wan had no such reservations.
Chen Yuezhi reprimanded her with mock seriousness, "Wan Wan, don't talk nonsense."
Jiang Wan looked confused and pointed at Mrs. Tian, "I'm not talking nonsense. This auntie just said that, asking us to give them half of the courtyard. Oh, I understand now. They want to buy it with money, right?"
Mrs. Tian's face turned from green to dark. This darn girl actually called her auntie! Was she that old?
Seeing her remain silent, Jiang Wan deliberately asked with feigned innocence, "Auntie, I'm not wrong, are you not here to get it for free, but to buy our house with money, right?"
Mrs. Tian didn't know how to respond.
Buy it with money?
Why would they spend money on something they could get for free? Wouldn't that be foolish?
Seeing her silence, Jiang Wan immediately turned and threw herself into Jiang Pan's arms, pretending to cry loudly, "Dad, Mom, they are not here to buy the courtyard with money at all. They just want to snatch our new house! Dad, Mom, what should we do? Our things are going to be snatched away."
Jiang Wan's words made the Su family's faces even more awkward.
Mrs. Tian quickly gave a dry laugh, "Child, why are you crying? We are family..."
Jiang Wan didn't lift her head, "My surname is Jiang, yours is Su. How can two people with different surnames be family? Don't you think I'm small and want to trick me!"
The Su family: ...
Jiang Pan gently patted Jiang Wan's back at the opportune moment and comforted her, "Wan Wan, don't cry. Our courtyard will not be sold, nor will it be snatched. Don't be afraid."
Jiang Wan looked up with red-rimmed eyes, gazing pleadingly at Jiang Pan, "Really?"
Even though Jiang Pan knew this girl was pretending, seeing those pitiful eyes, he felt heartbroken, "Of course it's true. Jiang family's things will only be given to Jiang family members."
After speaking, he looked up at the Su family, "My in-laws, you'd better manage your daughters-in-law. They are so old, yet they speak without discretion. If such things were said privately, I could take them as jokes, but if they were to spread, people would laugh at the Su family for being ill-mannered."
Mother Su quickly lowered her face and reprimanded her three daughters-in-law, "No manners! Speak again, and I'll slap your mouths!"
Mrs. Tian and her sisters-in-law quickly shrank their necks.
But Mother Su didn't mention that Mrs. Tian's words were wrong at all.
However, it didn't matter. Jiang Wan's deliberate crying and fussing had effectively blocked the Su family's intention to shamelessly impose themselves.
Chen Yuezhi found this family very tiresome and said to Jiang Wan, "Wan Wan, are you sleepy? Mom will take you to sleep for a while."
Jiang Wan worried that if she left, Jiang Pan would be embarrassed to refuse the Su family's shameless requests, but seeing Chen Yuezhi wink at her, she obediently rubbed her eyes.
Chen Yuezhi smiled at the Su family, "I'll take Wan Wan to sleep first, you all talk amongst yourselves."
After speaking, she hugged Jiang Wan and went into the adjacent room.
Seeing Chen Yuezhi leave, Mother Su also found an excuse and called Su Shi out of the door. Her three daughters-in-law and younger daughter, Su Lian, also got up and followed.
After all the women had left, Jiang Wan then asked in a low voice, "Mom, will these Su family people linger and not leave?"
She really had no good impression of the Su family. Even setting aside the matter of them fleeing famine alone, just their behavior today made Jiang Wan unable to feel any good feelings towards them.
Chen Yuezhi was also worried, "The Su family has honest-looking faces, but they never do practical things. Calling your sister-in-law out now must be because they can't get anything on the surface, and they want to get information from your sister-in-law about our family's assets. I don't know if your sister-in-law's personality can keep secrets."
Jiang Wan quickly sent her little henchman out to gather intelligence and comforted Chen Yuezhi, "Mom, don't worry. Even if they find out anything, it's useless. It's not that easy for the Su family to have designs on us, unless they can withstand the beating from the people of the small mountain village!"
With their current status in the village, as long as Jiang Pan gave an order, the villagers, regardless of age or gender, would come forward to help.
Chen Yuezhi stroked her hair, "I'm worried about your sister-in-law. She's pregnant now. If things get ugly, she'll be upset, which is not good for the baby."
If it weren't for this, she wouldn't have bothered to give the Su family a good look today!
Jiang Wan rubbed her hand against hers, "Mom, don't worry. With the old immortal here, sister-in-law's body will be fine."
Chen Yuezhi smiled at her. In fact, her biggest worry was that because of the Su family, Su Shi would become estranged from the Jiang family.
Su Shi was easily swayed, and they were her close relatives. If the Su family stirred things up in between, it would be easy for discord to arise in the family.
Jiang Wan, however, said, "Although sister-in-law is easily swayed, she can distinguish right from wrong."
If Su Shi really made a mistake and listened to her maternal family's instigation, it wouldn't matter. At that time, they could let the eldest brother and his wife move out and live on their own.
However, she didn't voice this plan, as Su Shi's attitude hadn't been expressed yet, and saying such things could easily create friction.