Madam Wu had clearly intended to kill her two stepchildren and Su Dani had even been forced to commit suicide. If Su Tang hadn't arrived in this world then Su Dani would have truly died. So she would repay this blood debt between her and Madam Wu, maybe not today, but the future ahead was still long.
When Su Yongqiang saw Su Yonggui agreed he directly had someone come and write the adoption document. Then he personally oversaw Su Yonggui, Madam Zhao, Su Dafu, and Madam Wu all stamp their fingerprint on the document one after another.
Su Tang watched from the side and felt very grateful to Su Yongqiang. This document stamped with their fingerprints would make it much easier for her to avoid any future troubles from these so-called relatives. Su Tang would remember this favor.
Su Yongqiang knew very clearly that there were no good people in Su Yonggui's family, so he was afraid that if he didn't do this now then they would make more trouble in the future that he would have to clean up. That was why he had them all press their fingerprints here and now, to avoid any future problems.
After Su Yonggui, the last one, pressed down his fingerprint, Madam Zhao said that she still had things cooking on the pot at home, so she needed to leave. She stayed just long enough to watch Su Dani and Su Dalang have their names removed from Su Yonggui's family genealogy before she turned and went home.
From the beginning to the end, she never gave Su Tang or her brother so much as a single glance.
Seeing that made Su Yongqiang and the other Su family elders very angry but, unfortunately, they could not really do anything to Madam Zhao. Finally, they asked Su Tang and her brother to complete the final step. Su Dani changed her name to Su Tang while Su Dalang changed his name to Su Yongnuo. They wrote their new names under Su Laochuan's name.
This meant that Su Tang and Su Yongnuo had officially become the children of Su Laochuan and were no longer members of Su Yonggui's family.
In this way, the adoption was completed. Because Su Laochuan had not yet been buried, Su Yongqiang's wife Madam Zhou*, hurriedly made two sets of clean filial piety clothes for the brother and sister pair to wear during the mourning period.
Later that same day Su Laochuan was buried by his new children who were dressed in their new filial piety clothes. The two were busy until late evening when Su Yongqiang personally sent them back to Su Laochuan's old home.
"Su Tang, Su Yongnuo, these red dates were prepared by your sister-in-law for you. From now on, you two will live on your own. If you need anything, you can come to my house and find your Elder Brother Qiang."
When they arrived, Su Yongqiang handed over the adoption document to Su Tang. "Everything will get better and better for you two now. Before Su Laochuan left us he hoped that someone would take over and carry on his family line because, sadly, your brother Su Yonghe, your sister-in-law Madam Liu, and their son encountered mountain bandits in Linxian County. When the news came, we were told that they had already been buried by the Yamen. As Su Laochuan's children, you have a duty to bring them back and reunite them with your parents. But don't worry about that for now."
Because Su Tang and her brother had been adopted but Su Laochuan and his family were already all gone Su Yongqiang, as the Su family patriarch, had some things he had to explain to the two kids.
When Su Tang heard him say this she pulled Su Nuo to kneel down and kowtow to Su Yongqiang. When Su Yongqiang saw her doing this he hurriedly moved to help them up.
"Elder Brother Yongqiang, don't help us up. If it hadn't been for you this time, I don't know what would have happened to my brother and I. When my mother was still alive she told us that we should remember the kindness others show to us. Elder Brother Yongqiang, I will never forget the kindness that you have shown us two siblings for the rest of my life."
Su Tang was actually very sincere when she said this. Su Yongqiang and Su Fu'an had played a big role in allowing her and her brother to successfully leave Su Yonggui's family today.
Of course, Su Tang knew that their motives were not entirely altruistic, but they were all human beings, and who in this world was not a little selfish? In the end, what mattered was that they had helped her and her brother with no evil intentions, so she would remember this favor.
Su Yongqiang felt like these two children that he didn't know very well had suddenly grown up. So, after a moment, he thanked them and told them to get up.
"In the past, you didn't have a good life at home and, unfortunately, as the patriarch I couldn't interfere in Su Yonggui's family affairs. But after today you will belong to Su Laochuan's family, so if there is anything you can't solve, just come to me or your sister-in-law. Although it will be difficult now for you to live on your own, it will get better once Little Brother Nuo grows up. It's important to do your best in the future and try to live a good life."
Su Tang nodded and promised, "Elder Brother Yongqiang rest assured that we will certainly have a good life. We will also remember our brother, sister-in-law and nephew. I will personally go to pick them up and bury them along with our parents here at home."
Su Tang had always respected others to the same degree they respected her. Although it was not very pleasant to say, if Su Laochuan hadn't died, it would have been much more difficult to take her brother away from Su Yonggui's family.
She was only a wandering soul, so it was the same for her no matter who she recognized as her parents. But since she had promised to recognize Su Laochuan as her father and continue his family line she would certainly fulfill her obligations as his daughter.
When Su Yongqiang saw that Su Tang was so sensible he nodded happily. Then he left to go home while saying it was late.
Even though he felt the siblings had a pitiful lot he knew that they would have to live on their own from now on. Him and his family could occasionally give them some help but, ultimately, what kind of life they would live in the future depended on their own effort.
Su Tang took her younger brother and sent Su Yongqiang off. Only then did she take a look at the grass and mud house left behind by Su Laochuan. There was a window that pointed due south and inside the first thing she saw was a kitchen stove which connected to a kang bed inside.
The kitchen and the inner room were separated by a small door, which opened into a long room with a dining table and two benches with lame legs. There was a set of dirty bedding on the kang bed and a set of men's clothes, that seemed to be almost more patches than clothes, inside a cupboard in the corner.
There was also a window on the north side. The house was not big at all but it was enough for two children. Outside the grass and mud house, there was a small yard surrounded by an uneven fence. There was a small pile of firewood outside the door and a large water jar next to the firewood. There was a small vegetable garden on the other side that had cucumbers, beans, eggplant and cabbage lettuce. Because autumn was coming soon the garden was already producing food, which made Su Tang feel very gratified.
Su Nuo ran around the house and asked Su Tang happily, "Sister, is this our new home?"
Su Tang nodded. "Yes, this will be our new home in the future."
Su Nuo was very happy, "Can I invite Dongzi and Gouzi to play at home?" Dongzi and Gouzi were some of Su Nuo's friends from the village that he used to play with.
"Of course." Su Tang promised. She seemed very happy they would never see Su Dafu again. "From now on, we have nothing to do with our previous home Xiao Nuo..."
Su Nuo's expression was depressed for a moment but then he regained his smiling face. "They didn't want me and my sister anyway. But I have my sister and my sister has me. It's enough just for us two to be together."
Su Tang had thought he was too young to really understand anything that had happened so when she heard him say those words she felt a little sad and a little distressed that he had to carry so much on his small shoulder. But at the same time she was happy that he understood who had been good to him and who hadn't been.
"Well, let's live a good life together in the future. Let's eat meat every day and make them feel regret!" Su Tang said finally.
Su Nuo nodded "Mhm!"
*she's Madam Zhou / Zhou Shi (周氏) which is different from MCs evil grandmother Madam Zhao / Zhao Shi (赵氏).
Tl note: wew new names I guess. New names that instantly get shortened the next second.
Also if you're confused why the su family patriarch is calling the kids 'brother/sister' and referring to his wife as their 'sister-in-law' I think it's because Su Laochuan (their nominal new late father) was a generation above Su Yongqiang? So now they are technically on the same generational level.
It was mentioned that Su Fu'an is Su Yongqiang's nephew and Su Yongshun's son, which should make SYQ and SYS brothers. Then in chapter 5 it was mentioned that SYS used to call Su Laochuan 'uncle' (i.e: older by one generation) which would put SLC's children on the same generational level as SYS and SYQ, making them all cousins according to the new genealogy.