Chapter 161: Hopeful
When Su Ning’s meal was almost ready, it was already dark, but the people still hadn’t come over from the cattle shed.
Thinking that their current identities were indeed inconvenient and they couldn’t act freely, touching in the dark while avoiding people was the best choice.
She put down the spatula in her hand, covered the large wooden pot, quickly walked to the small door in the backyard, and only felt assured after confirming the door wasn’t locked, then returned to the kitchen.
The last dish in the pot was winter melon soup; the winter melon was already stewed soft and glutinous. She sprinkled some chopped green onions, added some salt, ladled it into soup bowls, and placed it in the center of the dining table.
Using the vegetables sent from the old man’s house, along with a piece of smoked cured meat that she couldn’t refuse, she made a sumptuous dinner.
Looking at the four dishes and one soup on the table, she nodded in satisfaction: She hoped Old Man Liu, who had let down his guard, would be easy to talk to.
“Su Ning.”
“Grandpa Yan, Grandma Yan, Old Man Liu, this…”
Yan Changrong and Liu Wenbo both couldn’t help but blush with embarrassment.
Behind them were two middle-aged couples who looked somewhat awkward and uneasy—it was Lin Tao and Liang Wanru from the cattle shed.
They had just caught a small wild chicken on the sly when it was getting dark and were preparing to come over. They planned to improve their meals together with Liu Wenbo and have a little treat.
She learned that the couple were both former university professors, reported by their own son who was eager to climb up, in collusion with the false accusations from their most trusted student, leading to their current situation.
Yan Changrong sighed endlessly, while Liu Wenbo was caught in a dilemma for a moment. After exchanging a glance, they turned their burning, pleading gazes toward Yan Bei.
This led to the current situation.
“Su Ning, these two are Uncle Lin and Aunt Liang.”
“Hello, Uncle Lin, Aunt Liang. Everyone, come in quickly!”
Feeling only slightly surprised, Su Ning’s astonished expression on her face changed quickly, but there was no displeasure or anger in her eyes.
With a smiling face, she invited everyone into the room. Fortunately, her maternal grandfather had chosen this remote homestead land, which was spacious, so the rooms inside were naturally large too. Even with so many people in the kitchen, it didn’t feel cramped.
After the elders had all gone in one after another, Yan Bei, who was left at the end, took the opportunity to speak, “Su Ning, sorry, I made this decision on my own…”
After all, they were all in the same place, and who knew how long they would have to get along in the future—seeing each other often. Since there was no problem among their own people, it was naturally best to maintain good relations.
Only when the ‘internal’ harmony was achieved could they stop having to scheme and guard against both sides.
“I understand.”
Even if he didn’t say it, Su Ning understood his consideration. Seeing him looking like a shy little wife with his head lowered timidly, she couldn’t help deepening the smile in her eyes.
“Let’s go, don’t keep the elders waiting.”
“Okay. Thank you… Ning Ning.”
Hmm?
Her long legs had just turned and taken a step, nearly twisting. Su Ning abruptly turned her head and crashed right into that pair of eyes sparkling with starlight, her heart uncontrollably thumping again.
His lips curved up, and his cool, handsome face was like a snow lotus blooming to its fullest under the night sky, blooming in an instant.
“I always feel like calling you by your full name is too distant. Is it okay to call you this way?”
“Of course, it’s just a form of address.”
Returning a smile, Su Ning hurried inside as if fleeing.
It wasn’t like no one had called her this before, but why did the same words from his mouth sound so damn gentle, and make her feel incredibly… sexy?
She shook her head vigorously, forcefully shaking off this dangerous thought.
“What’s wrong, Ning Ning?”
“Cough, nothing, just a mosquito.”
Unable to hold back a light laugh, Yan Bei’s eyes were filled with overflowing joy.
Seeing her squint her eyes in a slightly threatening gesture, he finally tried to restrain the expression on his face.
“Ning Yatou, come sit quickly!”
Zhao Panpan didn’t notice the silent exchange between the two, and with a kind smile, she pulled Su Ning’s hand as she approached and had her sit in the empty seat beside her.
As for her dear little grandson who was ignored?
He was such a big person, did he still need taking care of!
She wasn’t the only one in her heart who was obviously showing double standards.
Sure enough, though the two entered one after the other, Yan Changrong only had eyes for Su Ning.
“Ning Ning, making so much food must have been hard work! Come, sit down and rest, you must be tired, right?”
So capable, pretty, and smart—why wasn’t she his own granddaughter?
Sigh, he could only settle for the next best thing. If she couldn’t be his own granddaughter, she could at least be his grandson’s wife.
He didn’t know when Xiao Qi would finally win the beauty and let us two old folks drink the tea offered by our grandson’s wife.
Really… useless thing!
Yan Bei slightly turned his body and sat in the last empty seat: But what was that look in his family Old Master?
Disdain? For him?
“You’re Xiao Su, right? We’re intruding today.”
“Old Man Liu, don’t say that. I live alone usually, I’m thrilled that you all came.”
Liu Wenbo smiled noncommittally and nodded. With their identities now, who could truly welcome them from the bottom of their hearts without fearing being implicated?
But he could tell the girl next to him was sincere, so there was no need for him to say discouraging words.
……
After a lively meal, the people in the room, especially Liu Wenbo and the other two, had relaxed a lot.
Sure enough, for people in China, getting closer and building good relations couldn’t be without the dining table.
After shedding the disguise of cold indifference and aloofness, Old Man Liu was warm and kind, Lin Tao was elegant and talkative, and Liang Wanru was intellectual and kind.
If they hadn’t experienced too much hardship and seen too much warmth and coldness, how could they be willing to wear masks year-round? It was just self-protection.
They still had to go back to the cattle shed later and were afraid alcohol would cause trouble, so Su Ning brewed a pot of tea for them to use in place of wine.
Holding the tea cup, the rising wisps of white mist blurred Liu Wenbo’s eyes. How long had it been since he had a proper meal like this and a cup of good tea?
This taste and this rare kindness far surpassed any in the past, enough to make him remember for the rest of his life.
Not just him, Lin Tao and Liang Wanru probably felt the same.
“Old Man Liu.”
Interrupted in his thoughts, Liu Wenbo didn’t react at first. When he came back to his senses and saw the two who had come to his side at some point, he smilingly put down the cup in his hand, “Go ahead, you two little ones, do you have something to ask me?”
He had noticed their eye contact during the meal, and they kept glancing at him inadvertently.
How could he not know? Old Yan that old guy might really want to get together, but these two probably had other matters.
With his current situation, what he could hope for was that medical skill that was neither inherited nor passed down to death, so… Liu Wenbo already had some guesses in his heart.
“Nothing can be hidden from you, Old Man Liu. We just want to ask if you have any way to deal with intracranial blood stasis dissipation?”
“Intracranial blood stasis dissipation?”
Mentioning his specialty, Liu Wenbo subconsciously straightened his face and asked thoughtfully, “Tell me the specific situation.”
“Blunt trauma to the back of the head, leaving blood stasis that compressed nerves and caused paralysis below the spine. Can traditional Chinese medicine treat this?”
“Yes.”
“Really?” “That’s great!”
“But…”
Their happy faces froze at his turning words, and they asked in unison, “But what?”
“But if I treat it, it would require many herbs, including one that’s very hard to find. Without that one, it’s still best to use a combined approach—herbal medicine plus acupuncture.”
“Old Man Liu, which herb is the hard-to-find one needed?”
“Red ganoderma spore powder that’s over a hundred years old.”
This… what a coincidence.
Thinking of the super large red ganoderma planted by the spring water in Peach Blossom Spring Space, Su Ning didn’t know what expression to make.
“How? You…”
Immediately noticing her unusual expression, Liu Wenbo tugged hard on his white beard, not caring about the few hairs pulled out, and looked at her with full shock, “You’ve really seen it?”
“Yes, I saw it on Treasure Mountain at a friend’s maternal family home.”
……
After safely sending Old Man Liu and the other two back to the cattle shed, when Yan Bei returned, he saw the not-so-good expressions on his grandparents’ faces and immediately knew Su Ning had told them everything.
“Xiao Qi, your Uncle Fu is injured so badly, staying there might not be safe.”
“I know. Uncle Fu probably understands too that it won’t be long before they all come over.”
“Good thing Old Liu that guy is here!”
Yan Changrong sighed, not knowing if this was fortune or misfortune, but thankfully, heaven never sealed off all paths.
That child had heavy thoughts; this incident would probably weigh on his heart for a long time and he wouldn’t get over it.
Even knowing the truth later, they wouldn’t blame him, but he would still trap himself in a dead end.
