Back to the 1980s: Transmigrated as the Bigshot's Pampered Wife-Chapter 121: The Strong Are Respected

"Shuo Ci, just let Jiaojiao use my slot. I’ll be Jiaojiao’s teacher in name, but her apprentice in reality."

Xia Qiuming saw Mr. He cast aside his pride to compete with him. ’There’s no way I’m losing to an old stick-in-the-mud! A truly great man knows when to be flexible. The old saying is true: the strong command respect. Jiaojiao is obviously more skilled than me, so what’s wrong with being her teacher in name only?’

Just as He Shen Yi, beard bristling and eyes wide, was about to argue his case, he heard Mr. Sheng and Uncle Dong arrive.

Old Sir Gu didn’t say anything, so the other VIPs didn’t know that Mr. Sheng was the father of that arrogant girl.

Another round of pleasantries was exchanged. Mr. Sheng was a bit uncomfortable at first, but he saw that none of them were giving him the cold shoulder.

Mr. Sheng admired them from the bottom of his heart. ’VIPs are VIPs for a reason—so broad-minded.’ He enthusiastically invited the VIPs.

"Why don’t you all come to the guest house in our military compound to eat and rest?"

Mr. Sheng hadn’t become a division commander solely through his father’s protection; he had once led troops to eliminate bandits and earned countless merits.

Now, he was mainly in charge of maintaining peace and unity among the families in the military compound, ensuring the soldiers on the front lines had no worries back home.

"Thank you, Comrade Sheng and Comrade Dong. We’ll eat here at Shuo Ci’s house first, then go to the guest house to sleep."

Xia Qiuming stepped forward to handle the social exchange. Among the group, he was the youngest, yet he held the highest position.

’It’s a mystery how Sheng Yueyue concluded this young man had no status.’

"Shuo Ci, can your uncle eat at your place too?" Uncle Dong asked eagerly.

’I can use public funds to pay for the meal,’ he thought. ’I definitely won’t be a freeloader.’

"Uncle, Mr. Sheng, you’re both welcome to stay for dinner if you have time. I’m going to call my parents home to cook and pick Jiaojiao up from school on the way."

Mr. Sheng didn’t have the face to stay for dinner. Although he was reluctant to leave, his daughter had offended all of them.

Staying for dinner would be very awkward. Besides, his daughter was about to wake up, so he should go home and check on her first.

"Shuo Ci, thank you, but I have things to attend to at home. It’s enough for Comrade Dong to stay and host everyone. Comrade Dong will reimburse you for their meal expenses."

"In that case, Mr. Sheng, have a bowl of mung bean soup before you go."

Su Shuochi didn’t know what was on Mr. Sheng’s mind. At this point, he was still unaware that Sheng Yueyue had cursed at Grandpa Gu and the others.

As soon as he returned, he had been pulled aside by He Shen Yi to have his pulse taken, and then they had been talking about Jiaojiao’s medical skills ever since.

"Shuo Ci, you should also have a bowl of mung bean soup before you go. You haven’t even had a glass of water since you got back."

Mrs. Gu felt sorry for her son-in-law. She immediately handed him a cup of cooling tea, then went to ladle a bowl of chilled mung bean soup for Mr. Sheng.

"Thanks, Mom." Su Shuochi took the tea and gulped it down in a few swallows.

"Drink slowly, don’t rush. I’ll chop the vegetables first, so they’ll be ready for my in-law to stir-fry when she gets back."

Mrs. Gu took the teacup from her son-in-law’s hand and passed him a bowl of mung bean soup she had just ladled.

"Sister, can I have a bowl of that cooling mung bean soup too?" Uncle Dong was very fond of the Su family’s food.

"Of course. If you like it, you can have two bowls," Mrs. Gu said with a wide smile.

When the guests arrived, she had only poured tea. As for the mung bean soup, she only ladled it out when a guest asked for it.

"This mung bean soup is delicious. Sister-in-law Gu, could I have another bowl, please?" The chilled soup managed to quell the fire in Mr. Sheng’s heart.

"Shuo Ci, I’ll go with you to pick Jiaojiao up from school," Xia Qiuming said.

"We’ll go too," He Shen Yi and Li An said in unison.

Geng Ruixian and Cheng Tao hadn’t had a chance to speak, but they wanted to go too.

Su Shuochi thought about how he and his wife still needed to take the wild boar meat and duck out of their ’space’ to cook.

"Grandpa, why don’t you all stay here, eat some watermelon, and chat? After dinner, we can all escort our guests to the guest house together, how about that?"

Grandpa Gu understood instantly. His grandson-in-law thought they would be too slow. So, he said with a grin.

"There are too many of us to fit in the car, and we walk too slowly. We might as well just wait for Jiaojiao here."

Hearing Grandpa Gu say this, the others gave up on the idea of going to the school to pick up Gu Jiaojiao.

Su Shuochi wheeled himself to the door and opened it, only to see Xie Zhuoyu arriving with his grandfather.

As soon as Xie Zhuoyu entered, he saw that the Su family’s living room was full of people. He explained a bit awkwardly.

"Shuo Ci, I went home today and told my grandpa that his chronic leg pain might be treatable, and he insisted on coming to your house right away."

"Grandpa Xie, you’ve come at the perfect time. This is Divine Doctor He from the Imperial City, and this is Doctor Xia, who studied abroad. One is a titan in the world of traditional Chinese medicine, and the other is a leading figure in Western medicine."

Su Shuochi had already reached the doorway. He turned back and pointed at He Shen Yi and Xia Qiuming as he made the introductions.

"It’s an honor to meet you, Divine Doctor He, and you, Doctor Xia." Xie Zhuoyu was overjoyed. His luck was incredible.

’To think I’d get to meet two of the most famous doctors from the Imperial City! Maybe there really is hope for my grandpa’s chronic leg pain.’

"Shuo Ci, let’s go together," Mr. Sheng said, content after finishing two bowls of mung bean soup.

If he weren’t worried about his daughter, Mr. Sheng definitely would have stayed. It was a rare opportunity to build a connection with He Shen Yi.

His father’s old ailments, his wife’s back problems, and even his own recent lack of energy from being so angered by his daughter—he needed He Shen Yi to take a good look at all of them.

Unfortunately, with his daughter raising hell at home, his wife would have a breakdown if left alone.

Su Shuochi and Mr. Sheng had walked some distance from the Su’s house when Su Shuochi noticed Mr. Sheng’s dejected look.

He asked with concern, "Mr. Sheng, are you not feeling well?"

"I don’t feel well anywhere. Shuo Ci, did Jiaojiao’s grandpa and the others say anything bad about Yueyue when they got back?"

"I just got back myself, so I don’t know what happened," Su Shuochi blurted out.

The moment he said it, he understood. Sheng Yueyue must have had an unpleasant encounter with Grandpa Gu on the road.

Su Shuochi looked at his former superior, who seemed to have aged a great deal. Those once-brilliant eyes were now dull and lifeless.

’It must be because his daughter has angered him so much.’

’But even an honest official can’t settle a family dispute.’

Su Shuochi wanted to comfort his superior, so he put together a few sentences based on things his wife often said.

"Mr. Sheng, please don’t worry. Even if your daughter said something out of line, Grandpa Gu wouldn’t hold it against her.

For the past eighteen years, they were grandfather and granddaughter. They both played an important role in each other’s lives.

It’s just like the relationship between your family and Jiaojiao. Jiaojiao once told me that when she was walking her path all alone...

...the mere thought that it was your family who raised her made her feel incredibly fortunate.

That’s why when Eldest Brother Sheng went to the border this time, Jiaojiao prepared a lot of food for him. Even if they’ve formally cut ties, their bond as brother and sister will never change."

"Jiaojiao is a good girl. We’re the ones who let her down," Mr. Sheng said gently.

He thought of his meek and obedient adoptive daughter, and his heart melted into a puddle. Having someone depend on you and having someone *only* depend on you are two completely different things.

They were the ones who had forced their well-behaved, dependent adoptive daughter to stop depending on them.

Then he thought of his own pestering and unreasonable biological daughter, and the anger in his heart flared up, impossible to suppress.