Zhou Ziyang raised an eyebrow. "Unique? Are you praising me?"
Su Xiu said nothing. She simply couldn't find a reason to lie to him.
Zhou Ziyang understood and chuckled. "Looks like I'm the only one who's noticed Auntie's adorable side…"
Su Xiu couldn't stand listening any longer. "Comrade Zhou, it's working hours. Aren't you going back to the bureau?"
"I've taken leave, so there's no rush," Zhou Ziyang replied casually. "I'll leave after my friend delivers the nutritional supplements."
Since he wasn't in a hurry, Su Xiu had no reason to send him away.
"Then, Comrade Zhou, make yourself comfortable. I'll go get some hot water for my dad…"
As Su Xiu picked up a basin, Zhou Ziyang quickly reached out. "Let me help you!"
He was eager to impress, but Su Xiu refused him. "No need. Please, just sit. Really, it's not necessary."
She wasn't foolish—she could see his intentions clearly. But every time she faced Zhou Ziyang, she felt an inferiority deep in her heart. With her family's situation, how could she dare to think of someone like him?
---
At the recycling station, with an hour left before closing, Gu Hai wrapped the television and camera in old newspapers and carried the electric fan home first.
As soon as he left, Su Yun quickly opened the system store and went on a shopping spree!
Now a millionaire, she didn't even look at prices. She bought dozens of pounds of rice and flour, then ten pounds of beef—her father's favorite.
Thinking that she now wore new shoes while her family still wore cloth ones, she bought suitable shoes for everyone.
Next, she purchased apples, oranges, bananas, grapes, as well as blood-enriching foods like red dates, black beans, carrots, spinach, longan, and dried fruits.
Finally, she bought two tins of milk powder, two chickens, and two pig stomachs, planning to cook her father's favorite dish—chicken stuffed in pig stomach—when she got home.
When Gu Hai returned carrying a string of pig liver, he saw the pile of food under the counter and Su Yun's expectant look. He immediately understood.
---
That evening, in the Su family's main room:
After a day of rest, Su Wenshan could now recline halfway on the kang bed.
Su Yun peeled some longan for him to eat.
Meanwhile, Chen Xiue stored the large pile of food in the cabinet, sighing with admiration. "Look at all this rice and flour—such high quality! And so much fresh fruit! Just look at Gu Hai—so thoughtful. Knowing your dad is sick, he brought all this and even bought us such nice shoes. And now he's in the kitchen cooking!"
"A young man like that is impossible to find, even with a lantern!"
"Xiao Yun, you must treat Gu Hai well in the future… Oh, don't bother with your dad, he's fine! Go help Gu Hai in the kitchen. He can't handle everything alone!"
Su Yun handed Su Wenshan another red date and said casually, "Isn't Xiao Wu already helping in the kitchen?"
"What does Xiao Wu know? I'm telling you to go spend more time with Gu Hai. Why are you so clueless?"
That annoyed Su Yun.
She immediately took out the watch from her pocket and placed it on the kang table. "Who says I'm clueless? Look at this—Gu Hai gave me this watch. It's the latest mechanical model. Yingzi's counter sells it for over 400 yuan!"
"What?"
Hearing the price, Chen Xiue's eyes widened!
Even Su Wenshan sat upright, staring at the watch box without blinking.
Chen Xiue walked over quickly, wiped her hands, and carefully opened the box. She gasped, "My goodness, a watch worth over 400 yuan really is extraordinary!"
"Old Su, look! Why is the strap shining?"
"That's metal," Su Wenshan explained. "It's smooth and reflective, not shining."
Chen Xiue shot him a look. "It is shining. If I say it's shining, then it's shining!"
Then she turned to Su Yun, frowning. "Wait a minute—why are you wearing another watch on your wrist?"
Su Yun: "…"
If she dared to say she bought it herself, Chen Xiue would definitely chase her down the street with a broom!
In an instant, Su Yun came up with a solution.
She quickly took off her Seagull watch and handed it to Chen Xiue. "Mom, this one is for you. Gu Hai bought it for you. I was just trying it on for size—haha…"
Chen Xiue was stunned. "I… I have one too?"
"That child, Gu Hai—I only told him to buy one as a betrothal gift for you. Why did he get one for me as well?"
Without hesitation, Chen Xiue took the watch and hurried to the kitchen, beaming. "Gu Hai, how can you be so sincere…"
Gu Hai, who was cooking in the kitchen, had no idea what was happening, but he silently accepted the responsibility anyway.
As soon as Chen Xiue left, Su Yun let out a sigh of relief—only to feel Su Wenshan's resentful gaze on her.
She immediately smiled and said, "Dad, don't worry. In a couple of days, I'll have Gu Hai buy you a watch too—the latest mechanical one!"
After all, she had money now—why not be generous?
Su Wenshan was secretly delighted, but pretended otherwise. "No need. Don't let Gu Hai spend more money. I'll just share your mom's watch to tell the time."
But his honest eyes betrayed his strong desire!
"That won't do," Su Yun said firmly. "We all have watches now—how can we leave you out? Just wait!"
Just as she finished speaking, Xia Ying's voice came from outside: "Su Yun, I'm here!"
Then came Chen Xiue's warm greeting: "Oh, Brother Xia and Sister Xia, you're here to see Old Su, right? Don't worry, he's fine…"
With Xia Ying's mother present, Chen Xiue immediately found someone to confide in and began recounting last night's events again.
Xia Xingguo set down the gifts he brought, sat by the kang, and said to Su Wenshan, "Old Su, the factory's been busy lately. I only found out near the end of the day that you didn't show up for work. I asked your neighbor Gao Fengxiang, and he said you were sick, so I came right away."
"How are you feeling now?"
Su Wenshan waved his hand. "I'm fine. Just need a couple of days' rest."
Chen Xiue snorted. "You call this fine? Your son-in-law is already cooking chicken stuffed in pig stomach for you—that's something women only eat during postpartum recovery—and you still say you're fine?"
Hearing this, Xia Xingguo and his wife were both shocked.
Xia Ying's mother immediately asked excitedly, "What? Xiao Yun's mom, what do you mean? Where did this son-in-law come from? Is it Xiao Yun's boyfriend? How come we didn't know?"
Su Yun stood to the side, expression numb.
She was certain—her mother said that on purpose, just to let others know about Gu Hai!
The problem was, Xia Xingguo had met Gu Hai before. Would this expose everything?
While Chen Xiue chatted with Xia Ying's mother, Xia Ying stifled a laugh and nudged Su Yun with her elbow.