Hu San pointed at Second Madam Hu and shrieked, "What nonsense are you spouting? That mouth of yours really deserves a slap!"

"What? Trying to get Hu Erge to hit me again? First, you instigated your older brother’s divorce, and now you’re trying to harm your second brother. Who do you think you are, the matriarch of the Hu Family?"

"If you keep making trouble with your nonsense, I’ll have Hu Erge beat you! Hmph, a mouth like yours should be used for drinking sewage!"

Second Madam Hu was even more furious after hearing Hu San. She stomped her foot and cursed, "Hu San, if you dare incite your brother to hit me, then you’d better be ready to face my wrath."

"Your wrath?" Hu San scoffed. "Is it worth any money? Can you eat it?"

"It’s not worth money and you can’t eat it, but I’m telling you right now, if I don’t smash that mouth of yours, my surname isn’t Zhu!

Let me, Zhu Pan, tell you something. A Hu family woman is expected to be devoted to her husband after marriage, not go around seducing other men.

If you ever dare speak to me like that again, watch out, or I’ll rip that filthy mouth of yours apart."

Seeing Second Madam Hu’s ferocity, Hu San didn’t want to continue the fight, mainly because Brother Su would be back soon.

"Hu Erge, take a good look at the character of that wife of yours. Your little sister has said her piece. You can figure out what to do yourself!"

After saying her piece, she went inside. She wanted to redo her hair and makeup before going to find Brother Su later.

Hu Erge had always been slow-witted, but that didn’t mean he failed to understand the subtext of what Second Madam Hu had said.

His face flushed red, and he looked so ashamed he wished he could find a hole to crawl into.

Of course, he couldn’t bring himself to scold his wife. "Hu San has always been stubborn. Pan, you should say a little less, too."

"Hu Er, search your conscience and tell me, if she hadn’t started it, would I have provoked her?"

Second Madam Hu had always been good at reading people. She also knew when to quit while she was ahead. ’Today, I won.’

So after speaking, she briskly got back to her chores. The elders of the Hu Family were in the main hall, pretending they hadn’t heard anything.

In truth, their hearts were pounding uncomfortably like drums. If they had known their powerful in-law from the Su family would get back on his feet, they wouldn’t have given his second younger sister such a hard time.

It had felt good to torment her back then, but now, disaster was about to strike the Hu Family!

Meanwhile, Su Shuochi, the very person they feared, had just finished his shopping and was gleefully driving to the post office to call his wife.

On the way, his path was blocked. It turned out that the special department had found him. There were orders from above: a group of criminal suspects had fled to Yunhe County.

Their exact location was still uncertain. His superiors wanted him to go undercover within the county and temporarily refrain from contacting his family until the mission was complete.

After a great deal of pleading, Su Shuochi was finally allowed to make one phone call home beforehand. As he dialed, he prayed that his wife would be home.

Gu Jiaojiao hadn’t even eaten dinner. She had floored it all the way home, and just as she parked the car, she heard the phone ringing inside.

She dashed into the house and answered, "Hello~?"

"Honey~ Did you just get back?"

"How did you know? I haven’t even had dinner yet. I was so afraid I’d miss your call."

"I can hear you’re out of breath, so I knew you just got back from outside. Jiaojiao, you have to take care of yourself, okay? Don’t make your husband worry about you..."

Su Shuochi rambled on and on before finally getting to the point.

After listening, Gu Jiaojiao said, "It’s not a bad thing for you to stay in Shuanghe Village. It’s a perfect opportunity to lead the villagers in cultivating medicinal herbs, start a large-scale pig farm..."

The moment she started talking about making money, Su Shuochi could picture her beaming with excitement.

"I don’t know who the higher-ups will send to rendezvous with you. If I knew, I’d have them bring you more money."

"Don’t worry, honey. Your husband isn’t short on cash for now. The medical equipment factory is doing well. If I need money, I’ll have Song Zijie go back and get it."

"Mm, whether you want the villagers to grow herbs or start a pig farm, no one will participate if you ask them to put up their own capital. So, we’ll have to front the initial investment ourselves."

"I understand. It would be better to just hire them. It’s the middle of winter, so the villagers don’t have much to do. If we hire them to clear the land and pay them wages, I guarantee plenty of people will show up to work."

"Heh, Su Shuochi, you really understand people, don’t you? You can handle it as you see fit. I only have one condition: no fooling around with other women."

"What are you talking about? Am I that kind of person?"

"I trust you wouldn’t dare. If I ever find out, I’ll disable you with just a few needles."

"That’s so hurtful! My dear wife has so little faith in my character."

"Haha... What, would you be satisfied if I said that even if you really did betray our vows, I wouldn’t do anything to you?"

"I’d be even less satisfied with that. When I get back, I’ll punish you so hard you won’t be able to get out of bed for days."

"Get lost~"

"Don’t be like that, honey! I won’t be able to contact you for a long time. The thought alone is suffocating!"

"Sigh. How long will you be out of touch? I’m actually quite busy during this time anyway. If love between two is to last, it need not be day in and day out."

"My wife is so carefree. Your husband could never be as detached as you," Su Shuochi lamented glumly.

"Love that isn’t grounded in the practical, everyday realities of dressing, eating, counting money, and sleeping together won’t last forever.

Fireworks fade and people drift apart. A love that isn’t down-to-earth is like a beautiful but illusory mirage—lovely, but fleeting.

Couples without money have to live apart to find work and earn a living, while wealthy couples are even busier.

Our situation is already quite good. For a love to last, we must experience separations and reunions.

Don’t think that being together every day is what sweet love is all about. We have to be a part of each other’s lives..."

Gu Jiaojiao went on and on, counseling her man. ’A man who’s too clingy is a burden, albeit a sweet one.’

"My darling Jiaojiao, I understand all the reasoning. I just can’t bear to be away from you~"

Gu Jiaojiao could feel goosebumps breaking out just from hearing his voice over the phone line. She could only bite the bullet and soothe him.

"I can’t bear to be away from you either~" 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Su Shuochi hung up the phone in a cheerful mood. When he returned to Shuanghe Village, he had two new assistants with him.

He was preparing to make some big moves in his hometown and happened to be short on manpower. This would also serve as a good cover.

At that moment, he had no idea that even more people would be coming to the countryside to help him the next day.

「In the Han family residence, Yunhe County.」

Han Jinghong was called into the study by his grandfather the moment he got home. "Xiao Hong, did you meet anyone special today?"

"No," Han Jinghong blurted out without a second thought. He had subconsciously assumed his grandfather was talking about Su Shuochi.

"Then go to Shuanghe Village first thing tomorrow morning and ask around. See if someone with the surname Su has returned."

"Grandfather, where did you get this information?"

"From the main family branch in the Imperial City. The old master himself called me. He said his sworn sister’s husband has returned to Shuanghe Village in Yunhe County."

"I had to ask several times before he told me the man’s surname is Su. If we can help him..."

Only one phrase registered in Han Jinghong’s mind: ’Su Shuochi really is my granduncle-in-law.’

And because he had been jealous of him, he had lost the opportunity to get to know him. The grandfather and grandson spoke in the study for a very, very long time.