Chapter 415: Chapter 415: The Son-in-law Also Does Scientific Research?
Han Meizhen had never been treated like this by her father in her entire life. She shot a furious glare at Gu Jiaojiao.
The resentment in her eyes was practically overflowing, but she knew her father was truly furious this time.
She immediately put on a cheerful smile and said, "Aunt, don’t be angry! It’s just that girl Linlin being thoughtless. I’ll teach her a lesson for you right now."
"Teach her a lesson? And how would you do that?" Su Shuochi’s voice was as cold as frost.
His sharp, cold eyes couldn’t help but be tinged with anger as he stared coldly at the mother and daughter from the Xu family.
An icy glint flashed in his gaze, making them feel as if they were in a freezing cellar, their hearts trembling with fear.
Han Meizhen was the type to bully the weak and fear the strong. She immediately pulled back the hand she had raised, only pretending to strike Xu Lin.
She had only wanted to hit her daughter in public to deliberately embarrass Gu Jiaojiao, hoping to make her back down and, ideally, not even stay for dinner at her maternal home.
But this man’s glare was even more ferocious than her father’s. She didn’t dare act rashly and could only obediently pull her daughter to a seat at the table.
Old Sir Han, Han Chenyu, He Yulan, and Han the Third with his wife all sat with Gu Jiaojiao and her husband.
There were only seven people at their table. One seat was still open, originally reserved for his second son-in-law.
Because Han Meizhen had provoked Gu Jiaojiao, Old Sir Han called Han Jingyi over to fill the seat.
Father Xu was a sharp man. He saw everything but said nothing, merely giving his wife and daughter a deep look.
He, along with his family of four, joined the Han family’s youngest daughter and her family of four, making a full table.
The grandchildren of the Han family sat at another table. They all shot fierce glares at their cousin.
If she hadn’t been causing trouble, they might have had a chance to say a word to their Grandaunt.
Their Grandaunt was as beautiful as a fairy, with eyes as clear as water. She was like a celestial being who had descended from the heavens...
But today, their Grandaunt didn’t seem very happy. It was all that bitch Xu Lin’s fault!
But the Han grandchildren wouldn’t dare say anything bad about Xu Lin in front of the adults. They only communicated with their eyes.
When the food was served, all their resentment vanished. With no elders at their table, they brandished their chopsticks and started fighting over the dishes.
Fighting over food was just part of the lively atmosphere; the older cousins would consciously let the younger ones have their fill.
He Yulan was a true model of a virtuous wife and good mother. She diligently used the serving chopsticks to place food on Gu Jiaojiao’s plate, then did the same for her father-in-law, her husband, and her son.
"Here, here, Aunt, you must try this sweet and sour pork rib. Our family’s cook used to be the head chef at a state-run restaurant."
"Dad, your teeth aren’t what they used to be. Have some more fish. Don’t worry, I’ve already removed all the bones for you."
"Honey, you love pork heart. You should have some more, too..."
Gu Jiaojiao looked at the mountain of food piled in her own bowl, then at the middle-aged housewife next to her, who was about the same age as her own mother.
She watched as the woman diligently served everyone at the table, having not yet taken a single bite herself.
Gu Jiaojiao’s brows furrowed slightly. Her expression was a bit complicated, her lips pressed into a thin line, but she said nothing and simply lowered her head to continue eating.
Inwardly, however, she was complaining: ’What era is this? Serving food should be a man’s job.’
"Honey, if there’s anything you don’t like, just give it to me," Su Shuochi said when he saw her frown, thinking she disliked the food in her bowl.
As he spoke, he plucked the fish eyes from the serving dish for her and also moved the dishes she didn’t usually like from her bowl into his.
Seeing that her husband was constantly paying attention to her, Gu Jiaojiao felt a warmth in her heart. A radiant smile bloomed on her face as she spoke.
"This food is delicious! I like all of it. If I can’t finish, I’ll give the rest to you."
"If you like it, Aunt, then please eat more. I heard that Mu Ziquan might be able to stand again?" Han Chenyu finally couldn’t resist asking.
When he saw that Gu Jiaojiao and her husband’s moods hadn’t been affected, the anxiety he’d been feeling for a while finally settled.
For the first time ever, he even put a piece of braised pork into his wife’s bowl. "Yulan, this braised pork is your favorite. Don’t just serve us all the time."
"Thank you, Old Han. As long as you all are eating well, I’m content." He Yulan was so moved her eyes welled up with tears.
Seeing him finally act so considerate, Gu Jiaojiao’s mood soared. "I heard that Mu Ziquan’s leg will be well enough for him to be discharged from the hospital in about half a month."
"Discharged? Doesn’t that mean he’s already recovered?" Han the Third asked excitedly.
He had been on the battlefield once himself. Thanks to his high intelligence, he was now an outstanding research scientist.
He finally had a chance to speak with his aunt. He had a comrade-in-arms who had also been limping for many years.
"Being discharged just means his wounds have healed well. Whether he can stand up and walk again depends on the patient’s determination."
"Physical therapy is a very arduous process. The brain perceives the pain in the legs very clearly, but controlling them is extremely difficult."
"Practicing how to stand and take steps involves immense pain, yet the progress is minuscule."
"Sometimes, it can even feel like there’s no progress at all. This kind of torment, where one puts in enormous effort for incredibly slow progress, is what most easily breaks a person’s spirit. Some people just choose to give up."
Gu Jiaojiao’s clear and bright voice was lovely to listen to. When the topic turned to her area of expertise, she naturally became more talkative.
"Mu Ziquan has a calm and steady temperament; he would never give up easily. I didn’t realize it took so much willpower even after the surgery," Han Chenyu remarked with a sigh. His gaze toward Su Shuochi now held an extra layer of admiration, along with a hint of pity.
Su Shuochi: ...
’Don’t you dare pity me. I was fine the second my surgery was done. I never had to suffer through physical therapy.’ But he wouldn’t tell anyone that.
"Someone who has been disabled for a long time has a determination to stand up that no one can imagine. Mu Ziquan will definitely stand again."
"Aunt, can... can everyone with a limp stand up again?" Han the Third asked cautiously.
"Yes. Even if surgery isn’t an option, they can be fitted with a prosthesis. Getting them to walk normally isn’t a problem."
"A prosthesis? But that’s not something an ordinary person can afford. They’re too expensive, and I hear they aren’t very convenient."
Han the Third had long wanted his comrade to be able to move freely again, but prosthetics were too expensive for them to afford.
Su Shuochi’s deep, smooth voice chimed in. "Centuries ago, prosthetics could only support the body or help the user walk slowly; their benefit to the disabled was very limited."
"But starting over twenty years ago, revolutionary modular lower-limb prosthetics began to see continuous advancement."
"Ten years ago, various developed industrial nations successively launched their own modular prosthetics."
"This completed the transition from traditional prosthetic products to modular ones. To this day, a vast number of new technologies and materials have been introduced to the field."
"We’ve achieved titanium alloy and carbon fiber prosthetics, and products like smart joints and energy-storing feet have already appeared."
"In less than ten years, the prosthetic technology we are researching will be even more advanced, rivaling real limbs."
The reason Su Shuochi spoke with such certainty was because he had seen them in his wife’s ’space’.
"You’re a researcher too, Uncle?"
"Yes. I primarily research medical equipment. Prosthetics are my next research target."
"Oh my God!"
