Chapter 498: Chapter 498: Surpassing Dreams
Si Jinghao returned to the living room, his mind heavy with worry. He was about to find his dad to talk about his Third Aunt in the study.
"Jinghao, come and sit," Mrs. Si said, beckoning to him with a gentle smile from the sofa.
"Mom, Dad and I are going to the study to discuss something. You all can chat first."
"Jinghao, where did you just go?" Mrs. Si asked worriedly, noticing his bad mood.
"Mom, I just went to the ancestral hall to see Third Aunt and Eighth Sister," Si Jinghao answered vaguely.
He didn’t tell his mother that his Eighth Sister had already been taken away by Doctor Ye. The situation could be either minor or major, and it wasn’t something that could be explained in a few words.
"Let’s go. We’ll talk in the study." The Si Family Master saw that his son seemed to have something to say to him, so he put down his newspaper and spoke.
The father and son entered the study, where Si Jinghao explained that Si Yan was not in the ancestral hall and shared his suspicions.
"Doctor Ye has been by your grandfather’s side for over twenty years. He was very dedicated when treating your grandfather and grandmother in the past.
We’ve clearly noticed your grandfather’s health steadily declining over the last two years.
Before, we just thought your grandfather was seriously ill because his body had suffered so much in his middle-aged years."
"But the Divine Doctor said my grandfather’s heart problems were caused by a slow-acting poison." The more Si Jinghao thought about it, the more terrifying it became.
"This shows that Doctor Ye and his daughter’s identities need to be reinvestigated. Later, send someone to let your Third Aunt out for dinner. Just act as if we know nothing."
"Dad, what do you mean?" Si Jinghao wanted to ask for more clarification, but seeing that his father clearly didn’t want to say more, he tactfully refrained from asking.
"Jinghao, you can go now," the Si Family Master instructed his son in a low voice. ’There might be other spies for Doctor Ye within the Si Family.’
"Understood." After speaking, Si Jinghao opened the study door, stepped out, and turned to close it behind him.
The Si Family Master sat alone in the quiet study. He took out a cigarette and lit it, the smoke curling around his face.
He carefully recalled every little detail about his third sister-in-law, Ye Xi, since she had joined their family.
In front of his father, mother, and himself, Ye Xi always acted very well-behaved. She would rush to do the housework and ate very elegantly.
Not only did his parents have a very good impression of her, but he also felt that Ye Xi was a good match for his third brother.
His wife often complained to him that Ye Xi usually wolfed down her food, far from the elegant image she presented.
She also said that when Ye Xi ate in the kitchen, they could hear her smacking her lips all the way from the living room.
His wife expressed her confusion as to why Ye Xi would become so refined the moment she sat down at the dining table.
Because his wife came from a prestigious family, she had been raised to chew slowly and delicately, and her table manners were the same whether she was in the kitchen or the dining room.
Over twenty years ago, when the Si Family had guests, none of the women in the family, aside from his mother, were allowed to eat at the main table.
’So when the sisters-in-law ate in the kitchen, Ye Xi must have gorged herself without restraint!’
Recalling his wife’s words, the Si Family Master was startled to realize that Ye Xi was a two-faced woman.
’Back then, I found it strange. My wife has always been so well-mannered, why would she speak ill of someone behind their back?’
’Thinking back now, Ye Xi must have gone too far for my wife to complain to me like that.’
He just hadn’t paid much attention at the time, assuming his wife was simply bored and looking for something to talk about.
The most memorable incident was when his wife told him that if anyone provoked Ye Xi outside...
...she would throw a huge tantrum and unleash a torrent of abuse, cursing their entire family tree for eighteen generations.
Since it didn’t concern him directly, he had just laughed it off and told his wife not to mention it to his parents.
In recent years, his third brother and two nephews clearly disliked Ye Xi, to the point they no longer even bothered to keep up appearances.
His third brother and nephews had spent years in the military, which forged their straightforward personalities. They couldn’t tolerate any deceit.
Furthermore, Ye Xi hadn’t raised those two nephews for a single day, and she also favored girls over boys, so neither nephew was close to her.
Because Ye Xi was unwilling to follow her husband and endure hardship, the relationship between the couple grew worse and worse.
Frequent cold wars became the norm. They had no normal communication, as if an impassable Yalu River lay between them.
And his third brother always wore a perpetually stone-cold expression, which eventually led to a situation where neither of them would acknowledge the other.
His parents and he had even blamed his third brother for being unromantic, and they grew to pity Ye Xi even more.
’Looking at it now, Ye Xi must have revealed her true nature to my third brother, causing him to despise her...’
「At Yuetai Restaurant, in a private room.」
The group of old gentlemen were still seated with Gu Jiaojiao and her husband.
At noon, the door to the private room had been left open, so they had spoken with some reservation.
In reality, the private rooms at the restaurant had excellent soundproofing. With no outsiders present, they could say whatever they wanted.
Elder Si, having finished his meal, put down his bowl and asked seriously, "Shuo Ci, Haoping told me you’ve recently developed another new medical device?"
"Yes, we’re currently in the R&D phase. It will be on the market soon," Su Shuochi replied to Elder Si, his demeanor composed and respectful.
Elder Xiao said with a touch of excitement, "Brother-in-law, the latest medical devices from our Jiaoci Medical Equipment Factory...
...such advanced equipment can’t be found anywhere else in the world right now. Your designs are truly going to benefit all of humanity."
"That’s right! I heard from Frank. He said he’s traveled the world and never seen anything like it. Shuo Ci, for someone who doesn’t even study medicine, to be able to design such incredible medical devices..."
"It’s truly beyond our wildest dreams! Haha, our Empire is the strongest!"
"Shuo Ci, be honest, did Jiaojiao give you some pointers from the sidelines?" Mr. Han said with a sly smile, trying to bait Su Shuochi.
"Pointers from the sidelines? Jiaojiao came up with all of it. I just drew out the designs based on what she told me.
You gentlemen know my limitations. This is all Jiaojiao’s achievement."
Su Shuochi’s words convinced the old gentlemen completely. In their hearts, they had always suspected as much.
Gu Jiaojiao could only smile. "As medical professionals, isn’t our purpose to benefit humanity?"
’This is nothing,’ she thought. ’I have even more incredible things in my space.’
They would have to "design" even more medical equipment later on.
She had weathered the storms of two lifetimes and witnessed all sorts of changes in life.
She discovered that in this ever-changing world, while everything was in flux, the only constant was people’s loyalty to their own lives.
In her space, she possessed the most cutting-edge equipment from a future era; they just didn’t dare to replicate it all at once.
The faster medical science advanced, the more people their equipment could save. With such a good thing, they would definitely have to develop several more models.
Seeing his wife speak with such confidence and eloquence, Su Shuochi dotingly poured her some tea.
At the same time, he worried she might get carried away and promise the old gentlemen to build all the most advanced equipment from her space.
He felt a little uneasy...
