Chapter 508: Chapter 508: A Trip Back Home
Su Shuochi hung up the phone, his mood heavy. He knew his younger sister was worried sick, but there was nothing he could do.
He recalled how his younger sister had always relied on him, her big brother, ever since they were kids. She would always share her secrets with him first.
After he was injured and paralyzed, it wasn’t just a devastating blow to him; for his younger sister, it was as if the sky had fallen.
He couldn’t handle the blow and his temper grew increasingly foul. It was as if his younger sister had grown up and matured overnight.
But no matter how mature she acted, the family had no extra money to buy her nice snacks, let alone new clothes.
The combined salaries of three family members weren’t even enough for his daily medicine. They endured two long, agonizing years.
His second sister was one step away from formally cutting ties with the family. She even "borrowed" their old house in the countryside.
Just when he was at his most desperate, he met his wife. Only then did his family’s fortune turn around, and there was finally hope for his legs.
Their family’s life quickly returned to a normal track. Later, his parents started a street stall and earned a little bit of money.
As parents, they always wanted to treat their children equally. Using their own hard-earned money to help out their second daughter was understandable.
But his second sister grew greedy, constantly demanding more from their parents. For her to run them into the ground was just outrageous.
His parents weren’t like others who would throw tantrums to claw money from their well-off son to give to their poorer daughter.
But they worked day and night at their stall, running their own bodies into the ground.
This wasn’t just a matter concerning his parents anymore. No wonder his younger sister was so furious. Hearing it made him angry too.
He and his wife had a great relationship. They didn’t have to worry about food or clothing, and life was just starting to look up.
The factory was running smoothly. They had only enjoyed a few months of good days, and now this trouble had to show up!
The more Su Shuochi thought about it, the worse he felt. He lost all motivation to work and decided to go home early to cook, so his wife would have a hot meal waiting for her.
But as soon as he walked through the door, he saw the back of his wife, busy in the kitchen.
She was wearing loungewear with her hair tied up, revealing a smooth, fair forehead and a delicate, small nose.
Carrying a bowl of steaming soup, she turned and walked toward the kitchen doorway. Seeing him, she greeted him with a bright smile.
"Su Shuochi, you’re back? Go wash your hands, we’re about to eat."
His wife’s voice was clear and gentle, like a spring breeze, instantly melting away more than half of the gloom in his heart.
Especially the way she looked at him with such affection in her eyes, a faint pink blush on her cheeks, and a sweet smile on her lips. She seemed to be in a particularly good mood.
In that moment, all of Su Shuochi’s frustrations vanished, replaced by an endless warmth and a feeling of being deeply moved.
’How lucky I am to have married her in this life.’
Without even taking off his coat, he rushed over in a few quick strides, took the soup bowl from her hands, and placed it on the dining table.
Then he turned and gently embraced her, resting his head on her fragrant shoulder and inhaling her faint, sweet scent.
A sweet feeling spread through his heart. His deep, sexy voice was full of adoration. "You’ve worked hard, honey. I was thinking of coming home early to make you something good."
’I don’t want to bring up that mess with my second sister and ruin this wonderful atmosphere,’ he thought. ’Even more, I don’t want to ruin my wife’s good mood.’
His embrace was warm and strong, broad and comforting. Gu Jiaojiao buried her face in his chest.
Breathing in his familiar masculine scent, she felt an immense sense of peace. It was as if even the air was filled with the sweet taste of happiness.
Her smile was radiant. She lifted a finger and poked his chest, eager to tell him about the new couple she’d witnessed that afternoon.
"Don’t worry, I’m not that delicate. You’re the one who must be tired from work, right? Why did you look so glum when you came in?"
"I’m not tired at all. No matter how gloomy my face is, it’s always sunny skies after seeing my wife."
Gu Jiaojiao hadn’t thought he might have something on his mind; she’d assumed at most he had run into a problem at work or was just exhausted.
She reached out and caressed his sharp, handsome features, her eyes curving into crescents. "Look, your stubble is growing out!"
A bluish shadow of stubble had appeared on Su Shuochi’s chin. He didn’t mind at all; in fact, he grinned and rubbed his chin against her cheek.
He also reached out and pinched her delicate cheek. "Your skin is so soft, honey, just like the finest silk."
Gu Jiaojiao raised her hand to stroke his face. Her eyes held a trace of worry, and her tone was filled with concern.
"Su Shuochi, we’re not short on money now. We’re going to grow old together, so please don’t push yourself too hard. It’s not worth it to ruin your health."
’This man is so, so good to me,’ she thought. ’I’m worried he’ll work himself to the point of damaging his health.’
Su Shuochi and his wife were on the same wavelength; he knew exactly what she was thinking. He, for his part, knew how to pace himself and wouldn’t work himself to exhaustion.
But his parents were about to work themselves to collapse. He didn’t know how to persuade them, and he felt so useless.
Ashamed enough to want to disappear into a crack in the floor, he bent down and kissed her forehead, then smiled and ruffled her hair.
"Honey, I’m not that foolish. Don’t worry, I won’t let anything happen to me. I’ll definitely be with you until we’re old and gray."
Although he was smiling, Gu Jiaojiao’s sharp eyes still caught a flicker of melancholy in his gaze.
She couldn’t bring herself to press him further, so she smiled and linked her arm through his, heading toward the dining area.
As they walked, she said, "Let’s bring out the rest of the food from the kitchen and eat first. You’ve lost weight recently. I need to fatten you up a bit."
Su Shuochi’s heart felt warm and sweet. He mumbled in a low voice, "Honey, if I get any fatter, you’ll start to despise me. I won’t let myself get fat."
She gave him a little push and said with a laugh, "Haha, I really don’t like it when men have beer bellies. It’s such an eyesore."
’But he’s like a hungry wolf every night, looking to ’exercise’ with me. It’d be a miracle if he could get fat,’ Gu Jiaojiao would never say that out loud.
"Since my honey doesn’t like it, I’ll absolutely never allow myself to get a beer belly."
’Looks like I’ll have to fatten her up a bit, then we can intensify our evening ’exercise’,’ Su Shuochi thought to himself.
He pulled her by the hand to sit down, then ladled soup for her, served her rice, and kept putting more food on her plate.
At the dinner table, the couple talked and laughed. They would occasionally exchange a knowing, intimate smile, their interaction harmonious and warm.
"Jiaojiao, in a few days, I’m going to make a trip back to Qing City," Su Shuochi said suddenly, seeing that his wife was almost done eating.
Gu Jiaojiao froze for a second. "What are you going back for?" She blinked her big eyes. "Oh, I want to go back and see Mom and Dad too."
Su Shuochi gave a small smile. "I’m going back to take care of some things. I’ll be back soon. You still have your studies. How about we go back to our hometown together for the New Year?"
He just didn’t want her to worry, which was why he planned to go home first and sort out the issues between his second sister and their parents.
"Okay, whatever you say."
After dinner, the couple followed their usual routine: one cleared the dishes, and the other wiped the table and floor.
Then they went into the courtyard for their customary post-dinner stroll.
