Free Web NovelChapter 658: Chapter 656: Encountering the Space Owner
Su Shuochi drove his wife and daughter home and went straight into the kitchen to cook. Gu Jiaojiao had been stern with her daughter earlier, so she wanted to spend some time talking with her.
While talking to her mom, Susu called her godfather in Hong Kong City, Zhou Zhenhui.
"Godfather, when my big brother and second brother are on break, we’ll all come visit you and Lu Lu."
"Of course, Susu. Your brothers aren’t home, so why don’t you come to Hong Kong City and teach Lu Lu how to read and write?"
Susu thought about Lu Lu, who was only three. ’How am I supposed to teach her?’ She flatly refused.
"No way! A lot of people here need Susu to look after them! How about you and Aunt Su have another son and let my parents raise Lu Lu?"
Zhou Zhenhui was holding his daughter while on the phone, which was on speaker. Zhou Lu, in his arms, heard what Susu said and immediately spoke up.
"Su... Susu, I’m getting a little brother soon. When you all come, just take Lu Lu with you. I miss Brother Xuanxuan."
"Okay, okay, Lu Lu! We’ll come get you this time. Godfather, I’m hanging up now."
After saying that, Susu hung up with a CLICK, then ran to her mother and wheedled, "Mom, let’s bring Lu Lu from Uncle Zhou’s house over this time."
"Okay. Susu, do you smell that? Dinner should be ready. Go wipe the table now."
Gu Jiaojiao smelled the rich aroma wafting from the kitchen and told her daughter to wipe the table to get ready for dinner.
Although she and Su Shuochi doted on their daughter, they never spoiled her by letting her skip chores.
If they didn’t make their children do chores, over time they wouldn’t know how to do anything, which would in turn harm them.
The children would gradually come to take it for granted that chores were the elders’ responsibility.
Always enjoying the fruits of others’ labor and being taken care of by their elders—in an era where labor was glorified, over time, even a child with a conscience would find it agonizing.
A child without a conscience would grow up to leech off their parents as a matter of course, and if their parents could no longer provide them with a comfortable life, they would even grow resentful.
"Mom, it’s time to eat! Look, Dad made all of your favorite dishes," Susu protested loudly as she set the table.
"Really? There’s not a single dish that Susu likes? How come I seem to recall that you usually love oil-braised chicken?" Gu Jiaojiao teased her with a smile.
"Hee hee, that’s because Susu is Mommy’s little darling. My taste is the same as Mommy’s."
"Susu, once you’ve set the table, sit down and eat. Daddy will serve you some soup first in a moment," Su Shuochi said as he untied his apron.
The family of three had a happy meal together, then took a walk in the courtyard to aid their digestion. Happy days passed quickly.
It was soon the end of the month. This time, Su Shuochi drove alone to the Northwest to pick up their second son, Xuanxuan.
Usually, the couple would take Susu with them, driving first to pick up their eldest, Wenwen, and then going to get Xuanxuan.
Their eldest, Wenwen, was at a special school in the suburbs of the Imperial City, along with Mu Ziquan’s eldest son and Xia Qiuming’s eldest son.
Those boys were three years older than Wenwen, eight years old this year, while the other students were around thirteen.
But they were all studying the same curriculum. After all, Wenwen was a genius with a photographic memory.
This time, Gu Jiaojiao had a major surgery that she had to perform personally, so the Mu family’s driver went to pick up Wenwen.
Susu, meanwhile, was at her maternal grandmother’s house. The Gu Family had three children: Second Brother Gu had a daughter and then a son.
Eldest Brother Gu and Geng Susu’s son was already three years old. The couple were both busy with their respective careers and had no plans for a second child.
On the way back after picking up Xuanxuan, Su Shuochi was chatting happily with his son when he saw a scruffy old man stretch out his arms to block his car.
"Dad, don’t tell me that old man is trying to pull a scam?" Xuanxuan huffed.
"Trying to pull a scam on your father? He’s got some serious nerve. Xuanxuan, sit tight. I’m getting out to toss him aside."
Su Shuochi got out of the car after saying this. Just as he was about to kick the man, he heard a familiar voice, "Kid, you still recognize this old man?"
"Senior?" Su Shuochi was stunned. "Is it really you? It’s been so many years. Have you been well?"
’Isn’t this the old Taoist priest I saved a few years ago?’
’He’s the one who gave my wife that pocket dimension!’
"Kid, do I look like I’m doing well? This old man sleeps under an overpass every night and sets up a stall on top of it during the day."
"Then... would you be willing to come home with me?" Su Shuochi asked hopefully. If he had never met this old man, he didn’t know what his life would have become.
He had joined the military at a young age, experienced the treacherous waves of undercover work, achieved great merits, and climbed to the peak of his life.
But he had also been injured, witnessed the good and evil of human nature, and fallen to the lowest point of his life.
"I’m so filthy. Won’t I get your car dirty?" The scruffy old man didn’t refuse directly.
"We can wash the car if it gets dirty. It’s no problem. May I ask your name, Senior?" Su Shuochi was still very respectful towards the old man.
Xuanxuan thought his dad would kick the scruffy old man aside, but to his surprise, he was standing in the middle of the road talking to him very respectfully.
"Dad, do you know him? There are a few cars behind us honking their horns!"
"Senior, please get in the car. The cars behind us are getting impatient," Su Shuochi said as he grabbed the old man, opened the car door, and stuffed him inside.
Then he said seriously to his second son, "Xuanxuan, call him Grandpa. If it weren’t for this grandpa back then, our family wouldn’t be living such a good life."
"I didn’t help you with anything. On the contrary, you’re the one who saved my life," the old man said, confused.
Su Shuochi walked to the driver’s seat up front. Only after starting the car did he turn back and say, "Do you remember that Jade Pendant?"
"You didn’t sell that Jade Pendant to make your fortune, did you? That’s a Ye family heirloom, you know! In that case, you’ll have to take care of this old man in his old age and see to his burial."
"..."
Su Shuochi observed the old man’s reaction in the rearview mirror. ’So he doesn’t know the Jade Pendant is a pocket dimension!’
’But that’s not surprising. The Jade Pendant was on my person for several years, and I never noticed anything different about it either.’
Hearing the old man’s words, Xuanxuan was dumbfounded. He puffed out his cheeks and demanded, "Grandpa, since your scam failed, are you trying to extort my dad now?"
"What do you mean, extort? Didn’t you hear your dad say it? He made his fortune by selling my family’s heirloom. That’s how you can afford this car."
"Dad, is what the grandpa said true?" Xuanxuan asked, his confidence wavering.
"You could say that, but... you gave me that Jade Pendant to repay me for saving your life..."
Before Su Shuochi could finish, the old man began to plead, tears and snot streaming down his face.
"That Jade Pendant was indeed passed down through my Ye family for generations. I originally wanted to give it to my older sister’s daughter.
Who knew that my sister never had a daughter? So later, I thought I’d give it to my sister’s granddaughter.
But who would have thought? Before my grandniece was even born, the Ye family fell into ruin, and this old man ended up wandering to the borderlands.
Back then, you saved this old man, so I thought I’d give you the Jade Pendant. I figured if my sister saw it one day, she might come looking for me. But who knew you’d take it and never return!"
Hearing this, it dawned on Su Shuochi. ’So this old man is trying to scam me!’
