Aunt Wang doesn’t have lung cancer? It’s tuberculosis?
How did this country bumpkin know that she had given Aunt Wang one million for medical treatment?
So annoying! Aunt Wang only has Jiang Chao as her son—where did this so-called eldest son come from!
Wang Cuihua’s hand missed its target, and she nearly stumbled and fell to the ground.
Si Lingyin couldn’t believe it. If Wang Cuihua wanted her to marry Jiang Chao as soon as possible, why would she come to stop her from stealing the household register?
Yan Zheng glanced at the pretentious Wang Cuihua.
[Wang Cuihua came to stop Si Lingyin from stealing the household register because she had suddenly learned today that the billions Si Lingyin had earned in the past were all in the Si family trust fund. Si Lingyin’s personal account only contained her allowance. To retrieve all her money, both the grandmother and Si Yueting had to sign off on it.]
[After discussing it with her son, the mother and son decided that secretly marrying Si Lingyin this way wasn’t cost-effective. So, they deliberately put on a show in front of the Si family, portraying themselves as not greedy for wealth. Once the Si family agreed to Jiang Chao and Si Lingyin’s marriage, not only would Si Lingyin receive a generous dowry, but the billions would also be returned to her! Truly, greed knows no bounds!]
A sharp glint flashed in Si Yueting’s eyes. This insatiable mother and son pair really wanted to have their cake and eat it too!
Si Hanche, his face stern, urged the servant to quickly fetch a mask from his bedroom and said to Wang Cuihua,
“Auntie, don’t worry. Later, I’ll have the driver take you to my hospital for a comprehensive check-up. Maybe it’s not lung cancer at all.”
Wang Cuihua sighed,
“The doctor said I don’t have many days left. This worthless life of mine isn’t worth troubling the Si family with.”
The silver-rimmed glasses on Si Hanche’s face reflected a cold light as he politely replied,
“It’s no trouble at all. You must have spent a lot of money on your treatment—your life is precious now! If it turns out to be a misdiagnosis, the hospital will have to return every cent they charged! On top of that, they’ll have to compensate you with a hefty sum for the misdiagnosis!”
Hearing that she might have to return the one million she had already spent, Wang Cuihua immediately grew nervous.
Regardless, since Wang Cuihua was a patient, Old Mrs. Si still invited her inside to sit.
Jiang Chao noticed that Si Lingyin wasn’t supporting Wang Cuihua as she usually did and was even keeping some distance from her.
Moreover, she hadn’t stolen the household register. Jiang Chao suddenly felt a pang of panic, but on the surface, he pretended to breathe a sigh of relief and said,
“Although my mother says I’m not worthy of Sister’s noble background, I don’t see it that way. I truly love Sister—this sincere heart of mine is anything but lowly.”
Jiang Chao’s resilience and positivity made Si Lingyin’s heart ache for him,
“Of course! I’ve never believed that a noble background makes someone superior. In my eyes, a noble character is what matters most!”
Jiang Chao handed the lunchbox he was carrying to Si Lingyin,
“Sister, these are your favorite dishes. I wanted to bring them for your family to try. I hope they understand that my feelings for you are genuine. Although my financial situation isn’t great right now, I can still take good care of you in daily life. I want to tell your family that I’m here to join your big family, not to break it apart!”
Though Jiang Chao was young, his courage moved Si Lingyin deeply. Just as she was feeling touched, Yan Zheng couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing.
[“Oh yes, yes, yes! Joining in to help the Si family spend their money! The Little Milk Dog even has a clear division of labor with his mother—one plays the good cop while the other plays the bad cop! What ‘personally cooked dishes’? Clearly, his brother made them, and he just brought out the ready-made ones!”]
Si Lingyin watched as Jiang Chao brought out stuffed green peppers with meat, braised chicken with chestnuts, pork ribs with pickled cabbage, and garlic shrimp—all dishes he usually prepared in front of her. Where did this so-called “brother” come from?
Could Jiang Chao possibly have a twin brother? Was this country bumpkin delusional!
Old Mrs. Si frowned at Jiang Chao.
“Did you really make all these yourself?”
Jiang Chao replied sweetly,
“Yes! Grandma, why don’t you try them and see if they suit your taste?”
Old Mrs. Si decided to test Jiang Chao on the spot to see if he was lying.
“None of these are dishes I particularly like. How about you make something for me right now?”
“Sister!”
Old Mrs. Si shot Si Lingyin a stern look.
“What? You could sneak back to steal the household register for him, but I can’t ask him to cook a dish without putting him out?”
Jiang Chao, however, didn’t seem bothered at all.
“It’s fine, sister. Elderly people prefer lighter food. I’ll make Grandma a simple stir-fried cucumber with eggs.”
As Jiang Chao went into the kitchen, a servant brought back a box of face masks. Si Hanche took one out and asked the servant to give it to Wang Cuihua.
“You’re not in the best health. Wear this mask to protect yourself.”
If they could cut off the source of infection, no one else would need protection.
Wang Cuihua, thinking the Si family’s concern meant her earlier act of playing the victim had worked and they had softened toward her and her daughter, quickly put on the mask.
When Jiang Chao came out with a presentable plate of stir-fried cucumber and eggs, Si Lingyin proudly shot Yan Zheng a triumphant glare.
Take that, you lying country bumpkin! Serves you right for being exposed!
Yan Zheng looked utterly baffled.
[Why is Si Lingyin glaring at me? Is she afraid I’ll expose that he only knows how to make this one dish, and if asked to make anything else, he’d be clueless?]
Old Mrs. Si frowned. Earlier, when she was considering what dish to have Jiang Chao make, he had proactively suggested something light—she had thought the young man was quite considerate. But was it true he only knew how to make this one dish?
Si Yueting eyed the dishes on the table and suggested,
“This garlic shrimp looks well-made—color, aroma, and flavor are all there. Yan Zheng loves shrimp the most, and one plate isn’t enough for her. Why don’t you make this dish again? Let’s have eight dishes in total, and we can all share a meal.”
Yan Zheng didn’t actually love shrimp—it wasn’t that she disliked it, but she was too lazy to peel anything with a shell.
However, since Si Yueting was using this as an excuse to further test Jiang Chao’s cooking skills, she played along.
“Then we’ll have to trouble you, little chef brother.”
Wang Cuihua acted as if she had been deeply insulted. Sobbing, she stood up from the sofa, grabbed Jiang Chao, and started pulling him toward the door.
“Jiang Chao, let’s go. Mom told you we’re not on their level. Listen to me—don’t humiliate yourself here anymore. Let’s go, son…”
[Is the old lady afraid her son will be exposed on the spot? Trying to flee out of guilt?]
Seeing Jiang Chao trying so hard to please everyone, only to be bullied and insulted in return, Si Lingyin finally reached her breaking point and exploded.
“Big brother! This is Jiang Chao’s first time visiting our home. Not only did he meticulously prepare all these dishes, but he even cooked another one on the spot to prove himself. Now you’re picking one from the dishes he brought and demanding he remake it? He’s not some chef you hired for a country bumpkin – isn’t this too insulting!”
Jiang Chao quickly stopped Si Lingyin, appearing perpetually good-tempered as he comforted her with a warm smile, “Sister, please don’t be like this. Being able to take care of and accompany you every day is what makes me happiest. It’s all because I’m too inadequate and don’t deserve you. I know your family means no harm – they’re just deeply concerned about you and want me to back down when faced with difficulties. The only person I feel guilty toward is my mother. Despite being so ill, she still had to worry about my affairs and make this trip. Sister, you should spend quality time with your family. I’ll take my mother back to the hospital to rest now.”
Jiang Chao’s brilliance lay precisely in this – his thoughtfulness, attentiveness, empathy, and particular skill in providing emotional validation.
The more he spoke like this, the more determined Si Lingyin became to stay with him!
“Grandmother, over the years many men have shown concern for me, but they only paid lip service or knew how to spend money on me.
My parents’ cold marriage made me never experience love or warmth. As the eldest daughter of the Si family, I’ve had to be the best since childhood – to set an example for my younger siblings, to bring honor to the Si family.
No one cared whether I was tired from flying so high – everyone only cared about how high I could fly! No one accompanied me during my vulnerable moments, cared for me when I felt lonely, asked what I liked or disliked, let alone specially cooked a meal for me.
But Jiang Chao carefully remembers every preference of mine, tells me I’ve already done well enough and don’t need to push myself so hard. He accompanies me through every festival, cooks for me every day with endless variety – he’s made a hundred dishes without repeating any! He even personally baked me a birthday cake on my birthday. It’s Jiang Chao who made me believe that my future marriage could also be a warm and loving one.”
Si Lingyin interlocked her fingers with Jiang Chao’s and declared on the spot,
“If you won’t let me marry Jiang Chao, we’ll just go abroad to get married!”