Even in such pain, Zhou Huai’an forced a kind smile onto his withered, yellowed face when he saw Ruan An’an.
“Cough… cough cough! An… An’an is here…”
“Uncle Zhou!” A surge of indescribable emotion hit Ruan An’an, stinging her nose and instantly reddening her eyes.
It wasn’t just her own feelings—it was the remnants of the original Ruan An’an’s deepest attachment to this fatherly figure still lingering in her body.
“My dear girl… cough… why are you crying?” Zhou Huai’an instinctively wanted to reach out and pat her head, but halfway up, he drew back, wearing a look of apology and self-mockery. “Cough… Uncle’s body is weak, plagued by illness… I… I shouldn’t trouble you with it.”
He drew a breath, his cloudy eyes full of guilt. “Yesterday, on your big day… Uncle couldn’t make it… I truly feel sorry…”
“Uncle Zhou, I’m not getting married!” Ruan An’an sat down beside him, her voice calm, but it landed like a stone dropped into still water.
She briefly explained the fiasco at yesterday’s wedding.
Bang!
Before Zhou Huai’an could speak, Zhou Huaiquan slammed his palm onto the mahogany coffee table in anger.
“I knew it! The Xu mother and son, and that pretentious Su Qingyue, none of them are good! An’an, just wait! Second Uncle will break their legs! Let’s see if they still dare to bully you!”
“Second Uncle, don’t act impulsively!” Ruan An’an quickly held back the furious Zhou Huaiquan. “Please, hear me out first!”
She lowered her voice, her expression serious as she cautioned, “First Uncle, Second Uncle, I’ll deal with the Xu family. But the most important thing right now is the crackdown from above. Your assets… you need to plan ahead. Hide what should be hidden, cut off what needs cutting—don’t let yourselves become targets!”
The brothers exchanged a glance, and their earlier rage was instantly replaced by heavy concern.
Seizing the moment of silence, Ruan An’an calmly picked up the medical record book on the low table.
Sure enough—it was pneumonia! In this era of scarce medicine, even ordinary pneumonia could kill if prolonged.
No wonder in the previous life… her chest tightened.
But now, she was here!
She handed the prepared pills solemnly to Zhou Huaiquan. “Second Uncle, these are the special medicine for pneumonia. Take them after meals, never on an empty stomach.”
Then she pushed the bottle of her specially brewed green plum wine toward them: “I made this myself. It’s good for Uncle Zhou’s health, warming the body and activating blood flow. You two, every night before bed, just a small cup, one to two taels—that’s perfect.”
It was a habit the Zhou brothers had developed from their early days working the docks.
The damp, cold night wind of Pujiang made this little warming drink necessary; otherwise, every bone in the body ached the next day.
Since they couldn’t quit it, they might as well let it be a health aid.
Zhou Huai’an’s cloudy eyes scanned the pills. He didn’t ask where they came from, only hoarsely instructed Zhou Huaiquan: “Second, get that old gourd for storing dry tobacco—put the pills in it.”
He had lived half a lifetime; he naturally sensed the storm approaching.
Facing trouble? His old bones feared nothing.
What he couldn’t bear to let go of, however, was the girl before him.
“An’an,” Zhou Huai’an caught his breath, clutching his cane tightly, eyes burning with intensity, “this crackdown isn’t scared of open weapons—it’s the hidden traps that are dangerous. Take the marriage certificate— even if Xu Yancheng dies, he’s still a martyr! Go to the military district! Have them officially put you in the house assigned to him! Once you live inside the walled compound for military families, none of these scum outside will dare touch a hair on your head!”
“That’s exactly it!” Zhou Huaiquan slapped his thigh and rushed inside.
After a clatter of rummaging, he emerged holding a heavy, polished old wooden box.
Bang! He handed it to Ruan An’an, his movements casual, showing not a trace of attachment.
“Girl, take it! This is the savings your brother and I have accumulated all our lives—house deeds, land deeds, bank papers, all in here! We old men have lived in glory, enjoyed life, and it’s been worth it! You take it—live well!”
Ruan An’an hugged the heavy box, her heart warm and bitter, with a hint of tearful helplessness.
“First Uncle! Second Uncle!” she raised her voice, firm and unyielding, “Don’t rush to settle your affairs! I have a plan! It can protect me—and protect you too!”
The two old men froze, eyes wide.
“You… you have a plan? What plan?” Zhou Huaiquan exclaimed.
Ruan An’an took a deep breath and dropped her bombshell:
“Xu Yancheng—he’s not dead.”
“What?!”
“Xu Yancheng isn’t dead?!”
The two exclamations nearly shook the roof off.
Zhou Huaiquan’s beard trembled with anger, eyes wide as copper coins. “Not dead?! Xu family’s eldest not dead?! Then why the hell were you supposed to marry Second?! Being an officer’s wife all fancy and respectable? Xu Yanli, that workshop director loser, is nothing!”
Harsh words, but not without reason.
Even the usually steady Zhou Huai’an nodded heavily, his cane thumping the floor.
The Zhou brothers’ judgment of people was notoriously sharp. If they could approve of Xu Yancheng back then, that man couldn’t be that bad.
But now, Ruan An’an had no time to ponder romance or sentiment.
Her primary goal was to chart a path to safety for the Zhou brothers.
“First Uncle, Second Uncle,” she leaned forward, lowering her voice with decisive determination, “if I ask you to voluntarily hand over part of your assets… would you two be willing?”
Zhou Huai’an: “???”
Zhou Huaiquan: “!!!”
Zhou Huaiquan jumped first, shaking his head like a rattle: “No! Absolutely not! We old men saved up this estate for what? All for you! If we hand it over, you’ll be left to drink the northwest wind!”
Zhou Huai’an shot his brother a glance. Shocked, but still composed: “Why rush? Let An’an finish speaking.”
Ruan An’an immediately detailed her entire plan.
Hand over part of the liquid and immovable assets, especially the ones too conspicuous and easy for others to exploit.
This shows goodwill, aligning proactively with the organization.
Though old, the Zhou brothers were literate, capable in business, and well-connected.
With this “awareness” and the massive assets handed over, the organization would likely assign them a relatively safe post, ensuring their security.
More importantly, being inside the system gives access to first-hand information, no longer at the mercy of others. And if anyone tries foul play, they can respond in advance—or even strike back.
The Zhou brothers remained silent.
Within minutes, they had already made mental calculations.
“Done!” Zhou Huai’an confirmed, a glint of clarity in his cloudy eyes. “We’ll do exactly as An’an says!”
Though Zhou Huaiquan winced in pain, he also nodded, gritting his teeth: “Follow the big brother and the girl!”
Their decision wasn’t for themselves, for a few more years of life.
It was for Ruan An’an—
As long as they stood and breathed, they were her strongest support in this world!
For her, giving up wealth or even risking their lives was worth it.