Gu Jiaojiao widened her eyes in surprise. “Mom, you can cook like a professional chef even in the countryside?”

Mother Su shot a reproachful glance at Father Su, thinking her daughter-in-law might be looking down on them for being from the countryside.

All three members of the Su family thought the same, except for Su Shuoci, who could see that his wife was genuinely happy.

“Mom, you’re amazing. In a couple of years, you should quit your job and start a… restaurant.”

Gu Jiaojiao wanted to say “start a business,” but she was afraid it might scare the Su family, so she changed it to “start a restaurant,” which was easier to accept.

Sure enough, Mother Su said happily, “Is my cooking good enough to open a restaurant? Jiaojiao, my job is so hard. It was only given to me because of Shuoci’s reputation.”

“Then you should come home, and we can make some snacks to sell at the factory gate in the compound.”

“Wouldn’t that be embarrassing?” Mother Su asked uncertainly.

“Embarrassing? We’re not stealing or robbing anyone. It’s allowed to set up stalls now.”

“Then I’ll quit tomorrow. That job really isn’t for me.” Mother Su already felt relieved even before quitting.

“Jiaojiao, should I quit too?” Father Su asked cautiously.

“Dad, are you not happy with your job either?”

“I’m happy, but it’s too easy. It’s like I’m just eating for free and collecting a salary.”

Father Su had come from the countryside, and because his son was a hero, the organization had arranged jobs for both him and his wife.

In those days, job positions were like one hole for one peg. Without connections or background, finding a job was not easy.

Moreover, Father Su and Mother Su were from the countryside, so the organization had given them idle positions.

Essentially, they were just collecting salaries without doing much work. Father Su, being a man, didn’t face the same pettiness as women.

Knowing he was the father of a hero, people didn’t exclude him, but he really had no work to do—not that there wasn’t any, but he lacked the skills to do it.

The factory management didn’t plan to train Father Su, thinking it was better to let him idle than waste time teaching him.

To provide better nutrition for his son, Father Su had no choice but to swallow his pride and collect his salary every day.

Mother Su, however, wasn’t so lucky. Women were more petty, and they didn’t care that she was the mother of a hero.

Instead, they excluded her, made things difficult for her, and even humiliated her with snide remarks. But for the sake of her son and daughter, she endured it all.

“Shuoci, do you think what Jiaojiao said is feasible?”

“It is,” Su Shuoci also knew that his parents had been living cautiously. They were used to rural life.

Living in the compound, they felt out of place. While others planted flowers in their yards, their family grew vegetables.

But he didn’t want to return to the countryside. It wasn’t that the countryside was bad.

It was just that, being disabled, his parents would be gossiped about by the villagers, and they were all familiar faces.

Here, they were among strangers, and being talked about behind their backs wasn’t as painful.

Seeing the eager looks on his parents’ faces, even the delicious food lost its appeal.

Gu Jiaojiao immediately said, “Mom, do you know how to make crystal noodles or cold skin noodles? Crystal noodles are made from potatoes or sweet potatoes.”

“I can make both. If you like them, I’ll make some for you to try tomorrow.”

“We can set up a stall to sell cold skin noodles and crystal noodles, and also some meat buns and pancakes. You two can quit your jobs tomorrow, and Shuoci and I will make a mobile food cart…”

The Su family ate with relish while listening attentively to Gu Jiaojiao’s plan for setting up the stall.

After dinner, Su Qinchun volunteered to wash the dishes. She felt as if a better life was within reach.

Gu Jiaojiao sketched a design for a mobile cart, and Father Su exclaimed, “I can make this!”

“Then we’ll buy the materials tomorrow,” Gu Jiaojiao said cheerfully.

“We just need to buy a few wheels. We have the wood at home.” Father Su enjoyed woodworking in his spare time and had made all the tables and chairs in the house himself.

While others burned coal briquettes, the Su family occasionally burned firewood, so Father Su would collect any wood he found in the compound.

After the discussion, Su Shuoci brought hot water to the room for Gu Jiaojiao to bathe, while he washed with cold water.

After her bath, Gu Jiaojiao habitually entered her space to prepare some items to sell the next day.

Good heavens! As soon as she entered, she saw a patch of white mist swirling in the space. Curious, she approached it.

The space had gained about two square meters of black soil. What was this for?

Getting closer, she saw a wooden sign that read: “Reward for curing a long-term paralyzed patient. The black soil can be used to grow medicinal herbs or crops. The more patients you cure, the more unexpected rewards you will receive.”

There were such benefits?

Gu Jiaojiao was thrilled. She had thought the space only contained the supplies she had stored earlier.

Those were already rare and valuable items. If there were also continuous rewards, especially with the addition of land, it meant there might even be a water source…

She was overjoyed.

When Gu Jiaojiao came out, she was still smiling.

“Jiaojiao, did your immortal master give you something good again?” Su Shuoci noticed the joy in his wife’s eyes.

“Yes, Master gave me a piece of land to grow medicinal herbs or vegetables.”

“This broken… stone can grow things… That’s great. Tomorrow we’ll go to the black market to buy some medicinal seeds or seedlings to plant.”

“The land Master gave me is special. The herbs grown there will definitely be rare and valuable, haha…”

Gu Jiaojiao hung a few bottles of detoxifying and anti-inflammatory medicine for Su Shuoci, then took out a bottle of soda and some bread.

“Take care of yourself. Pull out the needle and go to sleep. My body hasn’t fully recovered yet, so I can’t stay up late.”

Gu Jiaojiao let out a delicate yawn. The white mist in the space was spiritual energy, and after absorbing some, she quickly fell asleep.

Su Shuoci looked at his sleeping wife, thinking about the afternoon’s close call.

He massaged his legs, which still had no sensation, but his lower back was clearly in pain.

His wife had said it was because the toxins hadn’t been fully cleared. The areas with sensation were really painful, but he liked the pain.

Not because he was masochistic, but because the pain meant there was hope. As he pondered this, the medicine was almost finished.

Su Shuoci drank the soda, which was unlike any he had tasted before. It was far superior to the best sodas and orange juices in the world.

His wife had asked if he wanted to share some with his parents, but it wasn’t that he wanted to keep it to himself. They just couldn’t explain it.

Now that their family ate meat, eggs, and high-quality rice every day, that was enough. There was no need to complicate things.

Besides, he had also bought sodas and orange juice from the store for his parents and younger sister.

But they all wanted to save it for him and his wife. Sigh!

Su Shuoci finished everything and drifted off to sleep. His sleep quality had been excellent lately.

He wasn’t sure if it was because of the good food or because she was by his side.

Before his injury, he had either been training or on missions every day, falling asleep as soon as he hit the bed. After his injury, he spent most of his time lying in bed but slept very little.

Father Su and Mother Su, however, were too excited to sleep well. They got up at dawn, with Mother Su preparing millet porridge and steaming buns.

Father Su, meanwhile, studied the design for the handcart, refraining from starting work to avoid waking his son and daughter-in-law.