Gu Jingtai originally wanted to call Su Shuoci “brother-in-law,” but when he looked up, he was met with Su Shuoci’s icy gaze.

It startled him so much that his hand trembled, nearly dropping the water kettle.

From then on, Gu Jingtai never dared to call Su Shuoci “brother-in-law” again. The rest of the Gu family didn’t notice the interaction between the two.

Su Shuoci sat calmly beside Gu Jiaojiao, gently handing her tools as if nothing had happened.

Gu Jingtai poured a glass of warm water and handed it to his brother: “Brother, have some warm water. I’ll make you a cup of malted milk.”

He naturally treated the Su household as his own, and the rest of the Gu family also felt at ease.

After receiving the IV, the old man’s spirits lifted: “Jiaojiao, can I have some chicken soup for lunch?”

“Of course, Grandpa. You’re not sick—you’re just malnourished. Drinking more chicken soup will help you recover.”

“Haha, so I’m not sick after all!” The old man was overjoyed. Recently, he had been planning to return to the capital.

But due to his poor health, several renowned doctors had diagnosed him as terminally ill, saying he didn’t have much time left.

What a load of nonsense!

He had always felt he wasn’t sick—just severely undernourished. Now his granddaughter confirmed he wasn’t sick. Haha…

The happiest person was Gu’s father. His father wasn’t sick, and his son wasn’t sick either—just malnourished. Everything was fine now.

They would never lack nutrition again. Tears welled up in his eyes as he looked at Gu Jiaojiao.

“Jiaojiao, our Gu family never raised you for even a day…”

“Dad, you truly loved and raised Sheng Xinglian with all your heart. You have nothing to feel guilty about. For eighteen years, the Sheng family also genuinely cared for your daughter.”

“That’s right. Jiaojiao is absolutely correct. As long as you have a clear conscience, that’s what matters.” The old man, after all, had worked in education.

“You all rest for a bit. I’ll go to the kitchen to see if I can help.”

Gu Jiaojiao wanted to give her father some high-grade nutritional fluids too, but that would seem too extravagant.

In the kitchen, Su’s father was slaughtering the chicken and rabbits, while Su’s mother was happily preparing the vegetables.

When she saw Gu Jiaojiao enter, Su’s mother immediately said, “Jiaojiao, go keep your family company. Should we make the rabbit spicy or braised?”

“Mom, let’s make half of it spicy diced rabbit and the other half braised rabbit, okay?”

“Sure. The chicken soup is already simmering. We’ll have the pig’s trotters for dinner. For lunch, we’ll have braised pork, pork offal and loofah soup, braised pork intestines…”

Su’s mother didn’t want Gu Jiaojiao to do the cooking, but she loved chatting with her daughter-in-law. Although she had been a chef for decades, her daughter-in-law’s dishes were even more delicious.

Especially the pork offal soup Gu Jiaojiao made—it was incredibly flavorful.

With Gu Jiaojiao’s guidance, her cooking could rival that of a state-run restaurant.

That would surely impress the in-laws. Su’s mother’s eagerness was written all over her face.

“Mom, you wash the pot and start on the braised pork. I’ll chop the vegetables.”

“Alright, alright. If I do anything wrong, just let me know.”

By the time the nutritional fluids for the three Gu family members had finished, everyone washed their hands and was ready to eat.

Looking at the ten dishes on the table, each with its own enticing aroma, the old man’s mouth watered.

The Gu family’s appetite was fully awakened. Gu Jingtai, ever attentive, set the table and helped his mother to her seat.

Gu’s father supported Gu Jinghua, while the old man, miraculously, didn’t need any help. He could walk on his own, his steps vigorous and full of energy.

Gu Jiaojiao couldn’t help but laugh: “Grandpa, do you walk like this at home too?”

“Haha… No, at home I can’t even walk without holding onto something.” The old man laughed heartily.

At noon, Su Qinchun also returned home. Seeing so many strangers, she felt a bit shy.

“Qinchun, this is my grandpa, parents, and two brothers. You’re not afraid of strangers, are you?” Gu Jiaojiao teased her.

“Hello, Grandpa. Hello, Uncle, Aunt, and brothers.” Su Qinchun’s voice was clear and crisp.

Though initially timid, she was emboldened by her sister-in-law’s encouragement and faced the Gu family with ease.

“Hmm, this young lady is so poised. Very good.” The old man praised her with satisfaction.

Su Qinchun gave Gu Jiaojiao a grateful look and quickly served everyone a bowl of chicken soup.

Just as everyone was about to start eating, there was a knock at the door. Su’s father hurried to answer it.

“Qihua, you’re here. And who’s this?”

“Hello, Uncle Su. This is my father.” Dong Qihua often visited the Su household and was familiar with Su’s father.

“Qihua, invite your father in to eat with us. We haven’t started yet.” Su’s father warmly invited them.

Uncle Dong, who had been worried about his sister, followed Dong Qihua inside without a word.

When the father and son saw the entire Gu family seated at the table, especially the ten dishes laid out, they were stunned.

Here’s what had happened: Dong’s eldest son had learned that his stepmother had sent his sister’s family to the Su household.

He had said nothing, but his stern expression had an intimidating presence.

Ren Xiaofang sat beside Dong’s grandfather, not daring to speak, quietly eating her rice without even reaching for the dishes.

Her daughter, Dong Yuanyuan, had been away with the cultural troupe for over three months. If she had been home, she could have helped ease the tension.

The rest of the Dong family also ate in silence. They didn’t manage the household and had no idea how expensive daily necessities were.

Having a few more or fewer people at the table didn’t matter to them.

Dong’s grandfather, feeling embarrassed by his son’s stern expression, glared at his young wife with a clear warning.

At the same time, he felt a bit wronged. It wasn’t that he didn’t want his eldest daughter’s family to stay, but her in-laws had chosen to leave.

“Dad, let’s go see Auntie.” Dong Qihua, seeing his father’s displeasure, suggested.

If this continued, no one would dare to eat. Although Dong Qihua wasn’t afraid of his father, such an atmosphere would give him indigestion.

He had also wanted to visit his friend Su Shuoci to see if there were any aftereffects from yesterday’s drowning incident.

“Alright, Dad, take your time eating.” Dong’s eldest son stood up and left.

The father and son rode their bicycles and soon arrived at the Su household. To their surprise, there were so many dishes prepared.

The Su family had five members, and the Gu family had five. The table could barely seat ten, and now there were two more.

Gu Jiaojiao quickly pulled Su Shuoci aside. “Uncle, Cousin, please sit. Shuoci and I can sit on the side.”

Su Qinchun immediately went to the kitchen to fetch two more sets of bowls and chopsticks, deftly serving two more bowls of chicken soup.

This time, she didn’t dare to speak. She set up a small table and sat with her brother and sister-in-law to eat.

Dong’s uncle, who had held a high position for over a decade, saw that there was enough food and didn’t hesitate to sit in the seat of honor next to the old man.

This wasn’t the first time he had seen Gu Jiaojiao, but it was the first time he had taken a good look at his niece. She bore a strong resemblance to his sister when she was eighteen.

Combined with her father’s excellent genes, she was even more beautiful than her mother. How had he never noticed before?

“Sister, Jinghua, you’re actually able to sit at the table and eat?” This was something he found hard to believe.

“Jiaojiao knows a bit about medicine. She said we were severely malnourished and made us some malted milk. We’re fine now, sigh~”

The old man quickly interjected, not wanting anyone to know that his granddaughter had administered several IVs.