Back to the 1980s: Transmigrated as the Bigshot's Pampered Wife-Chapter 32: Pork Offal and Luffa Soup

Gu Jingtai had been about to call Su Shuochi brother-in-law, but when he looked up, he was met with Su Shuochi’s icy gaze.

It scared him so much that his hand trembled, nearly causing him to drop the kettle he was holding.

From that moment on, Gu Jingtai never dared to call Su Shuochi brother-in-law again. The rest of the Gu family hadn’t noticed the silent exchange between them.

Su Shuochi sat down beside Gu Jiaojiao as if nothing had happened, tenderly and thoughtfully handing her the necessary tools.

Gu Jingtai poured a cup of warm water and handed it to his brother. "Bro, have some warm water. I’ll go make you a cup of malted milk."

He made himself right at home, and the other members of the Gu family didn’t feel restrained either.

After his IV, Old Sir Gu’s spirits had soared. "Jiaojiao, can Grandpa have some chicken soup for lunch?"

"Of course. You’re not sick, just malnourished. You just need to drink more chicken soup and you’ll be fully recovered."

"Haha, so I’m not actually sick!" Old Sir Gu was overjoyed. A while back, he was due to be transferred back to the Imperial City.

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 fucking bullshit!’

’He’d felt all along he wasn’t sick, just starving. And now, his granddaughter was saying he wasn’t sick! Haha...’

No one was happier than Mr. Gu. His father wasn’t sick, and his son wasn’t sick either—they were just malnourished. Everything was all right now.

They would never have to worry about malnutrition again. His eyes welled with tears as he looked at Gu Jiaojiao.

"Jiaojiao, the Gu family has never raised you for a single day..."

"Dad, you loved and raised Sheng Xinglian with all your hearts, so you have nothing to feel guilty about. For those eighteen years, the Sheng Family also truly doted on your daughter."

"Exactly. Jiaojiao is absolutely right. All that matters in life is having a clear conscience." As expected of someone who had worked in education, Old Sir Gu was quick to agree.

"Why don’t you all rest for a bit? I’m going to pop into the kitchen and see if they need any help."

Gu Jiaojiao considered giving Mr. Gu a few IV bags of the advanced nutritional fluid as well, but she decided that would be too ostentatious.

In the kitchen, Mr. Su was butchering a chicken and a rabbit, while Su’s mother was happily bustling about, washing and chopping vegetables.

When she saw Gu Jiaojiao come in, Su’s mother immediately said, "Jiaojiao, you go on out and keep your family company. Should I make the rabbit spicy or red-braised?"

"Mom, how about we make half into spicy diced rabbit and the other half stewed rabbit?"

"Sounds good. The chicken soup is already on the stove. We’ll save the pig’s trotters for dinner. For lunch, we’ll have red-braised pork, pork offal and loofah soup, red-braised intestines..."

Su’s mother didn’t actually want Gu Jiaojiao to lift a finger, but she did want to chat with her daughter-in-law. She may have been a head chef for decades...

...but her daughter-in-law’s dishes were even more delicious. Jiaojiao’s pork offal soup, in particular, was exceptionally flavorful.

With Jiaojiao offering her expert guidance, the dishes she prepared could rival those from a state-owned restaurant.

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

"Mom, why don’t you wash the wok and get started on the red-braised pork? I can do the chopping."

"Oh, good, good! If I don’t do something right, just tell me again, Jiaojiao."

Once the three members of the Gu family had finished their IVs, they washed their hands, and it was time to eat.

Seeing the ten aromatic and beautifully presented dishes on the table, Old Sir Gu practically started drooling.

The rest of the Gu family felt their appetites surge. Gu Jingtai, ever observant, arranged the table and chairs and helped his mother take her seat.

Mr. Gu helped Gu Jinghua, but Old Sir Gu miraculously needed no assistance. He walked on his own, his steps even gaining a vigorous, commanding stride.

This made Gu Jiaojiao giggle. "Hehe~ Grandpa, do you walk like that at home, too?"

"Haha! No, at home I can’t walk without holding on to something," Old Sir Gu said with a booming laugh.

Su Qinchun returned at noon. Seeing so many extra people in the house, she felt a little shy.

"Qin Chun, this is my grandfather, my parents, and my two older brothers. Don’t tell me you’re shy," Gu Jiaojiao teased.

"Hello, Grandpa. Hello, Uncle Gu, Auntie. Hello, brothers," Su Qinchun called out, her voice especially clear and crisp.

Though she had been a little timid at first, her sister-in-law’s prodding gave her the courage to face the Gu family with composure.

"Mm, what a poised and gracious young lady. Very good," Old Sir Gu praised with satisfaction.

Su Qinchun shot Gu Jiaojiao a grateful glance before deftly ladling a bowl of chicken soup for each person.

Just as everyone was about to raise their bowls to drink the soup, a knock came from the door. Mr. Su hurried to answer it.

"Qi Hua, you’re here. And this is...?"

"Hello, Uncle Su. This is my father," Dong Qihua said. He visited the Su family often and knew Mr. Su well.

"Qi Hua, have your father come in and eat with us. We haven’t started yet," Mr. Su invited them with his usual simple warmth.

Uncle Dong was already worried about his older sister, so he followed Dong Qihua inside without saying a word.

When the father and son saw the entire Gu family seated around the table, and especially the ten dishes spread across it, they were left dumbfounded.

Here is what had happened: The Eldest Son of the Dong Family had learned that his stepmother had sent his sister’s family away to the Su family’s home.

He had said nothing, his expression dark, but his silence emanated an intimidating and inviolable pressure that was directed at Ren Xiaofang.

She sat beside Mr. Dong, not daring to speak. She meekly shoveled the rice from her bowl, not even venturing to pick up any of the other dishes.

Her daughter, Dong Yuanyuan, had been away on tour with a song and dance troupe for over three months. If she were here, she might have been able to ease the tension.

The rest of the Dong family also ate with their heads bowed, leaving the dinner table utterly silent. They weren’t in charge of the household, so they were oblivious to the cost of daily necessities.

To them, a few more or fewer mouths to feed made no difference.

Mr. Dong felt he was losing face due to his son’s dark mood. He shot his young wife a fierce, warning glare.

At the same time, he felt a bit wronged. ’It’s not that I didn’t want my eldest daughter’s family to stay; it was her family who insisted on leaving.’

"Dad, let’s go check on Auntie," Dong Qihua suggested, seeing how unhappy his father was.

’If this keeps up, no one will be able to eat.’ Although Dong Qihua wasn’t afraid of his father, eating in an atmosphere like this would give him indigestion.

Besides, he had been wanting to check on his good friend, Su Shuochi, and see if there were any aftereffects from his fall into the water the day before.

"Fine. Dad, you eat slowly." With that, the Eldest Son of the Dong Family stood up and left.

The father and son rode their 28-inch roadsters and arrived at the Su residence in no time. They were shocked to find the Su family had prepared such a feast.

There were five people from the Su family and five from the Gu family. The table could just barely accommodate ten, and now two more had arrived.

Gu Jiaojiao quickly pulled Su Shuochi aside. "Eldest Uncle, Eldest Cousin, please take our seats. Shu Ci and I can just sit over here."

Su Qinchun immediately went to the kitchen for two more sets of bowls and chopsticks, and deftly served them two bowls of chicken soup.

She didn’t dare say anything this time. Instead, she brought out a small table and sat down to eat with her older brother and sister-in-law.

Uncle Dong, having been in a position of power for over a decade, saw that there was plenty of food and didn’t stand on ceremony. He took the seat of honor next to Old Sir Gu.

This wasn’t the first time he’d seen Gu Jiaojiao, but it was the first time he had really looked at his niece. She strongly resembled his sister when she was eighteen.

Combined with her father’s handsome features, she was even more beautiful than his sister had been. ’How did I never notice before!’ he wondered.

"Sis! Jinghua! You two are actually able to sit at the table and eat?" He found this unbelievable.

"Well, Jiaojiao’s uncle," Old Sir Gu began, a little embarrassed, "Jiaojiao knows a little about medicine. She said we were severely malnourished, so she made us a few glasses of malted milk, and well... we felt better. Ahem."

Old Sir Gu had cut in, speaking with some embarrassment. ’He wasn’t about to let anyone know his granddaughter had a supply of IV drips.’