Chapter 89: Is It Really That Expensive?

Chen Muxue stood frozen, bewildered, unable to fathom why Su Zheng would ask her such a question at this moment. Glancing at her father and Zhang Pingbang, both of whom looked on with eager anticipation, she nodded slightly, “Of course!”

“Then you must agree to a condition,” Su Zheng said, smiling at her. “If you promise, I’ll cure him right away.”

“What is it? Tell me,” Chen Muxue replied, her tone tinged with suspicion.

She couldn’t figure out his intention and felt a faint anxiety stirring within. Although she’d come to understand Su Zheng somewhat in recent times, she still worried he might seize this opportunity to demand something inappropriate—an embrace, a kiss, or even more…

“It shouldn’t be difficult for you. Just call me ‘husband’.” Su Zheng’s face was calm as he gazed directly at her, his eyes soft, his voice gentle. “We’ve been married for two years, and you’ve never addressed me that way—not even once.”

Chen Muxue’s beautiful eyes widened in astonishment, staring at Su Zheng in confusion. “Is… is that all?”

“What else would it be?” Su Zheng laughed, returning her question.

Looking into Su Zheng’s clear, honest eyes, Chen Muxue hesitated, a strange emotion welling up inside her. She realized she had misunderstood him yet again.

Beside her, Chen Jianguo and Zhang Pingbang were both taken aback, never imagining that Su Zheng’s single condition would be so simple.

No one was more affected than Zhang Pingbang. His expression was somewhat sour, muscles in his cheeks twitching as he reflected that his promises of executive positions and wealth were outdone by a single word from Chen Muxue.

And his life, in Su Zheng’s mind, seemed to be worth no more than such a modest request…

Chen Muxue gradually smiled, like a spring breeze brightened by sunlight—radiant and charming, her smile blooming as brilliantly as a flower, intoxicating.

Remorse stirred within her; she realized she didn’t understand Su Zheng as well as she thought, and she hadn’t fulfilled her duty as a wife.

“Husband…” she called softly. With that word, a curious feeling blossomed inside her. Her beautiful eyes carried a hint of shy embarrassment, yet she met Su Zheng’s gaze directly, refusing to look away.

“All right, Su Zheng, stop dawdling. Mr. Zhang is waiting. You can settle your matters at home later!” Chen Jianguo interjected, unable to hide his discomfort—especially as he watched his daughter gradually accept Su Zheng. He couldn’t help but urge them onward.

Su Zheng withdrew his gentle gaze, then turned and walked into the nearby convenience store. Borrowing a pen and a sheet of paper, he wrote out a prescription and handed it to Zhang Pingbang.

“Go to a reputable herbal medicine shop and gather these eleven ingredients. Afterward, grind them all into powder, sift out the fine particles, and mix according to the dosages I’ve written. Take them with ginger and jujube decoction—just one dose will take effect. As long as you avoid cold foods for three days, you’ll fully recover.”

Zhang Pingbang eagerly took the prescription, his face full of disbelief. “Is it really that simple?!”

“What, do you need to spend a month in the hospital and a hundred thousand just to believe it can be cured?” Su Zheng teased lightly.

Though Zhang Pingbang’s illness was life-threatening through its complications, the condition itself wasn’t particularly severe. The current medical industry’s twisted norm of ‘over-treating minor ailments, dragging out major illnesses’ had led many to believe mistakenly that ‘cheap treatment can’t cure anything.’

“I misunderstood—blame those incompetent doctors. Even routine checkups can go wrong; how could I trust them again?” Zhang Pingbang quickly shook his head in explanation, then asked tentatively, “But… just one dose will cure it?”

“If you’re worried, check your abdomen tomorrow morning and see for yourself,” Su Zheng replied calmly.

“Got it, got it!” Zhang Pingbang nodded repeatedly, then invited Su Zheng, Chen Jianguo, and Chen Muxue to a nearby restaurant for lunch.

After lunch, Chen Jianguo saw Zhang Pingbang off with utmost courtesy, his face alight with anticipation and excitement. But when he turned to Su Zheng, his expression cooled. “After two years, you’ve finally done something worthwhile for our family—how rare! By the way, where did you get that prescription? Are you sure it’s safe?”

“I found it in medical books—it’s practical, no problem,” Su Zheng replied indifferently, offering no further explanation since his father-in-law had spoken so bluntly.

“That’s good. Hmph! But your mother’s right—you’re hopeless. Mr. Zhang just arranged such a good job for you, and you didn’t seize the opportunity. Foolish!” Chen Jianguo scolded, his face dark. Secretly, he looked down on this useless son-in-law, who seemed willing to do anything to please his daughter, even asking for nothing in return.

All that fuss, just for her to call you ‘husband’—as if calling you that would change anything!

Hmph! Such a shortsighted fool is destined to be mediocre all his life.

Finishing his tirade, Chen Jianguo ignored Su Zheng and walked back to the residential complex with a joyful spring in his step. Having been rehired by the company and given a management post, he felt as if fortune had fallen from the sky—life would be much easier from now on.

Su Zheng and Chen Muxue exchanged glances, smiling as they watched Chen Jianguo’s lively stride.

“You go upstairs first. I have business at the company—can’t afford to be late,” Chen Muxue said, then quickly turned to her car.

Su Zheng went upstairs and resumed tidying up the house.

The next day, Chen Jianguo received a call from Zhang Pingbang early in the morning. On the other end, Zhang Pingbang was ecstatic; he said that after following Su Zheng’s prescription, the burning pain in his lower abdomen and numbness in his legs had vanished, and his appetite had improved.

After sharing the news, he pledged to Chen Jianguo that the rehiring would be taken care of personally.

Hearing the long-awaited good news, Chen Jianguo was overjoyed all morning. At noon, he asked Lv Hongmei to cook several special dishes.

For the first time in two years since Su Zheng and Chen Muxue had married, Su Zheng was given a wine glass at the table.

No matter what, it was thanks to this supposedly useless son-in-law that his longstanding worry was finally resolved—even if it was mostly happenstance.

After lunch, Lv Hongmei, in good spirits, brought out fruits and snacks, turned on the television, and sat sipping tea and munching, laughing at the scenes on TV.

Chen Jianguo, meanwhile, hummed a tune as he found clothes to try on, preparing for his official return to work the next day.

This peaceful, warm scene filled Su Zheng with a profound sense of tranquility.

This family, at last, felt like a real home.

A few days passed in this manner. Then, one morning, as Su Zheng returned from the early market with groceries, trouble found him.