RGL – Chapter 120

Su Min greeted them one by one.

Zhang Ning smiled and said, “I’d heard Ke Wan mention you before, but I didn’t expect someone so young to be so clever.”

Su Min had a good impression of Zhang Ning. Seeing her speak kindly, she couldn’t help but smile as well. “I just messed around on my own. Sorry to have embarrassed myself in front of you all.”

Shu Jing sat up straighter and laughed. “You’re being too modest. When I was eighteen, I couldn’t have made anything this exquisite.”

Su Min replied with a smile, “I didn’t make it myself. I just did the design sketches and hired a master tailor to cut it. Our shop also has a specialist embroidery artisan.”

As Su Min explained the situation, Zhang Ning smiled warmly at her, thinking this young girl was quite capable. She had talent and a sharp business mind. But she didn’t remember hearing about such a person in her previous life.

She wondered just how successful this girl might become in the future.

Su Min was a steady person, and after chatting a bit, she had a general sense of the two women’s personalities. Shu Jing was indeed as lively and bold as she appeared, but there was also a sharp glint in her eyes. As for Zhang Ning, she had a calmer demeanor and didn’t look like an ordinary housewife at all.

These two women, it seemed, were both quite successful in their respective careers.

After chatting for a while, Ke Wan noticed Su Min was speaking more freely and, worried that she might be nervous, teased with a smile, “I really owe Su Min for this time. From now on, she’s the god-sister I’ve officially recognized. When you’re back in B City, make sure to help spread the word. You’ve all seen what she’s capable of.”

Noting Ke Wan’s intention to promote Su Min, Shu Jing laughed. “No problem. I was already thinking of getting a piece for my mom and my mother-in-law for the New Year. Oh, and my aunt too.” She turned to Zhang Ning. “Why don’t you give your aunt one?”

Zhang Ning smiled. “I’ll give her something else—you can be the one to gift this.”

Seeing her say that, Shu Jing shrugged indifferently and turned back to Su Min to discuss styles suitable for elderly people.

A few more older guests entered the room over time. When they learned that Su Min was the one who had designed the clothes for Ke Wan and the others, they were all surprised. But seeing the young girl so composed and capable, they gradually started to believe it. Some of them even used the opportunity to place orders with Su Min.

Ke Wan, like a protective tiger cub, insisted that those wanting Su Min’s work pay a deposit first so materials could be bought. It saved Su Min a lot of hassle. With Ke Wan’s eagerness to be close, Su Min no longer felt comfortable treating her as just a past collaborator—she also began to genuinely want a better relationship with her.

Before the banquet even began, Su Min had already received orders for seven outfits. Because the shop’s production capacity was limited, she didn’t promise delivery within the year—only that everything would be completed by next May at the latest.

Thanks to Ke Wan’s reputation and the visible results on Shu Jing and the others, the ladies had no objections. After all, good things aren’t easy to come by, and the wait was worth it.

And since so many people wanted custom pieces, it only proved how well-made the clothes were. That gave them all even more confidence.

Su Min herself hadn’t expected such a response. She had only planned to show her face and get familiar with people. She didn’t expect to receive so many orders on the spot.

And since these people were from various places, once the clothes were made and they wore them out, the effect would be even more convincing than a television advertisement.

Thinking of this, Su Min was even more determined. Once she got back, she’d make sure to find another skilled embroidery artisan. She also needed a top-notch tailor. That way, the work could rotate among them, and customers wouldn’t have to wait so long.

Although the Wu family hadn’t been back for long, they still had quite a few relatives. And with the birth of the eldest grandson, many family members came from all over for the celebration. The full-month banquet was lively and bustling.

During the banquet, Su Min sat with Ke Wan.

She whispered, “Sister Wan, thank you for everything today. If you hadn’t helped, I wouldn’t have gotten so much work.”

Rocking the baby in her arms, Ke Wan laughed, “What are you thanking me for? It’s all because your work is good. Even if I talked you up, if people didn’t like your stuff, it wouldn’t matter. Besides, I wasn’t joking about making you my god-sister.”

Su Min looked surprised—she’d really thought Ke Wan had just been saying that casually. After all, even though they had interacted a few times, they weren’t particularly close yet. It didn’t seem like they were at the point of forming a familial bond.

Thinking of the shop, she quickly said, “Sister Wan, you’re not still hung up on that old thing, are you? I told you, it wasn’t a big deal. Don’t keep bringing it up.”

Ke Wan smiled and shook her head. “It’s not about that. I just feel like we really get along. What, you don’t want me as your older sister?”

“It’s not that,” Su Min denied quickly. “It’s just… it’s a bit sudden.”

“What’s sudden about it? We’ve known each other for a while. I’m not one to beat around the bush—if I want to recognize you as my sister, I’ll just say it outright. If you agree, I’ll talk to your parents another day and we’ll be family from then on.”

Hearing this, Su Min was at a loss. Having a relative like Ke Wan was certainly a good thing—but it all seemed to be happening too easily. It made her feel a little uneasy, like things were going too smoothly.

Noticing her silence, Ke Wan’s smile faded and she asked in surprise, “You really don’t want to?”

Su Min quickly shook her head, then nodded. “I do.”

“Then it’s settled,” Ke Wan said, satisfied.

She had admired Su Min’s drive and talent from the start. And after Su Min helped her out, she felt sincerely grateful. That was why Wu Zhe had made such a generous gift of the shop. But when Su Min refused to accept it for free and insisted on paying, Ke Wan saw her as someone genuine. A girl with good character, intelligence, and excellence—and someone who had once saved both her and her child. That was when she made up her mind to formally recognize her as family.

Shu Jing and Zhang Ning had been chatting nearby but, seeing Ke Wan whispering with Su Min, Shu Jing sat up and joked, “Hey, what are you two talking about over there, all secretive? You know I’ll get jealous if you exclude me!”

Ke Wan tilted her head and looked at her. “I just said I want to throw a banquet to officially recognize Su Min as my little sister. What, are you thinking of giving a gift?”

Shu Jing smiled and said, “Oh, I’ll definitely bring a gift, but I’m not giving it to you—I’m giving it to Su Min.”

Zhang Ning looked at the two of them and said with a laugh, “You’re both moms already. Why are you still acting like this?” Then she turned to Ke Wan and Su Min. “When’s the banquet?”

“In a few days. You should both stay a bit longer so you don’t have to keep going back and forth.”

Zhang Ning nodded with a smile.

Halfway through the banquet, people began coming over to offer toasts. Wu Zhe was going around inviting everyone to drink. Some guests, after toasting Wu Zhe and Ke Wan, also came over to toast Zhang Ning and Shu Jing.

Only then did Su Min realize that these two women were actually the famous executives of Yuehao Group in City B. Her eyes filled with even more admiration. These women were so young yet so capable—clearly, they were incredibly competent.

After the banquet, Ke Wan had a driver take Su Min home. Before she left, she reminded her to talk it over with her family, and said she would visit Su Min’s home in a few days to discuss it.

Seeing how seriously Ke Wan took this matter, Su Min also became more earnest. Since someone was treating her with such warmth and sincerity, she couldn’t just respond with indifference.

She quickly and sincerely said, “Sister Wan, I’ll remember.”

Once Su Min got into the car, Ke Wan and Wu Zhe went back into the hotel.

On the way home, Su Min sat in the car thinking back on everything that had just happened. Even she hadn’t expected to be pulled into such a circle—one that she hadn’t even dared to imagine being a part of in the past.

After returning home, Su Min found that Sun Qiufang and Su Changrong hadn’t come back yet. She quickly changed out of her clothes and into something more comfortable, then sat in her room reading a book.

It was nearly dark when she finally heard the door open.

“Mom, Dad, you’re home?” Su Min called as she put on her slippers and came out of her room.

Su Min had just stepped out when she saw Su Changrong and Sun Qiufang entering the house. Before she could speak, three more people followed behind them. Leading the group was Grandma Su, her hair now fully gray. Behind her were Second Aunt Li Yulan and Su Can, who was even taller than his mother.

“Oh, our little Minzi is growing more and more beautiful. She’s truly a young lady now,” Li Yulan said with a smile as she came in and tried to take Su Min’s hand.

Su Min knew she didn’t mean it sincerely. She pursed her lips and instinctively pulled her hand back. “Second Aunt.”

Sun Qiufang knew her daughter didn’t like these people. She didn’t either. So she said bluntly to Su Min, “Go back to your room and do your homework.”

“Okay,” Su Min nodded and went back to her room.

Grandma Su was clearly displeased when she saw Su Min leave without even saying hello. Then she noticed Su Can helping himself to food and quickly pushed the fruit and snacks on the table toward him. “If you’re hungry, eat more. Later your aunt will make you something.”

“Mm,” Su Can replied cheerfully, munching on snacks and getting crumbs all over himself.

Sun Qiufang didn’t want to interact with any of them, so she went straight into the kitchen to cook.

Su Changrong had no way to avoid the situation. He could have avoided them by not coming home, but now that they were here, it would be rude not to deal with them. He sat expressionlessly on the couch and watched TV with them.

Seeing the cold attitudes of both her daughter-in-law and son, Grandma Su grew even angrier. I’m their mother, and I came all the way here, yet neither of them can even show a pleasant face? If this were back in the village, people would be gossiping nonstop.

But then, looking around at the nice apartment and all the expensive appliances she’d never seen before, she knew her son had truly made it. Especially that big supermarket she saw earlier—with so many employees all hired by her son—it felt like she was looking at an old-time rich landlord.

She said, “Changrong, I’m telling you, when it comes to hiring people for your store, it’s better to hire family. Your cousin and his wife are still back in the village. Better to hire someone you know than a stranger.”

Su Changrong wasn’t interested in this. He frowned and said, “Mom, that’s not how business works. If you only hire family, who’s going to actually get the work done? Let’s not talk about this. What are you all doing in the city this time?”

Li Yulan, who had been quiet, saw her opportunity and quickly spoke up with a smile. “It’s because of Cancan. He didn’t do as well as Minzi and didn’t get into high school. He’s been just sitting around at home for a year. We all talked and thought this couldn’t go on, so we decided to bring him to the city to learn a trade.”

“Mmm, learning a trade is good. A useful skill means he won’t have to worry about making a living in the future.”

Su Changrong actually supported this idea. A young man with a trade would always have a way to get by. Better that than loafing around at home relying on others.

Grandma Su and Li Yulan both smiled when they saw he agreed. Grandma Su hurriedly added, “Since you’re already in the city, let Cancan live with you. Help him out a bit and find him a path.”

Hearing this, the smile on Su Changrong’s face froze. He was about to speak when he suddenly heard the clang of a metal basin dropping in the kitchen—it made his ears ring.

Then Sun Qiufang stormed out, clearly upset. “I’m not agreeing to this.” A spoiled kid being dumped on them? No way. She wasn’t stupid—she knew the relatives back home had always been eyeing their property. Sending someone to live here? That was just so they could fight Minzi for her share later.

Seeing she was angry, Su Changrong quickly got up and went to her, holding her arm to soothe her. “Alright, we were just starting to talk. I never said I agreed.”

At that, Grandma Su also grew unhappy. She stood up and said, “Why not agree? Cancan isn’t an outsider. He’s the only grandson of the Su family. He calls you Uncle and Aunt. How can he be treated like an outsider here?”

“Outsider? If he were an outsider, I wouldn’t have let him in the door,” Sun Qiufang said coldly. “Last time, he even raised a hand against you, his own grandma. Who knows when he’ll try something with me or Changrong?”

“Auntie, why are you bringing that up again?” Su Can suddenly flared up, pointing at Sun Qiufang with a cocky attitude. Back home, he always got his way—everyone did what he said. Even after he put his grandma in the hospital, the family still coddled him. Now, just because they were at his uncle’s place, they treated him differently?

He knew he was the only grandson in the Su family. Everything would rely on him in the future. His grandma even told him everything from Uncle’s household would eventually be his. So why was his aunt acting like she wouldn’t even let him in the door?

Sun Qiufang frowned and said sternly, “What kind of attitude is that? Your parents may spoil you, but I won’t. You’re old enough—what have you ever done to help your family?” A boy his age in the past would already be supporting a household. She wasn’t about to take on that mess.

Li Yulan, who had been smiling until now, couldn’t keep it up. Hearing her son criticized, she said, “Sister-in-law, that’s a bit harsh, don’t you think? Our Cancan is still young. Isn’t it unfair to speak to him like this?”

Sun Qiufang sneered, “Oh, now I’m bullying him because he’s young? But you’re here asking for our help, aren’t you? Fine, I won’t bully him. But whatever he does has nothing to do with me as his aunt.”

She finished speaking and sat on a nearby chair, making it clear she wasn’t planning to keep cooking.

The atmosphere turned tense. Grandma Su wanted to scold Sun Qiufang, but seeing how tough she was—and how she was clearly a modern city woman now—she knew she couldn’t treat her like she used to back in the village. So she said, “Qiufang, Cancan is still a child. Let’s forget the past. Now that we’re in the city, you and Changrong should help out.” She then turned to Su Changrong. “Changrong, you’re the uncle. Are you really going to ignore Cancan?”

Su Changrong didn’t want to deal with this at all.

He had doted on his only nephew in the past. But in recent years, the boy had caused Su Min a lot of trouble. As he grew more unruly, Su Changrong grew more disappointed. Now that Su Can was older—and had already laid hands on his own grandmother and even stolen from the family—how could he dare keep him around?