There’s a saying: good women dread persistent men. Si Mingjing said no more, turned, and pressed the doorbell.
After entering the house, she bumped into Old Master Su’s daughter-in-law, Qin Yinan, in the living room.
Qin Yinan seemed to have just woken up. Her hair was not yet meticulously styled, and she was casually dressed in a wool sweater and a hip-hugging skirt. At over forty, the woman radiated mature elegance and nobility. Although she had given birth to three sons, the years had barely left a mark on her face.
"Good morning, Mrs. Su," Si Mingjing greeted her politely.
Qin Yinan gave a reserved nod.
Qin Yinan didn’t dislike Si Mingjing, but Old Master Su had returned home last night and once again brought up his son marrying Si Mingjing.
Qin Yinan could treat Si Mingjing hospitably as a guest, but the thought of accepting her as a daughter-in-law was unappealing.
Over the years, all her thoughts and efforts had been devoted to her three sons, each of whom she had raised to be talented. Naturally, she hoped her future daughters-in-law would be worthy of her sons—not someone like Si Mingjing, who, despite being the young lady of a wealthy family, had grown up on Prison Star without a proper education.
But this time, Old Master Su was adamant.
He even claimed Si Mingjing was so skilled in medicine she could cure cancer. Once she cured cancer, she would become famous and undoubtedly be worthy of his son.
Qin Yinan was inwardly dissatisfied but couldn’t openly contradict her father-in-law, which truly infuriated her.
After Si Mingjing greeted her and went to the guest room, Qin Yinan’s gaze flickered, and she decisively returned to her own room.
Old Master Su had arranged a guest room for Si Mingjing. She had stayed there before her temporary move to the Ye family, and her luggage from Prison Star was in that room.
However, upon opening her suitcase, she discovered the Yellow Pine bark powder was inexplicably gone!
Si Mingjing checked the rest of her suitcase. Everything else was there; only the Yellow Pine bark powder was missing. Who could I have offended in the Su family?
If I can’t find the Yellow Pine bark powder, my spectacular counterattack at the Song family last night will become a joke.
When the butler informed Old Master Su of Si Mingjing’s arrival, he was so pleased he immediately stopped his Tai Chi practice. He then strode into Si Mingjing’s room with vigor.
"Mingjing, my dear, have you had breakfast?"
"Grandpa Su, I have eaten," Si Mingjing replied.
She closed her suitcase. Old Master Su is the least likely person to want to see me in trouble, she mused.
So she said, "Grandpa Su, I came to get the Yellow Pine bark powder, but someone went through my suitcase and took it."
"What?" Old Master Su was shocked.
He knew how important this was to Mingjing. His face instantly creased with seriousness.
"Damn it! It must be that little rascal Su Cheng! I’ll beat the life out of him! Don’t worry, Mingjing, Grandfather will make this right for you. This won’t derail your important plans," he vowed.
Si Mingjing did not express an opinion.
I can’t be sure yet who went through my suitcase, she thought. But it’s good that Old Master Su is angry. I can use this opportunity to observe the Su family’s reactions and find the thief.
Perhaps out of deep affection for Si Mingjing, Old Master Su caused quite a commotion. He not only swung his cane to drag Su Cheng out of bed but also chased him into the living room, hitting him all the while.
Don’t let his age fool you; when it came to thrashing his grandson, he had all the vigor of an old man fighting for a seat on a crowded bus.
Soon, he had the whole house in an uproar.
Hearing the commotion, all the family members, young and old, came out of their rooms to watch the spectacle.
And Su Cheng, how wronged he felt!