So, after the examination, Shen Wuqiu asked the doctor to arrange an intelligence test for her.
The first item on the intelligence test was the classic sock-putting test, but unfortunately, the white cat was very uncooperative, scratching the doctor who was about to put a sock on her head and giving a fierce "Meow~~~~~"
So the first test had to be abandoned, and the doctor didn't dare to make a definitive conclusion about the cat's intelligence.
The second item was a toy test. The assistant brought out many toys, and the white cat seemed indifferent to them all. However, during the test, it did show some respect and found the little bell hidden behind the kraft paper.
The doctor gave it a score of seven in this test.
The third test was for Shen Wuqiu to take home and test it herself – the litter box test.
After the test, the veterinarian summarized: "Judging from her reaction, you don't need to worry about her intelligence. Although the first test couldn't be carried out, it's clear that she's a proud and intelligent girl. With proper training in the later stages of raising her, she will definitely become a top cat."
"Thank you." Shen Wuqiu wasn't worried that it was a stupid cat; on the contrary, she felt uneasy because the cat seemed unusually intelligent.
It was past four o'clock when we left the pet hospital. Spring weather is changeable; it was sunny in the morning, but now it was overcast.
Shen Wuqiu refused Shen Wujun's suggestion to take her around the mall, went straight to the shopping mall, bought what she needed, and then went home.
When the two arrived home, it was dinner time. At the dinner table, besides Su Yunzhi and Shen's father, there were also Su Yunzhi's two older brothers and sisters-in-law.
"Wuqiu, you've come back just in time. Come wash your hands and have dinner." Su Yunzhi was as warm and welcoming to Shen Wuqiu as ever in front of others.
As soon as Su Yunzhi spoke, her two sisters-in-law immediately looked at Shen Wuqiu with beaming smiles:
"Oh, it's Wuqiu! I almost didn't recognize her. I thought she was Junjun's girlfriend."
"It's been many years since I last saw you, you've gotten even more radiant."
One shouldn't hit a smiling face, so Shen Wuqiu smiled politely at them and said, "Uncle and Auntie are here."
Then she looked at her father and said, "Dad, you guys eat first, I'll go back to my room first."
“That won’t do. Since you’re back, let’s eat together,” Duan Xiao’e, Su Yunzhi’s sister-in-law, quickly said.
"No need to wait."
After greeting everyone, Shen Wuqiu carried the white cat upstairs. Fearing that people might misunderstand her, she put the white cat in the room and prepared to go back downstairs.
"Meow~~" The white cat wanted to follow it every step of the way.
Shen Wuqiu stopped her: "I'm going to eat now, I'll feed you later. You stay in your room obediently, okay?"
"Meow~" The white cat was not happy, but in the end it did not follow.
Seeing her awkward little face as she turned her head away, Shen Wuqiu couldn't help but turn back and ruffle her hair again, saying, "You're the best girl."
The white cat turned its head again, tilted its chin up, and looked at her, meowing.
"..." For some reason, at that moment, Shen Wuqiu thought of the white cat wanting her to kiss it.
However, what's even more unbelievable is that she actually kissed the white cat...
It's hard to say whether it was a twist of fate or an involuntary impulse.
"...I'm leaving." After the kiss, Shen Wuqiu, whose heart was in turmoil but whose outward appearance remained calm, closed the door and pretended nothing had happened. However, when she went downstairs, she was a little stiff and awkward.
At the dinner table, everyone was waiting for Shen Wuqiu to eat together. When she came down, Shen's father personally invited her to sit in the empty seat next to him.
Shen Wuqiu took her seat gracefully and, along with her father, invited everyone to eat.
Su Yunzhi's family was not well-off; otherwise, they wouldn't have married off this young woman to Shen's father as his stepmother.
After Su Yunzhi married into the family, her father always took good care of her two older brothers from her maternal family. Especially later, as they contracted more and more land, her two brothers continued to make a living under her father's care.
After Mr. Shen's illness was diagnosed, he had already discussed the distribution of his estate with Su Yunzhi beforehand.
One part is his savings and a 200-square-meter house in the city; the other part is the remaining years of use of the mountain forest and reservoir he contracted.
When Mr. Shen discussed this with Su Yunzhi, he was also careful. He said that he planned to give Shen Wuqiu the 2 million yuan fixed deposit and the house in the city, while the nearly 20,000 mu of mountains, forests, fields and reservoirs would be handed over to the mother and son.
Su Yunzhi had a lot to say about this, "I know you favor her and think it's not easy for her as a girl, but what about us, mother and son? I also know you think Junjun is bad at studying and has no future, so you want him to stay in this remote mountain village for the rest of his life."
This was exactly the result that Mr. Shen wanted. Others might not know how valuable the mountains, forests, land, and reservoirs he had contracted were, but he knew it himself. Deep down, he did favor his daughter Shen Wuqiu and genuinely wanted to leave the best for her.
After so many years of marriage, he had figured out Su Yunzhi's personality quite well: she loved to compare herself to others, was vain, and had a narrow mind.
Knowing that his wife had this personality, and that no matter what arrangements he made, she would think he was favoring his daughter, he deliberately told Su Yunzhi this in advance.
What he wanted was for Su Yunzhi to stop coveting these mountains, forests, and fields.
Su Yunzhi only cared about immediate gains, but her two older brothers thought further ahead. After all, they had worked for Shen's father for many years, and although they didn't have a specific estimate of the value of the mountain forest land that Shen's father had contracted, they had a general idea in mind.
They came here today to sound out Su Yunzhi.
After having a couple of drinks, Su Yunzhi's second brother couldn't contain himself any longer. "Brother-in-law, the rapeseed is growing very well this year, even better than last year's."
"Yes, thanks to your help." Perhaps because his daughter had returned, Mr. Shen was in good spirits all day, even though he had been lying in bed for several days.
Su Yunzhi's sister-in-law, Duan Xiao'e, chimed in, "Oh, you're too kind. If it weren't for your brother-in-law's help, we wouldn't be where we are today. But farm work, while it requires a lot of strength, also requires skill. Look, the rapeseed field my husband is in charge of is getting better and better every year."
As she spoke, she looked at Shen Wuqiu again, "Wuqiu, you went to university, don't you think that makes sense?"
Shen Wuqiu swallowed the cabbage in her mouth carefully before replying, "Yes, you're right. Farming is a skill now; you can't just rely on strength."
“Right…” Duan Xiao’e then realized, “Those who do farm work can’t do it without strength.”
Shen Wuqiu just smiled and continued eating.
Duan Xiao'e didn't feel embarrassed at all and continued, "Brother-in-law, it's the busy farming season right now. You're not feeling well, so why don't you try having Junjun help out with some things?"
Hearing her words, Su Yunzhi's second brother, Su Zhongmin, chimed in, "That's right. Last year, a batch of trees were sold from Xishan. You said you wanted to set up an orchard this year. If we don't plant trees now, it might be too late."
Mr. Shen remained calm, put down his chopsticks, and said unhurriedly, "No rush. Once the town officials come to notarize it, we'll see how Wuqiu arranges things."
A note from the author:
Gu Lingyu: "Meow~~~" Foolish mortal, how dare you put a stinky sock on my head? Don't you want to live?!
Chapter 10 Kneading
The dinner table suddenly fell silent. After several seconds, Su Yunzhi's elder brother, Su Weimin, put down his wine glass, looked at Shen Wuqiu, and asked incredulously, "Let Wuqiu make the arrangements?"
As soon as her husband spoke, Duan Xiao'e immediately chimed in, "Wuqiu is just a young girl, how could she do all this? If you ask me, you shouldn't spoil Junjun. It's time for Junjun to learn how to manage these things in the mountains, forests, and fields."
As Duan Xiao'e spoke, she frequently winked at Su Yunzhi, "Yunzhi, don't you think so?"
Su Yunzhi was also constantly calculating in her mind. She had inquired about the house in the city, and according to the current house price, it could be sold for at least five million. Adding the savings, that would be seven million. The 20,000 mu of mountains, forests, fields, and reservoirs were definitely worth more than seven million. However, the house and savings were readily available cash, while the mountains, forests, fields, and reservoirs would take time to be converted into cash, and time inevitably meant unpredictable changes...
After comparing the two options, she still felt it was safer to have the money in hand, so she didn't agree with Duan Xiao'e's suggestion to "let his father arrange it."
Su Weimin immediately got angry, "A doting mother spoils her son. I think you're just too indulgent with your child. Junjun is twenty years old and about to graduate from university, but I haven't seen him go out for an internship. Now that your brother-in-law is not in good health, are you unwilling to let him help out a little?"
Hearing his words, Su Yunzhi was also quite angry. "How is it that I spoil Junjun? Lao Le is unwilling to let Junjun manage these things. Does he expect me to fight and snatch them away?"
She already had many grievances against her brother. Her father had died early, and her brother was like a father to her. Since childhood, her brother and sister-in-law had been in charge of the household. If it weren't for her insistence, her brother and sister-in-law would have married her off to a forty-year-old crippled bachelor in the next village for a dowry of ten thousand yuan. Now that she was in her own home, her brother and sister-in-law still wanted to act like kings and domineering people and make her the boss.
Seeing her so "ungrateful," Su Weimin was so angry that he stood up abruptly. Just as he was about to continue speaking, Duan Xiao'e, who was sitting next to him, secretly pinched him. She glanced at her father, who looked displeased, and pulled Su Weimin back down to sit. She smiled, but her words were sarcastic and unpleasant:
"Why are you in such a hurry? It's because Junjun has been raised in luxury since she was a child. She probably can't handle this kind of hardship. No wonder your brother-in-law is worried and wants to leave it to Wuqiu."
Su Weimin hadn't even swallowed his last breath when his wife's words ignited his anger again: "Boys should be raised frugally. What's the use of being good-looking if you're a twenty-year-old man who can't do anything?"
As the subjects of the discussion, Shen Wuqiu and Shen Wujun, the siblings, both appeared indifferent, focusing solely on eating their rice.
The father, who had been treated like air, couldn't stand it anymore. "How I raise my son is none of the business of outsiders."
The word "outsider" is enough to show how Mr. Shen felt at that moment.
"Brother-in-law, that's not what I meant..."
“We’re anxious too. Junjun is your child, and also our nephew. Besides, he’s your only son…”
Mr. Shen interrupted Su Weimin without any politeness, "What, do you still prefer sons to daughters these days?"
Su Weimin: "...That's definitely not about favoring sons over daughters, we're just worried..."
Mr. Shen looked at him, then at the others at the table: "What are you all worried about?"
Seeing that no one responded, Duan Xiao'e became anxious and quickly stepped in to smooth things over: "What Weimin means is that your brother-in-law has contracted so much mountain forest land, it's definitely not right for a girl to manage this business... Besides, Wuqiu is not young anymore, she's reached the age to get married, and after marriage she'll have her own family, she definitely won't be able to take care of all this then. Wuqiu, don't you think so?"
She actually tried to save face by asking me for an excuse, but Shen Wuqiu didn't give her any face at all, and pretended to be confused: "Marriage? I haven't thought about it yet, I probably won't get married."
Duan Xiao'e smiled insincerely and said, "Silly child, what girl in the world doesn't get married? If I remember correctly, you are twenty-eight years old this year, right? Back in our time, twenty-eight was considered an old maid."
Shen Wuqiu picked up a piece of radish and handed it to Shen Wujun, "Try this radish and see if it's salty."
Shen Wujun: "I don't..."
Shen Wuqiu glanced at him, and Shen Wujun immediately put the radish in his mouth. "It is indeed a bit salty."
The teenager, as if struck by lightning, instantly understood and said naively, "Uncle and Aunt, stop meddling in other people's business. To put it bluntly, this is our family matter, and it's none of your concern."
"You..." They're all hopeless idiots. Su Weimin was so angry he almost couldn't catch his breath. He took a couple of big gulps of wine before saying, "Fine, we were just meddling."
The meal ended unhappily.
If it were when Mr. Shen was in good health, Su Weimin wouldn't have dared to be so presumptuous. Now, he only dares to act so recklessly because he sees Mr. Shen as being on his deathbed and knows that the Shen family doesn't have a capable man to take charge.
After the meal, Su Yunzhi's two older brothers and sisters-in-law did not mention leaving.
Since they were relatives, it wouldn't be good to make things too ugly, so Su Yunzhi invited them to sit in the living room.
Shen Wuqiu helped her father back to his room to rest and chatted with him for a while.
“I promised you that as long as you’re willing to come back and manage these lands, you can do whatever you want with them, and the same goes for the people in charge; you can change them whenever you want.”
Shen Wuqiu was only focused on peeling the oranges in her hands and didn't say a word.
Mr. Shen sighed, "I just didn't expect that before I even died, the Su family would start plotting against me so blatantly."
Shen Wuqiu wasn't surprised. She broke off half of the orange and handed the other half to her father, asking, "Why do you want to leave these things for me?"
“Your younger brother is still young, and your aunt doesn’t like to get involved in farm work. I don’t trust her. These are things I’ve spent my whole life working on.”
As he spoke, Mr. Shen wearily closed his eyes, “I promised your mother that I would become a real landowner, with vast fields to grow flowers, vegetables, fruit trees, and trees, and large forests to raise chickens, ducks, and fish… Now, I’ve finally fulfilled that promise, and I can finally report back to her…”
Shen Wuqiu lowered her head, "Aren't you afraid I'll disappoint you?"
After a long silence, Shen Wuqiu looked up at the bed and noticed that the person on the bed had their eyes closed and was completely silent.
At that moment, she felt a little flustered. She stared at the person for a while before tremblingly letting go to check their breath. The warm breath on her fingers was very reassuring.
Shen Wuqiu finally felt relieved. She sat by the bed for a while before carefully placing her father's hand, which was outside the blanket, under the covers. She whispered, "I will try my best not to disappoint you and Mom."