Chapter Twenty: Draw a Clear Line Between Yourself and That Good-for-Nothing!

“Heh heh…” Old Madam Chen smiled, a hint of relief in her expression. “Xiaopeng, your sister hasn’t been around for quite some time. Have her come home to visit her grandmother one of these days. I do miss her a lot.”

“I’ll let my sister know, Grandma.” Chen Peng grew even more pleased with himself, but then his brow furrowed. “But Grandma, have you considered this? That useless Su Zheng once offended the Li family. They might not bother to stoop to his level, but shouldn’t we show some attitude so the Li family sees where we stand?”

“Go on, tell me what you’re thinking.” Old Madam Chen nodded with a pleasant smile, inviting Chen Peng to continue.

“It’s actually quite simple. Expel him from the family, sever all ties with that good-for-nothing. That way, if the Li family ever questions us, we can make our stance clear.”

Chen Peng glanced sideways at Chen Jianguo and his wife, his expression faintly mocking as he spoke.

A brief silence fell over the gathering.

Soon, several members of the Chen family began to nod, agreeing that Chen Peng made sense.

“But… what about my daughter?” Chen Jianguo was full of anxiety.

“Hmph! When you marry a chicken, follow the chicken; marry a dog, follow the dog. What else can she do? Isn’t her current predicament her own fault? The family can’t support idlers!” Old Madam Chen’s face turned gloomy as she continued coldly, “Your daughter is in charge of Haoyuan Trading Company, which has suffered losses year after year. Starting today, her salary is suspended. If she can't turn the company around within a month, let her resign on her own!”

“And another thing—have that useless Su Zheng go collect the payment owed by Hongxin Real Estate for the project. If he fails to get the money back within five days, your daughter, and the two of you as well, will all be expelled from the family!” Old Madam Chen’s voice was icy, her determination unyielding.

“What? I heard Hongxin Real Estate has owed us for nearly two years. No one’s been able to get the payment. How is this even possible?” Chen Jianguo’s face was bitter. He wasn’t worried about Su Zheng—in fact, he resented him even more, because his own family was about to be cast out thanks to that worthless man!

The other members of the Chen family began to show amused smiles.

It seemed the old lady had adopted Chen Peng’s suggestion and resolved to sever all ties with Su Zheng and Chen Muxue’s entire family.

The payment from Hongxin Real Estate had become bad debt long ago, thanks to the shoddy work of the Chen family’s construction crew. Not only had they failed to collect the money, Hongxin’s General Manager Shen often threatened to demand compensation from the Chen family instead!

And with only five days—who could accomplish such a feat?

“Jianguo, the old lady’s decision is really for the greater good. Why don’t you ask everyone if they support it?” Chen Xiong smiled smugly, gesturing for the others to give their opinions.

“I agree!”

“Brother Jianguo, your family hasn’t contributed much to the clan. Collecting a debt is such a simple thing—surely you won’t fail?”

“That’s right! It’s not like you’re negotiating a new project, begging someone to sign a contract. Getting paid is easy—we did the work, they have to pay. It’s only fair!”

“I support Grandma’s arrangement!”

“So do I.”

…

One after another, the rest of the Chen family voiced their opinions, completely isolating Chen Jianguo.

“What are you standing there for? If you don’t accomplish this in five days, your whole family will never set foot in the ancestral home again. Hmph!” Old Madam Chen scolded Chen Jianguo with cold severity, then stood to signal the meeting was over.

With faces full of despair, Chen Jianguo and Lü Hongmei left the ancestral home, utterly defeated.

…

Su Zheng clumsily parked the car outside the villa, then helped Chen Muxue inside. After checking on his mother, he prepared to leave.

He hadn’t returned to the Chen family home; instead, he brought Chen Muxue to the villa where his mother lived.

The surroundings were tranquil, ideal for treatment.

Of course, before that, he still needed to buy the necessary medicinal herbs.

Just before heading out, Chen Muxue stopped him.

“Here.”

She handed Su Zheng a bank card.

“There’s less than ten thousand left on it. I usually keep it for emergencies. Take it—you’ll need it.” Chen Muxue, sharp and perceptive, guessed that Su Zheng might not have any money.

Su Zheng hesitated briefly, then accepted the card.

He would need these funds to purchase the herbs for her treatment.

It was nearly dark by the time he returned, carrying two large bags.

Inside were not only medicinal herbs, but also a clay pot for decoctions, clean gauze, silver needles, and other necessary items.

Immediately, Su Zheng noticed something was off with Chen Muxue.

Though her face was covered in gauze, her mood was clearly low.

Her eyes were swollen and red—she must have just been crying.

“Muxue, what’s wrong? Did something happen?” Su Zheng asked with concern, puzzled.

Chen Muxue gathered herself and told him everything her parents had said over the phone.

Her job was about to be lost, and the whole family faced expulsion from the clan in five days.

When that happened, they would surely become the laughingstock of Qingyang City. Her parents would be mocked, unable ever to hold their heads high again.

Su Zheng’s face grew cold. After pondering for a moment, he said, “Muxue, don’t worry. We still have five days. Once I’ve healed your injuries, I’ll visit Hongxin’s headquarters and try to collect the payment.”

“You… Oh! Don’t talk big! If collecting from Hongxin were easy, would it have dragged on for two years? Clearly, Grandma is determined to drive us out. Who knows if my parents can withstand such a blow!” Chen Muxue glared at Su Zheng, her voice filled with despair and helplessness.

“Trust me, I have a way.”

“Stop it! If you keep talking like this, I’ll only look down on you more!” Chen Muxue rebuked coldly.

Su Zheng didn’t insist further. He still didn’t know the details of the Chen family’s collaboration with Hongxin, but he felt it was worth trying.

If all else failed, he could ask Old Master Li Jiangcheng for help. Surely General Manager Shen of Hongxin would give some respect to the Li family and negotiate.

Whether or not he was expelled from the Chen family meant nothing to Su Zheng, but he didn’t want to see Chen Muxue so anxious.

For his wife’s sake, he had to do this.

He owed her too much.

“Let’s not talk about it for now. I’ve bought the herbs, and I’ll treat you right away.”

Su Zheng gestured for Chen Muxue to sit, then began carefully removing the gauze from her face.

When all the gauze was off, Su Zheng’s heart ached terribly.

What had once been flawless skin was now covered in horrifying burn scars, some places still streaked with blood—a shocking sight.

From her face down to her neck, there was barely a patch left unscathed.

“Darling, you’ve suffered so much!” Su Zheng suppressed his emotions and began to use silver needles to clear the blocked meridians in her face. When he finished, he moved to the kitchen to prepare the medicinal paste.

About half an hour later, he carefully applied the paste to all her wounds, then wrapped them in fresh gauze.

“Every day, I’ll use acupuncture and then apply the medicinal paste. In three days at most, I promise you’ll be restored to how you were!” Su Zheng comforted her, his face full of confidence.