Chapter 84: Su He’s Self-Reflection
Qin Yan thought to herself, Professor Qu, aren’t you throwing Su He under the bus here?!
You’re praising her while stepping on everyone else—of course people will resent her for it.
At that moment, Su He chuckled and said, “Professor Qu, you know the saying, ‘wild punches can beat a master’? I don’t know the first thing about breeding crops—I just got lucky, like a blind cat catching a dead mouse! Crop breeding is about science, and it should be left to professionals like you.”
“Please don’t keep putting me on a pedestal. If you keep praising me like that, I’ll have to crawl into a crack in the ground out of embarrassment!”
Everyone laughed at her self-deprecating humor.
Although Professor Qu was known for being blunt and brash, he finally realized he might’ve gone overboard. With a laugh, he said, “Us professionals really ought to listen to suggestions from outsiders sometimes. What’s that saying again? Right—‘You can’t see the true face of Mount Lu because you’re standing on it.’ Come visit often—treat this place like your own home.”
Su He happily agreed. She definitely planned to visit regularly—after all, she still needed to find a way to legitimize the high-quality soybean seeds she bought from the exchange.
Although she wanted to head straight to Qiping Commune with the letter of understanding, she had missed the minibus and would have to go the next day.
So, she returned directly to her bungalow.
As soon as she entered the courtyard, she called out over the wall, “Old man! Are you home?”
Old Man Ge came out of his house, annoyed. “What are you yelling about? What is it now?”
Su He hopped over the wall with a cheeky grin. “Old man, my grandma’s legs have been acting up. At first, it was just pain, but now she can’t even walk. You’re basically the reincarnation of Hua Tuo and Bian Que. Can’t you help take a look?”
Old Man Ge’s face remained stern. “I don’t treat people anymore. And besides, from what you’ve said, I wouldn’t be able to help even if I did. You’d better find someone else.”
Su He had assumed it would go smoothly, but the old man flatly refused.
Only then did she realize she’d oversimplified things.
Old Man Ge had been living under the radar for years, and Su Yongshi’s family had never mentioned him treating anyone. Clearly, there was a backstory.
It made sense—this was 1975. The political climate was still unstable. A single misstep could bring trouble.
Su He suddenly sobered. Lately, everything had been going so smoothly, and perhaps because she was a transmigrator, she’d started to feel a bit superior—forgetting the harsh realities of the time.
She silently vowed to be more cautious going forward. Carelessness could hurt not only herself but others too.
After this self-check, Su He smiled and said, “Old man, I was just joking earlier! It’s scary living in this bungalow all by myself. I’m thinking of bringing my grandma over to keep me company. What do you think?”
Old Man Ge glanced at her, then grunted, “It’s your house. Do what you want—why are you asking me?”
Su He knew this meant he had tacitly agreed and let out a sigh of relief.
Once her grandma was with her, she could take her to a hospital for some basic treatment and then quietly ask the old man to help with ongoing care. That way, no one would suspect anything.
She also told him about her uncle Zhao and proudly showed off the letter of understanding.
“You really go all out for your family. But I wonder—will they even appreciate it?”
Old Man Ge’s tone was tinged with sourness.
Su He grinned. “I just want to do what I know is right. Besides, I’m not some bleeding-heart pushover. If I help them and they stab me in the back, I won’t go easy on them.”
And she truly meant it. She wasn’t some saint. If someone crossed her bottom line, blood relation or not, they could get lost.
Old Man Ge nodded in approval. This girl was young, but she had her head on straight.
If only I had a granddaughter like her, he thought. I’d be smiling in my dreams.
That thought sparked something in him. He had no family—when he died, there’d be no one to even burn paper money for him.
What if I adopted this girl as my granddaughter…?
Su He noticed the old man spacing out. “Old man, are you okay?”
He blinked and said, “Kid, you said your grandma’s legs aren’t working well. What happens when you’re not home during the day? I’d like to help, but since we’re not related, and with the whole male-female thing, it might not be appropriate…”
Not related? Well, then let’s become relatives!
Come on, say you want me as your grandpa!
Old Man Ge thought he was a genius. Who else could come up with such a smooth excuse?
But Su He nodded seriously. “You’re right, old man. In that case, I’ll bring my other grandma over too. That way, the two old ladies can keep each other company.”
She also wanted Old Man Ge to take a look at Old Madam Su—maybe they could prevent the stroke that had happened in the original book.
Old Man Ge: “……”
All that excitement, and now—crushing disappointment.
He stopped talking to her altogether and stormed back into his house.
Su He: “……”
What did I say wrong?!
Old men, huh? Mysterious creatures, like needles lost in the sea.
She didn’t take it too seriously, though. Old Man Ge was often grumpy—he’d come around soon enough.
She shouted toward the house, “Old man, I’m going to Grandma’s place tomorrow. I’ll be back after I get things sorted.”
No response.
He was still sulking.
Not to brag, Old Man Ge thought, but if word got out that Zhuge Hongqiang wanted a granddaughter, people would line up from here to the provincial capital!
But now I have to wrack my brain to trick this little girl into asking me first.
Why didn’t he just say it outright? One word: pride.
If he asked directly, she might think he was begging for it. Then she’d get arrogant, maybe even smug.
Meanwhile, Su He had no idea what was going through the old man’s head. She went home and remembered she hadn’t finished her submissions to Huaxia Daily and Seeking Answers Bulletin, so she took them out of her drawer and got back to writing.
She made sure to avoid any politically sensitive content—no need to invite trouble.
After copying everything neatly, she hurried off to the post office.
Then she made her way to Su Yongshi’s house.
Cao Hongmei was making dinner. When she saw Su He walk in, she asked quickly, “Little Su, how did it go? Is your uncle out?”
Su He gave a brief summary, and Cao Hongmei instantly showered her with flattery.
Su Jinbao had just returned from school and immediately picked up where his mother left off, practically calling Su He a fairy descended from heaven!
Tie Zhu, true to form, stayed quiet. But his eyes sparkled when he looked at Su He—the same look as Su Jinbao’s.
A look full of admiration and trust.
Big Sister Little Su: fearless and unstoppable!
