Chapter 267: Leaving the Gu Family in a Jeep
Su He glanced at Old Master Gu’s empty liquor cup and finally relaxed—she’d managed to win over this stubborn old man.
She had thought it would take several visits, but unexpectedly, it was done in one.
In truth, Su He was a rather cold person. Whether it was the Su family or the Gu family, she treated them as forces to cultivate.
So when dealing with them, she had plenty of patience.
With the Su family, her approach was simple: be obedient and don’t drag her down.
With the Gu family, her approach was to maximize benefits.
The Gu family was connected to several industries and departments. If used properly, they would be extremely helpful to her career.
Moreover, with the Gu family backing her, she would have a stronger advantage against the Shen family.
That said, she never placed her hopes on others. The Gu family would only ever be one of many cards in her hand.
Of course, her interest in Gu Chiyan had nothing to do with the Gu family—bringing the Gu family into her fold was just a convenient bonus.
Since Old Master Gu had softened his stance, the atmosphere at the table became noticeably lighter.
Of course, no one spoke.
Su He didn’t bother provoking him further and quietly finished her meal.
After eating, Old Master Gu went to the courtyard for tea as usual. Su He trotted after him.
To capture a bandit, you first capture the king—if she wanted to make use of the Gu family’s resources, she had to win over this old man.
“Grandpa, I know a bit about tea ceremony. Shall I show you?”
He gave a simple “mm.”
He had assumed she was just showing off and didn’t actually know anything.
But as she moved, her actions flowed smoothly and naturally. She even discussed The Classic of Tea, casually referencing famous teas and anecdotes…
Old Master Gu sighed inwardly. No wonder that brat Chiyan had been hooked—this girl really had some skills!
Still, ever stubborn, he managed to find a “fault.”
“You’re too frail. Health is the foundation of everything—you need to exercise more! Not to mention anything else, many women at the garrison can run three kilometers. Can you?”
Su He shook her head. “I can’t! I get out of breath after just 500 meters!
Mainly because my family conditions aren’t great—I don’t eat that well, and I’m busy with work, so I just don’t put on weight. Do you have any nutritional supplements to give me?”
Old Master Gu: …Shameless!
Su He then suggested playing Chinese chess with him.
Old Master Gu immediately perked up.
You’re asking for it, little girl—let’s see how you fare!
In the end, after a long game, it was a draw.
Naturally, he wasn’t satisfied. “Again!”
They played round after round, wins and losses on both sides, never far apart.
Which only made Old Master Gu more unwilling to admit defeat—he kept thinking he’d only lost because of a small mistake.
One game turned into another, and before they knew it, it was time for dinner.
He couldn’t very well chase her away now, so Su He smoothly secured herself a second meal at the Gu household.
After dinner, she said her goodbyes.
Old Master Gu remained seated. “Remember what I told you—be steady in your work and conduct. Don’t get ahead of yourself.”
Su He nodded obediently. “Grandpa, I’ll remember.”
The old man didn’t even notice when she had quietly switched from “Grandpa Gu” to simply “Grandpa.”
Su He turned to the maid. “Aunt Liu, pack me a couple of those jujube pastries—and some of those fried jujube balls from dinner too. I’ll take them back.”
Liu Ahua: “…Yes.”
Old Master Gu rolled his eyes.
For someone his age, that was quite an energetic gesture.
“Can you be a bit more reserved?”
Su He grinned. “Grandpa, we’re family—what’s there to be embarrassed about? Oh right, didn’t you say you’d give me some nutritional supplements? And some gifts for my family—where are they?”
Old Master Gu: “……”
I never said that!
But then he thought—since he’d already accepted her, what was a little more?
In the end, he had people prepare some items.
Milk powder and a jar of special nutritional paste for Su He, and for the Su family, two bottles of fine liquor, two cartons of cigarettes, and two pieces of fabric.
Su He was quite satisfied.
No matter how the process went, the result was good.
If she could “shear wool” this successfully on the first visit, it would only get easier in the future.
So she looked at Old Master Gu—the “lead sheep”—with great reluctance. “Grandpa, I’ll be returning to An County in a couple of days. I probably won’t come back to the capital for a while. If you miss me, give me a call.
Here are the phone numbers for my various workplaces—you can reach me through any of them…”
She handed him a piece of paper.
Old Master Gu glanced at it—so many numbers, more than he had himself!
“Grandpa, I’ll also call you often and keep you updated on my work. You should take care of your health too, especially when the seasons change—make sure to stay warm…”
“Alright, enough of that. It’s getting dark—go on now!”
Though he sounded impatient, he felt a quiet warmth inside. With so many grandchildren, no one had ever shown him this kind of concern.
Gu Chiyan originally planned to ride her back, but there was no spare bicycle at home.
So Su He said, “Chiyan, let’s take the bus. We’ll have to transfer three times, and it’s inconvenient carrying things—but we shouldn’t borrow Grandpa’s jeep.”
Old Master Gu: “……”
At the time, there wasn’t much distinction between public and private use of vehicles. And since he had already stepped back from active duty, occasional personal use wasn’t a big issue.
But he was very principled—despite having many children in the family, he had never used the jeep to take them to school.
He was just about to refuse and give Su He a lecture when she said:
“Grandpa, I’m one of the developers of the simple seeding machine—I’m a contributor to the country! Isn’t it reasonable for you to give me a ride?
This is called respecting talent! Protecting a national treasure!”
Old Master Gu: “…Little Zhao, take them.”
Su He sat in the jeep, rolled down the window, and waved goodbye.
Old Master Gu said sternly, “After you go back, focus on your work. And remember to exercise—don’t get out of breath after just 500 meters.”
Su He nodded. “Mm, I understand.”
The Gu family watched the jeep drive away, their feelings complicated.
They had expected the girl Chiyan brought home to be dealt a heavy blow—maybe even leave in tears.
Instead, she got two meals, took away a pile of things, and was even sent off in the family jeep.
Gu Wenfang looked especially aggrieved.
Father, this is nothing like what you said yesterday!
You changed far too quickly!
After a while, the eldest son, Gu Wenlian, and his wife returned.
As soon as he entered, he asked, “Dad, Chiyan’s girlfriend left? How is she?”
Old Master Gu clicked his tongue. “So-so. Let them continue for now.”
Gu Wenlian smiled. “Then she must be quite good, otherwise you wouldn’t have relented.
Speaking of which, a couple of days ago at the garrison, I met a girl promoting instant noodles—she was impressive too.
Bai Dongliang offended her by talking nonsense, so she challenged him to a 10,000-meter run—and she won…”
Old Master Gu gritted his teeth. “Was that girl named Su He?”
Gu Wenlian looked surprised. “Yes—how did you know?”
Old Master Gu ignored him, because he was about to explode!
Gets out of breath after 500 meters?
And yet you run 10,000 meters with someone?!
My milk powder! My nutritional paste!
All scammed away by that sly girl!
