The next morning.
"Sister-in-law, I'm going to the city to see a patient," Lin Fan said.
"Go ahead, illness waits for no one, don't delay them."
Xia Xue had heard him say last night that a patient in the city had a relapse during the New Year and only came to find him after Luofeng Village's lockdown was lifted. She figured the patient's family must be in a hurry.
Besides, Secretary Tian hadn't returned yet, and although there was a car at the village committee compound, no one could drive it, so her plan to visit her parents would have to wait a few more days.
"I'll try to be back by evening. Sister-in-law, I'm leaving now."
Lin Fan was becoming increasingly skilled at lying, and Xia Xue couldn't see through his pretense.
As he was about to leave with his medicine box on his back, Xia Xue called out, "Wait, take some food. We made so much during the New Year that my sister and I can't finish it. Eat as much as you want."
Xia Xue went to the kitchen and packed some food, stuffing it into Lin Fan's medicine box.
Sensing her gentle care, Lin Fan couldn't help but turn back, grab her hands, and say excitedly, "Sister-in-law, let's get married this year!"
He vowed to himself that if his sister-in-law agreed, he would settle down and never chase other women again.
Xia Xue froze for a moment, glancing nervously towards the inner room.
Song Yue had overexerted herself with Lin Fan on New Year's Day and had been lazy lately, doing little but taking care of the child, eating, and sleeping. She shouldn't be awake yet.
"Xiao Fan, please don't say such things in the future."
"I'm not saying anything out of turn."
Lin Fan said firmly, "Once the house is built, I'll find a way to get Uncle and Aunt's approval, and we'll get married in the new house."
"You... don't rush things."
Seeing the sincerity in Lin Fan's eyes, Xia Xue couldn't bring herself to refuse him directly.
"How can I not rush!"
Lin Fan took a step forward and whispered in his sister-in-law's ear, "We agreed, we'll get married by the end of the year at the latest. Don't worry, I'll make sure no one can say anything bad about us."
Xia Xue looked at Lin Fan's profile with mixed emotions.
It seemed that all of a sudden, Lin Fan had become very eager.
"Sister-in-law, I'm leaving."
*Smack!*
Lin Fan kissed his beautiful sister-in-law's cheek. "I'll be back."
"Go ahead."
After he turned away, Xia Xue hastily wiped her face, afraid that Song Yue might notice something.
"Honestly."
Xia Xue's thoughts were in a jumble.
Lin Fan's desire to marry her brought a flicker of secret joy to her heart.
But then she thought of Song Yue in the inner room and her relationship with Lin Fan, and she felt very uncomfortable.
She couldn't just let them carry on like that in the future, could she?
Xia Xue glanced at the inner room again, and a thought suddenly struck her: "I should find a way to separate them. As long as I keep a closer eye on them in the future, they'll naturally drift apart."
But then she reconsidered. She was still living in Song Yue's house. Thinking this way now felt too ungrateful!
Xia Xue bit her lower lip, hesitating.
...
Lin Fan walked out of Wangjia Village and dialed Su Yurou's number.
"Didn't you say you were already here? Where are you?"
"I was afraid Dr. Lin might dislike me and didn't dare to enter your village. Tell me a place, and I'll be there immediately. I'm currently on the road leading to your village, near the reservoir."
"I got it. Drive this way, and I'll walk along the main road. We'll meet on the way."
Lin Fan hung up after that.
Ten minutes later.
A red sports car sped towards them.
Lin Fan waved. After Su Yurou U-turned, he got into the car.
"Xiao Fan, I told you to come home and meet my parents, not to see them as a doctor. What are you doing?"
Su Yurou knew he had used the excuse of seeing a patient to get out and deliberately teased him.
Lin Fan didn't address the topic. Instead, he suddenly remembered something and asked, "Didn't you say your parents were divorced before?"
"In this society, it's normal for couples to separate and reunite, isn't it?"
Su Yurou waved her hand, clearly unwilling to discuss the matter.
"Oh, right, didn't you say yesterday you were going to bring a gift? Where is it?"
Su Yurou asked.
Lin Fan chuckled, "You know, I charge by the second when I see patients. If I examine your whole family, isn't that a substantial gift?"
"You really know how to save trouble."
Su Yurou rolled her eyes and said, "Forget it. I wasn't expecting anything from you anyway. I'll buy something myself later, and you can say you gave it."
"No need, I actually brought a gift."
Lin Fan smiled mysteriously. "Here, take a look. What do you think?"
As he spoke, Lin Fan opened a jewelry box, revealing a glittering gold ring.
Last night, after much thought, Lin Fan felt it would be inappropriate to visit empty-handed, considering he and Su Yurou had shared a brief encounter.
Moreover, he had actually received one million yuan from selling the Lingzhi wine last time!
Otherwise, the cooperative for medicinal herb cultivation in Luofeng Village would have been just a pipe dream!
A hint of joy flashed in Su Yurou's eyes.
She didn't care about the gift itself. What mattered was that Lin Fan was thoughtful and had remembered to prepare a gift in advance.
"Who gives gold jewelry to their future mother-in-law during the New Year? You really come up with strange ideas."
Although happy, she still complained.
"Solid gold and silver are better than anything. Look, I specifically chose this. The design isn't too flashy, suitable for older people."
Lin Fan dangled the gold ring, not daring to mention that Song Yue had picked it out and found it too gaudy.
"I'm driving, don't wave that thing in my face."
Su Yurou nudged him with her elbow, feeling pleased.
"Let me tell you, when you meet my parents, speak less. Follow my lead. Answer whatever they ask you truthfully. If you don't know how to answer, I'll cover for you."
"Got it."
"I'm serious. If anything goes wrong, I'll have a hard time, and you won't have a good time either."
"I'm listening with both ears, I'm very serious."
"Anyway, if there's a mistake, I'll make you pay."
Su Yurou threatened and then focused on driving, falling silent.
The sports car drove on, gradually entering the asphalt road.
Lin Fan looked at Su Yurou's tense expression, feeling a knot of unease in his stomach.
In his life, this was his first time visiting someone's home as a son-in-law.
And it was to the home of a strong woman like Su Yurou.
"I say, why do you insist on me coming over?"
Lin Fan hesitated for a long time before finally asking.
He had witnessed Su Yurou's impeccable ability to handle matters. Not mentioning it before the New Year and then rushing to find him after the holiday must mean she was facing a very difficult problem.
Su Yurou tightened her grip on the steering wheel, her expression conflicted.
After a long moment, she said, "Forget it, it's said that family shame should not be aired, but you'll know soon enough."
She glanced at Lin Fan and continued, "My parents want me to transfer the beauty salon to my younger brother."
"What?"
Lin Fan was taken aback.
"They want me to give the beauty salon to my brother for free, without any compensation."
Su Yurou repeated this statement, clearly disagreeing with her parents' decision.
"Xiao Fan, the beauty salon is the culmination of my efforts for half my life. Only I know how much I've put into it. No one will take it away from me!"
Su Yurou's voice was filled with unparalleled determination. "Help me keep it, can you?"
"Mmm."
Lin Fan nodded vigorously.