Chapter 32: The Elderly Couple of the Su Family Seek a Favor

It was still early, and at this hour, both the Huo couple were home.

Upon hearing the Su family’s request, Mistress Huo’s expression shifted instantly. She arched her brows and let out a sharp, piercing voice, "Go to Windcloud City to fish your people out? What kind of joke is that? Do you have any idea what kind of place Windcloud City is? Even someone like me has to tread carefully and guard my own life there. Asking me to help pull people out? I don’t have that kind of capability!"

She placed her hands on her hips and scolded, "If I may speak plainly, has your eldest brother borrowed courage from the heavens? To dare enter the city alone—if he’s that capable, why doesn’t he just fly up to the sky? Enough, stop your wailing here; I cannot help with this errand! Whether they can return is entirely up to their own fate!"

The young women’s eyes grew even more desperate upon hearing this.

On the way over, Old Lady Su had reached an understanding with her husband. Gritting her teeth, she took a step forward. "Mistress Huo, let us speak in private. You are a veteran of Tubei Mountain and know far more than we do. We only came to you with such thick skin because we hoped to see if you might have any way to help. If you succeed, we will never let you risk yourself for nothing; we will certainly reward you handsomely!"

She paused, her voice choking, her eyes reddening further. "If it truly cannot be done, we dare not force you... I only hope Brother Huo and Mistress Huo will be understanding. We—we are truly at our wit's end."

Mistress Huo crossed her arms over her chest, squinting at them with a scoff. "I only let you into my home because of those dried fish you gave me yesterday. I originally thought your Su family were honest and decent folk, but I never expected you to harbor such deceit. You’re dirt poor, yet you dare speak of handsome rewards? What rewards? Dried fish? Do you think that because I gave you a little courtesy, I’m easy to fool and bully?"

Though the words were harsh, the Su family couldn't afford to care, nor did they dare to argue. In a sense, Mistress Huo wasn't wrong; their family was indeed penniless.

"Mistress Huo, we have come to you by staking the safety of our entire family. Since we are begging for help, we would never dare to deceive you with empty words." Old Man Su stepped forward and produced the item he had brought before leaving. He opened the worn cloth bag he had been carrying, revealing a corner of its contents. "This is our sincerity. If you can bring them back, not to mention these items, I would gladly offer my own life as well!"

Mistress Huo, who had just been wearing a look of disdain, felt her pupils constrict at the sight of what was in the bag. She lowered her arms from her chest. Even though Old Man Su hadn't opened the bag fully, the corner exposed was enough for her to see clearly. If she wasn't mistaken, it was a ginseng root! And one that was certainly no less than fifty years old!

She could hardly hide her astonishment. She hadn't expected the Su family, who had arrived looking like beggars, to be hiding such a treasure. First the dried fish, now ginseng... as she looked at the Su family again, her eyes held a trace of scrutiny. To be able to hide such a precious item and carry it all the way to Tubei Mountain, the Su family was clearly not as ordinary as they appeared.

What Mistress Huo didn't know was that the elderly couple was quietly observing her as well, and at that moment, they both felt a small sense of relief. Because when Mistress Huo saw the ginseng, she showed surprise, curiosity, and suspicion—but not greed.

Just that alone meant the Su family had won their gamble. Regardless of whether Mistress Huo could help, a person like her would not easily stab them in the back. She might be sharp-tongued and caustic, but she was upright.

Mistress Huo withdrew the various emotions from her eyes and stared at the old couple. "With such a fine treasure, you aren't afraid of being robbed or harmed by bringing it to someone like me with whom you have no real acquaintance?"

Old Man Su replied solemnly, "Based on that very question, I believe you are not the type of person who would do such a thing. Furthermore—" He glanced into the quiet main room, "—anyone who can cherish their husband so deeply cannot be truly bad."

Mistress Huo was silent.

*Damn it!* Her face burned.

Inside the room, there were a few light coughs, followed by a soft chuckle. A handsome, frail middle-aged man walked out slowly. "My wife is direct and speaks her mind; please forgive her bluntness, and thank you for the undeserved praise. I cannot boast that I can definitely help with your eldest son and granddaughter, but I will do my best. You should go back and wait for news."

The Su family was ecstatic, showering the man with endless gratitude. Old Man Su tried to press the ginseng into the man's hands. "Brother Huo, our family will surely keep this kindness in our hearts! If there is anything we can do, just command us!"

"Very well, please return now." The man did not refuse the ginseng. His words were accompanied by a gentle smile, and his demeanor was elegant, refined, and composed.

After the Su family left, Mistress Huo, in her haste, forgot even to close the door. She turned to the man in a rage. "Are you planning to go to Windcloud City yourself?"

The man nodded. "A-Xian, I have been home for a long time. I was just thinking of going out for a walk. Windcloud City is not far; a trip there is no trouble."

"No! I won't allow it! Don't you dare play the saint today! We don't want this ginseng; I’m going to return it to the Su family!"

"A-Xian." The man held the woman’s hand. His grip was light, but the woman felt as if she were held by a thousand-pound weight, not daring to struggle.

"I am not going to Windcloud City because I want to be a saint." The man gazed at the woman, who was uncharacteristically docile in his hands, his eyes filled with a dark, tender warmth. "You have always had a sharp tongue, offending many and befriending few. The Su family is the first to praise you in such a way. I was happy to hear it. They had the courage to trust you, and that makes me happy."

Mistress Huo lifted her eyes, staring at the handsome, noble man before her, unable to believe it. "You... you were happy?"

"Naturally, I am happy when others praise my wife."

"Wh-why?"

"Silly." The man chuckled, pinching her thin cheek. "I am leaving now; I will be back by noon at the latest."

Before he left, he handed the ginseng back to the woman. "You have taken such good care of me all these years. It has been hard on you. Keep the ginseng; you should nourish your own body as well."

Mistress Huo stood rooted to the spot, unable to regain her senses long after the man had left. The gentle, cool sensation of his pinch lingered on her cheek as if branded onto her skin.

Slowly, a crimson flush crept across her thin cheeks, deepening into a dark red.

She stuffed the ginseng into her bodice, tapped her toes, and leaped forward, vanishing in the direction of Windcloud City, disappearing from Tubei Mountain in an instant.

*Damn man, just walking off like that. Without her as his bodyguard, wasn't he afraid of getting his bones broken by the thugs and ruffians in the city?*

At the thought of this, a murderous glint flashed in the woman's eyes.

Whoever dared to lay a finger on her man, she would skin them alive!

Unaware of what was happening at the Huo residence, Su Da was dodging and weaving through the streets with Tiandan, stumbling through half the city. Finally, he stopped in front of a small shop.

Above the shop hung a sign indicating it was a seed store selling grains and crop seeds.

"Baobao! Found it! This is the place!" Su Da’s eyes lit up as he stepped into the store.