Chapter 11: The King of Green Tea
Even though it was so painful, Zhou Huaian still tried to force a kind smile on his withered face when he saw Ruan Anan.
"Cough... cough cough! An... An An is here..."
"Uncle Zhou!" An indescribable sourness suddenly rushed to Ruan Anan's nose, and her eyes turned red in an instant.
This is not just her emotion, but also the deepest attachment of the original owner to this father-like elder that remains in this body.
"My dear daughter... cough... why are you crying?" Zhou Huaian subconsciously wanted to reach out and touch her head, but when his hand was halfway raised, he suddenly retracted it, with an apologetic and self-deprecating look on his face, "Cough... Uncle's health is not good, and he is very sick. Don't... don't give it to you."
He took a breath, his cloudy eyes filled with guilt, "Yesterday was your big day...Uncle couldn't go...I'm really sorry..."
"Uncle Zhou, I'm not getting married!" Ruan Anan sat next to Zhou Huaian, her voice calm, but like throwing a stone.
She briefly recounted the farce that took place at yesterday's wedding.
"Bang!"
Before Zhou Huaian could say anything, Zhou Huaiquan was so angry that he slapped the mahogany coffee table.
"I knew it! The Xu family mother and son, as well as that pretentious Su Qingyue, are not good people! An An, just wait! Second Uncle will break their legs right now! See if they dare to bully you again!"
"Uncle, don't be impulsive!" Ruan Anan quickly grabbed Zhou Huaiquan, who was about to explode again, and said, "Please listen to what I have to say!"
She lowered her voice and solemnly reminded, "Uncle, Second Uncle, I'll take care of the Xu family. The most important thing right now is that the higher-ups are cracking down. You two have to make plans early for the assets you hold. Hide what needs to be hidden, cut off what needs to be cut off, and don't become a target!"
The two brothers looked at each other, and the anger they had just felt was instantly replaced by a heavy sense of worry.
Taking advantage of their silence, Ruan Anan calmly picked up the medical record book spread out on the low table next to her.
It was indeed pneumonia! These days, with a shortage of medical care and medicine, even ordinary pneumonia can be fatal if left untreated for too long.
No wonder in the previous life… Her heart tightened.
But luckily she is here now!
She took out the prepared pills and handed them to Zhou Huaiquan solemnly: "Second Uncle, this is a special medicine for treating pneumonia. Remember, take it after a meal, never on an empty stomach!"
He then pushed the bottle of green plum wine with added ingredients over and said, "I brewed this wine myself. It's good for Uncle Zhou's health, warming his meridians and activating his blood circulation. You two should drink a small cup of this every night before bed. One or two ounces of it is just right."
The Zhou brothers like to have a drink in the evening, which is a habit they developed from their early years working at the docks.
The night wind in Pujiang is wet and cold. If I didn't drink this little bit of wine to ward off the cold and warm my body, my whole body would ache the next day.
Since you can't quit it, let this habit become a good way to stay healthy.
Zhou Huaian's cloudy eyes swept over the pills. Without asking about their origins, he simply instructed Zhou Huaiquan in a hoarse voice, "Second Brother, bring me that...old gourd that holds tobacco, and keep the pills."
He had lived for most of his life, so he naturally smelled the coming storm.
Being punished? He is not afraid of this old man.
The only thing he couldn't let go of was the girl in front of him.
"An'an," Zhou Huaian took a deep breath, his skinny hands tightly grasping the handle of his crutch, his eyes blazing as he stared at her. "This 'severe crackdown' isn't afraid of open attacks, but it's afraid of someone stalking you from behind and accusing you of a crime they don't necessarily want! Listen to your uncle and take your marriage certificate with you—even if Xu Yancheng is dead, he's still a martyr! Go find the military district! Have them follow the rules and send you to live in the house under their name! As long as you live within the high walls of the military compound, those demons and monsters outside won't be able to touch you!"
"Yes! That's right!" Zhou Huaiquan slapped his thigh, turned around and went into the inner room.
After a series of clanging sounds of rummaging through boxes and cabinets, he came out holding a heavy, shiny old wooden box.
He stuffed it into Ruan Anan's arms with a casual movement without any reluctance.
"Girl, take this! This is the coffin book that my brother and I have saved our entire lives. The house deeds, land deeds, and bank statements are all here! We two old guys have lived a glorious life and enjoyed life. This life is worth it! Take it and live well!"
Ruan Anan held the heavy wooden box in her arms, feeling both warm and sad in her heart, as well as a bit helpless and at a loss whether to laugh or cry.
"Uncle! Second uncle!" She raised her voice with unquestionable determination, "Don't rush to make arrangements for your funeral! I have a way! I can protect myself, and I can protect you too!"
The two old men were stunned at the same time, their four eyes wide open.
"You...you have a way? What way?" Zhou Huaiquan's voice was hoarse.
Ruan Anan took a deep breath and dropped the bombshell:
"Xu Yancheng—he's not dead."
"What?!"
"Xu Yancheng is not dead?!"
Two screams almost blew the roof off.
Zhou Huaiquan's beard trembled with anger, his eyes wide as copper bells. "Not dead?! The eldest son of the Xu family is not dead?! Then why the hell did they ask you to marry the second son?! How glorious and respectable is it to be an officer's wife? What's the point of that wimpy workshop director Xu Yanli?"
This may sound rough, but the logic is sound.
Even the usually steady Zhou Huaian couldn't help but nod heavily, his crutch pausing on the ground.
The Zhou brothers were notoriously sharp in judging people. If they had approved of Xu Yancheng back then, that man must have been quite good.
But now, Ruan Anan has no time to think about these romantic matters.
The core purpose of her trip was to show the Zhou brothers a way out.
"Uncle, Second Uncle," she leaned forward, lowering her voice with a desperate determination, "If I ask you to voluntarily hand over part of our family property, would you two... be willing?"
Zhou Huaian: “???”
Zhou Huaiquan: “!!!”
Zhou Huaiquan was the first to jump up, shaking his head like a rattle: "No! Absolutely not! We are both old and poor, why did we save up this little fortune? It's all for you! If we hand it all over, you will starve in the future!"
Zhou Huaian glared at his brother. Although he was equally shocked, he managed to keep his composure. "What's the rush? Let An An finish what he's saying!"
Ruan Anan immediately explained her overall plan in detail.
Hand over some of your floating assets and real estate, especially those that are too conspicuous and easy to be used as leverage.
This shows your attitude and takes the initiative to move closer to the organization.
Although the Zhou brothers are old, they can read and write, understand business, and have good connections.
With this "awareness" and the huge amount of assets they handed over, the organization will most likely arrange a relatively stable and idle job for them, at least to ensure their safety.
More importantly, once they were inside that system, they would be able to obtain first-hand information and no longer be vulnerable. Even if someone else wanted to do something bad, they would be able to respond in advance, or even strike back!
The Zhou brothers were silent.
In just a few minutes, the two of them had already made up their minds.
"Okay!" Zhou Huaian made the final decision, a gleam of light flashing in his cloudy old eyes, "Just do as An An says!"
Although Zhou Huaiquan looked painful, he gritted his teeth and nodded: "Listen to big brother and the girl!"
They made this decision not to prolong their lifespan.
But for Ruan Anan——
As long as they are still standing and breathing, they are An An's strongest support in this world!
For this, let alone giving up money, even life is worth it!
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