This Life, I'm Raising the Right Man

For three consecutive days, the man remained in a deep slumber.

Zhang Zhaodi fed the medicinal soup into the man’s mouth. Afterward, Jiang Jing just happened to come in to re-examine him.

”Jing’er, is he really okay?”

”Don’t worry, Mother. He suffered a severe head injury and hurt himself again this time, so the combination of new and old injuries, plus the poison in his body, needs time for recovery. Once the residual toxins are expelled, he’ll wake up.”

As soon as Jiang Jing finished speaking, Su Rende, who had been keeping his eyes closed, slowly opened them.

He suddenly sat up and vomited to the side.

”Ugh...”

A pool of dirty blood was expelled.

Zhang Zhaodi patted the man’s back and said to Jiang Jing, ”Is this the expulsion of the toxins?”

”Yes, Mother, he’s okay now.”

”That’s good.” Zhang Zhaodi let out a sigh of relief, then looked at the face in front of her and said coldly, ”Now that you’re awake, you should leave soon! You fainted at the entrance of our home, and it was my family who rescued you. My daughter gave you treatment and medicine, and I looked after you with medicinal soups. Considering everything, it probably cost about two taels of silver. There’s a money pouch on your waist; I’ll just take two taels from it to settle this.”

Su Rende stared unblinkingly at the woman before him, not even blinking.

”What are you looking at me for? Did you hear what I just said?” Zhang Zhaodi glared at Su Rende.

This man looked exactly like her late husband, but even if he looked similar, he wasn’t him. It was better to let him leave as soon as possible.

”Who are you?” Su Rende asked.

”What business is it of yours?” Zhang Zhaodi replied fiercely, ”Do you intend to linger in my house?”

”No...” Su Rende clutched his head in pain, hitting it a few times. ”It hurts... my head...”

”Jing’er, what’s happening to him?” asked Zhang Zhaodi.

”His head suffered a heavy blow, and there was still some clotted blood blocking his brain. This time when he hit it, the clotted blood dispersed, and his brain is recovering. But this process varies; it might heal in three to five days or take up to a year or more.”

”Anyway, it’s none of our business. We just had too soft a heart and brought him back.”

”Mother...” Su Yaoguang walked in quickly. ”How’s the person you rescued...”

Su Yaoguang swallowed the rest of her words.

”General Su?”

Su Rende recognized Su Yaoguang: ”It’s you, young lady.”

”You know each other?” Zhang Zhaodi asked.

”Mother, he is the National Guardian General.” Su Yaoguang said, ”Last time, when I went to him for help, he advocated for me.”

”So you are the National Guardian General.” Zhang Zhaodi said, ”Thank you for helping my daughter with that matter last time. Of course, it’s your duty. You, as the National Guardian General, are accountable if the women in your house bully ordinary folk.”

Su Yaoguang and Jiang Jing exchanged glances.

Today, Zhang Zhaodi seemed particularly irritable.

Su Rende looked at Zhang Zhaodi and said, ”I don’t know why, but you look familiar.”

Zhang Zhaodi’s heart skipped a beat: ”Maybe because I look so ordinary, many people have faces like mine. It’s just an illusion you have, General Su.”

”Does Madam dislike this general?”

”You lay here while we looked after you for three days. Do I owe you something?”

Su Rende replied awkwardly, ”The general appreciates Madam’s kindness.”

”No need, just leave early.” After Zhang Zhaodi spoke, she turned to Jiang Jing, ”Keep an eye on him and clean up here after he’s gone. Get rid of the sick energy.”

”I know, Mother.”

Su Yaoguang saw it clearly; her mother really disliked General Su. Was it because he was a military general or due to the incident last time?

After Zhang Zhaodi left, Su Rende looked at Su Yaoguang: ”Is your mother upset with me because of what happened last time?”

”Perhaps my mother has been in a bad mood lately; it’s not aimed at the general intentionally.”

”By the way, young lady, what’s your name?” Su Rende asked, ”I didn’t get a chance to ask last time.”

”I am Su Yaoguang.”

”Su? Your surname is also Su?”

”Yes!” Su Yaoguang laughed, ”But my ’Su’ is ordinary, unlike General Su’s ’Su,’ which is renowned worldwide.”

”Haha...” Su Rende was amused by her.

For some reason, he found this young lady very likable.

”By the way, General Su, how did you get into such a state?” Su Yaoguang asked.

Su Rende furrowed his brow, his eyes flashing with coldness as if he remembered something.

”I probably shouldn’t have asked, my apologies.”

”There was just some family issue, nothing major. I’ll handle it when I return,” Su Rende said. ”We must have some fate; your family rescued me unexpectedly. By the way, what is your mother’s name?”

”My mother’s surname is Zhang.” Su Yaoguang said, ”General Su, how are you feeling now? If you’re unwell, I can send someone to the General Mansion to fetch your people to come and get you. But you’ve been missing for three days; why hasn’t anyone searched for you?”

”It’s just three days, not enough time for anyone to worry. If it was longer, people would start searching everywhere.”

Sometimes, he’d spend several days in the barracks, so he often disappeared for days. Under such circumstances, people in the barracks might think he was outside on duty, while those outside would assume he was training in the camp. With information not aligned on both sides, it’s natural they didn’t realize the general was missing.

Jiang Jing whispered, ”What should we do? Mother wants General Su to leave soon.”

Su Yaoguang felt a bit awkward.

Su Rende said, ”It’s time I went back, or my people will start to worry.”

”Let me see you out then.”

”Alright.”

Su Rende left Taoyao Square, glancing at its signboard before he left.

This was the young lady’s store. When he exited earlier, the place was crowded. It seemed she had a knack for business.

Turning around, he saw Zhang Zhaodi chatting and laughing with several women. When she laughed, she was very gentle, completely different from the cold face she showed him.

Su Rende stroked his beard: ”Perhaps my bearded face is a bit intimidating?”

When Zhang Zhaodi looked up, she saw Su Rende’s departing figure.

Though she knew he wasn’t her deceased husband, seeing that face brought some melancholy.

How could there be such similar people in this world?

Actually, they weren’t that alike.

Her husband was much thinner, without such a robust build, and lacked such a commanding aura. His smile was silly, and he was awkwardly clumsy when trying to make her laugh. But still, this man managed to gather enough dowry, marrying her away from her leech-like parents, freeing her from such a family.

She was willing to remain a widow for over a decade, not just because she had a daughter to consider, but also because she cherished his goodness too much to look at any other man.