It was very lively when the whole family got together.

  “Wow! How beautiful!”


  This was Du Mingyang’s first time meeting Su Xiaoxue. It was a shocking feeling. Of course, he had heard Wang Ru mention Su Xiaoxue’s identity, which made it even more amazing. This was especially so for someone like him, who worked in the government. Her status was very high, and she was extremely precious. She had become his brother-in-law’s future wife, which was unimaginable.

  He wondered what abilities his brother-in-law had to be able to win the favor of this kind of descendant of a noble family. It also seemed that the girl was the one who had chased him.

  “Shall we play cards?” After supper, Du Mingyang suggested playing poker.

  “Sure.”


  Zhang Xiuying did not participate. The other five family members fought to protect the emperor.

  During the first round, Su Xiaoxue was the emperor and Wang Yao was the protector. They won very smoothly. In the second round, Wang Yao was the emperor and Su Xiaoxue was the protector. They won again. In the third round, it was still the two of them.

  “No way, you guys are bonded by heart,” Du Mingyang said in surprise.

  “It’s a coincidence, just a coincidence,” Wang Yao said with a smile.

  To be honest, he also thought it was too much of a coincidence.

  “I don’t believe it. Let’s play again!”


  “Ha-ha, I am the emperor,” Du Mingyang said. “Who is the protector?”


  “I am, I am,” Wang Ru happily said.

  During this round, the couple was a group, but they lost.

  “What is this situation? I lost four times in a row!” Du Mingyang subconsciously reached for his pocket to get a cigarette. He suddenly found that his neck was a little cold. He looked up and saw that Wang Ru was staring at him.

  “It is just a habit. Ha-ha.” He scratched his head with a smile.

  Ever since he found out that his wife was pregnant, he did not smoke a single cigarette at home. He chewed gum when he couldn’t bear it. At most, he would only smoke one or two when he was out with his buddies drinking. Even then, he had to stand outside and let the wind blow at him. He could only go home after he was sure he didn’t smell. He was worried the smell would bother Wang Ru. It could be said that he was a very responsible husband who loved his wife.

  “Again,” Wang Ru said. She also felt that this evening’s game was a little suspicious.

  “Alright, let’s go again.” Wang Yao was quite nonchalant and did not care much. Xiaoxue, who was sitting beside him, was full of smiles. She was a little embarrassed. She had already won four games in a row. She didn’t know why her luck was so good. She was not usually very good at playing cards. This time, she got good cards every round. They were unbelievably good cards, and she was grouped with Wang Yao in each round. She felt very happy. She smoothly played her cards and won. It was that simple.

  For this round, Su Xiaoxue was the emperor and Wang Yao was the protector. They won again, simply and quickly, without any obstacles.

  “Oh my god!” Du Mingyang was speechless.

  He wanted to win a round, but he was helpless and could not do anything about it. The top cards in the deck were the two aces. How could he win that? Even if his poker skills were good, he had to have at least a decent set of cards.

  “Again!”


  He had a certain gambler mentality now. He wanted to win a round after he lost. Of course, it was not so serious. The key was that he was too unyielding. He was always grouped with his wife and father-in-law, and he hadn’t won a single round. He felt that it was not quite right.

  They continued to play cards. After two rounds in a row, he still did not win a single time. He was completely defeated.

  He was unlucky even playing cards. Wang Yao and Su Xiaoxue were on the same team all night. They won all of the rounds.

  I can’t you stop being so bonded by your hearts and connected to each other! You’ve made me so passive!

  “Alright, let’s end it here. It’s getting late and Xiao Ru needs to rest,” Zhang Xiuying said.

  “Oh, yes.” Du Mingyang immediately concurred.

  Nothing was as important as his pregnant wife. Every night, she would soak her feet in warm water before going to bed at about 9 p.m. Du Mingyang would come back to accompany her before that time no matter how busy he was. Since Wang Ru had become pregnant, he had stopped drinking or eating out.

  Lying in bed, Wang Ru was still wondering about the events of the evening. I am unlucky tonight. Xiao Yao and Xiaoxue were always together, and they never lost a single round!

  “Maybe they are bonded by the heart?” Du Mingyang asked.

  “Do you mean we are not bonded by the heart?” Wang Ru asked.

  “No, we just weren’t always on a team together. Of course, we are bonded by the heart,” Du Mingyang hurriedly said.

  “Why didn’t we win even once?”


  “My cards were not good,” Du Mingyang said. “Yours were fine since you had a king every round. I got an ace a few rounds, but how could I win like that? It was equivalent to me holding a broadsword in my hand while you guys held AK47s. It would be strange if I won.”


  “Besides, didn’t you notice that as long as it was Xiaoxue playing, the old man would throw his away?”


  “Huh? I didn’t pay attention to that,” Wang Ru said.

  “Alright, don’t think so much. Go to sleep. Playing cards is just for fun.”


  “Can you be happy after losing all night?”


  “Blame me. It’s all my fault. Let’s go to sleep.”


  The house was very quiet. The entire family slept peacefully.

  The next morning, Zhang Xiuying got up very early. She had to prepare breakfast for the entire family. Wang Yao also got up very early. He went to help his mother. Su Xiaoxue got up almost at the same time. She also came to the kitchen to help.

  “I don’t need your help, Xiaoxue. Why don’t you go back to sleep for a while?”


  “There’s no need, Auntie. I am already awake.”


  The busy noises of jingly and banging began the day.

  It was finally opening day for the Nanshan Pharmaceutical Company.

  It was an auspicious day and time.

  For the first time, Wang Yao wore a suit. He looked neat and tidy. Su Xiaoxue was beautifully dressed.

  Zheng Weijun had prepared everything. His eyes brightened when he saw the two of them, especially Su Xiaoxue. What a beautiful woman! When he heard Wang Yao’s introduction, he almost instantly guessed the woman’s origins.

  She was part of the Su family from Jing.

  It happened that he knew something about Jing.

  “Welcome, welcome.”


  “Thank you.”


  Wang Yao led Su Xiaoxue into the factory. He strolled around and saw the busy workers in overalls.

  Outside, the main leaders of the county and city had arrived.

  At a predetermined time, the ribbon cutting, opening ceremony, firecrackers, and dragon and lion dancing commenced. It was very lively.

  Both the county and city had attached great importance to this enterprise. Haiqu was a four-tiered city. It was a newer city with a thin foundation and small area. There were no large enterprises or high-tech companies there. The only advantage was the seaport. Yet, positive business indicators each year were poor. The city was the lowest in the province.

  The governor hoped that the city he was managing could make some progress and have something to show off. This was the first pharmaceutical company in Haiqu. It sounded inconceivable that there was no pharmaceutical company in a city that size. For Nanshan Pharmaceutical Company, both the county and the city had made it clear that they would offer preferential policies.

  The ceremony was grand. Everyone was happy.

  However, Wang Yao was not quite happy. He had found a medicine in the warehouse that did not meet the requirements.

  Licorice was a common Chinese herbal medicine and had a range of uses. It could regulate Qi, detoxify, and clear blood vessels. In the Primordial Spirit Soup, its main function was to harmonize various medicines. It replaced the magic herb. Although the effect was a little worse, it was necessary.

  This licorice had problems in terms of both shape and smell. It was not wild. It had been planted, and it contained some harmful ingredients. It was likely fertilizer hormones or other things used in the process of cultivation to increase production.

  Upon realizing that Wang Yao’s expression was not right, Su Xiaoxue asked, “What’s the matter, Sir?”


  “There’s something wrong with the medicine.” Wang Yao pointed to the licorice.

  “Is it fake?”


  “It is not fake, but it’s not wild. It’s not top-grade produce,” Wang Yao said.

  “The scent is mixed, and the color is wrong. Take a look.” Wang Yao pointed out all the wrong things with the licorice.

  “This licorice was planted,” Wang Yao said. “It is inferior produce that does not meet the requirements of the medicine. It will affect the efficacy of the medicine after use.”


  He had to talk to Zheng Weijun about this matter. He had specifically told him before that there should be no carelessness in the medicinal materials. They had to follow his requirements. There should be no pollution in the wild medicinal materials. Planting was fine. Some medicinal materials were planted in the deep mountains and old forests, but they were not dug out until the age limit. That was to restore the growth environment to the greatest extent. The efficacy was a little worse than that of the wild ones, but these were absolutely not good.