My cousin-in-law helped me achieve my ambitions.

As for his uncle, Director Gu, things were even worse. The case had barely been closed when the disciplinary committee arrived and took him directly from the police station for investigation. Several old cases brought up by the villagers would also be investigated, meaning not only would he lose his job, but he might also face several years in prison. Of course, these were all matters for later, and Dr. Hou had no interest in them.

As they left the police station, the sun was already setting, and a fiery sunset painted the entire street orange-red. After receiving his compensation, Dr. Hou took Su Ming to a small restaurant on the street. The storefront was small, with plastic tables and chairs set up on the roadside. A large iron wok sat on the stove, and the proprietress was wielding a spatula, stir-frying rice noodles, with wisps of smoke billowing upwards. Dr. Hou ordered two servings of stir-fried rice noodles. The noodles were glistening with oil, accompanied by a few green vegetables and slices of lean meat. The two ate a few bites quickly and then hurried back.

On the way, Su Ming sat in the passenger seat, deep in thought. The scenery outside the window rushed past, but he paid no attention to it. He was trying to figure out Dr. Hou's true identity. This man had so much influence. A simple chance encounter while fishing, and a casual phone call was enough to summon the deputy director of the municipal bureau to personally lead a team. The county bureau chief treated him with utmost respect, and even Deputy Director Guo addressed him as a brother. Just who was this man? He called him "kid," yet he could casually give away a fishing set worth tens of thousands, and when it came to business, he started with a three-million-dollar entry fee. He wanted to ask, but the words caught in his throat. Some things are better left unsaid; asking would only make things worse.

Dr. Hou had finished his plate of fried rice noodles, placed his disposable chopsticks on the empty plate, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and seeing that Su Ming had also finished eating, he got up to pay the bill, took out his car keys, and was about to leave. Su Ming rubbed his stomach; he was actually only half full. After finishing a large plate of fried rice noodles, he still felt like he was missing something, and was somewhat unsatisfied. He rubbed his stomach and laughed, "I'm not full yet, brother-in-law, you're too impatient."

Dr. Hou laughed, patted him on the shoulder, and said with a hint of mystery and smugness, "Save some room in your stomach. I'll cook for you tonight and let you taste my cooking. We'll also open a couple of bottles of Moutai and have a good drink. Fried rice noodles are nothing, just something to fill your stomach."

Upon hearing about the Moutai, Su Ming's eyes lit up, and he quickly got up and followed. After they got into the car, Dr. Hou led Su Ming to the market. They strolled around, picking out some side dishes: a bunch of tender green onions, ginger, and garlic; a bag of bright red chili peppers; and two crisp cucumbers. The vegetable vendor clearly recognized him, calling out from afar, "The boss is here!" Dr. Hou smiled and responded. After selecting the vegetables, paying, and carrying the plastic bag, the two hurried home.

Back home, I opened the door to a faint lavender scent wafting through the living room. Mingjuan was practicing yoga on the mat, dressed in a pink yoga outfit. Her body was bent in a graceful arc, one foot firmly planted on the mat, the other raised high, toes pointed straight, arms outstretched. She resembled an elegant white swan. The yoga outfit clung to her body, outlining her slender waist and long legs. Sweat trickled down her neck, soaking the fabric of her shoulders. Strands of hair clung to her smooth forehead, damp with sweat, and her face glowed with the rosy hue characteristic of exercise.

Seeing her covered in sweat, Dr. Hou walked over with a pained expression. Without even changing his shoes, he put his arm around her slender waist, kissed her sweaty cheek, and said with a tone of doting affection and tenderness, "My little beauty, you're really going all out to maintain your figure. You've worked so hard. It breaks my heart to see you train like this every day."

Mingjuan stopped what she was doing, smiled, turned around, tiptoed and kissed him on the lips, replying softly, her voice as sweet as melted candy: "As long as my husband is happy. My good figure makes you proud, doesn't it?"

The two flaunted their affection in front of Su Ming, who stood at the door, unsure whether to go in or back. He could only pretend to change his shoes, his eyes involuntarily glancing in their direction. Finally, Mingjuan shyly pushed Dr. Hou away, pulling herself out of his embrace. She smoothed her sweaty hair, her cheeks slightly flushed, and whispered, her voice tinged with a shy reproach, "Su Ming's still here, aren't you being a little more considerate?"

Dr. Hou laughed heartily, slapped his forehead, turned around and winked at Su Ming: "Right, right, right, my brother-in-law is still here. I'm such an irresponsible brother-in-law."

He stood up, a smug look on his face, and walked over to Mingjuan with the bucket. He placed the bucket in front of her and laughed, "Look, I caught several big fish today. This biggest one, the mandarin fish, weighs a good eight or nine pounds. Tonight I've decided to cook it myself. I'll steam one first, and the rest we'll eat tomorrow and the day after. I'll braise one and have a sauerkraut fish. That'll be perfect."

Mingjuan glanced down into the bucket; several fish were huddled together, their tails weakly slapping the water's surface. She exclaimed "Wow!" exaggeratedly, gave him a thumbs-up, her eyes crinkling into crescents with laughter, and praised, "Honey, you're amazing! Such big mandarin fish, wild ones are hard to catch."

Dr. Hou patted his chest smugly, puffing out his chest like a schoolboy praised by his teacher, and laughed, "Of course. Who's your husband? I'm quite skilled at fishing. Alright, I'll go put the fish in the tank and keep them fresh. We'll kill and cook them tonight."

He was about to carry the bucket inside when Mingjuan took the bucket from him with a natural and efficient motion, and said with a warm smile, "Honey, let me do it. You've had a long day, fishing and driving. Go and rest for a bit and change your clothes."

Dr. Hou smiled and agreed without refusing. He handed her the bucket, turned to Su Ming and said, "Sit for a while, I'm going to change my clothes," before going into a small room.

Mingjuan, carrying a bucket of water, called out to Su Ming, "Sit down for a while. There's fruit on the coffee table. Help yourself. I'll go put the fish away."

After saying that, she swayed her slender waist and carried the bucket to the fish tank in the corner. The fish tank was floor-standing and more than a meter high. It contained several ornamental fish, and when the light shone on it, the aquatic plants were emerald green, making it quite beautiful.

Su Ming sat down on the sofa, which was made of genuine leather and so soft that he didn't want to get up once he sank in. His gaze involuntarily followed Ming Juan's back. She was wearing a pink yoga outfit, her waist was so slender that it could be encircled with one hand, and her waist swayed slightly as she walked. Her trouser legs clung tightly to her long, shapely legs, and she was barefoot on the wooden floor, her ankles slender and fair.

He couldn't help but sigh: This woman is truly lucky; she married a good husband, even better than his cousin-in-law Qiu Tong. Although his cousin-in-law was with Jiang Jian, who was very powerful, Jiang Jian didn't treat her well. Mingjuan's husband, on the other hand, drives a nice car, is capable, and dotes on her. She practices yoga every day to maintain her figure; she lives like a goddess.

Just as he was lost in thought, he suddenly heard a scream of "Ah!" coming from the fish tank, followed by muffled "plop plop" sounds.