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

Su Ming was startled and sprang up from the sofa. Looking up, she saw a large mandarin fish, weighing at least eight or nine pounds, had somehow jumped out of the bucket and was now frolicking on the wooden floor, its tail slapping loudly, splashing water and scales everywhere. Mingjuan frantically bent down to grab the fish, trying to hold it with both hands, but the fish was slippery and strong. It would slip out of her arms as soon as she grabbed it, wriggling on the floor like an eel, impossible to catch.

Su Ming shouted, "Sister Ming, let me do it!" After saying that, he rushed to Ming Juan's side.

Mingjuan was now half-kneeling on the ground, finally managing to pull the fish back into her arms. Her arms were wrapped tightly around its body, her clothes soaked through with the fish's water. But the fish wouldn't give in, struggling fiercely, its tail slapping loudly, its body writhing in her arms, leaving faint red marks on her arms. Mingjuan bit her lip, beads of sweat forming on her forehead; clearly, she was engaged in a battle of overwhelming strength with the fish.

Seeing this, Su Ming quickly squatted down, reached out his hand, and called out, "Sister Ming, let me do it!" As he spoke, his hand was already on the fish, his five fingers spread, and he grasped the large, upturned fish. However, at the same time his palm touched the slippery fish scales, the back of his hand also felt a soft, yielding sensation. Through the thin yoga clothes, the back of his hand touched a soft and elastic spot.

Su Ming felt a tingling sensation, like an electric current running from the back of his hand throughout his body. His mind went blank, and he froze on the spot. Ming Juan's pretty face also turned bright red, the blush spreading from her cheeks to her ears. She subconsciously released her hand and shrank back slightly.

The two exchanged a glance, their eyes meeting, before immediately looking away. The air seemed to freeze for a moment, with only the upturned beak still hopping about on the floor between them, its tail slapping against the floor.

Su Ming blushed, quickly gripped the fish firmly, and whispered, her voice so low it was almost inaudible, "Sister Ming, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."

Mingjuan took a deep breath and quickly regained her composure. The blush on her face hadn't completely faded, but her tone had calmed down. She smiled and winked at Su Ming, her voice light as if nothing had happened: "Okay, it's alright now. Quickly put the fish back in the tank, so it doesn't jump out again. I just mopped the floor; I'll mop it again in a bit."

Su Ming finally snapped out of his daze and quickly scooped the restless mandarin fish into his hands, placing it in the fish tank. As soon as the fish entered the water, it wagged its tail and hid behind some water plants, finally calming down. Su Ming straightened up, his hands still trembling slightly, unsure whether it was from the force he had used while handling the fish or something else.

Mingjuan stood up, patted the dust off her knees, winked at him, and said with a natural tone as if she were talking about something trivial, "Come on, let's go wash our hands. They smell like fish; we can't show our faces without washing them."

After saying that, she turned and walked towards the bathroom, her bare feet light on the wooden floor. Su Ming followed behind, his heart pounding, unsure where to look.

Mingjuan entered the bathroom, turned on the faucet, and the sound of running water filled the small space. She pumped two pumps of hand soap into her palm, white foam blooming, and while rubbing her hands, she instructed Su Ming beside her, her tone serious but her voice low: "Su Ming, don't call me 'Sister Ming' anymore, you have to call me 'Cousin.' Calling me 'Sister Ming' might not be good if your brother-in-law hears it; he'll overthink it."

Su Ming stood beside her, cupped his hands in water, and nodded shyly while rubbing the bubbles in his hands. His face was still a little flushed. "I know, cousin. I didn't react right away and my words slipped, so..."

Mingjuan smiled and nodded, glancing at him with a gentle, reassuring look in her eyes. She said softly, "It's alright. Your brother-in-law is a good person. He knows about my past and your situation, so we don't need to be so formal. From now on, just treat me like your real cousin and him like your real brother-in-law. It's better for everyone this way, you understand what I mean?"

Su Ming nodded, turned off the tap, shook the water off his hands, and replied earnestly, "Okay, sis. Your husband is really good. You must treat him well from now on. A man like him deserves your kindness."

Mingjuan smiled, a sweet smile, her eyes crinkling, her tone carrying a genuine tenderness and determination: "Of course. From the moment I married him, I decided to treat him well and be good to him for the rest of my life. I'm currently trying to conceive, preparing to give him a child. He's so good to me, I have to give him a son or daughter to repay him."

Upon hearing this, Su Ming smiled, his eyes lit up, and he said excitedly, "Really? That's wonderful! I hope you get pregnant soon and give your brother-in-law a healthy baby boy. Then I'll be an uncle!"

Mingjuan smiled, turned off the tap, took a tissue to wipe her hands, and said in a relaxed tone with a hint of helplessness, "Your brother-in-law is very open-minded. He doesn't care if it's a boy or a girl, but he really wants a child. After all, he's not young anymore, and it will be too late if he doesn't have one soon."

Su Ming smiled and chimed in, his tone encouraging: "Then go for it. You're so healthy, you practice yoga every day, you'll definitely get pregnant."

Mingjuan blushed slightly, threw the tissue she had used to wipe her hands into the trash can, and lowered her voice even further, her tone tinged with embarrassment, as she explained softly, "It's a pity your brother-in-law has so many social engagements, he's always drinking with people, and he's getting older, his health isn't very good, so he can't get pregnant right away. I told him to drink less, and he agreed verbally, but then he started drinking again."

At this point, she looked up at Su Ming, her eyes filled with pleading, and softly advised, "When you have time, could you please persuade your brother-in-law to drink less? He might listen to you. I can't persuade him anymore; every time I try to talk to him too much, he complains that I'm being long-winded."

Su Ming thought for a moment, then nodded solemnly and replied, "Okay, I'll give it a try. I'll find a suitable opportunity to talk to my brother-in-law."

Mingjuan smiled, reached out and gently patted his arm, her tone filled with relief and affection: "My brother is the best. With you here, I feel much more at ease."

As they were talking, Dr. Hou came out, having changed his clothes. He was wearing a loose white T-shirt, gray loungewear, and slippers, looking much more relaxed. Seeing the two whispering to each other at the bathroom door, he chuckled and called out, his voice tinged with a hint of curious teasing, "What are you two whispering about? Are you talking badly about me?"

Su Ming didn't mince words, laughing and responding openly, his tone half-jokingly but seriously: "My sister told me she hopes you can quit drinking. She said I should persuade you, saying you have too many social engagements and your body can't handle it."