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2024-10-29 19:42:56However, upon entering, Heidi Cooper noticed Maria Long, Stephen Cooper, and Fiona Cooper sitting at the dining table, staring at each other. The atmosphere felt a bit off.
"Um, what's going on? Why isn't anyone talking? Where's brother-in-law?" Heidi sat down cautiously, sensing the unusual atmosphere.
"What brother-in-law are you talking about?" Maria Long asked with a displeased expression.
"What? Joseph Wilson, my brother-in-law," Heidi was momentarily confused.
"He's not your brother-in-law anymore," Maria Long said with disdain.
"What? How is he not my brother-in-law anymore?" Heidi was completely baffled.
"I divorced him. He's already left," Fiona said coldly.
"What? Divorced?"
"Sis, are you crazy? Why did you drive him away? What did he do to offend you?" Heidi was perplexed.
"He and I are from two different worlds. I, Fiona Cooper, look down on men like him," Fiona said with indifference.
"No, I don't know how he falls short. He's always been diligent, honest, and humble."
"You don't want to marry that Charles Martin, do you? Sis, you've gone mad. Charles Martin is not a good person," Heidi said, utterly bewildered.
"I never said I wanted to marry anyone. Eat your food," Fiona said emotionlessly, poking at her rice bowl.
"Calling him brother-in-law all day long, what's so good about that loser? Eat your food. Do you need to manage your sister's affairs? Why do you care so much about that Joseph?" Maria Long said irritably.
"Enough, let's all eat. Stop discussing that outsider," Stephen Cooper finally spoke.
"You..." Heidi was momentarily speechless.
"Enough, stop talking. Just eat!" Maria Long gave Heidi a turkey leg, trying to shut her up.
Heidi had nothing to say. She instinctively took a bite, but as soon as the food entered her mouth, she spat it out with a disgusted expression.
"Pfft... Pfft! What the hell is this? Why is the food so awful today? What's going on?" Heidi looked miserable.
"Awful? How is it awful? Your mom was busy today, so your dad cooked. Just make do with it!" Maria Long glared at Heidi.
"Mom, you have no self-awareness about your culinary skills. Your cooking is even worse than Dad's. I'm not eating. This life is unbearable. I'll go eat instant noodles by myself." Heidi stood up and returned to her room in a huff.
"Hey, you..." Maria Long was helpless seeing this.
"Is it really that bad?" Maria Long couldn't quite believe it.
"It's a bit unpleasant," Fiona had already eaten some. Although it was bearable, the food couldn't compare to what Joseph cooked.
Maria Long also tasted a bite.
"Pfft, pfft..." As soon as the food entered her mouth, she spat it out.
Stephen Cooper watched this scene with an innocent expression. His cooking skills were poor, but Maria Long's were even worse. Fiona took after her mother, with a similar level of skill.
"Stephen Cooper, what are you doing? You can't even cook a few dishes properly. Is salt free?" Maria Long exploded in anger.
"You've all gotten used to that loser's cooking. Besides, as a grown man, I can't spend all day studying how to cook, right?" Stephen Cooper said, a bit exasperated.
"I'm full. I'll go back to my room first," Fiona stood up and left for her room.
Maria Long and Stephen Cooper sat at the table, both in a bad mood.
"We can't go without eating in the future. Let's hire a housekeeper," after a long while, Maria Long finally spoke.
"That's the only way," Stephen Cooper also had a sullen expression, looking at the table full of dishes, feeling quite helpless.
Heidi returned to her room, still full of resentment.
"What's the big deal? Who does she think she is? She really considers herself a goddess? You're so high and mighty, you're so great, no man in this world is worthy of you," Heidi tossed her things on the bed, grumbling incessantly.
After taking off her outer clothes, she lay directly on the bed and took out her phone. She found Joseph's phone number and called him right away.
"Sorry, the number you have dialed is currently switched off. Please try again later," the voice prompt indicating the phone was off came from the other end.
"What's going on? Why is it switched off?" Heidi tried calling several more times, but the message remained the same.
Left with no choice, she could only send messages.
"Brother-in-law, where did you go? Why is your phone switched off?"
"Brother-in-law, what's wrong? Are you okay? Reply to me when you see the message!"
"Brother-in-law, you're not thinking of doing something stupid like committing suicide, are you? Don't do anything foolish. If you need any help, just tell me..."
"Brother-in-law, can you at least reply? You're making me really worried about you..."
"Brother-in-law?"
"..."
Heidi sent many messages in a row. She lost count of how many she had sent.
Previously, Joseph's phone was always accessible 24/7, and he would reply to messages instantly. He never disappeared like this and was basically available whenever needed, always responding to everything.
After sending numerous messages, she finally stopped.
Perhaps brother-in-law was heartbroken and didn't want to see anyone from the Cooper family anymore. It made sense. All these years, this family had always treated him as an outsider.
Thinking this way, Heidi stood up, took her cup, and went out to get some water.
"Joseph Wilson? Joseph Wilson? Get me a glass of water. Also, I'm going to wash my feet. Prepare the foot bath water for me," at this moment, Fiona's voice came from her room. Hearing these words, Heidi was a bit exasperated.
"Joseph, are you deaf or dead? Can't you hear me talking?" When there was no response, Fiona stormed out of the room.
"Sis, are you crazy? What Joseph? Didn't you drive Joseph away?"
"From now on, get your own foot bath water. Or see if Charles Martin, whom you'll marry in the future, is willing to get foot bath water for you," Heidi shook her head and sighed.
Hearing these words, Fiona remembered that Joseph had left and felt awkward.
"I... forgot," Fiona opened her mouth, but in the end, only uttered this sentence.
"He's a man, after all. Don't keep ordering him around. People have dignity. Serving you all day and getting scolded. He must feel liberated now. You're on your own!" Heidi took a sip of water and slowly walked back to her room.
Hearing Heidi's words, Fiona rubbed her forehead.
"Am I going crazy? Joseph is gone. Why am I calling for him? What an exhausting day," Fiona sighed, shook her head, and also returned to her room.
Back in the room, Fiona sat down and wearily slumped over the table.
A few minutes later, she took out her phone and stared at it, lost in thought.
"Did I... go too far?" After a long while, Fiona murmured this sentence.
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“You’ll get used to it. I don’t reply to them anyway. You can just ignore or decline them if you want.” Joseph sighed and smiled helplessly. “Let me read some of their messages to you.” “‘Darling, are you free tonight? Can I treat you to dinner?’” “Listen to that—‘darling’? Even I haven’t called you that! How shameless! I’m blocking her.” Alice’s outrage was palpable as she quickly took action. “And this one—I already rejected her at noon, and she’s trying again.” “Her message is still about inviting you to her house to ‘fix her plumbing.’ Seriously? This is too much. I’m not just rejecting her; I’m going to teach her a lesson.” “‘If your pipes are clogged, call a plumber. Mr. Wilson doesn’t fix plumbing!’” Alice muttered indignantly as she typed. “Do whatever you want.” Joseph could only smile wryly—he was overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of his former classmates. “And this one—oh my God, this is even more absurd! Joseph, listen to this!” “‘Mr. Wilson, my mom saw your photo
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Once inside, Heidi finally let out a sigh of relief. Everything she had done felt sneaky, almost like she was committing a crime. If her sister didn’t harbor such a deep grudge against Joseph, she wouldn’t have to go through all this trouble. Or rather, it wasn’t just Fiona Cooper who resented Joseph. Her parents, and even most of the family, looked down on him. Given the circumstances, Heidi felt she had no choice but to act discreetly. "Miss, are you settled? We’re about to leave," the driver, an old and reliable servant of the Cooper family, asked. Heidi was familiar with him. "All set, Uncle Alvarez," Heidi replied casually. "Very well, Miss," Uncle Alvarez said as he started the car and drove off. Heidi pulled out her phone and found Joseph’s number. She wanted to call him but quickly realized it wasn’t the best idea. After all, Uncle Alvarez worked for the family. Who knew if he would spread the word about her call? After hesitating for a moment, Heidi decided against maki
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As the two chatted, they arrived at the place where the Cooper family patriarch was being cared for. The facility was staffed around the clock, with doctors visiting every two days to monitor his condition. The room was brightly lit, its warm glow illuminating the patriarch’s peaceful face. "Grandma, how has Grandpa been lately? What do the doctors say?" Heidi asked as she approached the bedside, her gaze resting on the elderly man lying there. The patriarch appeared healthy, his complexion rosy and his expression calm. It was hard to believe that someone who looked so serene had been in a coma for so long. "The doctors say the same thing they always do—his vital signs are stable, but he still hasn’t woken up," the matriarch replied. Heidi reached out and gently took her grandfather’s hand, examining it closely. When her eyes fell on his fingernails, her expression subtly changed. Just as Joseph had described, her grandfather’s fingernails showed signs of purpling. All five nail
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"My brother-in-law’s cooking is absolutely top-notch. I don’t think there’s another man in the world who can match his skills in the kitchen. I could eat his food for the rest of my life and never get tired of it. But now… who knows if I’ll ever get the chance to taste his cooking again," Heidi said, a hint of melancholy creeping into her voice. "It’s clear you were closer to him," the matriarch said, her words carrying a deeper meaning. "Of course. My sister might be able to watch him starve on the streets, but I can’t do something like that. The night he left, I transferred some money to him. While he was living with us, he barely made any money from odd jobs during the day. My mom didn’t even give him grocery money most of the time. Can you believe that?" Heidi’s voice grew angrier as she spoke. "You did the right thing. No matter what, he was once family. If there’s a chance to help him in the future, you should. Your grandfather once told me that Joseph Wilson is an orphan. He
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"I may be old, but I’m not so frail that I’ll topple over at the slightest bump. Heidi’s coming over today, and she said she wanted my mapo tofu. That girl was so close to me when she was little, and her favorite dish has always been my tofu," the matriarch said fondly, sitting down after setting the plate in place. "When she was young, Heidi loved clinging to me. Her sister, though, was always closer to the old master. The old master used to say Fiona was gifted, sharp, and destined for great things. I said Heidi was mischievous, but she knew how to charm people. She’d find a good man someday and live a happy life," the matriarch said, her voice tinged with nostalgia. "Grandma, I’m here! I bought you something from the store, so I’m a little late. Look, do you like it?" Heidi’s voice rang out as she breezed into the room, her arms laden with gifts. She placed them down and shoved them into the matriarch’s hands. "You silly girl, why bring gifts? We have everything we need here!" t
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"Of course! If you like this look, Joseph, I can dress like this every day," Alice said, her cheeks tinged with a rosy blush. "That would be too exhausting. Just wear whatever you like. No matter what you wear, I’ll like it," Joseph replied, laughing softly. This girl’s thought process was truly one of a kind. "Really? Do you mean you’ll like anything I wear?" Alice blinked her bright eyes at him, her curiosity piqued. "Of course. I like you as a person, not just your clothes," Joseph said with a calm smile. "Wow, really? You actually like me? Is it the kind of ‘like’ I think it is?" Alice exclaimed, covering her flushed face with her hands. For a moment, she felt so shy she wanted to bury herself in the seat. What did Joseph mean by that? Was he confessing to her? Should she say yes right away? Or should she play hard to get, pretend to be reserved, and then agree? Her heart raced wildly, her thoughts spiraling out of control. "If I didn’t like you, would that mean I disliked y
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"So, when Professor Baker said ‘introduce,’ he didn’t just mean a casual introduction—he meant setting up a date," Joseph realized immediately. When Felix Baker had mentioned introducing his student, Mason Alvarez, to him in the office earlier, Joseph had assumed it was a simple professional meeting. Now, thanks to Leonard Sanchez’s clarification, he understood Baker had been playing matchmaker. "What, he mentioned it to you already?" Leonard Sanchez asked, a little surprised. "He did, but I didn’t catch his meaning at the time. Professor Sanchez, this really isn’t appropriate. Come on, I’m technically divorced. Professor Baker’s student wouldn’t want anything to do with me!" Joseph replied with a bitter smile. "Ah, nonsense! I don’t think so at all. With your talents and knowledge, Professor Wilson, just look at the female students in the school—they’re all smitten with you. Even if they knew you’d been married before, their interest in you wouldn’t wane," Leonard Sanchez said dis
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The problem that had troubled her for so long had been resolved in just a few sentences by the man she had always looked down upon. The irony of it all weighed on her. She had never imagined Joseph to be such a capable individual. At least in the realm of teaching, he could stand on equal footing with Leonard Sanchez. Even Leonard sought his assistance, which spoke volumes about Joseph’s brilliance in Sanchez’s eyes. "Professor Wilson, you truly are a master of inspiration. It only took a few words to open up new possibilities for us. Remarkable, truly remarkable! Mr. Harris is incredibly fortunate to have you on board. These days, I see him smiling while walking, smiling while eating, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he smiles in his sleep!" Leonard Sanchez exclaimed as he rose, his excitement palpable. Joseph had resolved one of Sanchez’s concerns today, leaving him feeling thoroughly at ease. The three directions Joseph proposed were not only practical but also highly promising. If
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Fiona blinked, momentarily caught off guard by the question. "My research focuses on herbal pharmacology, so I’ve primarily studied Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing. As for Su Wen and Ling Shu, I’ve only read Huangdi Neijing Taisu, particularly the Su Wen section, but I haven’t delved deeply into it," she answered. "Ling Shu primarily discusses acupuncture, Nan Jing covers physiological and pathological conditions, and Shang Han Za Bing Lun focuses on the treatment of various internal and external diseases, along with prescriptions. Other than Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing, these texts don’t seem to be directly related to my research topic, do they?" she asked, though her voice grew less certain as she spoke. "Huangdi Neijing Taisu is essentially an annotated version of Huangdi Neijing, which inevitably includes the author’s personal interpretations. I’d recommend reading the original text instead—you’ll gain far more insight that way," Joseph said, correcting her gently before continuing. "Additi
