Chapter 985: The Su Family Is Going Down

Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Gu Zi couldn’t help but think—natural disasters were bad enough, but the real catastrophe always came when human missteps followed. Chaos tended to snowball, leaving people restless and anxious.

Thankfully, this time, the issue had been caught early. Still, the thought of what might have happened if it hadn’t sent a chill down her spine. She couldn’t even imagine the public backlash Su Shen’s pig farm would have faced. The mere idea left her uneasy.@@novelbin@@

Sensing her distress, Su Shen gave her shoulder a reassuring pat and spoke in his calm, steady voice.

“Don’t worry,” he said softly. “They didn’t succeed, and this swine fever outbreak will pass soon. Everything’s going to be fine.”

His words eased her nerves. Gu Zi trusted Su Shen implicitly—if he said things would improve, they certainly would. And sure enough, within days, good news began to spread.

Reports came in that the National Institute of Biotechnology had teamed up with the Southeast Military District to develop a vaccine targeting the swine fever. Mass vaccinations were already underway.

The supply of certified safe pork began to rise in the markets. Although buying meat still required quick reflexes and luck, more households could finally get their hands on it.

Thanks to government intervention, other pig farms also resumed operations, but Su Shen’s Daqing Pig Farm remained the primary supplier.

Gu Zi was aware of all these developments, but outsiders didn’t have such detailed insight. What they did know was that the swine fever scare was gradually subsiding and that other pork producers were aggressively adopting the vaccination plan to restore supplies.

Many speculated that Su Shen’s business would inevitably take a hit.

Strangely, there had been no news about Su Shen’s farm participating in the vaccine program.

Rumors began to swirl—people claimed the farm must have been intentionally excluded by its competitors. With other farms joining the vaccination effort, Su Shen’s pigs would be viewed as unsafe.

The consensus was clear—Su Shen’s farm was finished, and its days of dominating the pork market in Guangcheng were over.

No one reveled in this gossip more than the residents of the old tenement building. They had always regarded the Su family with resentment. After all, the Sus had come from the countryside, not so different from them—yet here they were, living in a grand house and dining like royalty.

While everyone else could barely afford a scrap of meat, the Su family was still hosting barbecues for their children. Now that rumors of their downfall were spreading, the tenement residents couldn’t hide their glee.

Even the children in the tenement got in on the mockery. They listened to the adults’ chatter and then ran off to the entrance of Jifu New Village, waiting for Su Li to pass by so they could tease him.

“Pig fever’s gone, the Su family’s done! Poor little Su Li, your farm’s no fun! Time to pack up and head back to the sticks—no more BBQ for the rich kids’ clique!”

Su Li had been out gathering bean jelly grass with Gao Ming. He had discovered a patch growing just outside Jifu New Village and had excitedly told his mom about it. She promised to make them some delicious jelly desserts if they picked enough. So, with baskets in hand, Su Li and Gao Ming had set out on their mission.

They were nearly home, chatting about all the tasty treats his mom could make, when the gang of tenement kids pounced.

Su Li froze, his face burning as the chants rang out.

Gao Ming scowled and muttered, “What nonsense—they think your family’s going bankrupt? Ridiculous.”

But Su Li had already clenched his fists around the handles of his basket. His voice trembled, but he shouted back, “You’re all talking rubbish! My family’s not being shut out, and we’re definitely not going broke!”

Just then, an adult from the tenement building strolled over, calling out to gather the rowdy kids. But instead of reprimanding them, the grown-up took a jab at Su Li, too.

“Kid, you don’t understand how these things work,” the adult sneered. “If your pigs aren’t vaccinated, people could die eating your pork. And let me tell you—soon enough, there’ll be plenty of other pork on the market. Your family’s monopoly is over.”

With that parting shot, the adult herded the children away, but not before the kids turned back to make faces at Su Li and Gao Ming. The taunts stung, and even the usually cheerful boys couldn’t shake the dark clouds that hung over them.

When Su Li got home, he noticed his father’s car parked in the driveway and knew he was there. Dropping the baskets in the yard, Su Li ran inside, tears already welling up.

“Dad!” he cried, rushing to Su Shen. “Is it true? Our pigs didn’t get vaccinated? Will no one buy our pork anymore? Tell me it’s not true!”