Whether Chen Pingjiang looked handsome when he threw his money around was hard to say, but Zhang Yang and Shi Xingmei were thoroughly dazed.
Having drunk until they were pleasantly tipsy, Chen Pingjiang stood up to take his leave, and Zhang Xinyue walked him out.
Looking at the leftovers on the dining table, Zhang Yang's face glowed red. He let out a comfortable burp, rubbed his belly, smacking his lips, and after a short while, he actually burst into laughter.
Before long, everyone would be calling him "Factory Director Zhang."
What a comfortable feeling!
Shi Xingmei grew annoyed seeing her husband like this and rolled her eyes.
"Look at you, getting all puffed up! A few glasses of cheap booze and you forget who you are. Did you get bought off just like that? You realize this is basically selling off your daughter, don't you?"
Zhang Yang glanced sideways at his wife and sneered.
"What's the point of saying all this after he's gone? Why didn't you speak up earlier? I remember you being even more polite than me during dinner, piling food onto his plate non-stop."
Shi Xingmei sighed.
"I was out of my mind earlier too. The more I think about it now, the more it feels off. It just doesn't feel right."
"Come off it, you just want to have your cake and eat it too. As if you don't know how much your daughter likes Chen Pingjiang? If you really stood in her way, with her stubborn streak, she might actually end up staying single and childless for life. Besides, they've been together for a long time already; they're mutually devoted to each other. Isn't that great?"
Zhang Yang snorted, lighting up a cigarette. But when the lighter clicked, he caught Shi Xingmei's cold glare and quickly blew out the flame with a nervous laugh.
"So how can you call this selling our daughter? It's precisely because they're together that we get a son-in-law to show us filial piety."
"If you ask me, stop meddling so much in our daughter's life from now on. You've controlled her enough all these years—it's time to let go. They managed to stay together, and Chen Pingjiang doesn't hold a grudge against you either. Be content with that. Instead of worrying, why don't you encourage Xinyue to have a baby soon so we can finally relax?"
"And by the way, listen to Little Chen's advice. Go get some beauty treatments, enjoy afternoon tea, and take early retirement."
When Shi Xingmei heard the words "have a baby," her eyes lit up as if she had found a new goal.
She came to realize that in an era where wealth was revered above all else, having her daughter end up with the man she loved was ultimately a blessing.
......
"I thought you had gone home. I didn't expect you to follow me here so soon after I got back."
Zhang Xinyue was extremely happy today. A long-standing burden on her heart had finally been lifted, and her usual awkward, defensive demeanor seemed much softer.
Chen Pingjiang's actions today had thrilled her beyond measure.
He had stepped forward on his own initiative to face her parents and bravely protect her.
In many matters, a quick, decisive blow was needed to cut through the messy knot.
If Chen Pingjiang hadn't stepped in, the mother-daughter relationship would have broken down again, and the issue would never have been resolved.
"I told you long ago, since you're with me, I'll take responsibility for you and treat everyone fairly. Did you think I was joking? What happened in the past is in the past; let's just live well from now on."
As clever as Chen Pingjiang was, he had long understood Zhang Xinyue's inner conflict and Shi Xingmei's personality, so showing up had been the natural course of action.
"It's getting late, and I have things to do tomorrow. Should I head back now?"
"No, stay a little longer. Hold me for just five minutes."
Inside the MPV, Zhang Xinyue sat on Chen Pingjiang's lap, wrapping her arms around his neck as she soaked in the moment of peace and joy.
"It's so rare for me to have you all to myself like this. At the company, we have to pretend we don't know each other, and whenever you see me at home, Fang Yuting is usually there too."
Her voice carried a mix of soft explanation and playful grievance. In that moment, she seemed once again like the playful, innocent, and sweet girl next door who cherished small rituals.
"Hey," Chen Pingjiang patted her back and signaled, "Shift up a bit, let me adjust my position."
"Huh? What position?"
Chen Pingjiang adjusted himself quickly at his groin before shaking his head.
"You were pressing against it just now."
Zhang Xinyue giggled softly, her eyes glinting with romantic warmth.
"Is it uncomfortable for you?"
"It's alright."
In truth, it wasn't alright at all.
Inside the enclosed MPV, with a beautiful woman sitting in his lap, he was no monk—how could he not react?
Zhang Xinyue, who was sitting on Chen Pingjiang's thighs, suddenly shifted back toward his knees.
Under Chen Pingjiang's gaze, she reached out, unzipped his trousers, and reached inside to pull it out.
Blushing crimson under his gaze, Zhang Xinyue shed her trousers and lowered herself onto him.
Chen Pingjiang was momentarily startled. She had never been the proactive one before, but it seemed that resolving the burden on her heart today had freed her.
...
After a long while, the tempest subsided.
Zhang Xinyue rested against Chen Pingjiang's shoulder, her eyes hazy and her delicate lips parted as she panted softly.
Chen Pingjiang quickly rolled down the car window to get some fresh air, nearly feeling suffocated.
"Oh no, I forgot... I happen to be ovulating right now,"
Zhang Xinyue recalled as she slipped off Chen Pingjiang and straightened herself up.
"It's fine. If you get pregnant, we'll have the baby."
He was quite relaxed about it now—after all, it wouldn't be his first child anyway.
......
Early the next morning.
When Chen Pingjiang opened his eyes, he was still feeling somewhat dazed.
Mottled walls, an old poster curling at one corner, and a quilt smelling faintly of mildew made Chen Pingjiang feel for a moment as if he had returned to his high school days.
At that moment, the bedroom door opened.
Xu Fangjuan came in holding a bowl and chopsticks, slurping a mouthful of noodles.
"Hurry up and get out of bed. It's getting late, and we have to pick people up soon."
"Mom, are there any noodles left? Give me a bowl."
Chen Pingjiang rubbed his stomach. He had only drunk alcohol last night, and now he was starving.
"How can I give you noodles if you don't get up? What, Young Master, do you expect me to serve it to you in bed?" Xu Fangjuan stepped out of the bedroom, adding before she left, "Get up quickly!"
In the dead of winter, without heating or air conditioning, getting out of bed required real courage.
Especially since Chen Pingjiang was used to climate-controlled environments everywhere—from company to car to home—where he rarely had to bundle up in winter.
Suddenly returning to this environment was quite a shock to his system.
He sniffled, realizing he had caught a slight cold, then summoned up his courage to throw off the blanket and dress quickly.
Walking out of the bedroom, he saw Chen Guangming eating pickled ginger.
Chen Pingjiang smiled and asked,
"Nobody's lived here for so long, where did you get that?"
"Asked Old Li next door for a bit. Didn't dare go any farther—felt like playing thief. Good thing the car we drove back this time isn't too eye-catching, otherwise all the local officials would come blocking our doorway."
The family's demeanor really felt like reliving old hardships to appreciate current blessings.
In 2011, smartphone navigation wasn't very reliable yet, and most people relied on in-car GPS systems like Careland or AutoNavi.
The issue with in-car navigation was that updating it was a huge hassle.
Chen Pingjiang agreed on a meeting location with Yan Liming—whoever arrived first would wait—and then drove off.
Because of delays on the road, by the time Chen Pingjiang's MPV arrived, Yan Liming's family had already been waiting for a few minutes.
The two families exchanged warm pleasantries upon meeting. After chatting for a bit, Chen Pingjiang and Yan Yan drove the smaller car, while Yan Liming and the others switched to the MPV.
"You guys arrived pretty early. Have you had breakfast yet?"
Yan Yan nodded energetically.
"Yes! My dad said we had to start early, so we left at six in the morning before dawn."
"When we get to my place, I guarantee you'll be stunned by how run-down it is,"
Chen Pingjiang chuckled.
"If that's true, doesn't it just prove how amazing my boyfriend is?"
Yan Yan replied crisply.
"Oho? Senior, I feel like you've changed a bit. You actually know how to compliment people now."
...
"Oh, Little Chen! Is this your girlfriend? She's so pretty."
"When did Old Chen's family get back?"
"What? I heard Chen Pingjiang is worth tens of billions now?"
Most people didn't know yesterday simply because shortly after the Chen family returned, Chen Pingjiang drove out, didn't come back until evening, and left early again this morning.
Plus, with the Spring Festival crowds and traffic, the neighbors hadn't paid much attention.
Now, with two eye-catching cars bearing out-of-town license plates driving into the residential area of the Infrastructure Compound, there was no hiding it anymore.
Chen Pingjiang didn't put on any airs with these neighbors. He handed out cigarettes one by one and finally managed to pull away after quite a while.
"We probably won't be able to stay here long. We'll have to leave soon."
Yan Yan blinked, puzzled.
"Why?"
"Just watch. Once word spreads, people will be showing up within half an hour."
On the other side, after pouring a few cups of tea, Xu Fangjuan smiled and said,
"We haven't lived in this old house for a long time, so please excuse our poor hospitality, Old Yan, Old Li."
Before Yan Liming could speak, Li Yuhua waved her hand quickly.
"We're family now, why be so polite?"
Coming over to formally visit the family home gave Yan Liming and Li Yuhua a sense of reassurance.
In some places, after drinking the engagement wine, calling each other family was completely accurate.
Yan Liming smiled and said,
"We just came to take a look. Why don't we head straight to the restaurant? I need to rush back this afternoon."
Looking at the endless stream of visitors coming to the Chen family's home, he knew exactly what was going on.
Less than ten minutes after the two families left, several Audi A6s pulled up, only to find the house empty.
At the restaurant, Chen Pingjiang gave Yan Liming a thumbs-up.
"As expected of Uncle Yan! People in government understand people in government. If we had stayed any longer, we probably wouldn't have been able to leave."
Yan Liming laughed out loud.
"You can't blame them. If I were a city leader of Tongcheng and saw the richest man returning to his hometown, I'd definitely seize the chance to talk investment. The smaller the city, the more desperate they are for it. Besides, you're not just any entrepreneur—if you were a coal boss, they might not even care, but all your businesses fit Tongcheng's economic transition path perfectly."
Xu Fangjuan let out a sigh of emotion.
"That's why we barely dare to come back home these days. When we stayed here before, people were constantly bringing cooking oil and rice, and officials from the neighborhood committee visited every holiday. They didn't say it outright, but we knew what was going on."
"Old Chen, with our families being so close, I'll speak plainly. Yan Yan's mother and I just came over for a quick visit, mainly to drop Yan Yan off. I won't drink at lunch because I have to rush back—there's so much waiting for me."
"Understood, completely understood."
Since Yan Yan was staying with Chen Pingjiang in his hometown, how could Yan Liming and Li Yuhua stay behind with them?
They still had to rush back to pay New Year visits everywhere, both in Dongjiang and Tongnan.
Anyone who wanted to advance their career still had to make the rounds during the holidays.
(End of Chapter)