CHAPTER 182: CHAPTER 179: WHOSE HOUSE IS THIS ANYWAY?

Hello everyone, I’m your Five Chubs.

Nickname: I’m Not Comfortable Without Releasing a Long Passage

Chapter 179: Whose Place Is This, After All?

When Li Qingshan heard that Brother Haonan’s junior was looking for a place to get a bath, his first thought was: Come to my Wind Shelter Hall! But Brother Lei laughed and scolded him, pushing the idea away, "Don’t be ridiculous! With their status, does your place even provide proper bathing!"

Li Qingshan then gave up on the idea; however, once he heard they were dining in the evening, he confidently slapped his chest and went to arrange the banquet.

The place where they bathed was an old bathhouse that had been open for over thirty years; it was state-owned in its early years and later became privately operated. The decor was average, but the bath attendants were all experienced craftsmen, scrubbing Chen Nuo from the inside out until he felt thoroughly comfortable. After sloughing off two layers of grime and turning his skin red, Chen Nuo felt as clean as a freshly boiled, peeled egg. He was satisfied only after rinsing off with ordinary soap.

It might have been a kind of obstinate thought: Chen Nuo had always stubbornly believed that those shower gels of later generations, with their various fancy packaging and marketing schemes, featuring fragrances from popular to obscure—he had even used one that claimed to contain ginseng—were inferior. But Chen Nuo always felt that traditional soap was better than those flashy shower gels when it came to cleaning and degreasing.

Brother Lei and he requested a lounge, leisurely brewed two pots of tea, and lay around like corpses. Actually, Brother Lei didn’t usually go to such proper bathhouses—if it were up to his usual preference, he’d have called a couple of women over for a massage by now. However, knowing that this young master didn’t like that sort of thing, he naturally wouldn’t make any reckless arrangements.

After a pot of tea, Chen Nuo felt thoroughly refreshed, inside and out, and his entire body relaxed. Only then did he sit up and light a cigarette.

"We should find a day soon to go to Daming Road to look for a suitable place to set up a shop."

Upon hearing this, Brother Lei suddenly perked up. What great news!

Chen Nuo knew Daming Road very well. In the coming decade or so, it would become Jinling City’s "auto street." The street would be lined with dozens of 4S dealerships of various brands, auto parts stores, used car dealerships, and more. The people of Jinling had already developed a consumption pattern: whether it was buying cars, motorcycles, or e-bikes, or seeking repairs, modifications, or automotive accessories, their first thought was to go to Daming Road. It could be said that the area had established both brand recognition and economies of scale. In 2001, although it was not as mature as in later years, anyone with a real sense of business knew of the government’s determination to develop that area.

Brother Lei’s e-bike shop on Tangzi Street was also at a point where it needed to expand. After all, Tangzi Street was famous for its black market cars and used vehicles. If one wanted to conduct a legitimate e-bike business, being entrenched in this notorious street for illegal vehicles would prevent significant growth. To grow big, one had to go to Daming Road! The only issue was that Brother Lei’s current funds were insufficient to secure a place on Daming Road—after all, he had only started his business a few months ago.

"The shop... it can’t be too small. And the location needs to be good too. You can check the prices... I have only one piece of advice: if you can buy it, try not to rent! Once bought, it’s your own property; rented shops always end up making money for the landlord. You don’t have to worry about the capital, but this matter should be handled as soon as possible. Also... find a house not too far from there; I’ll need it. It doesn’t have to be too big or too nice, as long as it’s passable."

Brother Lei didn’t ask any questions, just simply nodded. "Don’t worry, I’ll handle it properly."

Chen Nuo laughed as well. "I know you’re reliable." After a pause, Chen Nuo added, "In the future, Lin Sheng will have a share in the Daming Road business."

Brother Lei wasn’t surprised and nodded in agreement. "Understood!"

They rested in the bathhouse a bit longer, until the sun set, before Chen Nuo and Brother Lei left and headed straight to Li Qingshan’s banquet.

There’s not much to say about the banquet with Hall Master Li. Using his status as "Brother Haonan’s junior," Chen Nuo thanked Hall Master Li for his help, and naturally, the atmosphere at the dinner table was harmonious between host and guest. However, after the dinner, when Hall Master Li invited him for "a couple of drinks to relax," Chen Nuo smiled and declined.

Actually, when Hall Master Li extended the invitation, he was a bit hesitant! He was, in fact, very much in awe of this "junior brother of Brother Haonan." After all... the old man still believed that he might have stumbled upon their secret affair!! However, these inner concerns would never show on the surface—had Chen Nuo known the dirty thoughts inside this old fellow’s mind, he might have sent the old man back to his wheelchair on the spot.

"Hall Master Li, I do have a private matter to ask of you. It’s not very big, but rather intricate..."

"No problem at all! Doing something for you is just a matter of a word!" Li Qingshan slapped his chest with a thud.

Chen Nuo nodded, then smiled, lowering his voice and murmuring a few words into Li Qingshan’s ear...

Hearing this, Li Qingshan’s face instantly looked a bit odd; he blinked several times while looking at Chen Nuo. "This... I have never handled such a matter before." After pondering for a while, the old man still nodded. "But it doesn’t sound like anything difficult! Rest assured, I will send people to arrange it as soon as I get back tonight! I’ll give you a satisfactory response as soon as possible!"

In the early morning, Zhang Feng crawled out of bed in his hostel room, freshened up, and ate the two-yuan-a-pack bread he bought at the convenience store last night along with some plain boiled water to fill his stomach. The Xinmin Hostel was located near Qingliang Mountain, not far from the city center. The prices were very reasonable as well: eighteen yuan per bed in a triple room, thirty for a double room, and seventy for a single room.

In fact, he hadn’t slept well all night, waking up three to five times. Each time he woke from a dream, Zhang Feng’s first reaction was to get up and check the lock on the door. Then he would return and feel for the jacket rolled up under his pillow, squeezing the pocket inside firmly.

His dreams were a mess. The family home could be exchanged for a larger one. The child could attend a better school if they paid a sponsorship fee. Then he thought about letting his wife quit her job at that barely surviving company. Nearby, there was an elementary school; he could consider taking over a small storefront at the corner to run a stationery business. It would be perfect for his wife to manage after quitting her job. His parents had a homestead in the countryside with plenty of space, but the house was very old and small, and they never had the money before... After returning this time, he could consider building a new, two-story house.

Yeah, and then, while the summer vacation wasn’t over yet, he could take his wife and child on a trip—perhaps to Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand, which were popular destinations these years. Joining a tour group for a family of three wouldn’t be cheap. Before, he certainly would have hesitated, but now, he could afford this luxury. He heard that things were cheaper overseas, so he could let his wife buy something she liked. Oh yes, he’d always wanted to change his phone and also get a car. A Jetta seemed good; fully equipped, it would cost around seventy to eighty thousand...

No, no... That was too conspicuous! The phone would be in his hand every day, visible to everyone. As for the car, hardly anyone in their neighborhood owned one. Driving a car in and out would be seen by everyone, and their relatives would notice too. It wasn’t right!

Maybe... move the whole family to Jinling City? After all, it was the provincial capital. He’d heard the schools were good here, and his child’s future would be promising. He just wasn’t sure about the housing prices in Jinling. Well, after handling the important business today, he could visit the addresses of a few property developments he saw advertised in yesterday’s newspaper in the afternoon and take a look. But this would mean overturning all his plans. Buying a shop, changing houses... he just didn’t know if the prices for homes and storefronts in Jinling City would be too high...

With all sorts of muddled thoughts in his head, Zhang Feng swallowed the last bite of bread and glanced at the time—it was only half-past seven. Sigh, he was a bit too anxious, having woken up too early. His heart was already burning as he watched the second hand of the clock ticking forward. Zhang Feng felt that the good days ahead were already beckoning to him. Those wonderful aspects of life, those scenes he had fantasized about countless times, now lay just behind a door. And he was already standing on that threshold.

For the umpteenth time, he cautiously took out that light, flimsy slip of paper from his pocket, scrutinized it countless times as if obsessively, and double-checked the numbers on it once more. It was a lottery ticket, a welfare lottery ticket. According to the numbers on this ticket and the winning numbers announced in the newspaper... the small, thin piece of paper in Zhang Feng’s hand could be exchanged for...

Zhang Feng was an honest and principled man who never dreamed of getting rich. He had bought the lottery ticket a few days ago while on a business trip to Jinling. He had stopped by a roadside shop to buy cigarettes, and the shop also happened to be a lottery ticket sales point. The shopkeeper didn’t have exact change and, after discussing it with Zhang Feng, persuaded him to buy a lottery ticket with the remainder. The numbers were randomly generated by the machine.

Unexpectedly, this pie from the sky had really fallen and practically knocked this honest man out cold! When the lottery results were announced, Zhang Feng had actually forgotten all about it. It was his wife who reminded him. Only then did he pick up the next day’s newspaper, find the ticket, and check the numbers. He hadn’t held any expectations; it was just a trivial way to pass the time after a meal.

However, after checking the numbers for the first time, Zhang Feng felt as if he’d been struck by a Five Thunder Strike. He sat at the dining table at home, stunned for a full minute, his cigarette burning out before he came to his senses. Then, he hurriedly threw out the cigarette butt, put the lighter far away, and held the incredibly precious lottery ticket, his eyes wide as he repeatedly examined it dozens of times! Then, both he and his wife were plunged into profound shock. It’s no exaggeration to say that during those days at home, Zhang Feng and his wife slept with the lottery ticket pressed under their pillow! Zhang Feng even grabbed a kitchen knife and placed it beside his pillow! Every night before going to bed, he would repeatedly check the locks on the doors and windows of the house several times!

After discussing it, the first thing the couple agreed on was to keep this matter secret and not tell any relatives or friends. Zhang Feng knew of a local man who had once struck it rich. After word got out, countless relatives and friends, both known and unknown, came to mooch off him—asking for loans, demanding money, and he was even targeted by criminals for extortion. With the common person’s desire for peace and stability, the couple decided this matter could not be made public.

Zhang Feng waited in the hostel until 8 o’clock before going out. The lottery prize redemption center opened at 9 o’clock. When Zhang Feng left the hostel, he checked out immediately. He didn’t dare to take a bus or a taxi. Instead, he followed the route he had memorized from looking at the map countless times the previous night and walked from the hostel to the lottery prize redemption center. He walked a bit quickly and arrived at the prize center just after 8:30.

Zhang Feng paced anxiously on the roadside... he didn’t dare to get too close to the prize center’s entrance, loitering a long way off at an intersection. The half-pack of Hongtashan cigarettes in his pocket was finished. He wanted to smoke more but had to resist. Before coming to Jinling to claim the prize, Zhang Feng had made a plan for himself, one rule of which was: during this trip, he would not drink any water from outside sources or eat anything from restaurants.

There was a large sycamore tree at the intersection. Zhang Feng stood behind it, took out a thermos from the leather bag he carried, and drank two sips of water—water he had boiled himself at the hostel the night before.

Zhang Feng, who thought he was disguising himself well, didn’t realize that his attempts to look like an ordinary passerby, with all his fidgeting and anxious behavior, had already caught someone’s attention! Moreover, he had been standing on this street for twenty minutes, and someone had been watching him the whole time.

Soon, a middle-aged man with a composed demeanor, accompanied by two others, approached him from the front and back.

"Brother, can I have a word with you?" The middle-aged man tried to smile as kindly as possible.

Zhang Feng immediately stepped back.

"Don’t be nervous, brother," the middle-aged man said with a smile. "Just one question: you’re here to claim a prize, right?"

"No!"

"...That settles it then." The middle-aged man grinned.

When he was taken to the car, Zhang Feng planned to fight for his life. Zhang Feng had a knife... he had one concealed on him. It was from the factory, used for cutting leather, very sharp, and he was skilled with it.

However, Zhang Feng was completely bewildered by the other party. He had initially thought villains were trying to rob him of his lottery ticket. But just as he was pushed into the car and was about to scream and resist, the other party directly threw a thick stack of money into his arms! A thick wad of cash!

In a daze... another wad was thrown over! This action left Zhang Feng stunned!

"Don’t worry, brother, we’re not here to rob you; we want to do business with you," said the middle-aged man, Old Seven, Li Qingshan’s most capable lieutenant, smiling at the nervous yet honest man before him. "Take this money for now. If you’re not willing, I’ll take you back later, and you can consider this money a gift."

In a teahouse, Zhang Feng met an old man who looked very distinguished, wearing a Tang suit and cloth shoes, with his gray hair neatly combed.

"Brother, let’s be frank; you don’t need to deny it. I know you’re here to claim your prize. I’ve had my men staking out that place for two days, specifically looking for prize winners." Li Qingshan spoke quickly, not waiting for Zhang Feng to anxiously retort, "Don’t worry, we are not bad people; we won’t steal your lottery ticket! I... I want to buy your lottery ticket!"

"Buy?"

"Yes, buy!"

Zhang Feng was dumbfounded. Old Seven quickly brought out a briefcase, placed it on the table, and opened it to reveal it was full of neatly stacked money! In his entire life, except in Hong Kong movies, Zhang Feng had never seen money packed in a briefcase like this!

"Whatever the value of your ticket, I will buy it at its original price! You won’t lose a penny! Moreover, not only will you not lose out, you’ll actually gain!" Li Qingshan said with a smile, "Brother, you probably don’t know, but when claiming a lottery prize, you have to pay taxes. Whatever amount you win, you don’t actually get to keep all of it. But with me, whatever you win, I’ll give you that exact amount. All I want is your ticket. This way, considering the taxes, you’ll save a lot."

Zhang Feng suddenly understood. He had heard of such things before. Some people whose money couldn’t withstand scrutiny... used this method of buying other people’s winning lottery tickets... What was that term again... Ah, right, money laundering!

In fact, Zhang Feng had already found out about the tax requirements. But according to this man, he would help him save on those taxes... After a quick mental calculation... Zhang Feng’s heart started to pound wildly!

"I’m not joking! I have no reason to bring a briefcase full of money just to play a prank on someone." Li Qingshan sighed. "What do you say?"

Zhang Feng fell silent for a moment. "I don’t dare."

"Afraid of what?"

"I... I’m afraid of carrying so much cash on me, afraid of being robbed. If you take my lottery ticket, and then I can’t take this money away, if you rob me..." Zhang Feng stated his reason, then told a lie, "The ticket isn’t on me. I was just scoping out the place today. If you want to steal my ticket, you won’t get it."

Li Qingshan paid no mind to this and immediately said with a laugh, "No problem. If you don’t want cash, I can do a bank transfer! Transfer it directly into your bank account... Money in your bank account can’t be stolen by anyone."

Zhang Feng still trusted bank security.

"How about it? Safe enough now, right?" Li Qingshan said with a smile. "If you’re scared, here’s what you can do: you can pick up your phone and call the police right now. I won’t stop you. If you call the police, I’ll immediately take my people and leave. We’ll act as if we’ve never met. However... a smart person should know how to choose. From the look of you, if my men aren’t blind, your prize amount must be quite substantial! Calculate how much you could save on taxes; you know that in your heart."

Zhang Feng shrank back, took out his mobile phone, and made a gesture. "Then I really will call the police!"

"Suit yourself," Li Qingshan said with a smile and a dismissive wave of his hand.

Finally, the numbers on his phone remained unpressed. Zhang Feng, internally conflicted, fell silent for a while before looking up. "I... I want a bank transfer! The money has to be in my bank account first!"

"No problem. Name a figure, and I’ll transfer it now!"

"...One million."

"Good!" Li Qingshan immediately called Old Seven over. "Come on, let’s go with him to the bank."

They found a branch of the Agricultural Bank. In the lobby, after completing the transfer procedures, Zhang Feng stood holding the transfer slip from the bank, stunned for quite a while.

"Do you believe it now?" Li Qingshan said calmly from the side.

"You... you aren’t afraid that I’ll take this one million and then not give you the lottery ticket? Or... what if I don’t actually have a ticket?" Zhang Feng couldn’t help but ask.

This ridiculous question made Li Qingshan laugh; he patted the man on the shoulder. Nearby, Old Seven shook his head and said, "Brother, use your head. Someone who dares to spend a million to buy your lottery ticket... if you tried to scam us, could you really afford to provoke such a person?"

Zhang Feng nodded. "That’s true."

Li Qingshan glanced at his watch. "Okay, you’ve received the money. Once you leave here, we’ll act as if we’ve never met... and if you’re smart, you wouldn’t dare to tell anyone about this. As soon as you leave here, you can just hail a cab on the roadside and go anywhere you want. No one will follow you, rest assured." After a pause, Li Qingshan looked at Zhang Feng. "Now... hand over the lottery ticket to me."

Clutching the bank’s transfer slip, Zhang Feng looked at the old man in front of him and let out a long sigh. "Alright... I trust you. But..."

"But what?"

"The prize I won isn’t one million, it’s five million," Zhang Feng said nervously, then added with a bit of fear, "You... you can afford it, right?"

At these words, Li Qingshan suddenly laughed. "Turns out it’s a jackpot! Hahaha! Good! That’s excellent; it actually saves me some trouble!" Li Qingshan gestured to Old Seven. "We can afford it! Old Seven! Transfer him another four million!"

After receiving the second transfer slip at the counter, Zhang Feng’s heart finally settled completely, and what remained was sheer ecstasy and excitement. The lottery ticket was handed over to Li Qingshan, who then gave it to Old Seven for verification. Old Seven checked it and nodded. "The ticket is genuine."

"You can go now," Li Qingshan pointed to the bank’s main entrance. "Remember, we’ve never met."

"...I understand."

Zhang Feng hurriedly left through the bank’s main doors and, not daring to go far, hailed a taxi at the intersection and headed straight for the train station.

That evening, several lottery tickets were passed through Brother Lei’s hands to Chen Nuo. And Chen Nuo, through Brother Lei, transferred the corresponding prize money to Li Qingshan. The deal was done.

The morning after Chen Yanluo obtained the lottery tickets, he swaggered into the provincial welfare lottery prize redemption center. After being received by the staff, he produced the tickets, which were verified as correct. He showed his ID and, with the assistance of the tax bureau’s officer stationed at the lottery center, completed the tax deduction and obtained a tax payment certificate. Several million yuan were directly transferred from the lottery center to Chen Nuo’s private account.

In fact, the staff at the lottery center were quite thorough. After consulting Chen Nuo, and upon his wish to remain anonymous, they obliged. However, according to procedure, they still took a photograph: Chen Nuo, wearing a big red rosette and holding the lottery ticket, posed for a photo arranged by the lottery center staff for their records.

But the most interesting part was that after claiming the prize, Chen Nuo was taken to a meeting room to rest. Then, several unfamiliar staff members entered the meeting room. They were representatives from various official charitable organizations, both large and small. These people skillfully took out one brochure after another, guided Chen Nuo to flip through them, and then began their introductions... detailing how hard life was for people in mountainous areas, the difficulties faced by children unable to attend school, the hardships of lonely elderly individuals...

Finally, someone started to give Chen Nuo a moral lecture, expressing hope that since he had won such a large prize, he should also generously contribute some of it back. (I’m not sure how it is now, but back then, there really was such a process after claiming a lottery prize.)

Chen Nuo’s face remained expressionless; he patiently looked through the materials and listened to their speeches. In the end, he asked one question: "Which organization are you from?"

The other party mentioned a name that combined a color with a number.

Chen Nuo smiled, stood up, and directly took his leave.

The news of Chen Nuo’s return quickly spread to nearly everyone around him. The Sun family knew as well. But to Sun Keke’s great disappointment, she had been waiting for two days, yet Chen Nuo had not come to visit, nor had he sent her any phone calls or messages. Chen Xiaoye, who had been staying on the third floor in Teacher Jiang’s home, was also taken back by Chen Nuo—Sun Keke found out about it on the very day Xiao Yezi was picked up. But that guy hadn’t even come upstairs to see her.

Old Sun and Yang Xiaoyi also heard about Chen Nuo’s return—from Old Jiang. But Chen Nuo’s failure to visit them immediately left Old Sun feeling increasingly displeased. After such a major incident, his own daughter had almost run away from home, and this young man returns from his business trip without even thinking to pay a visit to apologize or provide an explanation?

Brother Lei quickly picked out a storefront on Daming Road. It was four hundred square meters, situated at a crossroads with convenient transportation, less than two hundred meters from the bus station. Behind the storefront, there was also a yard of five hundred square meters with a simple shed. According to Brother Lei’s plan, the shed could be demolished, and then two makeshift buildings could be erected, one half for storage and the other half for maintenance.

Chen Nuo went to see it once and was very satisfied; the price was also appropriate. In 2001, this storefront of over five hundred square meters cost just over a million to purchase. It was slightly more expensive than the market rate, but considering the vast area of the backyard, it was well worth it.

After giving the money to Brother Lei, he quickly took care of the legal procedures, as well as the business registration for the new store. On the day he went to check the address, Chen Nuo specially invited Zhang Linsheng to come along.

Zhang Linsheng, looking at the store Chen Nuo had bought on Daming Road, wasn’t surprised by its size. The only thing that made Zhang Linsheng somewhat conflicted was that this place was less than one bus stop away from the 4S shop where his father, Zhang Tiejun, worked.

And it didn’t end there. Chen Nuo pulled Zhang Linsheng out of the store, leaving Brother Lei there to discuss renovation matters with the construction company. Then, he led Zhang Linsheng less than fifty meters down the road and into a residential complex. This complex had been built in the last two years, and the sales office hadn’t even been dismantled yet. Dragging Zhang Linsheng to one of the buildings, they went directly up to the sixth floor.

"Two bedrooms and two living rooms, eighty-eight square meters," Chen Nuo said with a smile as he took out the keys to open the door. "The ownership of the house hasn’t been transferred yet, but the procedures can be handled anytime. The deposit has already been paid."

"...You bought it?" Zhang Linsheng was a bit stunned.

"No, I bought it for you," Chen Nuo said with a smile.

"Huh?"

Chen Nuo waved his hand, fumbled in his pocket, and pulled out a lottery ticket. "Take this, go and cash it in. Then you’ll have an explanation for your family. Otherwise, they’d definitely worry about the origin of such an apartment." This lottery ticket had also been "purchased" by Li Qingshan; though not a jackpot, it was worth two hundred thousand.

(Incidentally, Chen Nuo only intended to engage in this lottery ticket buying scheme once... It was too conspicuous. Constantly sending people to stake out near the lottery center could easily lead to trouble if done too often. If it attracted police attention, it would be difficult to explain.)

"You already gave me eighty thousand last time, and I haven’t even spent it yet," Zhang Linsheng said, somewhat speechless.

"You deserve it," Chen Nuo waved his hand, speaking seriously. "I’m not going to waste time with pleasantries. During that incident in Xi’an, you were the first to step forward. You risked your own life to save Sun Keke. So, you’re one of us now!"

Zhang Linsheng thought for a moment, his tone a mix of emotions. "So from now on... I’ll be working for you, dedicating my life?"

Chen Nuo laughed. He clapped Zhang Linsheng on the shoulder. "It’s not as serious as dedicating your life. You’ve seen the shop downstairs, right? I’m planning to open a new store there, still selling electric scooters. Brother Lei has already talked to the supplier. In this new store, you’ll have a twenty percent share, and Brother Lei will have thirty percent. I originally didn’t want to hold any shares; I wanted to give them all to you guys... but I need some nominal ownership, so I’m holding onto that. But I definitely can’t manage these things, and Brother Lei can’t handle it alone either. So, in the future, you’ll have to help manage things as well. It’s not like I’m asking you to commit murder or arson; we’re just running a legitimate business. Standing under the light of righteousness, you understand? When you tell your family back home, you can be proud and open about it. Your parents will only be happy; they won’t have to worry. Besides, now that you’re one of us, I can’t just sit by and watch you and your dad always at odds like this, right?"

Zhang Linsheng’s eyes nearly brimmed with tears. Without hesitation, Zhang Linsheng immediately took the lottery ticket, tucked it into his pocket, and then, with an unprecedentedly solemn tone, said, "From now on, I work for you."

"Hmm, that’s more like it." Chen Nuo thought for a moment and smiled. "There’s one more thing... The work needs to be done. But occasionally, I’ll still need to trouble you to put on an impressive act in front of Li Qingshan."

"...Okay."

Nearly the entire second week after Chen Nuo’s return to Jinling had passed before Old Sun finally met him.

In the afternoon, there was a knock on the door. Old Sun, holding a teacup, opened it to see Chen Nuo standing at the doorstep, hands full of large and small packages, grinning mischievously like his namesake, Chen Xiaoguo.

Old Sun’s face was stern as he said coldly, "Chen Nuo, what are you here for?"

Chen Nuo immediately stepped half a foot inside the door and smiled. "Isn’t this a visit to Headmaster Sun? When school starts, you’ll be our homeroom teacher. I’m here to report my thoughts to you."

Old Sun was so irritated he could hardly contain himself. "Report your thoughts? I can’t control you!"

But Chen Nuo had already let himself in, slipping off his shoes and stepping into a pair of plastic slippers, heading for the living room.

"Hey! Boy! Did I let you in?" Old Sun grumbled from behind but still closed the door and then nudged Chen Nuo’s discarded sports shoes neatly into place with his foot.

Turning around, he saw Chen Nuo had placed all the large and small packages on the coffee table.

"This is Dragon Well tea," Chen Nuo began. "I had someone buy it for me. I don’t drink tea, so I don’t know if it’s good or bad, but I’ve heard it’s quite decent. Old Sun, take it and have a good taste. If it’s good, I’ll have someone buy more next time.

"And this is red wine. I know you don’t usually drink, but I heard that red wine can soften blood vessels. You’re going to be a headmaster, so you’ll have plenty of banquets to attend. Drink less white wine, and more red instead.

"Oh right, there’s also this—Ma’s spiced beef. I was out buying things and passed by their old shop. They said they had just made a fresh batch in the last couple of days. I remember Keke likes it, so I bought it all up, clearing out the shop’s remaining stock..."

Old Sun’s nose was almost crooked with anger as he looked at the large bundle Chen Nuo had produced. "This looks like it must be at least ten pounds, right!? Ten pounds of beef, who can eat that much?"

"If you can’t finish it, put it in the fridge... And if you still can’t finish it, you can cut off a few pieces and share some with Teacher Jiang upstairs." Chen Nuo laughed nonchalantly. "Oh, and there’s this."

Chen Nuo took out another beautifully wrapped box. "This is skincare—for the face, for the hands, all included. It’s from Shiseido. I don’t understand these things, but I’ve heard they’re good. Take it for Keke’s mom to use."

Old Sun’s eyelid twitched at the sight of his coffee table laden with items. "Did you strike it rich? Chen Nuo! How much did all this cost?"

Chen Nuo grinned. "You wouldn’t be wrong to say I really did come into some money. But don’t worry, it’s all from legitimate sources!"

As he said this, Chen Nuo turned, pulled Old Sun over, and pressed him down to sit on the sofa.

"What are you doing? What are you doing?" Old Sun didn’t want to struggle, partly because he was cradling a teacup and didn’t dare to exert too much force, and partly... because the young man was surprisingly strong.

After seating Old Sun, Chen Nuo turned to face him directly.

"Old Sun! I know the incident with Keke was a big deal, and it worried you all! All the faults and mistakes lie with me! I apologize to you! I’m sorry!"

After speaking, Chen Nuo gave a crisp, direct, Japanese-style ninety-degree bow. His attitude was so impeccable that no one could find any fault with it!

The crucial part was that after straightening up, this rascal, Chen Xiaoguo, still chuckled and directly took a bamboo ruler, the kind used at home, from the cabinet next to the sofa! He handled it as skillfully as if he were in his own house! Holding the bamboo ruler in both hands, Chen Nuo continued with a smile, "If you’re still angry, take this and give me a few hits!"

Old Sun felt a sudden pang in his heart. It’s all over, disaster has struck! Now, he couldn’t utter a single word of the anger that filled his stomach.

After clenching his teeth for a long time, Old Sun took the bamboo ruler, gestured with it for a while, and finally let out a sigh.

"Sit down..."

Chen Nuo immediately sat down with a grin, then his gaze drifted towards the inner room.

"So, um, where’s our Keke?"

"She went to her grandma’s with her mother," Old Sun replied spontaneously, then suddenly felt that something was amiss and scolded with knitted brows, "What are you saying! What do you mean ’our Keke’?! That’s my daughter!"

"Hey, whose family she belongs to, it’s all the same. It’s bound to happen sooner or later, sooner or later."

Chen Nuo got up with a smile and took the water bottle to refill the teacup in front of Old Sun.

When Sun Keke and Yang Xiaoyi returned from her grandma’s house, it was almost dinnertime. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to eat at her grandma’s, but Sun Keke was feeling annoyed. At her grandma’s, she had met a cousin who had just started college this year. The cousin chattered non-stop, talking about how interesting college life was, and then began to ridiculously try to set Sun Keke up with someone.

"I’m telling you, you can’t date in high school. Even if you do, you’ll break up once you start college! After the college entrance examination, everyone goes their separate ways. You won’t even be in the same place, so how can you maintain a relationship? In the future, you won’t even be in the same world! Hey, Keke, you’re so pretty, there must have been many boys who liked you in high school, right? Tell me secretly, did you date anyone?"

Now, with this topic, how could Sun Keke not feel irritated? So, she complained to her mother that she wasn’t feeling well and insisted on going home. All the way back, Sun Keke was sullen, responding indifferently to her mother’s attempts at conversation.

They had thought no dinner would be prepared at home and that Old Sun would probably just make do with a bowl of noodles that night. But since they had returned, they bought some groceries nearby and also stopped by a shop selling braised dishes to get half a saltwater duck.

However, as they reached the fifth floor, even before opening their door, they could smell the strong aroma of cooking oil and stir-frying from inside the house! It smelled like... lotus root and pork rib soup.

As mother and daughter opened the door, they saw Old Sun sitting properly on the living room sofa, holding a newspaper. From the kitchen doorway, Chen Nuo peeked out, wearing a white shirt and jeans, his shirt sleeves rolled up high, a spatula in his hand.

"Keke’s back? Oh, hey there, Auntie Yang. Well, you guys hurry and change your shoes and wash your hands. I’ll just stir-fry a plate of yams, and then the meal will be ready."

Seeing this Chen Xiaoguo, his face smudged with cooking fumes, Sun Keke was stunned.

Her first thought was: Whose house is this... exactly?

BANG! BANG! BANG!