CHAPTER 183: CHAPTER 180 [SINCERE ENOUGH?]

["To hell with taking leave! No more leave! After the meeting this afternoon, I turned down social engagements and hurried home to write updates! Today, please call me by my new name: Uncomfortable-If-I-Don’t-Update-sky!"]

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Chapter One Hundred Eighty [Isn’t That Sincere Enough?]

A plate of yam fried with sliced pork, a plate of loofah fried with edamame, a plate of Ma Ji’s soy sauce beef neatly sliced and arranged, and a pot of lotus root and pork rib soup.

Chen Nuo took a look at the dishes—three dishes and one soup. Not quite fitting. He swiftly sliced up a couple of cucumbers and tossed them with sweet and sour dressing.

Four dishes and one soup, all set!

Sun Keke was stunned, sitting foolishly by the dining table, staring with wide eyes at Chen Xiaoguo bustling about in the kitchen, her eyes filled with a mixture of grievance and intense affection...

Old Sun witnessed this, a mix of resentment and anger stirring in his heart, but ultimately, he just sighed and said nothing.

As expected, Yang Xiaoyi’s expression wasn’t very pleasant. However, with the other person busy in the kitchen, it naturally wasn’t the time for her to go up there and lash out—this wasn’t the time for talking, was it? Who goes to scold someone who is in the midst of cooking, sleeves rolled up, sweating buckets in the summer heat? That was no way to go about things.

Holding back, Chen Nuo brought all the dishes to the table.

Old Sun stood up to help, and Yang Xiaoyi couldn’t just sit there doing nothing, so she helped get the bowls and chopsticks.

Four dishes and one soup were placed on the modest-sized dining table. The four of them—two adults and two young people—sat together, looking very much like a family.

"Auntie Yang, would you like me to serve you some soup first?" Chen Nuo asked with a smile.

Before Yang Xiaoyi could get the words "no need" out of her mouth, Chen Nuo had already quickly grabbed a bowl, scooped up two ribs with the soup ladle, then picked out two pieces of lotus root from the pot and added a few more spoonfuls of soup.

"...That’s enough, that’s enough," Yang Xiaoyi quickly urged. Looking at the big bowl Chen Nuo had placed in front of her, she could only shake her head. "I don’t eat much, and... I don’t usually like pork; it’s too gamey."

Chen Nuo immediately smiled and said, "Try it. The pork ribs I’ve cooked are not gamey at all."

Since they were sitting at the dining table, Yang Xiaoyi finally couldn’t say much. She picked up her chopsticks, grabbed a rib, and took a bite.

Indeed, the taste was actually quite good.

This young man clearly knew how to cook. His skills were decent, and at least you could tell he genuinely knew what he was doing.

He had tied the green onions into a knot before putting them in the soup to simmer—this way, the flavor is concentrated, and they tend to sink to the bottom during simmering. Only those who really know how to cook have this kind of experience.

"It’s pretty tasty, really not gamey," Yang Xiaoyi praised.

"Yeah, didn’t I say?" Chen Nuo began to show off without any reservation. "I prepared the ribs myself, blanched them in water first. During the blanching, I boiled some slices of ginger in the water to blanch them with. After blanching and taking them out, the scum from the ribs was gone."

"Moreover, at this point, you can’t just put them directly into the pot to simmer. You have to rinse them with hot water first, clean off the scum, and then cook them again. This way, when you simmer the soup again, it has no gamey meat smell."

As he said that, Chen Nuo, with a perfectly natural gesture, used his chopsticks to pick a slice of pork from the plate of yam fried with sliced pork and placed it into Sun Keke’s bowl. "Try this pork slice," he offered.

Sun Keke gave Chen Nuo a complicated look but eventually softened inside. She didn’t say a word and put it into her mouth.

The slices of lean pork were tender and smooth to the taste, not at all tough like one might expect from lean cuts.

"Not bad, right?" Chen Nuo smiled. "I soaked the pork slices in water for half an hour before stir-frying them and added two spoons of starch to the water for soaking. That way, there’s a layer of starch water on the surface of the meat, so when it’s stir-fried, it becomes very smooth and tender."

As he spoke, Chen Nuo gave Sun Keke a very shameless wink and grin, as if to say, "Hurry up and praise me!"

Although Sun Keke was filled with worries, she was very fond of this guy at heart. She was used to his antics and generally found them amusing, so Chen Nuo’s expression made her smile, the corners of her mouth turning up slightly.

"Hmm... it’s tasty," the girl nodded lightly.

It was a rule in the Old Sun family not to make unpleasant remarks at the dining table.

Thus, the meal proceeded smoothly, and Yang Xiaoyi held back from mentioning the earlier incident.

With four dishes and one soup, the food Chen Nuo prepared was truly quite good, and Old Sun enjoyed eating it. Without realizing it, the meal was over. Sun Keke, who had been in low spirits lately and eating very little, managed to eat more than half a bowl of rice tonight—for a girl, that was quite a bit.

Only a third of the large pot of pork rib soup was eaten. Looking at the large amount remaining, Chen Nuo laughed. "I bought some raw wontons and put them in the fridge’s chiller. Let’s keep the soup, and we can put the whole pot in the fridge to store."

"Tomorrow morning, we can just reheat it. Pork rib soup is the best for cooking wontons. Keke likes wontons too."

Sun Keke hesitated for a moment and glanced at Chen Nuo. "Where did the wontons come from?"

"I bought them from Wang’s Wonton Shop. Don’t you just love their wontons?" Chen Nuo said as if it was no big deal.

Hearing this, Sun Keke couldn’t help feeling a sweetness inside.

That was just Chen Nuo, exceptionally caring. Whatever she liked to eat or drink, he’d notice and remember. Though he seemed nonchalant at the time, he’d surprise her every now and then by bringing it to her.

Thoughtful!

It wasn’t like the girl’s family was lacking—did she really need those wontons so badly? It was really about knowing that her beloved had listened and remembered what she said, about feeling valued.

And this was also one of the main reasons why Old Sun did not oppose Keke’s association with Chen Nuo!

This young man really did cherish his daughter, a fact that Old Sun saw very clearly.

Forget talk of success or prospects.

Old Sun believed that even if this young man led an ordinary life forever, his daughter would not suffer with him. This man would surely cherish Keke with great care and tenderness.

Old Sun had understood this very early on.

At Old Jiang’s birthday dinner, before the meal, Chen Nuo had taken Sun Keke out for a shopping spree, and she came back holding bags full of tasty treats like sugar-roasted chestnuts—all things Keke loved to eat.

·

After dinner, the family cleared the table, and Sun Keke was sent off by Yang Xiaoyi to wash the dishes in the kitchen.

Chen Nuo, seeing what was happening, understood the implication and kept silent.

Once the young lady was sent off to wash the dishes, Old Sun brewed a new pot of tea. Yang Xiaoyi also walked over to the sofa and called Chen Nuo over.

"Chen Nuo, come sit down. Let’s have a talk."

"Sure," Chen Nuo agreed readily.

Old Sun hesitated for a moment, then whispered to Yang Xiaoyi, "Chen Nuo already apologized to me when he arrived this afternoon..."

Chen Nuo felt a burst of joy inside. Old Sun is not bad! All those gifts I brought to please you haven’t been in vain.

Yang Xiaoyi gave her husband a glance, not looking too friendly.

Chen Nuo quickly seized the opportunity to speak. "Auntie Yang, I also need to apologize to you in person. The fault in the affair a few days ago was all on me, and it also caused you all to worry."

"Let’s not rush into that." Having been a civil servant for many years, Yang Xiaoyi knew from Chen Nuo’s approach that this was not good. If I let Chen Nuo finish his apology, I won’t have any place to put my own words!

After interrupting Chen Nuo, Yang Xiaoyi’s face seemed even more amiable as she spoke slowly, "Little Chen, about the incident a few days ago, let bygones be bygones. Although you young people like to fool around, thankfully, nothing serious resulted from it. Keke is my daughter; any scolding or educating, I will handle myself. As for you... I accept your apology, and we can turn the page on this matter."

Chen Nuo smiled but said nothing. She’s closing the door tightly on that, not giving me a chance to elaborate on my apology for that incident.

"First, let’s talk about your plans, Little Chen," Yang Xiaoyi said, still seemingly gentle. "I heard from Old Sun that you plan not to go to college after graduating from high school?"

"Yes, I won’t be taking the exams," Chen Nuo nodded firmly. "I’m not cut out for studying, and even if I forced myself, I could at best get into a third-rate institution. In such places, you don’t really learn anything worthwhile. Rather than wasting four years there, it’s better to start doing something productive early."

At this point, Old Sun couldn’t help but interject, "Chen Nuo has already started working part-time, and the job he found is quite stable."

Seeing her husband once again speaking up for the young man, Yang Xiaoyi gave him a sidelong glance.

"Our Keke, she must go to college," Yang Xiaoyi continued slowly. "Even though the teaching at No. 8 Middle School wasn’t great and Keke’s grades weren’t very good, attending university is a must! This point is definitive. Even if she fails the first time, even if it means repeating a year, we will make sure Keke gets into a university. And, preferably a good one."

As she spoke, Yang Xiaoyi slowly said, "Society is changing rapidly. Right now, a high school diploma might seem sufficient, but in the future, without a university degree, it will be very difficult to gain a foothold in this society, Chen Nuo!"

Truth be told, what Yang Xiaoyi said was entirely correct.

In the late nineties up to the early two-thousands, and even before, there were fewer university graduates. For most people, having a high school diploma or attending a vocational school was considered a decent level of education.

But education has become industrialized, hasn’t it? Universities began to gradually expand their enrollments. Give it another three to five years, and the streets would be filled with university graduates.

Chen Nuo was aware that, in ten or more years, in a city like Jinling, even a modest company hiring for a receptionist position would require a university degree.

Therefore, although Yang Xiaoyi’s words were, whether implicitly or explicitly, somewhat targeted at Chen Nuo, the reasoning was actually sound.

"You two are still young now. At eighteen or nineteen, you’re not exactly kids, but you’re not quite adults yet either. A decade or two ago, at this age, in some smaller places, families would have you married off. But in today’s society, that’s not the case anymore!"

"You’re still students, and it’s normal for boys and girls to develop feelings for each other. Yet, these feelings are immature and will change as you grow older. Chen Nuo, don’t take offense at your aunt’s blunt words."

"I also know that you’re now working at a car dealership; Old Sun told me. But what kind of great future can you have working in a car dealership? A few hundred a month at most, and if you want to advance further, there’s a glass ceiling right there!"

"Keke, on the other hand, is going to university. As she grows older, she will learn many new things there, come into contact with a whole new world, and meet many new people. In time, your knowledge and experiences will diverge. Gradually, you will belong to different worlds."

"I’ll tell you something very pragmatic: after Keke graduates from university, she can find a decent job. Even if it doesn’t seem grandiose at the start, with a university degree in hand and hard work, there is room to rise. And you? Will you work at a car dealership for a lifetime? Gradually, you may end up in different worlds."

Yang Xiaoyi didn’t hold back at all, directly blurting out everything she had in mind. She spoke very clearly, not hiding anything or speaking in riddles.

Worried that Chen Nuo might lose face, Old Sun said, "Chen Nuo is actually not bad, he..."

"It’s okay, Old Sun," Chen Nuo said with a smile, waving his hand. "I think what Auntie Yang said makes a lot of sense."

Chen Nuo wasn’t actually angry at all. Because Yang Xiaoyi’s words, although realistic, stemmed from her perspective as a mother. She wasn’t being selfish or thinking of herself. Wasn’t she wholeheartedly considering her daughter’s well-being? A mother’s love for her own daughter, considering her daughter’s future—from a broad perspective, that couldn’t be wrong.

"Auntie Yang, you love Keke, want the best for Keke, and protect Keke. For this, I can only appreciate you. I’m grateful that you love Keke, and I don’t feel angry at all," Chen Nuo said, smiling openly.

"Then, you should understand the meaning behind my words today," Yang Xiaoyi said, relieved.

"I understand," Chen Nuo replied.

"Mm, you’re Old Sun’s student, and also Keke’s classmate. You’ll continue to be classmates for another year. Normally, whether it’s at school, or even if you occasionally drop by our home to visit, or come for a meal, I welcome you. But..."

Chen Nuo knew that what followed this "but" might not be pleasant to hear. How can I let her say what comes after? If Yang Xiaoyi says it, she’ll be the one feeling awkward later. No need for that.

Chen Nuo interrupted Yang Xiaoyi in time, smiling. "Auntie, can I express my opinion?"

Yang Xiaoyi frowned. What, still not giving up? Still trying to struggle a bit?

Chen Nuo said with a smile, "What you said does make sense. Keke will go to university and has her own future. Having a university degree will indeed make her future development much smoother than someone without one. Even if her starting point is modest, Keke is smart and beautiful, and she has good interpersonal relationships; she will surely make progress. In the future, when looking for a job and working hard, there’s definitely room for advancement. Even if she doesn’t go out to find a job, becoming a civil servant like you is also a decent path. Compared to that, it indeed seems better than someone cooped up in a small car shop working as a mechanic. I completely understand your previous reservations."

"Since you understand..." Yang Xiaoyi sighed. Since he understands, what else is there to say?

"But, what if I could be worthy of Keke? What if I could take good care of her?"

"Taking care isn’t just about words," Yang Xiaoyi said, growing impatient.

"Not just words, but actions," Chen Nuo said with a smile. "Auntie, I’m not planning to work for others in a car shop my whole life."

"If you’re not going to work there, what do you plan to do? Look for another job? Chen Nuo, I’m not trying to criticize you, but in the future, without a university degree, it’s hard to find a good job. Even if you do, the ceiling for advancement is low."

"I plan to start my own business," Chen Nuo said calmly.

"Start a business?" Yang Xiaoyi couldn’t help but laugh. "Chen Nuo, starting a business isn’t that easy. I’ve heard that your family isn’t very well-off, and starting a business requires initial capital. Also... today’s society isn’t like a decade or so ago, when everyone was going into business, and setting up stalls or opening small restaurants could make one rich."

Chen Nuo smiled, spreading his hands. "Is it very hard? But I’m already doing it."

·

A few minutes later.

"Daming Road? You have a 400-square-meter shop?" Yang Xiaoyi’s eyes widened in shock.

"Yeah, I’m partnering with Brother Lei. He has the supply channels, and I provide the storefront. We’ll still be selling electric vehicles; the company is in the process of being registered."

Quickly calculating in her mind, Yang Xiaoyi thought, "A 400-square-meter shop on Daming Road... The rent..."

"I didn’t rent it; I bought it."

"..."

Old Sun reacted quickly, leaping to his feet and exclaiming, "Bought it? Chen Nuo, where did you get the money?!"

"Didn’t you ask me this afternoon?"

"What did I ask?"

"You asked me if I’d struck it rich buying so many things. I said, ’Yep, a bit of a windfall indeed.’"

Looking at Chen Nuo’s nonchalant expression, Old Sun really wanted to spit on this kid out of frustration! That counts as an explanation?! Does that even count?!

However, not wanting to tease Old Sun too harshly, Chen Nuo gave a cheeky smile and pulled out a neatly folded stack of documents from his pocket, placing it on the coffee table.

Yang Xiaoyi felt it inappropriate to reach out and take them, her mind still digesting the astounding news Chen Nuo had just revealed. She was even calculating how much money it would take to buy a 400-square-meter shop on Daming Road...

Old Sun, on the other hand, had no qualms. He directly grabbed the documents and quickly unfolded them.

The first page was a voucher with a headline in bold letters: JS Province Welfare Lottery Center.

Stunned, Old Sun glanced at Chen Nuo. "You... won the lottery?"

"Yep."

"How much... did you win?"

"Five million."

"..."

·

This news not only shocked Old Sun, but it also completely shattered the superior attitude that Yang Xiaoyi had struggled to maintain all evening!

Five million!

In the year 2001, for the average person, this was an unimaginably large sum of money!

If it were 2021, five million in Jinling City might buy a decent house—just decent, though, not nearly enough for a real mansion.

But what were prices like in 2001?

In 2001, a residential property in a bustling city center cost about two thousand yuan per square meter. This means, assuming a house was 100 square meters, it would only cost about 200,000 yuan. With five million, one could buy more than twenty such houses!

No matter if it was 2001 or 2021, in any city, if a family owned more than twenty houses... they would definitely be considered a wealthy household, tycoons.

Yang Xiaoyi, a low-ranking civil servant, had a monthly salary of just over a thousand yuan in 2001. Adding up all benefits and bonuses for an entire year, and without spending a penny, she could make about 30,000 yuan.

Five million... would take her 170 years of work to earn! Three lifetimes wouldn’t be enough!

And here was this young man, holding in his hands what she couldn’t earn in three lifetimes!

What kind of air could Yang Xiaoyi possibly put on? What kind of attitude could she still afford to maintain?!

What the heck!!!

Yang Xiaoyi thought. What did that movie, ’The Tycoon of Tomatoes,’ say again? ’Still want to play soccer? What’s the point of playing soccer? Soon enough, you’ll be revering me...’

·

Old Sun, after all, was able to keep his composure. Suppressing his racing thoughts, he carefully examined each document in the stack. Yang Xiaoyi, meanwhile, couldn’t bother with pretense anymore and took the papers from her husband to look through them.

With her years of experience as a civil servant, Yang Xiaoyi was more than 90% certain these documents were real.

The lottery win certificate from the Welfare Lottery Center... the tax payment certificate from the tax bureau... winner’s name... ID number... taxpayer’s name... ID number... tax receipts...

"I won the lottery a while back." Chen Nuo watched the couple’s shocked expressions and said leisurely, "I’ve received the money, paid a million in taxes, and ended up with four million in hand. I thought that windfalls come easy but go easy too, so I shouldn’t be reckless. After much thought—not wanting to squander it, nor wanting to just live off the winnings until they ran out—I decided to start a business."

"I have the best rapport with Brother Lei, so I figured it’s better to work in a familiar field. The electric vehicle industry is booming right now and has future prospects. Plus, after working a few months at Brother Lei’s, I’m familiar with the suppliers, the brand supply chains, and the sales model. There are no gaps on the technical or logistical side. Brother Lei was also looking to expand. He would provide the supply channels, and I would provide the storefront. So, we decided to partner up and open an electric vehicle sales business."

"So, I bought a street-front shop on Daming Road. The location and everything else was perfect, the space was adequate, and after agreeing on the price, I made the purchase."

Old Sun looked at Chen Nuo with a complicated gaze. "You bought a 400-square-meter shop?"

"Yeah, I did." The young man’s smile appeared shy. Feigned! "The shop cost over a million. Renovations will likely add a few hundred thousand more. Altogether, two million should cover it. Later, we’ll need several hundred thousand to a million in capital to stock inventory from the factory and get the business running."

He continued in a slow voice, "I didn’t waste the rest of the money; I saved it. It’s always good to have a safety net, to keep something for the future, to feel more secure."

Hearing this, not only Old Sun but even Yang Xiaoyi, who’d always looked at Chen Nuo with critical eyes, couldn’t help but see the young man in a new light.

Both being educated adults, they understood a principle all too well. In human nature, one of the toughest challenges to overcome is the sudden transition from long-term poverty to wealth! When someone who has been poor for a long time suddenly comes into a fortune, most people can’t handle it. They tend to spend lavishly, show off, flaunt their wealth, and soon squander it! And the person might not even realize how arrogant they’ve become.

Suddenly coming into a windfall, Chen Nuo didn’t squander the money, didn’t flaunt wealth with gold and silver, and didn’t indulge in excessive pleasures. Instead, his mind wasn’t clouded; he knew to invest in a business, to buy property!

That was truly rare!

With that in mind, Yang Xiaoyi couldn’t help but lift her gaze and take another careful look at Chen Nuo’s attire. Ordinary jeans, a plain white shirt—they didn’t look very expensive, but they were clean and fresh.

That wasn’t easy! A young person of just eighteen or nineteen, who suddenly obtained a fortune that others couldn’t earn in several lifetimes, actually didn’t immediately spend it on a bunch of expensive clothes and accessories, like big gold chains and watches...

That was extremely unusual! Only someone who could keep their composure and stand firm could achieve this.

Then, Chen Nuo dropped a bombshell. It was a fatal blow for Old Sun and his wife—or, to be more precise, for Yang Xiaoyi.

"I’ve paid a deposit for the shop but haven’t completed the paperwork yet," Chen Nuo said. "I was thinking... we could put Keke’s name on the property deed for the shop."

"!!!"

This time, Yang Xiaoyi’s eyes widened as she stared at Chen Nuo, at a loss for words.

·

It wasn’t that Chen Nuo was being vulgar, but for someone like Yang Xiaoyi, this approach was the most direct and effective.

Nor was Yang Xiaoyi greedy for money; she was wholeheartedly considering her daughter’s interests.

You’re worried that I won’t be good enough for your daughter in the future? You’re worried I won’t be able to provide a good life for your daughter? Alright, I’ll put a 400-square-meter shop worth two million—including the decor—directly under your daughter’s name! Two million, that’s more money than you could earn in your entire life! We’re not even married yet, there’s no official relationship, and I’m already giving it to your daughter! Isn’t that sincere enough?

·

Later that evening, the couple’s minds were completely scrambled. Especially Yang Xiaoyi, after seeing Chen Nuo’s winning lottery ticket and hearing him say he’d give the shop to Sun Keke... whatever Chen Nuo said afterwards, Yang Xiaoyi wasn’t processing it, listening in a daze.

She didn’t even notice when Sun Keke came out of the kitchen, after which Chen Nuo stood up to leave—without asking Yang Xiaoyi if she still objected to him dating Sun Keke.

Was there any need? You still can’t approve of this? What kind of son-in-law do you want your daughter to find? Ma Yun?

No exaggeration, but in 2001, Ma Yun’s entire net worth was less than Chen Nuo’s! Even if you combined him with the other prominent Ma, bound together, they still wouldn’t compare!

·

Chen Nuo went downstairs, escorted by Sun Keke.

Old Sun didn’t intervene, and Yang Xiaoyi was too preoccupied to care, her mind still buzzing.

With her lips pursed, Sun Keke dried her hands and escorted Chen Nuo to the first floor before sighing.

"Chen Nuo, tell me the truth. Did your money really come from winning the lottery?"

"The documents are real, and I don’t own the welfare lottery center," Chen Nuo said with a laugh.

Sun Keke was now harder to deceive. The girl looked at Chen Nuo, her heart in turmoil, yet filled with unspoken grievances. Although she didn’t know exactly how Chen Nuo had won the prize... just from their recent experience in Xi’an, Sun Keke knew there must be more to it.

"Chen Nuo...what kind of person are you...how could you have changed into what you are now." Tears welled up in Sun Keke’s eyes as she looked plaintively at the very Chen Xiaoguo she was extremely fond of. "I feel like there’s such a distance between us..."

"Is the distance far?" Chen Nuo smiled, then pulled Sun Keke into his embrace, hugging her tightly, and whispered in her ear, "Is this closer now?"

"...It’s still far."

Chen Nuo sighed. "That makes it difficult for me. This distance is still far? Any closer... and we’ll have a 404 error."

Sun Keke blushed and chastised, "You rascal!"

She then attempted to break free, but Chen Nuo held her tightly and wouldn’t let go.

"Chen Nuo, do you have a lot of secrets?"

Chen Nuo pondered for a second. "Little friend, do you have a lot of question marks?"

·

Inside the house, Yang Xiaoyi sat on the sofa, speechless for a long time, while Old Sun had already regained his composure.

After pacing around the room a couple of times, Old Sun stopped and suddenly spoke.

"We can’t accept it!"

Yang Xiaoyi looked up, puzzled at her husband. "Accept what?"

"That house, the shop!" Old Sun said determinedly, shaking his head. "Chen Nuo says he wants to give it to Keke, put it in her name... We can’t accept it!!!"

Yang Xiaoyi’s tone was complicated. "Why?"

Old Sun took a deep breath, his voice not loud, but very firm. "Even if the two kids end up together in the future... I, Sun Shengli, am marrying off my daughter, not selling her!! They haven’t even gotten married, just started dating, and we’re to accept such an expensive property from him?! For the rest of my life, I, Old Sun, wouldn’t be able to hold my head high! Even if my daughter marries Chen Nuo and enters the Chen Family, she’ll never be able to stand tall and speak with confidence!"

With that, Old Sun decisively waved his hand.

"We can’t accept it! That’s final!"

·

[BANG! BANG! BANG!]

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