In the dim carriage, Zhang Xinyue cried more and more sadly, tears dripping like broken strings of pearls.
Chen Pingjiang sighed, pulled out a few tissues and handed them over, but Zhang Xinyue, being a bit proud, didn't even take them.
In fact, Chen Pingjiang, having been reborn for a year and a half, his status grew higher and his wealth increased.
Especially after what happened with Ge Mengshi, his thoughts also changed more and more.
After a moment of silence, Chen Pingjiang moved closer to Zhang Xinyue and pulled her into his arms.
Zhang Xinyue initially resisted, but couldn't help but yield to Chen Pingjiang's strong embrace, leaning her whole body against Chen Pingjiang's shoulder.
This seemed to open a floodgate, and she cried even harder.
Chen Pingjiang slowly patted Zhang Xinyue's shoulders, which were constantly shrugging from her sobs.
"Crying one moment, laughing the next, with big cannon eyes."
Chen Pingjiang's teasing voice, speaking with an authentic Shanghai accent, came across.
Zhang Xinyue froze, suddenly feeling a temporal disorientation.
It was as if the two of them weren't in the dim carriage, but sitting on the curb outside the KTV at the gate of the University of Finance and Economics, watching the bustling crowds and traffic.
Zhang Xinyue looked up, her tear-filled eyes swollen and red, unable to stop sobbing.
Her delicate pink nose wrinkled, and she softly cursed,
"Bastard."
This scene was just like their first reunion at the University of Finance and Economics last summer.
Chen Pingjiang extended his left hand and gently cupped Zhang Xinyue's small, rounded chin, forcing Zhang Xinyue, who wanted to avoid him, to look directly into Chen Pingjiang's eyes.
This action felt both familiar and strange to Zhang Xinyue, as their first kiss had also been like this.
Her heart was exceptionally complex, indescribable.
There was surprise, nervousness, confusion, bewilderment...
The next moment, they pressed together.
Zhang Xinyue's muscles went from tense to gradually relaxed.
After a long while, they slowly separated.
In the dark night, Zhang Xinyue's eyes sparkled brightly:
"Why did you kiss me?"
Chen Pingjiang shrugged:
"Then why did you stick out your tongue!"
"I..."
Zhang Xinyue pushed Chen Pingjiang's arm hard.
She was annoyed at her own lack of resolve, annoyed that Chen Pingjiang bullied her, and even more annoyed by the ambiguity of their relationship.
"Let's go back, otherwise your mom will scold you like she did in high school."
"I'm in college now, she won't be as strict with us as before."
She said this, but Zhang Xinyue's thoughts had drifted elsewhere.
She really wanted to ask Chen Pingjiang what that kiss meant.
But she didn't know how to ask, or rather, she was afraid of hearing an unwanted answer, and even more so, how to face it if she heard one.
Until she walked into her home, Zhang Xinyue was still in a daze.
Shi Xingmei looked at her daughter, who seemed out of sorts and whose eyes clearly showed she had been crying, and frowned, asking,
"Did Chen Pingjiang bully you?"
Zhang Xinyue, who had just been distracted, jolted and shook her head:
"No, it's just that a few girls at the party started crying while talking."
Shi Xingmei didn't suspect anything else and continued cracking melon seeds.
Zhang Xinyue walked straight into her bedroom, holding a doll and staring blankly.
......
On the thirtieth of the twelfth lunar month.
Chen Pingjiang changed into the home pajamas he often wore in high school, which were printed with little bears and animal patterns.
He was too lazy to tidy his bedhead hair.
This lazy appearance was a world away from his usual domineering CEO demeanor.
After two days of commotion, the house was finally much quieter today.
Xu Fangjuan was busy with the New Year's Eve dinner in the kitchen, while Chen Guangming brewed a pot of tea and chatted with Chen Pingjiang while smoking.
"This morning I gave some of the cigarettes and alcohol you bought to our neighbors, and they were all overjoyed, even giving back quite a few things,"
Chen Guangming said, an unusual glow on his face.
As an ordinary parent, Chen Guangming felt he hadn't achieved much in his life, but his son's success gave him a lot of face.
In just half a year, he had received more praise and envy than in the past few decades combined.
Driving the Audi A6 that Chen Pingjiang had replaced, people's address for Chen Guangming had also changed from "Master Chen" to "General Manager Chen."
Empress Dowager Xu's cooking skills were not to be underestimated.
By around four in the afternoon, she had prepared a large table full of dishes.
The only flaw was that all the seafood Chen Pingjiang bought was either steamed or steamed.
"Mom, I have to criticize you. With such good seafood, you should try more different cooking methods, like baking or stir-frying."
Empress Dowager Xu glanced sideways, her eyes full of disdain:
"All you know is to talk. You're right, what good things hasn't CEO Chen eaten? If you don't like it, don't eat it, or you can find a chef later."
Chen Guangming, standing nearby, nodded repeatedly:
"It's good enough to have food, don't be picky."
Having been together for half his life, he knew perfectly well.
You could say anything about Xu Fangjuan, but you couldn't say her cooking wasn't good.
Chen Pingjiang gave an awkward smile and quickly apologized.
The dishes were all ready.
The family of three raised their cups, bidding farewell to the old year and welcoming the new.
"You can never earn all the money in the world. Your parents are very proud of you, but you also need to take care of your health and balance work and rest, after all, your body is your own."
Empress Dowager Xu also nodded:
"Your dad is right. I only have one request: next year, bring Yan Yan back with you."
......
On the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year.
Guan Yifeng appeared at the Chen family's home on time to pay New Year's greetings.
Chen Pingjiang was curious:
"Why aren't you staying home, running all the way to Tongcheng?"
Our Comrade Xiao Guan's ideological awareness was top-notch:
"My brother and my parents can go around paying New Year's greetings, my wife took our son back to her parents' home. I thought you might need a car these days, so before the driver reports for duty, I'll fill in."
Empress Dowager Xu wasn't particularly doting on Chen Pingjiang, but she was very warm towards Guan Yifeng.
She urged him to eat and drink.
At ten in the morning, Chen Pingjiang's family of three and Guan Yifeng rushed to Xu Fangjuan's maternal home.
Generally, people return to the wife's parents' home on the second day of the Lunar New Year.
However, Chen Pingjiang had many things to do right now, so he planned to finish visiting relatives early and return to Dongjiang to pay New Year's greetings.
As soon as they reached the village entrance, they saw a group of men and women excitedly shouting towards the volcano grey Panamera.
"Is this the car? Don't get it wrong."
"I called and asked, it's this one, quickly set off the firecrackers."
"Okay, kids, get out of the way, don't block the road."
In an instant, firecrackers burst and gongs and drums roared.
Chen Pingjiang might not necessarily like such a grand display, but as long as his mother was satisfied, everything was fine.
In his view, going back to the maternal home was, to some extent, more about gaining face for his mother, Xu Fangjuan.
It had been mentioned earlier that Xu Fangjuan's childhood was actually not good.
Chen Pingjiang's maternal grandfather was somewhat patriarchal.
After his eldest maternal uncle and aunt got married, they either went to work in other places or moved out, leaving Xu Fangjuan in her early teens to herd cattle, cut grass for them, and farm.
She only attended school for half a year before her maternal grandfather took her back on the pretext that there was no one to look after the cattle.
His youngest maternal uncle and aunt both had schooling, but his mother Xu Fangjuan, who dreamed of studying, never got the chance.
Even many years later, thinking about this, she still felt that fate was unfair.
A group of people welcomed the Chen family of three into the house, and village relatives continuously came to catch a glimpse of Chen Pingjiang.
Guan Yifeng directly opened the trunk and distributed the pre-packed bags of cigarettes and alcohol.
"Good heavens, such good wine, I heard this wine costs one or two thousand?"
"Everyone says the Chen family boy got rich, so generous."
Various praises and compliments almost overwhelmed Xu Fangjuan, making Empress Dowager Xu beam with joy.
Chen Pingjiang's eldest and youngest maternal uncles both worked in Shanghai, and several of his aunts also married out of town.
In previous years, it was difficult to gather so many people.
This New Year, however, was out of the ordinary.
Regardless of whether they worked or married elsewhere, they all rushed back to their hometown with their wives, husbands, sons, and daughters.
Ostensibly, it was to celebrate a reunion New Year with Chen Pingjiang's maternal grandfather, but everyone understood the real reason.
Poor in a bustling city, no one asks; rich in deep mountains, distant relatives appear.
"Oh, Pingjiang, in just one year, I found you've grown taller and become more handsome."
"Right, do you have a girlfriend? Your youngest maternal aunt's husband has a niece who's about your age, pretty and has a good figure. Shall your aunt introduce you?"
"..."
Chen Guangming and a few other men chatted on the side, keeping an eye on Chen Pingjiang, who was almost surrounded, smiles on their faces.
"Youngest maternal aunt, does your youngest maternal aunt's husband's niece mind if her future boyfriend has another girlfriend? If she doesn't mind, we can get to know each other."
If last New Year some relatives were jealous and said snarky things, this year they were much more well-behaved.
If someone's assets are a million or two more than yours, you might not think they're that impressive, just lucky.
But if their assets are one or two hundred billion more than yours, you just have to obediently flatter them.
The eldest maternal aunt, who had always been good to Chen Pingjiang, said at this moment:
"Pingjiang, your brother is doing marble processing in Shanghai, which is bad for his health. I often see people getting silicosis. Not to mention distant cases, just my cousin from the next village was diagnosed with lung cancer last year, and it was late-stage, the doctors said there was no saving him. I want him to follow you and see if there's any work for him?"
At this moment, the eldest maternal aunt's son, Xu Zhiyang, also walked over and offered Chen Pingjiang a cigarette.
"Cousin, as long as there's dinner to eat, anything is fine."
Among these cousins in his previous life, Xu Zhiyang was the one Chen Pingjiang had the most contact with.
It was also due to health concerns that Xu Zhiyang returned from Shanghai to Tongcheng that year and worked for Chen Pingjiang's company.
However, he was rather restless and left after not long.
The money he earned wasn't even enough for his daily drinking, smoking, clubbing, and karaoke.
Xu Zhiyang wasn't a bad person, but even in his thirties, he was still very playful, losing hundreds of thousands in gambling and almost divorcing his wife.
Chen Pingjiang nodded:
"After the New Year, just come find me in Dongjiang."
"Thank you, cousin!"
Xu Zhiyang smiled happily.
For Chen Pingjiang, facing these relatives' requests, he would help if he could; finding them a job wasn't a big problem.
Even lending money was fine, but giving them money or investing in their small businesses was out of the question.
They weren't the right material for it.
After spending a day at his mother's maternal home, Chen Pingjiang also made a detour to his father Chen Guangming's hometown.
He had only returned two or three months ago to donate money for the repair of the family genealogy.
This time, he was just coming back to burn offerings.
Even this still alarmed the second and third branches of the family.
Here, the second and third branches refer to the second and third separated households of the old Chen family.
The entire Shanqian Village was surnamed Chen; anyone you met on the road would be a relative.
Chen Pingjiang's family belonged to the first branch.
Despite his young age, he had a high seniority, so even some people in their forties or fifties would have to call him "Grandpa" or "Uncle" when they met him.
The most interesting thing was that, according to the local customs, Chen Pingjiang had to give red envelopes to the unmarried boys and girls in the family.
Chen Pingjiang sat in a chair, with a long line of people in front of him.
From two or three years old to twenty or thirty years old, they all obediently came to kowtow.
For each kowtow, Chen Pingjiang gave a red envelope.
Guan Yifeng, seeing this sight for the first time, couldn't stop laughing.
......
The fourth day of the Lunar New Year.
Guan Yifeng drove Chen Pingjiang back to Dongjiang a step ahead.
Before leaving, Chen Pingjiang said to his parents:
"If you two have nothing to do at home, or if the community committees bother you too much, go live in Dongjiang for a while. I'll buy a villa later with a big yard. Mom can grow flowers and vegetables when she's bored, and Dad can go fishing when he has nothing to do."
Chen Pingjiang had experienced the bitter taste of "The tree desires calm, but the wind won't cease; the child desires to nurture, but the parents are gone."
Therefore, in this life, he wanted to spend more time with his parents, provide them with a better quality of life, and make up for the regrets of his previous life.
"Alright, alright, I get it, stop babbling. Yan Yan and I have an agreement, we'll go to Dongjiang to play in a few months,"
Xu Fangjuan urged Chen Pingjiang into the car, reminding Guan Yifeng to drive slowly on the road.
Chen Pingjiang once really liked a short essay by someone:
"People need to summon courage to go far away, to cope with life, and also look forward to the next reunion, eager to return home, for the warmth and lively atmosphere to reappear."
After returning to Dongjiang, Chen Pingjiang suddenly became busy.
First, he paid New Year's greetings to all the major figures.
At his status, he should actually be sitting at home waiting for others to pay him New Year's greetings.
When he arrived at Yan Yan's home on the sixth day.
Still downstairs, Yan Yan joyfully ran down and hugged Chen Pingjiang.
The longer she spent with Chen Pingjiang, the more proactive Yan Yan became, like a fairy who had descended to the mortal world.
"Did you miss me?"
Yan Yan blinked her big eyes, nodding repeatedly.
"Where did you miss me?"
Chen Pingjiang also blinked his eyes.
"Everywhere!"
"Oh? Did your mouth miss me?"
Yan Yan's pretty face flushed.
She subconsciously looked up and glanced at the window of her house, then quickly pressed a kiss on Chen Pingjiang's lips.
At the same time.
Yan Liming and Li Yuhua secretly stood at the kitchen window, peeking down like paparazzi reporters.
When Yan Yan suddenly looked up and met their gaze, both of them flinched.
It wasn't until the two were kissing passionately.
That Yan Liming and Li Yuhua exchanged knowing "auntie smiles."
Yan Liming had long since come to terms with things, a completely different person from a few months ago.
His daughter liked him, and Chen Pingjiang himself was excellent.
Even with all the reluctance in the old father's heart, he had to choose to give his blessing.
Moreover, in terms of status now, Chen Pingjiang was not inferior to him, perhaps even higher.
As Renren.com's data center settled in Wujiang District, and the second phase of the twin-tower headquarters building was being planned, Yan Liming also felt increasingly at ease in his workplace.
No one would talk about their relationship, after all, Chen Pingjiang's growth trajectory was clear, having nothing to do with Yan Liming, and he even rose to prominence in the university town.
In terms of attracting investment, Yan Liming undoubtedly had merit.
If, at the very beginning, Yan Liming was somewhat unwilling to leverage Chen Pingjiang's influence, now he could only hold his nose and admit it "smelled good."
(End of Chapter)