Outside the Volkswagen dealership.
"Well, well, old classmate! I can't believe it. It's only been a few years, and you've already struck it rich?" Chen Xiaobai said, circling Su Chen and looking him up and down.
"I wish I'd struck it rich. But no... I just handed over years of savings to you!" Su Chen said with a forced, wry smile.
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Su Chen pulled open the car door and got in.
"Let's keep in touch!"
"You got it!"
The world's three biggest joke phrases are...
Let's keep in touch!
I'll treat you to a meal next time!
I'll definitely pay you back tomorrow!
......
"This is outrageous! It's just outrageous!"
Su Chen stared at the freshly-made instant noodles on the table, his stomach churning with frustration.
The moment he got home, his father and mother had decided to go on a spontaneous trip.
Their excuse was, "We've been married for so many years... but we've never really traveled. We want to see the world, just the two of us."
And just like that... the two of them abandoned Su Chen and set off on their one-and-a-half-day getaway for two!
'Time for just the two of them?' Su Chen was dumbfounded when he heard that.
'So all those years I was out there working my butt off, the two of you at home *weren't* living in your own little world?'
'Am I an eyesore around here??'
"KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK~"
Su Chen was just about to take a bite when he heard a knock. He quickly got up and walked to the front door.
"CLICK!"
The door opened to reveal a pretty young woman standing on the doorstep, dressed in a schoolgirl-style uniform. Her eyes were bright and lively as she looked at him.
"Hello, who are you looking for?"
"Big Bro~"
"Big Bro?" The greeting left Su Chen completely bewildered. 'Do I have such a beautiful younger sister?'
Seeing Su Chen's confused expression, the young woman spoke again, "Big Bro, it's me, Su Qingya!"
"Qingya? You're Qingya?" Su Chen couldn't just call it surprise anymore...
This was pure shock!
Su Qingya was the only daughter of his third uncle, Su Zhixin.
But in Su Chen's memory, Su Qingya was a scrawny, acne-prone little thing who looked like a bookish runt.
Compared to the lively, radiant, and adorable young woman standing before him, she was like a completely different person... really!
'Is it true what they say about a girl changing as she grows up?'
"What's wrong? It's been years, aren't I allowed to get prettier? By the way... Big Bro, are you going to let me in or what?" Su Qingya said, putting her hands on her hips and pouting.
Su Chen scratched his head sheepishly and stepped aside to let her in.
Su Qingya huffed softly and strode in on her long legs.
"How'd you know I was back?" Su Chen asked, lounging on the sofa and looking at Qingya, who had sat down beside him.
"Hmph~ Big Bro, you're really good at keeping secrets. If I hadn't called my eldest uncle to ask you about something, none of us would have known you were back in Fuzhou."
Hearing this, Su Chen gave an embarrassed laugh. "Hey, I've only been back for a few days!"
"You said you wanted to ask me something? What's on your mind?" Su Chen quickly changed the subject.
"Hehe~ Well, since I got into Shanghai University, I wanted to ask what Shanghai is like. After all, you've been there for so many years."
"Wait? You got into what?"
"Shanghai University. What's wrong?" Su Qingya looked at Su Chen in confusion, not understanding why he was so surprised.
Su Chen sat up straight and sized up Su Qingya for a long moment before saying slowly, "This makes no sense. A genius like me never even made it into college, so how did a silly girl like you get in? And into Shanghai University, no less?"
"Big Bro~ You're the silly one!" Su Qingya retorted, rolling her eyes dramatically at him.
"How come I didn't know the Su family produced a student for a top-tier university? How could no one tell me about something this huge!"
"What would have been the point of telling you? You were in Shanghai. Were you going to make a special trip back just to celebrate?"
Many people might think getting into college is a piece of cake, but the reality is quite the opposite.
Take Wudu, for example. Outside of the main urban districts, even Fuzhou—the economic leader among the districts and counties—had only just shed its "poverty-stricken" designation. The other areas were even worse off.
Economics is the foundation for everything.
In the year Su Chen graduated, plenty of students got into "college," but ninety-nine percent of them were for vocational programs. Those who made it into a four-year university were as rare as phoenix feathers.
No one at all got into a top-tier university.
Many didn't even bother with vocational college and just joined the tide of migrant workers.
That's why people from the Southwest make up the largest portion of migrant workers in the coastal regions.
There's no other choice. We're poor here. If we were well-off, who would willingly leave home to work so far away?
"Big Bro, tell me, is the cost of living in Shanghai really high?"
Su Chen gave Su Qingya a slightly surprised look. "Why do you ask?"
Su Qingya lowered her head and said nervously, "I was thinking... after Grandma's birthday banquet, I could go to Shanghai with you. I want to find a part-time job early and earn some spending money."
Su Chen froze.
Looking at Su Qingya's nervous face, Su Chen reached out and patted her head.
"I never realized our little Qingya was so sensible. It's not impossible for your big bro to help you, but I have one condition!"
"Big Bro~ I knew you were the best! Just say it... I'll agree to any condition!" Su Qingya exclaimed, excitedly scooting closer and grabbing his arm, acting cute.
"Ahem~" Feeling the intermittent contact against his arm, Su Chen discreetly pulled it away.
"Your big bro here still hasn't eaten. Aren't you going to treat me to a big meal?"
"No problem! I have over six hundred yuan of my own money saved up. Treating you is definitely not a problem!" Su Qingya said, full of confidence.
"Alright~ Then let's go to that Chaoshan beef place downstairs!" A mischievous grin instantly appeared on Su Chen's face.
At that moment, Su Qingya had no idea what she was about to face.
It was the lunch rush, and business at the Chaoshan beef restaurant was booming. The main dining hall was almost completely full.
They found a table near a corner and sat down.
The waiter handed the menu directly to Su Chen. "Sir, what would you like to order?"
Su Chen didn't hesitate. He took the menu and started ordering up a storm, making Su Qingya, who was listening beside him, tremble inwardly.
"Qingya, take a look. See what you want," Su Chen said, passing the menu to her.
Su Qingya frantically waved her hands. "I don't need to order, you got more than enough!"
"Alright then~ We can always add more if it's not enough!"
The waiter took the menu and quickly walked away.
The food arrived quickly. In less than five minutes, eight or nine plates of beef were on the table, each one a different cut.
Su Chen, whose stomach had been growling with hunger, picked up a plate and started adding meat to the pot.
With the special dipping sauce, Su Chen ate with absolute delight.
Even Su Qingya forgot her earlier worries and started digging in, occasionally mumbling, "This beef is so delicious!"
Soon, all the beef on the table had been swept clean by the two of them. They both patted their full, round bellies with satisfied expressions.
"Big Bro~ That was a great meal, wasn't it!"
"Mmm~ It really was. I'm stuffed!" Although Su Chen had initially intended to prank his cousin, he had to admit the restaurant's beef was genuinely excellent.
"Waiter, the check!"
"Hello, your total is 875 yuan. Will that be cash or card?"
"What? 875?" Su Qingya, who was just about to pull out her phone to pay, was completely stunned. It seemed her money wasn't enough to cover the bill.
Seeing Su Qingya's awkward expression, Su Chen burst out laughing.
"Big Bro~" Su Qingya's eyes started to turn a little red.
Seeing this, Su Chen knew he'd taken the joke far enough and promptly pulled out his phone to pay the bill.
After leaving the Chaoshan beef restaurant, Su Qingya pouted. She finally understood that her big brother just wanted to see her make a fool of herself.
"Did you learn any lessons from what happened today?"
Su Chen's sudden words made Su Qingya jolt.
She lifted her beautiful eyes to look at Su Chen walking ahead of her, and after a long moment of thought, she said, "A honey trap!"
Hearing this, Su Chen paused for a step. "When you're out in the world from now on, remember to be more careful!"
"I know, Big Bro!"