Anyway, the moment Granny Shen returned to the village, the news of Chen Xiao Cai and Shen Chi were getting married had spread all over the village.
It had been a few years since Lu Cheng Yu got married. However, Lu Cheng Yu's wedding ceremony still remained the most ostentatious one in the village. The villagers were now curious about whether it was going to be a grand wedding ceremony or not for Chen Xiao Cai and Shen Chi. Chen Xiao Mi could afford to give Chen Jing as much as 30 taels and a house in one go after all.
And that was a few years ago, the villagers all thought that Chen Xiao Mi should be even more wealthy now.
"Granny Shen, how many taels of silver is Chen Xiao Cai going to give Chi as betrothal present?"
Granny Shen smiled and said, "Hey, what are you talking about? Neither Chi nor I care about money, I'll be happy as long as the kids are happy."
Chen Xiao Mi and Lu Lin had transferred the commercial house of Willow Town to Chen Xiao Cai, the residence area to Shen Chi. The house and commercial house together were worth more than 300 taels, but Granny Shen wouldn't mention a word to the villagers who would turn green with envy once they found out.
"Granny Shen, I heard that Xiao Cai has been a shopkeeper in Willow Town, he must have made a lot of money, right?"
Granny Shen smiled and said, "How much money can he earn, he is very young after all. He and Chi are both working for the boss and trying to make a living."
What Granny Shen said provoked an uproar from the villagers. They wondered whether Granny Shen was just being humble or the Chen brothers were actually not as wealthy as they had heard.
…
Lu Cheng Yu had been the talk of the village for months, but people were dying to find a new topic to talk about.
The villagers soon started to talk about Chen Xiao Cai and Shen Chi's marriage right after Granny Shen came back.
When the Chen family heard that Chen Xiao Cai was going to get married, their reactions varied.
Chen He and Chen Qu both got married over the past few years. Both of them were older than Chen Xiao Cai and they couldn't afford to get married after they turned eighteen years old.
The Chen family was originally a rich family in the village, and many people would love to be betrothed with them until Chen Jing borrowed usury. Even though the two brothers managed to get married, neither of them was happy about their wives.
The entire village was discussing how many taels of silver Chen Xiao Cai was going to give Shen Chi, Grandma Chen was curious as well, but she wished it was going to be a small amount.
Chen Xiao Mi and Granny Shen had agreed that they were not going to hold a grand wedding ceremony, they would invite a few guests and have some food together in the village. And they would invite a few guests intown to have a meal in the restaurant in town as well.
Granny Shen liked that idea a lot, she always liked to keep a lowkey herself, she was relieved that Chi's in-laws had the same mindset.
Chen Xiao Mi didn't want to come to put up a pageantry about Chen Xiao Cai's wedding, but he still caused a big sensation.
On Chen Xiao Mi's side, he invited a few guests for a banquet in the restaurant. The price of the banquet was usually very high. Lu Lin and Chen Xiao Mi picked their old friend Manager Wang's Good Luck Restaurant for the banquet.
Two years ago, Lu Lin sold three recipes to Manager Wang, which had greatly boosted their business. Manager Wang was very grateful to Lu Lin.
This time, when Manager Wang heard that Chen Xiao Mi and Lu Lin were going to hold a banquet for Xiao Cai's wedding, Manager Wang took the initiative to give Lu Lin 50 percent off as a discount. As for the wine, it was brought by Lu Lin.
Lu Lin invited the employees, some masters and councilors who he was on great terms with.
…
Although they had tried very hard to Chen Xiao Mi and Shen Chi's wedding as lowkey as possible, the villagers still kept talking about it.
Many people thought that Chen Xiao Mi must have spent a lot taels of silver for the banquet in the restaurant.
The betrothal gifts that Chen Xiao Cai sent to Shen's family were considered average, but they were still much more decent than most villagers would get. There were ten taels of silver, some clothes, shoes, quilts, bedding, and dolls…
Just like when they got engaged, the deed transferred to Shen Chi was hidden in the middle of the jewelry box. That deed alone was worth a hundred taels of silver.
"The Chen family didn't give Chi much money! He only gave something like ten taels of silver."
"They've already sent quite a few taels when they got engaged. All combined, it's still a lot."
"Although that is the case, Chen Xiao Mi must have made a fortune over the past few years!"
"Shen Chi is just a Bio. It is already a blessing that someone married him and gave him such decent betrothal presents."
"I agree, I honestly think Shen Chi is lucky! Chen Xiao Cai has become more and more successful in the past few years. If it were not for they were already engaged, he might not be interested in Shen Chi now."
Some villagers started to spread rumors that Chen Xiao Mi didn't take Chi seriously, the village was not big, the rumors had naturally reached Granny Shen's ears.
Several grannies who were close to Granny Shen visited her and secretly asked if Chen Xiao Mi was actually dissatisfied with Shen Chi.
Granny Shen was rendered speechless, but she couldn't say that Chen Xiao Mi had actually given Chi a deed to a giant house, so she just said that was already very decent betrothal presents, plus neither Chi nor her cared about money, the only thing mattered was they would lead a happy life.
To Unearth the Truth
In Chen family.
Grandma Chen said sullenly, "What was Chen Xiao Mi thinking? He actually has asked his owner brother to marry Shen Chi, a Bio! He is a Bio, he gave birth to a Bio kid, and now his brother married a Bio! What a ridiculous family!"
Grandpa Chen sighed and said, "Let's not talk them behind their back now that they don't mind being betrothed with a Bio."
Grandma Chen asked excitedly, "What do you mean by that, how can I just ignore it? Chen Xiao Mi didn't even inform me about his brother's wedding!"
Grandma Chen thought that even if Chen Xiao Mi had renounced them, he was still their grandmother. She must be among the guests list for the wedding. So on the day Chen Xiao Cai got married, Grandma Chen got changed first thing in the morning and waited for Chen Xiao Mi to come invite her.
Grandma Chen originally thought that if Chen Xiao Mi came, she would put on airs before she accepted the invitation. However, Grandma Chen waited at home till lunch time, and there was still no one visited her. Grandma Chen started to realized that the Chen Brothers had already renounced her from their hearts, it didn't even occur to them that they needed to invite their 'grandmother' in name.
On the other hand, Grandma Chen and Grandpa Chen had heard it from the villagers who were invited to the wedding ceremony that the food served on the ceremony was great. Most dishes were heavily meat based, they must have spent a lot of money. The villagers also said that Shen Chi was a lucky person. He and Chen Xiao Cai were going to lead a comfortable life for sure.
Grandpa Chen also felt a bit depressed.
Although Grandpa Chen didn't wear his heart on his sleeve as much as Grandma Chen, he still felt disappointed that the Chen Brothers didn't even bother to inform him about Cai's wedding ceremony. He felt the villagers were all laughing at him for his grandsons all respected Granny Shen instead of him.
Grandpa Chen cast a glimpse at Grandma Chen and said, "All right, talk as much as you wish, it's not going to change the fact that they have renounced us already!"
Grandma Chen was rendered speechless, she just lowered her head in silence.
Even though the betrothal presents that Chen Xiao Cai got for Shen Chi was not as impressive as Lu Cheng Yu for Li Fang Yue, it was still quite a lot. In the past few years, the Chen family didn't show any improvement financially because they had spent all of their income on Chen He and Chen Qu's weddings.
Chen He and Chen Qu would go to town and work as seasonal workers to support their little families, but the pay was terrible. The working condition was far worse than Zhang Rui's, let alone than Chen Xiao Mi's.
Neither Chen He nor Chen Qu was that interested in doing seasonal work due to that.
Grandma Chen looked at Grandpa Chen and said, "This Zhang Rui is doing so great in Chen Xiao Mi's store, shall we ask him to hire He and Qu?"
Grandpa Chen frowned. Everyone in the village knew that the Sino Commercial House was a great place to work at, but they had a very strict hiring system, so far there was no villager got hired by them.
"Xiao Mi won't hire them," Grandpa Chen closed his eyes and let out a sigh, he knew Chen Xiao Mi's personality very well.
Grandma Chen said unhappily, "Our grandsons are way more clever than Zhang Rui."
Grandma Chen seemed to have forgotten than Zhang Rui was also her grandson.
"Save it for Chen Xiao Mi, what's the point of telling me that?" Grandma Chen spluttered.
Grandma Chen's expression changed abruptly, and she stopped talking.
"If you had Mi'a father better back then, things wouldn't have been this ugly," Grandma Chen said that with bitter hatred.
Grandma Chen's cheeks burned with embarrassment after she heard that.
During this period of time, quite a number of villagers would talk to Grandma Chen in a grave tone, "If you had treated Mi's father a little better back then, you would be the one who lived in the big house in town now, screw that Granny Shen, the Chen Brothers respected her so much, it could be you!"
Some people would just repeatedly praise Chen Xiao Mi for his prowess and capability.
Grandma Chen would get oversensitive whenever people praised Xiao Mi in front of her, she thought they were actually laughing at her.
It was fine when the villager said that. Grandma Chen gasped in anger when her own husband said exactly the same thing to her.
…
In the Lu family.
"I didn't expect that Granny Shen would enjoy such happiness," Grandma Lu rolled her eyes with disdain.
Lu Ming said sullenly, "The Chen brothers are really filial towards her."
"Cheng Yu! I heard that Old Madam Shen came back with a worker from the store! That worker even called Granny Shen Old Madam. Can you believe that?"
Only the rich families in town could afford to hire some help and enjoy being referred as 'Master' or 'Madam'.
Grandma Lu had been dreaming about the day when Lu Cheng Yu became an official, she would be respected as an 'Old Madam' who lived in an imposing dwelling, Cheng Yu would hire a few maids to serve on her.
Grandma Chen turned indignant when Granny Shen was the one who was enjoying all that treatment now. upset.
Unlike the villagers who were all obsessed with the betrothal presents, Lu Cheng Yu has seen something different.
Chen Xiao Cai's wedding banquet was held in Good Luck Restaurant, the wine alone was worth several taels of silver. What was more, many respected masters attended it and extended their blessings.
Lu Cheng Yu thought to himself, 'Lu Lin and Chen Xiao Mi seem to be enjoying absolute authority in the commercial shop. The employees in the store all act upon whatever they say.'
Lu Cheng Yu was tempted to investigate the owner of the store from a long time ago, but it got delayed. He was intrigued to do it again after seeing Chen Xiao Cai and Lu Lin's friend circle.
Before Lu Cheng Yu found a good excuse to visit the Secretary-General and ask him to do the investigation, Li Fang Yue told him that the Secretary-General wanted to meet him.
"Really? Your brother-in-law wants to see us at Fuyuan Restaurant?"
Li Fang Yue nodded and said, "Yeah! Sister said that we have seen each other for a long time, so we should have a gathering."
Lu Cheng Yu used to respect this Secretary-General brother-in-law a lot before he passed the exam, but now his confidence was greatly boosted and he had lost respect for that so-called brother-in-law. He would even roll his eyes on thinking that he hadn't got any benefit from this brother-in-law.
However, Lu Cheng Yu was still a little curious when he knew that Secretary-General had taken the initiative to invite them.
Lu Cheng Yu didn't think that Secretary-General was inviting them because they hadn't seen each other for a long time, he was sure the Secretary-General wanted to ask him a favor.
Lu Cheng Yu felt that it might relate to the exam, but on a second thought, it had been some time since he passed the exam. It was a little strange for Secretary-General to talk about something happened a while ago.
…
The next day, Lu Cheng Yu and Li Fang Yue went to Fuyuan Restaurant together.
The Secretary-General was short and fat, and he was not young. Li Ru was a few years older than Li Fang Yue, but she aged well, she still looked so gorgeous. In comparison, although Li Fang Yue was young, she looked so careworn due to the overworking for years in the village.
"Congratulations, Brother Lu, you're so talented. Brother Lu, you must have a bright future waiting for you. With a little bit of luck, you can have a meteoric rise. Don't forget about your brother-in-law when you rise in the official world."
"You're joking, Secretary-General. How can it be as easy as you just said!"
Of course, Lu Cheng Yu wanted to go further, but he also knew that what Secretary-General said was just a compliment.
After three rounds of alcohol, Secretary-General finally quit beating around the bush. "Cheng Yu, I heard that Lu Lin of Sino Commercial House is your cousin?"
Lu Cheng Yu was confused. He didn't know why Secretary-General suddenly mentioned Lu Lin.
"He's really something!" Secretary-General showed a meaningful smile.
Lu Cheng Yu was a little confused. Although Lu Lin had a lot of money, he was just an employee. How could he be described as 'really something'!
"My cousin has been working for the boss of Sino Commercial House. I heard that the pay is good."
Secretary-General smiled, "Work for the boss of the store? Is that so? The boss of Sino Commercial House is Chen Xiao Mi. Although Lu Lin is married into Chen Xiao Mi's family, they are still family. Lu Lin is also the boss of the store."
Lu Cheng Yu was shocked to the core and so was Li Fang Yue.
"Brother-in-law, is there some misunderstanding? It is said that behind Sino Commercial House, there is a Big Boss, Chen Xiao Mi and Lu Lin are both working for him," Li Fang Yue couldn't help but chime in.
In Li Fang Yue's opinion, Chen Xiao Mi was a senior employee. She didn't believe that Chen Xiao Mi was the boss.
Looking at the shocked look on Lu Cheng Yu and Li Fang Yue's faces, Secretary-General squinted his eyes and said helplessly, "That cannot be wrong though, I saw it on the documents. A few years ago, both the store and residential area were transferred under Chen Xiao Mi's name."
Lu Cheng Yu murmured, "This is impossible."
Secretary-General looked at the two of them and let out a sigh. " As the saying goes, never reveal the silver in your pocket. Chen Xiao Mi and Lu Lin must have cooked up a story about the 'Big Boss' to not attract too much attention. Cheng Yu, they have fooled us all."
Lu Cheng Yu's face darkened and his fingers trembled slightly as he heard that. The news hit him like a thunderbolt, Lu Cheng Yu was at a loss.
The Secretary-General frowned, "Isn't Lu Lin your cousin? Don't you know anything about it?"
The Secretary-General looked at Lu Cheng Yu and thought to himself, 'It is true then, he and his cousin have fallen foul of each other!"
When Chen Xiao Mi first bought the Sino Commercial House, no one had paid any attention to this regular store. Over the years, the business in Sino Commercial House became more and more popular. There were also many merchants who heard the reputation of Sino Commercial House and travelled all the way from their hometown to purchase from them.
The Sino Commercial House even made Forest Town famous. To the Lu family, Lu Cheng Yu marrying Li Fang Yue was a big deal, but in fact, the Secretary-General didn't care about Li Fang Yue, one of his concubines' sister, at all, so he didn't care much about the Lu family. However, recently, Lu Cheng Yu got the title fo Xiucai, the Secretary-General started to look at Lu Cheng Yu differently.
The Secretary-General then found out that Lu Cheng Yu and Lu Lin were cousins. However, it seemed that the Lu family and Lu Lin were not on great terms, their entire family had no idea that the Sino Commercial House actually belonged to Lu Lin and Chen Xiao Mi!
Lu Cheng Yu forced a smile, "The villagers all said that the boss of Sino Commercial House went to a different province, so he hired Chen Xiao Mi and Lu Lin to manage the commercial house for him."
The Secretary-General shook his head and said, "The commercial house is under Chen Xiao Mi's name. Chen Xiao Mi spent two hundred tales of silver when he bought it. Hasn't your cousin mentioned this to you?"
Lu Cheng Yu lowered his head in silence.
Li Fang Yue clenched her fists. She had been married into the Lu family for many years now. She knew a little about the conflicts between Lu Lin and Lu Cheng Yu. Never had she imagined that Lu Lin and Chen Xiao Mi actually own such a successful business! Her heart ached on thinking about how much benefits they could have gotten from Lu Lin if they were still on good terms.
Lu Cheng Yu walked out of the restaurant, his mind was filled with disbelief.
'If Sino Commercial House belongs to Chen Xiao Mi, how much money do they have?'
Lu Cheng Yu suddenly felt that the whole world had collapsed right in front of him. People in the village had always thought that Chen Xiao Mi sold the house due to lack of money, including himself.
Some villagers even felt sorry for Shen Chi who married Chen Xiao Cai, because Chen Xiao Cai had a good job, but his family didn't have a house. They were living in town, that was good, but they had to move once the owner came back.
Lu Cheng Yu clenched his fists. It was not hard to guess that the shops and house in Willow Town were actually under Chen Xiao Mi's name as well, Chen Xiao Cai and Shen Chi could live there for as long as they wanted.
'No wonder none of their family members was in a rush to build a new house in the village, there is indeed no need!'
Lu Cheng Yu felt so indignant that Lu Lin had built himself and his family such a successful business empire in town over the past few years.
To Reverberate the Village
Lu Cheng Yu and Li Fang Yue returned to the village on an oxcart, both were too shocked to say a word to each other on the whole way.
Lu Cheng Yu was in a state of utter stupefaction, and Li Fang Yue was no better.
"Son, what has Secretary-General and you talked about?" Tang was confused when she saw Lu Cheng Yu's shocked expression.
Lu Cheng Yu glanced at Tang and said, "Secretary-General talked to me about something very serious."
Tang asked curiously, "What is it?"
Lu Cheng Yu took a deep breath and glanced at Tang, "The boss of Sino Commercial House is Chen Xiao Mi!"
Tang jumped excitedly. "Impossible."
Lu Cheng Yu pulled a long face and muttered, "It's hard to believe, but it should be true."
Logically speaking, no boss would entrust the store to a Bio and a stranger and retire backstage without ever showing up for years. The employees of the Sino Commercial House all signed their indentures with Chen Xiao Mi. It was also up to Chen Xiao Mi how much pay the workers were getting.
Lu Cheng Yu used to think that the boss of Sino Commercial House was too muddleheaded. The boss didn't even bother to show up after the villagers raising a colossal uproar about the couple embezzling the turnover of the store. But now he just thought that Lu Lin and Chen Xiao Mi had done a damx great job tricking everyone!
To think they managed to hide such a thing from everyone for years!
Lu Cheng Yu suddenly understood why Chen Xiao Mi had given much money to Chen Jing easily.
Lu Lin was married into the Chen Family by his own grandparents, no one could accuse him of being unfilial. Chen Xiao Mi was different. Although Chen Xiao Mi had renounced his family verbally, if Grandma Chen and Grandpa Chen resolved to sue Chen Xiao Mi, it was possible that Chen Xiao Mi would be imprisoned.
With a written and witnessed Renouncement Letter in hand, Chen Xiao Mi had ironclad proof that he and his brothers had nothing to do with the Chen family.
Thirty taels of silver was nothing for Chen Xiao Mi.
Back then, if the Chen family knew that Chen Xiao Mi was actually the boss of commercial house, they would never let him go with just thirty taels of silver.
Lu Cheng Yu thought to himself, 'Chen Xiao Mi is quite thoughtful and prudent, he had spared all later trouble with mere 30 taels of silver and a country house. Chen Xiao Mi has been leading such a comfortable life in town for the past few years, but the Chen family didn't have any improvement.'
The Chen brothers were very resentful towards Chen Jing due to the stupid thing he had done.
"This Lu Lin is actually the boss."
Tang gritted her teeth with hatred. In the past few years, Tang had been looking forward to the boss of commercial house coming back and kicking Lu Lin out as she saw what a great life Lu Lin and his family were leading. She turned green with envy when she heard the so-called "Big Boss" didn't exist at all. Chen Xiao Mi and Lu Lin actually owned the commercial house themselves.
"Chen Xiao Mi and Lu Lin, how is it possible though! They could afford a store and a house in town! How did they get the capital in the first place!" In Tang's opinion, those who could gain a foothold in town all had a rich family supporting them, but neither Chen Xiao Mi nor Lu Lin had such a family!
Tang had always seen Chen Xiao Mi as nothing but a bold hunter, Lu Lin as an ill-starred invalid like his own grandmother had said. She was shocked to the core when she heard this couple actually owned the store!
Lu Cheng Yu looked pale and sullen, he did not say anything back to his mother. The business in Sino Commercial House was very lucrative. If the commercial house really belonged to Lu Lin, Lu Lin must have saved no less than a thousand taels of silver over the years.
Lu Cheng Yu suddenly found that although he was a Xiucai, the gap between him and Lu Lin was getting bigger and bigger. Lu Lin had long stood at a height that he could not see. Being a Xiucai sounded impressive, but only tangible silver was the real thing.
Over the years, the Lu Family only had a slender income from the field, their living standard had plunged. Although Lu Cheng Yu still enjoyed some special treatment at home, it had been so many days since he had any meat.
Lu Cheng Yu felt flustered when he thought about Lu Lin, a cousin who he had been held in contempt, was leading such a successful life in town.
…
The news about Lu Lin disturbed the balance of Tang's mind.
Tang couldn't help but spill the beans to Grandma Lu about this. Grandma Lu broke out into curses and made a racket, she insisted on going to town and asking Lu Lin for money.
The news that Chen Xiao Mi was the real boss of commercial house spread throughout the village.
Lu Cheng Yu meant to sit on it for a while but Grandma Lu couldn't help spread the word across the whole village that Lu Lin was unfilial, he had kept everyone in the dark and shut his eyes to his grandparents' suffering over the years.
With Grandma Lu's cursing and swearing, the village instantly exploded.
"This Sino Commercial House belongs to Chen Xiao Mi and Lu Lin? Impossible, what about that Big Boss who is out of the town?"
The villagers found the news hard to process, how come two of their fellow villagers actually own such a big store in town! That was purely unbelievable.
"From the little bit I know, it is very possible this commercial house belongs to Chen Xiao Mi and Lu Lin. The so-called 'Big Boss' has never even showed up in town for years."
"Chen Xiao Mi once said he had accidentally saved the Big Boss, is it possible that the Big Boss has given Chen Xiao Mi his store as a reward?"
"This shop is a golden goose! I can't imagine how rich this couple is now!"
"This store is really theirs? But Chen Xiao Cai only gave Shen Chi ten taels of silver or so when they got married, isn't that too stingy for a family who owns such a huge business?"
"Ten taels of silver is quite a lot to be honest. They are a family now. This betrothal present is nothing more than a formality. Shen Chi is so lucky!"
"The Lu boys are so capable! Lu Cheng Yu is now a Xiucai, and Lu Lin is the boss of such a big commercial house in town!"
"But I don't think Lu Lin would appreciate it when we call him a Lu boy, his family sold him to Chen Xiao Mi years ago, he is by no means a Lu boy."
"…"
The news that Chen Xiao Mi was the boss of Sino Commercial House broke out, and the marriage between Shen Chi and Chen Xiao Cai was discussed again, Shen Chi all of sudden became the luckiest Bio in the entire village. If Chen Xiao Mi were the master of their family business empire, Chen Xiao Cai would be the young master and Shen Chi the young madam.
A few people who had taken a liking to Chen Xiao Cai in the past started to regret it. they wished they had been more determined to be betrothed with Chen Xiao Cai. The Sino Commercial House was such a big commercial house, they could lead a comfortable life by riding the Chen Brothers' coattails.
Then the villagers started to sigh with emotion that Granny Shen was indeed the luckiest, even though she lost her son and daughter-in-law years ago, she and her grandson were leading such a great life now.
…
The Chen family were now sitting by the table, sulking.
Chen Shou Xin said excitedly, "Father! This Chen Xiao Mi is the Big Boss and he is hiding it from us."
Chen Shou Li was also a little excited. It baffled him that Chen Xiao Mi had suddenly become the boss of commercial house.
Chen Jing said in resentment, "Chen Xiao Mi is filthy rich, but he complained of being hard up when we asked him for money."
In the past few years, Chen Jing had been greatly tortured. When the news that Chen Xiao Mi was the boss of commercial house spread to Chen Jing, Chen Jing was both shocked and indignant.
"We should've asked for more!" Grandma Chen was seized with remorse.
Grandma Chen then turned to Grandpa Chen, "You were even defending him back then! You felt sorry for him that he had to sell his house in the village. He tricked us all! He sold the house because he had his own property in town and he was too good for the village houses!"
Grandpa Chen sighed in his heart. He felt so sorry when he forced Chen Xiao Mi to cover half of Chen Jing's debt. The truth was Chen Xiao Mi could easily cover Chen Jing's whole debt, but he manipulated everyone and tricked them into writing the Renouncement Letter with only 30 taels of silver.
"Father!" Chen Xiao Mi shuts his eyes to us, that's not the way!" Chen Shou Ren said.
Grandpa Chen sighed and said, "What's the point now? he has nothing to do with us after we signed the Renouncement Letter."
Chen Xiao Mi only agreed on giving them 30 taels of silver and the village house on the condition that the Renouncement Letter be signed. The letter specifically stated that the two sides were unrelated to each other. Even if Chen Xiao Mi was about to starve to death, the Chen family had no obligation to save him, and vice versa.
Grandma Chen said excitedly, "That brat did it on purpose. I wondered why he gave us the money so easily! He was tricking us!"
Grandpa Chen now had realized it with bitter hatred that Chen Xiao Mi had seen this day coming, so he asked them to sign the Renouncement Letter as part of the precaution mechanism.
Chen Shou Ren looked at Grandma Chen and said excitedly, "Mother! Back then, you shouldn't have asked for just 30 taels, you should have asked for 300 taels!"
Grandma Chen pulled a long face and said, "30 taels for him is nothing, isn't it?"
Chen Jing shivered as he thought about how miserable his life had been in the past few years. He had to quit school and the imperial examinations because of his debt. He had been toiling in the field while his classmate Lu Cheng Yu had passed the exam. Now he couldn't help but think, 'That could be me! I could be a Xiucai as well! Chen Xiao Mi is rich, he could have covered my debt and supported me at school!'
He gritted his teeth on thinking that Chen Xiao Mi folding his hands and seeing him quitting school with indifference.
Grandpa Chen's mind was in a great turmoil as well.
Grandpa Chen had never expected that Chen Xiao Mi would be so capable. Grandpa Chen couldn't help but think what if he had been nicer to Chen Xiao Mi's father, what if he had defended Chen Xiao Mi when he was being abused by Grandma Chen, what if… …
Maybe Chen Xiao Mi would be filial to him and invite him to live in town with him.
He had heard from the villagers that Granny Shen had been living in the town over the past few years. And those female workers were all at her service. Grandpa Chen wished to have some servants as well.
"Grandpa Chen, I heard that Sino Commercial House belongs to Chen Xiao Mi, is it true?"
As soon as Grandpa Chen walked out, he was surrounded by several villagers.
"I don't know either."
"Grandpa Chen, how come you don't know?"
Grandpa Chen's face darkened. He knew just as much as the villagers. And now they pestered him for more information, making Grandpa Chen a little embarrassed.
Grandpa Chen said sullenly, "How would I know about anything about that brat!"
Seeing that Grandpa Chen was mad, the villagers stopped asking knowingly.
"I already said it was useless to ask Grandpa Chen. Don't you know how sour the relationship between the Chen family and Chen Xiao Mi is?"
"But Chen Xiao Mi is a Chen after all!"
"Let me ask you a fair question, how did Chen Xiao Mi's father die?"
"I know, I know. I just didn't expect Chen Xiao Mi to be the boss. If I had known that, I would have helped him when he was down and out, so I could have found a job in commercial house."
"I heard that Sino Commercial House pays their employees extremely well!"
The villagers discussed for a while and they all regretted for not treating Chen Xiao Mi, the big tycoon, better back then.
Trouble Knocking on the Door
Chen Ding the Clan Leader listened to the villagers' complaints with a sullen face.
Knowing that Chen Xiao Mi was the owner of the Sino Commercial House, several villagers came over to his house and tried to come up with a way to amend their relationship with Chen Xiao Mi. This Sino Commercial House has made a lot of money in recent years!
Chen Xiao Mi must be rich now. They wished to ride on his coattail. Therefore, the pressing matter of the time was to build a good relationship with Chen Xiao Mi.
Chen Ding listened to the gabble from the villagers and all sorts of feelings welled up in his mind.
In the past, he sided with Grandma Chen and Grandpa Chen, asking Chen Xiao Mi to cover part of Chen Jing's debt with a tough attitude. Chen Xiao Mi must have hated on him.
He wasn't confident that he could convince Chen Xiao Mi to help out the villagers. No one, including the Chen clansmen had talked Chen Xiao Mi up when he and his brothers were abused by Grandma Chen.
No one had offered Chen Xiao Mi a hand when he lived in a cave with his two little brothers.
The villagers didn't leave Chen Ding's house until he asked them to.
"Yang! My son, how am I going to resolve this matter?" Chen Ding was so frustrated.
Chen Yang sighed. "Father, let's wait for a little while. Remember what happened last time? Both sides voiced complaint about you."
Chen Ding heard Chen Yang's words and nodded. "Son, you're right."
Back then, Chen Ding didn't think much about it when he promised Chen Xiao Mi that he was going to help him handle the village house. However, Grandma Chen said that he had a kickback when his nephew bought it, and Chen Qu kept telling the villagers that the house should have been his brother Chen He's matrimonial home. He kept saying that they were bullied by the Clan Leader.
"Do you think this is true? Chen Xiao Mi is really the boss of Sino Commercial House? Such a huge commercial house and residential area in town is worth at least several hundred taels, " said Chen Ding.
Chen Yang nodded and said, "It should be true. Why would Grandma Lu make up such a lie."
"I heard that Sino Commercial House has opened a branch in Willow Town as well!"
"If the store in Forest Town belongs to Chen Xiao Mi and Lu Lin, most likely the branch in Willow Town belongs to them as well."
Chen Ding sighed and said, "What a shame We have such a capable clansman, but none of us is on good terms with him, he could have been grateful to us if we had helped him when he was young."
After all, Chen Xiao Mi would always send things to the old hunter who had helped him in the mountain. Unfortunately, the old hunter had no luck and he passed away a year ago.
"Father, I heard that Grandma Lu kept saying that she was going to find trouble for Lu Lin. She would make a scene if Lu Lin didn't give her money," Chen Yang said.
Chen Ding pulled a long face and said, "What's wrong with Grandma Lu? Lu Lin is already married into Chen Xiao Mi's family, he has nothing to do with the Lu family. Lu Lin doesn't owe her anything."
Chen Yang's face stiffened. "Father, don't you know what kind of person Grandma Lu is? She would pester people endlessly until she gets what she wants."
…
In Sino Commercial House.
Lu Lin now was making spring rolls in the kitchen.
Chen Xiao Mai and Yuan Bao stayed by the side, drooling at the mouth.
Yuan Bao held a pair of chopsticks in one hand with his eyes sparkling, he was so ready to dive in.
Zhang Rui looked at Lu Lin with a strange expression on his face. "Brother Lin, please allow me, how can a master like you do such cooking work?"
Lu Lin glanced at Zhang Rui and said, "What do you mean by a master like me? Besides, can you make it as delicious as I have?"
Zhang Rui, "…"
"Brother Lin, recently many people have asked me if you're the boss of this commercial house," Zhang Rui said.
Lu Lin glanced at Zhang Rui and thought to himself, 'We've been hiding it for so long, but the time has finally come!'
"The boss of commercial house is not me," technically speaking, the commercial house was under Chen Xiao Mi's name.
Zhang Rui said in a confused tone, "So there is really a Big Boss! behind the scenes!"
Lu Lin smiled and said, "What's there to be worried about, so what there is Big Boss?"
"So, Brother Lin, you're not the boss! I was scared to death to be honest. I thought you were really the Big Boss, but the villagers seemed to have misunderstood," Zhang Rui scratched the back of his head and let out a sigh.
Lu Lin glanced at Zhang Rui and asked, "So I don't look like a Big Boss?"
Zhang Rui scratched his head and said awkwardly, "That's not what I meant. I just think that you are too young to own such a big business. However, Lin Ge, you're indeed very capable."
Lu Lin, "…"
"Father, Father, can I eat some now?" Yuan Bao tugged at Lu Lin's sleeve.
Lu Lin glanced at the Yuan Bao and said helplessly, "Okay, okay, it's still very hot, take a small bite first."
Yuan Bao said impatiently, "Don't worry, I will, I will."
Chen Xiao Mai and Yuan Bao sat opposite each other, eating the spring rolls happily. They were completely uninterested in the topic of "Big Boss".
Zhang Rui looked at Chen Xiao Mai and Yuan Bao and thought to himself, "These two boys are really calm and collected! They have zero interest in finding out about the Big Boss."
Seeing the way Chen Xiao Mai and Yuan Bao gulping down the spring rolls, Zhang Rui couldn't help but lick his lips, " Lin Ge, can I eat one of the spring rolls?"
Lu Lin nodded and said, "Yes, yes, of course, no need to stand on ceremony with me, there are many anyways."
…
"Lin Ge, Grandma Lu is here," Qin Lang walked in and reported.
Lu Lin raised an eyebrow, "Already? That was fast than I thought."
Qin Lang nodded and hesitated for a moment before he said, "Xiao Mi Ge went to meet her on hearing that she was here. "
At the entrance of the store, Grandma Lu directed a torrent of abuse, "Lu Lin, you are unfilial! Never have you visit me and your grandfather even once over the years!"
"Lu Lin, don't hide from me, come out and see me already! You live an extravagant life in town while your grandparents are suffering in the village!"
"Your grandfather has been sick for so long. You, unfilial you, haven't visited him even once!"
…
Grandma Lu made a scene in front of the store, attracting so many passers-by.
Chen Xiao Mi looked at Grandma Lu calmly and said, "Lu Lin was sold by you with 10 tales of silver, he was married into my family. Lu Lin had nothing to do with you and your family since that day! If you want someone to take care of you, I'm afraid you still have to talk to your grandson Lu Cheng Yu. Is he abandoning you? Wow, quite a scandal, how can a Xiucai be so unfilial?"
Tang, who followed Grandma Lu here, pulled a long face on hearing what Chen Xiao Mi just said. She supported Grandma Lu to cause a ruckus. In her opinion, Chen Xiao Mi and Lu Lin must have more than a thousand taels of silver now, their entire family would benefit if they could pressure the couple to give them a fraction of their savings.
However, Tang was flustered on hearing Chen Xiao Mi mentioning her son's name. Reputation was everything for a scholar, but Tang gritted her teeth and she decided that everything should give way to money.
"Chen Xiao Mi, even though Lu Lin is married into your family, he is still a member of the Lu family. Grandpa Lu is paralyzed in bed for years and he hasn't visited his grandfather even once! That's too much."
Chen Xiao Mi pouted and said, "You are the one who asked a few villagers to carry Lu Lin on two pieces of door planks to my house when he was dying, and now you are accusing Lu Lin of being unfilial!"
Chen Xiao Mi looked at the villagers who followed Grandma Lu here and said, "The villagers of Big Stone Village, I'll pay anyone who is willing to carry Grandma Lu away from my shop 200 cents!"
Tang looked at Chen Xiao Mi and asked with alertness, "What do you want to do?"
Chen Xiao Mi pursed his lips and said, "I'm just worried about Grandma Lu's health, she is too old to do this I could see that Grandma Lu now is a bit senile, what she said doesn't make sense anymore. It's better that she goes home and rests.
The villagers gazed at each other in speechless despair, and one of them broke the silence, "Brother Xiao Mi, are you really going to pay us 200 cents?"
People in the village would only get 20 cents per day as a casual worker. Two hundred cents was already worth more than ten days of income. Quite a few of them were tempted when Chen Xiao Mi said it was as much as 200 cents.
Chen Xiao Mi smiled, "Of course, I'm a man of my word."
On hearing that, the villagers surrounded Grandma Lu and said, "Grandma Lu, no need to create a disturbance like this, let's just go back to the village."
Grandma Lu looked at the villagers and asked excitedly, "What do you want to do?"
"Old Madam, you have married Brother Lin into the Chen Family, Brother Lin has every right to do whatever he wants."
"Yeah! You are the one who has sold Brother Lin!"
…
A few people stepped forward and pulled Grandma Lu away.
Chen Xiao Mi smiled and winked at Qin Lang. Qin Lang immediately took out a wallet and paid them. The men collected the money and walked Grandma Lu to the ox-cart.
Grandma Lu kept shouting and screaming as the villagers checked her and walked her to the ox-cart.
The villagers who took money from Q in Lang asked the owner of the ox-cart to leave right away, leaving Tang alone at the store. Tang looked around and left crestfallen.
…
Grandma Lu who was checked by the villagers arrived home cursing and shouting. Lu Cheng Yu knew that Chen Xiao Mi was a rebel, but little did he expect Chen Xiao Mi would come up with such a solution.
"Damx that Bio!" Grandma Lu cursed Chen Xiao Mi after he gave her this terrible humiliation.
Tang did not expect Chen Xiao Mi to come up with this trick, either. The villagers who followed them to town got 200 cents each, but she and her mother-in-law ended up getting nothing but this burning shame.
Lu Cheng Yu's face was livid and he felt indignant on hearing the villagers betrayed them over 200 cents!
Grandma Lu looked at Lu Cheng Yu and said excitedly, "Cheng Yu! We can't just let it go! Chen Xiao Mi is too arrogant. You have to think of a way to get back at him!"
Grandma Lu's face was dark with rage when she saw all the items on display in Lu Lin's store!
Grandma Lu had been to town before, but at that time, she thought that commercial house belonged to the Big Boss. Now she was just mad jealous that both the store and the products belonged to Lu Lin and Chen Xiao Mi.
Lu Cheng Yu just shook his head helplessly, there was nothing he could do.
Tang said sullenly, "The villagers who took money from Chen Xiao Mi have gone too far!"
Tang asked the villagers to follow them to boost their courage, little did she expect those people would betray them.
There were people in the village who were renting Granny Shen's field, and people who were welling embroidery products, mountain specialties, vegetables, and rice to the Sino Commercial House. The truth was no one wanted to offend Chen Xiao Mi and Lu Lin.
Some villagers who had accompanied Grandma Lu had even hidden away when they arrived at the store.
Grandma Lu said angrily, "A bunch of cowards!"
There were five villagers who took money from Chen Xiao Mi, each of them got 200 cents, that was one tael of silver in total.
Grandma Lu turned furious on thinking that Chen Xiao Mi would rather spend 1 tael of silver to see her lose face than give that silver to her.
Here Comes the Village Head
Zhang Lin Sheng looked at Zhang Da Hu with a wretched face, "Da Hu, you and some villagers checked Grandma Lu and forced her to ox-cart?"
Zhang Da Hu nodded and said smugly, "Yeah!"
Zhang Da Hu couldn't help but recall the feeling when he got 200 cents from Qin Lang, 'It was such an amazing feeling! I earned 200 cents just like that!'
No wonder rumor had it that Chen Xiao Mi was the boss of Sino Commercial House! He was so generous!
This money was too easy to earn. If Grandma Lu went to town a few times a month, he could make a decent amount of money from that. How he wished Grandma Lu could make a few more scenes!
Zhang Lin Sheng sighed and said, "Grandma Lu is not young. What if something happens to her when you guys tackle her?"
Zhang Da Hu pulled a long face, "Father, I'm not stupid. I won't do it if I'm alone! The few of us worked together when we got her. Some of us grabbed her feet and others grabbed her hands, don't worry, father, we knew what we were doling. On a serious note though, father, that Grandma Lu is hale and hearty, I don't think anyone can hurt her."
Zhang Lin Sheng glared at Zhang Da Hu. "The thing is Lu Cheng Yu is a Xiucai now. We better not offend him!"
"So what he is a Xiucai? There's nothing he can do to us," Zhang Da Hu said disdainfully.
Zhang Da Hu thought about t the Sino Commercial House and thought to himself, 'Da Hu has a point, a poor Xiucai cannot be compared with the shopkeeper of such a big store! It is said that even servants working in commercial house could eat meat from time to time, not to mention Chen Xiao Mi and Lu Lin. That couple is very influential in town now.'
Zhang Lin Sheng thought about it and said, "That's right."
"Father, 200 cents, it's enough to buy a few kilograms of meat. Chen Da Li wanted to make this money as well, but this guy was too timid. He kept sizing up the situation when Chen Xiao Mo made the offer, it was already too late for him when he finally made up his mind," Zhang Da Hu grinned when he said that, revealing his giant white teeth.
Zhang Da Hu had always been the 'gang leader' of his circle, he was a tall and strong boy, all of his friends tended to respect him as their leader.
Zhang Lin Sheng nodded and said, "That's right, there were too many people who were involved in tackling Grandma Lu. No way can the Lu family get to the bottom of it. Plus that 200 cents is indeed easy money."
Zhang Da Hu nodded then he looked a bit confused, "Father, do you think what the Lu family said is true? The Sino Commercial House really belongs to Lu Lin and Chen Xiao Mi? Lu Lin made up the whole story that there was a Big Boss in case the Lus and the Chens sponged off them?"
"Who knows, but no one has seen that Big Boss. It's really hard to say if the story is true," Zhang Lin Sheng said.
"I heard from people in the village that not only Chen Xiao Mi, but Chen Xiao Cai also bought a house in town. That Shen Chi who married Chen Xiao Cai is really a lucky Bio."
Zhang Lin Sheng thought to himself, 'Sino Commercial House has been very popular these years! There are also a lot of merchants who travel across the country to purchase products from them. Of course they had already made a fortune, buying a house in town is a piece of cake for them! Unlike us villagers, we can't afford a property in town with our lifetime savings.'
…
Grandma Lu'sincident had provoked much discussion among the villagers, naturally it had reached the Chen family's ears.
Grandma Chen had been eager for some action since she found out Lu Lin and Chen Xiao Mi actually owned the. Grandma Lu was just more restless and beat her to it.
Grandma Chen was thrilled to hear that Chen Xiao Mi had made a fool of Grandma Lu, but she soon felt sorry for herself, she was afraid she would get the same treatment if she visited the store without careful consideration.
Grandma Chen pondered over the whole thing, she knew Chen Xiao Mi very well, she had zero confidence that Chen Xiao Mi would treat her with respect.
"The people in this village really listen to that unfilial brat! Money talks!" Grandma Chen said in a depressed tone.
"Two hundred cents is not a small amount, you can buy a basket of eggs with 200 cents, of course people would do it, that's a no-brainer," Grandpa Chen said.
There were 5 villagers who got the money, they had earned 1 tale of silver altogether.
Grandma Chen said sullenly, "This guy has money now. He just spends money like water!"
Chen Jing was flustered. When he was studying in town, he envied the rich maters who squandered money like dust, he dreamed of that lifestyle as well. Little did he expect that Chen Xiao Mi was leading that lifestyle already.
"Old Lu, do you have any ideas?" Grandma Lu asked unwillingly.
Grandpa Lu replied unhappily, "Don't ask me, I don't have any ideas."
Grandpa Lu was seized with remorse, he wished he had treated Chen Xiao Mi better. He wished Chen Xiao Mi would respect him as a grandfather and buy him stuff, then he was full of complaints about Chen Jing who accomplished nothing.
…
In Zhang Family.
Zhang Cheng puffed away on his pipe, as if deep in thought with a frown.
"Father, why were the Lus here?"
Zhang Cheng said lightly, "For Lu Lin's matter, they insisted the Sino Commercial House belonged to Lu Lin and Chen Xiao Mi, I find that hard to believe!"
Zhang Jin thought for a moment and said, "I heard about that too. Grandma Lu said that the deed was under Chen Xiao Mi's name, she swore on her life about that."
Grandma Lu said she heard it from Lu Cheng Yu, who should have heard the news from the Secretary-General. That should be correct then. Everything started to make sense now. Chen Xiao Mi and Lu Lin enjoyed absolute authority in the the Sino Commercial House, they got to decide how many employees they were going to hire, who to hire, how much their pays were… ….
It had been a few years since Lu Lin and Chen Xiao Mi came back to the village together, why? Because they were leading such a great life in their own property in town!
Zhang Cheng murmured, "Chen Xiao Mi actually has such a big commercial house in town."
Zhang Jin thought for a moment and said, "Sino Commercial House should have a profit of several hundred taels of silver per year." It was not Zhang Jin who came up with this number, it was the villagers.
Zhang Cheng took a deep breath and said, "So much! money" Although Zhang Cheng was the Village Head, they were still peasants who made a living by farming. Zhang Cheng couldn't help but make a gasp when he found out that there was such a big tycoon hidden among the villagers.
Zhang Jin said sullenly, "This Chen Xiao Mi is really lowkey!"
Over the past few years, a Big Boss like him had always been mistaken as an employee, but he had never made any explanation.
"Why did the Lus visit you though?" asked Zhang Jin.
Zhang Cheng said lightly, "They wanted me to patch things up between them and Lu Lin."
Zhang Jin shook his head and said, "I'm afraid it won't be easy. Father, don't forget that Lu Lin almost died when Grandma Lu forced him to marry Chen Xiao Mi."
Zhang Cheng seemed to think otherwise, "Isn't that all in the past? Besides, if the Lu family hadn't forced him to Chen Xiao Mi, Lu Lin wouldn't be able to enjoy his life as much."
Zhang Jin looked at Zhang Cheng, shaking his head in despair. He knew how much his father wanted to be a great Vilage Head. Seeing how established Chen Xiao Mi now was, he wanted to convince Chen Xiao Mi to help out the villagers, but the thing was some villagers could be really ungrateful! Think about what happened to Chen Ding, the Clan Leader of the Chen Clan, Grandma Chen kept complaining that Chen Ding had taken a kickback from selling Chen Xiao Mi's house. Chen Ding fell ill from those slanderous rumors.
"Lu Lin is married into the Chen Family now, so he has no obligation to support the Lus financially," Zhang Jin said.
Zhang Cheng shook his head and said, "If Lu Cheng Yu has the money to prepare for the provincial exam and travel to the provincial capital for the exam, our entire village will be honored. I think I should talk to Lu Lin and ask him to support Lu Cheng Yu in finding a better school."
"Father, did the Lu family tell you they want this from Lu Lin?" Zhang Jin asked unhappily.
Zhang Cheng smiled awkwardly and said, "That's not the point, son. If Lu Cheng Yu can pass the exam, it will be good for the village. Besides, Lu Lin is just so rich now."
Zhang Jin shook his head, "Lu Lin hasn't been in contact with the Lu family for so many years. It's obvious that he doesn't want to have anything to do with that family."
Zhang Jin didn't like it that the Lu family kept dragging his father into this.
…
In Sino Commercial House.
"Xiao Mi Ge, you're amazing! You managed to brush that annoying Grandma Chen like a fly!" Zhang Rui said.
Chen Xiao Mi waved his hand and said, "There's one thing I've learned over the past few years, things will be easier for you as long as you have money."
Two hundred cents was no small amount for the villagers. 'When a high reward is offered, brave fellows are bound to come forward.' Chen Xiao Mi was confident that he could turn Grandma Chen out of doors.
Zhang Rui nodded and said, "That is so true! I do have a question, Xiao Mi Ge, would Lin Ge get upset? That's his grandmother after all."
"No, not at all." Chen Xiao Mi thought to himself, 'Lu Lin is a different person, the Lu family has nothing to do with him.'
Zhang Rui hesitated for a moment, he scratched his head and said, "Lin Ge, he is… he is the head of the family after all."
Chen Xiao Mi glanced at Zhang Rui and knew Zhang Rui meant well, but there were some things he couldn't explain.
"Lu Lin, he's different, we are always on the same page."
Zhang Rui walked into the backyard and saw Lu Lin who was sketching. The rocking chairs and rocking horses were all designed by Lu Lin. Seeing how focused Lu Lin was, Zhang Rui knew that Lu Lin was designing something new.
"Lin Ge, are you busy?" Zhang Rui asked.
Lu Lin glanced at Zhang Rui and said, "I'm all right, you wanna talk?"
"Lin Ge, you lied to me! You told me you were not the boss!" Zhang Rui said sullenly.
Zhang Rui scratched his head. Previously, he had said that Lu Lin didn't look like a boss, and he didn't know if Lu Lin had taken it the wrong way.
Lu Lin smiled and said, "I didn't lie, technically, I'm really not the boss. Your Xiao Mi Ge is."
Zhang Rui was speechless, "Lin Ge, does it make any difference whether the deed is under your name or Xiao Mi Ge's name?"
Lu Lin smiled and said, "There are still some differences."