Chapter 34: The Shock of the Parents

Time flies like an arrow, and another busy day has passed.

In the afternoon, after reviewing the statistics, Xia Yu was very satisfied.

The total distribution had reached 270,000 copies, with a new high of 180,000 copies taken by major newspaper stands, which was 20,000 more than yesterday.

Moreover, Xia Yu estimated that the influence of Jin Yong's recommendation had not yet fully spread. In the coming days, the boost from Ming Pao alone would continuously increase the sales of Jiuding Daily.

After sharing the data with the employees again, boosting their sense of honor and belonging to the company, Xia Yu announced the end of the workday.

Then, he picked up the well-organized Ming Pao and the recent issues of Jiuding Daily, took out 20,000 Hong Kong dollars from HSBC, and headed home.

Once home, Xia Yu tutored his younger siblings briefly before dinner.

As dinner was nearing its end, Xia Yu stopped his father, who was about to leave the table, and, under his parents' puzzled gaze, took out a stack of newspapers.

Seeing Xia Yu's unusual action, Xia Dahai asked, "A Yu, what's going on?"

Hearing Xia Dahai's question, Xia Mu Chen Mei also looked over, and even the younger siblings watched Xia Yu curiously.

Xia Yu smiled and said, "Yes, I have good news to share with you."

Upon hearing it was good news, Xia Dahai became interested but looked a bit hesitant, unsure how to handle the newspapers.

Realizing his father's hesitation, Xia Yu recalled that due to the family's poor financial situation when he was young, his parents had not received much education and could barely read, making it almost impossible for them to understand newspapers. Xia Dahai had never bought a newspaper.

"Dad, let me read it to you!" Xia Yu immediately said.

"Okay, okay." Xia Dahai responded cheerfully.

Then, Xia Yu began to read the commentary written by Jin Yong.

It wasn't long before Xia Yu finished reading, and Xia Dahai and Chen Mei were both puzzled, unsure of the purpose of Xia Yu's reading.

They knew Jin Yong, though they had never bought a newspaper due to their cultural level. They had heard others talk about him, and Xia Yu had always liked Jin Yong's books as a child. There was a copy of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" on Xia Yu's bedside table, so they knew who Jin Yong was.

Of course, Xia Dahai also heard a frequently mentioned term from Xia Yu's reading: "Xun Qin Ji," which he recognized as a novel, and he understood that Jin Yong had praised this book highly.

In addition, Xia Yu's name appeared in the text, closely related to "Xun Qin Ji," indicating that the author of this novel was Xia Yu himself.

But why was Xia Yu reading this to them?

Xia Dahai and Chen Mei couldn't connect their son with Jin Yong's praise. They had never known their son had written a novel and only thought the name was a coincidence.

Xia Ming, on the other hand, understood immediately. His face was filled with excitement as he looked at Xia Yu with admiration.

Though their parents didn't know "Xun Qin Ji," Xia Ming did. It was his brother's novel. Every day he waited for his brother to finish writing so he could read it. How could he not be familiar with it?

He was astonished that the novel his brother wrote had been published and praised by the martial arts master Jin Yong. He was so excited he could barely contain himself.

His brother was amazing!

Seeing his parents' puzzled expressions, Xia Ming wanted to reveal that "Xun Qin Ji" was written by his brother. However, since he had promised his brother not to tell, he first looked at his brother Xia Yu. After receiving a nod, he excitedly said, "Dad, Mom, 'Xun Qin Ji' is written by my brother! The Xia Yu praised by Jin Yong is my brother!"

What?!

The "Xun Qin Ji" praised by Jin Yong was actually written by their eldest son Xia Yu?

And the young genius praised by Jin Yong was also their son Xia Yu?

Impossible!

Xia Dahai and Chen Mei's eyes widened in shock. They could not believe that their eldest son, who had always been their pride, was the one praised by Jin Yong.

"Yes, Mom and Dad, this novel was written by me," Xia Yu said with a smile, nodding.

"Look, it has been serialized in the newspaper for several issues." Xia Yu then lifted the recent issues of Jiuding Daily in his hand and handed them to his younger brother Xia Ming for confirmation, as their parents might not recognize the newspapers.

Xia Ming took the newspapers from his brother and quickly spotted the novel "Xun Qin Ji" on them. He cheerfully said, "Dad, Mom, it's true. It's right here in the newspaper!"

"Let me see, let me see." Xia Dahai's face lit up with joy. He took the newspaper from his youngest son and started flipping through it. Although he didn't recognize many of the words, he didn't care. As long as he knew it was his son's novel published in the newspaper, that was enough.

Seeing the genuine happiness on his parents' faces, Xia Yu couldn't help but smile. This kind of smile was very familiar to him. In his previous life, whenever he received an honor like being named an excellent student, his parents would show this exact expression.

"Good, good, good! My son's novel is in the newspaper, and even Jin Yong says it's good. Our family will have a great literary talent. Just as the master said, my son is indeed a literary star descended from heaven! Haha!" Xia Dahai laughed heartily, his eyes becoming moist as he looked at Xia Yu with pride.

Chen Mei, beside him, was continuously wiping her tears but had a joyful smile on her face. Her gaze towards Xia Yu was full of happiness. She was genuinely pleased that her son had achieved success.

Seeing his parents' expressions, Xia Yu felt a bit of a lump in his throat. He couldn't help but blink his eyes, trying not to let the tears fall.

At this moment, Xia Yu remembered he had brought some money home. He stood up and told his parents before going to his room. He then took out a black bag, placed it on the table, and opened it, revealing two stacks of money.

Chen Mei almost let out a scream but quickly covered her mouth. Xia Ming and Xia Xiaomei stared at the two stacks of money with wide eyes.

Finally, Xia Dahai regained his composure but was still astonished as he looked at Xia Yu and asked, "A Yu, what's going on here?"

"Mom and Dad, don't overthink it. This 20,000 Hong Kong dollars is my earnings from writing the novel," Xia Yu quickly explained.

"Really?" Xia Dahai swallowed hard, still in shock.

"Absolutely true. I wouldn't lie to you," Xia Yu assured, though he felt a bit guilty for deceiving his parents. But to prevent them from worrying, he had to tell this harmless lie.

"Why is there so much money? Can writing novels make that much money?" Chen Mei asked anxiously.

"It's true. This is just the first payment. As long as I keep writing, there will be more in the future," Xia Yu said with a smile.

"Good, good! My son is amazing! Hahaha!" Xia Dahai laughed excitedly again.

"Don't laugh so loudly. We don't want anyone overhearing. I'll put the money away for now and save it for when A Yu gets married," Chen Mei scolded the laughing Xia Dahai, then nervously secured the bag, fearing someone might discover and take the money.

"A Ming, Xiao Mei, you must not tell anyone about this money, understand?" Chen Mei instructed her younger children.

"Mm, don't worry, Mom. We won't say anything," Xia Ming and Xia Xiaomei nodded quickly.

Although they were young, children from poor families mature quickly, and they knew not to let others find out about the money, or it could lead to trouble.

"Mom, use this money as you like. More will come in a while. Buy some good food for A Ming and Xiao Mei to supplement their health. You should also enjoy it. Don't worry about money in the future. I'll work hard to earn more," Xia Yu said with a smile.

"Okay." Hearing her eldest son's words, Chen Mei looked at her husband and saw him nodding. She hesitated but agreed after her husband and son both expressed their views.

"By the way, Mom and Dad, I'll be quite busy for a while. The Jiuding Daily is run by someone else and me. I also need to work at the newspaper office, so I will only come back at night," Xia Yu said again.

He still didn't mention quitting school immediately since the school year hadn't started yet. He wanted his parents to gradually adjust before bringing it up. By the time he did, his parents would probably have no objections.

Meanwhile, he used the opportunity to explain the newspaper business, as the news of Jiuding Daily being his might eventually reach his parents. It was better to give them a heads-up now, so they wouldn't be too shocked later.

However, to avoid startling his parents too much, he had phrased it as running the newspaper with someone else. This was more convincing and would avoid complications if they asked about the source of the funds.

"You're running a newspaper with someone else?" Xia Dahai asked again, already somewhat numb from the shocks his son had given him tonight.

"Yes. I invested in the newspaper with this

 money. I'll use the funds to buy newspapers and write articles," Xia Yu said, nodding.

"Alright, alright." Xia Dahai and Chen Mei were convinced, knowing that their son had a future. They felt relieved that they could finally see their son's success.

With his parents and siblings now fully aware, Xia Yu went to bed early, preparing for a busy day tomorrow.

That night, he stayed up for a while, reflecting on his life and considering his next steps. He was determined to make the most of this opportunity and achieve his goals.

As he lay in bed, Xia Yu quietly thought to himself:

"From now on, I must work harder and achieve more. I'll make sure not to let my family down."

The night passed quickly, and the next morning, Xia Yu set off for the newspaper office with renewed determination.