Parents’ Arrival

Early the next morning, Chen Pingsheng drove his Panamera, taking the whole family to watch the flag-raising ceremony at Tiananmen Square.

For his father's generation, the flag-raising ceremony carried special significance.

Watching their homeland grow more prosperous and powerful, tears welled up in their eyes.

This was perfectly understandable. For people born in the '80s like him, apart from the occasional hardship, life had been relatively smooth. After all, by then, the country had already embarked on economic reform and opening up.

His grandfather's generation, however, had a vastly different experience.

During the Japanese invasion, his grandfather had to hide in a haystack and was even stabbed a few times by enemy soldiers.

According to his grandfather, he was just inches away from dying in that massacre. The fact that he survived was nothing short of luck.

Reality isn't a TV drama. When the enemy invaded villages, no matter how the young men fought back, they were shot down one by one.

It was a scene too gruesome to bear.

Even now, a memorial stands in their hometown to commemorate the massacre.

Growing up, Chen Pingsheng watched a lot of war dramas. Not because he was particularly interested in them, but because his parents loved watching the Japanese get beaten.

It didn't matter if the scenes were exaggerated—what mattered was seeing the enemy suffer.

Now that the country was at peace and thriving, it was all thanks to the sacrifices of those before them, who fought against tanks and warplanes with nothing but their bodies and rifles.

Watching the flag rise, Chen Jianjun instinctively raised his hand in a standard military salute.

It was both a tribute to the past and a salute to those who came before.

Most of his grandfather's generation had died resisting the invaders, including his great-uncles and many other older relatives.

For those who never lived through that history, it was hard to truly comprehend its brutality.

Compared to that, enduring a bit of hunger was nothing—just having a full meal was already a blessing.

After the ceremony, Chen Pingsheng took his family to visit the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, and other iconic sites in Beijing.

The older generation loved these historical landmarks.

For lunch, they went to the famous Quanjude to enjoy Beijing's signature roast duck.

By the end of the day, they were more exhausted than after a full day of work.

At around four in the afternoon, they finally drove home.

A family gathering had already been planned for that evening—an official housewarming celebration.

Liu Fen and Song Huamin arrived early, and when Peng Ying and Chen Jianjun received them, they were extremely polite.

After all, during the wedding, Song Yanxi didn't take a single cent in dowry and even brought in an additional 100,000 as a wedding gift.

Her health had suffered since she was young, and constant hospital visits had drained the family's savings.

But now, seeing her son doing so well, even her illnesses seemed to be improving.

Liu Fen, on the other hand, was even more courteous—because, let's be honest, this son-in-law had now become a hot commodity.

If he ever got divorced, he could easily find an 18-year-old bride.

There's a saying: before thirty, a son depends on his father; after thirty, a father depends on his son.

Now that her son was successful, even Chen Jianjun was treated with newfound respect.

This was the power of money.

When Zhang Tao arrived, he even brought a Huanghuali wood chair as a housewarming gift.

Since he couldn't think of anything else, he figured an executive chair would do.

Liu Jing gifted a luxury tea table worth over ten thousand.

Chen Hao and the others also brought high-end furniture.

Of course, since they were accepting gifts now, it meant they'd have to return the favor when others moved into new homes.

Song Yanxi and her mother-in-law, Peng Ying, prepared a feast: four hot pots and six home-style dishes.

In the summer heat, spicy crayfish was a must, along with Hunan-style chopped pepper fish head and stir-fried pork.

The table was packed with delicious dishes.

The family enjoyed a lively dinner together.

That evening, Chen Jianjun suggested hosting another banquet the next day at a restaurant, specifically inviting Song Yanxi's relatives.

Since his son had lived alone in Beijing for years, now that he was here, he wanted to properly thank her family.

Liu Fen was delighted at the idea.

Song Huamin, however, felt uneasy. He knew exactly what his in-law meant.

The truth was, in the six years Chen Pingsheng had been in Beijing, he had never received a shred of support from them—only cold stares.

Now that they were being invited, he couldn't help but feel guilty.

Chen Pingsheng himself didn't mind.

After all, his relationship with Song Yanxi was solid.

No matter how much indifference he had faced, his wife never once blamed him. In fact, she had even scolded her own relatives for their attitude toward him.

This gathering was a good opportunity to mend old ties.

Later that evening, after the dishes were cleared, Chen Qi pulled her brother aside.

"Be honest with me, bro—are you a billionaire now? Am I the sister of a billionaire?"

"What are you even thinking? Forget billions—I don't even have a million yet. I still owe two million on this house."

"Bro, that's unacceptable. You need to work harder and hit that billion mark as soon as possible!"

Chen Pingsheng: "..."

So I work hard, and you just sit back and relax?

"I swear, Chen Qi, what goes on in that little brain of yours?"

"I just want you to become a billionaire faster, that's all!"

She pulled him to sit under the old tree in the backyard.

"Bro, now that you have a house, a car, and financial security, aren't you losing some motivation?"

"Not at all! This is just the beginning. In Beijing, I'm still nothing—just an ant. But what about you? What's your plan for staying in Beijing?"

"I'll sell fruit with you. What else can I do? My education isn't great."

"Now you realize the importance of education?"

Chen Pingsheng shook his head.

"When you were in school, I kept telling you to study hard, but you never listened."

"Hah!" Chen Qi scoffed. "And when you were in school, didn't our eldest sister tell you the same thing? Did you listen?"

Classic. The eldest doesn't lecture the third, and the third doesn't lecture the fourth.

The whole family lacked academic genes.

Just look at little Chen Anan, wobbling around watching Teletubbies after dinner.

She had definitely inherited his "brilliant" genes—education might not be in her future.

He'd better buy her a few more rental properties instead. Living off rent didn't sound so bad.

Despite teasing him, Chen Qi genuinely admired her brother.

She had already made up her mind—tomorrow, she would talk to her sister-in-law about working at the fruit store.

She didn't need any special treatment—just starting as a stocker was fine.

Of course, if her brother wanted to set her up with an easy, well-paying job, she wouldn't complain.

After all, if she had a successful brother and didn't rely on him, wouldn't that be stupid?

The next afternoon, Chen Pingsheng booked a private dining room at a high-end restaurant.

It was meant to be a gathering for his wife's side of the family.

Since his parents had traveled all the way here, it would be inappropriate not to have a reunion.

At the table, the toasts kept flowing.

Suddenly, people who once ignored him were showering him with compliments.

Take his mother-in-law, Liu Fen, for example—she stood up and patted her chest with pride.

"The moment I first laid eyes on Pingsheng, I knew he would be successful!"

Chen Pingsheng was confused.

Was she really talking about him?

Liu Fen continued, "When he decided to move to Beijing, I was thrilled! Why? Because that's what you call a dragon crossing the river! A man like him was destined for greatness!"

"...Greatness through hardship," Song Huamin added awkwardly.

"Right! Hardship builds character! That's exactly why I didn't help him much after he moved to Beijing. I was offering spiritual support instead.

"Everything I did—it was all for his sake!"

Even Song Yanxi was speechless.

Her mother had once said that if Chen Pingsheng bought a house, she would kneel and apologize.

Now, she had preemptively rewritten history with a monologue.

Meanwhile, Song Wu, the little sister-in-law, sat there in utter embarrassment.

Her mother had managed to save herself—but had left her out to dry.

Her mother delivered a well-rehearsed speech with unwavering confidence, trying to clean up the mess. If she was getting herself to shore, she wasn't about to be left drowning alone.

Liu Fen even gave her a subtle kick—

Apologize when you need to, lower your pride when necessary.

She had to admit, the out-of-town son-in-law was no longer the same as before.