Chen Yuan's trust came out of nowhere.

Gu An'an stared blankly at the young man with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes. So what was the reason for your question just now?

That doesn't make sense.

Chen Yuan looked at the confused person and said, "Abei is spoiled by her family, Manager Gu, please don't mind her."

"Chen Bei is a good person; he just wants more attention from his parents and family."

These words made Chen Yuan frown. "What?"

"Doesn't the young general find it strange? Chen Bei has never worn women's clothing during his time in Anping County."

The messenger told him about this.

“Anping is just a small county town, how can it be compared with Anzhou Prefecture? Chen Bei was born into wealth but never looked down on this place, because he could be of use here. Playing chess with his son and teaching his daughter to play the zither, he felt that he was useful.”

Gu An'an chuckled softly, "But in the prefectural government, he's just a good-for-nothing young master. He has an older brother who is both scholarly and martial, a role model for everyone, and he's naturally not as good at winning their parents' favor as his twin sister. I'm not saying your sister has a problem, it's just that parents naturally treat their children differently."

Although she treated Jiang Mingyi and Jiang Mingzhu equally, there were some differences in the details.

For example, she had never seen Jiang Mingyi act coquettishly towards her.

But Jiang Mingzhu is different.

Chen Yuan frowned. "What kind of man acts like a child when he's being spoiled by his parents?"

As expected.

Not everyone is as open-minded as Jiang Yong'an.

The prevailing notion is that a man should act like a man, dying on the battlefield and then wielding power in the imperial court.

Women, on the other hand, were confined to their boudoirs and bound by traditional etiquette.

If it were someone else, it wouldn't matter, but Gu An'an wasn't a native of ancient times, so she didn't care about such things.

Of course, there's no need to say these things to the person in front of me; if I did, he'd probably just accuse me of "talking nonsense."

"why are you laughing."

Chen Yuan felt somewhat uncomfortable. The smile of the person in front of him made him feel very uncomfortable, as if his words were ridiculous.

"Nothing, General Chen. Is there anything else? If not, I have to go about my business."

Chen Yuan frowned at this eagerness to leave. "Am I some kind of monster that you're avoiding me like the plague?"

Since they didn't see eye to eye, Gu An'an naturally didn't want to say anything more to Chen Yuan.

"The kitchen is really quite busy..."

"Is this enough?"

The silver ingot slammed onto the table. Gu An'an looked at the young man with a displeased expression and laughed, "If everyone were as generous as General Chen, why would I have to work so hard every day?"

The person sitting there had a smile on their face, but Chen Yuan could detect a hint of sarcasm in their words.

But with that person's smiling face, even if he wanted to get angry, he couldn't find a way to do it.

It turned out to be a slippery loach, which really made me furious.

"Manager Gu certainly has a sharp tongue."

Gu An'an looked at the barely suppressed anger, but she was still furious.

"What else does General Chen want to say to me?"

Looking at the person who reached out and took the silver, Chen Yuan felt that she was nothing more than a greedy, vulgar woman from the marketplace.

"Go on."

Just now?

Gu An'an remembered that Chen Yuan felt a man should act like a man.

"Chen Bei was respectful to his parents and friendly to his older siblings. However, with such outstanding individuals in front of him, this young man of the Chen family was somewhat lacking. His parents did not have high expectations for him. While it was good not to put pressure on their child, they also neglected their youngest son. The more trouble he caused, the more attention he attracted from his parents. But he had been studying, reading, and being polite since childhood. How could he do something that would harm himself or others? In the end, he resorted to unorthodox methods, but unexpectedly, this aroused his parents' disgust."

Chen Yuan couldn't help but frown. "When did his parents ever dislike him?"

"No?" Gu An'an apologized verbally, but there was no trace of remorse on her face. "If I may ask, how often does General Chen come home?"

I go back to visit my parents every month.

"Has Prefect Chen considered the young general's martial arts and military strategy?"

"That's natural."

"Oh." Gu An'an chuckled. "Prefect Chen last considered Chen Bei's essay three years ago."

Chen Yuan's brows furrowed almost into a deep frown. "Father is just..." busy with official duties.

However, none of these reasons could convince myself.

Father and mother were very loving. Father would eat with Mother every day. How could he not have time to ask Abei a few questions?

He has time, of course; he just doesn't want to.

"While Chen Bei certainly has his own faults and deserves to be blamed, I think it's also worth discussing whether Prefect Chen and Madam Xie, as parents, truly fulfilled their responsibilities."

Customers were coming and going next door, and Xiao You and Xiao Wu were shuttling back and forth.

The shop was bustling and lively, but Chen Yuan felt a chill and loneliness all around him.

Because he realized that what the person in front of him said was indeed true.

Whenever he returned home and mentioned Abei, his father would always say, "Don't mention him anymore."

What he never expected was that his father hadn't considered Abei's academic performance for two years.

This means that the youngest son of the Chen family is destined not to inherit the family business; his parents only wish for him to be a wealthy idler.

Yet they were conflicted, neglecting their youngest son because he wasn't good enough.

Suddenly, the truth was laid bare before his eyes, leaving Chen Bei feeling as if he had been struck by lightning. After a long while, the commander of the Anling Three Prefectures' military forces, the youngest general of the Daye Dynasty, finally stood up and bowed to Gu An'an, saying, "Thank you for your guidance, Manager Gu."

"General Chen, you are too kind." However, she did not move her seat. "Madam Xie is kind and generous, and Chen Bei is also a kind and innocent man. My son and daughter have received a lot of help from him. If I can do something for him, I will be very happy to do so."

The woman sitting there was still the same money-grubbing, street-smart woman. However, this young woman looked to be under the age of 30, and her pretty face was always beaming with smiles, as if nothing could annoy her.

He was indeed annoyed, but as the eldest son of the prefect of Anzhou and the commander of the military forces of Anling and the three prefectures, what could she do even if he humiliated her with money?

An egg never hits a stone.

Even the greatest humiliation can only be swallowed down.

Looking into those clear eyes, Chen Yuan felt a sudden surge of shame.

He took a deep breath. "I was very rude just now. I hope Manager Gu won't take it to heart."

Gu An'an was surprised to hear this, "What offense? General Chen, are you referring to this ingot of silver? It's alright, money makes things easier."

Earlier, Chen Yuan would have just sneered in his heart, thinking, "What a worthless good-for-nothing who only cares about money." But now he felt that this Manager Gu was an extremely shrewd person.

"I don't like being humiliated."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yuan's heart skipped a beat. Then he heard the slow, deliberate voice say, "But if you want to humiliate me with money, as long as there's enough silver, go ahead."