"Think it over. My job here isn't easy or comfortable either. You might be able to find a more stable job in Shanghai that requires physical labor."
"I've made up my mind, I'll go with you."
Li Guaizi was convinced that Chen Ke had made a fortune and was determined to follow him.
Chen Ke nodded. "Alright, I'll have Li Gang take you to the hospital to get your face checked first. It's not good for your wound to be exposed like this."
Li Guaizi had long wanted to find a doctor to get his wound bandaged, but he was penniless and could only put it off. When he heard Chen Ke's words, he readily agreed and was very grateful to Chen Ke.
After Li Guaizi left, Chen Ke used an antique printer to print out the mother-of-pearl inlaid rosewood five-stringed pipa he had seen at Matsumoto's place, and began to think about how to exchange it for the real one.
Li Guaizi didn't leave the hospital until the afternoon. The reason was that Li Guaizi's wound had become somewhat inflamed, and the doctor had to remove the surrounding necrotic tissue before suturing and bandaging it, which took quite a while.
Chen Ke looked puzzled as Li Gang helped Li Guaizi out of the car. Wasn't his face injured? How come his leg was also injured after going to the hospital?
Hearing Chen Ke's question, Li Gang said with a helpless expression, "He needed stitches on his face, but when the doctor gave him anesthesia, he insisted on getting it in his buttocks. The doctor had no choice but to give him general anesthesia... That's why he still can't put any weight on his legs."
Chen Ke: ""
"Alright, stop helping him down. Just take him back to my place to rest."
“Damn it, this is real stuff…! Damn it!” Li Guaizi slurred, his words barely audible.
"Sir, what did he say?"
Li Guaizi: "I'm all for the good stuff!"
Chen Ke waved his hand dismissively, "Never mind what he says, just take him back to rest, and buy him some clothes on the way." Chen Ke didn't even want to ask Li Guaizi why he insisted on getting injections in his buttocks.
Even a fool could guess that the nurse giving the injection was probably pretty.
After Li Gang left with Li Guaizi, Chen Ke also closed the shop. He was going home for dinner that night, as he had arranged with Song Xiaowen beforehand. Since it was a public holiday, Zhou Shanhuai and Chen Zhuo were both at home.
After picking up the hairy crabs he had ordered in advance by rickshaw and buying a pot of Shaoxing wine, Chen Ke finally returned home.
When he got home, he ran into Chen Zhuo, who was returning from outings. Chen Zhuo saw that he was riding in a rickshaw and smirked, "You've gone bankrupt so quickly that you can only afford to ride in a rickshaw now?"
Instead of answering, Chen Ke asked, "Where did you come from? Aren't you going to class today?"
"Do I need to report to you where I'm going? What? Did you suddenly remember I'm your brother and suddenly feel like showing concern?"
Chen Ke pushed open the iron gate and looked at the boy outside with his hands in his pockets. He said calmly, "I'm just afraid that girl yesterday was deceived by your appearance."
Chen Zhuo's face instantly turned cold. At this moment, Chen Ke's gaze made him feel like he had nowhere to hide, as if Chen Ke had seen through his every move.
She might already be mocking him in her heart. Look, they were born of the same mother and have the same blood flowing through their veins. One is selfish and vicious, so how could the other be so noble and innocent? He's always condescending and judging him, but in the end, he's just a despicable person who wants to use women to achieve his goals.
Chen Ke was unaware that his words had already stirred up a storm in Chen Zhuo's mind. He kindly reminded Chen Zhuo, "That little girl's brother is no pushover. Don't think that everyone in his family is as easy to fool as that little girl."
After Chen Ke finished speaking, he went straight inside without waiting for Chen Zhuo's reaction.
Meanwhile, Song Xiaowen and Zhou Shanhuai, who were lying behind the door, hurriedly got up.
As soon as Chen Ke touched the doorknob, the door opened from the inside.
"Oh dear, I told you Chen Ke had arrived, but you didn't believe me." Song Xiaowen said, as if the door opening was a very coincidental event.
Chen Ke saw through it but didn't say anything. He held up the hairy crabs and rice wine in his hand and said, "Let's try some hairy crabs today. I also bought some rice wine. Mom can have a small cup tonight too."
"Alright, alright, come in, come in quickly." After welcoming Chen Ke inside, Song Xiaowen feigned surprise at discovering that Chen Zhuo had also returned. "Chen Zhuo? Oh, you're back too. What a coincidence! Why are you standing there without coming in? Come in quickly."
After the two entered the room, Song Xiaowen patted her chest with a look of lingering fear and glared at Zhou Shanhuai, "Look at you, you idiot! What use are you? Humph, Chen Ke almost found out we were eavesdropping on their conversation. Seriously, this family will fall apart sooner or later without me!"
After saying that, Song Xiaowen stormed into the house, leaving Zhou Shanhuai completely bewildered.
Who exactly dragged him to eavesdrop?
The atmosphere at the dinner table was the best since the family reunion began. Chen Ke peeled a hairy crab for everyone, and when he handed the last one to Chen Zhuo, he didn't mock him but took the bowl and even said thank you, which was unusual for him.
Song Xiaowen and Zhou Shanhuai were stunned. They only reacted after Chen Ke said, "Mom and Dad, eat quickly, it won't taste good if it gets cold." They pretended to be nonchalant and lowered their heads to eat, but in reality, every cell in their bodies was observing the two brothers' every move.
To be honest, Chen Zhuo was a little surprised when he thanked Chen Ke, but he didn't think it was worth it for him to show it.
Song Xiaowen thought that Chen Zhuo's "thank you" was a sign that his attitude towards Chen Ke was softening, and he became even happier. He would occasionally tell some funny stories from their childhood to evoke their brotherly bond.
Little did they know that Chen Zhuoyue's eyes grew increasingly gloomy as he recounted his childhood memories.
But Song Xiaowen was already lost in her memories and couldn't pull herself out. "Do you remember that time when your dad took Chen Zhuo out to play, he bought him a piece of malt candy? He was just going to let him eat it for fun, but he put it in his pocket. When he came back, he found that it had all melted and his clothes were stuck together. When asked why he didn't eat it, he said he wanted to bring it back to eat with his brother."
Chen Zhuo was only five or six years old then. Because of malnutrition, he wasn't even as tall as the table at home. When this little boy earnestly said he wanted to save some for his older brother, oh my, my heart melted. I thought, how could there be such a sensible child?
As Song Xiaowen spoke, her gaze towards Chen Zhuo was filled with maternal warmth, as if she had automatically shrunk Chen Zhuo into a chibi version in her eyes.
But to Chen Zhuo, all of this was laughable evidence of his desperate attempts to please Chen Ke. This evidence was enough to show how naive and foolish he was back then, actually trying to please someone who wanted to sell him out!
She even tried to get a little bit of care and affection from him.
The only person present who could understand Chen Zhuo was probably Chen Ke, so he subtly changed the subject, "Mom, why don't we hire a maid back?"
"I want to join the army," Chen Zhuo and Chen Ke said at the same time.
However, Chen Zhuo's words were far more shocking than Chen Ke's. Now, not only Song Xiaowen and Zhou Shanhuai, but even Chen Ke looked at him.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
