I really underestimated him. In the past, if I gave him a little kindness, he would have given me his heart. I never expected him to be so principled now, and he won't listen to either soft or hard approaches.
Old Mrs. Chen's eyes were red, and she was panting with anger. She glared fiercely at Chen Zhanshan, her palms itching to give him a couple of slaps to vent her anger.
But she dared not, after all, there was an official document severing ties with the family. If she were to lay a hand on someone, that brat would surely send her to the authorities when she returned.
Now that things have come to this, she knows that saying more is pointless, but she is unwilling to give up. Wouldn't it be a waste of her trip to leave empty-handed?
She turned her head and looked around.
Suddenly, my eyes lit up when I saw a plate of pastries on a table not far away.
She subconsciously swallowed, then had an idea.
That brat won't give me money, so let's give her these things as a token of our respect!
Old Mrs. Chen hurried to the table, picked up a piece and put it in her mouth, not forgetting to call out to Old Mr. Chen.
"Old man, don't just stand there like an idiot, come quickly, this stuff is delicious, much better than the big sesame seed cake."
Seeing this, Old Chen didn't care about anything else and went up to pick up a piece to eat. "Oh my, what is this? It's sweet and tastes really good. I'll have to eat more."
"Alright, you can have one first. We can save the rest for when we get home," said Grandma Chen, as she put all the pastries into her pocket.
Chen Zhanshan was both amused and exasperated by their actions.
A person without a face is invincible.
Even before the severing of ties, his parents were the same way. How come he didn't realize sooner how selfish and self-serving they were?
Looking back now, I realize how foolish I was.
Old Mrs. Chen's speed astonished Chen Zhanshan. The two of them were spitting as they spoke, their greasy, rumpled pockets contrasting sharply with their chapped, black hands.
He wanted to speak up and stop them, but if he got the snacks back, he wouldn't be able to eat them, so he thought better of it and decided to let them be.
At this point, only an empty plate remained on the table.
Grandma Chen was satisfied and glanced at Chen Zhanshan. "Old man, let's go."
"Alright, let's go home." Old Man Chen followed Old Woman Chen out, scurrying along, but couldn't help glancing into her pocket, licking his lips and clicking his tongue.
"Old woman, what was that thing I just ate called? It was my first time trying it. It melted in my mouth, so delicate and smooth, and it even had a faint floral fragrance. It was really good."
"Look how greedy you are, have some self-respect!" Old Mrs. Chen glared at him reproachfully. "Let me tell you, this thing is called osmanthus cake, and I heard it's quite expensive. So, was this trip worthwhile?"
"It was worth the trip, old woman, you're really something. I thought we'd have to slink away with our tails between our legs and be kicked out. Luckily, you have good eyesight and spotted this precious thing."
Grandma Chen said with a smug look, "That's right, luckily I reacted quickly. Look, we've got dinner sorted out for tonight, we'll eat it all in a bit."
"Don't be like that, old woman. This is a rare treat. Let's keep it and enjoy it slowly."
"Why keep it? Let's satisfy our craving for it first."
After finishing her sentence, Old Mrs. Chen sighed softly.
"Now I see it clearly, that bastard Chen Zhanshan is really living a comfortable life."
I thought being able to eat white rice every meal would be like living the life of a god, but who knew they were eating snacks every day?
There was even a huge plate on the table! It's not mealtime, so why put it on the table? Isn't that just showing off?
"Yes, old woman, if we can have snacks with every meal in the future, I will be content for the rest of my life."
Hearing what Old Man Chen said, Old Woman Chen rolled her eyes at him, clearly displeased.
"You, you're just a frog in a well, you've never seen the world, this thing is nothing!"
When our son returns after passing the imperial examination, this thing won't even be presentable.
The food and daily necessities we consume must be selected from the finest, if not one in ten thousand, then at least a thousand times the finest; even the pastries must be those presented as tribute from the imperial palace.
Old Chen scratched his head, "Oh dear, how much will that cost?"
"Look at your fussy, poor behavior! You don't even like it when I call you a blockhead or a slowpoke!"
Don't forget, back then our son was a high-ranking official everyone fawned over. People would try to pull strings, pull strings, and flatter him; he'd send them loads of food and other necessities by the truckload.
That's nothing compared to the countless boxes and boxes of real gold and silver, and countless antiques and paintings. Even the plates, bowls, and chopsticks we use for meals will have to be made of pure gold..."
Seeing that Old Mrs. Chen was completely absorbed in her imagination and was talking more and more incoherently, Old Mr. Chen quickly interrupted, "Alright, old woman, stop talking. Let's talk about the future later!"
"Okay, okay, I won't say anymore."
Old Mrs. Chen snapped out of her thoughts, patted her pocket, and looked smug.
"Old man, as long as you listen to me from now on, I'll make sure you get to eat this precious osmanthus cake every few days."
Old Chen was taken aback. "What do you mean by that?"
“That heartless Chen Zhanshan won’t give us money, so let’s go to their house every day. We won’t cry or make a fuss. If we see any food, no matter what it is, we’ll spit on it and stuff it in our mouths. Once we’re full, we’ll stuff it into our pockets. Let’s see if I don’t disgust them to death.”
"Your idea is not bad, but what if that heartless guy tries something underhanded and we end up getting a beating?"
“He wouldn’t dare! Don’t forget, we are the parents of a scholar. If they dare to lay a finger on us, we’ll immediately collapse and never get up. If he doesn’t give us thirty or fifty taels of silver, we’ll stay here and not leave.”
"Isn't this going a bit too far? What's the difference between this and being a scoundrel? What if they report it to the authorities or go to the village head? We won't be in the right." Old Man Chen quickly waved his hand.
Old Mrs. Chen rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Can't you speak properly? What do you mean by 'scoundrel'? Didn't I just say that we won't cry, make a scene, or hang ourselves? If they go to the village head, we'll just say we're visiting. Visiting isn't illegal. Are they going to eat us or chew us up?"
"Yes, yes, you're right, old woman. I'll listen to you."
"That's right. Let's go home and have some snacks."
Watching the two leave the courtyard, Chen Zhanshan shook his head helplessly and sighed.
At such an advanced age, to live like this without feeling any shame—it's true what they say, old habits die hard.
Hopefully, Chen Zhancai will achieve something in the future so that he can support these elderly people.
If it's really nothing but bullshit, they'll get their comeuppance one day.
Just as he was lost in thought, Madam Lin walked in from outside and asked a question as soon as she opened her mouth.
"Honey, I just saw that old couple walk out of our house. What were they doing there?"
Chen Zhanshan snapped out of his thoughts, shook his head and gave a wry smile, "You should be able to guess without me saying it."
......
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