Chapter 23

The next day.

As dawn was breaking, the five siblings set out, each carrying a small bundle.

The letter of introduction had been written the previous evening, when Chen Zong had used a flashlight to guide the third sibling to the Old Secretary’s house and dragged the person out of bed to prepare it at the last minute.

This showed how, just a few days ago, Chu Wuwen had been a sought-after catch, but after a series of matchmaking events, he had lost his charm.

Cao Qiuhua, returning to her usual temperament, worried about unforeseen events. She hadn’t prepared breakfast for the children and, in her frustration, chased them out of the house.

Thus, with empty stomachs, the siblings set off, braving the morning dew as they hurried to the State-Owned Restaurant in the town for breakfast.

It was also the first time for Big Brother, Chen Nongmo, to experience Mother Qiuhua’s black face, leaving him both amused and helpless.

To get to the city, they had to transfer buses: first from the town to the county, and then from the county to the city.

In total, the journey was about two hundred kilometers, and after two breakdowns along the way, they finally arrived in the city at three in the afternoon.

This was a full three hours later than expected.

As a result, they missed the meal times.

Fortunately, this kind of thing was common. Back when they had breakfast at the State-Owned Restaurant, Chu Wuwen had anticipated such a situation and bought some steamed buns just in case.

“Yuyu, are you hungry? Want to eat something to tide you over, or should we head to the guest house to rest first?” Seeing that Little Sister Yuyu’s lips were slightly dry, Chu Wuwen opened his water bottle and handed it to her.

Chen Nongmo was indeed a little thirsty, so she reached out and took it. “Let’s go to the guest house first.”

Although she hadn’t gotten car sick this time, the bumpy ride had tired her out, and now, with the uneven roads, she was feeling exhausted and needed to lie down and rest.

Noticing that the little girl wasn’t feeling too well, Chu Wuwen led his younger siblings directly to the guest house.

The guest house was located in the city center, surrounded by several large factories. It was a rare three-story building for that time.

While Big Brother and the Third Brother Huai handled the check-in, Chen Nongmo and the twins sat on a bench not far away, chatting and waiting.

“…Hey, did you hear about that thing at the Steel Factory director’s house?”

Due to the car accident, the three siblings, who were particularly sensitive to the words “Steel Factory,” instinctively looked over.

The conversation came from two middle-aged men sitting not far from them. Although they intentionally lowered their voices, their words still clearly reached Chen Nongmo and the others.

“Are you talking about the thing a few days ago, when the director’s young master got beaten up?”

“Shh… stop calling him ‘young master,’ are you trying to get us all killed?”

“It’s fine, stop being so jumpy. With your reaction, you might as well quit life.”

“Better safe than sorry.”

“Alright, alright, no more about that. You’re talking about the incident with Director Jiang’s youngest son, right?”

“You know about that?”

“Who doesn’t? What’s so strange about it? He probably offended someone.”

“What could that young fool have done to offend anyone? Although his arms and legs weren’t broken, it was still pretty bad. I heard his face got all swollen, like a pig’s head.”

“Tch… who says it was definitely the kid who offended someone?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, let me put it this way. Jiang Cheng is pretty slick, but his wife, well, that’s another story. I won’t even go into the details, but the last time someone saw me, they acted like they were looking down on me, their nose practically in the air. If you didn’t know better, you’d think my family’s meal tickets were sitting on her stove. That kid got beaten up, most likely because of her. Everyone knows Yao Hongxiu spoils her youngest son…”

After that, Chen Nongmo stopped listening, as Big Brother, having finished the check-in, was already waving at them.

At first, she didn’t think much of it. However, after they entered the room and Big Brother began checking under the bed and the cabinets, she heard the Fourth Brother Jun lower his voice, speaking mysteriously, “Bro, I heard someone say that Jiang Luobei got beaten up. Was that you?”

Upon hearing this, Chen Yi stood up and walked toward the door.

Chu Wuwen chuckled softly. “Yes, not too stupid after all.”

Chen Nongmo’s eyes widened in surprise—she had no idea about this matter.

Pleased by the compliment, Chen Jun couldn’t contain his pride. “I’m not stupid, I’m smart! But when did you beat him up? I see you at home every day.”

Chen Yi, leaning against the doorframe, rolled his eyes. He had just praised him for being smart, and now he was back to his usual self.

Chu Wuwen smiled and shook his head, not offering much of an explanation. He simply said vaguely, “I didn’t have to do it myself.”

When the Second Brother Liu called him earlier, he had also mentioned the near-accident.

At that time, the Second Brother Liu had already investigated the Jiang family’s relationships. If it hadn’t been for the concern that there were loose ends due to the rushed timing, he wouldn’t have needed to involve Chu Wuwen.

Chu Wuwen truly felt it was necessary to teach that young man a lesson.

It wasn’t just for the sake of his sister-in-law’s relief but also to prevent similar tragedies from happening in the future.

Driving wasn’t a game—if you weren’t careful, someone could lose their life.

Chen Nongmo took a one-hour nap at the guest house.

Once she had regained some energy, she went next door to find her brothers.

It was at this moment that she learned Big Brother had already gone out for a walk and had brought back a friend.

“Why don’t you sleep a little longer? It’s only a little past four.” Chu Wuwen opened the door and let Little Sister Yuyu in, leaving the door open.

Chen Nongmo politely smiled at the unfamiliar man inside the room, then shook her head. “I won’t sleep anymore. Otherwise, I won’t be able to sleep tonight.”

Hearing this, Chu Wuwen patted her head and didn’t say anything more. Instead, he introduced the man. “This is Big Brother’s comrade, Bian Jianhua. You can call him Jianhua Ge. We’re going to his house for dinner tonight—he’s got some good food.”

After saying this, Chu Wuwen, not noticing the uncertainty in Little Sister Yuyu’s eyes, turned to his comrade and proudly added, “This is my Little Sister Yuyu, my real sister.”

Bian Jianhua had a round face that exuded an air of authority, with a demeanor that seemed perfectly suited for an official. His looks weren’t striking, but he wore a well-pressed Zhongshan suit, giving him a sense of maturity that seemed beyond his years.

In reality, Bian Jianhua was about the same age as Chu Wuwen. He had served in the military for two years before choosing to retire and, through family connections, entered government service where he had worked his way up over the past seven or eight years.

Though they had each followed different paths in life, their friendship, formed when they were both new recruits, had not wavered over the years.

Now, knowing that his comrade was back home for a visit and that his family had some fine wine and ingredients, Bian Jianhua had called to invite him over.

However, after all these years of brotherhood, Bian Jianhua had no idea that Chu Wuwen had a Little Sister Yuyu.

When he heard about it over the phone yesterday, he thought it was just a joke. He hadn’t expected that today Chu Wuwen would actually bring a girl with him.

And not just any girl—a soft, pretty girl.

Bian Jianhua looked them over several times, not using the usual formalities he might have employed in official settings, and directly asked the question that had been lingering in his mind, “…Really your biological sister?”

Chu Wuwen, surprised by the question, found it completely unreasonable. “What’s wrong with your eyes? My sister looks just like me—of course, she’s my real sister.”

“Pfft…” This sound came from the third, fourth, and Fifth Brother Yis, who shared a silent understanding and chuckled in unison.

Chen Nongmo, startled by Big Brother’s words, looked up and silently studied her brother’s stern face.

As a girl who looked like this, she couldn’t help but wonder if she might feel self-conscious about it.

Bian Jianhua, taken aback by Chu Wuwen’s confident response, didn’t want to argue with someone who was clearly not thinking clearly. Instead, he gently greeted the girl.

Chen Nongmo wasn’t really a child, and in the back-and-forth exchange, the two were able to chat a little.

Bian Jianhua was very good at reading the room.

His comrade had never mentioned having a Little Sister Yuyu, and there must have been his own reasons for that.

Since Chu Wuwen didn’t speak of it, Bian Jianhua didn’t press the matter either. He simply spoke warmly, like a spring breeze, and chatted with Little Sister Yuyu for a while.

After getting a general sense of her personality, he suggested that they head to his house.

Chen Nongmo’s first reaction was…

Was Bian Jianhua related to Big Brother’s official match, the future sister-in-law, Bian Jiuxiang? Were they really family?