Chapter 26: Nature

Chen Jin returned to school, and since her graduation thesis didn’t receive major criticism from Professor Jiang, it indicated that she would likely graduate smoothly and receive her diploma. So, she happily continued her routine of going to work on time every day.

She arrived at the parking lot at 7:55 AM, picked up her bag, and got out of the car.

Just as she reached the ground floor, she unfortunately ran into Jiang Pingyang from the finance department while waiting for the next elevator. If their office building weren’t on the tenth floor, she would have considered taking the stairs.

“Chen Jin, I brought an extra breakfast. Want to share?” Unlike Chen Jin, who wanted to escape, Jiang Pingyang’s eyes lit up upon seeing her, and he hurriedly took out a pastry and milk that he specifically bought from the bakery. He had seen Chen Jin buy pastries from that place several times for breakfast, so he had recently started bringing an extra portion just in case Chen Jin didn’t have time to get breakfast one day.

Although it cost quite a bit for that breakfast, it further convinced him that Chen Jin’s family was financially well-off. As a student at NTU with education and family background, she was the ideal pursuit for him!

Chen Jin repeatedly refused, saying, “I’ve already eaten at home. Manager Jiang, why don’t you ask someone else who hasn’t had breakfast?”

“I haven’t eaten!” A hand reached over and snatched the pastry from Jiang Pingyang’s hand. The newcomer laughed and said, “Manager Jiang, thank you! I won’t hold back!”

Jiang Pingyang replied, “…You’re welcome.”

Chen Jin bit her lip, nearly laughing out loud. It’s really annoying to deal with pretentious people; it seems that only a “straightforward person” can handle them.

She made eye contact with Sister Ming from her department, and they exchanged a knowing glance. Once they exited the elevator and reached their administrative department, Sister Ming pulled her aside to gossip, saying, “That guy just now is the new project manager I mentioned. I don’t know what he did to offend Jiang Pingyang, but he’s had several financial applications rejected. I bet my lunch chicken leg that he did that on purpose just now!”

Chen Jin looked around and quietly asked, “Last time you mentioned that the vice president’s wife caused a scene at the company. What happened after that? Were there any new developments while I was away these past few days?”

Sister Ming had an expression that said, “I knew you’d ask me about this.” Just as she was about to continue gossiping, she caught a glimpse of the administrative department manager coming out of the elevator and quickly tugged on Chen Jin’s sleeve, whispering, “The manager is here. Let’s talk about this at lunch.”

Oh! Chen Jin understood immediately. When she turned to face the manager, her eyes no longer sparkled with curiosity about the gossip; instead, she smiled and greeted him.

Manager Yao took a few steps past her and then called back, “Chen Jin, come to my office for a moment.”

Chen Jin acknowledged him, ignoring the curious gazes of her colleagues, and followed Manager Yao into the office.

“You haven’t finalized your graduation placement yet, right? Have you considered staying at the company?” Manager Yao spoke frankly. “With your qualifications, you could earn a salary two levels higher than regular employees. If you want to apply to other departments, that’s possible too. The new project manager said you did an excellent job organizing the materials and wants to transfer you over for the new project.”

The new project manager was a workaholic, had a wife and kids, and maintained a professional demeanor when talking to female colleagues. The fact that he wanted to move her to his project indicated he genuinely thought she was capable.

Chen Jin felt proud for a moment but quickly rejected the offer, stating she had already planned her career path.

If she couldn’t be a counselor at the academy, she’d look for other opportunities. As long as it was in the city, a smaller company would be just fine; she could check with her second uncle to see which unit had a more laid-back environment.

Working hard wasn’t her goal; she wanted an easy life once she had some money. However, she didn’t want to stay at home all day, so finding a relaxed job was the best option.

Manager Yao wasn’t surprised and cautiously probed further, “Are you going back to work for your family’s company?”

Chen Jin sighed and explained yet again, “My family really doesn’t have a company, and we’re not some wealthy family.”

Chen Jin scratched her face and added, “We don’t have any coal mines or anything like that.”

“Is that true?” Manager Yao had a complicated expression. Chen Jin sounded very convincing, which made him doubt his previous understanding of her background.

When Chen Jin first arrived two months ago, her attire and accessories were nothing out of the ordinary. She would go to work when required, leave on time, and complete the tasks assigned to her diligently, taking the opportunity to look around when she had free time.

Then one day, while at work, a young man from the administrative department went to the parking lot to deliver documents to the vice president, just as Chen Jin was driving in. The vice president glanced over and even asked if she was a relative of the boss who had come to work at the company.

As expected, this led to a lot of gossip about Chen Jin’s family background.

After two months of gossiping, they hadn’t uncovered anything substantial; Chen Jin’s car was the only valuable thing she had.

Now that Chen Jin was clear she didn’t want to stay at the company, An Lan would know by the afternoon. When leaving work, she joked with Chen Jin, “If you get a good opportunity, don’t forget about me, Sister Lan, like if the company needs people or something.”

Chen Jin could only sigh; her family really didn’t have a company!

After getting home from work, Chen Jin received a call from her third uncle, asking her to join him for lunch this Sunday at the Sovereign Hotel in the old city center. The treat was from her aunt’s family, who had just received a huge compensation from a demolition project.

Compared to the more than 8 million Chen Jin received, her relatives had over 20 million, which was truly a fortune! After getting the money, her aunt’s father, Old Man Zhang, waved his hand and bought four apartments in Hanlin Garden. Each of his three sons got one, and he and Aunt Zhang shared one. They were right next to Chen Jin’s family’s building.

It was said that their family had also had their share of drama, but her aunt hadn’t gotten involved. One day, she’d received a new phone; the next day, she’d gotten two gold bracelets. Her principle was: she wouldn’t ask for anything, but she wouldn’t let herself be outdone by other relatives.

In her aunt’s words, she had to save up for her future, so that she could afford to live in a nursing home later.

Her oldest uncle even unusually praised her aunt for being very clever.

“Your aunt’s father is treating us, so are the eldest uncle, second uncle, aunt, and I invited too?” Shouldn’t only the third uncle be invited?

The third uncle replied, “That’s right, Zhang Leye sent the invitation; yours is with me. Let’s meet at the hotel entrance at 11:30. Do you have anything else planned for Sunday?”

“No, no.” Chen Jin asked a bit more, “Did all of my aunt’s relatives get invited?”

“I heard your aunt say that both of her sisters-in-law’s family members are going too.”

“Oh, then we’ll go.” This was a big event; it wouldn’t do to miss it. Since she was already on the phone, Chen Jin also asked how the store her third uncle was setting up was progressing.

“It’s going well; they’re renovating it now. I’ll let you know when it’s confirmed to open,” her third uncle laughed, “We bought two shops here, and Zhou Xiangxiang’s family got one. Your third aunt said she had acquaintances nearby and could catch up with them later. Oh, and Zhou Xiangxiang’s family bought a place in beautiful Community; they’ve moved there, so no one is living in the transitional housing anymore…”

Chen Jin asked a few more questions and learned that her third uncle had purchased shops outside beautiful Community. They couldn’t afford the shops in the center of the Western district, but beautiful Community was much cheaper and not too far. They had bought quite a few properties back then without needing to ask her oldest uncle for favors. They contacted the manager who had originally sold them the houses, and he was able to give them a big discount. So, they bought two shops, intending to give one to her third cousin and the other to her second cousin. They planned to set up a small supermarket in one and a breakfast shop for her aunt in the other, while Aunt Zhou’s family chose to open a fruit shop.

Chen Jin heard that Aunt Zhou was also buying a shop over there and felt a bit tempted to join the fun.

But she quickly extinguished that thought.

Perhaps the people from Qiaodong Village had a bit of a spiritual connection; they didn’t specifically arrange to buy properties together, but they always seemed to end up in close proximity.

That was quite nice; Chen Jin felt a bit reluctant to part with those lively neighbors. With them living nearby, it wouldn’t be hard to find out what was happening later.

She had just hung up the phone with her third uncle when she received a call from her second uncle, asking how she was planning for the next semester. If she didn’t have plans, he wanted her to intern at the city library for a while.

Chen Jin had just been sprawled out on the sofa but immediately sat up when she heard this, “Second uncle, when do we start next semester? I’m free; I’ve almost finished my thesis!”

If it weren’t for the difficulty of getting into the school library, Chen Jin would definitely choose a position there. However, the school’s library mostly has special requirements, primarily used to place the families of special talents. So, she didn’t have to think about it.

But libraries elsewhere should be pretty similar, right? After all, it’s a municipal library.

“As long as you have time, it’s fine. It starts in March next semester, and I’ll take you over then,” her second uncle asked if Chen Jia had been to visit her recently, suggesting she bring Chen Jia along to the Sovereign Hotel this weekend.

After hanging up the phone, Chen Jin was so happy that she almost put her hands on her hips.

As expected of her second uncle! Even though he has spent many years drinking tea and reading newspapers at the meteorological bureau, he can still find some connections.

“There’s a Bao Qingtian in Kaifeng…” In her excitement, Chen Jin started humming along with the person on the TV.

Sometimes Professor Song would come over specifically to watch TV with her, saying that Dean Xi didn’t like watching TV and would comment a few times whenever he saw her watching. Professor Song found him annoying, so he’d come to find this little friend instead.

Sure enough, just as she was thinking about it, the opening theme song started.

Chen Jin jogged outside to open the door, taking the fruits her visitor brought, and then, on the big sofa, the two of them—one old and one young—sat at either end, engrossed in watching “Bao Qingtian.”

Since December, Rong City had entered winter, and now in January, the temperature was mostly in single digits. Chen Jin placed a small heater in front of the sofa, warmed her cold hands and feet by it, and then continued to huddle under a blanket with only her head sticking out, watching TV.

Professor Song had come over three times, and after that, she also started bringing her own blanket.

When Dean Xi saw them like this while looking for someone, he found it amusing.

It always took three or four prompts to get Professor Song to go home. He felt helpless about it but also found it funny. It was rare for a lively young girl to move into the neighboring small western-style building, and it seemed to have made Professor Song’s mindset a bit younger.

“Xiao Chen, young people should rest early too.”

Chen Jin touched her nose and nodded seriously. After sending them off, she closed the courtyard gate and main door, turned down the volume, and continued watching TV. It was impossible to go to bed early; she wanted to finish this episode.

So, it’s really quite enjoyable not living with the elders—very free!

On Sunday morning, Chen Jin lazed around at home until ten before getting up, and Chen Jia came over carrying warm buns.

Chen Jia shouted as she went upstairs. Hearing the sound of water splashing in the master bedroom, she knew her third sister had just gotten up not long ago. Luckily, she had brought a portion of buns from the breakfast shop.

Chen Jin washed up quickly, threw on a down jacket, and went downstairs, placing the buns on the coffee table in the living room and casually turning on the TV. “Have you eaten yet?”

“Yeah, I have.” Chen Jia came over to look for her makeup in the guest room and casually asked Chen Jin if she wanted to put on some makeup too. Chen Jin couldn’t accept her colorful makeup skills and repeatedly refused.

However, Chen Jin remembered that when she saw Aunt Kexin last time in beautiful Community, although her makeup was quite heavy, it looked very harmonious. She planned to ask Aunt Kexin where she learned to do makeup after this month’s internship ended and maybe get her hair done as well. She thought it shouldn’t be too flashy, but it was quite common to get a perm or curls at this time.

Aunt Kexin also had great fashion sense, and Chen Jin wanted to learn from her.

After all, she was a young lady now. While she needed to be low-key as a student, she was about to graduate and start working, so she had to dress up nicely—whatever looked good was fine.

“When will you have a holiday, Third Sister? Sister Ting said she wants to treat us to a meal. Can we choose the French restaurant in Wanmin Square? My classmate said it’s really delicious.”

“Sure, is it expensive? If it’s too expensive, we won’t go.” After all, she had to make Chen Ting spend a little. Oh, and there’s also the third cousin. He mentioned treating her to a buffet that cost 300 yuan per person, but they hadn’t gone yet. She heard that after he got a small car, his boss casually gave him little trouble, and he was busy with work.

“It should be pricey.” Chen Jia laughed, almost drawing her eyebrow crooked. Her third sister was honest; she would definitely pick something expensive.

By the time they left, Chen Jin had already changed into a camel-colored wool coat, with fitted jeans and a turtleneck sweater underneath, and black leather shoes on her feet.

She had learned all of this from the actresses in Hong Kong movies, just missing a head full of curls!

“Yeah, not bad; just need some makeup. Third Sister, change to a redder lipstick.”

When she arrived at the Sovereign Hotel to meet her third uncle and the others, her aunt came over, took a look, and happily praised, “Third sister has learned to dress up after a few months of working; you look better than before. Turn around; let me see the back; this coat has a nice fit.”

Her aunt said she planned to open another store. The previous store focused on affordable clothing, while the new one targeted high-income young people, inviting Chen Jin to come pick clothes from her store in the future.

As soon as Chen Ting arrived, she heard her mother praising Chen Jin again and rolled her eyes. However, she wasn’t angry with Chen Jin; instead, she asked when her internship would end. “What’s so good about working for a company? It’s unstable, and you can’t do this job for a lifetime. It’s best to find a stable unit; I’m telling you…”

“You tell me, but I don’t want to hear it.” Chen Jin directly avoided her, turning to find her uncle and asking about the construction progress in Qiaoxi Village.

“The foundation is set for eight stories. They’ll first build seven stories and make the basement a commercial space, and they’ll need to create a parking shed in the enclosed area.” Her uncle added, “Our houses won’t have any trouble renting out. The rented houses in Qiaoxi Village share kitchens and bathrooms on the first floor, and once the industrial park and technology park are built, some higher-income people won’t want to live in poorer accommodations. Our place is just right.”

“When the time comes, we’ll need someone to help manage the door. I’m thinking of asking Meng Chong to come help out; we can spare one room on the first floor for him to live in, and he can manage several buildings. We’ll calculate his salary each month.”

Meng Chong is the grandson of her grandmother’s younger sister; his dad and her mom are cousins, so she also calls him cousin. Since childhood, Meng Chong has been honest and simple-minded. A few years ago, while working at a machinery factory, he accidentally got half of his right hand injured by a machine. Later, when the factory was privately acquired, he lost his job.

To manage the collection of rent for the building, it’s essential to find someone trustworthy. When Uncle suggested that Cousin Meng Chong take on the responsibility, neither Second Uncle nor Third Uncle had any objections, and Chen Jin certainly wouldn’t either.

So, the matter was settled. Uncle said once the building was completed, they would have Meng Chong go over to supervise the renovations.

Chen Jin mimicked Second Uncle’s serious nodding, and when he noticed, he playfully tapped her on the head.

In truth, it didn’t matter whether she nodded or not; she was merely a figurehead, and with three uncles standing in front of her, she didn’t need to worry at all.

A gust of cold wind blew, causing everyone to instinctively hunch their necks.

Uncle stomped his feet and said, “What’s taking Chen Yun so long? She’s been late for over ten minutes! I’ll call her.”

After a while, Uncle returned with a displeased expression and muttered, “Do as you please,” before hanging up the phone. He huffed in annoyance, “She said she has something urgent and won’t come. Let’s go.”

Everyone could see that Uncle was unhappy, so they quickly changed the subject and started talking about more cheerful things.

Chen Jin lagged a few steps behind, walking side by side with Chen Jia and the others. Her cousin Chen Yongan leaned over and whispered, “Isn’t Aunt having a conflict with Uncle?”

As soon as he finished speaking, his older brother gave him a tap on the head, warning, “Don’t talk nonsense about the elders’ matters.”

Chen Jin pursed her lips and remained silent.

It wasn’t until later, while gossiping with her Third Cousin, that she learned Aunt was actually after the compensation for the demolition of the old house left by their grandparents. The elders hadn’t mentioned this to her before, so she was unaware of Aunt’s intentions.

She could guess what happened next without needing her Third Cousin to elaborate. Aunt must have felt unbalanced and there had been a rift between her and Uncle and Second Uncle. No wonder they hadn’t seen Aunt’s family at meals and gatherings for some time.

Although Aunt could be somewhat authoritative and had never thought highly of her mother and Third Uncle, her mother used to say that Aunt had often brought her clothes.

She felt it was quite a shame. Uncle had worked hard to maintain relationships among the families; his bond with Second Uncle, Third Uncle, and their younger sister was strong. The aunts might not meet often, but their relationships were also good. The siblings had their little disagreements, but their relationships were solid. As Uncle and his generation grew older, the siblings of their generation would continue to stay in touch, and this big family would grow into a sturdy tree, supporting one another and making life easier.

However, she also understood that some people just weren’t suited to be relatives. Like her relationship with the Liu family, that was truly unsuitable.

People really can’t handle too much scrutiny.

They went to the dining hall on the left side of the second floor, while a wedding banquet was happening in the hall on the right. The Liu family of four arrived just after them.

Ever since the demolition of Qiaodong Village and the preservation of Qiaoxi Village, every time Liu Shisheng saw Chen Jin, his feelings were complicated. He wanted to join in and share the benefits but also felt guilty and knew his current status didn’t allow him to do anything out of line. Yet watching Chen Jin swagger over in front of him made him uncomfortable, especially as he and Jiang Zijun discussed whether to buy a bigger house or save money for their son to study abroad. The two had recently quarreled a lot over financial issues.

After finishing their studies at the Workers, Peasants, and Soldiers University, they were assigned to work at the Education Bureau. After the college entrance examination was reinstated, they pursued their master’s degrees and smoothly became teachers at the Normal University. At that time, their jobs were already considered quite good.

But who would have thought that after over a decade of reform and opening up, everyone began to focus on money?

He had just been promoted to associate professor a few years ago, and the money he saved was becoming increasingly worthless. Had he known today, he would have bought a larger unit back then.

While he was lost in thought, Chen Jin took a quick glance at them and then turned away.

Zhang Family had become a millionaire, which made a difference; he booked the left hall entirely for the banquet. Besides inviting his relatives, he also invited those related to his daughter-in-law and granddaughter, setting up more than fifty tables.

Chen Jin and her group sat at two tables. Not long after, two familiar faces showed up—Chen Wensong and Chen Wenzhen.

They weren’t invited because of their relation to the Zhang family; rather, it was because the eldest of the Zhang family had recently become close with them and wanted to buy land to build a building, so they extended the invitation.

When Chen Jin saw Chen Wenzhen come alone, while Chen Wensong brought his new wife, a girl who looked quite young, she noticed the prominent baby bump when they entered the warm hall and took off her coat. The three of them saw there were empty seats at Uncle’s table, so they joined them.

As soon as Chen Wensong sat down, he asked Uncle, “Do you still need to transfer San Mei’s household registration to buy land in Qiaoxi Village? Is it possible to buy without transferring?”

Uncle laughed and replied, “I don’t know about that. You should ask a lawyer.”

Speaking of lawyers made Chen Wensong feel unlucky; the last time he consulted a lawyer was during his divorce, which resulted in him losing a whole building!

“How much is the land per square meter in Qiaoxi Village? They’ve been claiming there’s no more land available; they wouldn’t be lying, would they?” Chen Wensong pressed on, “We’ve been brothers for decades; just tell me honestly, is something big going to happen in Qiaoxi Village?”

Uncle said, “You’ll have to wait and see.”

Chen Wensong’s expression sharpened, “Wait for what?”

“Wait for the Qingming Festival to pay respects to our ancestors. I’ll burn a few joss sticks and ask them if they have any news to share.”

Chen Wensong: “……”

Chen Jin laughed heartily. She learned something; next time someone asked her a question like that, she would know how to respond.

Chen Wensong felt embarrassed, but Uncle was joking, so he couldn’t get mad. After a while, Old Zhang took the stage to speak into the microphone.

Chen Yongan bent down, whispering, “If the dishes don’t come out soon, I’m going to starve.”

Tian Miao and Chen Jia weren’t in the mood to listen to the speeches either, so they poured themselves a drink and gulped it down to fill their stomachs.

Chen Ting sighed impatiently, “I don’t know what my dad is thinking, insisting on bringing us along. We’re not even close to the Zhang family. I finally have a day off and was planning to go shopping with friends.”

Yes, they are not familiar with the Zhang family, and it’s not like they can’t afford a meal at the Sovereign Hotel; there’s no need to be greedy for this meal. But they made such a fuss coming here not for this meal, but for their aunt.

Their aunt can’t have children of her own, and her husband’s two children have grown up and started their own families. They didn’t like her before, and now that they have money, they probably look down on her even more.

However, they’re not the only ones with money. The eldest uncle and the others came here to show the Zhang family that their aunt has family to rely on too.

“Today, my Zhang family welcomes relatives and friends to gather together. Let’s all connect and enjoy the food and drinks!”

As soon as he finished speaking, waiters immediately came out with dishes.

Chen Jin had barely heard what the old man Zhang said; he was too busy looking at the table of his aunt’s family. His aunt’s two sisters-in-law were dressed very lavishly, all adorned with gold jewelry. His aunt only wore a gold bracelet and didn’t whisper with her sisters-in-law.

The compensation of over ten million! The relatives of the Zhang family must be green with envy.

There are only a few families in Mutang Village that received such compensation. Chen Jin heard his aunt say that many families only received houses and hundreds of thousands in compensation. In the past, hundreds of thousands and a few houses would have been a lot. But who told them to have the Zhang family as a comparison? There are many villagers who are envious.

When the old man Zhang took his three sons to toast at the eldest uncle’s table, he was obviously more enthusiastic than when he went to other tables, even saying that the two families are relatives and should keep in touch more.

“Chen Kui said she wants to follow her third brother to open a store and do some small business. We support that. I’ve already said that in a few days we will buy a shop under Chen Kui’s name. She has taken care of the old and the young for so many years; it’s been hard on her.”

Regardless of the purpose, the old man Zhang is trying to establish a good relationship and is willing to help Chen Kui, so the eldest uncle is happy to talk with him. When the old man Zhang said he wanted to learn about buying land in the suburbs of Western District, the eldest uncle smiled and said, “Let’s schedule another time to have a meal and discuss this further, how does that sound?”

“That’s good too. We’ve moved to Hanlin Garden now. It’s convenient for Chen Kui to go to her third brother’s house; we live close by, so we can visit often.”

While Chen Jin watched the interactions among the elders, he peeled large shrimp for himself. Next to him, Chen Yongan huffed several times, and when no one paid him any attention, he patted Chen Jin on the shoulder and told her to look at her aunt’s husband, Zhang Leye.

“What’s so good about that?” Just because he changed into an expensive suit doesn’t mean he’s not the same person.

Chen Yongan felt uneasy. “I used to think my uncle was honest and simple, but he’s changed a lot now.” Just look at the expression on his uncle’s face when he talked to his dad; there’s no trace of the old honest demeanor, and he even seemed to look down on his dad a bit.

Hmph, I don’t know what he’s so proud of now. Although the compensation his dad received is not as much as his family’s, how much he can get is still uncertain. He hasn’t received anything yet, but he’s already puffing himself up.

Chen Jin peeled three large shrimp and placed them in a bowl. She took a paper towel to wipe her hands and said while watching the drinking and toasting at the neighboring table, “How do you know he’s the one who changed? Maybe he was like this before; he just couldn’t hold his head up when he was poor. Now it’s different; he’s already a millionaire.”

Just like the biased Chen Sangong and Chen Sanpo, the unfaithful Chen Wensong, and the gambling loser Chen Yongqiang, did they only just change into this kind of person?

Of course not.

Previously, Chen Sangong and Chen Sanpo relied on their eldest son and daughter-in-law to live, Chen Wenzhen relied on Jiang Kexin’s family to help him, and Chen Yongqiang didn’t dare to gamble big without capital. These were all prerequisites. But once they had the opportunity to choose, their true nature was exposed.

They didn’t change much; they were just that kind of person at their core. Having enough money gave them the confidence to show their true colors.

Chen Jin sat there, looking wise, as if she had seen through the world.

The next moment, a waiter brought out a dessert, and Chen Jin immediately sat up straight, waiting for the dessert to be placed in front of her. She picked up one of the desserts and a small spoon, took a big scoop, and put it in her mouth. Delicious!

“Don’t worry about it; just enjoy this meal first.”