Chapter 45: Happy Event

Chen Jin’s visit to Qiaoxi Village was mainly to have a “chat” with the village chief, Liu Guangman. Fortunately, he still had some sense; otherwise, things would have been difficult. If the few jealous villagers of Qiaoxi Village stirred up trouble, how could her family continue doing business?

As she walked out of the office, Chen Jin looked back at the Liu family’s ancestral hall. It was the first time she gave it a good look and realized it was built much more grandly than the one in Qiaodong Village.

Though it looked impressive from the outside, as she got closer, she noticed garbage scattered inside. She wondered what the villagers were thinking, leaving it in such a state.

Passing by one of the village homes, she heard lively shouts coming from inside. Judging by the sound, there were quite a few people. Curious, she paused for a moment and peeked in, only to see a few people standing by the window, blocking the view of what was happening inside.

She didn’t linger long, and soon after, she heard an excited voice shout, “Pair of twos!” It was clear to her now — they were playing cards.

Back at her cousin Meng Chong’s supermarket, Chen Jin specifically reminded him, “There are still two shops that haven’t been rented out, right? If anyone wants to rent them for a mahjong parlor or a card room, just forget it. It’ll be too noisy and will disturb the tenants upstairs.”

Besides, it wouldn’t look good. When tenants, especially single women, saw a bunch of men gathered inside playing cards, drinking, and so on, it would create a bad impression and even raise concerns about safety.

Meng Chong nodded, “Don’t worry, I’ve included that in the contract. The current tenants renting the shops know they can’t open such places. If they do, we can stop renting to them immediately.”

“You saw that card room in front, right? I don’t know what the owners were thinking, letting outsiders set up that kind of business, drawing in young men from the village to gamble all day long.”

There were already plenty of young men in Qiaoxi Village who weren’t doing anything productive. They dressed in bizarre styles and rode their motorcycles noisily every day. Even if they weren’t productive, it was still better than gambling. Once they sat down at someone else’s gambling table, how many of them would walk away unscathed? Losing their money was the least of their worries. If they got desperate and ended up in debt, they’d have to sell off their family homes to pay it back.

“And Liu Guangman doesn’t do anything about it?” Chen Jin asked. “If the police were called, they could arrest these people and keep them locked up for a while.”

Meng Chong sighed, “The shop was rented out by the village party secretary’s own brother. I suppose the party secretary is protecting him.”

“Not everyone here has the surname Liu, and people aren’t united. The party secretary isn’t even a Liu. It’s a tiny place, but there’s so much scheming.”

Chen Jin sneered, “It’s because it’s a small place that there’s more of it. Even a tiny issue can be a headache in a village like this. Shallow waters breed many snapping turtles.”

Getting back to business, Chen Jin said, “I talked to Liu Guangman. In a few days, he’ll have a word with those families looking to cause trouble. If you have any issues, just call me. If they ignore the village chief and dare to stir up trouble, just report them to the police. They think this village is their playground, but we’ll show them that the law isn’t just for show. We have the money to fight lawsuits. And don’t forget, Uncle Wenhao is still at the local police station.”

Meng Chong nodded and then discussed with her about bringing his mother over, “I’ll have her come help me watch the store; otherwise, sometimes I have things to do and can’t leave.”

There was an empty room upstairs for him to live in, and with some adjustments in the supermarket, he could actually create a sleeping space there. This way, he could sleep in the supermarket at night, making it convenient if someone needed to find him in a hurry.

When the time came, he would let his mother live in the upstairs room, where she could also cook for herself.

Chen Jin naturally had no objections and said he could handle it himself.

Old man Liu sneaked to the end of the village and casually asked Chen Jin if she was going home for lunch.

“I’m not going; I’ll go find my uncle later.”

Old man Liu responded with an “mm,” standing in front of the supermarket and looking up. The sunlight was blinding; he only looked for two seconds before averting his gaze. He had spent ten years building four buildings, while Chen Jin only took less than a year. Sometimes, he couldn’t deny it; Chen Jin was indeed lucky.

However, he wasn’t here to feel sentimental. Knowing that Chen Jin was impatient with indirect conversation, he asked directly, “Tell me honestly, is there really news about demolition in our village?”

Who are you calling “our”?

Chen Jin replied, “Anyway, I haven’t received any. Just speak honestly, don’t go spreading it around after leaving here, claiming I said there would be demolition. I! Have never heard that Qiaoxi Village has confirmed demolition! I swear on my dad’s life—if I knew and didn’t tell you, let lightning strike him dead. Is that curse strong enough? Can you believe it now?”

“Every day, people just don’t listen. I’ve already said there’s nothing. If I knew about demolition, I would have circled more land to build more houses; I’d create another Qiaodong Village.”

Meng Chong pursed his lips and couldn’t hold back, turning away.

Old man Liu glared in anger, “Speak properly; why are you cursing your dad?”

“I’m afraid you won’t believe me, so I swore on my own dad; you should believe it now, right?”

Old man Liu was so angry he was gasping for breath and turned to leave.

Chen Jin was also leaving. She called out to her cousin Meng Chong, who had turned away, “Cousin, I’m leaving. If anyone dares to cause trouble, just call the police!”

A middle-aged man outside, who had just lifted a leg to enter, hesitated for a moment before silently pulling it back. He touched his head and muttered to himself as he walked away, “I said I was going to the vegetable field.”

On her way, Chen Jin bought some nutritional supplements and then drove straight to her uncle’s house.

She didn’t plan to go to her uncle’s company. Earlier, when her aunt was discharged from the hospital, she had been busy with the affairs of the Jinxiu community and hadn’t gone to pick her up. Now that she had graduated smoothly and resolved most of the issues in Qiaoxi Village, it was time to visit her aunt.

When she arrived, only her aunt and the housekeeper were at home. That was good; she didn’t want to see Chen Ting, especially since Chen Ting had been close to Yang Qian recently, along with Lin Xinran, who was also quite sharp. She just couldn’t stand the thought of people who were not clear-headed.

Her aunt’s clothing store was already in the final stages of preparation. If it weren’t for her uncle insisting that she rest at home for a while longer, her aunt would have long gone to organize the opening of the store.

Her uncle and aunt were busy with their own work, both still energetic and unwilling to feel old. It seemed they could keep working for at least another ten years. Did they think they could go home and enjoy a leisurely life with their grandchildren? That was impossible; her uncle and aunt hadn’t taken care of Junjun much, and the eldest grandson wasn’t particularly precious in their eyes.

Chen Jin figured her uncle and aunt probably thought that whoever had children should take care of them. They would manage their three children, and the next generation would depend on the parents.

“Your uncle will be home for dinner soon. If you have nothing to do, stay and eat before heading back. When are you starting work at the school?” Her aunt’s face still looked a bit off; she had only walked a few steps when Chen Jin arrived and was now half-reclining on the sofa.

“I’ll report on July 1st, just to familiarize myself with the job. After that, I’ll follow the other teachers for a month’s vacation.”

This was what her counselor had told her; July would probably just be two weeks of classes, followed by a break. By mid-August, she would return to school to prepare for the new students’ enrollment. She would definitely be in charge of this year’s incoming students, and the workload wouldn’t be light.

“This is a big deal for your graduation. Your uncle said he would celebrate it and gather everyone for a meal. It’s been a while since we’ve seen everyone. We recently learned that Yongfei is starting a travel agency. We were also thinking that Yongxin and Tingting are bringing partners home, so it’s a good opportunity for everyone to get acquainted.”

“It just depends on everyone’s schedules; I can go anytime now.”

Since they were preparing to meet family relatives, it meant she was also getting closer to marriage and obtaining a certificate. She just didn’t know which of her cousins, the second or the other, would get married first.

Thinking about it, she inexplicably felt a sense of crisis as those ahead of her were suddenly getting married one after another. She feared that one day the elders’ attention would turn to her. And there was her third cousin; given his current state, marriage was still a long way off, so she at least had a companion.

Just as it was time for dinner, her uncle came home. As soon as he entered, he said that the second cousin wouldn’t be having dinner and was out eating with his girlfriend.

Chen Jin greeted him, and her uncle was surprised and exclaimed, “Oh, you’re here! Have you finished with everything at school? Was it smooth?”

“It went very well; I received my graduation certificate,” Chen Jin replied with a smile. “Finally, I’ve finished my studies.”

Her uncle said, “You’ve finished your studies, but your second cousin is now preparing to find a school. He’s getting ready to attend night classes at the architecture college to learn some management knowledge and upgrade his diploma.”

Now that the company was expanding its business, they were upgrading their equipment and had come into contact with different circles. They realized that many people who went into business either had some background or had made connections themselves. They couldn’t turn back time to go to college and build networks, but to interact with people from these circles, they had to improve their own skills; otherwise, even if they got in, they wouldn’t have anything to talk about.

“Our school has night classes too! Since you’re going to study anyway, why not try for NTU’s night school? There’s a program in business management taught by an experienced professor from the School of Economics and Management.”

Her uncle became interested, “Have you inquired about it?”

“No, I went to visit Professor Song’s house. Professor Qi from the School of Management was also there. I heard them talk about how Professor Qi teaches night classes at a local university, and the classroom is right at our school. I attended a couple of his classes, and he teaches really well.”

If she had chosen Economics as her major earlier, she would have been very willing to continue her studies.

Her uncle patted her shoulder reassuringly, “Young people should learn as much as possible. If you have time, you should attend more of these management courses. With professors you know nearby, you can ask them questions if you don’t understand something.”

After saying that, he contentedly rubbed his belly. “Buying that little villa was definitely the right decision. Look at your neighbors now; they’re all positive influences on you. You know, being around good company makes a difference…”

Her aunt, feeling impatient with his lengthy monologue, interrupted, “Alright, it sounds like you’re rambling on forever.”

Then she turned to Chen Jin and said, “Third sister, please keep an eye on the registration for the night school at NTU. If possible, it’s still better to attend the night classes there.”

After all, aside from Qingbei, people from Nansheng recognize NTU as a prestigious school, and its value is undeniable.

The important thing is that Chen Jin mentioned the teachers there are good. Besides just getting a diploma, one should genuinely learn something valuable.

“Okay, then I’ll take care of it. I’ll find out the registration requirements and process when I get back.”

Chen Jin also mentioned her visit to Qiaoxi Village to find Liu Guangman. Her uncle responded, “You don’t need to worry about that. I’ll call Liu Guangman another day to invite him for a meal, along with Chen Wensong and Chen Wenzhen, so they can discuss it.”

Since they had mentioned those factories in the southern suburbs, her uncle directly told her, “If they really relocate in the future and it can be developed into buildings, I will definitely want to take a share. But this isn’t urgent; I’ll wait a couple of years until my projects are halfway done. When it’s time to divide the money, don’t touch it just yet; I’ll reach out to you then.”

He was giving her a heads-up to avoid her making plans and then not having the funds to invest when the time came.

He was quite optimistic about that large piece of land over there; he just didn’t know if he could snag a piece of it.

With the words laid out so plainly, Chen Jin understood her uncle planned to help her out later and share in the benefits.

She immediately broke into a smile. “Sure, I’ll wait for your news then, Uncle.”

“By the way, you should go over to your place at Hanlin Garden and stay for a few days. It’s just sitting empty, and there’s no one around to liven it up.”

“I know; I also plan to move over before work starts.” After all, it’s closer to Jinxiuxiao Community and Qiaoxi Village from Hanlin Garden.

Having eaten lunch, her uncle rested for half an hour at home before rushing back to the company. If her aunt hadn’t been resting at home lately, her uncle wouldn’t normally come back for lunch.

Chen Jin had nothing to do anyway, so she stayed a bit longer, knowing her uncle wouldn’t be home for dinner. She stayed to keep her aunt company for dinner before heading home.

Standing on the balcony watching Chen Jin drive out of the community, He Jingxian slowly moved back to the sofa, and the housekeeper came over with warm water and medicine, smiling, “Sister He, your niece is really a nice girl.”

Seeing He Jingxian eating alone at home, she said she would have to cook for herself when she got back, so she simply decided to stay and have a meal at her aunt’s house. She chatted with He Jingxian and showed no signs of impatience.

Her own daughter was just about the same.

He Jingxian smiled back, “She’s been sensible since she was young.”

She sighed a bit, wondering why other families’ daughters were better off. Min Min from the eldest sister’s family, Jia Jia from the second brother’s family, plus the third sister, were all more sensible than Tingting. She felt frustrated thinking about her own daughter’s situation.

Forget it; every child has their own fortune, and she couldn’t worry too much about it.

The next day, Chen Jin returned to school to inquire about the night school. After collecting the registration requirements, dates, and process, she also packed her frequently used items, preparing to move to Hanlin Garden until June.

Before heading out, she took a watering can to water the flowers and plants at home, muttering to herself, “I’ll be back to stay at Hanlin Garden for a few days. Next time, I’ll have to wait until I return to water the plants.”

When she dragged her suitcase outside and was about to put it in the car trunk, the neighbor’s gate opened, and Shen Baichuan called out, “Teacher Chen, do you need help?”

When Shen Baichuan called out “Teacher Chen” again, Chen Jin finally realized he was addressing her. Although she hadn’t officially started her job yet, it wasn’t wrong for him to call her “Teacher Chen.”

She wasn’t used to being addressed that way yet, but she would likely get used to it after working for a while.

However, she didn’t need help. Chen Jin easily stuffed the large suitcase into the trunk. Although the suitcase looked big, it didn’t contain much—just two sets of pajamas, two sets of comfortable clothes, and some underwear and cosmetics.

She clapped her hands, turned around, and smiled at Shen Baichuan, saying, “It’s not heavy; I can manage it myself.”

Shen Baichuan stood on the steps of his yard, looking down at her as she closed the trunk. “Are you going back to stay at Hanlin Garden?”

“Yeah, that’s right. It’s more convenient to stay over there.” Chen Jin waved goodbye and drove away.

As he stood watching the white Santana disappear around the corner, Shen Baichuan felt calm. Just as he was about to turn back inside, he noticed two students approaching.

He had seen them twice before when he went to find Dean Xi. He heard they were students from the Physics Department who specifically wanted to learn from Professor Song.

But he didn’t say anything; if they truly wanted to consult a teacher for learning, there was no need to specifically visit a retired professor at home. He guessed they valued Professor Song’s influence in the NTU Physics Department.

The school still occasionally invited some retired professors back for lectures, so even if they were retired, they could still share insights.

When Li Xing noticed someone watching them, he looked over and greeted, “Teacher Shen.”

Shen Baichuan nodded, turned around, and went back inside.

Bai Ling unconsciously glanced towards Chen Jin’s house, seeing that there were no cars parked in front and both the yard gate and the front door were closed, realizing that Chen Jin wasn’t home again.

She no longer felt the need to compare herself with Chen Jin, but she couldn’t help but reminisce about the small villa here. She hinted to Li Xingyi, “I’ve said it before, if we buy a house, it should be a small villa. It’s not just about our comfort; look at the people living here—old professors and former leaders from the school. It’s much better than living in the staff quarters. If worse comes to worst, we can sell the houses on both sides of the Rose Garden and the staff quarters. The combined money would be enough to buy a small villa.”

Li Xingyi naturally understood these advantages. However, it wasn’t as simple as wanting to buy a small villa; the owners weren’t selling, and even with money, it would be hard to buy one.

“Let’s just stay for now. The staff quarters aren’t bad; there are two teachers from our department living there.”

Bai Ling knew that they could only stay in the staff quarters for now, but she felt the need to remind Li Xingyi from time to time, just in case someone decided to sell and he ended up being persuaded by his mother to settle for something less.

Before they reached Professor Song’s house, Bai Ling tugged at Li Xingyi’s sleeve and asked quietly, “We’ve come to Professor Song’s house so many times; do you think he will recommend us?”

“Relying solely on Professor Song’s recommendation won’t be enough,” Li Xingyi said frankly. “That’s why I told you to help out in Professor Cheng’s project team during the summer. It’s good to leave an impression. Besides, our grades in university are pretty good. With a combination of factors, we’ll have a better chance of being accepted as graduate students under Professor Cheng.”

Their chosen majors aligned with Professor Song’s research focus, but that didn’t guarantee they would become Professor Cheng’s students. If it were another teacher, the resources they could access would be completely different.

Bai Ling felt somewhat frustrated but decided to follow Li Xingyi’s advice.

There were few girls in the physics department, with only three in total across two classes, and she was the only one choosing to pursue further studies. It wasn’t all because of Li Xingyi; she had genuinely liked this major from the start.

However, it was because of this major that she had gotten close to Li Xingyi, making it an unexpected gain in her academic planning.

Chen Jin made a trip to her uncle’s company and shared all the information she had gathered about the night school at Nanda with her second cousin.

“There are two enrollment opportunities each year. You missed the spring enrollment, so if you’re not busy, you should sign up for the fall session,” Chen Jin pointed to one of the documents. “This is the exam syllabus that I got from the teacher. The exam content will cover some basic knowledge in the field, so you should cram for it during this time.”

“Don’t look at me; I’m not studying management. I wouldn’t know how to explain it even if I read it. You might as well find a teacher for tutoring, and you should also brush up on your high school knowledge since you’ll be tested on that too.”

Chen Jin felt a bit schadenfreude; she had finally escaped the sea of learning, and someone else was about to jump back in.

Chen Yongxin noticed her expression and pinched the back of her neck. “No matter how pleased you are, you can forget about the gift I was going to give you.”

“Hey, hey, hey! Didn’t I help you gather materials? Are you burning bridges after crossing?” Chen Jin glared at him, then looked at Zhuang Yao, who was smiling and silent, and said, “You can’t act like this in front of my future sister-in-law.”

“I’m not getting involved in your sibling matters; you guys can argue all you want.”

Chen Yongxin had already told her about the family situation, so he knew that Chen Jin had a decent relationship with them. Moreover, he found Chen Jin reliable, which made him comfortable interacting with her.

Just now, Chen Jin had also arranged to go with her to her usual beauty salon for skincare tomorrow…

“You’re going out together tomorrow, right? Then I won’t pick you up. Third sister is driving; after you finish shopping, you can just head to the restaurant,” Chen Yongxin said.

Their uncle had made dinner plans for tomorrow afternoon at an old brand restaurant in the West District, with plenty of reasons for the gathering: Third sister had graduated smoothly, and Yongxin and Tingting were bringing their partners home to introduce to everyone.

Chen Jin was already a regular at several of Sister Jiang’s stores, and she had introduced quite a few people to them.

Seeing that she had brought a new friend this time, the manager’s smile deepened. When old customers brought in new ones, it showed that their products and services were good.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you here. Have you been busy collecting rent lately?” The manager, who used to be a salesperson at the beauty salon, was considered a veteran. They used to chat and promote products, and now that they met again, they were even friendlier than friends.

“It hasn’t been long; I was just here last week, but you weren’t in the store.”

After the small talk, Chen Jin asked the manager to recommend suitable skincare projects for Zhuang Yao.

Zhuang Yao said, “No wonder your second brother told me to follow you shopping; he said you’re great at it.”

Chen Jin laughed, wondering what “great at shopping” meant. Was he implying that she was good at spending money?

“Well, let him work hard to earn money. In the future, I’ll take Sister Zhuang Yao out to spend!”

After spending the whole morning together, Chen Jin and Zhuang Yao could share some gossip. But Sister Zhuang Yao asked her about the second cousin’s previous relationships…

“Ah, you should ask the second brother about that. He’ll definitely tell you if you ask.” The main reason was that there was quite an age gap between her and her second cousin, and now that they had grown up, she didn’t follow him around like she did when she was little. How would she know all his dating history? Plus, he wouldn’t tell her about it anyway.

“I asked him; he said he only dated a female classmate, and they broke up a long time ago.”

Since her second cousin had been honest, Chen Jin also responded sincerely, “The only one I know is from junior high. They didn’t go to the same school after he failed to get into the vocational school. I don’t know what happened afterward; they broke up when he was in the second year of high school.”

“Well, that’s nothing. Who hasn’t dated during their school years? He wouldn’t still be pining for her now.”

Speaking of which, her second cousin had kept it quite under wraps; nobody in the family knew. She had gone shopping with her mother, and while trying to buy new sportswear released by Baiyou Clothing Factory, she squeezed through the department store crowd. To prevent her from getting pushed around, her mother asked her to wait outside the store and look at things.

That’s when she saw her second cousin walking past across the street, holding hands with a girl.

Back then, she was young and naive, waving her hands and shouting “Second Brother!” Her second cousin turned around and saw her grinning, probably feeling quite flustered.

To silence her, her cousin bought her a lot of snacks during that time, with the condition that she wouldn’t tell the family she saw him on the street.

For the sake of the treats, Chen Jin naturally agreed. And she managed to keep that secret until now.

Zhuang Yao smiled, “What you just said is exactly what your cousin said.”

Chen Jin smiled back, relieved that Zhuang Yao didn’t continue to ask her about her cousin. If she had, Chen Jin would have nothing to say!

Aunt’s family did not miss this time.

However, Chen Jin noticed that Aunt’s family of three seemed off. Aunt and Uncle appeared to be in a good mood, while her cousin Gu Minmin looked gloomy, barely managing to force a smile when greeting the elders.

Chen Ting and Liu Chengzhi arrived early.

Since they were all family, there were no formalities; everyone was in no hurry to take their seats. Although it was the first time Liu Chengzhi and Zhuang Yao were meeting their partner’s relatives, they didn’t need to introduce themselves. The family already knew them. Upon meeting, everyone was able to call out their names, and Liu Chengzhi and Zhuang Yao gradually relaxed.

Chen Yongan wandered over to Chen Jin, sighing, “Third Sister, I feel like I’m going to fail the college entrance exam.”

Chen Jin glanced at him; he had dark circles under his eyes, pimples on his face, and a practical buzz cut that made him look miserable. She shook his head playfully and said seriously, “I’ll pour out the water in your brain; will you feel better?”

Chen Yongan: “…” He really was clueless, thinking of asking Third Sister for advice.

He was ruthlessly mocked by his older brother beside him.

But it was quite strange; with his Third Sister teasing him, he didn’t feel as miserable. Today, everyone’s attention was not on him; no one asked how his revision was going, making it seem like passing the college entrance exam wasn’t very important. The tension he had felt eased significantly.

Chen Jia also came over to sit, saying she was busy preparing for her final exams and barely had time to leave school.

She, Chen Jia, Chen Yongan, and Chen Yongfei felt the most at ease. It was only five in the afternoon, and it was still early for dinner. The private room had a large round table and a sofa with a table nearby. Since they couldn’t get a word in with the elders, they moved to the side to play cards.

Chen Jin called Zhuang Yao over to join.

As soon as she did, everyone crowded around to watch the fun. Today, Chen Yongan had incredible luck, drawing good cards every time, and smugly hummed.

Unfortunately, his partner in the game, Chen Jin, played terribly, and he laughed at her, saying, “Third Sister, look, I’ve poured the water out of my brain. Let me pour some for you too.”

Chen Jin lost, expressionless: …

You’ll understand when you finish your college entrance exam!

When the main meal began, Uncle solemnly introduced Zhuang Yao and Liu Chengzhi.

Although Zhuang Yao was the daughter of Uncle’s friend and no one opposed her dating her cousin, they had previously disagreed with Chen Ting and Liu Chengzhi dating. At this moment, Uncle remained impartial, not showing favoritism towards anyone.

He introduced the family members to both of them, saying, “From now on, we’re all family. You should keep in touch like siblings. When we’re old, you’ll have to support each other.”

Uncle glanced at the older cousin and reminded him, “You’re the eldest brother, so you should take the lead.”

After saying this, he looked at the second cousin.

Chen Jin understood that the one most capable in the family was actually the second cousin.

It seemed that Chen Jin’s graduation was not a surprise; everyone thought it was a normal occurrence, and Chen Jin didn’t think much of it. This was just a pretext. Next month, it would be Chen Yongan’s turn to use it as an excuse to gather everyone for dinner.

However, she didn’t expect this gathering to also bring a piece of “good news.”

After the “family recognition” ended, Uncle said, “Let’s eat first,” and Aunt then announced that she had good news, saying with a smile, “I’m pregnant! I went to the hospital, and it’s a boy. I’ve discussed it with Gu Shunfa, and we plan to have this child.”

She wasn’t sure if this counted as good news. Except for Aunt’s family, everyone else had rather subtle expressions. No wonder Cousin Gu Minmin had a bad expression upon arriving; it must be because she didn’t agree with having this child.

In her opinion, Aunt and Uncle were nearly fifty years old and still thinking about having a son; it would be a significant harm to both their health and Gu Minmin’s.

Not to mention the financial issues. Aunt had three stalls at the wholesale market; even just renting them out would provide some income. As for Uncle, he and his brothers had partnered to start a company, and he received dividends, so as long as they didn’t go overboard, they could afford to raise a child.

However, after being an only child for over twenty years, Gu Minmin would have to make concessions for this brother, and it was likely that most of what Aunt and Uncle owned would not fall to her. Even the care from her parents would be halved. Even worse, this brother could be her son in the future; if something happened, wouldn’t she, as the older sister, have to handle it?

Chen Jin felt that the atmosphere now was silently unsettling. Uncle and Second Uncle’s expressions were not pleasant.

Uncle slapped his chopsticks down on the table, frowning, “I think you’ve lost your mind. You know how old you are! Are you willing to risk your health to have this child?”

Uncle looked displeased at Uncle and added, “I may sound harsh, but I tend to see the worst outcomes. If you were to have a problem giving birth to this child and something happened to you, would the child just be left to Minmin? Don’t you fear that as soon as you leave, the child will end up with a stepmother?”

Aunt and Uncle’s faces turned sour, likely not expecting Uncle to speak so bluntly.

Chen Jin took a deep breath and quietly glanced at Uncle, whose face was flushed with anger.

Unfortunately, Aunt didn’t appreciate it and was equally angry, sitting there in silence.

Aunt tugged at Uncle’s sleeve, giving him a glare: What’s the point of saying such things? It makes it awkward for everyone.

“I’m going out for a smoke. You all eat first.” Uncle couldn’t calm down, stood up, and left.

The room fell silent for a while, and although Second Uncle had a grim expression, he managed to force a smile to greet everyone. “Let’s talk about other things another day; let’s eat first. Chengzhi, Zhuang Yao, dig in, don’t be shy.”

Chen Yong’an let out a sigh of relief and poked Chen Jin, wanting to say something, but Chen Jin shot him a look. “Eat; less talking.”

“Oh.”

Chen Jin sighed inwardly. What a nice family banquet, and it’s turned into a mess.

Before they even finished eating, Eldest Uncle called the elders to the adjacent private room, leaving only the younger generation behind. Seeing Gu Minmin with her head down and not speaking, everyone scratched their heads, unsure of what to say.

But Chen Jin didn’t understand why everyone was giving her meaningful looks, urging her to comfort Minmin. Was she the kind of person who could offer comfort?

How was she supposed to console someone in this situation?!

Although Chen Jin had never experienced it herself, she could deeply understand Gu Minmin’s feelings. After being an only child for over twenty years, her parents had always said everything in the family was for her. Now suddenly, a brother had appeared, and although her parents might not show it clearly now, favoritism was inevitable in the future.

“I’m fine,” Gu Minmin said, looking up. “I’m not hearing this news for the first time.”

Having said that, she had made a scene, but if her parents insisted, there was nothing she could do.

Chen Jin glanced around, cleared her throat, and said, “What you need to do now is to fight for your share while Aunt and Uncle are still rational. You should speak up when you need to.”

As soon as she finished speaking, several gazes turned toward her.

Even Gu Minmin was shocked, her mouth agape.

Under the weight of everyone’s attention, Chen Jin spoke logically, “I also like to consider the worst outcomes. Let’s not get into details: when the child is born, will Aunt and Uncle have the energy to deal with school matters? At that point, won’t it be Minmin who has to run around? By the time Aunt and Uncle are older, that child will hardly have reached adulthood, and then they’ll expect Minmin to take care of them in their old age.”

“If you know you’ll be putting in money and effort later, why shouldn’t you claim what’s yours?”

However, she knew this was a case of “you don’t know the pain until it’s your own.” Gu Minmin was definitely in a quandary, not wanting to confront her parents but also feeling the need to fight for her rights.

Chen Jin felt that no comforting words would help now; nothing mattered more than what was truly in hand.

Her three cousins didn’t need to think hard and immediately encouraged Gu Minmin to either soften her approach or be firm, insisting she shouldn’t keep quiet and suffer in silence.

“Aunt must be feeling sorry for you; talk to her about it. She can’t just give you nothing.”

Even the cousin who previously thought Aunt and Uncle’s savings and property shouldn’t be shared with Chen Ting was now very supportive of Gu Minmin claiming her rights.

This just goes to show that people have double standards; principles are applied flexibly in their own matters versus in others’.

Gu Minmin felt a wave of bitterness, almost unable to hold back tears.

At the family banquet at her grandparents’ house, her parents had announced this news. The relatives there all agreed that it was right for them to have a son to inherit their possessions. Her grandparents even said she, as the older sister, should take good care of her brother… Even her cousins there thought it was normal.

When she expressed concern about her mother’s health, the relatives scolded her for being selfish, saying she only cared about what her parents had.

Meanwhile, at her maternal grandparents’ house, her cousins were encouraging her to fight for her interests…

After just hearing Eldest Uncle’s words, she realized that he was primarily concerned about her mother, as she was his biological sister, and Gu Minmin had to take a step back as a niece.

But no matter how much influence Eldest Uncle had at home, if her parents insisted, he couldn’t do anything.

Chen Jin and the others kept it simple: compared to the cousin they didn’t know, they had known Gu Minmin for over twenty years, so they naturally sided with her.

The elders were taking too long to reach an agreement. During a break, Liu Chengzhi accompanied Chen Ting to the restroom. While there were no others around, Liu Chengzhi joked, “What Chen Jin said earlier surprised me. Is it really okay to encourage your cousin like that?”

Chen Ting was unconcerned. “That’s how it should be. If Aunt’s son is born, it would be wrong for my cousin to have to take care of both the younger and older generations, right? I think what Chen Jin said makes perfect sense.”

Liu Chengzhi agreed with her.

Listening to their conversation gave him a new understanding of the family dynamics in Chen Ting’s family. The siblings could indeed come together for major matters; he just needed to watch over Chen Ting, ensuring she stayed connected to that support system for future challenges.