Chapter 59: The Banquet for Advancement

Third Cousin and his two friends rented a travel agency storefront near the old street corner in Dongcheng District. This area has several famous streets and alleys in Rong City, along with a few former residences of notable figures, making it one of the tourist attractions in Rong City.

The travel agency isn’t large, but it is well decorated inside. Part of the photos on the walls were taken by her during previous trips, showcasing scenic views, which are now used to decorate the travel agency. There are also quite a few photos from when Third Cousin and his two friends went out to inspect routes.

When Chen Jin arrived with the cake, all three of them were there, discussing how to plan the itinerary for the two small groups they had just taken on. Since they were going to a neighboring city, they had to arrange meals and accommodations while also considering some special requests from the tourists in the groups.

“Welcome, find a place to sit,” Chen Yongfei waved her over and then turned back to continue discussing with the other two.

Chen Jin placed the cake on the table and unpacked it. Soon after, the three of them finished their discussion and gathered around her, their stomachs starting to rumble. “You’re the best, Third Sister! You brought us food.”

Since they had known each other for a while and were partners now, Jiang Weijun and Huang Hao also called her Third Sister, and when they saw Chen Jin cutting the cake, they reached out without hesitation to grab some.

Chen Jin paused for a moment but still handed over the first piece to them. She had wanted to cut a piece for herself to try since she had never had this flavor before; the small piece she had at the store earlier hadn’t satisfied her.

The four of them sat on high stools, quietly focused on eating.

“Haven’t you guys had breakfast?”

“We were so busy coming over today that we forgot. That’s why our sibling bond is so strong; you knew to bring me food without me even saying it.”

Chen Jin frowned. “When it’s time to eat, you should eat. If you don’t eat regularly, your body will wear out eventually.” Especially since she had led tours before, and knew firsthand how difficult the job of a tour guide could be. They had to constantly take care of the tourists, and meal times often weren’t timely. For tourists who were out for a day or two, it didn’t matter much, but for tour guides, constantly not eating on time was a huge strain on their health.

“Don’t worry, don’t worry! We just forgot today!” Chen Yongfei said excitedly. “I didn’t realize it before, but now I know how many people want to travel! I’m telling you, our Sifang Travel Agency’s two groups for this month are already fully booked. Once we get the hang of it, we’ll start hiring more people to lead tours. At that point, Jiang Weijun and I will split up and cover different areas. Huang Hao will still manage the storefront here.”

Besides Chen Jin, the three of them received separate salaries since they couldn’t work for free. After all expenses were deducted, the remaining money was evenly split among the four of them.

Chen Jin had a rough idea of their tour routes and charges, but she didn’t handle the management and operations; with Third Cousin around, she wouldn’t lose out. Once they started making a profit, all she needed was her monthly share.

After they finished eating, the lawyer Mo, invited by Third Cousin, arrived. Chen Jin received the contract and slowly read through it word by word before signing her name and stamping her handprint.

Once Mo finished his work, he nodded at Chen Jin and added with a smile, “Mr. Chen mentioned several times that he wanted to find Miss Chen but couldn’t locate her. Xichan Temple seems to be quite effective.”

Chen Jin laughed. How had her uncle not given up on trying to get her to go to Xichan Temple?!

At noon, she had a meal with Third Cousin and the other two nearby to celebrate the establishment of their makeshift team. The four of them were straightforward, raising their glasses and saying, “Let’s make a fortune!”

Seeing how motivated they were, Chen Jin felt much more at ease. After all, the 40,000 yuan she invested should at least return to her.

“You’re busier than the bosses of big companies. Where are you going now?” Chen Yongfei teased her.

Chen Jin sighed, “I have to go find my uncle. Since he has time today, I’ll go with him to Xichan Temple to prevent him from nagging me about it every day.”

“Why does your uncle insist on taking you to Xichan Temple? Did you encounter a ghost?”

“Stop talking nonsense! I can’t figure out my uncle’s thoughts; he’s always coming up with ideas. Maybe he thinks that going to Xichan Temple with me will yield some good fortune, haha,” Chen Jin joked.

Though her itinerary was full today, everything was happening in Dongcheng District. Even Xichan Temple was in the old city center of Dongcheng, so it only took her a little over ten minutes to drive there.

While waiting for her uncle to arrive, Chen Jin found a shaded parking spot, turned on the air conditioning, and took a nap in the car.

When she arrived at Xichan Temple at the agreed time, she found her uncle already waiting at the entrance, dressed in sportswear. She couldn’t tell if he was there to pray or to work out.

The red walls and golden roofs of the temple made Chen Jin feel small every time she visited various temples. It felt as if there were deities hovering just above her head, able to see her past and future at a glance.

Once she entered such a solemn place, it was as if her mouth had been sewn shut with a needle; she couldn’t help but breathe shallowly. Since her uncle was with her, he told her to step with whichever foot he indicated, and when it came time to bow, she did as instructed. When it was time to offer incense, she picked up the stick and prepared to leave, only to be pulled back by her uncle, who insisted that she needed to make the offering herself and couldn’t let someone else pay for the incense.

There were quite a few rules.

After leaving the Xichan Temple, Chen Jin let out a heavy sigh. The inside of the temple and the outside world felt like two separate realms. She was indeed more suited to discussing cause and effect in the bustling world outside, rather than seeking wealth from deities or ancestors, which would not work. They wouldn’t care about a little ant like her; it would be better to ask her neighbor, Teacher Shen, since his information was likely to be credible.

After thinking it over, Chen Jin recalled that Teacher Shen hadn’t explicitly told her to keep this information confidential, so she casually mentioned it to her uncle.

Chen Wenqiang’s eyes lit up as he contemplated, “If Qiaoxi Village has to wait another year or two, it means the factories in the southern district suburbs won’t be occupying land that quickly either… One or two years should be enough; we have time!”

Chen Wenqiang patted Chen Jin’s shoulder with satisfaction and said, “I told you it was worth coming here to pray; look, good news already!” He couldn’t help but laugh a few times.

Chen Jin thought, “… Did my uncle misunderstand? This information was given to me by my neighbor, not from some great deity after offering incense.” Forget it, her uncle’s superstitions wouldn’t change in a short time.

“Your neighbor seems like a decent person; it’s good to build a rapport,” Chen Wenqiang said after walking a few steps. He turned back to remind her, “It’s fine to make friends, but if it comes to dating, you need to be more cautious. Marrying up or down has its pros and cons; you have to keep your eyes open.”

“Uh-huh, don’t worry, Uncle. Teacher Shen doesn’t think of me that way; his family is very wealthy, so he wouldn’t be interested in me.” Chen Jin remembered how during lunch today, when she mentioned Shen Baichuan’s cars, her cousin and his two brothers exclaimed, “This meal isn’t tasty anymore.” The gap was too big; she couldn’t reach that height.

But having Teacher Shen as a friend was indeed worthwhile.

Chen Wenqiang was concerned that Chen Jin might be taken advantage of in a relationship with her neighbor, but hearing her dismiss it made him uncomfortable. He put his hands on his hips and asked, “Why wouldn’t he be interested? What makes you think that?”

Although their family didn’t have as many assets as Teacher Shen’s family, his third sister was lucky in terms of wealth! How much money could she potentially earn in the future?

Chen Jin didn’t expect her casual comment to elicit such a strong reaction from her uncle. She quickly corrected herself, “I misspoke; it’s I who look down on him. Is that better?”

“I think his conditions are quite good; you should lower your standards a bit.”

“…” Chen Jin couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “Are you going home or to the company? I’m planning to go shopping… Hey, don’t say I’ll go shopping all day without doing any real work; tomorrow, Chen Yue is having her university celebration, and I need to pick out a gift for her.”

“By the way, Uncle, are you going tomorrow too?”

“Of course, why wouldn’t I go?” Chen Wenqiang snorted, “Old Secretary and Chen Wensong have already sent me invitations, insisting I give them face. I just want to see what kind of trouble they stir up.”

Chen Jin raised an eyebrow, “Isn’t this organized by Aunt Kexin?”

“Who knows with them? They changed it to a joint invitation and are holding it at the Dingjunhao Hotel. Chen Wensong is quite interesting; he’s now trying to get close to his daughter after all the disgusting things he did before. I can’t be bothered to talk about him. Just wait and see; it’ll be a miracle if Chen Yue pays him any attention in the future.”

No wonder, Aunt Kexin originally called her to inform her about a restaurant in the West District that she had never heard of. Then last night, she called to say the location had changed to the Dingjunhao Hotel.

Since Aunt Kexin needed to rush to inform others, Chen Jin hadn’t had time to ask further.

She thought to herself that Aunt Kexin was not someone who liked to flaunt wealth, so why would she want to book a banquet at the Dingjunhao Hotel for a graduation celebration?

Now hearing that Old Secretary and Chen Wensong were involved made it all seem reasonable.

Chen Jin then thought of another matter and asked, “Isn’t the village chief going too? Is Chen Wenzhen going?”

Chen Wenqiang suddenly recalled this and exchanged a knowing glance with Chen Jin, both of them smiling mysteriously.

When Chen Jin arrived at the Dingjunhao Hotel, aside from her second uncle’s family of three and her aunt’s family of three, everyone else was already there. She went to register her gift and cash donation.

Now that she was the only one from her family, her outings represented her own family, and she had to contribute financially to meet the etiquette.

As the protagonist of the day, Chen Yue dressed even more plainly than Chen Jin. When Chen Jin asked her why she didn’t go to her aunt’s shop to dress up a bit, she leaned in and whispered, “It’s just a meal for relatives and friends today; I didn’t invite my teachers and classmates. We’ll hold another gathering in a few days; when that happens, Chen Jin, you and Chen Yongan can come over, okay?”

Another gathering? Chen Jin felt puzzled.

Chen Yue continued, “For this meal, my grandfather and dad insisted on getting involved, which made my mom upset. Since we’re planning to live in Shanghai permanently, my mom has been holding in her anger for a year and is looking for an opportunity to let it out. It’s likely someone will suffer later.”

Chen Jin wanted to say it wasn’t necessary to pick such an important day, but seeing Chen Yue’s eager expression, she realized her worries were unfounded. Chen Yue must have also been holding in her frustrations for the college entrance exam.

Well then, she would just wait and see.

But when she saw the village chief being supported by his eldest grandson as he walked in, Chen Jin felt a pang of sympathy. Setting aside everything else, the village chief was genuinely a good person. “You all take it easy; don’t let the village chief get sick from anger later.”

Chen Yue shook her head. “No way; the village chief must know by now. Uncle Wenzhen hasn’t been to the Rose Garden lately, so the village chief can’t do anything about him. I guess the village chief also wants to vent his frustration on him. Oh, the village chief specifically told us that if Uncle Wenzhen brought anyone else, we should stop them, and he even called Uncle Wenhao to take the day off to come here.”

Chen Jin understood; this was to find Uncle Wenhao to help with the situation.

Chen Jin went to her family’s table, and Chen Yongan asked, “Third sister, what were you and Chen Yue talking about?”

“Hehe, you’ll find out later,” Chen Jin replied mysteriously.

Guests arrived one after another, and Chen Jin noticed that everyone from Qiaodong Village, except for Chen Bagu, had come. The heads of every household were present.

Could Chen Yue’s graduation banquet really summon everyone? The old secretary didn’t have that much influence; not everyone in the village respected him, and who didn’t know about his family’s issues? They had made such a scene before, and now they were showing up at Chen Yue’s graduation banquet? This family truly had a thick skin.

Chen Jin scanned the room and spotted Aunt Zhou, who was drinking soda, glancing over at her. Even from three tables away, they could see the gossiping sparkle in each other’s eyes.

Speaking of Chen Wensong, he was an interesting character. He actually brought his current wife and kids to help Chen Yue celebrate her graduation banquet. Wasn’t that just pure provocation? He even played host to the guests, while the relatives from the Jiang family said nothing, merely watching his performance.

Chen Wenzhen was equally ridiculous, shamelessly saying that Chen Wensong had raised a prestigious university student.

Then… then the situation took a strange turn. Jiang Kexin first gave everyone from the old secretary’s family a good scolding, “Still trying to scheme for my house? Go dream! Chen Wensong, I see you were pretty lively before, huh? Your parents are about to have their land expropriated, and they aren’t giving you a dime. You must be anxious now, right?!”

“You only remember your child’s success now? A person like you can raise a university student? I think you’re ugly and dreaming! What brand of trash are you that needs to come out for attention?”

“What do you mean? Chen Wenzhen, just because you’re quiet doesn’t mean no one sees you as a mute. Have you cleared up your mess with your sister-in-law yet? You’re really something, following Chen Wensong and only learning how to keep a mistress. No, wait, you’re even better than Chen Wensong; you’ve taken your mistress to your mother-in-law’s house.”

“Want to fight? Do you think we’re afraid of you? I’ve wanted to hit you for a long time!”

Chen Wensong angrily stepped forward to slap her, but Jiang Kexin’s brother swung back a slap, full of force, indicating he had some internal strength.

Chen Jin was so engrossed in watching the show that she forgot to chew her food.

People in Qiaodong Village looked at each other, hesitating about whether to intervene. Some had rolled up their sleeves and stood up, but were pressed back down, suggesting they wait and see what the seemingly indifferent village chief would do.

The village chief hadn’t made a move yet, so they decided to observe a bit longer.

Jiang Kexin suddenly kicked up a fuss, and the angriest was not Chen Wensong or the old secretary’s family, but Chen Wenzhen, whose secrets had been exposed. He turned pale and hurried to explain to the village chief.

The village chief glanced at Chen Wenhao, and then Chen Wenzhen had his hands twisted behind his back, the village chief picked up a nearby prepared cane and swung it down mercilessly.

The old secretary’s wife, who had been crying and cursing on the ground, didn’t dare to make a sound.

Inside, it was so quiet that only the sound of the village chief swinging the cane and Chen Wenzhen’s cries of pain could be heard.

The waitstaff waiting outside sensed something was off and were about to intervene, but Chen Wengqiang and a few others stopped them, saying, “In there, it’s just my useless son getting beaten; it’s no big deal. We won’t ruin your place.”

The waitstaff were persuaded to leave.

After a dozen strikes, just watching made Chen Jin feel pain in her own hands and feet. She shivered and turned away to rub her arms.

The village chief silently struck twenty times, threw the cane aside, and said, “I can’t manage others’ affairs, but I can manage my own. If anyone brings such troublesome matters to bother me again, I’ll treat my own son the same way.”

He then looked at Chen Wenzhen, saying, “As for that one outside, I don’t care who she is; if it’s broken, you’re still my son. If not, then get out of my house.”

After that, the village chief turned to Chen Wensong and meaningfully stated, “If anyone dares to spread rumors outside and ruin the plans for the southern city suburbs, the Chen family’s ancestral hall will not welcome such people back.”

Chen Jin scratched her face and quietly asked her uncle, “So, who is spreading rumors outside?”

“Someone with a poor brain.”