Chapter 5 The Official's Career

  I'm begging for recommendations and collections! Chen Daquan, who has been through thick and thin, put on a nonchalant face and went to the supermarket to buy two bottles of wine and some other stuff. He then took a taxi to his sister-in-law's house. His sister-in-law, Chen Yalan, is married to Li Jianbo, a local from Lincheng. After they got married, she moved to Lincheng too. Li Jianbo was laid off early on and tried to do some small business with the family's small gate, but he wasn't cut out for it and lost money on everything. He had no choice but to rent it out and work as a security guard himself, just scraping by each month. His sister-in-law Chen Yalan has just retired and is now thinking about what to do next. After all, Li Jianbo is getting older, and the old couple wants to figure out how to make some money for him to find a stable job, get married, have kids, and consider this life worth living.

  Chen Yalan was delighted to see her nephew, but she was worried about his health. Chen Zhiyuan had lost so much weight that he now weighed only 170 pounds, down from over 300 pounds before. Although Chen Zhiyuan had told the whole family three months ago when he returned home that he had learned a weight loss recipe from an old Taoist priest and could eat as much as a cow, Chen Yalan was still worried. It wasn't until Chen Zhiyuan repeatedly assured her that his health was fine that she finally felt at ease.

  Not long after, Uncle Li Jian Shu came back and saw the few bottles of good wine brought by Chen Zhiyuan. He immediately urged Chen Yalan to make some delicious dishes to go with the wine. Today, they were able to enjoy the wine thanks to Chen Zhiyuan's presence; otherwise, it would have had to wait until Chinese New Year. Chen Zhiyuan liked Uncle Li's generous and carefree personality, but he couldn't help feeling a bit annoyed when his relatives complained about him wasting money, despite their good intentions.

  Before long, Chen Yalan had prepared a table of good dishes. Everyone was ready to eat. Li Jian Shu looked at his son and then at Chen Zhiyuan, just about to speak, when Li Jianli suddenly hugged his head and begged: "Dad, I'm begging you, please don't say anything else! I know I'm not making progress, I'm not studying well, I'm not as capable as my brother. I really understand now, so please don't say anything else!"

  "After finishing, he rushed to Chen Zhiyuan and said with a bitter face: "I'm telling you, brother, since you came back to take the postgraduate exam, I've become the target of criticism for the whole family. My ears are all swollen from being scolded by my parents. You have to compensate me, by the way, did you get that admission notice today?"

  Chen Zhiyuan nodded and smiled: "Got it, you said the results came out early, but this notice was delayed for a whole month, what a hassle! I told your grandparents that it's all for your own good, you're so old and staying at home every day isn't a solution either!"

  Li Jian said with a bitter face: "I don't want to stay at home either, but I haven't finished my studies, and I don't want to work as a waiter or something like that. Nobody wants me!"

  Chen Yalan glared at Li Jian: "I knew you were a good-for-nothing, looking down on jobs that are not high-paying and thinking you're too good for any family. What will you do when your dad and I are gone?"

  Li Jian was completely helpless and said: "Today my brother received the notice, this is a happy thing, can't we say something else?"

  Chen Yalan glared at her son and asked Chen Zhiyuan: "Have you told your father?"

  "I said, once I got the notice, I'll give him a call!" Chen Zhiyuan poured wine for his uncle Li Jian.

  "This wine is really good, haha, it's still my nephew who cares about me, compared to that useless thing at home, I don't even know if he bought any wine for his dad!" Li Jian Shu said with a mouthful of wine.

  "Dad, I'm not rich now, but when I have money, I'll buy you good wine to drink every day!" Li Jian felt really uncomfortable all over, always being hit and the days were bitter!

  "When are you going to school?" Chen Yalan added a piece of pork rib into Chen Zhiyuan's bowl.

  "It's almost two months since I quit drinking, don't pour me a drink!" Just after answering little sister's question, I found out that little brother-in-law was pouring wine into my cup!

  "Dad, my brother can't hold his liquor, he can't drink it, give it to me!" Li Jian stared at Chen Zhiyuan's cup with eager eyes.

  "You're still young and don't study well, just like your father, you'll become a drunkard sooner or later!" Chen Yalan was very dissatisfied with her son's request to drink.

  "Mom, I'm already 24 years old. My brother is only one year older than me and he can drink, why can't I? Is it just because I don't have a job yet? Wait until I get a job, then see if you still say I'm not allowed to!" After saying that, she slammed down her chopsticks and refused to eat anymore, getting up to leave.

  Chen Zhiyuan grabbed Li Jian's arm and laughed: "You little brat, your temper is really... Your mom just scolded you a few times, that's it. I came here today to find you a job, are you going to do it or not?"

  Before Li Jian could react, Chen Yalan hastily asked: "What work?"

  Chen Zhiyuan saw the young couple looking at him eagerly, feeling a bit embarrassed: "Little aunt and uncle, didn't you say that small door curtain in your house wasn't rented out? I want to do a barbecue with Li Jian!"

  Chen Yalan was a bit disappointed. This opening of a barbecue stall as a small boss in her eyes wasn't a long-term thing either. With just these two kids running the barbecue, they couldn't even cook a decent meal on normal days, let alone when it's busy. "Zhiyuan, I won't object to whatever you guys want to do, but this barbecue business? You two can't even cook rice properly, this definitely won't work!"

  "Little sister, little brother-in-law, I've thought this through. Tomorrow, let's just make a small batch, just for our family to eat. You two try it out and if you think the flavor is good, then we'll do it. If not, we won't. How about that?"

  Chen Yalan heard her nephew's idea and thought it was feasible, so she said: "Alright, that's settled then. If you two little rabbits don't make something delicious, I won't let you do it!"

  Li Jianxu smiled and said: "Actually, even if they didn't do well, they should be allowed to try. A person can't become talented without going through trials!"

  "Shut up and drink your wine!"

  The meal ended like this, and Chen Zhiyuan slept in his younger brother Li Jian's room at night. Li Jian was playing with the computer, in a state of excitement that seemed to last all night. Chen Zhiyuan kicked Li Jian and said, "Hurry up and go to sleep, we have to get up early tomorrow!"

  "What's the point of getting up early? You sleep first, I'm still on my backup plan!" Li Jian didn't respond.

  "Can't buy anything when opening a barbecue shop? Hurry up and sleep!"

  "But didn't mom say we should try the taste first? If it's good then let us do that!"

  "Let you sleep if you want to sleep, stop talking nonsense. Don't worry, this barbecue shop will definitely open successfully, and we'll start trial operation tomorrow night!"

  "Brother, stop joking, can you guarantee that the barbecue we made will satisfy my mom?"

  "Your brother said it's okay, so there won't be any problem. Tomorrow morning, follow me to buy some stuff, and in the afternoon, we'll start preparing for the opening. Within three days, your brother will earn enough money to buy you an Apple phone!"

  "Is it real? That thing is too expensive, over 60 thousand!"

  Chen Zhiyuan took out 10,000 yuan from his bag and waved it in front of Li Jian, saying: "If you can't earn it, I'll buy it for your brother!"

  "Really?" Li Jian also got excited, seeing others holding this Apple phone, he envied it so much that he even dreamed of having one himself!

  Chen Zhiyuan patted his younger brother's head and said, "Go to sleep, trust that your older brother will live forever!" This younger brother is still too young, if there isn't some material temptation, it'll be hard for him to settle down and follow me. Later, when this barbecue shop takes off, when he sees the money, his heart will also settle down! First update delivered, another one coming at 7pm tonight! Please collect and recommend!