Chen Ergou was cunning enough not to ask Cao Jingjian whether the "good" word was true or false, letting this shocking and thrilling feeling churn in his heart. He wore a fox-like smile on his face, looking gentle but actually not investing too much genuine emotion. Chen Ergou had been good at wearing a mask when he was deceiving the villagers of Zhangjiacun Village, and after meeting Wei Duan Gong in Nanjing, his skills became even more refined.

  Cao Jingjian also knew how to behave herself, lightly glossing over this meaningful and sensitive topic, letting Chen Ergou take her on a tour of the scenic spots around Huamen. Along the way, she kept feeding him some inside information about real estate, just the point about altering the floor area ratio made Chen Ergou's eyes widen in amazement. This country bumpkin was amazed that a small decimal point change could bring in hundreds of millions of extra income.

  As for the complex details of house-flipping teams invading second- and third-tier cities or the marriage between elite scholars and real estate developers, Chen Ergou listened with relish, but didn't have any earth-shattering insights. After all, he was just a poor guy whose entire savings couldn't even buy two square meters in Shanghai.

  Although Chen Ergou had some knowledge of economics, it wasn't enough to make him an expert scholar overnight. However, when interacting with Cao Jingjian, Chen Ergou didn't try to show off or pretend to be someone he's not. He was content being a listener, and she would occasionally give him a flirtatious glance.

  Chen Ergou wouldn't pretend to be aloof or ignore her, instead, he would stare at her with wide eyes, drooling slightly, and think about how he could "accidentally" make her trip and then offer to help her up or carry her. But Cao Jingjian was someone who could easily throw Chen Ergou over her shoulder and walk away steadily.

  "Second Dog, have you thought about what to do next?" Cao Jing walked under a tree shade, looking up at the sky through the leaves, her expression solemn, this was one of her habitual postures.

  Chen Ergou felt another wave of shame and self-reproach, because a certain book said that people who like to gaze up at the sky are mostly accustomed to examining their inner moral character. Chen Ergou thought he was just a coarse person who only cared about making money and working hard, with a spiritual realm far inferior to Cao Jing's. To be honest, he didn't know why this goddess-like sister was willing to waste her time on him; maybe she was just bored after eating too much. This was the most plausible answer Chen Ergou could come up with. When he heard Cao Jing's question, Chen Ergou squatted at the base of the tree, looking straight ahead and answering very honestly: "I don't know, I can only take it one step at a time."

  "Second Dog, do you know where the poor are pitied?"

  "Cao Jing said in a soft voice, her expression without pity or sorrow, neither condescending nor overly sympathetic. She didn't wait for Chen Er Gou's response and instead asked herself, 'In my opinion, it's a lifetime of struggling to get things that others have had since birth but don't appreciate. The most infuriating thing is that when you finally make a name for yourself, obtain wealth, power, and women, you realize these things can't be taken with you into the coffin, nor do you want to take them. Those things you want to grasp in your hands at the end are already pawned off to life and sold cheaply to worldly affairs. This is still considered lucky; every poor person initially is blind to tomorrow's prospects, unclear if today's actions have any real significance, with the smell of money floating everywhere, successful people smiling brightly, literati sighing in illness, officials shouting anti-corruption slogans while throwing money around - all unrelated yet related to you. Some people get angry, some cry, others go mad, and most become numb. I've seen many men smarter than you who were also poor but became famous, exhausting their talents and gifts to rise above, with a small portion soaring to great heights and the majority failing, failing in women's bellies or politicians' palms or merchants' calculations - not a few died, all of whom were young people full of talent, initially favored by older generations as rough gems that could be polished into masterpieces. One by one they perished; some went abroad to wash dishes, others entered Qin City Prison... Er Gou, these things may seem like distant stories without resonance today, but life is always more absurd than reality - remember this point. I hope in the future when you meet people like me who are not quite normal, or encounter Zhao Kunpeng's kind of insurmountable obstacle, don't panic; just grit your teeth and come down, even if you're scared to death inside. So this time I found you in Nanjing, I didn't think it was shameful at all. My grandfather said a phrase: people act, heaven may not look again, but the ancestors buried underground are definitely watching. I've only visited your grandfather's grave once and don't dare speak nonsense, but one thing is certain - he hoped for your prosperity in this life, but more so that you live well, get married, have children, and pass on the family legacy, letting your descendants call out 'great-grandfather' at his grave."

  Chen Ergou was stunned, he didn't expect Cao Jing to say so many heartfelt words. He squatted down beside her, looking up at her chin, which was delicate and round, like a small piece of smooth brocade.

  Cao Jing stretched out her hands, forming a rectangular frame towards the sky. This was the second time she had made this gesture, the first being in Zhangjiashan deep mountain. She said softly: "Ergou, look, this is what you can see of the sky now, it's a bit bigger than Zhangjiashan. It means that next, you will meet more people, encounter more opportunities or crises, maybe stumble and struggle, or maybe sail smoothly. Now the sky you see is not big, but if you hadn't left Shanghai, hadn't lived up to your parents' expectations, you wouldn't even be able to see this much of the sky."

  Chen Ergou nodded.

  "Cao Jingjian withdrew her hands, looked down at Chen Ergou who was still looking up at her, and said calmly: "You are different from the noble young masters in my circle, but you are also different from ordinary poor people who are just poor. You are not like those clever people who are desperate to make a living and hope to swallow an elephant by snake-eating. I, Cao Jingjian, am not a philanthropist, just a woman who wants to travel all over the country, find one or two people worth expecting, and cultivate myself. I don't have a saintly state of mind, I don't want to govern the family, govern the country, and pacify the world. Being able to cultivate oneself is enough. When hurt, it will be painful, when painful, it will cry, just an ordinary woman. However, having seen many talented people, geniuses, and freaks, as well as spoiled sons, young masters, and dandies, I no longer pay attention to a man's family background, nor do I have high standards for his appearance and figure. So, I can get along with you, Ergou. Don't be too proud, the aspects of you that I appreciate may not be appreciated by most women. By the way, I was supposed to leave Nanjing today and go home. If nothing unexpected happens, I will mention you, and many people will be angry, puzzled, and ridiculed. They will also be puzzled as to why Chen Ergou, a rustic, can make Cao's most favored and eccentric child look at him with favor. I won't explain anything to them. Of course, if what I said makes you uncomfortable, don't hold it in your heart, scold me a couple of times, or even hit me, I know you are not the kind of person who takes advantage of others without being punished by heaven and earth. And since I haven't entered your Chen family's door yet, I still have to be polite, after all, men and women should keep a distance from each other."

  Chen Ergou smiled wryly and silently, unable to respond.

  "This time when I go back, if I can still return to Nanjing, who knows, maybe I'll really get on your pirate ship." Cao Jingjian joked.

  "My temple is too small, you're such a great Bodhisattva, I'm afraid that even if you're willing to enter, I won't be able to accommodate you." Chen Ergou scratched his head and said.

  "In your heart, you're already enjoying the flowers, but on your lips, you're still playing tricks." Cao Jingjian said with a light smile.

  "I just didn't dare to believe it, you're so clever, knowing that I'm a pessimist, always thinking of the worst-case scenario. So even if it's really good news, when it reaches me, it doesn't seem as great." Chen Ergou said with a hint of self-mockery, pulling out a cigarette and holding it between his fingers but not daring to light it, fearing that Cao Jing would be allergic to smoke. "If any other woman had your conditions and spoke to me like this, I'd think she was joking or crazy. But you're different, I don't dare believe it, nor do I dare not believe it - it's quite contradictory. Actually, my heart is blooming with joy, just barely holding back from asking when we can go get the marriage certificate, or first take care of the most important things in the bridal chamber."

  Cao Jing's expression was strange and seemed to be shocked by Chen Ergou's last sentence, which was a bit too truthful.

  Chen Ergou stood up, took a deep breath, suppressed his distractions and asked with full of expectation: "How is Fugui in the army?"

  Cao Jing's already somewhat unnatural expression became even more suspicious, and after hesitating for a moment, he smiled and said: "There's no big problem, it's just that now he's quite famous, and according to rumors, in another two months he'll be able to get his second promotion, which is pretty fast. At this rate, within seven or eight years, he'll have two stripes on his shoulder, and after that, it will be a bit harder to rise up, but for the rich and powerful, everything is possible, there's nothing he can't do, only things we can't think of."

  "If he doesn't behave and act like a good soldier, you should let the superiors discipline him severely." Chen Ergou said anxiously. Although Cao Jingjian's words sounded nice, they seemed to have an inexplicable underlying meaning that couldn't be revealed. In Chen Ergou's worldview, the military had always been a sacred place, although it was tense and strict, but he didn't want his brother to become a laughing stock like him in a strange place. Although on the surface, it seemed like Chen Fugui was always laughing at Chen Ergou, competing with him, and fighting with others in Zhangjiashan, Chen Ergou knew his brother's temperament best. That was because no one in Zhangjiashan had ever touched Chen Fugui's bottom line, and those who did would end up like the medicine peddlers who flirted with their women and never came out of the deep mountains again the next day. Therefore, Chen Ergou was worried that once his brother joined the army, he would encounter obstacles everywhere.

  "You two don't look alike at all."

  "Are you and Fugui really brothers born of the same mother?"

  Chen Ergou paused for a moment and said softly: "No." (To find out what happens next, please log in. More chapters are available. Support the author and support the genuine version!)