Cao Jingyin arranged the slender flower stems of the water lily around the edge of an oval-shaped purple sandalwood shallow basin, with floating daisies of varying sizes in between. Next to the tea table was a tall glass cup filled with black-hearted chrysanthemums and golden chrysanthemums, one high and one low, one light and one bright, really beautiful. Now she was like a small boat that had already docked ashore, no longer drifting around, quietly managing the household, just lacking a husband to teach children. Cao Jingyin had just finished arranging the purple sandalwood basin scenery when Chen Ergou burst in with a sweaty face, tightly clutching the household registration book and ID card that Chen Yuanshu had specially helped him change to Nanjing's Rain Flower Terrace district. With an excited expression, he stared at Cao Jingyin like a grass carp jumping ashore, panting heavily. Cao Jingyin's face turned red as she retreated to her room, pulling out the household registration book and ID card from a copy of "Introduction to Psychoanalysis". After fermenting for a long time, she finally walked out of the room, only to be grabbed by Chen Ergou and rushed downstairs like a fleeing fugitive. He stuffed her into the passenger seat of an Audi A4, hastily starting the engine. Cao Jingyin cried and laughed helplessly: "I can't escape again, what are you afraid of?"

  Although anxious, they drove carefully to the marriage registration office at a snail's pace, took a number and sat down. Cao Jingjian immediately stood out from the crowd of women who came to register for marriage, making all the other women feel inferior. Many men couldn't help but feel a pang in their hearts, such is the mentality of men - they would rather have a goddess-like woman who doesn't eat or drink with mortals, become a nun and retreat into an empty temple, or be high above them, looking down on men with disdain, than see her marry another man. Cao Jingjian's hands were already being held tightly by Chen Ergou, but she endured it. The man, who was getting more and more fond of calling her "wife" and taking advantage of every opportunity to flirt with her, had a thick layer of sweat on his forehead.

  The registration office aunt looked at the new couple with a kind face, Cao Jing's face was beautiful but not arrogant, Chen Er Gou was nervous and his originally pale face looked even more silly. The aunt thought they were quite compatible, so everything went smoothly. When Chen Er Gou and Cao Jing got their red marriage certificate, Chen Er Gou couldn't stop smiling and as soon as they walked out of the registration office, he picked up Cao Jing and spun her around a few times. The number one rascal from Zhangjia Village who two years ago could only squat in the cornfield and imagine women's bodies was finally fulfilled.

  On the way back to Xiaowu's place, Cao Jing received a phone call and her expression changed slightly. After hesitating for a moment, she said to Chen Ergou, who was still lost in thought: "My brother is already at home, don't go up yet."

  Chen Erdou nodded, neither annoyed nor shocked. After parking the car in the residential area, he turned to Cao Jingrui, who was the first to get out of the Audi A4, and smiled foolishly: "Your brother wants to rush down and beat me up, don't stop him. Your brother is fierce, I can also hold on for a while."

  "I'm reluctant to part with it." Cao Qianying smiled and walked into the corridor, blinking her eyes.

  A tall and sturdy man, known as Chi Bing, stood at the door with Cao Jing. In the living room, a man in his 30s sat on a chair, with an ordinary appearance that was only slightly above average. He didn't have a strong presence, but rather a calm demeanor, with his back straight, not reading or drinking tea, nor staring blankly into space. He gazed quietly at the purple sandalwood basin amidst the intertwined horse hoof lotus, lost in thought, and it was unclear how long he had maintained this posture. It wasn't until Cao Jing sat down beside him that he turned his head, his eyes fixed on the increasingly unfamiliar face, with a hint of well-concealed sorrow. He spoke slowly: "Such a big thing happened, and you didn't even come home to ask your parents? Even if you're angry with them, your great-grandfather, who has always been on your side since childhood, is still worried about you. Can you bear to let him worry about your well-being?"

  "Mother is too calculating, Father is too weak. In our family, those who have been waiting for more than 20 years to form an alliance with the Li family but were greatly disappointed will inevitably have one or two self-righteous people who will intervene and mock them coldly. The confidence and self-esteem that he has accumulated over the past year or two will be crushed." Cao Jingyan shook her head, saying that so-called "red families" are complex and intricate to an extent that ordinary people, even those from second- and third-tier cities, cannot imagine. Behind the glamour, after removing the mask of hypocrisy and secret calculations, lies the ugliness of human nature expanded infinitely by power and money. Perhaps there are many kind and approachable elders in high-ranking families, and low-key and practical young masters like Wu Huang, but unfortunately, at least Cao Jingyan's mother and the men and women around her who are shining with glory are not easy to get along with.

  "The old master is here, who dares to be presumptuous?" The man shook his head and said.

  "Brother, do you think an old man who has laughed and joked with the founding fathers of our country would care about whether a young man is being bullied by his own juniors? He's that kind of old master who's famous for helping relatives but not reason, would he even bother to open his eyes and take a look at a young and inexperienced role?" Cao Jingjian said with a bitter smile.

  "What's so special about him?" the man asked in puzzlement.

  "The old man doesn't mind, but I do."

  Cao Cao sternly said: "You may look down on him, but I think highly of him."

  "Don't be impatient with me, from childhood to adulthood, when have I not helped you?" The man sighed, although he also acknowledged that Li Jia's little one was the most suitable person for her, but Cao Ye Hu, whose surname is Cao and first name is Wild Fox, still respected every choice she made in her life journey. Even if she firmly refused to join the party and faced fierce opposition from the whole family, Cao Ye Hu remained unmoved and stood firmly behind Cao Jingjian, blocking countless open and secret attacks for her.

  For Cao Jingjian, Cao Ye Hu, one of the new generation's most notorious figures in Beijing, was heartbroken. At 18 years old, he had gotten a girl from a wealthy family pregnant, causing a huge scandal that almost led to his family disowning him. Abandoned and left to fend for himself, Cao Ye Hu ran away from home with only a few dozen yuan in his pocket. On a snowy night, he was ambushed by enemies in an alleyway and nearly killed. It was this sister who pulled him out of the chaos and struggled to carry him to the hospital, sending him into the emergency room. At that time, Cao Ye Hu could only vaguely see her young face, crying with pain, and thought that for the rest of his life, he couldn't let her cry again, no one was allowed to make her cry.

  Cao Jing smiled slightly and said: "Do you want me to brew a pot of top-grade Pu'er tea for you?"

  Cao Ye Fox shook his head and said, "I won't drink tea anymore. I have to rush back immediately because of a task. The few people who came to Nanjing with Little Li Zi to cause trouble have already been sent back to Beijing by me. Now I can only do this much. I want to remind you that Little Li Zi doesn't have a kind heart either. After following that man, who is almost like a Buddha but also a bit demonic, for over ten years, he has learned six parts of his master's ways and has a strong and domineering demeanor. However, deep down, he is still the same snotty kid who would run back to tell on me after I pulled down his pants once, and only secretly cried when he saw me being severely whipped with a military belt. If you don't go back to the north, your family members won't be able to do much to that guy nicknamed Second Dog, but it's hard to say what Little Li Zi will do. This kind of person, if you give him an ice sugar gourd and he eats one piece, he'll fight with me to the death. Even after I threw him to the ground seventeen or eighteen times, he still dared to get up and curse in front of our mother. Now that Chen has taken you away from me, who knows what he will do?"

  Cao Jing's heart was filled with anxiety, her hands stretched out to gently manipulate the delicate lotus root in the shallow purple sandalwood basin, as if it would break off at a mere pinch.

  "I don't care about any of this."

  Cao Ye Hu suddenly became solemn, staring at Cao Jing Jian, his words seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth, "I just want to confirm whether what you told us last time was true or false, I am your brother, don't deceive me."

  "Yes."

  Cao Jingyin's smile was bitter and sorrowful, "I can deceive anyone but I won't deceive you."

  Cao Ye Hu leaned back in his chair, letting out a deep sigh, and reached out to touch Cao Jing's head, wanting to say something but stopping himself, then suddenly stood up and strode out of the room.

  There was no sending off the elder brother Cao, and Qiao Jing's autumn water eyes blinked, gazing at the clear inverted reflection in the purple sandalwood basin, also not knowing whether it was desolate or cunning.

  Not long after, Chen Ergou slipped into the living room and whispered: "Your brother didn't even bother to talk to me, he just left like that?"

  "Then you'd rather he beat you up to feel relieved?" Cao Jingjian said softly.

  "I remember the first time I fought with Zhang Jiazhai, I hid behind Fugui and tried to sneak up on him but ended up getting punched in the face and kicked in the crotch. At that moment, I deeply understood a truth: if you want to beat people up, you have to start by being beaten up yourself." Chen Ergou laughed and said, "I really miss the days when Fugui and I fought side by side. Especially after the college entrance exam, we had nothing to do but idle around outside our own homes, and whenever there was a fight, it was exhilarating! My signature move, similar to the 'sweeping chrysanthemum leg', reached its peak during that time."

  "Shameless." Cao Qiang cursed with a smile.

  "Shameless, I can seduce you?" Chen Ergou smiled slyly.

  "Has Fu Gui said when he will arrive in Nanjing?" Cao Jing asked.

  "He said he's unsure." Chen Ergou scratched his head and said: "I'm worried about how to hold the wedding banquet, where to go, and who to invite are all worries."

  "Let Wang Hu reserve a mid-range hotel, and when the time comes, invite Qian Zixiang, Wei Jia's three women, plus a few friends by your side, that will be enough. I don't need to invite anyone on my side, we'll set up the banquet tables whenever we're ready." Cao Jianguo said succinctly.

  "Isn't it okay if I don't invite your parents?" Chen Ergou asked tentatively.

  "This time listen to me, next time I'll listen to you." Cao Jingjian smiled.

  Chen Ergou didn't say anything else.

  In the late afternoon, three extremely eye-catching guys walked out of Nanjing Train Station. Two big guys and a handsome young man with an extraordinary aura, wearing camouflage uniforms with removed shoulder badges, and ordinary cheap military boots that could be easily picked up from street vendors selling military goods. The smiling young man, who was looking for a pretty woman at the train station, said in a low voice: "Fu Gui, shall I call a few sports cars to take us around Nanjing first?"

  "I can drive a main battle tank, but I won't drive a four-wheeled vehicle." The robust man said indifferently.

  "How are we going to get to your younger brother's place?" A young man who couldn't find a beautiful woman that caught his eye sighed and said.

  "You can go." Lin Juxiong suddenly spoke up.

  "Take the bus." The three men spoke in unison, and the other two meekly followed them to squeeze onto the bus, probably for the first time in their lives.

  After the bus started, a car full of people were secretly glancing at the terrifying trio who had occupied the last row. The young man who was not affected asked in a low voice: "Rich and noble brother, I'm nervous."

  "You were singing and dancing just now, luring Shen Baozi into the encirclement, why weren't you nervous? Now you're nervous for nothing." The burly man frowned.

  "I'm afraid that if I accidentally glance at your sister-in-law a few more times, you'll let Lin Juxiong beat me up." The young man said timidly.

  "I won't."

  A man with a physique that belonged to the Three Kingdoms' top-notch warriors, like Xu Chu, smiled and said: "I'll take care of it personally." (To find out what happens next, please log in. More chapters are available. Support the author, support the official version!)