Seeing that no one was paying attention to him, Liu Jian didn't treat himself like an outsider. He found the teapot, took out the tea leaves he had prepared, and brewed tea for the two of them. The two families had always had a good relationship. The reason they drifted apart later on was partly because Chen Sheng's official position grew higher and higher, and partly because Liu Fu's business failed. The gap between the two widened, and their relationship naturally became more distant as the gap increased.
Liu Jian brewed the tea. Liu Fu and Chen Sheng had already set up a game of Chinese chess and were playing. They were both quite good at chess, having practiced in the military. Their playing styles were similar, bold and expansive, making them evenly matched.
Liu Jian served them while they played. Chen Sheng took a sip of tea and couldn't help but look up, savoring it carefully before saying, "Old Liu, this tea is excellent, authentic Longjing. Where did you get it?"
Liu Fu didn't even look up as he said, "Xiao Jian bought it. I didn't ask. But it tastes good. You know I prefer liquor, and I just gulp down tea, so I brought it out for you." After watching for a long time, Liu Fu pushed the chessboard and conceded defeat.
Liu Jian replied, "Uncle Chen, this is what I asked a friend to bring back from Hangzhou. They said it's pre-Qingming Longjing, but I don't really understand it. My dad doesn't drink much of it either, so I brought it all for you."
Chen Sheng took a few more sips, nodding and saying, "You're a good boy, Jian, thinking that your Uncle Chen loves tea. Not bad, this tea is indeed good. Your dad only likes to drink, he's not interested in anything else."
Liu Fu didn't mind at all, and while setting up the chess pieces, he laughed and said, "As if you're any better than me. I've never seen you drink less whenever we drink."
The two of them playfully teased each other with laughter and jokes. Before long, the dishes were ready, and the group sat down at the table. Chen Sheng's wife, Wang Yan, was also a former soldier and quite the drinker. In the end, only Liu Jian was left unable to drink because he had to drive. The four of them treated two bottles of Moutai, which would be worth tens of thousands in more than a decade, like cheap liquor and quickly finished them off. Liu Jian, who could only watch, was heartbroken, thinking to himself, "Let's see if you regret tonight in ten years!"
After dinner, Liu Fu and Chen Sheng sat in the living room chatting, while Liu's mother and Wang Yan went back to the bedroom, probably to gossip about someone. Watching Liu Fu, who was still chatting away, Liu Jian couldn't help but feel a little anxious. Why hadn't Liu Fu mentioned the matter they had agreed on beforehand?
Seeing the anxious expression on Liu Jian's face, Chen Sheng couldn't help but laugh and say, "Xiao Jian, what's wrong? Look how anxious you are."
Liu Fuqi smacked Liu Jian on the head and said, "You little rascal, you have no sense at all. What kind of relationship do Chen and I have? What could I possibly hide from him? I was just waiting for him to not be able to help but ask. You, honestly."
Liu Jian rubbed his head, realizing that the relationship between the two men was deeper than he had imagined, and he sheepishly went to the side.
Chen Sheng smiled and said, "Alright, what are you saying to the child? Brother, go ahead, what's the matter?"
Liu Fu said without holding back, "It's all this kid's idea, saying that I have money now and need a status, otherwise I'll suffer sooner or later. He means I should get a seat as a people's representative in the National People's Congress. I think what he said makes some sense, so I came to ask your opinion. You know I don't know anything about politics."
Chen Sheng looked at Liu Jian beside him and nodded, saying, "Well, this is a good idea. You're not in the system, so having a status as a people's representative will make things easier. This kid's thought of that, he's made a lot of progress! Big brother, aside from that, Xiao Jian is in high school now, how can you still let him skip class so easily? It's a crucial time for building a foundation, if he doesn't study hard, I'm afraid he won't be able to get into college."
Liu Fu smiled wryly and said, "You tell your Uncle Chen, I really can't be bothered to explain this matter. Several friends have criticized me for it, but this kid just won't honestly go to school."
Chen Sheng glanced at Liu Jian. He had no son and treated Liu Jian like his own, so his tone was naturally harsh: "Come here, tell me what's going on. Your dad spoils you, but I won't!"
Hearing Chen Sheng's cold tone, Liu Jian felt a little embarrassed and awkward.
He hesitated for a moment and said, "Uncle, you know, I started school late and my grades aren't good. With the scores I got, going to a regular high school would just be wasting time, and even thinking about going to college is out of the question. Even if I somehow got in, I'd be twenty-five by the time I graduated. I don't want to waste that time. If my dad hadn't forced me, I wouldn't even be going to high school."
Chen Sheng looked at Liu Jian carefully, knowing that this was what he really felt, and asked, "What are your plans for the future then? A university degree will just be a stepping stone in the future, and I'm afraid you'll regret it if you don't have one."
Liu Jian shook his head and said, "I'll follow you and learn something, accumulate experience, and start my own business if I have the opportunity. I'm not good at studying, but I'm sure I can do other things!" The confidence in his tone surprised Chen Sheng greatly.
Chen Sheng looked at Liu Jian in surprise, then turned to Liu Fu and said, "Big brother, not bad, your son has grown up. Last year he still looked like a spoiled child. Good, good, good."
Hearing Chen Sheng say "good" three times in a row, Liu Fu was very surprised. Chen Sheng rarely praised people, and only he himself thought his son was good. To hear someone else praise him like that made Liu Fu, the father, very happy.
Liu Fu said with a humble smile, "Alright, stop praising him, or his tail will be wagging in the sky."
Chen Sheng also laughed heartily, and the conversation became more relaxed.
After a while, Wang Yan and Liu's mother came out of the bedroom and looked at the lively living room. Gossipy Wang Yan asked, "What are you talking about, so happy?"
Liu Jian looked at his mother. Liu's mother nodded imperceptibly. Liu Jian breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that the purpose of coming today had been fully achieved, and his worries were put down. He jokingly told a few interesting things, and everyone laughed and joked.
As soon as the car started, Liu Jian hurriedly asked, "How is Mom, did Aunt Chen accept it?" Liu's mother said, "She declined for a long time, but later I said that Xiaoxue will graduate soon and can use it to find a job, and then she accepted it."
Liu Fu rubbed his eyes from the side and said, "Xiao Jian, is this really necessary? Uncle Chen isn't an outsider. You're giving such a big gift; aren't you afraid he'll think we're treating him like one? My relationship with him is different from other people's. A phone is more expensive than a TV now, and you have to pay monthly fees. It'll all add up to over ten thousand!"
Liu Jian nodded and said, "It's absolutely necessary. This isn't for Uncle Chen, it's for Sister Xue. We haven't troubled Uncle Chen before because we haven't had anything to trouble him with, but who knows what the future holds. We should do this first, so it's easier to talk later. Giving a gift now shows that we don't have any ulterior motives, we're just helping out."
As they were talking, Liu Fu's phone rang. He answered it, and Chen Sheng's voice came from the other end: "Brother, what are you doing? Isn't it ridiculous to give such an expensive thing to the child?"
Liu Fu chuckled and said, "What nonsense, precious things? Xiao Jian's got one in his pocket right now. This isn't for you, it's for the child. Xiao Xue is graduating soon, and she'll need it for job hunting and stuff. It'll be convenient to have a phone to keep in touch. I know you're in the system and some things are inconvenient. Who am I? I'm the child's uncle, not an outsider. I only have one son, and I've always wanted a daughter. I watched Xiao Xue grow up, and she's no different from my own daughter. The two kids have a big age gap, or I would have had Xiao Xue be my daughter-in-law long ago. Alright, when Xiao Xue comes back, have her come see me. She comes back and doesn't even visit me, Xiao Jian is always talking about his Sister Xue."
Hearing the last sentence, Liu Jian almost slammed on the brakes. "Oh my god, that scared me to death. That unruly girl, even if I couldn't find a wife in my last life, I wouldn't have considered marrying her. When Liu Jian sees Chen Xue, it's like a mouse seeing a cat, all his courage disappears." Once Liu Fu hung up the phone, Liu Jian hurriedly said, "Dad, why are you talking nonsense? What if Chen Xue comes looking for me?"
Liu Fu snorted and said, "You think I'm talking nonsense? Your mother and I have had this idea for a long time. We're just afraid Xiao Xue won't take a liking to you."
Liu Jian shook his head and said, "I don't like her either. Just seeing her gives me psychological trauma. Besides, with that temper of hers, she doesn't seem like a girl at all."
Liu Fu looked at Liu Jian with a wry smile, thinking to himself: My son is good in every way, why is he so afraid of girls? No wonder the two elders think so. Since he was little, I've never seen Liu Jian have any female friends. He even avoids girls when he sees them. Other kids are dating at this age, but he, well, I haven't seen any female friends call him. It seems the root of the problem lies here.
If Liu Fu knew that Liu Jian had an ambiguous little girlfriend at school, and a strange agreement, he wouldn't think that way. These are all illusions Liu Jian created to prevent Zhang Ying from misunderstanding. Now it seems Liu Jian's performance is very successful.
Perhaps because of what he was thinking during the day, he dreamt about it at night. In a daze, Liu Jian seemed to see a woman wearing a black leather jacket and pants, wearing a hideous mask, holding a whip, sitting on a stool, drinking red wine from a glass while whipping herself. Liu Jian was so frightened he broke out in a cold sweat, and he sat up with a start, shouting, "No, no!"
He opened his eyes and saw that it was just a dream. Just as he caught his breath, his phone rang. Liu Jian jumped in fright, took a deep breath, and as soon as he answered the phone, a woman's voice came from inside: "Xiao Jian, what are you doing? Why did you take so long to answer my call? Do you want to die?"
Upon hearing the voice on the phone, Liu Jian hung up in a panic. Only then did he notice that it was dawn. He got dressed, left the bedroom, poured a glass of boiling water, and sat there quietly.
Just as the phone rang again, before Liu Jian could speak, a deafening voice came through, "Xiao Jian, do you want to die? How dare you hang up on me! You've got some nerve. What's wrong, want to spar?"
Chen Xue's voice was still so clear and bright, but the murderous aura contained in her tone almost made Liu Jian hang up the phone again, just as his mood had started to calm down.
Liu Jian hurriedly apologized, "Sister Xue, I was wrong, it's all my fault. I was sleeping just now and wasn't fully awake."
Liu Jian kept apologizing. He wouldn't dare argue back. He just kept apologizing. No one could do anything when faced with a female tyrant, especially since Liu Jian had already developed a conditioned reflex over the years: whatever Sister Xue said was right.
There was no way around it. Anyone who had been bullied since they were five or six years old, and beaten up at every turn, would end up like this after more than a decade.
It's not that Liu Jian hadn't thought about fighting back, giving Chen Xue a beating to let her know the power of a man. The problem was he really couldn't beat her. Chen Xue's parents were both soldiers, and her uncle was still in the army. Chen Xue spent a lot of time playing at the army base when she was little, learning a whole host of skills: Sanshou, military boxing, unlimited combat techniques, anti-wolf techniques. Her test subject was Liu Jian. Don't think that Liu Jian didn't get into his share of fights in middle school. Compared to Chen Xue, he was nothing.
Hearing Liu Jian's attitude was still as sincere as ever, Chen Xue's tone became much calmer as she said, "Alright, hurry up and come pick me up with your car. Your sister needs to use your car."
Liu Jian hesitated and said, "Sister Xue, I still have to go to school, and besides, my dad might need the car." He was scared half to death by the phone call, and Liu Jian didn't have the courage to face Chen Xue.
Chen Xue chuckled and said, "Alright, what kind of school are you going to? Don't think I don't know what's going on with you. Hurry up and bring the car over, I've already talked to your uncle."
Liu Jian really didn't want to go; he hoped something would happen to Liu Fu. However, Chen Xue had already planned everything out, so there was no way she would let Liu Jian find a loophole.