Chapter 143: The Chen Family’s Double Standards

When the Chen family heard someone arriving outside, they immediately turned toward the gate of the main residence.

“Husband, you’re here!” Chen Shufen exclaimed, rushing over with a radiant smile the moment she saw him.

The newcomer was none other than Chen Shufen’s husband, Dai Yanqiu. He had once been a good-for-nothing just like Hong Yu, but was now one of Huai Zhou’s rising business magnates.

After Chen Shufen and her husband exchanged a few private words, they noticed that everyone in the Chen family had risen from their seats. Only then did Dai Yanqiu walk over to the old master.

“Dad, I’m here. Happy birthday. May your fortune be as vast as the Eastern Sea and your life as long as the Southern Mountains.”

“Hahaha, good! Yanqiu, there’s no need to be so formal!”

“Clap, clap, clap—”

Dai Yanqiu nodded, then suddenly began applauding.

Several bodyguards in suits rushed into the Chen family’s hall. They set down two large cases and immediately turned to leave.

The old master Chen said cheerfully, “Yanqiu, why did you bring so many things? Really, you shouldn’t have… It’s only a birthday.”

“You’re too thoughtful. Even if you had merely bought me a few pounds of tea, I would have been delighted.”

The old master Chen beamed happily, having completely forgotten that Hong Yu had also bought him several pounds of tea moments earlier.

Hong Yu frowned, while Lin Shuyu wore a deeply troubled expression.

Although her aunt had bullied her throughout the years she had spent with the Chen family, this was the first time Lin Shuyu had witnessed her grandfather’s blatant double standard.

Hong Yu squeezed her hand and whispered, “Shuyu, you don’t have to take this to heart. It won’t be long before I make them regret everything.”

His brow remained furrowed as he pondered in silence.

There were some things he felt he had to do for Lin Shuyu.

The thought of his wife being subjected to such inexplicable humiliation filled Hong Yu with anguish.

Meanwhile, dozens of miles away, more than a hundred luxury cars roared down the road, sending clouds of dust into the air.

“Damn it! Drive faster!”

“If my car ends up at the back, I’ll kill you!”

Shen Chong kept urging his driver on. When he saw two cars ahead overtake him recklessly, he grew even more frantic.

Among all these people, he and Li Tian had offended Hong Yu most severely.

Li Tian was the biggest local tyrant in Hannan, and Shen Chong knew he was no match for him. If Hong Yu wanted to make an example of someone, there was no doubt he would choose Shen Chong.

At the thought of this, Shen Chong urged the driver again. “Drive like your life depends on it! If we’re the first to arrive, I’ll give you a two-hundred-thousand-yuan bonus!”

The driver’s eyes lit up at once, and he slammed the accelerator to the floor.

“What’s wrong? You’re not leaving?” Dai Yanqiu had been held back by the old master Chen, while Chen Shufen stood nearby, smiling and chiming in from time to time. When she spotted Lin Shuyu and Hong Yu, she suddenly called out loudly.

Hong Yu narrowed his eyes. “Why should I leave? I came here today to wish him a happy birthday. Does the Chen family make a habit of driving away its guests?”

“You… You’re absolutely shameless!” Chen Shufen was so furious that she nearly jumped.

She did not truly want Hong Yu to leave just yet. Now that her husband had arrived and she had someone to rely on, she had originally planned to compare him with Hong Yu and viciously humiliate both Lin Shuyu and Hong Yu.

But then Chen Shufen remembered the ginseng.

Her husband had spent over a million yuan buying that wild ginseng from Changbai Mountain. If he discovered that she had secretly replaced it with cultivated ginseng, there was no telling whether he would resent her.

As the saying went, men changed once they became rich.

Although Chen Shufen had supported Dai Yanqiu and stood by him when he was young and poor, now that he had money, he had still found other women outside.

Chen Shufen had always known about it, but she did not dare say a word. If she truly angered Dai Yanqiu, she would no longer be able to enjoy her comfortable life.

For the sake of maintaining her standing in her maternal family, Chen Shufen chose to swallow her anger.

Seeing that Hong Yu looked utterly determined to stay, as though he feared neither boiling water nor anything else, Chen Shufen snapped, “Fine, you can stay! But if you think you’re going to sit here and wait for a meal, forget it!”

“Here’s what you can do. Carry all those things over. Otherwise, don’t even think about eating here!”

The birthday gifts Dai Yanqiu had brought filled two large cases. They contained cigarettes and liquor, all of the finest brands available on the market.

Chen Shufen thought that since Hong Yu refused to leave, she would make him move the gifts. If she kept him busy and unable to speak, all the better.

Hearing the commotion, the old master Chen turned gloomy and barked, “Did you hear what Shufen said? Hurry up and move those things!”

“If you want to freeload, that’s not entirely impossible, but you’ll have to do some work first. Do you really expect my fine son-in-law to carry everything?”

Hong Yu frowned.

Had this been any other situation, and had these been any other people, he would have taught them a lesson with his fists.

But these detestable members of the Chen family were Lin Shuyu’s relatives. If he continued arguing, he would only make her feel worse.

Her expression had already been terrible today, and Hong Yu did not want her to suffer any further.

He nodded without saying a word and started walking toward the cases.

Lin Shuyu hurriedly grabbed him. “Hong Yu, don’t go. You’re a guest. This isn’t something you should be doing!”

Chen Yingying sneered from the side. “Cousin, why are you suddenly feeling sorry for this good-for-nothing?”

“My aunt said that this good-for-nothing, Hong Yu, has always done the housework at your place. Why should he stop just because he’s come here?”

Lin Shuyu was rendered speechless.

Back when she had lived with the Lin family in Fengzhou, Hong Yu had indeed often done the heavy and dirty work. Chen Yingying was not wrong.

“It’s fine. It’s only two cases,” Hong Yu said with a faint smile, then shot Chen Yingying a sharp glance.

Chen Yingying was about to ask what he was staring at and what he meant when Dai Yanqiu suddenly walked over with a smile.

“Well, well. It’s been a year, and Yingying has grown quite a bit!”

Chen Yingying smiled. “Uncle, what are you talking about? I’m twenty this year. I stopped growing ages ago.”

“Hahaha! So you’re questioning your uncle’s eyesight?”

“Of course not! I wouldn’t dare!” Chen Yingying hurriedly shook her head, then added with a smile, “No matter how pretty I am, I still can’t compare with Sister Shuyu. Sister Shuyu is the famous beauty of our Chen family.”

The Chen family had many younger members, but Lin Shuyu was undeniably the most beautiful of them all—beautiful by a wide margin.

The moment Chen Shufen heard Chen Yingying say this, her brows furrowed.

Although Lin Shuyu was a junior and her niece, she was not related to Dai Yanqiu by blood. Chen Shufen knew her husband all too well.

If beauty alone were enough, Lin Shuyu could certainly seduce Dai Yanqiu.

The more Chen Shufen thought about it, the more uneasy she became. She walked over and said, “Yingying, that isn’t right.”

“Shuyu is only moderately attractive. Otherwise, why would she have married a live-in son-in-law?”

“A live-in son-in-law?” Dai Yanqiu asked in confusion. “What’s this about? Shuyu is married?”

He truly was not pretending to be ignorant.

He had seldom visited the Chen family in recent years, and whenever he did, Chen Lan was never there. Chen Shufen usually enjoyed using the matter to mock her elder sister.

But whenever Dai Yanqiu was present, she never mentioned it.

She found it humiliating.

Her maternal family had actually arranged for them to take in such a useless son-in-law. That might lower her standing in Dai Yanqiu’s eyes even further.

Chen Yingying eagerly added fuel to the fire, recounting everything about Hong Yu.

Lin Shuyu kept her head lowered, too embarrassed to say a word. When Dai Yanqiu saw that such a beauty had been wasted on a good-for-nothing, he grew somewhat angry and walked toward Hong Yu.