The Birth of Shanghai's First Conglomerate

Late September.

Chen Pingsheng's family officially began their moving plan.

It wasn't anything particularly spectacular.

There were only three kids, big and small, and they took almost everything they needed.

Apart from Erpiya, who was listlessly lying on the seat, everyone else was still looking forward to it.

The reason Erpiya was listless was mainly because she felt that the 180-square-meter house was too small.

That's not enough for her to mess around with.

Besides, my sister's room is right next door, so if she keeps causing trouble at night, she'll definitely get a beating.

There's no longer a small tablet to order air-freighted seafood while eating, nor can you simply open your mouth and have a nanny feed you a chilled watermelon.

What's there to look forward to in this kind of life?

Erpiwa felt he was really too miserable; at least his older sister had lived in a rented room for a few years.

She's been a princess wearing a crown worth tens of millions since birth, how could she endure such hardship?
He beat his chest in frustration but couldn't bring himself to hit himself.

He could only use his chubby little hands to scratch the little seat under his bottom in dissatisfaction.

Chen An'an, sitting next to her, raised an eyebrow and asked, "Er Ya, what are you doing?"

"Sis, I found a little bug. It looked like it was going to crawl on you. I chased it away for you."

Erpiya didn't dare to contradict her sister at all, so she honestly told a lie that even a dog wouldn't believe.

Chen An'an told her to sit down, and Erpiya pouted, then said "oh oh" and immediately sat down obediently.

It's only because the mistress was asleep; otherwise, I would have given him a good slap.

Don't ask why, just tell me who made you drool in your sleep.

When an older sister hits her younger sister, their parents don't intervene.

If my sister hits my brother and they complain, I'll cry in front of them.

Sigh... I moved in anyway.

The only benefit she managed to secure these past few days was bringing her family's little Crown and little Teddy bear over.

In addition, I managed to get a large computer in my room, as well as a large TV that I can watch while lying down at a 45-degree angle.

That's all.

She also lived in the urban village for two months. Even if this small house was bad, it was still much better than the urban village.

At least you can see the Huangpu River at night.

A four-bedroom, two-living room, three-bathroom apartment with two independent balconies is a large, single-level apartment that an ordinary person couldn't afford even if they worked for three lifetimes without eating or drinking.

What's there to complain about?

Before Chen Pingsheng arrived, he checked the two households next to him.

One household consists of an elderly couple whose only daughter is away from home year-round.

I adopted a child from an orphanage more than ten years ago, and he was quite obedient.

He is currently studying at university.

The elderly couple treated the adopted child as their own, and were extremely kind to him.

The other household is a tenant.

The group consists of three men and one woman, one of whom is a second-generation rich kid.

They were all college classmates.

We rented this place together after graduation. The rent was mainly covered by the rich kid, as he rarely lived here. The neighbors were all fairly easy to get along with.

Of course, the safety of children is still very important.

Chen Pingsheng also bought four large apartments in this community, all of which are occupied by security personnel, or bodyguards.

There were about fifteen or sixteen in total, but the little ones didn't know.

Even his wife didn't know.

The couple decided to cook at home instead of having a nanny.

At least one person needs to come home to cook every night, and on weekends, someone else needs to take care of the children.

This is a parent's responsibility, and there's no reason not to do it.

And the most important thing is that cooking at home is what makes food taste like home.

The vegetables and meat they eat are specially supplied by Tengnong Livestock Farming, and the cooking oil, nutritional milk, and even a bottle of water they drink are all imported from abroad.

Ordinary people may not understand, but those at their level understand it very clearly.

There are practically no standards for food safety in China; as long as it doesn't kill anyone, it's not a problem.

The reason why more and more people are getting cancer is because the food we often eat is problematic.

Those within the system have special supplies, and the wealthy class also only eat from these special supplies; the rest is up to fate.

Chen Pingsheng admired Teacher Ma quite a bit; he really dared to say some things.

The ingredients provided by Tengnong Livestock are mostly pollution-free, pure natural vegetables that have not even been sprayed with pesticides.

As for other dietary aspects, those are also the safest.

By strictly controlling the family's diet, we can basically ensure that the three little ones won't get any serious illnesses from childhood to adulthood.

Even minor illnesses are rare.

Chen Pingsheng's master bedroom was decorated quite warmly, with a separate wet and dry bathroom, a walk-in closet, and a shoe cabinet.

The king-size bed is right next to a floor-to-ceiling window with panoramic views. If you don't draw the curtains, you can see the Huangpu River at night.

This house has the best view in the entire community. He not only arranged a large number of bodyguards in this community, but also half of the security guards are from the Tencent Group.

Everyone signed a confidentiality agreement, strictly prohibiting them from disclosing their family's specific situation to outsiders.

He even brought two of his own potted plants from home and watered them every day.

Keeping them on the large balcony is perfect for cultivating one's temperament and mind.

The family had just moved in when the sister-in-law, Song Wu, and her cousin, Jiang Peiyao, came over together.

"Brother-in-law, are you really going to live here for the next few years?"

"That can't be false."

Chen Pingsheng patiently watered the flowers, and watching them grow little by little every day was actually quite interesting.

"There's no need for that."

Having finally moved into a large villa, Song Wu couldn't quite understand why they were now being moved to this small apartment.

Chen Pingsheng said with a smile, "You think it's unnecessary, but I think it's very necessary."

He paused for a moment, then explained, "It's not just about teaching the children, but also about using this opportunity to suppress my own ever-growing desires."

He put the small kettle aside and poured a cup of tea for his sister-in-law and Jiang Peiyao.

"There are some things that are hard for you to understand because you haven't reached the level your sister and I have. When we reach that level, the resources and energy we have are enormous. Sometimes, when I see a small place, I even have a crazy thought: if I were to slap someone, could I change the lives of these ordinary people at will?"

"Once desire is unleashed, it will never end. Your sister and I have already reached a certain peak stage. At this point, the most important thing for us is not how much money we can make, but guarding our desires, that is, controlling our ambitions."

"If we continue to rush forward recklessly, it will be a very dangerous thing."

Perhaps he was talking to himself, deliberately reminding himself.

He knew that his sister-in-law would never understand this feeling; only Teacher Ma could.

It's clear that Teacher Ma is still charging forward.

But he chose to guard his desires.

If you don't know to take a few steps back once you hit the ceiling, the trouble will be endless.

He neither wanted to move all his assets overseas, nor was he willing to leave the land that gave him birth and nurtured him.

Then you must guard against your ever-expanding ambition.

This is much more difficult than expanding in all directions.

Unsurprisingly, his sister-in-law was stunned by what he said.

After thinking for a long time without being able to understand, Chen Pingsheng still selectively chatted with her about everyday matters.

Ask her how Yang Changwen has been treating her lately.

Song Wu's eyes still shone when she spoke of her man; Yang Changwen had been exceptionally well-behaved lately, doing nothing out of line and taking meticulous care of her.

As for her younger cousin Jiang Peiyao, she simply came to see her cousin's family's new living environment.

She also lives in this neighborhood, so it's very convenient for her to come here.

My younger cousin Jiang Peiyao isn't as career-driven as Yang Mi.

Unlike Zhao Liying, who made acting her lifelong goal.

She is the typical person who is content with a modest life. She can earn several million or tens of millions by filming for a few months a year, and she is already extremely satisfied.

I never try too hard to become a top-tier celebrity.

The two of them didn't stay there for too long, mainly because they had just moved in and many things hadn't been sorted out yet.

For example, Erpiya, despite her strong insistence, still had a large bathtub installed in her own private bathroom.

After filling the tub with water, she soaked in it for a while, then came out and said she was done taking a bath.

Seeing that her hair wasn't wet, Song Yanxi grabbed her and washed it again.

The second girl started whining and complaining.

After her sister showed her what a tiny fist the size of a clay pot looked like, Er Yatou immediately turned around and washed her hair.

I even casually asked her mother, "Where's the water at home?"
This little girl is actually fantasizing about moving back to a big villa.

Song Yanxi glared at her, "No way."

As for his mistress Chen Lu, he was quite obedient, going to bed and waking up on time.

It's just that pooping and peeing are too troublesome.

Song Yanxi couldn't take it after two nights, so she asked Chen Pingsheng to carry her to change her diaper.

He used to be okay with it, but now he doesn't want to do this kind of thing anymore.

They simply bought another large apartment upstairs so that his grandmother Peng Ying and maternal grandmother Liu Fen could live there.

And then, while you're at it, bring along Xiao San Chen Lu as well.

The family still has to gradually adapt to this new middle-class life.

Chen Pingsheng also changed his clock, and started sending the two sisters to school at around 7 a.m.

I have to pick them up from school at 4 pm, and then go home to cook.

The rest of the time was spent either dealing with the group's affairs or serving as a visiting professor at a university.

I teach about a few classes a week, including classes for both university students and executives.

Earning 20,000 to 30,000 yuan a month is still quite easy; it's all about getting used to it in advance.

Time flies.

A week has passed in the blink of an eye since we moved to our new home.

Chen Pingsheng even specially fried a fish from the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River at home to celebrate their family's happy new middle-class life.

Big-butt kid is laughing hysterically.

Even though her father is so busy, he still makes time for her every day. What more could she want?

As for Erpiya, although the house is a bit small, she'll get used to it after a while.

After all, it's not a cheap house; it's worth at least 30 or 40 million.

How can I really stay unaccustomed to it forever?

The mistress, Chen Lu, is quite outrageous; she often doesn't give you any hints, not even with her facial expressions, when she's defecating or urinating.

At times like these, it's always his grandma and maternal grandma who make an appearance.

The little one should stop like this when he's a year old.

Her older sister knew to tell her in advance when she was a little over one year old.

Children under one year old are the most troublesome.

"Dad, tomorrow is National Day, do you want to go to the movies?"

"Alright."

The company is on holiday and the university is on holiday, so Chen Pingsheng still has some time these few days. However, he added:
"Just a reminder to you two sisters, from now on, your mother and I will only have a combined monthly income of 100,000 yuan. We will also have to pay 50,000 yuan for the mortgage every month. The maximum amount we can use for living expenses is 50,000 yuan. You two will have to get used to it."

"You still need to cut expenses?"

Erpiya was the first to get angry, thinking that only the house was a little smaller and nothing else had changed.

Who knew they'd even cut off my allowance now? What can I do with 50,000 a month?

"Second daughter, your protest is invalid. You really inherited your sister's willfulness when she was young. Look at your grandma's room, it's almost full of the fake Pinduoduo products you bought."

Er Yatou is lying there like a corpse again, perfectly illustrating what it means to be utterly hopeless.

Her older sister is alright; she's past the age of indulging in frivolous pursuits.

They're supposed to be living a middle-class life, but if they're still using unlimited credit cards to buy whatever they want, they're not going to be able to.

How can we then relate to it?

"Dad, I'm just a four-year-old little kid," Erpiya said pitifully.

"Yes, you're actually only three years and four months old."

Chen Pingsheng pulled out his wife's heirloom computer, typed away for a while, and then said:

"A monthly income of 100,000 yuan is already considered a high-income family. Then, paying a monthly loan of 50,000 yuan, which accounts for half of the family's expenses, is indeed a bit unreasonable. But there's nothing we can do. That's just the kind of environment we live in."

“Your mother and I don’t need to spend too much money each month, let’s say 15,000. Your brother’s expenses will not be included in the household expenses until he is one year old. Of the remaining 35,000, 10,000 will be deposited as a fixed monthly savings account, and the remaining 25,000 will be cash that you and your sister can use at your discretion.”

"Dad, how much do I get?"

Erpiya reacted quickly; she didn't even want to think about the problem of her allowance suddenly disappearing.

As long as I can get more than my sister, that's fine.

“You two split it equally. I’m warning you, don’t try to ask Grandma for money, and don’t even think about selling things in the house to get money. You need to develop good habits of planning your spending from a young age.”

Chen Pingsheng put away his family's heirloom computer.

He went to great lengths to guide the three boys.

However, once he makes a decision, it's unlikely to change.

The two sisters used to spend money recklessly, which instilled in them absolute confidence in their financial situation.

Now we need to plan how to spend it.

I only have this much pocket money each month, and once it's gone, that's it.

For someone their size, a monthly salary of over ten thousand is already considered excellent.

Do you really think earning a monthly salary of over 10,000 is easy?

That would be incredibly difficult for people living in urban villages and ordinary migrant workers.

For at least the next five years, they will have to gradually adapt to this planned economy.

Perhaps when Chen Lu, the mistress, is almost a year old, their family will truly resemble a flawless middle-class family.

There are vulnerabilities everywhere now.

Er Yatou is like a little adult, and she will often recite a couple of lines from the Three Hundred Tang Poems with her hands behind her back.

According to her, that was an expression of her helplessness.

To be honest, Er Yatou is definitely a top student; she's the kind of student who would most likely skip a grade in elementary school.

What she couldn't understand was why her sister couldn't learn something that was as simple as eating or pooping.

What her sister found hardest to understand was that this silly girl was always so unserious and spent less time reading than she did, so why could she learn so quickly?
It's unfair, it's so unfair!

Chen Pingsheng was quite pleased to find that his two little princesses were one scholarly and the other martial.

I wonder what Chen Lu, the mistress, will be like when she grows up?

A father's happiness comes from watching his children grow up day by day.

Comrade Chen was very pleased.

We'll just have to adapt day by day, but movies and such have to be factored into household expenses.

(End of this chapter)