The Birth of Shanghai's First Conglomerate

A thick snow fell in Shacheng.

The ground was covered in snow, but the middle of the road had been flattened by passing cars.

Snow accumulation only occurs along the roadside.

This time, Chen Pingsheng didn't come back alone; his parents, his eldest sister, and many other relatives all returned.

Having not returned to their rural hometown for a long time, the older generation still particularly longs to spend the Spring Festival there.

Chen Pingsheng had no objection, and he didn't go back to the countryside but stayed in Shacheng.

Erpiya, who is sensitive to the cold, was bundled up like a little dumpling, while Dapiwa was fine and not too cold while sitting in the car.

Shacheng is a pretty livable place, and the house price is only a little over 10,000 to less than 20,000 yuan.

Very few places will exceed 20,000.

He didn't think about what to do specifically when he came back this time; he mainly just wanted to take his relatives back to his hometown for a visit.

The cost of living in Shacheng is definitely not as high as in Shanghai. Because of housing prices, the locals here don't have a strong sense of superiority.

In a place like Shanghai, even if a local man has an average job and income, there are plenty of girls chasing after him to marry him.

This is the advantage of the location. Shacheng is obviously not like that, because people from other places can afford to buy houses here with a little effort.

This results in relatively small regional differences; in other words, the higher the housing prices in a city, the stronger the sense of regional superiority.

It may even lead to xenophobia to some extent.

His parents and grandfather were eager to return to their rural hometown, but he stayed in Shacheng instead.

Erpiya couldn't figure out why her dad was back. Wouldn't it be better to spend the New Year in Shanghai?

"Dad, when are we going back?"

"When your grandpa wants to go back to Shanghai."

"Oh~" Once she arrived in Shacheng, she would no longer be the president of the three major companies. Her father forbade her from bringing the three major resources to Shacheng.

She's just an ordinary second daughter now, so of course she doesn't want to stay for too long.

Chen An'an actually quite likes Shacheng; her older cousin Xiao Le and Xiao Ya Ke both grew up there.

The family went to the villa in Shacheng first. His wife hadn't had much time this year because she was busy expanding Tongxinjia.

It won't stop until the expansion there is over, which will likely be around the Lunar New Year.

The weather was unusually cold. Chen Pingsheng took his two little ones to the city center to eat spicy hot pot.

The mala tang here is much more authentic than in Shanghai; he hasn't had it in ages.

Mala Tang (a type of spicy hot pot) is generally a popular dish among young people, especially young couples.

It's inexpensive and keeps you warm.

Chen Pingsheng, who hadn't eaten these things in a long time, ate with great relish.

The phone in his pocket rang. Chang Fu asked him where he was, but he had already returned to Shacheng.

Chen Pingsheng said he wanted to eat mala tang (spicy hot pot) in Kaifu, and Chang Fu quickly drove over.

He was driving a Range Rover in Shacheng, the kind that looks very imposing.

His middle-aged, slightly overweight physique actually complements his appearance quite well.

"Old Chen, are you planning to spend the Spring Festival in your hometown this year?"

"I don't know yet. It depends on my parents. They've been saying they wanted to come back. If it weren't for the special situation in Wushi, they would have gone home long ago."

"Hmm... I only found out when I got back that there are far fewer people shopping here now than half the number; many people hardly go out at all."

"normal."

Changfu hadn't been home for a long time, and this year Yang Qian came back with him, making the house quite lively.

Chen Pingsheng said, "I heard that Gao Hu has also returned. Does that mean he and Xiao Chun have no chance anymore?"

"That's it. Xiao Chun never wants to live that kind of anxious life again. She just wants to find an ordinary person and live a peaceful life."

Without a doubt, Xiao Chun has found a new man.

Before contacting her, I called Yang Qian to ask if my choice was right.

Yang Qian neither supported nor opposed it.

This time, Xiao Chun really found an ordinary person, the shop manager who had been pursuing her all along.

Their income isn't high, just over ten thousand a month.

Her strength lies in her hard work and diligence, and since Xiao Chun owns a car and a house, she can actually live a very good life.

She really didn't want to live in constant fear anymore, and Gao Hu must be feeling very lost right now.

His children might be old enough to call someone else "father" by now. Even if they don't, they'll still have to live with someone else.

Xiao Chun will definitely have another child at that age; this is the consequence of only caring about her own recklessness.

Gao Hu is destined to spend his life repaying the debts he incurred in his youth.

With Friends closing down, he is now even more disappointed.

Chang Fu also told Chen Pingsheng about the situation of some of his old classmates, many of whom had gotten divorced in the past year or two.

Some are cheated on by their wives, while others are simply not good at making money.

The worst case was that he was an honest man from a well-off family who used all their resources to get his wife a very good job.

As a result, the boss said, "You don't want to lose this job, do you?"

His beautiful wife was slept with by someone else for a whole year, and it wasn't until his wife's body started showing abnormalities that they found out.

Marrying a beautiful woman these days is incredibly risky.

After Changfu returned, he went around meeting up with friends to drink, play cards, and chat.

So he knows his classmates quite well. He doesn't play cards much anymore, mainly because it's not fun.

Yang Qian, his wife, strictly forbids gambling at home, and few of his old classmates can afford to gamble with him.

Chen Pingsheng, who was good at having fun, didn't like playing cards.

"You seem to be having a lively time at home."

"Of course, if those classmates knew you were back, they'd probably all come looking for you."

"Tell them that I'll treat everyone to a meal another day."

"That's great! If you're treating, I'm sure everyone will come."

It's been several years since he last had a get-together with his former classmates.

I don't know how long I'll be staying this time, but we can get together.

"Dad, I want to participate too!"

Erpiya quickly joined in the fun; she was also the family's favorite to join in the excitement.

"Okay, I'll take you with me tomorrow."

At their age, class reunions usually involve bringing children.

After all, once you get older, family becomes your main focus.

If anyone is still unmarried, they'll probably have to sit at the kids' table.

And you know what? Quite a few of them aren't married yet.

These people claim they don't want to get married and live a carefree life, but it's all out of necessity.

The cost of getting married now is incomparable to that of the past. Not to mention the dowry alone, which can cost hundreds of thousands of yuan, plus a house and a car.

It would take at least 400,000 to 500,000 yuan to settle this. If the marriage is stable, that's fine, but if it's unstable, the wife might run away and then there's the divorce.

I'm afraid I'll be depressed for the rest of my life.

Moreover, there are more and more women who cheat on bride prices these days. There's one in the next village who took more than 20 yuan in bride price, lived with the man for three days, and then wanted to get a divorce.

You ask her for a bride price, but she just won't give you a single penny.

No matter how much she made a fuss, she wouldn't give it to him. Eventually, things calmed down because the man simply cancelled her account.

The man will definitely face the death penalty. The woman's family was incredibly shameless back then, and they're much quieter now.

The woman, along with her mother who had swindled her money, went to live in the underworld.

My brother was lucky; he wasn't home that day.

Otherwise, they'll take everything, high or low, with them. That's what happens when you push an honest person to the limit.

Do you think it's easy for them?
He spent all his savings to get married in his thirties, paying hundreds of thousands in dowry, and also buying a car and a house.

As a result, you took the bride price and ran away, ignoring everything else, and refused to give anything back no matter how much we asked.

No matter where you go to complain to the authorities, it's always the same thing: money is no substitute for life. If you want money, kill me first.

It was a self-fulfilling prophecy; the honest man, driven to desperation, was indeed taken away in one fell swoop.

This was the biggest event in their entire county, bar none.

This also serves as a wake-up call to bad women who are interested in dowry, as well as some families who are hoping to make a fortune from it.

(End of this chapter)