The growth system comes at the age of 30

Chapter 256 The Plans Have Changed, I Need You! (5.5K)

There's a lot to do at the end of the year.

Besides preparing gifts for Li Beixing's house, Chen Jingle made a list of everything he could think of, carefully considered it several times, and only started working on it in order after confirming that there were no problems.

Things are categorized by importance and urgency, and also by time sequence.

The first thing to do is a thorough house cleaning.

People from Jiangbei, or rather Lingnan, have a habit of thoroughly cleaning before the Lunar New Year. There's a saying, "On the 28th of the lunar year, clean up the mess." However, if you wait until the 28th to do it, there won't be enough time for many other things.

Therefore, one should consult the auspicious days according to the Chinese almanac and clean whenever it is suitable. Normally, one can start cleaning after the fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month.

The most auspicious days this year are the 21st to the 24th.

Today, the temperature is 25 degrees Celsius, the sun is shining brightly, the sky is clear and the air is crisp, with a gentle breeze—it couldn't be more comfortable.

At this time, you should wash what needs to be washed and dry what needs to be dried.

Many households in the village chose to clean today, and the noise started early in the morning.

Chen Jingle went out to work wearing only a short-sleeved shirt.

It's so strange in the Lingnan region that people are still wearing short sleeves even though it's almost Chinese New Year.

"I wish the weather was like this a few days before and after the Lunar New Year."

It's not so bad if it's just a little cold, but I'm afraid of rain, which makes it wet and cold, and it's especially annoying since we have to go out to visit relatives during the Chinese New Year.

Although Chen Jingle's house is new and they've only lived there for the first time, there's still a lot to do. The tables, chairs, cabinets, floors, windows, stair railings, and so on all need to be cleaned.

Regular cleaning doesn't prevent me from doing a thorough cleaning today.

Fortunately, Chen Jingle had made preparations in advance, including preparing industrial-grade vacuum cleaners, floor scrubbers, and car wash machines.

Although industrial vacuum cleaners are relatively noisy, they have strong suction power and can clean up dust and debris from every corner and crevices.

A floor scrubber is a combination of a vacuum cleaner and an electric mop, which solves the problems of sweeping and mopping, and the time-consuming and laborious process of frequently changing and washing the floor.

For someone like Chen Jingle who needs to clean frequently, a floor scrubber is more useful than a vacuum cleaner or a robot vacuum.

Besides daily car washing, the high-pressure nozzles of car wash machines are perfect for cleaning tables and chairs at the end of the year, and rinsing carpets and floor mats is also super stress-relieving.

Technology frees your hands, technology changes lives!

Chen Jingle used a high-pressure water gun to wash all kinds of furniture and chairs, and then put them in the sun to dry.

However, even with all sorts of tools and being physically strong, and having done a lot of housework at home, he was still exhausted after a lot of work.

The workload isn't just large, it's numerous, and the key is that none of it can be mastered quickly; it has to be done slowly.

"Son, wash your sheets and blankets too," Mom called out.

Chen Jingle sometimes really couldn't understand his mother's thought process. Didn't you see that he was rinsing the tables and chairs right now?

I had no choice but to patiently say, "I'll finish cleaning first and then wash it this afternoon. The sun is strong enough today, so it can still dry in the sun this afternoon."

"Then remember to take them out to dry in the yard after you wash them, or you can put them on the rooftop."

"understood."

Chen Jingle really wanted to say that he wasn't a three-year-old child, and there was no need to give him instructions on everything, big or small.

He dislikes this kind of ineffective communication.

But my mom is used to it.

Fortunately, it wasn't a big problem. Living under the same roof, it's normal for people to have conflicts, just different degrees of them.

Unless you live separately.

Actually, my mom had mentioned before that she was too bored at home and was considering whether she should find another job.

Chen Jingle said at the time that the Lunar New Year was approaching, and he would wait until after the New Year to see how it went.

Looking back now, it's true that I could have arranged some things for my parents to do. When they're busy with their own careers, they won't have time to bother with me, and life would be much more harmonious that way.

Anyway, Dad's job doesn't pay much and is very hard, so it's better to stay in Jiangbei.

However, he still needs to study what exactly to do.

……

The whole morning was spent cleaning.

Fortunately, the results were remarkable. Everything that needed washing was basically cleaned, and the tables and chairs were moved back inside as soon as they were dried.

Chen Jingle breathed a sigh of relief, feeling fortunate for his initial choice.

A two-story detached villa is really enough for a family of three to five. If you build a five- or six-story one, you'll go crazy just cleaning it.

"Fortunately, this only happens once a year. For routine cleaning, all that's needed is for the floor scrubber to run back and forth a few times."

However, after seeing the photos Li Beixing sent him, which showed him cleaning at home, he couldn't help but laugh.

Look, did you see that?

In Lingnan, even the daughter of a billionaire has to clean the house during the Lunar New Year!
Chen Jingle asked with some curiosity, "Why are you doing this? Don't you have a live-in nanny?"

Li Beixing slowly typed a question mark: "It's not like we're some rich heiress in a novel, why would we need a nanny? At most, we'll hire a cleaner every now and then to help scrub the windows and clean the crevices in the walls. We have a robot vacuum cleaner, and my mom does housework when she has time. We don't have much stuff, so whoever can't stand it does it. There are no children or elderly people to take care of, so why would we need a nanny? Besides, it feels weird to have someone other than family members living in the house."

Like her aunt Wang, who is only responsible for cooking.

If I have children in the future, I might consider hiring a postpartum nanny to help take care of them.

Seeing that Li Beixing sent several more photos, some showing workers cleaning windows, some maintaining the lawn, and some tidying up, I realized that they were not all taken on the same day, nor were they taken by the same person.

Chen Jingle then realized what was happening.

No wonder Li Beixing doesn't have those spoiled princess syndromes.

Many people, including him, subconsciously imagine nannies as all-around superheroes who take on tasks such as housework, cooking, childcare, and elderly care.

Actually not.

Most nannies only handle what they are good at, such as cooking. If you want them to help take care of children, you'll have to hire another one.

Perhaps Chen Jingle wasn't destined for wealth and privilege; in any case, he couldn't stand being waited on and preferred to do things himself most of the time.

……

In the afternoon, Chen Qiyun came over.

She finished her winter vacation homework in three days.

It's clear they really want to have a great time during the Chinese New Year.

Chen Jingle checked it for her: "Your handwriting is a bit messy, don't do it again. I've marked the mistakes, rewrite it yourself, and hand it in to me when you're done."

"Oh~"

Chen Qiyun pouted, but dared not voice her opinion.

Take your winter break homework and go to Chen Jingle's room, where she used to do her homework, to revise it, hoping to pass it on the second try.

Actually, there weren't many mistakes in her homework; it's just that some questions were clearly written incorrectly due to carelessness. Otherwise, given her abilities, she shouldn't have made so many mistakes.

Chen Jingle secretly shook his head: "There's still a long way to go."

As mentioned before, once Chen Qiyun's grades stabilize, the focus will gradually shift from guiding her academic performance to cultivating good study habits.

So far, the effect is not very obvious.

Fortunately, there is still time.

While Chen Qiyun was grading homework, Chen Jingle took off his bed sheets and pillowcases, replaced them with clean ones, and threw the dirty ones into the washing machine.

Although the washing machine has a drying function, he still likes to air out the bedding to let it absorb the sunlight, so that when he sleeps with it, he can smell the faint jasmine scent of the laundry detergent.

Once the bedding is washed, today's spring cleaning will be basically finished.

From now on, he can focus on his work until the Chinese New Year.

However, Chen Jingle did not expect that while he was hanging out the sheets to dry, his parents started tinkering with various things, either patching up cement or plastering here, or chopping firewood and nailing boards there.

What's going on? Is this really necessary?
Chen Jingle was speechless.

Saying it's a case of "enduring hardship without suffering" is a bit of an exaggeration; it feels like someone is just creating things for themselves to do in order to demonstrate their own value.

Although Chen Jingle felt that most of it was futile, he let them be, as long as it didn't affect him.

Like I said before, we'll find them something to do after the New Year.

……

Another important thing is New Year's goods.

I've received quite a few packages these past two days; most of the New Year's goods I bought have arrived.

Chen Jingle started buying New Year's goods online a few years ago, instead of going to the supermarket to listen to the annual "Gong Xi Fa Cai" song playing on repeat.

I bought the most this year.

Firstly, I did make money this year, so I'm more willing to spend it than before; secondly, this is the first year of our new house, and there will definitely be many relatives coming to visit.

If adults and children get together, it seems stingy and petty to offer too little food to the guests.

Let's just buy more.

Cured meats, seafood, mushrooms, nuts, egg rolls, biscuits, beverages, cigarettes and alcohol, rice, peanut oil, etc., were all brought home by the box.

It's all food and drink, so even if we don't finish it all during the New Year, it won't go to waste.

Relatives only come once a year for Chinese New Year, how much can they possibly eat? In the end, most of it still ends up in his stomach.
“Why buy so much?”

My dad had just finished fixing the drainage ditch behind the house and came back to see the pile of items in the storage room, which made him frown.

I feel that my son is a bit too irresponsible and doesn't understand the value of money. He spends money recklessly, buying many unnecessary things that are obviously not cheap.

Chen Jingle casually replied, "I'll eat it myself and give it as a gift."

"To whom?"

"Give it to whoever needs it!"

Chen Jingle glanced at his father and counted on his fingers: "Leaving aside Beixing's family for now, just look at my second uncle's family, my two aunts' families, my eldest and youngest uncles' families, my eldest and second aunts' families, do you think that's a lot?"

The rice he bought this time was top-quality Fulinmen Northeast Daohuaxiang No. 2. What kind of rice did his parents eat when they were in charge of the household? They ate 50-jin (25 catties) bags of indica rice for 90 yuan each.

That kind of rice can only be used to make porridge, which can only fill your stomach. It has no taste or texture whatsoever, and Chen Jingle doesn't want to eat it anymore.

Take alcohol for example. My dad doesn't smoke, but he occasionally has a few drinks. Is cheap spirits better, or are Maotai, Wuliangye, and Laojiao better?

So what's wrong with buying more New Year's goods?
Chen Jingle is never stingy when it comes to food and drink.

After all, delicious food is the cheapest source of happiness.

Furthermore, if the purpose of making money is not to improve one's life, then what is the point of making money?
Do you want to have children by putting the money in your bank account?
Chen Zhenwei remained silent.

It seems like a lot was bought, but when averaged out to each household, it's actually not much.

Ultimately, it's because he has too many relatives.

Moreover, he was simply used to a frugal lifestyle and couldn't adjust to it immediately.

"Okay, buy it if you think you need it."

Chen Zhenwei didn't want to deal with it anymore; after all, it wasn't his money being spent.

Chen Jingle raised his eyelids slightly: "Dad, you can go buy the incense, candles, and firecrackers for the New Year. Just follow the usual practice. I don't know anything about them."

Comrade Chen said "Oh" and agreed.

What appears to be a change in lifestyle habits is essentially a struggle between the two for control of the family.

In traditional Chinese families, the father is often the pillar of the family and the main source of income, thus wielding the greatest influence. However, this structure changes when the son begins to work and assumes the family's financial responsibilities.

At this point, the father will instinctively feel that his authority is being challenged, while the son will want more recognition and decision-making power.

It's normal for a young, hot-blooded son and an aging father to have different psychological needs, leading to friction.

This transfer of power is essentially an inevitable process resulting from the combined effects of biological evolution and social development.

This contradiction actually began to emerge after Chen Jingle graduated and started earning money to support his family. After bringing his girlfriend home to meet his parents, the problem was brought to the forefront.

Today, I'm not going to hide it anymore.

Ultimately, whoever controls the family's economic lifeline controls the family's discourse.

In this round of clashes, Chen Jingle clearly had the upper hand.

After becoming the main breadwinner of the family, he clearly replaced his father's original position and became the one with the most influence in the family.

Comrade Chen clearly realized this, and after thinking it over, he chose to compromise without arguing or refuting.

In truth, amidst his emotions, he was also incredibly proud of his son.

It's a good thing that my son is capable of supporting a family!

Besides food and drinks, there is another rather special item among the New Year's goods.

Spring Festival couplets on red paper.

Chen Jingle plans to write the Spring Festival couplets himself this year, so he bought the couplet paper online in advance.

They're determined to show their skills!
Please, isn't this the day I've been learning calligraphy all along?

It's your own family's couplets, you can write whatever you want!
Of course, he still had to buy the door gods; he wouldn't go so far as to say he painted them himself.

He can paint, but it's unnecessary; it takes far more time than simply writing two couplets. He's been quite busy this year, and time doesn't allow him to do it.

Maybe I can give it a try sometime when I have some free time.

……

the other side.

Jiang Zhiqin, who had also been busy with cleaning all day, received a call from Li Qiguang's older sister after dinner.

The call was to inquire about arrangements for this year's Chinese New Year.

According to past practice, the eldest sister would return to her parents' home on the second day of the Lunar New Year to visit them, while Jiang Zhiqin's family would visit her eldest brother's family on the third day of the Lunar New Year.

This way, the two sides are offset.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, it will be the same as usual this year. The other party called just to confirm something. There was also an underlying intention to find out what New Year's gifts Li Qiguang's family would be sending everyone this year.

After all, in previous years, before the Lunar New Year, Li Qiguang, as a big boss, would prepare all kinds of New Year's goods and send them to his relatives.

He can afford this small amount of money.

As for other relatives, they benefit from his influence. Even if it's not a case of one person's success bringing honor to their entire family, they can at least receive some benefits during holidays and festivals.

Li Qiguang was watching the news broadcast nearby, listening to his older sister's words without saying anything. He had already taken care of it; he had purchased it along with the company's New Year's goods and would deliver it to everyone later.

His older sister suddenly changed the subject: "I remember Beixing is 26 this year, right?"

"Hmm, what's wrong?" Jiang Zhiqin secretly became more vigilant.

The older woman asked, "Haven't you told her about your boyfriend yet?"

Jiang Zhiqin laughed and said, "Children have their own ideas, and we parents shouldn't interfere too much."

The older woman spoke like a machine gun, rattling off a string of words: "Your family is so big and powerful, you need to keep your eyes open and choose a good one. It would be troublesome if you ran into someone with bad intentions. I happen to know a friend from the wholesale market. Her family is in the seafood wholesale business. Her son just graduated from Zhongda University with a master's degree this year. He's very handsome and doesn't have a girlfriend yet. Qin, when are you free? Could you arrange for them to meet?"

Upon hearing this, Li Qiguang turned his attention away from the news broadcast and frowned as he looked at his phone.

Jiang Zhiqin didn't notice her husband's expression, but without thinking, she refused directly: "No need, sister. Beixing just told us a couple of days ago that she already has a boyfriend and will bring him back for us to see in a while."

"what?"

The sister-in-law on the other end of the phone was stunned. She had just said that she hadn't introduced any potential partners to Li Beixing, so why was she saying that she had a boyfriend now?

However, she still said, "Hey, having a boyfriend doesn't mean I have to get married. Just consider it as making another friend."

Jiang Zhiqin: "..."

She felt a little nauseous at these words and decisively refused: "No need, she won't go."

After saying that, he made up an excuse and quickly hung up the phone.

Jiang Zhiqin was somewhat angry with her sister-in-law: "Are you trying to use my daughter to do them a favor? Have you forgotten who funded the opening of their fruit wholesale supermarket?"

Li Qiguang said with a blank face: "Just ignore her. You know she can be a bit slow sometimes."

If he actually listened to his older sister and made his good daughter give up Chen Jingle and date that guy from Sun Yat-sen University with a master's degree who comes from a seafood wholesale business, then he would be truly insane!
Is a master's degree something really that impressive?
So what if it's CUHK?
CUHK can't even crack the top ten anymore!
"They're really getting more and more backward as they get older!"

Jiang Zhiqin was still furious. Although she hadn't met her daughter's boyfriend yet, she was even more unwilling to agree to her sister-in-law's suggestion that her daughter meet that so-called master's student from Sun Yat-sen University.

Do not care!
Thinking of her future son-in-law, whom she hadn't even met yet, she muttered to herself, "You'd better live up to my expectations and not let him look down on you!"

……

Li Beixing came out after taking a shower and noticed that her parents looked strange. After asking them questions, she learned what had happened.

Very speechless.

Speaking of which, there are quite a few oddballs among my relatives; I don't know how to describe them.

Because she had never been in a relationship, her relatives had been quite concerned about her marriage prospects, but this time they were going to be disappointed.

Li Beixing thought for a moment and asked, "Is everything alright at home on the 27th?"

"No, what's wrong?" Jiang Zhiqin looked up at her.

Li Beixing hesitated, her expression awkward: "I'm thinking, should I invite Chen Jingle over for dinner on the 27th..."

Li Qiguang and Jiang Zhiqin exchanged a glance, both noticing the surprise on each other's faces.

What happened to saying I'd be too busy before the New Year?

Why did you change your mind so quickly?

Jiang Zhiqin had no objection, it was a good opportunity to see what kind of person the other party was that could make her good daughter so infatuated.

I said, "Sure, he can come over if he's free. No need to buy any gifts, we have everything at home, just come over for a meal."

Li Qiguang had no objections whatsoever.

The thought of that kid having to be so proper and respectful in front of me makes me want to laugh.

Li Beixing's heart tightened: "Let's make this clear first, even if he doesn't do things perfectly, you're not allowed to give him a hard time."

Li Qiguang and Jiang Zhiqin: "..."

For some reason, hearing this made me feel a little sour.

Ha, she's already protecting him before she's even married into the family?

"In your eyes, are your parents the kind of arrogant people?" Jiang Zhiqin said irritably.

Li Beixing quickly waved his hand: "No, no, I was just giving you a heads-up."

"Then let me make this clear: if things go too far, I won't agree to it," Jiang Zhiqin snorted twice.

"..."

Back in his room, Li Beixing patted his chest to calm his heart rate.

Heaven knows how she got so carried away and said those things; now she's in a bit of a bind.

Feeling guilty, he had no choice but to call Chen Jingle.

"What's wrong?"

The video call connected, and Chen Jingle's face appeared on the screen, looking puzzled.

Li Beixing rested his chin on his hand: "Um, are you free on the 27th of the lunar year?"

Chen Jingle blinked: "You're free? What's up?"

Li Beixing's eyes darted around, and he seemed a little hesitant to speak: "Well, the plan has changed, and I need your help now. If you have time, come to my house on the 27th of the lunar year."

Aha?

Chen Jingle was stunned for a moment, then smiled and replied, "Okay!"

Although it was a little different from what I had expected, since Teacher Li had already spoken, there was no reason to refuse.

Besides, it's all the same sooner or later; he's almost done his preparations anyway.

(Double monthly pass, please give me one.)
(End of this chapter)