I was forced to start the second round because I was raised in poverty

Chapter 257 Foolishness and filial piety are fine
This is actually what Su Tianyan hoped to see in Su Cheng.

Filial piety is a must!

Even if that brat is a bit blindly filial, it's not like he'll pull the plug on him and abandon him.

However, blind filial piety is not the same as being a fool.

Su Tianyan still wanted to point out some issues to Su Cheng.

What kind of person do you think your aunt is?

"Ah? Auntie..."

Su Cheng felt that her aunt Tian Rui was the kind of person who was... well, how should I put it?

If it benefits her family, then we'll do it according to rural customs and traditions, and we'll address the issue from the perspective of traditional values.

But if something is detrimental to her, she will immediately stand on the opposite side, emphasizing civilization, education, and outdated ideas, repeatedly switching between feudal and anti-feudal stances.

The fact that his second aunt and Tian Rui could argue in front of him meant that their conflict had been brewing for years.

Su Tianyan's eyes lit up.

Eh?
Not bad.

This kid hasn't been in contact with Tian Rui for so many years, and now that it's practically their first time meeting her, he's already managed to gather so much information.

This shows that the brat has a certain level of ability in judging people.

Su Cheng felt that Tian Rui had earned quite a bit of money, so why did she only receive three thousand yuan?

The salary for those with permanent positions is fixed, around 3,000 yuan a month. If you have a professional title, it will be higher, around 4,000 yuan.

They are already considered high-income earners in the county.

But that's not what Su Cheng wanted to say.

There are jobs that pay more than four thousand.

Open a tutoring center.

In recent years, until the future double reduction policy, it has been a period in which Tian Rui and her group have made a fortune off students.

Several classes secretly teamed up to run a tutoring class, and semi-mandatory their students to attend.

And some things that couldn't be fully explained were simply taught in the tutoring class.

What should have been covered in class was only partially covered, leaving the students in a state of torment, which was no exaggeration to say that they were in dire straits.

Earning tens of thousands of yuan during a single holiday is commonplace.

If you're willing to dedicate all your free time to tutoring, earning 20 or 30 yuan a year in addition to your regular income is a piece of cake.

Su Tianyan quickly dismissed Su Cheng's idea: "What kind of tutoring class could she possibly run? She teaches Chinese."

Eh?
Chinese language?

Then you won't be able to make money.

In county towns, only math, physics, chemistry, and English are recognized, not Chinese.

Unlike in first-tier cities, where you can make money by opening a Chinese language, history, or geography course, here...

"But your uncle must be quite good at making money; he teaches math."

Su Cheng let out a long "oh," and said, "Isn't that the same thing..."

“I’m not talking about your aunt. She’s fifty years old and still owns a Mercedes-Benz.”

"What, does she still think she's a young girl in her twenties or thirties? She's an old maid."

Su Tianyan made no attempt to hide his criticism of Tian Rui, launching a direct attack on her.

Tian Rui didn't run a tutoring center, but her husband did, and it was quite profitable.

Otherwise, where would they get the money to buy fur coats and Mercedes-Benz cars?

Even though he's making so much money, Su Tianyan can't afford to cut back on his mother's birthday celebration expenses.

What Tian Rui buys is none of Su Tianyan's business; he doesn't even care when she buys airplanes.

That's a matter for those people surnamed Tian.

but.

Su Tianyan now intends to use his mother-in-law's family to educate Su Cheng.

Then he couldn't indulge Tian Rui anymore; he had to make things clear to Su Cheng.

“My sister-in-law is usually very polite to your grandmother, like a sweet little cotton-padded jacket, but when it comes to actually paying money, she is not willing to pay that much.”

"You absolutely mustn't follow your aunt's example."

Su Cheng frowned.

Oh.

Is Old Deng getting anxious?

Are you afraid he'll learn from Tian Rui and become two-faced?

"I know, Dad. I'm not like Auntie."

"Uh-huh!"

back home.

After a quick wash, the two went back to their respective rooms to rest.

Su Tianyan didn't go for a foot bath or massage today; instead, she lay on the edge of the bed reading.

He needs to calm himself down and forget about the meal he had today.

Su Tianyan's evaluation of the second generation of the Tian family was mixed.

He felt that the only family he could be friends with was Su Cheng's maternal uncle, Tian Yong's family.

As for his other brother-in-law, Tian Kun, and sister-in-law, Tian Rui, he simply couldn't get along with them.

It's not even worth a single hair on his deceased wife's head!
Sitting at the same table with these people, watching their every move and listening to their every word of discussion, Su Tianyan felt more disgusted than if he had swallowed a fly.

If he spends another half hour at the dinner table today, he'll be miserable.

But there is no way.

In order to teach the brat a lesson, Su Tianyan had no choice but to force himself to eat this pile of shit and endure the stench while interacting with them.

He was able to withstand the pressure.

The one under the most pressure is probably Su Cheng.

This was the first time the brat had met the Tian family since he grew up, so he still had some lingering affection for them and was going to show them some consideration.

Once he gets to know the Tian family better and learns their full character, will he still maintain the same filial piety towards his grandmother as he did in the car?
This is what Su Tianyan observed about Su Cheng.

……

The next three days.

Su Tianyan and Su Cheng finished installing all the 3D murals in the client's home.

The day before the official birthday celebration.

Su Tianyan and Su Cheng tidied themselves up and then brought gifts to pay their visit.

According to custom, their own family members should get together first.

My maternal grandmother's family lived in a large courtyard house near the old street in the county town. It was a two-entrance, two-exit courtyard.

The total area is about 600 square meters, which is equivalent to one acre of land.

When we discussed it a couple of days ago, my uncle and his family didn't talk about choosing a restaurant, but rather about hiring a chef to cook in this courtyard to entertain guests.

In the east room, you can see that the floor is covered with bowls containing food.

The meatballs are already fried, and the pork skin, aspic, and crispy pork are all prepared. They can be heated up and served when the banquet starts tomorrow.

Following Lao Deng to the north room, Su Cheng found her eldest uncle, second uncle, aunt, and two young men she didn't recognize, as well as a young girl who was probably their child.

It was only then that Su Cheng met his grandmother, whom he remembered, for the first time.

My maternal grandmother's name was He Chunlan. She didn't have a distinctive appearance; she was just an ordinary old woman.

If I had to pinpoint any distinguishing features, my grandmother was taller, fairer-skinned, and had fewer wrinkles than the average elderly person.

It's worth mentioning that He Chunlan doesn't have the typical "old person smell."

My grandmother is eighty years old this year, and her eyesight is very bad. She can only see things very blurry by squinting her eyes and getting very close to see who is who.

Normally, we listen to the sound.

When she saw Su Cheng, she didn't recognize her at first glance.

Tian Rui introduced, "Mom, this is my sister's child, Xiao Cheng."

"Xiao Cheng?"

He Chunlan racked her brains for a moment, and then suddenly remembered: "Is it Xiao Cheng?"

Su Cheng knew that this was the time to test his acting skills.

"Yes, it's me, Grandma. I've come to see you."

He Chunlan didn't seem particularly excited, but her enthusiasm remained undiminished: "Good, good, good."

She then looked at Su Tianyan next to Su Cheng: "Tianyan is here too?" "Yes, Mom, Xiaocheng and I came to see you and Dad."

"it is good."

He Chunlan did not show much disgust towards Lao Deng, but she was by no means particularly looking forward to or excited about their arrival.

The old lady certainly still harbors resentment towards Lao Deng, but whether she also resents Su Cheng is another matter.

Su Cheng felt that the old lady was unlikely to hold a grudge against him because of Lao Deng.

Su Cheng was still young then and didn't understand anything.

Old Deng's affairs with his grandmother are none of his business.

"Grandma, Grandpa, this is for you two."

Su Cheng then took out the gifts he had brought for his grandparents.

Massagers, foot baths, and all sorts of health products, such as milk powder, calcium tablets, and donkey-hide gelatin.

There is also an all-in-one instrument that can measure blood pressure and blood sugar.

"Grandma, I heard from my dad that you like to practice Tai Chi, so I specially asked someone to bring it to you."

As Su Cheng spoke, he also showed off a set of Tai Chi clothes and a pair of Zuli Jian elderly shoes that he had brought.

Don't underestimate these things; they cost Su Cheng almost ten thousand yuan.

Things for the elderly are really not cheap.

The things Su Cheng brought were considered generous gifts wherever she went.

This makes other people uncomfortable.

Because at most, my eldest and second uncles would buy a carton of milk and get twenty catties of eggs.

My aunt brought a little more things: a box of milk, two packs of high-calcium milk powder for middle-aged and elderly people, and a box of ham sausages.

In their view.

Although Su Cheng's possessions are substantial, they don't prove anything.

I haven't come to see it for many years.

"The old lady hasn't practiced Tai Chi for many years."

My second aunt muttered to herself from the side.

Her voice was just right—enough for people to hear, but also just right for people to pretend they didn't hear.

Immediately afterwards, Auntie smiled and said to Su Cheng, "Xiao Cheng, I bought this foot bath basin for your grandma last time."

Tian Rui also mentioned the things she had bought before: "Actually, Xiao Cheng, your grandma has a fully automatic massage chair. Last time, she specially asked my college classmate to mail it back from overseas. The postage alone cost several thousand yuan."

Su Cheng: ???
What are you guys doing?

I just had to mention it.

what.

Are you trying to suppress your children?

He Chunlan didn't mind, and with a happy expression on her face, she warmly grasped Su Cheng's hand: "Okay, okay~ I like anything that Xiao Cheng buys for me."

As for Su Tianyan...

As soon as he entered the door, he said one sentence to the old lady.

The things in his hands were quietly placed in the corner of the room.

Since he was really embarrassed to bring anything else, he brought the cheap, no-name small appliances that Su Cheng had bought last time.

Su Tianyan himself knew that it was not presentable, so he simply let it go.

He's not the focus today; the focus is on Su Cheng.

He Chunlan pulled Su Cheng aside to chat about everyday things.

The old lady first asked Su Cheng what his zodiac sign was, then asked if he had graduated, and how his job was going.

Basically, it's still the same old thing: age, studies, and work.

Tian Rui then inappropriately brought up Ye Li.

"Mom, Xiao Cheng is really successful now. He's dating a girlfriend from Jingzhou and he'll be getting a Jingzhou residency soon."

"Oh? Really? Then it seems Xiao Cheng is very outstanding, otherwise why would she have taken a liking to us?"

Eh.

At this moment, Su Cheng felt that the old lady was more sophisticated and had a higher level of understanding than her aunt.

Having a girlfriend from Jingzhou and a Jingzhou household registration—are these things appropriate to talk about?
Why did you have to expose all of his secrets?

Moreover, when Tian Rui told Ye Li about her situation, it wasn't a normal conversation; it was more of a sarcastic remark.

The old lady meant that Su Cheng was able to find a girlfriend in Jingzhou and obtain a Jingzhou household registration because he was outstanding.

At first, the topic was still about Su Cheng, but it quickly shifted to other things, and Su Cheng naturally withdrew from the center of the conversation.

Su Cheng didn't feel any sense of loss. He wasn't there to be the main character; the main characters were He Chunlan and her descendants.

Su Cheng, this distant grandson whom she hadn't seen for many years, didn't have much status.

Ultimately, it's because there's no real affection between He Chunlan and Su Cheng.

Her enthusiasm for Su Cheng was more a reflection of her feelings for her deceased mother.

If you come, I'll let you come too.

But I might not talk to you.

The more they talked, the more they thought about their daughter who had died young, so they simply stopped talking about her.

As for Lao Deng.

Su Cheng noticed that at this moment, he was like an insignificant, invisible person, basically just sitting on the side watching, occasionally laughing along with everyone, purely accompanying his relatives.

He Chunlan looked at the young girl and asked kindly, "Xiaoman, have you been practicing calligraphy lately?"

This young girl is the daughter of Su Cheng's maternal uncle, named Tian Manman, and is Su Cheng's cousin.

She had fair skin and was tall. She looked somewhat like her mother in the photo, and was clearly from the Tian family.

To be honest, Tian Manman and Su Cheng look somewhat alike, but only their eyebrows and eyes are similar.

When asked about practicing calligraphy, Tian Manman explained somewhat awkwardly, "Grandma, I've been quite busy lately, so I haven't been practicing much."

He Chunlan pressed on, "So how did your exam go?"

Tian Rui then stepped forward flippantly: "Mom, you don't know yet, do you? Manman has already passed the exam. My sister-in-law and the others haven't let us tell you yet, they've been waiting to tell you today!"

"You passed the exam?"

He Chunlan was overjoyed, her eyes filled with genuine happiness, much more genuine than when she had just received Su Cheng.

"It's good that she got in, it's good that she got in! I knew our Manman was smart. Which school is it?"

Tian Manman gave the name of a school.

"Mom, isn't it a coincidence? Now Manman has taken over your job."

He Chunlan was smiling from the bottom of her heart. She and the old man were both senior teachers at this middle school before they retired. She taught English.

Now my granddaughter is teaching at this school, and she's teaching English too.

In a way, her daughter was right; her granddaughter had taken over her job.

Tian Rui ordered, "Manman, go find paper and pen. Your grandma likes to write when she's happy. Go quickly."

He Chunlan put on her reading glasses and then wrote four words on a piece of old newspaper: "A bright future awaits."

These four characters, written with a brush, are as strong and vigorous as if engraved with iron, and the turns are as smooth as if wrapped in jade. They look quite beautiful.

At this moment, Auntie nudged Tian Manman on the shoulder: "Manman, you should write one for your grandma too."

"oh oh."

Tian Manman also picked up a calligraphy brush and wrote four characters: "May you live as long as the Southern Mountain."

The handwriting is neat, but the lines are a bit unnatural, lacking strength and power, but it still looks pretty.

Tian Rui gave a disdainful smile.

"Manman, you still need to practice your handwriting!"

"Give the pen to your aunt, and she'll write one."

Tian Rui took the pen from Tian Manman and wrote down four characters: "福寿安康" (blessings, longevity, peace, and health).

The name Tian Rui is quite remarkable.

The central brushstroke moves like an iron cone cutting through sand, with a continuous flow of energy between the characters.

Especially this character "寿" (longevity), anyone in the know can tell at a glance that it's two levels above the "寿" written by Tian Manman.

He Chunlan gave a relatively high evaluation: "Xiao Rui's handwriting has improved compared to the previous two years!"

Tian Rui then feigned innocence: "Oh, my dear mother, how can my handwriting compare to yours?"

"I need to practice more!"

(End of this chapter)