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

Chapter 258 Old Deng Hongwen
They're writing calligraphy here.

The men on the other side had set up a chessboard, and two boys, slightly younger than Su Cheng, were playing Go.

The person standing with Su Cheng behind him is Tian Yuxuan, the child of his second uncle, Tian Kun.

The other child over there is my aunt's child, Xue Yan.

The two young men were actually about the same skill level, but they had their second uncle and aunt's husband guiding them.

Tian Kun pointed at the chessboard and instructed Tian Yuxuan: "Hey, you'll lose two points if you play here. It's better to play here."

The uncle-in-law on the other side was unhappy: "Brother-in-law, let the child play by himself. Don't just watch the game and say nothing."

His son, Xiao Yan, was about to have a great time, but Tian Kun noticed it and, of course, he, as the father, was unhappy about it.

Tian Kun didn't speak, but used his eyes to signal to his son which position to move to.

Before placing their pieces, Tian Yuxuan and Xue Yan would both look back at their fathers and wait for their fathers to nod before making their moves.

What started as a game between two children gradually turned into a contest between Tian Kun and his uncle.

This is not just a contest of chess skills, but also a matter of face for the two adults.

In the end, Tian Kun won the game.

Su Cheng doesn't understand Go, but he can understand people.

Judging from their postures and expressions, it was clear that the uncle-in-law's chess skills were superior to Tian Kun's.

But in the end, it was Tian Kun who won.

It's obvious they're saving face for Tian Kun.

Tian Kun, as the brother-in-law, overshadowed his uncle, who was his son-in-law.

Tian Kun knew this, so he treated his aunt's husband with courtesy and didn't act too arrogantly.

This is the way the son-in-law and brother-in-law of the Tian family get along.

Su Cheng observed her maternal grandmother's family from the sidelines as if she were invisible.

The atmosphere is a bit... well, you know.

Su Cheng didn't know how to describe it accurately, but it was definitely not a warm and loving family.

As for harmony, it's not really harmonious; it just appears harmonious on the surface.

To put it bluntly...

It's just that it's a bit pretentious.

Do they really think they come from a scholarly family?
The women learn calligraphy, and the men play Go.

Worth.

This is a classic example of Tai Chi.

If there are no class barriers, then create class barriers by developing your own special skills, so as to separate your family from other teachers' families.

Su Cheng felt a churning in her stomach and a physiological urge to vomit.

Of the whole family, my maternal grandmother was quite sensible, and my eldest uncle was also quite simple and honest.

The family line is still legitimate.

But counting further down, there's the second uncle, the second aunt, the younger aunt, the younger uncle, and then the next generation, Tian Yuxuan and Xue Yan.

Basically, it's gone further and further astray.

No.

You just have a formal position, you're not a celestial being!
He felt he was inferior to Han Yu, who was a proper Brahmin from a county town.

The whole family became teachers, and they really think they're some kind of Kshatriya from the county town.

It's still a long way off.

Su Cheng's first reaction was to call him an idiot.

With his current level of understanding, it really seems like he's looking at a bunch of idiots; it feels like he's just putting on an act.

These people always have a sense of pride in reaping all the benefits of the times, looking at the smugness of those who are not in this group, and at the younger generation who are confused about the future, while I have already achieved success and am about to retire with a sense of languor.

Su Cheng's second emotion was envy.

It's not that I envy the atmosphere of such a big family, or that I wish I could be a part of it.

Su Cheng didn't want to be like these idiots.

Old Deng had previously told Su Cheng that his mother was exceptionally good at Go and wrote very, very beautiful calligraphy, even better than his maternal grandmother. She even wrote the couplets for the Lunar New Year herself.

Su Cheng wondered if her mother hadn't died young, would she have played Go, and maybe even practiced calligraphy?

A dual practice of Go and calligraphy?
If Su Cheng were to learn Go and calligraphy, it would be purely for self-cultivation, not something specifically designed to create 'class barriers'.

If Su Cheng had grown up under her mother's tutelage, she would never have allowed Lao Deng to practice "poor upbringing" on her.

My mom is a teacher; she truly understands education.

Why do you say that.

Capable people know they have the ability; there's no such thing as someone who's handsome but doesn't realize it.

If Mom and Aunt were the same type of person, given Deng's vision and abilities, even if he hadn't made it big back then, he definitely wouldn't have looked down on Mom.

He would never consider his mother his ideal woman; she would definitely be a virtuous and gentle wife.

Mom couldn't possibly raise Su Cheng to be like his aunt, uncle, or second uncle.

Su Cheng felt that under her mother's guidance, she would become a frontline teacher with a strong sense of justice and an anti-feudal spirit, most likely teaching humanities subjects, with history being the most probable subject.

noon.

Everyone sat down at the table to eat.

The conversation naturally revolved around Su Tianyan and Su Cheng.

but.

Su Cheng prefers to call it an encirclement and suppression.

"Hey, Tianyan, I heard you recently started a renovation company?"

Old Deng chuckled awkwardly, "Well, it's not really a company, it's just a rented storefront used for receiving clients."

Tian Kun picked up a piece of pig's ear tip and put it in his mouth. Before he even swallowed it, he commented, "Wow? Brother-in-law, your business is getting bigger and bigger!"

"It's not really business, just small-scale operations," Su Tianyan explained.

The others ignored Su Tianyan's words and continued to mock her with flattering tones.

"Second brother, you know how hardworking my brother-in-law is. That's how we built up our family business little by little." Tian Rui smiled and took a sip of her hundred-yuan red wine.

Then, Tian Rui looked at Su Cheng and said, "Xiao Cheng, you must be more filial to your father in the future. No matter how much money your father earns, he saves it all for you to spend."

Su Cheng just smiled awkwardly.

Wait a moment.

Su Cheng suddenly realized what was going on.

He knew what the old man was up to.

The reason I made him work as a laborer a while ago was to let Su Cheng see how hard Lao Deng works every day.

Now they're trying to get Su Cheng to come to his maternal grandparents' house, just to put pressure on him through his uncles and aunts.

This pressure was specifically directed at Su Cheng:

My dad works so hard, but he suffered all kinds of humiliation at my maternal grandparents' house and was looked down upon by everyone. I'm determined to work hard and make my dad proud, and I'll take good care of him in the future.

Any boy who hasn't made any breakthroughs in his thinking would definitely think like this.

Worth.

That old man's trick was really insidious!

That's fucking vicious!
What kind of person could come up with such a method?!

In order to suppress Su Cheng, the old man didn't hesitate to get involved himself, getting his second uncle and aunt to relentlessly suppress Lao Deng, thus putting pressure on Su Cheng.

Use someone else's hand to educate Su Cheng.

Just like home renovation, it's a classic case of killing a thousand enemies while losing eight hundred of your own.

Can't this old man put all that energy and effort into treating his son well?

It's all these crooked and evil tricks!
OK OK.

Old Deng is still playing like this.

Su Cheng will accompany him.

Su Cheng had just been secretly observing Old Deng and discovered that Old Deng wasn't actually that rational emotionally; he clearly had some temper tantrums.

But I still have to endure it.

First, he couldn't fall out with his relatives, as it would set a bad example for Su Cheng; he needed to teach Su Cheng a lesson.

However, even if the first rule doesn't apply, it's Grandma's birthday, and out of respect for Mom, no one can vent their emotions.

Old man, are you trying to get yourself involved and win by a hair's breadth?

That's so touching!
pity.

The old man can only move himself.

Su Cheng will not be affected in the slightest.

I wanted to teach him, but once he understood, he wouldn't be taught at all!

Think about it this way.

Isn't that old man just Bai Hongwen?
Forget about killing a thousand enemies, he didn't kill a single one; Old Deng lost eight hundred of his own.

Not bad.

It's alright. There aren't many things or people in this world that can make Lao Deng Hongwen angry anymore.

This is a great opportunity.

Experiments have shown that people who are frequently angry and prone to anger have shorter lifespans, and that a person's emotions can affect their normal lifespan.

I need to visit my maternal grandmother's house more often, and more frequently.

At the Tian family home, everyone tacitly avoided mentioning Tian Xiangwei, who is Su Cheng's mother.

But they would all intentionally or unintentionally humiliate Old Deng.

Was it all just to vent my anger?
According to Su Cheng, that's not necessarily true.

Tian Rui raised her head again: "Brother-in-law, look at your taste, it's not as good as Xiao Cheng's."

This is what Tian Kun also wanted to say.

What things did Su Tianyan bring?

A whole bunch of small appliances that don't even have a brand name.

"Brother-in-law, take all those small appliances back with you later. Mom is too old to use them properly."

Tian Kun's tone was harsh; he was practically saying, "You want to kill our mother?"

"Second brother, I've already brought it all here, there's no reason to take it back... just keep it."

"Why keep it? Who's going to use it? Nobody's going to use it. You can take it back and use it yourself. Mom doesn't need it. Keeping it just takes up space."

Su Cheng:?
play.

You continue.

I love hearing about Old Deng getting his comeuppance and being bullied.

He can remain unperturbed without Su Cheng even having to say a word.

Seeing that things were getting out of hand, the eldest uncle immediately changed the subject: "By the way, Tianyan, what kind of paint do you use on your storefront?"

"Brother, do you have friends who help with housing?"

"No, I was thinking of fixing up Manman's house after the New Year, and I was thinking of asking you to do it."

"Okay, then let me introduce myself." Old Deng began reciting his long speech.

The people at the table were all confused.

Tian Kun was the first to raise a question: "No... this isn't latex paint, is it?"

"This isn't latex paint; it's the latest 3D paint developed in Germany... zero formaldehyde, zero pollution... purely imported."

The group looked at each other.

Why are you mentioning foreign countries and recipes here?

Everyone has a few friends who work in the renovation industry; all that talk about imported products is just a way to fool people who don't know any better.

Do you think they're Japanese devils?

Tian Kun and Tian Rui suddenly felt relieved.

The small appliances they gave away were unbranded, and the paint they sold was also unbranded!

Speechless.

Su Cheng stopped supporting Lao Deng at this point.

He'd never heard of this paint brand before, so it's no wonder his second uncle was so displeased.

This thing is a super niche product; we'll take it one chance if we can fool anyone.

He guessed that when the old man was selecting products, he was thinking of choosing something that would lose money, so he made this thing.

After all, Lao Deng's motivation for starting the company was to make money off Su Cheng.

My uncle patiently asked, "How much does it cost per square meter?"

Old Deng replied: "Some are seventy or eighty, and some are over a hundred."

"Including labor and materials?"

"No, it's just the cost of materials."

At 70-81 square meters, and calculated at 80 yuan per square meter, a 120-square-meter apartment would cost 9600 yuan.

This price is acceptable; the market price is around 5000-8000.

But if it's just the cost of materials, then it's much more expensive.

Labor costs in the county town are also not cheap; 20,000 yuan is not enough.

After all, it is part of the main industrial chain of the county's real estate economy.

As the eldest brother in the family, Tian Yong had to save face, so he brought it up. No matter how high Su Tianyan's offer was, he had to go through with it.

But it would be best to save some money.

"Can you give me a discount?"

“No problem, we’re such a close friend.” Old Deng readily agreed, but didn’t mention the exact amount of money.

"Okay, I'll contact you after the New Year?"

"it is good!"

Tian Kun watched from the sidelines, neither saying a word nor getting involved.

If it were him, he definitely wouldn't need Su Tianyan.

So what if I brought it up? No need for that. I'll just say I'll take another look and that's it.

Even a random friend who does renovations would be cheaper than him.

Tian Kun still doesn't understand why his younger sister fell for this man back then.

You're selling your own family members at such a high price? What nonsense are you spouting?
The topic of Su Cheng and Su Tianyan was basically not discussed at the dinner table.

After finishing their meal, the two said goodbye and left.

Today is just a small gathering at their own home; the big gathering to entertain relatives and friends is the day after tomorrow.

on the way home.

Su Tianyan took the initiative to probe Su Cheng: "Are you alright?"

Su Cheng: ? ?

Ask him if he's alright?

He'll definitely be fine!

"It's okay, Dad."

You seem to be in a low mood.

Su Cheng naturally had to pretend to be in a bad mood.

Isn't this exactly what you wanted?
Su Cheng explained, "Uh, it's okay, I just miss my mom a little."

Hearing Su Cheng say this, Su Tianyan finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Su Cheng must have been frustrated.

Not bad!

It wasn't for nothing that I got angry today.

Su Tianyan felt that every time he visited his mother-in-law's house, he would lose half a year of his life.

Going there too often will shorten your lifespan by several years.

Even if Su Tianyan is very rational, he will still be affected to some extent when he is in that kind of environment.

He then had to turn around and spend time comforting Su Cheng: "Don't take what your uncles, aunts, and uncles say to heart."

Su Cheng continued, following Lao Deng's words: "Dad, we were scolded for the gifts we gave."

"So what? We'll just deliver it ourselves."

“Our sentiments are our own, they’re for your maternal grandmother, not for them.”

"You don't need to care how others treat you, just do your best to fulfill your filial duties."

“As you know, your mother passed away early, so we have to fulfill our responsibility to take care of your maternal grandmother in her place.”

"dont you agree?"

Yes Yes Yes.

You're right no matter what you say.

md.

The subtext here is clearly targeting Su Cheng.

My mother passed away early, so Lao Deng was all alone for so many years.

As his son, he has to be even more filial, otherwise his old age will be so miserable and tragic!
"Yes, Dad, that's exactly what I think."

Su Tianyan rarely showed a satisfied expression in front of Su Cheng.

His expression seemed to say: This child is teachable!

"If you have time, take advantage of these few days at home to spend more time with your younger cousins."

Su Cheng:?
Su Cheng didn't speak to Tian Manman, Tian Yuxuan, and Xue Yan today because she didn't know them at all.

What the hell is that old man up to now?
"What's wrong? Letting you get acquainted isn't a bad thing."

"After the New Year, come with me to your uncle's house to work for others."

(End of this chapter)