Going home for the Chinese New Year with a year-end bonus of 100 million

The sizzling sound of stir-frying came from the kitchen, and the aroma of cooking oil mixed with the smell of food filled the whole house.

Wang Xiuying, wearing an apron, was busy at the stove.

She moved nimbly, chopping vegetables and stir-frying them, her forehead glistening with fine beads of sweat.

"Mom, do you need my help?" Yang Ya poked her head in.

"No need, no need, go and greet the masters." Wang Xiuying said without turning her head, "It'll be ready soon."

In the living room, three installers were making final adjustments.

The air conditioner is installed and hung on the living room wall, its white casing gleaming under the light.

The TV has also been installed, a 75-inch LCD screen, which has been mounted in the place where the old TV used to be.

The refrigerator is in the kitchen, the washing machine is in the bathroom... the whole house has been completely transformed.

There were also sofas and other odds and ends...

"Alright, all the debugging is complete." The foreman wiped his sweat.

"The air conditioner has been tested and heats up quickly. The TV is connected to the internet, so I can watch whatever I want directly. The refrigerator is plugged in, and the washing machine has been tested and works fine."

Yang Fan quickly offered him a cigarette: "Thank you for your hard work, Master. Here, have a smoke."

It is China.

The man took the cigarette, looked at it, then looked at Yang Fan, and smiled.

"Young man, you've made a lot of money out there! Is that 300 motorcycle in the yard yours?"

Yang Fan nodded sheepishly, "Yes."

"Young man, you're quite promising!"

Yang Fan waved his hand: "I was lucky."

"What luck!" another younger master chimed in.

"Look at you, smoking Zhonghua cigarettes, driving a Mercedes, and buying so many appliances for your family... young man, you're quite the catch in our town!"

He gave a thumbs up.

"You flatter me, Master," Yang Fan said, repeating his previous statement.

As they were talking, Wang Xiuying came out of the kitchen and wiped her hands:

"Masters, the food is ready. Hurry up and wash your hands and eat! You must be hungry after working all afternoon."

"Oh, Auntie, you're too kind," the lead chef quickly said. "We're almost embarrassed..."

"There's no need to be embarrassed!" Wang Xiuying waved her hand. "You've come all this way to help us pack things, you should at least have a bite to eat. Come on, wash your hands and come to the table."

The two chefs didn't refuse any longer and went inside to sit on the table.

The meal wasn't lavish, but it was hearty: stir-fried green peppers with pork, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, braised tofu, stir-fried greens, and a large bowl of radish and pork rib soup. The staple food was steamed white rice, which smelled delicious.

"We don't have much food at home, so please make do with what you have," Wang Xiuying said somewhat embarrassedly.

"Auntie, you're too kind!" one of the cooks said. "This food is already very good! Much better than the boxed lunches we get outside!"

Everyone sat down around the table.

Yang Jianguo opened a bottle of baijiu and poured some for his colleagues: "It's cold, have some to warm yourselves up."

"Uncle, that's enough, that's enough..."

Another driver said, "Uncle, I still have to drive, so I won't drink!"

Yang Jianguo nodded: "Don't drink and drive, safety comes first. I won't try to persuade you anymore, but eat more food, don't be shy."

"Thank you, Uncle!"

The dinner table became lively.

After a few drinks, he became more talkative.

The foreman's surname was Chen, he was in his forties, and had been installing home appliances for more than ten years.

He took a sip of wine, picked up a piece of meat, and remarked with emotion:

"Auntie, Uncle, I really envy you. Your child is truly outstanding."

He pointed to the appliances in the house: "Do you two know how much these things cost?"

Wang Xiuying and Yang Jianguo exchanged a glance and shook their heads.

"Just that TV," Mr. Chen pointed to the living room:

"Hisense, 75 inches, the latest model, seven or eight thousand. That air conditioner, Gree, standing type, five or six thousand. Refrigerator, washing machine... the most expensive is the sofa. This whole set, I estimate, will cost at least seventy or eighty thousand."

"Clang—"

Wang Xiuying's hand slipped and she lost her grip on the cup.

Yang Jianguo also put down his wine glass.

The two men stared wide-eyed at Master Chen, then at Yang Fan.

"Seventy or eighty thousand... seventy or eighty thousand?" Wang Xiuying's voice changed. "Xiao Fan, you... you spent seventy or eighty thousand?"

Yang Fan nodded: "Mom, not that much, just..."

"What do you mean there aren't that many!" Wang Xiuying exclaimed anxiously.

"Seventy or eighty thousand! Why do you keep wasting money like this? It's just your dad and me at home, how much do we usually spend?"

"Haven't we just made do all these years?"

Her voice was filled with heartache and reproach.

Yang Jianguo didn't speak, but his brows were furrowed tightly.

"Mom." Yang Fan put down his chopsticks.

"We've already bought it, why are you bringing this up now?"

"Now that your son is earning money, you two should enjoy yourselves."

"Before, conditions were bad. Now that conditions are better, if I still expect you to make do, what's the point of me earning money?"

"That's right!" Yang Ya chimed in. "Mom and Dad, you've worked hard your whole lives, now it's time for you to enjoy life! This is just my way of showing filial piety, please accept it!"

Wang Xiuying opened her mouth, as if to say something, but looking at her son's earnest eyes, she ultimately just sighed.

"You silly child... Mom is just worried about your money..."

"Mom, money is meant to be spent," Yang Fan said.

As long as the money is spent on good things, on you two, then it's worth it.

Yang Jianguo picked up his wine glass and took a big gulp.

The man, who had remained silent his entire life, finally spoke: "It's a good thing that the child is filial. Xiuying, stop talking."

After hearing this, Wang Xiuying fell silent.

The dinner table was silent for a few seconds.

Master Chen quickly smoothed things over:

"Auntie, Uncle, you are so lucky. There aren't many children as filial as you these days."

"Come, let me raise a glass to you, wishing your family harmony and happiness, and that your lives get better and better!"

"Thank you, sir!"

"Dry!"