A Billionaire CEO Brings His Child Home: The Awakening of the Stay-at-Home Dad System

Before Chen Hao could reply, the phone rang again.

This time it's hardware and paint.

"Boss Chen, I'm delivering hardware and paint. I've arrived at the entrance of your village."

"Drive in, go to the end of the road, I'm at the last house."

Five minutes later, a bread truck drove up.

The vehicle was loaded with various hardware components.

Hinges, drawer slides, door handles, sockets, switches, wires, conduits, water pipes, connectors, angle valves, floor drains, silicone sealant, structural adhesive—

There were also two buckets of latex paint and one bucket of wood wax oil.

There weren't many items, but they were odds and ends, and they filled seven or eight cardboard boxes.

The delivery driver unloaded the cardboard boxes one by one and stacked them under the eaves at the entrance of the main room, as instructed by Chen Hao.

Chen Hao opened several boxes and inspected them—

The hinges are made of 304 stainless steel, with damping and cushioning for smooth opening and closing;

The wire is a national standard BV wire with copper core, available in 2.5 square millimeter and 4 square millimeter specifications;

The water pipes are PPR hot-melt pipes, available in 4-point and 6-point sizes.

[Ding! God-level electrical skill triggered - Material Inspection: BV wire copper core purity meets standards, insulation layer thickness is qualified.]

The PPR pipe has a uniform wall thickness, is free of air bubbles, and is合格 (qualified/acceptable).

He confirmed there were no problems and paid the balance—the hardware and paint totaled 2,500, he had paid a 500 deposit and the balance was 2,000.

The delivery driver took the money and drove off in his van.

For the next hour or so, Chen Hao's phone kept ringing.

The tiles have arrived—80 square meters of light gray antique tiles, 50 square meters of white glossy tiles, five packs of grout, and ten bags of tile adhesive.

Chen Hao opened a box of tiles and checked them. The color and size were correct. He tapped them and listened to the sound. The sound was crisp and pleasant, and there were no cracks.

[Ding! God-level masonry skill triggered - Tile inspection: Full-porcelain antique tiles, water absorption rate <0.5%, consistent size, no deformation, qualified.]

The ceramic tiles have moderate water absorption, are undamaged, and are合格 (qualified/acceptable).

The power tools have arrived too—

The electric hammer, electric saw, angle grinder, handheld cutter, and electric planer are all brand new and in their original packaging, never opened.

Chen Hao unpacked the electric hammer, picked it up and tested its feel. He plugged it in and let it spin freely; the sound was normal and the vibration was minimal.

[Ding! God-level electrician skill triggered - Power tool inspection: Electric hammer impact mechanism is normal, carbon brush contact is good;]

The chainsaw blade is installed correctly, and the safety devices are in good working order; the angle grinder operates at a stable speed, and the protective covers are complete. All are合格 (qualified/up to standard).

Delivery of hand tools —

Hammers, wrenches, screwdriver sets, pliers, saws, spirit levels, measuring tapes, chalk lines, squares, putty knives, trowels, tile cutters, rubber mallets, chisels, and planes—they've also arrived.

He bought these things from a hardware store before. Some of them were not in stock and were transferred from the warehouse. They were only delivered today.

The odds and ends have also arrived one after another.

Waterproof coatings, leak-stopping compound, fiberglass mesh, corner strips, plaster moldings, baseboards, doorstops, hinges, door locks, handles, towel racks, shelves, shower heads, faucets, washbasins, toilets, floor drains, angle valves, flexible hoses, PTFE tape, electrical tape, terminal blocks, surface-mount boxes, recessed boxes, wire clips, pipe clamps, expansion bolts, self-tapping screws, steel nails, cement nails, nail guns, structural caulking guns, glass caulking guns, roller brushes, wool brushes, multi-stage brushes, putty knives, putty boards, sandpaper, sandpaper holders, masks, gloves, goggles…

Every time something was delivered, Chen Hao would count the quantity and check the quality.

He squatted among the cardboard boxes and woven bags, looking through them one by one, occasionally picking them up to weigh them, tap them, or twist them.

Shen Xiaoting squatted down next to him, imitating him, picking up a small object and looking at it over and over, then putting it down and picking up another one.

"Tingting, that's an angle valve, don't lose it." Chen Hao took a small copper-colored valve from his daughter and put it back in the cardboard box.

"Dad, you bought so many things!" Shen Xiaoting exclaimed, looking at the piles of materials and tools around her. "So many!"

Chen Hao looked around—in the open space in front of the old house, timber was stacked on the left, and cement and gravel were piled up on the right.

In the middle were a mixer and tiles, and under the eaves of the main room were a dozen or so cardboard boxes containing hardware, paint and tools.

It was packed full, like a small building materials warehouse.

He smiled, squatted down to be at eye level with his daughter, and said, "With these things, Dad can transform the old house into a really beautiful one."

"Exceptionally beautiful?" Shen Xiaoting's eyes lit up. "How beautiful?"

"She's so beautiful that Tingting doesn't even want to stay in a hotel anymore."

Shen Xiaoting chuckled twice, then thought about it seriously and said, "Then I want a pink room."

Chen Hao laughed: "Okay, Dad will paint a pink wall for you."

"I want so many more dolls."

"Okay, Dad will make you a shelf to put your dolls on."

"I want more..."

Just as Shen Xiaoting was about to continue speaking, she heard footsteps behind her.

Chen Hao turned around and saw Chen Bingzhong walking over.

He was wearing an old gray T-shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his shoulders, revealing his tanned arms, and a pair of yellow military boots. He wasn't carrying a teacup—it seemed he had come specifically for this purpose.

Chen Bingzhong walked to the front of the old house and stopped.

He stared wide-eyed at the pile of materials and tools on the floor, his mouth slightly agape.

His expression shifted from surprise to shock, and then to a complex mix of disbelief and pride.

"You...you bought all of these?" His voice trembled slightly.

"Yes." Chen Hao nodded. "I ordered them in the county town yesterday, and they were all delivered today."

Chen Bingzhong walked to the pile of timber, bent down and touched the pine wood squares, then looked at the thickness of the plywood.

Then he walked to the pile of cement, looked at the number on the bag, and then walked to the hardware boxes. He opened one of the boxes and looked at the hinges and slides inside.

He straightened up, turned to look at Chen Hao, and there was something in his eyes that he had never seen in his son before—

It was a feeling of shock and confusion: "When did my son become so amazing?"

"Ah Hao, how do you know what to buy? Do you know anything about carpentry? Masonry? Electrical work?"

Chen Hao smiled but didn't answer directly: "I've done some research and I roughly know what I need."

Chen Bingzhong looked at his son with suspicion, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something but then he swallowed it back.

He paused for a few seconds, then said:

"Alright, go back and eat first. Your mom has cooked and is waiting for you. We can deal with these things this afternoon."

Chen Hao then noticed the time—it was already past midnight.

He started working before seven o'clock in the morning, clearing weeds for almost two hours, and then receiving and unloading goods took another hour. Before he knew it, it was past noon.