I couldn't take it anymore; when I went home for Chinese New Year, the family genealogy book ha

Just then.

"Buzzing—"

My phone vibrated.

Jiang Chen picked it up and saw that it was a WeChat group message.

The group is called "Jiangjia Village Mud-legged Childhood Friends Group".

There are only three people in the group.

One was him, and the other two were called "Village Entrance Dog" and "Iron-Blooded Qiangzi".

The big dog at the village entrance: "@All members Chenzi! Qiangzi! Let's go out and have some fun! Same old spot for skewers, my treat!"

Iron-Blooded Qiangzi: "I just got off work."

The big dog at the village entrance: "Chenzi, where are you? I heard you struck it rich, got a two-million-dollar project in the village? You're not going to forget about us poor brothers now that you're rich, are you?"

Looking at the familiar, somewhat rough and unreliable shouts in the group, Jiang Chen felt a long-lost warmth welling up in his heart.

Big Dog, whose real name is Wang Dagou, is the same age as him. They are best buddies who grew up playing in the mud and raiding bird nests together. Now he delivers packages in town.

Qiangzi, Li Qiang, is a year older than him. He is introverted and doesn't like to talk. He dropped out of junior high school and went to work as an apprentice at a car repair shop in the county town. He was the first of the three to enter society.

These two are true brothers.

Unlike those snobbish classmates and relatives, when Jiang Chen was at his poorest and most down-on-his-luck half a year ago, when he couldn't even afford a pack of cigarettes, only the two of them would drag Jiang Chen to a roadside stall every few days, give him two bottles of beer, and grumble at him for not trying to tough it out.

Jiang Chen always kept this kindness in his heart.

I was busy slapping my relatives in the face and repairing roads, so I didn't have time for anything else.

Now, looking at the group messages, he already had a plan in mind.

For a family to prosper, it cannot rely on him alone.

It's not enough to just rely on your parents' good reputation.

He needs his own team, people who are willing to fight for him and whom he can absolutely trust!

Big Dog and Qiangzi are the best candidates.

A smile appeared on Jiang Chen's lips.

He decided that he would not only visit them to catch up, but also give them an unimaginable feast of wealth!

Jiang Chen pulled out a black down jacket that he had bought two years ago, which was already a bit old, from the very bottom of the wardrobe.

She changed into a pair of ordinary jeans and sneakers.

He didn't want money to become a barrier between brothers.

"Dad, Mom, I'm going out for a bit. I'm going to have dinner with Big Dog and the others."

"Go on, go on, drink less alcohol, and come back soon."

Wang Xiuying gave one instruction but didn't ask any further questions.

Jiang Chen drove out of the village.

Under the cover of night, several excavators were already leveling the land at the Jiangwanshan Avenue construction site, creating a bustling scene under the dim lights.

Jiang Chen's mood also soared.

The agreed-upon location was an open-air barbecue stall on the edge of town.

A few greasy low tables, paired with colorful plastic stools, filled the air with the strong smells of charcoal, cumin, and cheap beer.

Jiang Chen parked his car in an inconspicuous corner some distance away and walked over.

He spotted the table in the corner immediately.

Wang Dagou was smoking a cigarette and bragging to Li Qiang while spitting everywhere.

In front of the two men were several bottles of beer and a plate of peanuts.

"Tatsuko!"

Wang Dagou, with his sharp eyes, spotted Jiang Chen and immediately stood up, waving his hand vigorously.

Jiang Chen walked over with a smile and plopped down on the plastic stool.

Wang Dagou punched him on the shoulder as soon as he came up.

"You little rascal, you've finally arrived!"

"We just made a bet that if you dared to drive your big Audi over, Qiangzi and I would take stones and deflate your tires!"

Li Qiang grinned, revealing two rows of teeth that were slightly yellowed from smoking, and handed Jiang Chen a bottle of beer that had already been opened.

"Brother Chen."

Jiang Chen took the beer, looked at them, and breathed a sigh of relief.

Thankfully, nothing has changed.

It still has that familiar, untainted brotherhood.

"You scared me to death." Wang Dagou took a swig of wine, patted his chest, and said, "I really thought that now that you've made a fortune, you don't recognize us brothers who were like kids in diapers anymore."

Jiang Chen clinked bottles with him and drank half of it in one gulp.

"What nonsense are you spouting? If I were that kind of person, you could smash a bottle over my head right now."

The three sat down, without any formalities or insincere small talk, just beer and freshly served lamb skewers.

The boss was a middle-aged, overweight man who knew them all well. When he saw Jiang Chen, he greeted him cheerfully.

"Hey, Chenzi's back? I heard he's doing quite well!"

Jiang Chen smiled and nodded.

He looked at the big dog and Qiangzi.

The big dog still had that carefree attitude, but the fine lines around its eyes betrayed the hardships of its life.

He delivers packages, braving wind and rain, and earns only five or six thousand yuan a month, which isn't even enough for his wife's spending on all sorts of cheap goods she likes to buy online.

Qiangzi kept engrossed in eating skewers, his large, bony hands covered in black engine oil that couldn't be washed off his fingernails.

The owner of the auto repair shop where he worked was unscrupulous and often found various excuses to deduct wages. In order to earn more money, he worked overtime until late at night almost every day.

This is his brother's life.

It was tough, exhausting, and there was no hope in sight.

Jiang Chen felt a lump in his throat, as if something was blocking his heart, and he felt a pang of sadness.

"Brother Chen,"

Li Qiang, who had been eating in silence, suddenly looked up at Jiang Chen and spoke hesitantly.

"I heard from the villagers... that you donated two million to repair the road?"

"Mm." Jiang Chen nodded, acknowledging it.

Upon hearing this, Wang Dagou immediately dropped the meat skewers in his hand and nervously moved closer, his whole body almost pressed against Jiang Chen.

He lowered his voice, and his usually jovial face was now filled with an unprecedented seriousness.

"Chenzi, tell your brother the truth."

"You...you little brat, have you been up to something illegal outside?"

"If it's true, bro, I advise you to turn yourself in as soon as possible! No matter the cost, I'll sell everything I own to hire the best lawyer for you!"

"Now that you're in jail, Qiangzi and I will take turns bringing you prison food every day!"

Jiang Chen was taken aback when he saw how nervous he looked, with veins popping out on his forehead.

Immediately, a surge of scalding warmth welled up from the deepest part of my heart.

That's what real brothers are like!

My first reaction wasn't to think about how to make money off you.

It's not that we're worried about your safety! We'd rather sell our possessions than let you go back to the right path!