Living in a county town, starting as a stock market maker...

Gu Ming walked out of the Longquan Winery building, leaving Zhou Jianjun and his business behind.

He looked up at the hazy sky over Hegang and let out a long breath.

This business competition, which lasted for nearly a month, finally ended as he planned.

Gu Ming not only got his money back, but also used a free sample to make that old-fashioned businessman lose everything.

This is more fulfilling than earning just 1.2 million.

He opened the car door, got into the driver's seat, and was just about to start the car.

The phone lit up with a "ding".

It's a bank notification message that the money has been deposited.

[Your account ending in XXXX received a transfer of RMB 1,200,000.00 on X month X day at XX:XX. Current balance...]

Looking at that long string of zeros, Gu Ming smiled slightly.

This was Star Media's first real pot of gold.

With this money, Chen Mo's "warrior" development plan, as well as his next, even bigger project, finally had the capital to get started.

Just as Gu Ming was pondering his next steps, a familiar number popped up.

On the screen, the words "Mother" were lit up.

Gu Ming smiled and answered the phone.

Sure enough, as soon as the call connected, his mother Meng Xiaoyan's loud voice came through, so loud that Gu Ming subconsciously held the phone a little further away.

"Gu Ming, son, you better tell me honestly, have you struck it rich?"

Gu Ming was taken aback: "Mom, what did you say?"

"You're still pretending with me." Meng Xiaoyan's tone sounded very excited. "Your Aunt Wang's daughter, that Wang Min, just ran into me in the neighborhood. She mysteriously pulled me aside and said that you're a big boss now, and you made several million from one deal."

"Goodness, all the aunties in the neighborhood who go grocery shopping heard it. Now everyone looks at me differently."

Gu Ming almost laughed.

He now knew how quickly gossip spread in a small town.

Wang Min, having probably received the project bonus from Gu Mingfa, got so excited that she spread the word about her boss.

"Mom, it's not as exaggerated as a few million." He tried to explain, "That's the company's cash flow. Most of it goes into the costs of the next project, plus staff salaries, equipment depreciation..."

"Company, company, I don't care what kind of company you are."

Meng Xiaoyan ignored all of this and interrupted her directly with her own logic.

"Is the company yours?"

"Yes."

"That company's money is your money."

"Let me tell you, son, don't be like those big bosses who say things like 'I'm not interested in my own money,' that's a lie."

"Alright, alright, I'm busy right now. You should go home and have dinner. Bye."

"Beep...beep...beep..."

Hearing the busy tone on his phone, Gu Ming shook his head.

He knew that his mother's so-called "busyness" was no small matter.

It seems inevitable that a family turmoil will arise because of his "getting rich".

When Gu Ming opened the door that evening, he immediately understood just how exaggerated his mother's so-called "busyness" really was.

A rich aroma of food wafted over, a blend of stewed meat and seafood.

This flavor is even more grand than that of Lunar New Year's Eve.

He changed his shoes and walked into the living room, where he was completely stunned.

The small dining table was densely packed with plates.

Braised pork knuckle, steamed sea bass, braised prawns, spicy crab, cola chicken wings... a table full of chicken, duck, fish and meat.

His mother, Meng Xiaoyan, wearing a brand-new bright red apron, brought out the last soup from the kitchen—matsutake mushroom stewed with old hen.

When she saw Gu Ming, her face immediately lit up with a smile.

"You're back, my son. Go wash your hands, we've been waiting for you."

Looking at this scene, Gu Ming was speechless for a long time: "Mom... is our family... celebrating the New Year early?"

"Pah, what's the New Year?" Meng Xiaoyan placed the soup in the middle of the table and waved her hand grandly. "Today is more important than the New Year. Today is a great day for my son to make something of himself."

Gu Ming felt his scalp tingle from this explanation and could only silently go wash his hands.

When he returned to the dining table, he found that his mother had even taken off her apron, revealing the dark red dress she only wore to her weddings, and she even had a little lipstick on her lips.

The ceremony was very elaborate.

"Here, son, have a big chicken leg. It'll help nourish your brain, which has been working so hard lately."

Meng Xiaoyan picked up a huge chicken leg and stuffed it into Gu Ming's bowl without saying a word.

The atmosphere at the dinner table was lively, even a little strange.

Meng Xiaoyan changed her usual nagging ways and stopped mentioning things like "job stability" and "take the civil service exam as soon as possible," and she also stopped mentioning Li Li, whom she had previously thought highly of.

She kept repeating only one person's name.

"Sigh, son, to be honest, Mom has finally figured it out this time." Meng Xiaoyan took a sip of chicken soup, her face serious. "Before, Mom was short-sighted."

"Look at your classmate, Su Qingying, right? That girl has great taste."

Gu Ming's chopsticks, which were picking up food, paused in mid-air for a moment.

"Think about it, everyone thought you were unreliable back then, except for her. She was the only one who saw that you were a capable person and even invested in you. What great insight she had, and how lucky she was for you."

"What's this talk about 'marrying someone of equal social standing'? That's all outdated. In today's society, the most important thing is for two people to earn money together and make their lives better and better."

Gu Ming looked at his mother, speechless.

He clearly remembered that not long ago, the same mouth had said, "This isn't about living together, it's about finding a son-in-law to live with us," and "That girl, our family can't afford her."

That's a really quick change of attitude.

Before Gu Ming could recover from his surprise, Meng Xiaoyan made another move.

She put down her chopsticks, wiped her hands, took out her phone, and skillfully opened WeChat.

"No, I have to share this wonderful news with Qingying."

She found Su Qingying's profile picture, and without typing, she pressed the voice message button and spoke in a tone of intimacy that Gu Ming had never heard before:

"Oh, Qingying, it's Auntie. Have you been busy lately? I just wanted to tell you that my son Gu Ming recently closed a big deal. It's all thanks to your support and encouragement back then. You're truly our family's lucky star."

"Um...when are you free to come to Hegang again? Ah...Auntie will show off her cooking skills and make you something delicious. Just tell Auntie what you want to eat."

After sending the 30-second voice message, Meng Xiaoyan put down her phone with satisfaction, her face beaming with undisguised pride.

It didn't feel like she was inviting a junior; it felt more like she was discussing something important with her future mother-in-law.

Gu Ming was stunned.

He watched as his mother, who had changed because "her son had become rich," experienced for the first time the enormous impact of money.

Just then, the sound of a key turning in the lock came from the doorway.

Father Gu Yuanshan came home from get off work.

He froze in the entryway as soon as he entered.

Looking at the table full of delicious food, and then at his wife dressed like she was going to a wedding, he was filled with confusion.

"What day is it today?" he asked cautiously. "Did I miss some holiday? Is our family... celebrating the New Year early?"

Meng Xiaoyan raised her eyelids, rolled her eyes at her old man, and spoke with a tone full of pride.

"What's the point of celebrating the New Year? Long hair, short wits."

"Your son has made something of himself."

"This is more important than the Lunar New Year."