Chapter 31: Just Kidding

Shen Jiayun fell silent. If you want to go, just go—why tell me about it? The two of us don't have much common ground on this matter.

"I want to ask Mom and Dad for a share of the equity," Shen Jiafeng said firmly. "The share that belongs to me."

"What?" Shen Jiayun was shocked, saying in disbelief, "Little brother, are you crazy? Do you want to make Mom and Dad die of anger?"

At that moment, Shen Jiayun truly felt his younger brother Shen Jiafeng had gone mad.

Ever since he started working and earning his own money, Shen Jiayun had come to understand one principle: if you didn't earn it yourself, never say it belongs to you.

The reason was simple—a coworker had asked him to treat them to a meal, and Shen Jiayun didn't want to, because the logic was simple: why should he?

The same logic applied now. Shen Shi was built up by Shen Yilong and Zhu Kailan from a street stall, pieced together bit by bit by the two of them, so Shen Shi belonged only to Shen Yilong and Zhu Kailan.

Taking a deep breath, Shen Jiayun earnestly advised, "Little brother, I've earned a bit of money these past few months—not much in hand, but around three hundred thousand. If you need it, I can give it all to you, and I can also borrow from your second sister. We don't need to go courting death in front of Mom and Dad."

"I already made Mom and Dad angry enough last year—don't push it further."

"Consider it your brother begging you."

There was no reply; the other end of the phone fell silent. Shen Jiafeng couldn't understand it—wasn't his useless older brother always hating Zhu Kailan and Shen Yilong? Why was he now speaking up for them?

Just as Shen Jiayun thought Shen Jiafeng had hung up, Shen Jiafeng hesitantly spoke, "You…don't hate Mom and Dad? They completely gave up on you and even kicked you out of the house."

Shen Jiafeng couldn't figure it out. Logically speaking, shouldn't you be furious right now? Shouldn't you, upon hearing I want to go home and fight for the inheritance, fly into a rage and curse Zhu Kailan and Shen Yilong for being blind—giving the shares to Shen Mo, that illegitimate son, and to Shen Jiajia, that woman?

Scratching his head and sighing deeply, Shen Jiayun said softly, "At first I did hate them. But after I left home with nothing, after I earned money on my own, after I saw ordinary people worrying over two hundred yuan, after I listened to a friend from my livestream room talk about how he needed his sister's bride price to pay for school, after I went with Liu Qingqing to do poverty relief in the mountains—only then did I realize how blessed my former life had been, only then did I realize how smooth my life had been."

Shen Jiayun's gaze drifted to the window. From as far back as he could remember, he had already lived in a villa and eaten imported chocolate, so he had never really suffered.

Probably the hardest things were bad grades and getting beaten up for being naughty.

But after Shen Jiayun was kicked out, and after he went with Liu Qingqing before the New Year to deliver supplies for poverty relief, he realized he had been far too happy before. What he had resented was something others wouldn't even dare to imagine.

Shen Jiayun felt twenty thousand a month in living expenses was too little, but the children in those mountain areas couldn't even dream of two hundred yuan—two cows could buy a virgin bride.

And a completely natural one at that.

So the softness deep in Shen Jiayun's bones made him begin to imagine how hard Zhu Kailan and Shen Yilong must have struggled when they first started their business.

Shen Jiafeng was utterly dumbfounded. He hadn't expected Shen Jiayun to change so much after only a few months of being kicked out of the house—it was too absurd. And besides…

"Liu Qingqing, that famous glamour girl of the entertainment circle, actually does charity?"

Unthinkable, absolutely unthinkable. Shen Jiayun's impression of Liu Qingqing had always been a glamour girl who debuted by showing off her body.

Hearing this, Shen Jiayun immediately grew displeased and said angrily, "Jiafeng…"

"What's there to be angry about? A glamour girl born from a mistress—it's indeed hard to imagine her doing charity." Shen Jiafeng made no effort to hide his contempt.

"You——" Shen Jiayun was about to retort when the call was hung up.

Furious, Shen Jiayun called back, but no one answered—he had been blocked.

"What a complete scoundrel."

Shen Jiayun felt the other guy was even more of a scoundrel than him; studying abroad had been a waste.

After calming down, Shen Jiayun continued browsing handmade crafts online. Half a day later, he picked out a handmade incense, whose main focus is calming the mind—not expensive, only thirty thousand yuan, which he could afford.

After placing the custom order, he tidied up and lay in bed, but Shen Jiayun tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

In the end he still got up, took out his phone, and sent Shen Jiajia a message telling her about Shen Jiafeng's situation. At breakfast the next morning, Shen Mo told Liu Yue about Zhu Kailan's birthday.

"Do you want to go?" Liu Yue asked Shen Mo with a smile.

Shen Mo was a bit conflicted; in the past he had never gone.

Of course, he also had no right to go. With his status, going wouldn't be a blessing—it would just be an eyesore.

But now…

"I don't know whether I should go," Shen Mo said honestly.

"Go," said the elegant lady who had just walked into the dining room, in a soft voice.

Shen Mo stood up, served the elegant lady a bowl of corn gruel, and brought over two steaming hot pickled-cabbage buns.

After taking them, the elegant lady squinted her eyes and said softly, "In the past you didn't go because Zhu Kailan and Shen Yilong didn't know how to face you. Now they've already taken you as family, so you should still go."

Saying this, the elegant lady glanced at Liu Yue and said thoughtfully, "The two of you have now started your own company, and in the future you'll also be taking over Liu's and my company. There'll be a lot of dealings in the wealthy circle going forward, so going is a good thing."

Shen Mo nodded, suddenly enlightened, and said, "Then I'll go."

Shen Mo believed his greatest strength was taking advice—after all, those who listen to advice never go hungry.

Liu Yue also nodded and agreed.

"As for gifts, I suggest you prepare something with Northeast characteristics—nothing too expensive."

Perhaps worried the two wouldn't know, the elegant lady added softly.

This piqued Shen Mo's curiosity.

【Isn't this the moment to show off a bit and bring out something fancy?】

Liu Yue rolled her eyes.

On the way to the company, Shen Mo asked curiously, "Why not prepare an expensive gift?"

Liu Yue scrolled through emails on her phone while casually explaining, "Zhu Kailan and Shen Yilong are worth hundreds of millions in personal assets—what expensive item haven't they seen? Besides, the two are famously uninterested in celebrity calligraphy and paintings, with no collector's habits at all."

"So it's better to give them something unusual."

Saying this, Liu Yue exited her email, flipped through her photo album, found a picture, and said lightly, "Let's just give them this."

Shen Mo turned to look and blurted out, "Holy—"

【Awesome, sis—you're actually giving them a free-range pig?】

Liu Yue smiled slightly. "A proper free-range pig—I bet Zhu Kailan and Shen Yilong have never eaten one."

"When the time comes, you can go there and perform a live pig slaughter—guaranteed to stun the whole crowd."

Shen Mo fell silent.

【Sis, are you sure we won't get beaten out if we actually do this?】

Liu Yue grinned and said casually, "Just kidding."

(End of chapter)