Chapter 274: Chen Chunmei Who Changes Her Face

After buying the jade bracelet, Lin Wei also picked out a three-hundred-yuan Guanyin Bodhisattva jade pendant, which left the eagerly expecting sales clerk quite disappointed.

However, when Lin Wei and Zhao Qian each took out the jade items they had bought to give to Chen Chunmei, the latter actually preferred the pendant.

"Mom, my jade bracelet is far more expensive than my sister-in-law's!" Zhao Qian, seeing Chen Chunmei like the bracelet Lin Wei gave her, felt a bit jealous.

Chen Chunmei gave Zhao Qian a glance and said irritably, "What do you know about jade, you girl? You just know how to waste money."

Zhao Qian objected, "Although I don't understand, this bracelet was also personally appraised by my sister-in-law!"

"Is that so?" Chen Chunmei's attitude changed instantly. "Then this bracelet isn't bad; I like it too!"

Zhao Qian, angry, pursed her lips.

Chen Yang walked up to Chen Chunmei, lowered his voice, and said, "Aunt, actually this bracelet was given to you by Li Zhe."

Upon hearing that, Chen Chunmei immediately picked up the bracelet and examined it closely; the more she looked, the more she liked it. "This bracelet is really beautiful! It must have cost a lot, right?"

After saying that, she looked at Li Zhe with a hint of distress and said, "You child, buying something so valuable on your first visit—how can I possibly accept it?"

"Aunt, this bracelet is actually..." Li Zhe began to explain, but Chen Yang forcefully cut him off.

"Aunt, it's not that expensive—just one thousand yuan."

"One thousand yuan is still expensive!" Upon hearing this, Chen Chunmei's expression softened a little. She put on a stern face and told Li Zhe, "You're still a student; spending money so recklessly now—how will you manage your life later?"

Seeing Chen Chunmei worried that he couldn't provide for Zhao Qian, Li Zhe immediately swore, "Aunt, rest assured; after I graduate I will work hard to earn money and will never let Qianqian suffer."

Seeing Li Zhe's sincere attitude, Chen Chunmei's heart instantly blossomed with joy. The first time she met Li Zhe, she thought he would make a fine son-in-law. Although she had worried Zhao Qian might rebel, she never expected to end up bringing him home.

"Alright, I'll accept this gift. Don't waste money like this again."

"Okay!" Li Zhe quickly nodded. However, when he glanced at Chen Yang he felt a bit embarrassed—after all, he had spent not a penny yet won the future mother-in-law's favor.

After chatting for a while, Chen Bing and Zhong Lin, who lived downstairs, also came over with gifts to offer congratulations.

Chen Chunmei and her husband have no relatives in Xingcheng; in daily life, aside from supermarket customers, the only people they interact with are Chen Bing and his wife. Therefore, the two families have always gotten along well.

Zhong Lin ran a produce supermarket at the back gate of Sunshine Garden Community; Chen Chunmei not only didn't get angry, she even specially asked Zhao Donghai to come over and help with the renovation.

"Chen Bing, Zhong Lin, just showing up is enough—no need to bring gifts. That's too formal!" Chen Chunmei, seeing Chen Bing holding a bottle of Maotai and two exquisitely packaged tea boxes, felt a bit embarrassed.

While handing the gifts to Chen Chunmei, Chen Bing smiled and said, "Aunt Chen, this wine and tea were given to me by friends; they're not worth much—I brought them over for Uncle Zhao to try."

"You child, you're spending too much!" Chen Chunmei, who had been running her own supermarket for several months, couldn't possibly not know the value of these gifts Chen Bing brought.

Nevertheless, she accepted them. Zhong Lin's supermarket is about to open; later she'll send a big gift back—consider it reciprocity.

Once everyone had gathered, Chen Chunmei and her husband went to the kitchen to start cooking; Zhao Qian and Li Zhe followed to help.

Meanwhile, Chen Yang and his wife, and Chen Bing and his wife, sat on the sofa chatting and catching up.

Lin Wei's concern was still about Chen Bing's family situation. "Chen Bing, Zhong Lin is pregnant—has your father still not softened?"

Chen Bing sighed and said, "It's not that easy. The last time I came over here for a meal, it was only because my mother dragged me along."

Lin Wei smiled and comforted him, "The fact that your father is willing to come shows he's already accepting the reality. He just lacks a step to let go of. Once the child is born, things will surely improve."

"Hopefully that's the case!" Chen Bing could only console himself in that way.

After a while, Chen Bing asked Lin Wei again, "You and Chen Yang, when are you planning to make up the wedding?"

Lin Wei hehehed and said, "My dad fears your father will feel uneasy, so he's never agreed to hold a wedding. Therefore, you all need to go first and resolve his inner knot."

Chen Bing laughed through tears and said, "Then you'll have to wait. When my family's child is born, it won't be earlier than the second half of next year."

Lin Wei said with an indifferent expression, "Anyway, we're already a de facto couple; having or not having that ceremony makes no difference."

Chen Bing thought that made sense. Just like his relationship with Zhong Lin—whether his father acknowledges it or not, it doesn't change the fact that they are already husband and wife.

"Chen Yang, as your brother I feel a bit sorry for you about this!" Chen Bing said apologetically to Chen Yang.

"It's fine! Besides the wedding, I have plenty more I can give her."

Chen Yang understood their predicament. Lin Wei choosing to marry him was already the biggest surprise; apart from that, nothing else mattered.

Chen Bing gave Chen Yang a thumbs-up, somewhat admiringly saying, "You kid, your mindset is truly good, and Lin Wei truly didn't pick the wrong person!"

Chen Yang feigned modesty with a smile, saying, "Just so-so; I'm merely a little more enlightened than ordinary people."

Lin Wei lightly pinched Chen Yang. "Not the slightest bit proper, and I'm not afraid of people laughing."

Chen Yang said indifferently, "We're all our own people—what's there to fear?"

Lin Wei couldn't help but give Chen Yang another eye roll.

Chen Bing suddenly remembered something and said to Chen Yang, "Actually, even if you held the wedding now, your father-in-law probably wouldn't have much objection. I heard from my mother that the old man has been mentioning your name lately, saying you kid have a knack for economics and that quite a few provincial leaders praise you."

"Brother Bing, don't try to fool me. If the old man doesn't cause me trouble, I'll already be thankful." Chen Bing hadn't expected the Chen family patriarch to also be noticing him, feeling somewhat flattered.

"Really." Chen Bing said seriously, "I also heard that provincial leaders will go to Qingshui City next month to research state-owned enterprise reform. The main target is your Old Hundred Meat Industry Limited Company."

"Is that so?" Chen Yang hadn't expected that both of his companies had attracted provincial attention, feeling a bit pleased. "Then I need to head back early to prepare, so I don't make a laughingstock of myself in front of the provincial leaders."

Chen Bing laughed and scolded, "Don't be so modest. Who in Dongjiangsheng doesn't know the sausages from your Old Hundred Meat Industry Limited Company? Turning an ordinary food-processing plant into a provincial star enterprise in just a few months—I haven't seen anyone more capable than you."

Chen Yang smiled without speaking, but inside he had already begun to anticipate the provincial leaders' trip to Qingshui City.