Chapter 1618: Showdown

Early in the morning, Si Mei finished tidying up, dressed beautifully, and walked out of the house humming a song, heading west to the bus stop near Wang Yan's house to wait for the bus.

She doesn't know how to ride a bicycle or a motorcycle, and the company hasn't provided a car yet. Even the various deliveries in the city are done by people pedaling tricycles through the streets and alleys.

The motorcycle Er Qiang rode last night was bought by Wang Yan. It's just that Wang Yan goes to school more, and Er Qiang works more, so he let Er Qiang ride the motorcycle. Wang Yan travels on foot, and San Li pedals a bicycle. All of these were acquired after they got rich...

Walking with light steps, she soon passed Wang Yan's door. Si Mei stopped, looked at the unlocked gate, sniffed, and smelled the delicious food wafting into her nose, so she couldn't help but push the gate open and walk in.

"Brother Yan, you didn't go back to school yesterday? Are you eating alone? I smelled it outside, what delicious food are you making?" Like Wang Xifeng, she was already shouting before she even went in.

Before getting a response, Si Mei had already run in. Ignoring Wang Yan, who was sitting there shirtless, legs crossed, smoking, Si Mei had long been immune to Wang Yan's powerful, knife-carved muscles after all these years.

She headed straight for the shed kitchen, lifted the lid of the casserole on the gas stove, looked at the rolling soup inside, and took a deep breath.

"Wow, chicken soup, Brother Yan. It smells delicious, why haven't you made it before?"

"It's for nourishing vitality; it's easy to get inflamed if you drink it when there's nothing wrong."

"Who's vitality is damaged? Did you get beaten up? Doesn't look like it?"

Si Mei looked at Wang Yan suspiciously. Seeing Wang Yan tilt his head toward the main room, she shielded her eyes and leaned close to the glass window, just in time to see San Li getting dressed inside.

"Ah? You two... you..."

"We're already an old married couple, what's there to be surprised about?"

"No..."

"What no, it is."

Wang Yan waved his hand with a smile, then threw away his cigarette butt and stood up. "Alright, I'm cooking."

Si Mei looked at Wang Yan, then walked into the room, looking at her sister who was clearly a bit uncomfortable.

"Sister, why so sudden?"

"What's sudden? Do I have to tell you?" San Li rolled her eyes, but couldn't help blushing, after all, they were caught.

"Oh, I mean..."

"Don't say anything, you don't need to say anything."

San Li waved her hand to interrupt. "It's been so many years, we're closer than family, why talk about those messy things."

After saying that, she got dressed, got off the bed, and went to wash up.

Si Mei was speechless, but it was indeed the case; the two seemed to have been a couple for a long time, it would be strange if they weren't.

Seeing no one paying attention to her, Si Mei looked around the courtyard, and then she shouted.

"That's not right!"

Seeing Wang Yan and San Li both looking over, she said, "Where's my second brother? Brother Yan, has he not lived here for a long time? I've come over several times and it seems the same, the things inside haven't moved."

"Yes, he doesn't live here anymore." Wang Yan, who was stir-frying vegetables, replied in his spare time.

"He really doesn't live here anymore?" Si Mei asked back, then her eyes rolled, and she whispered subconsciously, "That Master Ma?"

San Li nodded with a smile, giving Si Mei a definitive answer. "They said they've been living together for over a month."

"Are you hiding it from me? I have such a tight mouth, how could you not believe me?"

"Why hide it from you? I only found out yesterday." San Li explained how she discovered it and said, "Mainly it's hiding it from Big Brother, that Master Ma is twelve years older than Second Brother..."

"Twelve." Wang Yan added thoughtfully.

"Right, twelve years older than Second Brother. Big Brother and Dad definitely won't agree to this."

Si Mei sighed. "I saw something was wrong a long time ago, but I didn't expect Second Brother to be so determined, moving in directly to live with her. If Big Brother finds out, won't he be furious?"

"Who says not, that's why we're hiding it." San Li also sighed, for the storm that Er Qiang is destined to face.

"But he has to say it sooner or later, sticking his head out is a knife, and pulling it back is also a knife. If you ask me, it's better to just have a showdown. I really don't know what Second Brother is thinking, hiding and sneaking around. If you dare to do it, you have to dare to admit it. Might as well just cook the rice until it's..."

Speaking of this, Si Mei stopped abruptly, then widened her eyes. "Brother Yan, Second Brother isn't cooking the rice with that Master Ma, is he?"

"Go, you little girl, talking so shamelessly." San Li slapped Si Mei lightly.

"What's wrong with that? You and Brother Yan are already shameless, what can't be said? I'm not a child anymore."

"Alright, alright, stop talking about that. Brother Qiang has his own plans on how to do things. Let's eat quickly, otherwise San Li will miss the first class."

Wang Yan brought the food to the table, and the three of them ate breakfast, immediately stopping the discussion of other things, talking only about Wang Yan's superb chicken soup skills.

No bragging, just talking about the old hen soup, looking across five thousand years, spanning East and West, and even the heavens and worlds, no one is his opponent; it is truly the loneliness of a master.

It made San Li and Si Mei want to swallow their tongues...

Er Qiang moving out indeed made things more convenient for Wang Yan.

Once started, San Li became even more attached to Wang Yan. Every time they came home to eat, after they dispersed, the two would go to Wang Yan's house to be happy. If this house had a spirit, it would be sick of hearing the love words between men and women.

The sharp Qiao Yicheng discovered the greater intimacy between Wang Yan and Sanli. This relationship was completely defenseless, natural, and subconscious; the slight avoidance of the past was now gone. Qiao Yicheng was meticulous, how could he not notice it?

So Yicheng found Wang Yan in private, chatted with him about everything, and told Wang Yan to study hard, not to take too big a step in business, to leave room for himself, to keep the cunning rabbit's three burrows, to keep new seedlings for a comeback, to walk on thin ice, not to waste a great career, and to implicate his family in fear and worry, and so on.

It was earnest advice, and he was also worried to death. Yicheng was always like this, having raised three younger siblings as both father and mother since he was a child, he always took everything upon himself, worrying even more than his younger siblings.

Although currently, it seemed that the one in the worst situation in the entire Old Qiao family was this eldest brother, the true head of the Old Qiao family.

Erqiang and Simei were both working with Wang Yan, managing many people, and dealing with cooperative suppliers, so their horizons had broadened, and their personal wealth had achieved the small milestone of being ten-thousand-yuan households. Sanli was following Wang Yan, so it went without saying.

Even Old Qiao, because Erqiang and Simei gave him money monthly and he had a job, and didn't have to support the family anymore, was not only broke every month but also had to owe some external debts, and secretly grind some money out of Erqiang and Simei.

Only Yicheng was still a graduate student working part-time. He could afford his own expenses, but in comparison, he was still not as good as the others...

In the blink of an eye, it was the end of the year, and the small courtyard of Wang Yan's house became lively after a long time.

"Hello, Sister-in-law." Wang Yan greeted the girl standing beside Qi Weimin with a smile.

Chang Xingyu smiled brightly: "Hello, Wang Yan, I heard from Weimin long ago that you were a big shot. Weimin said today is to slaughter the local tyrant and eat and drink to our heart's content."

This was truly an acquaintance who knew the roots, but Wang Yan could distinguish well. After all, being more sophisticated was like this, it was an unavoidable thing, and there weren't many mixed thoughts...

"Should have slaughtered long ago. Let me tell you, if the food and drink aren't up to standard, the master will be angry." Wang Yan punched Qi Weimin in the chest with a light and heavy blow, "Brother Weimin, you too, you didn't say anything when you started dating. It was only a while ago when I went to see the second aunt that I heard about it. If I hadn't mentioned this, when were you planning to bring her to see us?"

"There's always a time." Qi Weimin laughed.

Qiao Yicheng said: "You, you don't say anything about anything, you have to wait until the last minute to tell us."

"Are you talking about me, or about yourself?"

Simei, who was teasing the ten-year-old Qiqi, took the conversation: "Neither of you should talk about the other, you're the same. Alright, alright, the polite words are all said, hurry up and cook. For today's gathering, I didn't even eat this morning, I'm starving to death."

"Aren't you still alive?" Erqiang complained and got an eye roll.

The dishes were almost ready, even the cold dishes were mixed, and the stewed dishes were about to be out of the pot, so the remaining stir-fried dishes were much more convenient. Wang Yan used the stove, Erqiang used the gas, and after more than half an hour, the other fried, stir-fried, cooked, and deep-fried dishes were done, and a large group of people exerted their efforts on a table full of food.

Wang Yan, Yicheng, Erqiang, and Qi Weimin all poured wine. They were all of age; Yicheng and Qi Weimin were both twenty-four, one was a graduate student following his advisor to participate in some activities and dinners, and the other had already started working, so it was inevitable to drink a few cups. As for Erqiang, it went without saying, having done business for a year, he was also a soldier tested by alcohol, and Wang Yan was an old drinker.

After drinking as adults, the atmosphere at the table was obviously different. Wine helps human nature, even if they weren't drunk, when they were slightly tipsy, it made people talkative, chatting about everything, business, international situations, studies, etc., all talked about.

Chatting happily and enthusiastically, everyone was satisfied. After drinking some tea to sober up, Qi Weimin went back dizzy with Chang Xingyu and Qiqi.

At this time, Erqiang, with a cigarette in his mouth, looked left and right with a thief's eyes, only to see Yicheng rubbing his head, and Wang Yan sitting between Sanli and Simei, the three of them looking at him with smiles, their eyes full of anticipation.

Giving Wang Yan and the three a big eye roll speechlessly, Erqiang looked at Yicheng again.

"If you have something to say, don't stutter. You're a big boss, is this how you handle things usually?" Yicheng frowned at his biological brother, he had long discovered his brother's strangeness.

"Big Brother, I have something to tell you."

"Speak!"

"That... don't get angry after I say it..."

"Hmm?"

Qiao Yicheng sat up straight, first looked at Wang Yan and the three sitting in a row, knowing that none of these three were innocent, his brows twisted, "What heaven-defying and people-resenting thing did you do again?"

"What do you mean again, Big Brother, I haven't done anything heaven-defying and people-resenting before!"

"Speak about your business!"

"That..." Erqiang couldn't say it again.

"Stuttering, are you going to say it or not!"

"It's... my master Ma Suqin, do you remember her, Big Brother?"

"We've eaten together several times, how could I not know? What kind of nonsense are you talking about?"

"Uh..." Erqiang swallowed his saliva, "That... my master is pregnant..."

Yicheng pulled his face: "Erqiang, what kind of sickness are you having? If your master is pregnant, she's pregnant, what does it have to do with you... Hmm?"

"It's... it's mine..." Erqiang weakly admitted what he had done.

Silence, endless silence.

Yicheng widened his eyes, staring fixedly at Erqiang, watching Erqiang lower his head, wishing he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into...

After a long while, Yicheng let out a long breath, took a sip of tea, then stood up, and immediately, with the speed of lightning, slapped Erqiang on the face.

"I'll beat you to death, you dog thing who ruined someone's innocence!"

"Big Brother!" Sanli and Simei exclaimed.

Wang Yan went up directly to stop Qiao Yicheng, letting Qiao Yicheng jump and want to beat Erqiang.

After such a lively scene, the situation finally calmed down. Yicheng sat down again to drink tea to moisten his throat, while Erqiang stood there aggrieved.

Yicheng's deterrent power was still too great, even if Erqiang had become a big boss now, Yicheng would glare, and Erqiang would look like a mouse seeing a cat.

"Erqiang, you're something. You've become a big boss, but you haven't learned the good things, and you've learned the bad things perfectly. Is it possible that you're keeping a mistress in the company, and there are several beauties outside?"

"No, Big Brother, absolutely not! It's not what you think, Big Brother, I really like my master."

Subsequently, Erqiang told the story from beginning to end about the bits and pieces between him and Ma Suqin, as well as his own mental journey in this process. Finally, he reached a conclusion.

"Big Brother, I'm not ruining my master's innocence. I've already agreed with her that I'll get the certificate as soon as I'm of age. We definitely have to have the child, it's not like we can't afford to raise it, and this matter really doesn't sound good, we didn't plan to hold a wedding, so it doesn't matter."

Qiao Yicheng was so angry he laughed: "Alright, I didn't see it, Qiao Erqiang, our Old Qiao family has produced such a big romantic seed like you! You're really promising."

"Big Brother, anyway, I made the decision long ago, if you want to hit me, hit me, if you want to scold me, scold me."

"I won't hit you, and I won't scold you." Qiao Yicheng waved his hand wearily, "You're all grown up, and I can't control you, and I can't control everything. You're still a big boss, it's not bad that you don't control me, right, Boss Qiang?"

"Big Brother~" Simei said, "I've seen it all, Second Brother's love for his master is true. It has nothing to do with whether he is a big boss or not, they had already decided long ago. You say it like that, you're really misunderstanding Second Brother."

"You have the nerve to say that? You all knew long ago, and hid it from me alone. Especially you, Wang Yan, you must have known the earliest, maybe you even acted as his advisor."

Wang Yan nodded with a smile: "Big Brother is really accurate in judging people, I have no choice, Brother Qiang missed her so much he couldn't sleep, and as a brother, I couldn't just watch. Master Ma is a good person, her age is indeed a bit old, but it's not a problem that can't be overcome. In this life, Master Ma can't let Brother Qiang down, it can only be that Brother Qiang sees her getting old and ugly in the future, and really goes to raise a younger one."

"Impossible! I will definitely treat my master well wholeheartedly."

"Then we'll only know when the time comes." Qiao Yicheng snorted coldly, "It's useless even if you say flowers now!"

Seeing Sanli looking at him, Wang Yan let out a long sigh: "I will definitely wholeheartedly..."

Sanli's eyes were faint, Simei snorted coldly: "Then we'll only know when the time comes..."

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