Chapter 161: Versailles

Chen Liang let out a cold laugh; today he was going to uphold righteousness by punishing his own flesh and blood. The hands that had originally been shielding Chen Hong gave a gentle push against her back, easing her away from his side.

"Sister-in-law, go right ahead! Today, you must make her understand what the iron fist of love truly means!"

A completely bewildered Chen Hong stared blankly at her second uncle, who had just stabbed her in the back. Her eyes were filled with disbelief—had she really been betrayed by her second uncle?

It wasn't until the feather duster of her eldest sister-in-law lashed across her body, making her leap three feet into the air, that she finally snapped back to her senses: Second Uncle, you truly have no martial ethics, stabbing me in the back! I...

Before she could finish her threatening words, another strike from the feather duster landed on her. "Aah! Mom, stop hitting me! My butt is going to split into three pieces!" In an instant, the household was once again thrown into chaos.

This farce only came to an end when the youngest sister, Chen Rong, returned carrying large and small bundles of luggage. Otherwise, the eldest sister-in-law would definitely have given Chen Hong a few more whacks.

Chen Liang and his eldest brother, Chen Jian, each took a large bundle. After properly settling all of the younger sister's luggage, Chen Liang finally had the leisure to ask about Chen Rong. "Did our little sister just graduate?"

"Mm-hmm! Second Brother, look at what this is?" Holding up a piece of paper, Chen Rong asked Chen Liang, her face beaming with excitement and showing off.

"What is this thing? Hand it over so your second brother can take a look!" After taking the piece of paper handed over by his younger sister, Chen Liang glanced at it, and his expression instantly darkened.

"You got accepted into college?" Chen Liang's tone was full of doubt. That was impossible! He knew all too well what kind of character his younger sister possessed—she was an absolute, textbook slacker!

And yet, now, by some miraculous stroke of luck, she had actually managed to get into college. The sun must have risen from the west today!

"How about it, Second Brother? Your old Chen family is about to produce a college student! Aren't you happy? Aren't you excited?" Chen Rong was completely immersed in her own joy and didn't notice Chen Liang's pitch-black expression at all!

Chattering away to herself, Chen Rong snatched back the college admission notice—a paper that spelled impending trouble—from her second uncle's hand, and ran into the house to break the news to their parents.

"Mom, look at what this is?" Chen Rong presented the admission notice to her mother like a treasured artifact, and then immediately began fishing for a reward. "Mom, I want to eat White Third's braised pork chunks!"

"Eat, eat, eat, all this little girl thinks about from morning till night is eating. Braised pork chunks my foot, you might as well just eat my flesh!" Mother Chen did not immediately open the admission notice. Hearing Chen Rong's words, she casually retorted.

"Oh, Mom, just look at it first, alright? I am the great meritorious hero of our Chen family, after all!" Chen Rong wasn't the least bit upset by her mother's retort. Instead, she put her hands on her hips, looking utterly pleased with herself!

"A great meritorious hero, my big..." Before the vulgar word could escape her lips, Mother Chen had already opened the admission notice, and right there she saw Chen Rong's prominent name written upon it.

"Ahem, ahem!" Mother Chen cleared her throat. "Oh, my daughter is truly remarkable. You want to eat braised pork, is that it? Son, Eldest! Hurry over here, go out to the street and buy two pounds of braised pork chunks for my daughter right now!"

Mother Chen's speed in changing her tune was truly faster than flipping a book. Just a moment ago, she was a "little girl," but now she had instantly transformed into her "precious daughter."

Overjoyed, Mother Chen didn't even bother to cook dinner anymore. She washed her hands, wiping them repeatedly on her clothes, and finally, holding the admission notice as carefully as if it were an imperial decree, she carried it into the inner room to show Father Chen.

Chen Dashan's face also bloomed into a smile like a flower as he examined the admission notice over and over again. Finally, grabbing the pack of Huazi cigarettes that Chen Liang had offered him earlier, he wandered out into the courtyard to show off.

"Old Zhang, eaten yet? Come, come have a smoke." Old Zhang was baffled. What kind of question was that? Whose family had eaten dinner at this hour? However, considering the pack of Huazi in Chen Dashan's hand, he held back his retort.

"Old Chen, did you eat honey-flavored shit or something?" After cadging a cigarette of Huazi from Chen Dashan, Old Zhang couldn't suppress his restless heart. Since he was already smoking the cigarette anyway, he might as well say what was on his mind!

"You're the one who ate honey-flavored shit!" Chen Dashan cursed with a smile, and then began his invisible display of humblebragging. "Hey! I'm just happy. My youngest daughter, you know? She gave me a complete surprise! Without a sound, she actually went and got accepted into the Four-Nine City Normal University. Tell me, isn't that infuriating?"

Infuriating your foot! They had been old neighbors for decades; how could Old Zhang not see through Chen Dashan's malicious intentions? The man was simply here to show off to him.

Old Zhang didn't say anything after hearing this. He just took fierce puffs of the Huazi in his hand. When the cigarette burned down to the butt, he casually tossed it onto the ground, ground it out with the sole of his shoe, and said, "Old Chen, this cigarette of yours tastes awful, and next time, don't wander over to my backyard for nothing!"

Dropping those words, Old Zhang walked away with a dark face. This Old Chen was truly a piece of work! Didn't he know that all three of his own children failed the college entrance exams this year? Ah! The little boat of friendship really couldn't withstand wind and waves; it capsized the moment it was tested!

Just like that, Father Chen bragged to everyone he met, successfully using the time before dinner to ensure that the entire compound knew his daughter had been accepted into college.

By the time Father Chen walked home with his hands clasped behind his back, feeling utterly satisfied and ready for dinner, not a single family in the compound whose children had failed to get into college failed to curse Chen Dashan behind his back for lacking any human decency.

At the dinner table, everyone in the Chen family except Chen Liang wore a bright smile, and the meal was eaten with absolute relish.

Even the eldest sister-in-law and Xiaoyu cast looks of envy toward Chen Rong. After all, both the eldest sister-in-law and Xiaoyu were high school graduates who hadn't managed to pass the college entrance exams!

Within the entire Chen family, only Xiaoyu noticed that something was amiss with Chen Liang. After all, as his wife sharing the same pillow, any change in Chen Liang's expression could not escape her eyes.

She gently tugged at Chen Liang's sleeve and whispered, "Husband, what's wrong with you? Ever since we found out that the younger sister got into college, I've noticed your expression has been off. Aren't you happy?"

How was Chen Liang supposed to answer a question like that?

If he said he was happy, his expression clearly said otherwise; if he said he wasn't happy, it would dampen the festive mood of the entire family. It was truly a dilemma!

Underneath the dinner table, Chen Liang squeezed Xiaoyu's hand and smiled at her. "It's nothing, let's eat first. We can talk after dinner!"

In the end, looking at the lively and bustling Chen family, Chen Liang still couldn't bear to shatter their joyful atmosphere, choosing to wait until after the meal to discuss the matter of his younger sister going to college.

At the dinner table, Chen Rong, who was feeling utterly triumphant, monopolized the braised pork from White Third's shop that her eldest brother Chen Jian had specially bought for her.

Nearby, the clever little Chen Hong was drooling with envy over the braised pork. With a roll of her eyes, she picked up her bowl, hopped off the bench, and ran over to her little aunt's side.

"Little Aunt, Little Aunt, I want to eat braised pork too." Chen Rong wasn't a petty girl either. She scooped little Chen Hong up onto her lap, waved her hand with magnanimous generosity, and declared, "Come on, little Hong-hong, eat with Auntie!"