The world of film and television begins with the God of Medicine.

Chapter 1627 Quarrel
Qiao Yicheng's new house was allocated by his work unit; it was a small one-bedroom apartment. This didn't change because Qiao Yicheng's brother-in-law was Wang Yan. The size and standard were fixed, and there was no way he could get a larger house.

Public opinion can be powerful; even high-ranking contestants must consider the negative impact and cannot go too far. The bigger the city, the stronger the law.

Wang Yan's convenience allows Qiao Yicheng to get an apartment faster, and ideally, one that meets his criteria. After all, even small one-bedroom apartments aren't all the same size.

Although the new house is small, it's well-equipped inside. It has a sofa, bookshelves, TV, refrigerator, washing machine, water heater, air conditioner, and so on.

Meanwhile, the newlyweds, who had been busy all day, were on their soft bed in the bedroom.

Qiao Yicheng, reeking of alcohol, lay on the bed, exhausted but relaxed, feeling a sense of relief.

"Phew, it's finally over. This day was more tiring than working overtime to finish a manuscript. How come you don't seem to feel anything?"

"How can checking money be tiring? Even if I'm exhausted, checking such a large sum of money keeps me energized."

Ye Xiaolang smiled broadly, revealing more than a dozen teeth, as he sat cross-legged on the bed, surrounded by the monetary gifts from the guests.

"Four thousand yuan is enough for an average person to earn for two years. I told you to call more people, but you wouldn't listen. Look how much money we've lost!" Ye Xiaolang's eyes gleamed.

"You'll have to return the favor later. If you accept these gifts now, it'll be hard to repay them later."

"Hey, haven't you noticed? Money is losing value more and more. If we spread this out over time, it'll be just right for us. We can even save up enough to buy a car later."

Ye Xiaolang sighed, "I'm not trying to criticize you, but Erqiang wanted to give you a car to drive. What's the point of refusing? Erqiang said it himself, the car isn't really for you, it belongs to the company, it's just for you to drive. It's just a tool, what's wrong with accepting it?"
I know you're worried about gossip, but don't you think about it? Everyone knows your family is rich, and you always ride a bicycle to work—that's what people will talk about.

"It's not that I'm afraid of gossip. Can I control what others say? If I ride a bicycle, people say I'm showing off, but if I drive a car, will they not say I'm showing off? Xiao Lang, you can't live by what others say. That will never be good; it will only bring trouble. I don't want a car because I simply don't need it."

It's just for commuting, the gas money isn't even worth it. If you're talking about shelter from the wind and rain, didn't we always go out before we had a car? I still remember when I was in school… As for emergencies, we could always take a taxi. Even if we couldn't get a taxi, we could call Erqiang or the others, or even borrow a car from the station.

And what about the mobile phone you didn't mention? What business do I need to contact you about? My pager rarely gets any messages, let alone a mobile phone. Spending tens of thousands of yuan on something you don't use and keeping it like a precious artifact is really not worth it. Even if it's not my money, does Erqiang and his gang's money just grow on trees and they can squander it like that?
You might think they make money easily now, but you don't know how hard they worked in the beginning. Erqiang and Simei were so tired they could fall asleep during meals, they would hide and cry because they felt guilty for making mistakes, and they would drink so much that they ended up in the hospital..."

Yicheng murmured to himself, tears streaming down his face, before unknowingly drifting off to sleep. He was drunk…

But Ye Xiaolang didn't grasp Qiao Yicheng's weakness at this moment, nor did she understand his state of mind. All she felt was indifference and disdain for Qiao Yicheng's nonchalant persistence...

Qiao Yicheng finally got married, but he wasn't very happy.

Ye Xiaolang's parents were not part of his plan. When Ye Xiaolang's father presented him with an IOU that Ye Xiaolang had written to cover the cost of his younger brother's wedding and asked him to pay for it, he realized that he didn't know enough about Ye Xiaolang's parents.

It wasn't that he was dissatisfied with Ye Xiaolang's family; on the contrary, he was even more satisfied.

After all, coming from a family that favored sons over daughters, it was remarkable that she persevered, studied hard, got into university, and finally left home to establish herself in a big city like Nanjing. She had enough to eat and drink, could dress well, and had a respectable job.

What made Qiao Yicheng uncomfortable was that Ye Xiaolang hadn't told him about this. This concealment was tantamount to deception.

It wasn't just that; he thought he knew Ye Xiaolang well enough, and after much consideration, he decided to marry her. However, problems began to emerge after the marriage.

She can't cook, is bad at housework, is lazy, and doesn't have the habit of tidying up. She leaves things lying around and then rummages through everything when she needs them. All she talks about is money and spending. She never likes cooking at home and always wants to eat out. During her time off, she goes out shopping with friends.

Sometimes he would also invite busy Ma Suqin, Sanli, and Simei out for dinner. As for whether it interfered with their plans, Qiao Yicheng didn't know. Obviously, they wouldn't tell him what was going on, but he knew for a second that it must have interfered with their plans, because they always came out.

According to Qiao Yicheng's understanding, these people who are in the prime of their careers are all incredibly busy. Even Sanli, who has the most relaxed schedule, is preparing for her postgraduate entrance exam. How could they possibly have so much free time to stroll around for half a day...?

The weather gradually turned cold, and the entire city of Nanjing became damp, with a light drizzle falling for many days. The sky was heavy and oppressive, and the cold rain and wind brought a bone-chilling cold to the city.

In this kind of weather, nothing is more comforting than eating hot pot.

The Qiao family, who hadn't had a small gathering in over a month, reunited in the large private room of Hongyun Restaurant for a steaming hot pot meal.

Old Qiao snorted, "It's really not easy. I haven't seen you since we got married, and you don't even come home to visit."

"Dad, don't cause trouble. My brother and sister-in-law just got married, their sweet romance is the most important thing. What's there to see when you come home? Why are you snorting like that?"

The four beauties retorted directly, then looked at Ye Xiaolang, who was embarrassed and didn't know what to say, "Sister-in-law, don't overthink it. My dad is just used to making a fuss. He likes to say witty things all the time."

"What could I possibly think about, Dad? We've really been busy lately and haven't had much time," Ye Xiaolang said. "I heard from Yicheng that our family used to get together every few days for a small gathering, and every month or two for a big one. Since Yicheng and I got married, we haven't had any family gatherings. We must all be quite busy, right?"

"I'm not busy," Qiao Zuwang grumbled.

Erqiang laughed and said, "You're not busy yet? You're the busiest person in our family, you're never home."

“But then again, there’s no one at home. What’s the point of staying here? Right, Uncle Qiao?” Wang Yan replied with a smile.

"Wang Yan, you understand me best, you're my soulmate. Come on, let's have a drink." Old Qiao raised his glass, genuinely excited to have met a kindred spirit, even though he knew Wang Yan was just teasing him...

Wang Yan laughed heartily, took a sip with Lao Qiao, and then scooped up some meat from the pot, dipped it in the sauce, and took a big bite. The freshly cut meat, not long after being killed, was infused with flavor by the sauce, and the taste exploded in his mouth. It was incredibly delicious, making it irresistible.

Seeing him eating with gusto, Si Mei also ate and drank heartily, and then looked at Er Qiang's biological son who was learning from Wang Yan, and sighed.

"Actually, whether it's a small gathering or a big get-together, it's always Brother Yan who thinks about eating good food. He doesn't eat alone; he invites everyone to share, and it's become a habit over the years. Recently, Brother Yan has been on business trips to Hong Kong and Japan, so he hasn't been researching good food, which is why we haven't been able to get together. If Brother Yan were here, we would have all gotten together long ago. My brother and sister-in-law definitely like good food too, so we've gone out to eat several times." Si Mei's words were simple and direct, but they were indeed true. The cohesion of the Qiao family now rests entirely on Wang Yan.

Ultimately, it all comes down to Wang Yan's status. To give a simple example, if Qiao Yicheng wants to see Erqiang, Erqiang has to ask what it's about before deciding whether to delay his own business by seeing his older brother, Yicheng.

However, if Wang Yan were to look for Erqiang, one phone call would be all it took for Erqiang to drop everything and come immediately. The entire Qiao family revolved around Wang Yan…

Wang Yan said, "I've become a master chef just to eat well, so of course I have to do a good job. You're all busy and carrying heavy burdens, so it's not like I'm just a free man who can't take responsibility for making sure everyone eats and drinks well. Eat more, this is Yanchi Tan sheep that was transported all the way here, it's not cheap."

"If you ask me, you've had too many good days. Before, it was a struggle to even eat meat, but now you eat meat every day, and it costs so much money to transport it here. It's too wasteful." Qiao Yicheng shook his head with a smile, which was quite a killjoy. He hoped that Wang Yan could practice frugality.

"What do you know?" Ye Xiaolang slapped Qiao Yicheng and said with a bright smile, "This is called quality, this is called pursuit. Unlike those country bumpkins who don't know how to spend money, right, Wang Yan?"

"He's just used to enjoying life. When he didn't have money, he was always looking for ways to eat meat. Now that he has money, he's just obsessed with these things." Sanli's eyes were full of love as she looked at Wang Yan...

"They're either college students or business people. You all understand market economics, right? This sheep was transported from Ningxia Province. Everyone involved along the way makes money, and with that money, they can buy things for their families, go out to eat, or buy a few extra ounces of meat—that's consumption. When they consume, the merchants who sell the goods also make money."

Those who sell goods will buy more, consume more, and the factories will produce even more. If the factories are profitable, the workers will earn more, and they will consume more to support their families. Wouldn't that lead to a thriving economy? Add to that the taxes paid to the government at each stage, and the government's allocation of funds to various sectors for large-scale construction, and wouldn't the country become prosperous and strong?

While eating meat, Wang Yan also put a plate of meat into the pot, stirring it back and forth with his chopsticks.

He muttered emphatically, "So, comrades, consumption is contributing to the country. If we have money, then we should spend more. This way, we enjoy ourselves, others make money, the country collects taxes, and the government's overall regulation is a win-win situation for everyone."

"Wow, look at that, my brother Yan's awareness is really high." The four beauties gave a thumbs up, showing their full support.

"You're just praising him. Go eat your food." Sanli gave him a reproachful look.

"I think Wang Yan is right. We should spend more money. Only when we spend more money can the market improve. Foreigners are always buying things everywhere, and that's how their stock markets have prospered."

Ye Xiaolang offered a few flattering remarks, then asked, "Wang Yan, are Hong Kong and Japan particularly good?"

"It's alright, as long as you have money, it's good; if you don't have money, it's not good."

"Isn't it the same everywhere? If you don't have money, things are better outside than here!"

After Ye Xiaolang finished speaking, he found that the dining table suddenly became quiet, with only the sound of bowls and chopsticks clattering and people eating meat. The ones making the noise were Wang Yan, Lao Qiao, and Erqiang's two sons. The rest of the people, Yicheng, Erqiang, Sanli, Simei, and Ma Suqin, were all looking at Ye Xiaolang.

The strange atmosphere left Ye Xiaolang completely bewildered. She looked around in confusion, asking, "Wait, why are you all looking at me?"

Sanli tentatively asked, "Sister-in-law, do you want to go abroad?"

"A little. I want to go abroad to continue my studies and further my education so I can contribute to the country when I come back. I've been learning English all along. Even if I can't study abroad, knowing a foreign language will be a plus at work, and I can use it for things like traveling abroad in the future. Right, Wang Yan?"

Before Wang Yan could speak, Qiao Yicheng, his face grim, spoke first: "Why go abroad? You haven't even figured out how Nanjing is yet, and you already want to leave? No matter how good foreign countries are, can they be better than home?"

"Then go out and broaden your horizons..."

Ye Xiaolang spoke in a coquettish tone.

Wang Yan smiled and asked, "Which country would you like to go to?"

"It's definitely America, isn't everyone going there now? What, you, as our boss, want to sponsor the two of us?"

After he finished speaking, Ye Xiaolang saw that Qiao Yicheng's face looked even more unpleasant.

"Ye Xiaolang!"

"What's wrong? I was just joking, what's the big deal?" Ye Xiaolang seemed very innocent.

Erqiang, Sanli, and others echoed and tried to persuade Qiao Yicheng.

"Is this a joke? You..." Qiao Yicheng's tone was very bad, and the veins on his neck were bulging. However, he still took a deep breath and tried to remain calm. He picked up some meat from his small pot and said, "Can you stop talking and eat some meat? This meat is so delicious."

"I will not eat!"

Ye Xiaolang slammed his chopsticks aside and said angrily, "Since everyone's here today, Wang Yan, Erqiang, let me tell you something. Yicheng always tells me to be stable and down-to-earth. He doesn't want the money you offer, he doesn't want the car you offer, and he can't rely on you. He doesn't want to cause you any trouble, but I think..."

"Ye Xiaolang!" Qiao Yicheng shouted, suppressing his anger, "What exactly do you want?"

"I'm going to make things clear!" Ye Xiaolang also seemed very angry, as if he had been holding it in for a long time.

Erqiang, Sanli, and others each pulled Yicheng and Ye Xiaolang aside. The two children stopped eating, at a loss. Ma Suqin comforted her youngest son. Old Qiao glanced at them, grinned, and raised his glass as if he hadn't heard anything, gesturing for Wang Yan to drink.

Wang Yan chuckled and took a sip from Lao Qiao's drink, then picked up some meat and said with a smile, "Brother, you have to speak up. The key is communication. Sister-in-law, go ahead and say it. We're all listening."

Ye Xiaolang glared at Qiao Yicheng, then spoke...

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