The Birth of Shanghai's First Conglomerate

Chapter 77 Chen Pingsheng's Prestige
My grandfather's family lives in a two-story building.

This was built by my grandfather over his entire life.

My second uncle, third uncle, and aunt still live there.

In the countryside, as anyone who knows, while it's lively with lots of people, arguments often erupt over the smallest things.

For example, the families of my second and third uncles.

Previously, they shared a stove, and that year they argued a lot about who should buy vegetables and oil.

Later, my third uncle simply started cooking for himself, and the whole family ate separately.

You said you could eat separately, but seeing that Uncle San's family was still eating Grandpa and Grandma's food, Aunt San immediately transformed into a righteous warrior, a level 10 Onmyoji at max level.

He often munched on sunflower seeds, making sarcastic remarks.

It occasionally works; my third uncle will buy groceries himself, but he still mostly eats what my grandparents provide.

My aunt's situation is similar; she got married and then divorced.

He doesn't have a proper job; he just goes to the street every day to sell some fresh vegetables. Over the course of a year, he can save a lot of money by not having to pay for food.

Of course, he also suffered a lot of sarcastic remarks from his third aunt.

Uncle San himself was honest and law-abiding, but his wife, Aunt San, was not.

That's incredibly powerful.

They started cooking for themselves on the side, and they couldn't stand seeing their third uncle and aunt's family still eating the old man's food.

She wasn't wrong in that respect.

After all, my grandparents are over seventy years old, so they don't have much earning power anymore.

He made money from that one acre of fishpond and a few vegetable plots, and also farmed a little bit of land.

If you say that Third Aunt was standing up for Grandpa and Grandma, that's not it.

She's the kind of person who believes that if she doesn't eat it, no one else can either.

To put it bluntly, I can choose not to take advantage of this, and you shouldn't either.

If you take what I don't, it feels like I've lost hundreds of millions.

When there are many relatives living together, conflicts naturally arise.

On the day before the Lunar New Year, my eldest grandson came home.

Grandpa and Grandma started cooking early, trying to prepare a big meal before eight o'clock.

The "Four Dishes Hot Pot with Eight Vegetables" style is meant to symbolize "May Your Month Be Prosperous."

To be honest, because of these four hot pot dishes, my two sons and daughter had a fierce argument.

The main reason is that people are unwilling to buy expensive items.

When it was 7:30, Uncle San started calling people to come and eat.

Chen Pingsheng's family had gotten up early. They noticed that he had another new large cart parked in his house, but he was still oblivious to the fact that.

I recognize BMW.

He went to ask his sister-in-law Peng Ying, and when he learned that Chen Pingsheng had just brought it back, he was incredibly amazed.

I rushed home.

First, he told his wife and third aunt, then he notified his second uncle and aunt, and the whole family rushed over to see the spectacle.

In rural areas, relatives are expected to give red envelopes (containing money) when someone buys a new car; the amount can range from tens to a thousand yuan.

It all depends on your own wishes.

Uncle San thought he'd spend 120 yuan, since Chen Pingsheng wasn't short of money, this was just a token gesture.

To wish for good luck.

His third aunt scolded him: "You really have a pig brain! It's precisely because his family is not short of money that we need to book a big one. Hurry up and give me 1200."

“This…” Uncle hesitated for a moment, and Aunt glared at him.

"That's called investing."

Alright, the honest and upright third uncle was once again won over by a single look from his third aunt.

I honestly paid 1200.

My second uncle is Bao Liubaiba. He thinks he's the biggest boss and is secretly pleased with himself.

After all, he knew his third uncle's personality very well; he'd be lucky if he could cover 120.

How could he possibly be older than him?

As for her aunt, neither of her two brothers consulted her before she actually paid 168 yuan.

Hair all the way.

Just as it was time to eat, Changfu and the others returned. It was the Little New Year, so they couldn't stay outside for too long.

They've returned the white X6.

The group of relatives were all dumbfounded. Chen Pingsheng explained, "The black one is for my dad, and the white one is for my mom."

This is getting complicated.

Giving a red envelope when you buy a new car is a village custom.

But if you buy two, does that mean you have to give two units? The village rules don't say anything about that.

No one has ever encountered something like this before.

I was still shocked.

No wonder he came back from Beijing; he just showed up with two BMWs.

It had a huge impact not only among relatives, but also spread rapidly throughout the entire village.

That's way more impressive than Chang Fu driving a Mercedes-Benz back home.

They casually own two BMWs; even the least perceptive person would know that the Chen family has made a fortune outside.

Third Aunt gritted her teeth again and gave another big red envelope.

My second uncle and aunt each took one.

During the meal, it was originally the day of the Lunar New Year that the younger generation, including his parents, would formally give red envelopes to his grandparents.

When I was little, my grandparents would give me red envelopes; now they are both over seventy.

I'll have to rely on my sons and daughters to support me in my old age.

Chen Pingsheng took out ten stacks of red envelopes from his bag; even the largest red envelopes couldn't hold them all.

"Grandpa, this is for you."

Ten stacks equals one hundred thousand. In the past, his second and third uncles, including his father, would give him two thousand each.

I've never received 100,000 so directly before.

Grandpa is in good health, and his only hobby is playing cards at the convenience store.

It's really not right for someone my age to be constantly in financial straits because I don't have any money in my pocket.

So he decided to give 100,000 every year from now on.

If she gives too much more, Auntie will probably try every trick in the book to get it.

Things like Chen Fan getting married or going to a big hospital for treatment.

These are the reasons anyway.

There is no age limit to relying on one's parents for financial support; it only depends on whether the elderly person has money.

The grandparents didn't want it; their eldest grandson worked hard to earn money.

Peng Ying told them to keep it, saying that she had already heard from her daughter-in-law that they were not short of money in Beijing.

He lives in a small villa, and has several luxury cars parked at his house.

Now that they're so wealthy, it's only natural for them to be filial to their elders.

necessary.

She would only resort to cursing if someone was unfilial.

Grandparents at this age don't have bankbooks; they can only spend cash, and that's all they know how to do.

With this money, I definitely won't be in financial straits next year, and I'll have money to cover any unexpected situations.

"By the way, Grandpa's birthday is in a few days. Grandpa loves listening to Huagu Opera, so I think we should invite Zhang Chuntao over and set up a stage in the village to perform for three days and three nights. We should also have a banquet with twelve tables. Anyone in the village who wants to come can come. Let Grandpa have a lively 72nd birthday celebration this year."

"This is very expensive. Should we accept gifts as a gift?"

The first thing Auntie thought of was money; if she accepted money as gifts, she might not lose too much.

If we don't accept these offers, it would cost tens of thousands of yuan just to hire a famous actress like Zhang Chuntao.

Not to mention setting up twelve tables and eating for three consecutive days.

Actually, some people in the village used to do this, those who were wealthy would celebrate their parents' birthdays.

They all accept money as gifts.

Chen Pingsheng shook his head: "Don't accept the gift money, so that others won't think we're trying to make money off Grandpa's birthday. Third Aunt, I think you should take charge of this matter. You can get reimbursed for any expenses. There's only one thing: the food must be plentiful, and you can drink and smoke as you please."

Actually, contracting such banquets can definitely make money.

How much you earn depends on how the person in charge operates. The reason this matter was entrusted to Third Aunt was because of Chen Fan.

Even someone as naive as him at his age would be talking about getting married every day.

As his parents, his third uncle and third aunt also wanted to help him, but he was in a bad situation.

What normal girl would want to marry that?
Even the stupidest man can't find a wife.

If his family is well-off, then he might actually be able to marry one.

My third aunt is very stingy, but she's quite efficient when it comes to getting things done.

Since you've already said that, if she still acts stingy, wouldn't that make her seem ignorant?

Chen Pingsheng asked Song Yanxi to give her 150,000 yuan first.

If it's missing later, come back to them to get it.

I remember back in the 1990s when we had black and white TVs, my grandfather and father loved watching Huagu Opera the most.

I have to listen to it even when I'm sleeping.

Being able to invite Zhang Chuntao to celebrate her birthday is a way of fulfilling the wishes of the older generation.

The news quickly spread throughout the village, and Chen Pingsheng himself was busy helping out.

It mainly involves buying cigarettes and alcohol.

He already said that people can freely offer him cigarettes and alcohol when they come to eat, so he won't just make empty promises.

The cigarettes are sold at a uniform price of 55 yuan a pack, symbolizing harmony and prosperity.

Betel nut must be from Hecheng Tianxia.

The liquor is the standard 52-degree Luzhou Laojiao, priced at 1,000 yuan per bottle, drink as much as you want.

Given that people in rural areas like to take advantage of small things, many will not only drink at banquets but also try to pack up cigarettes and alcohol to take home.

He bought a little extra and even had the village store arrange for delivery.

……

It's already the 27th, and there are only three days left until the Lunar New Year.

Most of the young people who were supposed to come back to the village have already done so, and those who haven't returned yet probably won't.

More and more relatives are coming to my grandfather's side of the family, mainly because they heard that he is going to have a big celebration for his 72nd birthday this year.

They even invited Zhang Chuntao, a famous actress who earns 20,000 yuan a day, and specially set up a stage for her to perform.

If we set up twelve more tables, we could invite the whole village to a feast.

The scene was quite lively, as the grandfather's siblings had been scattered throughout Shacheng and various parts of Yishi in earlier years.

Normally, we only get together during the Lunar New Year or when someone has a big event.

This time everyone's here.

Chen Pingsheng was noticeably busier. No matter what kind of relatives came, the elders all gave him 1,800 yuan in red envelopes, while the younger ones all gave him 500 yuan.

The event was a huge affair, with the entire largest hotel in town booked out.

The main purpose is to make it convenient for relatives from other places to stay, and also to make it convenient for them to eat and drink.

The family owns two BMWs and a Mercedes Brabus, which are used daily for picking up and dropping off passengers.

He even invited all of Song Yanxi's grandfather's relatives over.

The banquet is scheduled for the 28th, and will last for three days, after which the Lunar New Year will begin.

On the day the banquet officially began, even the village broadcast the announcement.

Zhang Chuntao still has a great influence among the older generation.

Most of the older generation know her.

Chen Pingsheng, who had originally contributed both money and effort, had no choice but to step forward again to greet and entertain guests that day.

Before the banquet even started, elderly villagers began to arrive.

He really pushed the scale to the extreme; whenever an elderly person from the village came, they wouldn't even accept a gift.

Each person can also receive a 120 yuan red envelope, plus a pack of "Harmony Brings Wealth" and "Harmony Brings Prosperity" gifts.

This left Chang Fu, who was standing to the side, completely dumbfounded.

"Damn it, Old Chen got away with it again."

"Why don't you go and pretend too?" Two tables of classmates from the village arrived; those who often play cards sat at one table, and those who don't sit at the other.

Did Chang Fu give him a look that said, "Do you think I'm an idiot?"
"At this rate, it'll probably cost several hundred thousand in just three days, right?"

“Your family has several hundred thousand more.”

Chang Fu said, "See this wine on the table? It's Luzhou Laojiao, a thousand yuan a bottle. Look how many people are stuffing it into their pockets. They have to give a red envelope to every person who comes. The red envelope plus cigarettes and betel nuts, let's say two hundred yuan a person. Just think about it, who in the village wouldn't come?"

"Yeah, you'd be a fool not to take advantage of a bargain like this. Compared to these, the big crabs and turtles on the table are practically worthless."

The feast lasted for three days and was free for the entire village.

It sounds simple, but all that was burned was RMB.

His dishes were indeed lavish; at least no other banquet would be willing to go to such lengths.

The hairy crabs cost over 90 yuan per kilogram, and 48 of them are placed on each table.

Add in wild soft-shelled turtles, eels, mandarin fish, etc., and the cost of this meal will be close to two thousand.

"How rich do you think Old Chen is to do something like this?"

A classmate asked curiously, and Chang Fu replied with a clenched fist:
“I don’t know how much money he has. The day before yesterday, I called Gao Hu. Gao Hu was doing well in Shacheng, but Lao Chen called him to Beijing to set up the Boiling Sheep Hot Pot Restaurant. The investment for a single store is about two million. Last year, ten million was invested in one month. According to Gao Hu, as long as he can make sure it doesn’t lose money, he will immediately invest another one hundred million, which Lao Chen will take all.”

"Hiss...a billionaire?"

A group of classmates were secretly astonished.

Chang Fu said, "Being a billionaire is nothing. The hot pot restaurant is not Old Chen's main business at all. It's just another investment of his. Last year, he opened fruit supermarkets all over Beijing. According to Gao Hu, he can easily earn several million or tens of millions a month."

"He also owns a fruit supermarket?"

"What's so strange about that? When Lao Chen first went to Beijing, he was selling durians on the street with Zhang Tao and the others. He only started his own business after he made money. It's not surprising that he's running a fruit supermarket."

Even so, he doesn't have that much money, does he?

"If it were just the fruit supermarket, there really wouldn't be that much money."

Chang Fu explained, "The key is that he also owns an entertainment company. Zhao Liying, who came to our Shacheng to promote the TV series and participated in Happy Family, is from his company."

"Hiss... Zhao Liying is still one of his artists. Isn't the Lu Zhen Legend that Hunan TV is currently airing starring her? My wife watches it every day and loves it."

"He was the one who commissioned the production of 'Legend of Lu Zhen'."

After Chang Fu finished speaking, he still couldn't hide his pride, as if he had done all of this himself.

"No wonder Old Chen is so extravagant when he comes back this year; it turns out he can even invest in TV dramas now."

"Do you think that couple is like us? He's busy with entertainment, catering, and fruit, while his wife runs the Shuiyunjian high-end beauty salon. Gao Hu said she made over 30 million yuan in just one month last year, and before Lao Chen came back, she directly invested 60 million yuan to open a branch. They make money together as a couple."

"Let me tell you something even more outrageous."

Chang Fu smiled mysteriously: "Do you know what kind of staff dormitories those girls at Shuiyun Academy live in?"

"What kind of villa is it? It can't possibly be a big villa, right?"

"When did you become so smart, kid?"

Chang Fu chuckled and said, "It's a big villa, a villa with a floor area of ​​over 1,000 square meters. Old Chen bought it with a wave of his hand to use as dormitories for his employees. How about that, isn't it terrifying?"

It's terrifying, absolutely terrifying.

Everyone at the table was shocked.

I almost went blind from listening to that.

Chang Fu then said mysteriously, "Let me tell you something even more shocking. When Old Chen first went to Beijing, his mother-in-law found fault with him constantly, always chasing after him and scolding him for not being able to afford a house in Beijing."

"Now it's great. No matter where you go in Beijing, just call Old Chen and I guarantee there will be a house of his within a few kilometers."

"His family also speculates in real estate."

"It's not that Lao Chen is speculating on real estate himself, it's just that his wife, Song Yanxi, likes to speculate on real estate. Whenever she has money, she buys things everywhere."

"The scariest thing is that they haven't taken out a single bank loan yet; they've paid it all out in cash. So how much money does Old Chen have now?"

Having money isn't scary; what's scary is having money but no bank debt.

This means that unless the sky falls, there is virtually no chance that his family can go back to what they were before.

Even if someone else goes bankrupt, someone like his family won't face a bankruptcy crisis.

At worst, it's just that this wasn't done properly, so we'll shut it down.

If that's not done well, I'm not going to work anymore.

In the end, the only loss is some investment money, but not the impact of debt or the crisis of banks chasing after them.

In short, don't be fooled by the grand scale of the village reunion.

To them, it's nothing at all, not worth mentioning.

You can eat and take as much as you want, but we can't possibly eat them out of house and home.

……

There were too many scenes at once.

The hottest topic in the village has become how much money Old Chen actually made in Beijing.

The elderly people in the village were fine; they praised the feast after they returned.

I want to go again the next day.

As for his relatives, those who hadn't been seen for years despite being beyond the fifth degree of kinship all came.

Chen Pingsheng always gave out big red envelopes whenever someone came; 1,800 yuan for relatives, and cigarettes were given out by the carton.

When he was little, he got into a lot of trouble outside.

There's a custom in the village that if the younger children are bullied outside, the villagers will not stand up for them.

We must help first, and then discuss right and wrong back in the village.

In short, we can't let outsiders bully us.

Fighting back is the only way to win.

Now that he has a little money, it's only right that he goes back to his hometown to give back to his family.

"Old Chen."

Chang Fu called him, and Chen Pingsheng happened to be free. He went over and drank a cup with him without saying a word.

"How was it, everyone? Did you enjoy the food and drinks?"

We're all old classmates, no need to be so polite.

Chang Fu pulled him down to sit and asked, "Eating well is no problem, drinking well is a minor matter, the key is what to do this afternoon?"

"How do you want to arrange it?" Chen Pingsheng asked him.

Chang Fu chuckled: "Here's the deal: so many classmates have come, and everyone wants to play with you. You have too much money, so it's no fun doing it alone. Why don't you set up a table and be the banker? We can bet however we want and play Bullfight."

"Sure, how big of a game do you want to play?" Chen Pingsheng didn't care; as long as he was happy.

Chang Fu gave him a thumbs up, saying that starting a business like this, sitting in a casino for an afternoon, would cost at least tens or hundreds of thousands of yuan.

"We can bet however we want, since you're the house. The minimum is fifty, and the maximum is two thousand, how about that?"

He's probably the only one who would dare to bet two thousand. Who else would dare to bet that much with their wife? They'd definitely be kneeling on a washboard when they got home.

After all, if you bet 2,000, and the other party gets a winning hand, you'll lose 8,000.

Niu Jiu also has to pay 6,000.

This win or loss is definitely not insignificant.

"Okay, let's start after everyone finishes eating, a maximum of six people."

Six people playing Bullfight is probably the most fun; dealing cards with too many people is tiring.

However, those behind can also be placed on them.

"Row."

Chang Fu was eager to try, showing great interest.

They ate faster.

Once they finished eating, the table was cleared away and we started eating immediately.

Chen Pingsheng placed 50,000 yuan in the middle of the table. If he won, he would take it to the middle; if he lost, he would throw it down.

Playing cards was secondary; what was really enjoyable was sitting together and chatting with these old classmates whom we hadn't seen for a year.

"Old Chen, have you heard? Our former class beauty is getting a divorce."

Isn't Yang Qian the class beauty?

This woman was someone Chang Fu used to fawn over.

Everyone was watching Changfu's eyes, trying to see if he still had feelings for him.

"What happened? Wasn't she married well?"

"Things used to be good, but things started to go wrong last year. Her father was investigated, and her husband's family was worried about being implicated, so they were in a hurry to get a divorce and wanted her to leave with nothing."

The student who spoke works at the Shacheng Tax Bureau, so he's quite well-informed.

"You should have heard some rumors in the capital that there might be a major operation next year."

"There are rumors, and it's causing quite a stir."

Chen Pingsheng naturally received a lot of information, so there was no need to discuss it.

"Those things are too far removed from us. We should just honestly earn a little money and make a living."

"That's true. It's a pity about Yang Qian. Her father's matter didn't really have a big impact; it was just tax evasion. It's just that at this juncture, her husband's family wanted to avoid suspicion and wanted to get as far away from her as possible. Her husband's father wanted to advance further before retirement, so at this time, he couldn't afford to make any mistakes."

"You know, she's living like this, shouldn't we help her out?"

Yang Qian, the class beauty, was their youthful ideal woman who had been with them from elementary school to junior high.

Some things may be forgotten, but memories of youth are hard to forget.

Chen Pingsheng did not offer any opinion, leaving it entirely to Chang Fu's discretion.

Chang Fu is quite frustrated right now. If he helps, wouldn't that confirm his reputation as a sycophant?

If I don't help, I'll feel like I've wasted my youth.

Besides, now that he's rich, he wants to show off in front of his former crush and ask her why she didn't choose him back then.

"Are we still going to fight? You're just talking about all sorts of nonsense."

Chang Fu pretended not to care, but after a while he couldn't sit still and pulled Chen Pingsheng to go to Shacheng.

These middle-aged men in their early thirties already had a bit of a belly.

Even now, when they talk about their former class beauties, they all get all fired up.

Who hasn't had a "white moonlight" in their youth?

Memories of the times always surface unexpectedly.

Who hasn't had a few regrets in their youth?

That evening, they set off for Shacheng in three cars.

Chang Fu's Mercedes was in front, and Chen Pingsheng's X6 was in the middle.

Behind it was an Audi A6.

Each of their cars still had several classmates sitting in them. They had even come up with a plan called "Operation Save the Class Beauty".

Yang Qian wasn't just pretty back then; she was also the top student in her class.

They also come from the family with the best financial situation.

She possesses both beauty and talent, and comes from a very good family.

If she weren't the class's ideal woman, I'm afraid no one would be convinced.

Several female classmates on the bus contacted her and asked her to meet them at a karaoke bar.

Chen Pingsheng himself couldn't remember how long it had been since he last saw her, but he still had a deep impression of her.

In truth, Chang Fu brought this upon herself.

One is a naturally good classmate, and the other is a bully who only knows how to fight at school.

Given Yang Qian's family background, it's no wonder he's being treated like a simp.

He didn't spend a single penny of their money, but he did generate a lot of revenue in return.

Things like Chang Fu being beaten to the point of hospitalization are common occurrences.

In their time, fighting was considered a cool thing to do.

I only realized how stupid I was when I grew up.

According to Chang Fu's account back then, Yang Qian eventually agreed to let him sleep with her.

She even invited him to a hotel, and they took off their clothes. Chang Fu, that bastard, suddenly became a good person.

I stubbornly resisted the urge to sleep.

Later, for reasons unknown, Yang Qian suddenly got engaged to her current partner.

Chang Fu never got to see her change her mind.

These two have a story.

He went to check on things, and his wife, Song Yanxi, was there.

Chen An'an also wanted to come, but after being slapped and made to cry, she obediently stopped being a tagalong.

The little guy is so clueless. You've been playing all afternoon, and you don't have to do your homework, right?
Why are you meddling in these adult matters?

(End of this chapter)