I've already become an immortal lord, and only now is the spiritual energy reviving?

"I'll play Chopin's Nocturne for you, in memory of my dead love..."

The phone was ringing incessantly, making a huge commotion.

The fairy in my dream had just turned around and revealed her face when she shattered into pieces without leaving a trace.

A hand peeked out from under the covers, swiped around frantically, grabbed a phone, and finally managed to open a slit in its eye.

The screen displayed two large characters.

Auntie.

Most of the sleepiness in my head vanished in an instant.

Qingyuan cleared his throat and flicked his finger.

"Hello, Auntie?"

"Oh my god! Xiao Yuan! Why did it take you so long to answer? Were you still lazing in bed? Did you miss your aunt?"

The shout that burst out of the receiver, with its strong local accent, hit me right in the head. I didn't even need speakerphone; my eardrums were ringing.

Qingyuan moved his phone a little further away, but the smile on his face was completely genuine.

"No, I just woke up. I worked late yesterday, so I was definitely missing my aunt. I dreamed about our braised pork ribs."

My aunt's name is Shen Yumei.

A proper girl from the South, and the older sister of Qingyuan's mother, Shen Yulan.

But fate is a strange thing.

When my aunt was young, she took a trip to Harbin and married Guo Dajiang, a genuine Northeasterner.

After decades of eating rice, the soft Wu dialect is almost gone, as it has been completely assimilated by a bold and forthright personality.

Guo Qiang, Qingyuan's cousin of the same age, is also straightforward and never beats around the bush when he speaks or acts.

"Work overtime? You'd better take care of your health. Don't risk your life with a bunch of capitalists. We're not short of a few bucks."

Shen Yumei continued rambling, but her tone softened:

"Xiao Yuan, do you have enough money in your pocket? If not, your aunt will transfer your newly received pension to you."

"When you're out and about, you have to spend money. Don't be stingy with food and drinks and make yourself suffer."

Qingyuan felt a warmth in his heart.

During my university years, my parents passed away unexpectedly; it was like the sky had fallen.

My aunt, who lived far away in Harbin, rushed over overnight on a slow train.

Guo Dajiang, the uncle who was over 1.8 meters tall and as strong as a black bear, cried the most in front of the mourning hall, patting Qingyuan's shoulder with his big hands.

"From now on, my home is your home! As long as your uncle has a bowl of rice, you'll never have any soup!"

In previous years, Qingyuan's card would receive an extra living allowance at the beginning of each month.

Two thousand five hundred yuan, without fail.

Every time the seasons change.

The bulging express delivery packages are delivered to the dormitory building without fail.

Even if there's not enough room inside, you still have to squeeze in a few thick down jackets, or Northeastern specialties like hazelnuts and red sausages.

And Guo Qiang's "eliminated" sneakers, even though the tags were still on.

Qingyuan still remembers that on the day he graduated from university, his aunt's family of three took a day off to fly to Nancheng.

He stood on the platform to adjust the tassel on the tassel, while a burly middle-aged man below, holding a DSLR camera, wiped away tears and shouted:

"Nephew! Well done! Your uncle is so proud of you!"

Afterwards, they sent him to Shanghai to work hard, and the whole family accompanied him all the way to the high-speed rail station.

This kindness is heavier than a mountain.

"Auntie, I have a high salary, I'm not short of money."

Qingyuan smiled and comforted him.

"That's your hard-earned money, save it to get married!"

Shen Yumei's loud voice carried a stubborn streak.

"Alright, enough with the nonsense, I have something important to talk about on the phone today."

"Your second aunt's family organized a trip to Shanghai, saying they'd like to visit you while they're there."

"What? You're coming to Shanghai?"

Qingyuan sat up straight, both surprised and delighted:

"When? Today?"

"Of course! The tickets are all booked. Your uncle, Guo Qiang, your second aunt's whole family, and I are going to go as a team!"

"I didn't mean anything by it, I just wanted to see how you were doing and whether you were being bullied."

"If you're busy, then don't worry about it. We'll just wander around on our own. You don't need to worry about us."

"No!"

Qingyuan immediately expressed his stance, his tone leaving no room for doubt:

"As the host, I will definitely make the arrangements since you're here."

"Auntie, don't be so polite with me. I've covered the hotel, meals, and tickets. Anyone who tries to take it from me will have to fight me!"

Shen Yumei paused, her voice lowering slightly, unable to hide her emotion:

"Xiao Yuan has really made something of himself... If Yu Lan were still here, she would be so happy to see how capable you are now..."

Before he could finish speaking, the person on the other end seemed to choke on something.

"Oh dear, ptooey! Look at my foul mouth! Why bring up such sad things! On such a joyous occasion, I'm really getting senile."

Shen Yumei hurriedly changed her words, her voice full of regret:

"Xiao Yuan, your aunt is bad with words, don't take it to heart, please don't be angry."

Auntie.

Qingyuan gripped his phone tightly, his tone unusually relaxed:

"I've moved on a long time ago. I'm fine now. Besides, we're family, why are there so many taboos about chatting about everyday things?"

"That's good, that's good..."

Shen Yumei breathed a sigh of relief and resumed her usual energetic and impulsive manner:

"Okay, the high-speed train arrives at Hongqiao at 3:30 PM. No need to pick us up, we can just take a taxi to find you. We can't interfere with your work, right?"

"3:30 PM..."

Qingyuan glanced at the time.

On Fridays, there's not much to do at the company, so leaving a little early isn't a big problem.

and many more.

"afternoon?"

As soon as he hung up the phone, Qingyuan suddenly realized what was happening.

I just promised my landlady, Aunt Liang, yesterday that I would definitely go to her house for dinner tonight.

The two cars collided.

This is awkward.

On one side was her aunt's family, who had come from afar to help her, a debt of gratitude as heavy as a mountain.

On one hand, there was the landlady who offered timely help and treated her like her own child, and there was also a prior agreement.

No one should stand someone up.

"Does this mean I need to learn a clone technique?"

Qingyuan paced around the room twice, then walked to the window, looked down at the bustling street, and suddenly laughed.

"I'm such a pig-brain."

Am I an ordinary person now?

Thanks to Chai Wu's "Bearing the Mountain and Guarding the Pass" he gave back day and night.

The digestive system has long since become a steel furnace, with a metabolism that's frighteningly fast.

Let alone two meals.

If I want to eat, I can finish all four meals a day, soup and all, without even burping.

"All done!"

Qingyuan snapped his fingers.

In the afternoon, I slipped away early to pick up people at the high-speed rail station and first settled Shen Yumei and her second aunt's families into a hotel.

Then I'll take you to a decent local restaurant nearby for a welcome dinner, mainly to have a couple of drinks and chat.

Wait until the elders have rested, or make an excuse that the company has some loose ends to clean up.

I went back to the neighborhood to meet Aunt Liang Huilan at her house, where we continued to drink soup and eat duck.

It just means my stomach is a little fuller.

"Perfect."

Remembering what my aunt mentioned on the phone earlier about "group travel," I knew the whole family would definitely need a lot of luggage.

When visiting Shanghai, you can't just keep taking taxis or squeezing onto the subway.

If he takes his family to Disneyland or the Bund, does he expect a group of elders to squeeze into the morning rush hour with him?

It's too shabby, it doesn't live up to the image of a "high-earning professional" with a monthly income of 28,000 yuan, and it also doesn't live up to the care that my aunt's family gave me back then.

"I need to buy a car."

Qingyuan stroked his chin and checked his bank card balance.

Let's not talk about salary for now.

The key point is the sudden change to the project yesterday morning.

Lu Zhaolin waved his hand and gave everyone an extremely generous "project switching compensation".

The core team members each earn over 300,000 yuan, which is just a matter of Miss Lu lifting a finger.

However, deciding what to buy is an art.

Do you drive a Porsche or a G-Class to work?

Too flashy, not in line with the style of a righteous person, and not enough money either.

Should I buy a Wuling Hongguang?

Practicality is one thing, but the key is to make the aunt proud and let the elders feel that the nephew has really made something of himself.

"I'll take the entry-level model from BMW, Mercedes-Benz, or Audi."

An Audi A3 or BMW 1 Series costing around 100,000 yuan.

The brand is prestigious, which pleases the elders. They think their nephew is successful, able to travel from the south to the north, which is respectable.

In Shanghai, these cars are everywhere, running around without attracting any attention.

It's perfect for transportation, practical and discreet, and allows for immediate cash withdrawal.

Having made up his mind, Qingyuan was in high spirits.

I changed into casual clothes and opened the door.

I just stepped out of the security door.

The door to apartment 201 next door opened a crack, and Liang Huilan, carrying a garbage bag, was about to go out.

"Hey, Xiao Qing, you're up early! Don't forget to come back for dinner tonight!"

"Absolutely! Aunt Liang, I'll be there on time tonight!"

"Okay! I'm relieved to hear that. Go to work now!"

I stepped downstairs.

When relatives come, you have to keep things going.

We can't lose face for our ancestors in real life!