Middle-aged tycoon: Twins come knocking on his door when he goes home for Chinese New Year

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking.

In the countryside, mornings start early, and the rooster next door crows loudly, "Cock-a-doodle-doo!"

Li Ze groggily opened his eyes and climbed out of the somewhat hard bed.

Although this sleep wasn't as comfortable as my latex mattress at home, it was exceptionally restful.

He got dressed, pushed open the door, and went into the main room.

An enticing aroma wafted over.

On the large, folding round table, steaming hot breakfast dishes were already laid out.

Golden and crispy fried dough sticks, thick fried dough sticks as thick as a forearm, thin-skinned and generously filled meat buns, and a big pot of steaming sweet soy milk.

Zhang Jianguo and the others had gotten up long ago and were sitting at the table peeling tea eggs.

"You're up? Come and eat, while it's hot."

Zhang Jianguo greeted them:

"My second and third brothers and I just drove to town to buy these. This shop has the most authentic fried dough sticks; they've been making them for decades."

Li Ze didn't stand on ceremony. He walked over, grabbed a fried dough stick, and took a big bite.

A "click" sound.

The outer layer is crispy, while the inside is soft and chewy, with the savory aroma of scallions and minced ginger exploding in your mouth.

"Mmm! That's the taste!"

Li Ze chewed while mumbling his praise:

"It smells so good!"

Seeing Li Ze wolfing down his food, Zhang Jianguo couldn't help but tease him:

"How about it? This stuff that costs just a few dollars a pound, isn't it a bit meager compared to those steak feasts you eat abroad?"

Li Ze swallowed what was in his mouth, took a big gulp of soy milk, shook his head, and said earnestly:

"Brother, you're wrong about that."

"Those Western dishes look fancy, but they're really just so-so. Once you eat them too much, they're just the same."

"Nothing tastes as good as the food at home. This is what real food is like, this is the taste of everyday life."

At this moment, Zhang Ruoran came out of the inner room with Li Mengli and Li Menghan.

Everyone was still a little sleepy.

Without saying much, the family sat around the table, each taking their favorite breakfast and slurping it down.

Although there was no rule against talking while eating or sleeping, everyone was in a hurry and ate quite quickly.

Half an hour later, the plates on the table were almost empty.

After a quick wash, everyone prepared to head to the cemetery.

The three brothers-in-law worked quickly and together carried the large boxes of fireworks and firecrackers they had bought yesterday, as well as several bags of paper money and ingots, into the Haval car and the van.

Li Ze wanted to go up and lend a hand, but his older brother waved his hand:

"Alright, stop helping. The three of us can move this stuff in no time."

"Just bring your own set."

The convoy set off shortly afterward.

It's not far, just a few hundred meters away from the west side of the village, next to a field.

That is the ancestral cemetery of the Zhang family, where Zhang Ruoran's parents are buried.

The car was parked on the side of the road, and everyone got out one after another.

Li Ze opened the trunk of the Audi and took out the fireworks he had specially bought yesterday.

Li Mengli wore a thick red down jacket today, which looked particularly festive.

She skipped and hopped over to Li Ze and helped him carry a bag of paper money.

The father and daughter walked at the very back of the group.

Li Mengli glanced at her mother and uncles walking ahead, then leaned close to Li Ze's ear and whispered:

"Dad, you haven't come back for eighteen years."

"When we get to the grave, how are you going to explain things to your grandparents?"

"If they knew what was going on in the afterlife, would they hit you with their canes?"

Li Ze, carrying his things, looked at the two small mounds of earth in the distance and sighed.

"What else can we do but apologize?"

"I'll accept whatever you want, whether you hit me or scold me. As long as they can bless your mother with good health and keep you and your brother safe and sound, it'll be worth it to get a couple of whacks on me."

Li Mengli chuckled:

"Haha, Dad, you're exaggerating. It's not that scary."

At this point, Li Mengli suddenly looked around mysteriously, then lowered her voice and said to Li Ze with a gossipy expression:

"By the way, Dad, I'll tell you something in secret."

"This is top secret."

Li Ze was somewhat curious:

"What's going on? Why are you being so mysterious?"

Li Mengli said with a mischievous smile:

"I used to work at my mom's shop, and I still keep in touch with the staff there."

"I heard that the manager of one of the branches there often comes to our store, and he always seems to be having a lively chat with my mom."

"Do you think that male store manager likes Mom?"

"What?!"

Li Ze suddenly stopped in his tracks:

"Is that so?!"

"Who was that? What's that man's name?"

Alarm bells rang instantly in Li Ze's mind.

Good heavens, this is like having a fire in your own backyard!

He hasn't even won his wife back yet, and someone is already trying to steal her away from him?

That's absolutely outrageous!

Seeing her father's tense expression, as if he were about to devour her, Li Mengli laughed triumphantly.

She made a face at Li Ze:

"Want to know? I'm not telling you!"

"I'll tell you next time! I'll give you a little while to worry!"

After saying that, the girl took off running towards the ridge in front of the field.

Li Ze was so angry that his eyes widened, and he quickly chased after him:

"Hey, you brat!"

"I'm your own father! How could you know this information and not report it?"

"Stop right there!"

The father and daughter were running and chasing each other on a country path.

Before I had run two steps, I heard my elder brother Zhang Jianguo's stern reprimand from ahead:

"What are you doing!"

"How disrespectful! How old are you?"

"When we get to our parents' graves, everyone be serious and don't act like little kids laughing and joking around."

Li Mengli stuck out her tongue, quickly stopped, and became obedient:

"Understood, Uncle."

Li Ze quickly weighed his things and slowed his pace.

He pointed at Li Mengli and whispered:

"Hey, you little brat, I'll deal with you later."

Although he said that, Li Ze was really itching to try it.

Who exactly is that male store manager who dared to pursue Zhang Ruoran?

Is he handsome? Is he rich? What is your attitude towards him?

A series of questions swirled in his mind.

However, judging from the way my daughter acted just now, she won't tell him for the time being.

But can this stump the world's richest man?

joke.

Taking advantage of the fact that the people in front of him weren't paying attention, Li Ze quietly took out his phone and quickly sent a text message to Lao Yi:

"Hey, First Boss, investigate this!"

[Find out if any clueless male manager at the restaurant where Zhang Ruoran works has been harassing her recently.]

I want all the information about that man, including his entire family history!

Two seconds later, the phone vibrated.

Old man replied in a second:

【Received, boss! Mission accomplished!】

[Also, I'd like to ask the boss what to do if they find out?]

Should we just kill him? Or put him in a cement bucket and sink him at sea? Or transport him to Africa to work in the mines?

Li Ze stared at the words on the screen, and three black lines instantly appeared on his forehead.

These cyborgs are efficient, but their brain circuits are a bit too violent.

This is a society governed by the rule of law, where people resort to violence at the drop of a hat!

Li Ze quickly replied:

Don't make such a big deal out of it! They haven't done anything heinous; it's just a normal pursuit.

Just send me the information, I have a use for it.

Firstborn:

[Understood, boss. I'll get on it right away.]

After putting his phone away, Li Ze felt much more at ease.

Once he has the intelligence, there is no opponent that Li Ze cannot handle.

At this moment, the group had arrived at the grave.

These are two earthen graves side by side, with two stone tablets standing beside them. Although they are quite old, the surrounding area is still relatively clean.

Upon arriving here, everyone's expressions became solemn.

The formal grave-sweeping ceremony has begun.

The eldest brother, Zhang Jianguo, directed his younger brothers to place the two large fireworks, which were like small mountains, on the open ground with the fuses facing outwards.

Second brother Zhang Jianjun took a sickle and began clearing away the newly grown withered grass and thorns on the grave.

The younger brothers, Zhang Jianmin and Zhang Ruoran, squatted in front of the tombstone and arranged the chrysanthemums, fruits, and pastries they had brought.

Li Ze quickly laid out the offerings he had brought, and also unpacked the firecrackers he had bought, spreading them out in a long strip.

Next, light candles and burn paper money.

The flames flickered, and ashes flew everywhere.

Zhang Ruoran knelt on the cushion, adding paper money to the brazier while her eyes reddened and she muttered softly:

"Dad, Mom, it's Chinese New Year, we've come to see you."

"Menghan and Mengli have both grown up and are very obedient, so you can rest assured over there."

After everything is ready.

Begin the ceremony.

The eldest brother led his two younger brothers to kowtow first.

Then Zhang Ruoran led the two children in kowtowing.

Finally, everyone turned their attention to Li Ze, who was standing at the back.

Li Ze took a deep breath, straightened his collar, and walked forward with a solemn expression.

He first bowed three times respectfully.

Then, he bent his knees and, with a "thump," knelt down solidly on the somewhat muddy prayer mat.

He looked at the two familiar names on the tombstone in front of him.

Memories flooded back to me.

Back then, he was dirt poor, and although the elderly couple complained, they still married their beloved daughter to him.

But he was unable to see the old man off in his final moments.

Li Ze's eyes were a little hot, and he said in a low, hoarse voice:

"Dad, Mom."

"After eighteen years, that scoundrel son-in-law, Li Ze, has returned."

"I've come to apologize to you both."

After saying that, Li Ze bent over and slammed his forehead heavily against the ground.

He didn't get up for a long time.