It's just that they have money.

As the car drove past the rapeseed fields, Fang Chen rolled down the window to let the wind in.

He didn't mention the three million to his parents.

It wasn't that we were deliberately hiding it; it was just that there was no need to.

As long as his parents know what he's doing, that's enough. Giving them too many specific numbers will only make them worry.

When he got home, Xiang Pingping was hanging out the quilts to dry in the yard. When she saw his car return, she dusted off her hands and walked over.

"Did you see Zi'ang?"

"I've met you."

"How's his blueberry plantation going?"

Xiang Pingping had always had a good impression of Huang Ziang; he was sensible, down-to-earth, and promising. When he was admitted to the National Agricultural University through the college entrance examination, she even specially prepared a red envelope to send to him.

"It's not working well; there are problems with sales channels."

"Then why don't you help him?" Xiang Pingping said this in a very natural tone, as if it were a matter of course.

Fang Chen smiled and said, "I helped out and invested some money."

Xiang Pingping paused for a moment, then nodded without saying anything more.

Fang Yuan walked out of the main room with a cup of tea in his hand, clearly having overheard the conversation.

"Have you thought it through?" he asked.

"It's not that I've thought it through, it's that we've already reached an agreement."

Fang Chen took the teacup from his hand, took a sip, and then handed it back. "You all know Zi'ang. He's not the kind of person who takes money and runs. Besides, agriculture is a long-term meal ticket if it succeeds, and I can afford to lose money if it fails."

Fang Yuan glanced at him but didn't ask any more questions.

Fang Chen stayed at home for another three days.

In those three days, he basically finalized the plan to rebuild the house.

The architectural design was handled by a studio in the provincial capital that specializes in self-built houses and has done many similar projects.

Fang Chen spoke with the production team twice on the phone, clearly explaining his needs.

The house features a modern minimalist style, occupies no more than the red line of the residential land, has two and a half floors, four bedrooms and two living rooms, a large terrace and a yard.

The construction period is not urgent, but the quality must be excellent.

The other party was very professional. After listening to Fang Chen's needs, they produced a conceptual plan within three days.

Fang Chen originally wanted to work with Ivy on it, but Ivy made it clear that she would only do interior design, not architectural design.

Fang Chen didn't insist. After the architectural plan was finalized, he took it to Ivy for review.

"This is my old house. You can handle the interior design after the main construction is completed."

Ivy quickly replied, "No problem, but I have one condition."

"explain."

"The interior design plan must be based on your parents' needs, not yours. The older generation's lifestyle is different from that of young people, so I have to follow their lead."

Fang Chen thought the request was reasonable and immediately agreed. He dialed the number and handed the phone to Xiang Pingping: "Mom, talk to the designer and tell her what kind of house you want."

Xiang Pingping took the phone and glanced at Fang Chen nervously: "What should I say? I don't understand."

"Just tell me where you're uncomfortable living now, what kind of place you want, and leave the rest to the designer."

Xiang Pingping hesitated for a moment, then said into the phone, "Um... I'd like the kitchen to be bigger. The current kitchen is too small; there's not enough room to turn around."

"Understood! Auntie, now that the kitchen is bigger, the countertop and storage space will need to be redesigned. I'll design a U-shaped kitchen for you, with a smooth workflow for washing, chopping, and cooking, making it more comfortable for you to use. Is there anything else?"

Xiang Pingping was infected by Ai Wei's enthusiasm and started talking non-stop: "And that toilet, our house used to have a dry toilet, but then they built a new one, and we're not used to it..."

Fang Chen leaned against the door frame, watching his mother ramble on into her phone about her needs, and a smile unconsciously crept onto his face.

This is the effect he wanted.

Spending money to make my parents comfortable is better than anything else.

After staying for two more days, Fang Chen set off back to Jiangcheng.

Xiang Pingping stuffed a whole box of free-range eggs, two slaughtered old hens, a bag of new rice, two jars of homemade chili sauce, and a large bag of freshly picked vegetables into his trunk.

"That's enough, Mom, I can't eat that much." Fang Chen looked at the fully loaded trunk and didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"If you can't finish it, share it with your assistant." Xiang Pingping dusted off her hands and added, "Drive carefully, and call when you arrive."

"understood."

Fang Yuan stood at the door, not saying a word, but simply nodding at him.

The car started and drove away.

In the rearview mirror, my parents' figures grew smaller and smaller until they became two blurry dots.

Fang Chen withdrew his gaze and stepped on the gas.

At 3 p.m., Fang Chen's car was parked downstairs at Zhang Zhenghao's house.

He sent a message in advance, and Zhang Zhenghao was already waiting downstairs, wearing a wrinkled T-shirt and a pair of shorts, with slippers on his feet and his hair as messy as a bird's nest.

Fang Chen rolled down the car window and looked him up and down: "Why are you getting more and more rugged?"

"I'm on leave these two days and not going out, so I'm too lazy to tidy up."

Fang Chen didn't argue with him and started the car.

"Where should we eat?" Zhang Zhenghao asked.

"I've been to Sui Shi for a long time, and I'm craving Brother Zhang's cooking."

Zhang Zhenghao leaned back in his seat, took out his phone, swiped it, and handed it to Fang Chen.

"What's wrong?"

"Didn't your assistant post a recommendation for some food items?"

Fang Chen thought about it and realized that when he took Xu Wen to a restaurant last time, she did take a few photos, saying she wanted to post them on her WeChat Moments.

"It seems so, what's wrong?"

He took the phone; the screen displayed a post from a certain bookstore, accompanied by pictures of the dishes served and the restaurant's ambiance.

The photo is very well taken; the composition is sophisticated, and the lighting is soft. It's clearly not a casual snapshot.

The post already has over two hundred comments and several thousand likes.

The title says it's a hidden gem of a shop tucked away in a nook and cranny, and the owner's cooking is absolutely amazing.

The main text was over 800 words long, praising everything from the environment and service to the taste of the dishes to the skies.

The comments section was even more lively, with some people asking for the exact location and others saying they had already been there and that the food was delicious.

Fang Chen frowned.

"We'll talk when we get there." Fang Chen handed the phone back to Zhang Zhenghao without saying anything more.

As the car turned into the familiar alley, the two realized that the food stall was closed.

Upon closer inspection, a piece of A4 paper was posted at the shop entrance, with the words "Closed for a few days" written in large marker letters.

"this……"

Zhang Zhenghao shrugged: "If someone like me, who doesn't really care about these things, can still see this post, you can imagine how popular it must be."

Since seeing the recommendation post about Xuwen, Zhang Zhenghao has seen more than ten check-in posts.

"Let's go eat something else first." Fang Chen turned and walked back, with a hint of apology in his voice.

Sui Shi became a popular online restaurant because of a recommendation post from Xu Wen, and Xu Wen was the one who brought it to the scene.

Mr. and Mrs. Zhang didn't want to be so busy and tired, nor did they expect to make a lot of money by cooking, so they opened a small restaurant.

If the store remains popular after reopening, Zhang Wen will probably have to close it down.

Fang Chen stood at the entrance of the cafeteria, looking at the notice that the cafeteria was closed, and felt a little guilty.

He took out his phone and sent a message to Zhang Wen: "Brother Zhang, I saw it at the door. It's my fault. I'll treat you to a drink to make amends later."

Less than ten seconds after the message was sent, Zhang Wen replied with a voice message.

Fang Chen opened the phone, and Zhang Wen's carefree voice came through: "What's there to apologize for? It's none of your business! I've been wanting to take a break for a while, so I'm using this opportunity to close up shop and go fishing. Don't take it to heart!"

His tone was relaxed, even carrying a hint of smug satisfaction at having stolen half a day of leisure.

If it were anyone else, their shop would either take the opportunity to raise prices and make a quick buck after becoming a viral sensation, or they would be scrambling to deal with the influx of customers. Zhang Wen, on the other hand, simply closed the shop, out of sight, out of mind.

"That's good." Fang Chen smiled and patted Zhang Zhenghao on the shoulder. "Zhou, I'll take you to eat something high-class."

"You should have invited him a long time ago!"