The game of power begins with the police officers at the local police station.

Jiang Yiqiu drove back to Fushan Town early in the morning. When he got home around 10 a.m., Zhang Qingrong was cooking in the kitchen. Not seeing Jiang Huazhou, she asked, "Mom, where did Dad go?"

"Your dad went to see Zhang the fortune teller to find out your wedding date. He left early this morning and should be back soon."

Zhang Qingrong beamed with joy: "When your dad found out you were getting married, he was so excited he didn't sleep all night. He left home as soon as it was dawn."

"Where is Jiang Yishan?" Jiang Yiqiu asked again.

"Xiaoshan hasn't gotten up yet. He's been hiding in his room playing games every day since he came back from vacation. I bet he stayed up all night playing games again last night."

"You guys don't do anything about it, all you do is play games all day long."

"He's an adult, not a child. You can't control him even if you want to."

"It's all because you spoiled him." Jiang Yiqiu went upstairs and arrived at Jiang Yishan's room. He couldn't open the door; it was locked from the inside.

Jiang Yiqiu knocked on the door and shouted, "Jiang Yishan, what time is it? Get up!"

Jiang Yishan was fast asleep when he was woken up by the knocking on the door. He said angrily, "I'm not eating. I'll come down to eat when I'm hungry."

Jiang Yiqiu shouted, "Open the door for me!"

When Jiang Yishan heard Jiang Yiqiu's voice, he was wide awake. The person he feared most in the family was his older sister. She had always hit him hard since he was a child, while his parents would at most scare him.

He quickly got up, opened the door, and Jiang Yiqiu walked in, seeing papers scattered all over the floor.

"You don't even bother to tidy up. It's like a pigsty. You're a college student now. When you come home for vacation, don't just play games all day. You need to help your parents with the business. The family business will be handed over to you in the future."

Jiang Yishan played games until 3 a.m. last night. On a whim, he watched some adult films. Young people are full of energy, and he masturbated two or three times. The papers on the ground were the ones he had left last night. His face was flushed, and he didn't dare to look at Jiang Yiqiu.

Jiang Yiqiu looked at Jiang Yishan: "Wake up, get up quickly, it's time to eat."

"Why get up so early in this cold weather?" Jiang Yishan muttered to himself.

"It's cold, so you can stay in bed. Your parents got up at six or seven the other day. You need to change this bad habit. Don't stay up all night and not get up in the morning. Even if a pie falls from the sky, you still need to get up early to catch it."

Jiang Yishan lowered his head and, seeing that Jiang Yiqiu had left, quickly picked up the paper from the ground.

Jiang Yiqiu came downstairs, and Jiang Huazhou walked in. Seeing Jiang Yiqiu, he smiled broadly and said, "Xiao Qiu is back."

Seeing that Jiang Huazhou was holding a household registration booklet, Jiang Yiqiu asked, "Dad, whose household registration booklet is this?"

"Chen Shi met his brother Chen Xing on the way. He said you came back this morning and asked you to take him up with you."

"Why didn't you invite him over for dinner?"

"I called him, but he said he had something to do at the power management office and would come to my house another day."

Zhang Qingrong brought out the prepared dishes: "You've come back just in time. Call Xiaoshan, come down for dinner."

Jiang Yiqiu went to help his mother serve the dishes, and she prepared a table full of food.

Jiang Huazhou brought over a bottle of good wine, poured a glass, and Zhang Qingrong said, "You still have to go to the quarry this afternoon, so don't drink."

"Xiao Qiu is getting married, I'm happy, having a couple of drinks won't hurt."

Zhang Qingrong called upstairs a few times, "Xiaoshan, come down for dinner."

Jiang Yishan came downstairs looking dejected and sat down next to Jiang Huazhou. Jiang Huazhou asked, "Xiaoshan, have a drink with Dad."

"The liquor tastes awful, I won't drink it."

"How can you do business without drinking?"

Jiang Yiqiu chimed in, "Dad's in a good mood, let's have a drink together."

"I don't drink baijiu, I only drink beer. Who drinks baijiu so early in the morning? They must be sick."

Jiang Yiqiu said coldly, "How dare you talk like that? It's eleven o'clock, still early in the morning."

Jiang Huazhou was in a good mood and was not affected by Jiang Yishan. Chen Shi had become his son-in-law, and he could do whatever he wanted in Fushan Town. Who would dare to disrespect him?

"Fine, if you don't want to drink it, then don't. I'll drink it myself."

The family sat down to eat, and Jiang Huazhou took a sip of wine: "Xiao Qiu, I went to see Zhang Banxian to check the auspicious dates. The sixth day of the first lunar month is a good day. You should talk to Chen Shi and arrange to get married on that day."

We don't want any dowry or anything like that. This house in Jingtai Garden, Chunyang County, is a four-bedroom, one-living room, 137-square-meter house. It's already furnished, but we've never lived in it. It was originally prepared for your wedding, and we're giving it to you as your dowry.

Your mother and I discussed it. Chen Shi is a leader now and has a car. You also have your own car, so we won't give you the car. Instead, we'll give you 300,000 yuan as a dowry. That way, you'll have more confidence in front of Chen Shi in the future.

Jiang Yishan, munching on a chicken leg, suddenly lost his appetite upon hearing that they were offering a house and 300,000 yuan as a dowry. He realized his sister was getting married, and all these things would belong to him. He exclaimed, "Are you worried my sister won't be able to get married? Not only do you not want a bride price, but you also want a house and money! You're not trying to sell something to someone who's so eager to marry you off. Don't you understand this basic principle? My sister isn't looking for a son-in-law to live with her family."

Jiang Huazhou glared at Jiang Yishan: "What do you know? Who is Chen Shi? Can he be compared to an ordinary person?"

He's not even thirty yet, and he's already a section-level leader. Our quarry's business is booming, mostly because of him, you know?

Jiang Yishan said angrily, "He married my sister, and our family gave him a house and money. What kind of logic is that?"

Zhang Qingrong continued, "The house and money aren't for Chen Shi, they're for your sister. This will give her confidence in the family from now on, understand?"

Jiang Yiqiu looked at Jiang Yishan, his eyes turning cold. Jiang Yishan didn't dare to meet Jiang Yiqiu's gaze and quickly lowered his head.

"Jiang Yishan, you've really grown up. Don't think I don't know what you're up to. Do you think everything in the house is yours?"

You haven't earned a single penny, just waiting for me to get married so you can inherit the family fortune.

Jiang Huazhou said, "Xiaoshan, you can't have such thoughts. No matter where your sister marries, she's still family with us. Half of the family's things belong to her. Besides, Chen Shi is a leader, and we'll have to rely on him for business in the future. Don't mention this in front of him. If you do, I won't acknowledge you as my son. You're an adult now. Go out and make a living on your own, and you'll know how hard life is."

Zhang Qingrong chimed in, "You're so stupid. Your father and I are so shrewd, how come we only had one son like you? Think about it carefully. Chen Shi is only thirty years old and he's already a section-level leader. He'll be at least a division-level leader in the future. Have you ever thought about how much money we can make in business by relying on his connections?"

Jiang Yishan stood up and shouted, "I'm stupid, you're all smart. Why didn't you strangle me when I was born?"

He stormed upstairs in a huff.

Jiang Huazhou took a sip of his drink: "Xiao Qiu, don't pay any attention to him. He won't understand now, but he will in the future."

Zhang Qingrong added, "The things in the house were all earned by us bit by bit. We can give them to whomever we want. If he continues like this in the future, we won't give him a single penny of the family property."

Jiang Yiqiu knew that his parents were just saying things in anger: "Dad, Mom, I'm marrying Chen Shi. We don't have a wedding house, but I'll take the house. I don't want your money; we have our own."

Jiang Huazhou quickly said, "The money is for buying a car. Since you all have cars, I won't give you a car. Converted to cash, it's 300,000 yuan, and I'll definitely give it to you."

Zhang Qingrong added, "Xiao Qiu, you should take the money too. That way you'll have more confidence in front of Chen Shi."