We agreed not to date, so why are you crying now that I've become the richest man?

Ye Jianguo's mouth was practically stretched to his ears.

He couldn't stop smiling.

"It's alright, just average, third in the country."

"This kid puts in a lot of effort; those all-nighters weren't for nothing."

back home.

Ye Jianguo treated the notice like a precious treasure, carefully placing it in the center of the coffee table.

Chen Xiulan even forgot to turn off the fire.

He came over and touched it again and again, his eyes filled with joy.

"This cardboard is really sturdy, and the lettering is printed really well."

Ye Jianguo turned around and picked up the landline microphone.

Start dialing.

Prepare to announce it widely.

The first call was to Ye Chen's grandparents.

"Dad! Chenchen's acceptance letter has arrived! Shanghai Jiao Tong University!"

"All red! I'll go back to see you tomorrow!"

hang up.

Simply press the hands-free button.

Dial the second one, to Grandma's house.

"Mom! It's me, Jianguo!"

"Chenchen got into Shanghai Jiao Tong University! The acceptance letter just arrived!"

"Your grandson has made something of himself!"

Chen Xiulan listened from the side, her eyes reddening.

She quietly wiped her eyes with her apron.

Ye Jianguo got more and more into the game.

His voice was so loud that it echoed in the hallway.

Call my aunt.

"Sis! The acceptance letter has arrived!"

"What? Tsinghua? I didn't apply to Tsinghua, I applied to Shanghai Jiao Tong University's computer science program!"

"Yes! They'll go out and work in high-tech fields!"

Call my aunt.

This person comes from a well-off family and loves to compare their children with others.

Today, Ye Jianguo must get his revenge.

"Big sister, Chenchen's acceptance letter has arrived!"

My aunt's sour voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Jiaotong University? That's great! My son Haohao applied to a regular university, but at least he'll become a civil servant after graduation. Jiaotong University is expensive in big cities, right?"

Ye Jianguo snorted coldly.

"What's a little expense? I'll sell everything I own to support them!"

"When are we having the banquet? We absolutely have to! A big one!"

I made a whole round of phone calls.

Ye Jianguo's throat was practically burning.

He picked up the glass of cold water on the coffee table and drank half of it.

Put down the cup.

He slapped his own thigh hard.

"Go for it! We must do it big!"

He turned to look at Chen Xiulan, his eyes shining brightly.

"Xiulan, find our savings book and see how much money we have left."

Chen Xiulan took off her apron and sighed.

"I know without even looking that we have a little over 30,000 yuan left at home."

Ye Jianguo frowned.

He tapped his fingers on the table, starting to calculate.

"Thirty thousand..."

"Let's book fifteen tables at the Great Wall Hotel. Each table costs 1,000 yuan. With the tobacco and alcohol included, it'll be close to 20,000 yuan."

"Chenchen is going to study in Shanghai. Tuition, accommodation, and living expenses will require at least 10,000 yuan to be set aside first."

"This money is a bit tight."

Chen Xiulan gritted her teeth and made up her mind.

"It has to be done, even if it's urgent!"

"This is a momentous occasion for our family; we can't let the children suffer!"

"At worst, I'll swallow my pride and borrow five thousand from my sister!"

Ye Jianguo immediately waved his hand.

"Borrow what?!"

"Your sister's family isn't well-off either, so they can't bring themselves to ask for that."

Ye Chen sat on a single sofa.

Watching my parents rack their brains for a mere 20,000 yuan.

In their previous life, they were like this, scrimping and saving every penny.

They presented him with the best of everything in the world.

Ye Chen put down his teacup.

"Dad, Mom, it's fine to have a banquet, but there's no need to have too many."

Ye Jianguo had just started to think about the abacus in his mind when he heard this, so he immediately turned his head and glared at him.

"That won't do! Jiaotong University! This is a momentous occasion, a day of great fortune for our family! If we don't celebrate it properly, where will your father put his face?"

Chen Xiulan also hesitated.

"Chenchen, Mom knows you're stingy, but this can't be too shabby. Our relatives and friends already know, and it won't look good if we don't invite them."

Ye Chen leaned back on the sofa, relaxing.

"I didn't mean I wouldn't invite you."

"What I mean is, don't invite those we haven't contacted in ages. Just invite the friends who really care about our family, the ones we're close to, a few of your close colleagues from the factory, plus my homeroom teacher and Zhao Peng's family. Ten tables will be enough."

Ye Jianguo frowned, still pondering.

"Ten tables...is that enough?"

"enough."

Ye Chen counted on his fingers for him.

"On my grandparents' side, there's my uncle's family and my aunt's family."

"On my maternal grandmother's side, there are my eldest aunt, my youngest aunt, and my uncle."

"Don't just call out names from all the people in your factory, just those who have helped us before and are genuinely happy for us."

"I only have Teacher Liu and Zhao Peng here. There's no need for the other students."

Ye Chen continued speaking, his words clear and logical.

"Holding a decent banquet doesn't mean wasting money. The Great Wall Hotel offers set menus at 680, 880, and 1200 yuan. We'll order the 880 set menu. It's substantial and has generous portions, which is better than anything else."

"Eight hundred and eighty?" Ye Jianguo counted on his fingers, still feeling a bit of pain. "Isn't that too low? If people come to the banquet, they'll say our family is stingy."

Ye Chen pushed the teacup forward and smiled.

"Dad, there will be plenty of food and wine, so no one will dare to gossip."

"If there really is such a gossipy person, he's not here to offer congratulations, he's here to get his money's worth, so we won't serve him."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xiulan burst out laughing.

"You little rascal, you're talking like a little adult now."

After pondering for a long time, Ye Jianguo finally slapped his thigh and made up his mind.

"Okay! Whatever you say! Ten tables as a minimum, plus one extra!"

After Ye Jianguo made the decision, he immediately got to work like a clockwork toy.

He pulled an old notebook from the drawer, which contained the phone numbers and addresses of various relatives, some of which had been altered repeatedly with a ballpoint pen.

Chen Xiulan stood beside her with paper and pen, ready to take notes.

"Read it slowly, I'll remember it."

"I'll definitely go to my parents' side, my eldest brother's family, and my second sister's family."

"Your mother's side, eldest sister, younger sister, and uncle."

"Old Zhou, Old Ma, and Old Sun from the factory have always helped our family a lot."

As Ye Jianguo continued reading, he looked up at Ye Chen again.

"Chenchen, did you really invite Teacher Liu and Zhao Peng?"

"Um."

Ye Chen sat on the sofa peeling peanuts, speaking casually.

"Forget about high school classmates. If we're close, we'll keep in touch. If we don't, inviting them is just to make up the numbers, it's pointless."

Chen Xiulan nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly.

"That makes sense. The point of a banquet is to have a good time, not to put on a show for outsiders."

Ye Jianguo slammed the notebook shut.

"All set! I'll take a day off tomorrow, first to book the tables at the restaurant, then deliver the invitations door-to-door!"

Ye Chen glanced at him.

"Dad, just make a phone call to let us know. There's no need to go to each and every house. It's so hot."

Ye Jianguo immediately glared at him.

"What do you know! This is a joyous occasion! The invitations must be delivered to them personally to show our sincerity and make them feel valued!"

"Okay, okay."

Ye Chen smiled and raised his hands in surrender, "You're absolutely right."