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

The next morning, before dawn, Ye Jianguo got up.

He spread out the bright red invitations he had specially bought yesterday on the table and began filling them out one by one.

His handwriting wasn't particularly beautiful, and was even a bit crooked, but he wrote each stroke with utmost care.

When he wrote the words "Shanghai Jiao Tong University", he held his breath and his wrist was suspended in the air, afraid that a tremor would ruin this honor.

Chen Xiulan brought out breakfast and saw him hunched over the table, sweating profusely as he wrote. She couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

"Write slowly, don't rush, or you'll ruin the invitations."

Ye Jianguo didn't even look up, his tone full of smugness.

"I can't spend it! I practiced those words on scrap paper half the night before; they're practically etched into my brain!"

Ye Chen had just come out of the room when he heard this and almost burst out laughing.

"Dad, the way you're acting, anyone who didn't know better would think you passed the exam."

Ye Jianguo suddenly raised his head, stiffened his neck, and spoke with righteous indignation.

"My son got into university, what's the difference between that and me?"

"No difference, no difference."

Ye Chen gave him a thumbs up, suppressing a laugh.

"Congratulations on your admission, Mr. Ye."

Chen Xiulan was amused by the father and son.

After breakfast, Ye Jianguo changed into his old white shirt, which he had kept at the bottom of his trunk. His trousers were ironed crisply, and his hair was dampened and combed until it was shiny and slicked back.

He carefully placed the written invitation into a brown paper bag, as if it were an imperial edict, and then stuffed in two packs of good cigarettes.

Ye Chen leaned against the door frame.

"Dad, are you sure you don't need me to go with you?"

"No need! You stay home with your mom and take good care of your acceptance letter, make sure she doesn't damage it by touching it!"

Chen Xiulan immediately objected.

"I broke it? Can't I even look at it a couple more times?"

Ye Jianguo didn't respond. He waved his hand, picked up the bag, and went out the door with a triumphant air.

Our first stop was my grandparents' house.

The elderly couple lived in a bungalow in the old town. The yard was small, and there were several pots of thriving scallions growing in front of the door.

As soon as Ye Jianguo entered the door, he saw his grandfather, Ye Deshan, sitting on a small stool, fiddling with an old radio.

"dad."

Ye Jianguo shouted.

Ye Deshan looked up and adjusted his glasses.

"Jianguo? Coming so early? Isn't the factory open?"

"I've taken leave."

Ye Jianguo pulled the top invitation out of the paper bag, handed it over with both hands, and his voice was louder than usual.

"Chenchen's acceptance letter has arrived! He's at Shanghai Jiao Tong University! They're having a celebration banquet at the Great Wall Hotel on Sunday noon. You and Mom absolutely have to go!"

Ye Deshan put on his reading glasses, took the bright red invitation, and examined it carefully for a long time.

"Shanghai... Jiaotong University..."

He read it very slowly, and after he finished, he ran his rough fingers over the gold-plated characters.

Hearing the noise, Grandma inside came out, leaning on her cane and shakily.

"Jianguo is here? What did he just say? The notification letter has really arrived?"

"arrive!"

Ye Jianguo's voice was filled with barely suppressed joy.

"A large, bright red envelope, stamped clearly with the school's official red seal!"

Upon hearing this, Grandma's wrinkled face immediately blossomed into a smile.

"I always knew Chenchen was smart from a young age! He could recite gibberish from TV when he was only three!"

Ye Jianguo quickly chimed in, his face beaming with pride.

"Of course, just like me!"

Ye Deshan raised his hand and patted him on the back.

"Whatever you want? Don't you know what score you got back then?"

Ye Jianguo's face flushed, and he coughed dryly.

"Dad, today is a happy occasion, let's not bring up the past, let's not bring up the past."

Grandma carefully put the invitations into the cabinet and locked them, then turned around and went back into the room to search for them. After a while, she took out a stack of money wrapped in a handkerchief.

Upon seeing the situation, Ye Jianguo quickly stepped forward to stop them.

"Mom, what are you doing?"

"This is to help with Chenchen's tuition. Your dad and I haven't saved much, so please accept this small token of our appreciation."

Ye Jianguo quickly pushed the money back.

"No need, really no need! Xiulan and I have already prepared the tuition fees. We'd be happiest if you two could come for a meal!"

Grandma insisted on putting it in his hand.

After much back and forth, Ye Deshan finally spoke up.

"Alright, stop pulling and tugging. Chenchen getting into such a good university is a huge deal! It's not much money, it's a token of our appreciation, take it."

Ye Jianguo looked at the stack of money, still warm from being covered by a handkerchief, and felt a lump in his throat and his eyes well up with tears.

He accepted it in the end.

"Then...then I'll thank Grandpa and Grandma on Chenchen's behalf."

After leaving his grandparents' house, Ye Jianguo went straight to his uncle's house.

My uncle, Ye Jianjun, runs a hardware store. Business is so-so, but life is relatively stable.

When Ye Jianguo arrived, his uncle was sitting behind the counter, using a calculator to do the accounts.

"elder brother."

"Oh, Jianguo's here?"

Ye Jianjun raised his head, a smile on his face.

"I knew the notification letter had arrived from the way you yelled on the phone, right?"

"We've arrived at Jiaotong University."

Ye Jianguo handed over the invitation, pointing out the words on it.

"Sunday noon, Great Wall Hotel, Fugui Hall."

Ye Jianjun took the invitation, glanced at it, and immediately shouted into the inner room.

"Xiufang, come out quickly! Jian Guo's Chenchen has been admitted to Jiaotong University!"

My aunt ran out from the inner room, her hands still covered in white flour.

"Wow, really? That's amazing! Jiaotong University!"

She leaned over to look at the invitation and then casually asked a question.

"But... Chenchen's scores were pretty high, why didn't he apply to Tsinghua or Peking University?"

Upon hearing this, Ye Jianguo's bright smile froze for a moment.

He talked to Ye Chen last night and knows that his son has his own ideas and plans.

But being asked this question directly by a relative still felt like a prick of a needle in my heart, making me a little nervous.

Ye Jianjun immediately glared at his wife.

"What do you know? Jiaotong University is one of the top universities in the country! What's wrong with it? Besides, Shanghai is a place full of opportunities!"

Ye Jianguo quickly recovered and put on a smile again.

"Our son chose to study computer science himself. He said there are more opportunities in Shanghai and he wants to work in high technology in the future. Xiulan and I both support him."

The aunt realized she had said something wrong and quickly tried to smooth things over.

"Yes, yes, Jiaotong University is top-notch too! Chenchen is a bright kid, he'll definitely have a great future!"

Ye Jianjun took out a whole carton of good cigarettes from the drawer and stuffed it directly into Ye Jianguo's arms.

"I'll definitely be there on the day of the banquet. Here, take these cigarettes; use them to entertain the guests."

"No need, no need, brother, I'll buy it."

"Just take it!"

Ye Jianjun forcefully shoved the cigarette into his arms, leaving no room for refusal.

"We're brothers, why be so polite?"

Ye Jianguo couldn't refuse, so he had no choice but to accept it.

After leaving the hardware store, he stood on the street for a while to catch his breath.

In the past, whenever there was a problem at home, the thing I feared most was having to ask for help.

Now, as he arrives with the wedding invitation, he hears heartfelt congratulations and expressions of envy.

This feeling of triumph...

It's fucking addictive!