In officialdom: After she left, I rose rapidly through the ranks!

Chen Jingcheng walked up to Chen Dachuan and his wife and said softly, "Dad, Mom, you don't need to worry about me. I know my background, and I'm never afraid of what others say about me."

"I am your child. Over the years, you have treated me better than your own children. I have never lost the love of my father and mother, so I am really not afraid and do not care."

"As for what the old lady wants to say or do, let her do it. We can't silence public opinion, but justice resides in the hearts of the people!"

At this point, Chen Jingcheng sneered and said, "The day the ancestral hall was completed, it wasn't that she told me not to go, and I just didn't."

"She still thinks we're the family she used to bully and manipulate, but she doesn't realize that times have changed and everything has changed."

"It's okay, it doesn't matter if she doesn't know. Soon, she will find out that everything is different."

Upon hearing this, Mr. and Mrs. Chen opened their mouths, unsure of what to say.

Chen Dachuan hesitated for a moment, then sighed softly, looking at Chen Jingcheng and Li Sumei with an apologetic expression.

"Sumei, Jingcheng, I've made you suffer all these years. The old lady is my mother, so it's understandable that I was bullied by her. But it's my fault that you suffered along with her. It's all my fault for being so useless."

"But don't worry, this will never happen again. Even if she's my mother, she has to be reasonable!"

Upon hearing this, tears streamed down Li Sumei's face.

The grievances I've suffered over the years are truly grievances.

What did Li Sumei do wrong? Did she offend the old lady in some way? Was she unfilial?

No, nothing at all. Li Sumei's character was well-known during the years she lived in her hometown. Everyone said she was a good wife and daughter-in-law, respectful to her husband, filial to her parents-in-law, caring for her children, and extremely friendly to relatives and neighbors. She was praised by everyone.

However, she just couldn't meet the approval of Chen Dachuan's parents. Who could they reason with?

What Li Sumei found most unbearable, and even harbored some resentment towards, was Chen Dachuan's lack of ambition.

It wasn't about his career achievements or how much money he made, but rather that when Li Sumei was being bullied, Chen Dachuan did nothing but remain silent and offer advice. Even when he spoke up for Li Sumei and sought justice, it was all talk and no action.

But today, Chen Dachuan stood up for himself, and his words gave Li Sumei a feeling of seeing the sun after the clouds had parted.

Years of grievances finally came to an end, turning into tears that flowed continuously.

After shedding her tears, Li Sumei composed herself, looked at Chen Jingcheng, and said, "Jingcheng, Mom will go make you some food right now. We'll have chicken soup today too. Mom will go to the market to buy some free-range chickens!"

Li Sumei's words were clearly spoken with anger.

In the end, the old lady really stopped acting altogether. After making a scene, not only did she not get the result she wanted, but she was also scolded by Chen Dachuan's family. When she left, she even took away a bag of vegetables that were worth only a few yuan and an old hen that she had brought with her, saying that they were not worthy of eating the vegetables she grew and the chickens she raised.

This is quite absurd, but it shows what kind of temperament the old lady had when Li Sumei married Chen Dachuan and lived in her hometown.

It's likely that after the incident, the old lady did things that made Li Sumei and Chen Jingcheng refuse to eat, more than once. After all, it was the old lady's home at the time.

Chen Jingcheng smiled and nodded, saying, "Mom, that's right. Our family can eat whatever we want. Not to mention the free-range chickens we raise ourselves, I'll make sure you eat delicious food every day, things that others can't afford. Don't worry, I can afford to support you."

Upon hearing this, Li Sumei immediately stopped crying and smiled, but when she looked at Chen Jingcheng, her eyes still showed more heartache.

"Jingcheng, what the old lady just said..."

Chen Jingcheng knew what Li Sumei was going to say, so he shook his head and said, "Mom, don't worry. I know my background. I won't think too much about it. The old lady doesn't treat me as her own grandson. In fact, she doesn't treat you as her own son and daughter-in-law either. I don't care whether she approves of me or not."

"Like I said, you don't need to worry about any rumors about her. I don't care about those things, and they don't affect my mood."

"As for what happens after the ancestral hall is built, Dad, Mom, don't worry. She doesn't have the final say on the Chen family's ancestral hall!"

"Although I, Chen Jingcheng, don't have any great abilities yet, I'm confident that I'll be invited after this ancestral hall is completed, and you will attend as honored guests!"

When Chen Jingcheng said this, he was very confident.

The reconstruction of a family ancestral hall is no small matter; it is a major undertaking.

For a family, the ancestral hall holds great significance. The Chen family of Chen Dachuan in Linchuan County is not a large family. Although it has been developing and continuing for over a hundred years and has now spread out, the entire Chen family actually only has two or three hundred members. And many of them no longer recognize each other.

However, putting everything else aside, the Chen family clan of Chen Dachuan has produced officials over the years, but that was many years ago, and those people have all passed away.

He wasn't a very high-ranking official back then.

Nowadays, the Chen family is said to have some officials, but they are only at the level of a section chief. There are a few other public officials, but Chen Jingcheng is probably not the highest-ranking member of the Chen family, but he is definitely the most influential and powerful person in Linchuan County.

Even if Chen Jingcheng doesn't attend the reconstruction of the ancestral hall, the elders and younger members of the Chen family will do everything they can to get him to attend, as it represents the Chen family's current reputation and heritage.

That's why Chen Jingcheng dared to say those words.

Upon hearing this, Li Sumei smiled and nodded, but then frowned slightly and said, "Will the old lady be alright after leaving like this? After all, she was over seventy years old."

Hearing this, Chen Jingcheng sighed. Although his mother had been bullied by the old lady for many years and felt resentful and aggrieved towards her, she was still too kind and still cared about the old lady's safety.

However, this concern is somewhat unnecessary.

"Don't worry, when I came back, I saw Chen Jinghan's car on the roadside not far away. He thought he was hiding it well, but I still found it."

"This old lady didn't come by herself; Chen Jinghan and his son brought her here."

"She will go to her beloved son and grandson as soon as she leaves our house, and Chen Jinghan is waiting for her downstairs. She is safe, so don't worry."

At this point, Chen Jingcheng sneered and said, "However, I wonder if this old lady, who has a temper here, will dare to have a temper in front of Chen Jinghan and his son."

"A falling out with our family is not the outcome Chen Jinghan and his son wanted. I'd like to see how she explains herself later!"

As Chen Jingcheng said, after the old lady stormed downstairs and left the courtyard, Chen Jinghan saw her.

Chen Jinghan immediately ran to his grandmother, whom he usually didn't pay much attention to, and asked her about the outcome of the matter.