Chapter 34: Trouble at the Farm?

Inside the car, Chu Lin put down his phone, his mind already turning to the matter of the ancestral house. He knew his eldest uncle had always wanted to rebuild it, and if it were solely up to his uncle, the work would have been done long ago. But because Chu Lin lacked the means, his uncle always took his circumstances into account. If the main beam of the ancestral house were taken down, his own half would collapse as well, and then he’d truly become the laughingstock of the village.

His uncle had always considered his well-being. After his parents passed away young, his uncle had given him much support, treating him even better than his own two daughters during festivals and holidays. There were even villagers who joked that his uncle had raised an extra son. In any case, because of him, the matter of the ancestral house had been delayed year after year.

In the past, it was simply impossible to afford; his uncle hadn’t even dared to mention rebuilding. When Chu Lin returned to the village, he would instinctively lower his head and avoid joining conversations about the ancestral house. Now, though, with over 3.1 million in his bank account and more than a hundred thousand coming in every day, the task seemed almost trivial. He could easily cover his uncle’s share as well, repaying all the kindness shown to him. Moreover, he wanted to build the best house possible, to let his uncle walk with pride among the villagers.

“Chu Lin, are you going back home tomorrow?” Li Qian had caught his earlier words and felt a little down. After all, she’d taken two days off from work, hoping Chu Lin would spend the night at her place, maybe go see a movie together the next day.

“Yes, the ancestral house is about to be rebuilt,” Chu Lin replied, picking up on her emotion. With a smile, he asked, “Would you like to come with me for the day?”

It was said that when one returned home in glory, a car, money, and a woman were all essential. He already had the car and money—bringing a woman like Li Qian would be perfect, and she would certainly bring him face in the village.

Li Qian blurted out, “I actually took two days off!” Her cheeks flushed as soon as the words left her mouth. Was she being too forward? She should at least act a bit reserved, especially when it came to visiting his hometown.

Then she thought of something crucial. “But, Chu Lin, you have a girlfriend, right? Your family must know about her?”

Chu Lin couldn’t help but laugh at the question, answering seriously, “They do know!”

When he’d talked with his ex, his uncle had pressed him about it, and he’d replied offhandedly.

“Really?” Li Qian’s spirits instantly dropped. How could she go back with him now? What would his family think of her?

Seeing her conflicted expression, Chu Lin teased, “But they only know I have a girlfriend—they’ve never met her.”

Li Qian’s eyes lit up at that. That solved everything, and she’d just learned something important: his girlfriend hadn’t met his family yet. In a way, she was already ahead. Unbeknownst to her, she was competing with a girlfriend who existed only in name—a fact Chu Lin himself wasn’t aware of. Otherwise, he’d surely marvel at how things had developed.

Li Qian’s curiosity was piqued by the ancestral house project. “Chu Lin, what kind of house do you want to build? Back in my hometown, some people hire designers to turn their ancestral houses into beautiful villas.”

Chu Lin was interested by the idea and immediately called Huang Bin. As soon as the call connected, he said, “Huang Bin, recommend a house designer to me. I’m going back to rebuild the ancestral house tomorrow.”

While others in the village had rebuilt their own ancestral homes, they all followed the same rural blueprint. Chu Lin wanted something better, something with real style, enough to make the gossiping villagers envious.

Huang Bin responded right away, “No problem, I’m heading back to Min City today. Tomorrow I’ll bring the designer straight to your hometown.”

“I’ll wait for you!” Chu Lin replied, relieved to leave the matter in Huang Bin’s capable hands. Huang Bin had been to his old home before.

After hanging up, Chu Lin drove straight to Feihua Street Mall, one of the most famous in the area. He parked and headed to the first floor, where many gift shops were located. Whenever he visited home, he always brought gifts for his uncle and aunt. This time would be no exception.

The difference was, now that he had money, he intended to buy something better. His uncle enjoyed good liquor, so Chu Lin spent thirty-eight thousand yuan on two cases of six bottles each at the Moutai specialty store. His aunt loved gold, so he went to a jewelry store and bought her a pair of gold bracelets for fifty thousand.

His parents had died young, and his uncle and aunt had done so much for him. Having grown up without parental affection, he didn’t know how to express his feelings, so now that he had money, he could only use such straightforward ways to show his gratitude.

After placing the gifts in the car’s trunk, Chu Lin returned to the third floor, where luxury clothing brands clustered: Burberry, Louis Vuitton, Versace… Wait, Versace? That brand had insulted their country once—were people still buying it? He decided to ignore it.

Chu Lin wasn’t well-versed in luxury brands and soon felt dazzled by the options. But when he passed by Armani, a poster on the wall caught his eye—Hu Ge was the spokesperson! That settled it.

The store was spacious, divided into men’s and women’s sections. Chu Lin smiled at Li Qian and said, “Help me pick out a few outfits!”

He trusted her taste; her own wardrobe spoke for itself. Whatever she chose would surely suit him.

“Okay!” Li Qian was clearly enthusiastic. After all, if Chu Lin wore these clothes, his girlfriend would never know she’d chosen them. The thought gave her a sense of accomplishment.

She selected carefully and soon handed him five outfits. “Chu Lin, try these!”

He tried them on one after another and had to admit her choices were excellent—even he was satisfied. That was another point in her favor.

So he said, “Come on, let’s pick five outfits for you too.”

What girl doesn’t love new clothes? Li Qian’s face lit up, and she gave him a quick kiss. But when they reached the women’s section, Chu Lin noticed something: the outfits she’d chosen for herself were subtly coordinated with his, like couple’s clothes—a little trick of hers, perhaps.

At checkout, the ten outfits came to over ninety thousand yuan, an average of more than nine thousand per set. In the past, Chu Lin would never have dreamed of buying such clothes. Now, his first thought was: Ten outfits don’t even amount to a day’s income—is this too low-end?

Even he felt a bit strange at how his attitude toward money had shifted.

Li Qian, carrying her five Armani outfits, was beaming with happiness. For Chu Lin to spend over forty thousand on her showed his affection clearly.

They had planned to leave after shopping, but as Chu Lin glanced at a nearby store, something caught his eye—a boutique specializing in intimate apparel, nestled among the luxury clothing stores. The owner clearly had ideas.

Displayed on a locker was a short, pure-white, alluring dress. Chu Lin instinctively looked at Li Qian, imagining how stunning she would look in it.

Li Qian noticed his longing gaze and asked softly, “Chu Lin, do you want to buy me two of these?”

She felt shy—she’d never worn anything like it before. But if Chu Lin liked it, she would wear it. She’d read online that if you’re competing for a man, you have to satisfy him in certain ways.

“Let’s buy ten of them. And after that, I’ll give you another present,” Chu Lin said, feeling delighted—Li Qian was just too thoughtful, and he liked that.

If only things could stay this joyful between them…

Soon, the two of them left the store with a large shopping bag, under the shop assistant’s ambiguous, curious gaze.

Chu Lin had promised Li Qian a gift and meant to keep his word. He took her to their final stop—the Louis Vuitton boutique.

“Sir, Miss, is there anything you’re looking for? I can show you our latest items.” A sales assistant, sharply dressed, hurried over to greet them. Customers arriving on this floor with arms full of shopping bags, especially with such a striking young woman, almost always made a sale.

Chu Lin didn’t disappoint. “Bring me the latest Moon Goddess bag.”

“Certainly, sir. Please wait a moment.” The saleswoman was even more enthusiastic now. This new bag was thirty-five thousand yuan, which meant a nice commission, not to mention the sales quota she had to fulfill.

Li Qian looked at Chu Lin, her gaze softening. If this continued, she would be utterly lost—even if Chu Lin married another woman, she wouldn’t want to leave him. She knew about the Moon Goddess bag; one of her customers had one, and so did Shen Lu last night. Her coworkers had said it cost thirty-five thousand.

Then she realized—Chu Lin must have bought this bag for someone else before, probably his girlfriend. But it didn’t matter; he was buying one for her now. At least he treated them equally.

Chu Lin spent another thirty-five thousand and glanced at his receipts. He’d spent a total of two hundred and twenty thousand in the mall—the most he’d ever spent on a single shopping trip. But then another thought arose: That was barely two days’ income. The corrosive power of wealth was truly immense.

At noon, Chu Lin treated Li Qian to a sumptuous meal. Over lunch, he casually learned she wanted to see a movie, so he immediately found a theater and picked seats in a discreet corner at the back. After all, just watching a movie was a waste—the real fun was in, say, the things that make a girl more endearing.

“Chu Lin, there are people nearby,” Li Qian whispered, her breath trembling.

“Just relax and watch the movie,” Chu Lin murmured back.

Li Qian was speechless—how could she relax with him behaving like this? By the end, she was clinging to his arm in embarrassment.

Enjoying the movie’s “extra” pleasures, Chu Lin lost interest in lingering outside and decided to take Li Qian home as soon as possible. After all, there were over ten alluring dresses to choose from—he wanted her to pick one for him to appreciate.

But just as he was dropping her off, a call came in from Liu Fa. Was something wrong at the farm? Puzzled, he answered.

As soon as the call connected, Liu Fa’s anxious voice came through, “Director Chu, something’s wrong. There’s been an accident.”