Chapter 38: Simply Unbelievable!

Of course, if one day he could cultivate grade-2 shrimp larvae, he could begin large-scale conventional water farming in the outer section; even if the quality declined, he would still have enough grade-1 stock. At that point, he could openly hire employees, not only making more money but also elevating his social status and gaining greater respect. Furthermore, raising shrimp larvae wouldn’t require the current one thousand mu; the existing farm could still be used to rear grade-2 premium shrimp, treating them as the finest selection.

As he made plans, Chu Lin headed to the bathroom. At the moment, not only was he covered in water stains, but also sweat from last night’s vigorous work and the lingering mud from that soft, yielding field.

He took a long, satisfying shower and put on the Armani suit he had bought the previous day. Looking at himself in the mirror, he couldn’t help but feel—perhaps it was just his imagination—that this nine-thousand-yuan outfit gave him a more refined air.

He picked up his phone and saw that Li Qianwei had replied to the message he’d sent before heading out: a shy emoji and the words, “I’m waiting for you!”

Liu Fa had already left to deliver goods to Zhizhen. Chu Lin sent him a message with some instructions, then drove out of the farm.

When he arrived at Li Qian’s apartment, she had already carefully applied her makeup. Her outfit was clearly different from usual; typically, she would flaunt her captivating assets, a dazzling display of allure at first glance. But today, perhaps because she was meeting Chu Lin’s family for the first time, she wore a more conservative black Armani dress, with only a touch of cut-out at the waist to show off her slender figure.

This attire subdued her usual blend of innocence and seduction, instead lending her an air of intellect and poise. Chu Lin couldn’t help but let his eyes roam over her, appreciating every charming detail. On Li Qian, the phrase “a beauty with a perfect figure looks good in anything” was truly brought to life. While other women tried desperately to mimic the innocent-yet-alluring style and ended up looking like bar girls, or attempted sophistication only to appear prematurely aged, Li Qian could shift styles effortlessly, like the perfect mannequin.

To a man, a woman like this was a feast for the eyes—a rare delight.

Li Qian enjoyed his unabashed gaze with calm composure, naturally linking her arm through his. “Shall we head out now?”

“Let’s go!” Chu Lin replied, leading her out to the car and heading straight for Chuzhuang Village.

They had barely set off when Chu Lin received a call from Huang Bin, who had already arranged for the designer to visit his family’s home and was on the way. Chu Lin never doubted Huang Bin’s efficiency.

…

After more than an hour, Chu Lin could see the distant outline of Chuzhuang Village. “We’re almost there,” he said.

Li Qian instinctively flipped down the car’s vanity mirror to check her makeup, touching up her lipstick. She was clearly nervous; after all, she was meeting Chu Lin’s family even before his real girlfriend did. The crucial point was that she was only pretending to be his girlfriend.

Although Chu Lin had said his family had never met his girlfriend, she still felt a bit uneasy.

…

Today, Chu Song was in high spirits; after all, rebuilding the ancestral home was a joyous occasion. Even the family’s mongrel dogs circled him several times, rewarded with two meaty bones each and happily gnawing away.

By now, the area in front of the ancestral house was bustling, with many elderly villagers coming to help. In rural communities, whenever a family had a major event, the older generation would always lend a hand, and the host would prepare food, reflecting the unique warmth and social bonds of the countryside.

Nowadays, the younger generation was busy working far from home, so such ties had weakened considerably compared to the past. The groundbreaking ceremony for the ancestral house mostly involved moving some old items, processing in a group to the ancestral shrine for worship, smashing the old things, then returning to the house and symbolically striking the ground with a shovel—thus completing the ritual. The details varied from place to place; some didn’t take it seriously, but here in Chuzhuang Village, it was an important tradition.

As one villager arranged the sacrificial fruits, he remarked, “Chu Song, with your ancestral house being rebuilt today, you can finally breathe easy.”

Chu Song smiled in response, “Yes, this time Lin took the initiative. He’s doing well and suggested rebuilding the ancestral home.”

At the mention of Chu Lin, the other villagers all nodded in agreement. “It hasn’t been easy for Lin. He lost his parents young and had to rely on himself in the world.”

“That’s right. He started a seafood restaurant in Min City all on his own. He’s done better than my son by far.”

“I’ve visited his place in Min City. He managed to open a shop by twenty-three—that’s really impressive.”

Everyone knew Chu Lin had it tough, yet he had outpaced his peers in the village. The fact that he could now afford to rebuild the ancestral house clearly meant his business was doing well and he’d saved some money.

Suddenly, a discordant voice cut in, “That shop of Chu Lin’s can’t be making much. Otherwise, after all these years, he’d have bought a car by now. My son Chu Fei graduated college and, after three years of work, already bought an Audi A4L. That just goes to show how important education is.”

“Chu Heng, we all know your son is doing great,” Chu Song said with a sour look at the speaker, then sighed inwardly. Was it really necessary to boast about his own son every time—especially at the expense of his nephew? Did he have to come uninvited today, too?

The other villagers shook their heads, knowing the old grudge between Chu Heng and Chu Song’s family would never be resolved. It all started decades ago when Chu Heng got beaten up in front of a woman by Chu Song and Lin’s father, and he’d been holding a grudge ever since. Honestly, he never won over those well-bred ladies not because of the beatings, but because of his own character. After all, who liked someone who spread rumors about others’ ancestors, gossiped about others being unable to have sons, and even knocked down walls in mock ritual at the ancestral shrine?

Chu Heng seemed oblivious to the looks of annoyance around him, continuing, “My son’s about to be promoted—his base salary will be at least twenty thousand.”

His son, standing nearby, pulled a pretty girl forward and added, “Dad, once I’m promoted, my base salary will be twenty thousand plus bonuses. And my girlfriend’s salary won’t be any less.”

Chu Fei spoke with some pride. Apart from the village tycoon’s son, Chu Gu, he was the highest earner among the young adults in the village. Plus, he’d brought home a beautiful girlfriend from his company, eager to show everyone he was doing better than his peers.

Chu Song and the other villagers didn’t like the father and son’s ostentatious display, but since their own children couldn’t compare, they kept their silence.

“Hey, there’s a car coming this way,” a villager suddenly exclaimed.

Chu Song instinctively looked toward the road, expecting it to be Chu Lin, but was disappointed at the sight of the car—it was obviously expensive, and Lin couldn’t afford something like that.

“What kind of car is that?” Chu Heng asked his son in surprise.

“It’s too far to see,” Chu Fei replied, shaking his head.

His girlfriend, however, spoke up, “It’s a Panamera 4S Executive.”

“Wow, Wen, you can recognize the badge from that far?” Chu Fei was amazed.

“I recognized the model—our company’s Deputy Director Liu drives the same car,” Xiao Wen explained.

Chu Heng pressed further, “Wen, so this is a Panamera? I heard the base price is over a million.”

Xiao Wen shook her head, “This is the 4S Executive model, with extras it’s at least one and a half million.”

“Wow, whose car is that?” Chu Heng was even more surprised at the price.

“It must be Chu Gu’s car,” Chu Fei guessed. “His is a Panamera. But why would he come here?” Chu Gu was the son of the village’s wealthiest man, Chu Yan. Though the family donated generously and covered most expenses for village affairs, they usually kept aloof and wouldn’t bother with such gatherings.

The car soon pulled up by the roadside. At that moment, the two mongrel dogs chewing bones at Chu Song’s side suddenly sprang up, barking furiously as they dashed toward the Panamera.

Chu Heng called out, “Chu Song, keep your dogs in check! Don’t scare Chu Gu!”

“Da Huang, Er Huang, come back!” Chu Song shouted anxiously.

Everyone had a certain awe for wealth and power. The richest family always contributed the most, and though they rarely appeared in the village, everyone respected them—rumor had it their assets exceeded a hundred million. Such wealth inevitably created a sense of social distance.

Just then, the car door opened, and the two dogs became even more excited, charging straight ahead. Chu Song hurried forward in alarm, but stopped short, staring in disbelief at the person stepping out of the car.

“Lin?”