“Don’t rush, everyone. My grandma brought plenty today. There’s enough for all of you,” Xiao Chen said with a smile.
Ever since she found out the students liked her cooking, Grandma Wu had been deliberately making extra these past few days.
Freshly picked locust flowers were mixed with flour, steamed, then seasoned with garlic paste and light soy sauce.
Chive and egg vegetable rolls were lightly seasoned with salt, spread thin with leavened dough, filled with chives and eggs, rolled up, and steamed.
These flavors were something the city kids had never experienced before, so they ate with great enjoyment.
“Is there any left?” After returning to his seat, Xiao Chen saw Song Ziyan looking at him expectantly.
“Yes, I saved one for you.” Xiao Chen took out another vegetable roll.
“Thank you.” Song Ziyan’s eyes lit up. She handed her lunchbox to Xiao Chen. “These are yours. Help me finish them.”
As usual, there were three dishes and one soup, plus a large portion of rice.
Today’s dishes were braised beef with potatoes made from air-shipped wagyu, half a large Australian lobster steamed whole, several large steamed oysters, and a bowl of pigeon soup.
Just the ingredients alone would easily cost over 1,000 yuan.
“You’re going to fatten me up at this rate,” Xiao Chen said with a wry smile as he picked up his chopsticks.
“You’re too thin. You should eat better and nourish yourself,” Song Ziyan said with a grin.
“Classmate Song, what does your family do?” Xiao Chen asked curiously.
Although Song Ziyan had never revealed that she was the eldest daughter of the Song family, and she tried to dress plainly, the ingredients her mother sent every day were anything but ordinary. He could taste it.
“We’re just in the loan business,” Song Ziyan said, her eyes darting slightly. “An ordinary family.”
Xiao Chen nodded and continued eating.
He would never have imagined that this so-called loan business referred to Huaye Bank, valued at 50 billion yuan.
He always felt that Song Ziyan was different from others, yet he could not quite pinpoint how.
“Is Xiao Chen in this class?” At that moment, a burly head poked into the classroom.
With a crew cut, sunglasses, the smell of tobacco on him, and a tattoo on his arm, although he was a student, he carried a strong street aura.
It was Zhao Yu from Class Three, known for poor grades and for being a school bully. He had connections with some idle people outside and often skipped classes to fight.
“I am. Do you need something?” Xiao Chen stood up in confusion.
He knew Zhao Yu. After all, he was a well-known figure at school.
Xiao Chen was famous for ranking first in the physics joint exam. Both had reputations, but they had never interacted.
“Come out with me for a moment.” Zhao Yu gestured.
“What do you want?” Xu Dachui rushed forward, still holding an unfinished vegetable roll. Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
He looked tense, a trace of hostility on his face. He was loyal and assumed Zhao Yu was here to cause trouble for Xiao Chen.
“Don’t worry. Someone just wants to see him,” Zhao Yu said, glancing at Xu Dachui.
“It’s fine. I’ll just go out with him,” Xiao Chen said calmly.
“Xiao Chen, I’ll go with you,” Song Ziyan stood up, clearly worried.
“No need. If anything happens, I’ll contact you,” Xiao Chen said with an easy smile.
Zhao Yu led Xiao Chen out. From a distance, Chen Chao was standing at the school gate with several of his men.
“Brother Chao, I brought him,” Zhao Yu said respectfully.
“Xiao Chen.” Chen Chao extinguished his cigarette and walked over.
“Mr. Chen, is there something?” Xiao Chen asked, puzzled.
He had not had any contact with Chen Chao since that night. Why was he here now?
“Don’t worry. I came today specifically to thank you,” Chen Chao said. “My mother’s condition has improved a lot. And thank you for the reminder that night.”
“I see. No need to be so polite, Mr. Chen,” Xiao Chen said with relief.
After all, he had never dealt with underworld figures in his previous life. Being approached suddenly had made him nervous.
“Zhao Yu, take Xiao Chen out for dinner tonight. It’s on me,” Chen Chao said, patting Xiao Chen’s shoulder. “And look after him at school. If there’s anything you can’t handle, come to me.”
“Understood, Brother Chao. Don’t worry,” Zhao Yu said excitedly.
In his eyes, Chen Chao was a big shot. He had not expected that because of Xiao Chen, he would be able to connect with him. It seemed he should build a good relationship with Xiao Chen in the future.
“You rebellious brat, how dare you associate with people from the streets?”
Suddenly, Xiao Yuanhe appeared from the side, rushing over in fury.
He raised his hand and slapped Xiao Chen hard across the face.
Caught off guard, Xiao Chen was struck, falling to the ground as blood instantly flowed from his mouth.
“You bastard, you’re a disgrace to the Xiao family. I’ll beat you to death.”
Still not satisfied, Xiao Yuanhe stepped forward angrily to strike again.
“Stop him.” Chen Chao frowned, and two of his men stepped forward to restrain Xiao Yuanhe.
“What are you doing? Let go. I’m disciplining my son. It’s none of your business,” Xiao Yuanhe shouted, veins bulging on his forehead in rage.
“Your father?” Chen Chao pointed at Xiao Yuanhe and asked. This chapter is updated first at g.com.
“Mr. Chen, I’ll handle my own matters,” Xiao Chen said as he struggled to stand up.
He wiped the blood from his lips, his gaze cold.
Chen Chao nodded and motioned for his men to step back, standing aside with them to watch.
“What do you have to say? If you don’t kneel and admit your mistake today, I’ll no longer acknowledge you as my son,” Xiao Yuanhe said, still furious.
He had always been rigid and prided himself on being upright. He would not allow his children to mix with people from the streets.
“Admit what mistake?” Xiao Chen said coldly.
“Look at you. Do you look like a student?”
Xiao Yuanhe’s voice was filled with anger. “I sent you to school so you could hang around with thugs from the streets?”
“What are you talking about? Are you looking for trouble?” Chen Chao’s men were displeased.
Chen Chao waved them back.
He wanted to see how Xiao Chen would handle it. He had always felt Xiao Chen was not ordinary.
After all, someone who could predict trouble that night could not be ordinary.
The men stepped back, casting warning glances at Xiao Yuanhe.
“What I look like has anything to do with you?” Xiao Chen’s face was full of sarcasm.
“You gave birth but never raised me. What gives you the right to call me your son?”
“Street people? This Mr. Chen spent tremendous effort finding a medicinal catalyst for his mother. Isn’t that more honorable than you abandoning your seventy-year-old mother in the countryside without care?”
“No one is born superior. As a father, you are unworthy. As a son, you are even more unworthy.”
With every sentence Xiao Chen spoke, Xiao Yuanhe’s face grew paler.
Finally, his face turned green with anger. “You bastard, I’ll beat you to death.”
He raised his hand high and swung again.
This time, however, his wrist was suddenly seized.
Xiao Chen gripped his hand tightly with one hand.
The slap could no longer fall.
“You dare to fight back?” Xiao Yuanhe said in disbelief.