Chapter 24: Family Reunion

Lushi, Linnan County, Qingpu Town.

This is a small township with a total population of only about twenty thousand people.

Chen Feng's hometown is here. His ancestors were farmers, and in this generation, there are two brothers in the family.

His elder brother, Chen Rui, started working right after graduating from junior high school. He has been a chef apprentice, a taxi driver, and a businessman. Later, after getting married and having children, he became a delivery driver with his own small truck, helping people transport goods.

His sister-in-law, Li Guihong, was a junior high classmate of his brother. She works at a small factory in town and is a very hardworking person.

The two of them don't make big money, but it is enough to provide a comfortable life for their small family.

Meanwhile, Chen Feng's parents run a small convenience store at home, while also helping to look after their eldest son's children.

Chen Rui had two children in succession, both girls.

Fortunately, the traditional preference for sons over daughters is no longer as severe as it used to be, and the whole family dotes on these two little treasures.

Chen Feng is no exception; most of the gifts he brought back this time were for his two young nieces.

By the time he arrived home, it was almost five in the afternoon. The two little ones had already returned from kindergarten; the elder is six years old, named Xiaoyu, and the younger is four, named Xiaoxue.

As Chen Feng stepped out of the taxi, he saw them playing in front of the convenience store.

"Xiaoyu, Xiaoxue!" Chen Feng called out to them.

To his surprise, both little girls looked at him with bewildered expressions, failing to recognize him.

This was understandable. The last time they had met was during the National Day holiday a year ago, and although they had seen him a few times during video calls with his parents, it was normal that they didn't remember their uncle.

"I'm your second uncle, did you forget?"

Once Chen Feng said this, the two little ones finally reacted. Especially the elder one, Xiaoyu, who seemed to finally remember; she ran up with an affectionate smile and shouted, "Second Uncle!" This instantly made Chen Feng's heart swell with joy, and he couldn't help but pick her up.

Xiaoxue was a bit younger and just stood there blankly, not coming up to say hello.

Chen Feng, of course, didn't mind. He proactively stepped forward to pick up Xiaoxue as well, holding one in each arm.

"Second uncle brought you lots of gifts this time. If you call me 'Second Uncle,' I'll give them to you," Chen Feng said, looking at the visibly introverted Xiaoxue.

Xiaoyu immediately began calling out happily, "Second Uncle! Second Uncle!" Xiaoxue took a glance at the large package behind Chen Feng and finally gave a sweet shout of "Second Uncle!" Chen Feng responded with a happy "Yeah!" then set them down, went to pick up the large package, and said, "Alright, let's go inside and distribute your gifts."

The two little nieces followed closely behind Chen Feng, their faces beaming with smiles.

There was no one in the convenience store at the moment; business was as usual—mediocre. On this street in their town, which was less than two hundred meters long, there were four convenience stores.

"Mom, I'm back!" Chen Feng called out toward the back room on the first floor.

His family lives in a three-story building with floor-to-ceiling windows on the street. The front room on the first floor serves as the convenience store, while the back room is a combined kitchen and dining area. Chen Feng could hear the sound of stir-frying from there.

Sure enough, his mother Zhao Xiaolan's voice came from behind: "I know, hold on. The food is almost ready. Give your brother a call and tell him to come home for dinner as soon as he finishes this delivery."

"Okay," Chen Feng agreed, and immediately called his older brother.

His brother was already on his way back.

After finishing the call, seeing the two little ones staring at him expectantly, Chen Feng hurriedly opened the large package to distribute the gifts.

There were Barbies, bubble cameras, small Teddy bears, magic kaleidoscopes, electronic magic wands, and so on—all in pairs. The two little girls were overjoyed, cheering incessantly.

"Why did you buy them so many things?" Zhao Xiaolan came over with a bit of a complaint, but seeing her granddaughters so happy, she didn't say much more.

Not long after, his sister-in-law Li Guihong arrived. Chen Feng had also brought a gift for her—a set of cosmetics—which was met with a round of polite thanks.

Then, his elder brother Chen Rui and his father Chen Dayong returned together. His father sometimes worked as a laborer accompanying the trucks to earn extra money.

Despite the lingering tension caused by Chen Feng's divorce, the family was finally reunited.

Chen Rui pulled Chen Feng aside, and the two brothers drank quite a bit together. In the end, both were somewhat intoxicated, and Chen Feng barely remembered how he got back to his room.

When he woke up, it was already the next morning.

His original room was the back room on the second floor. The layout had been the same since his middle school days, when the family had first moved in.

After using the restroom and washing up, he went downstairs to eat. It was already past nine in the morning, and everyone else in the house was already up.

"There's warm glutinous rice in the kitchen," Zhao Xiaolan called out to Chen Feng while busy in the convenience store.

"Got it," Chen Feng replied reflexively.

Similar scenes had played out countless times before. In the past, he had taken them for granted, but now, with little time left, he was suddenly moved, his nose stinging with emotion.

This was just a common daily conversation in countless households—something many people often overlook or fail to cherish and be grateful for. He had been much the same.

It wasn't until he was facing death that he suddenly realized he hadn't yet repaid the debt of his parents' upbringing, and only then did he truly understand their silent sacrifices for him.

After eating the glutinous rice his mother had personally cooked—mixed with dried shrimp, minced dried tofu, and minced meat, topped with chopped green onions, and paired with a bowl of seaweed and egg soup—it was truly the most delicious breakfast.

This kind of breakfast and flavor could only be tasted at home; you couldn't find it anywhere else.

After finishing the remaining two bowls of glutinous rice, Chen Feng suddenly found himself tearing up.

Wiping a few tears from the corners of his eyes with a tissue, Chen Feng picked up his phone and called his brother, Chen Rui, asking him to come home for lunch to discuss something.

Chen Rui readily agreed.

Chen Feng then went to the convenience store to help organize the stock. During this time, he ran into several familiar neighbors, which inevitably involved some polite small talk.

Time passed quickly, and it was soon noon.

Chen Rui and Chen Dayong returned together, and his sister-in-law Li Guihong also came home from the factory after her shift. The two little nieces were at kindergarten.

After everyone finished eating, the father and two sons drank beer.

Only then did Chen Feng speak up: "Brother, didn't you always want to open an auto detailing shop? I plan to open one with you. I'll provide the money, you provide the labor, and we'll split the shares 40/60."

When Chen Feng said this, everyone was stunned.

Zhao Xiaolan was the first to ask, "Where did you get the money?"

Chen Feng had no choice but to say, "I won 500,000 from the lottery last time. There's no point in just letting the money sit there; it's better to invest it."

"For real?" Chen Dayong, who was usually quite quiet, couldn't help but widen his eyes. He was a veteran lottery player who had been buying tickets for over a decade—both sports and welfare lotteries—but to this day, his biggest win had only been 20 yuan.

"It's true," Chen Feng said calmly. "I plan to put out 300,000 to open the shop. Brother, do you think that's enough?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Rui immediately said, "That's definitely enough. If we open one near the national highway, the rent here isn't expensive. The main costs will be decoration, equipment, and materials; 200,000 should be plenty at most. However, if we choose a franchise, there will be some franchise fees."

"Do you think it's better to join a franchise or go independent?"

After thinking for a moment, Chen Rui said, "Each has its pros and cons. Taking everything into account, it's probably better to join a big brand; they are more professional after all."

"Then let's go with a franchise. Pick a brand that is good and has a good reputation. It doesn't matter even if we spend the whole 500,000."

Zhao Xiaolan frowned and said, "Xiao Feng, even if this money came from a lottery win, you can't just spend it recklessly."

Chen Feng smiled and said, "Don't worry, Mom. An auto detailing shop on the national highway will definitely make money. There's so much traffic on the highway every day, and our town doesn't even have a proper auto detailing shop—only one unprofessional private car wash. Their business is incredibly good every day."

Chen Rui added, "There are two now, neither is professional, but both are doing very well."

"Exactly. Either way, opening this shop definitely won't result in a loss."

"Fine. You two brothers can discuss it yourselves. But, even brothers must keep their accounts clear. You must sign a contract when the time comes; we can't let money cause friction and ruin your brotherhood," Zhao Xiaolan said with a serious face.

"How could that happen?"

"How could that happen?"

The two brothers refuted her simultaneously, showing great chemistry.

Chen Feng laughed and said, "See? We won't let money cause conflict between us. Don't worry."

Then, Chen Rui began discussing the details with Chen Feng to finalize the plan.