I was forced to start the second round because I was raised in poverty

Chapter 422 Dad, we're dating now.
Su Cheng and Ye Li exchanged another knowing glance.

They knew this would be the result.

"Hurry up and eat, it's getting cold."

Su Tianyan told Su Cheng that he got up very early today and bought the freshest meat and vegetables at the market. He spent two hours just preparing the broth for stewing those main dishes.

Tell the truth.

The cooking skills of this meal are truly excellent.

The main dishes on the table are mostly Shandong cuisine cooked in Henan style, using localized cooking methods from my hometown based on Shandong cuisine.

As for whether it was done by someone else, Su Cheng had no idea.

If so, then this frugal upbringing plan is incredibly detailed.

They actually hired chefs specializing in Shandong and Henan cuisine to cook for them.

However, Su Cheng had indeed seen Lao Deng cook, and his cooking skills were really quite good.

The three chatted as they ate, and Lao Deng's first question was naturally about work, specifically asking about Ye Li, not Su Cheng.

"That's great, Uncle. I've started my own business."

"Started a business?"

"Correct."

"Starting a business is very hard, and it's even more difficult for a girl to do it."

Old Deng actually knew about Ye Li's startup; he was the one who approved the funding, so how could he not know?

Su Cheng then interjected, "Dad, you can't say things like that carelessly. By today's standards, that's considered sexism."

Su Tianyan: ???
"I'm not sexist!"

Su Tianyan really doesn't discriminate against women.

The Dihao Group employs many female staff and senior executives, and these are all elites in the traditional sense, not just "data workers".

Why is this kid putting a label on him right away?
If you don't discipline them for three days, they'll start tearing the roof off!
"Uncle, actually, there are quite a few women starting their own businesses these days,"

"Although many fail, that's just how entrepreneurship is. Many people will fail; it's a process of struggling in the mud."

"Whether you can make it ashore depends not only on your own ability, but also on luck, and has little to do with gender."

Ye Li gave a very objective and rational explanation of the topic of female entrepreneurship.

"Yes, yes, that makes a lot of sense."

After Su Tianyan finished speaking, he glared at Su Cheng.

"dad."

Su Tianyan was a little impatient; he didn't really want to talk to Su Cheng: "What?"

"I'm dating Xiaoye."

Yes, Su Tianyan already knew about this.

However, as the father, he couldn't say anything or interfere.

Now that the brat is telling him openly, he can legitimately get involved.

This time, the nature of my trip back to my hometown has changed.

Instead of coming back to see his father, he brought his girlfriend back to meet his father.

"It's great. I'm not just saying this to flatter you, but you two kids really are a good match."

Over the years, if we were to say what Su Cheng has done that he is proud of, it would probably be dating Ye Li.

As for the others... it's hard to say.

He can't say it right away.

If you really weigh those things, you probably wouldn't find a single one.

Su Tianyan didn't think much of it and pressed, "When do you plan to get things done?"

"We haven't decided yet."

Have you been to Xiao Ye's house?

"Not yet, I just came back to see you first."

"That's outrageous! They've come twice already, how come you've never been even once?"

Su Cheng explained, "No, no, Dad, we weren't dating yet back then. Xiao Ye was just visiting my good friend's house."

Seeing this, Ye Li took the initiative to cover for Su Cheng: "Uncle, actually my relationship with my parents isn't very good, so it doesn't matter whether we see each other or not."

Su Tianyan waved his hand and told Ye Li not to be so angry with her parents: "Family is still the most important thing."

"Besides your family, who in this world will truly care about you? Who else on the street will care about you? Don't you think so?"

Ye Li didn't dare to pout.

This dad vibe is a bit overpowering.

"However, Xiao Ye, if you marry into our family, we definitely won't let you suffer any losses!"

"I've saved up a lot of money for him. What's the custom of bride price in your area?"

At this moment, Su Cheng interjected again: "Dad, wasn't all that money transferred to you gradually over the years?"

Su Tianyan: ???
What does this brat mean?
To undermine him?
Twice.

Su Tianyan's temper flared up a bit.

"How much money do you have?"

"Dad, so you mean you're saving up for me too?"

"Otherwise what? Who do you think I've been saving up all these years for? Isn't it all for you to do things for me?"

Su Tianyan displayed his fatherly authority not only in front of Su Cheng but also in front of Ye Li.

"Anyway, marrying into our family is definitely the right thing to do."

Su Tianyan glared at Su Cheng, signaling him to shut up, and then continued to ask Ye Li about the betrothal gifts.

“好像市里是6w6，县城8w8，然后乡镇上就是18w8了，听他们说好像是这个数。”

Then Ye Li added, "But I don't want a bride price, so you don't need to prepare one, Uncle."

"No bride price? How can that be! Whether it's 188,000 or 288,000, we're willing to give it. This shows our family's attitude."

Su Cheng: ???
What the hell does that mean?

Why is Old Deng being so generous right now?
So you've been eating plain noodles your whole life, and forcing him to do most of his life, just so you can pull out 100,000 or 200,000 yuan in one go to make yourself look cool in front of the woman, right?
This old thing!
Su Cheng and Ye Li had already rehearsed this scenario, so she boldly spoke up according to the script:
"Uncle, this is actually the dregs of traditional culture."

"It would be one thing if this were to provide security for the young family, but the problem is that most of the money ended up in the pockets of the woman's parents."

"This doesn't feel good. It's like I've been bought out. I don't like it."

“I’m not targeting you, Uncle Ha. In general, both sets of parents approve of this. The groom’s parents think they’ve bought, and the bride’s parents think they’ve sold. In a sense, they both approve of this ‘deal’.”

"But marriage isn't like that!"

"It is neither a tool for the woman's parents to make money, nor a target for the man's parents to complete their tasks."

Ye Li and Su Cheng rehearsed like this on the highway, and they are saying it like this now.

Why is this section included?
These "lines" couldn't have come out of nowhere.

Because that's really what Ye Li thought.

She felt that after getting married, she should no longer have any such abnormal relationship with the older generation.

If your parents are willing and able to support you, then support them; if they are not able or are unwilling, then forget it.

There's no need to pretend that you're subjectively willing to help, but objectively you only take and don't help.

This kind of hypocritical affectation is disgusting.

I will not morally blackmail you, and conversely, you should not morally blackmail me.

We don't play those empty tricks.

After we get married, we'll have our own little family.

If it weren't for Su Cheng, she really wouldn't have come to this so-called traditional Chinese "meeting the parents".

Ye Li prefers the approach of "no one should meet anyone else's parents".

It sounds a bit extreme, but it actually has many benefits.

It's best to avoid seeing them, whether it's during holidays or any other festival.

She and Su Cheng each went back to their parents' homes.

If you don't want to go back, stay in your own little home.

It was only because Su Cheng's situation was special that she was willing to come and cooperate with the acting.

Su Cheng felt that saying these things directly would give Lao Deng a good, intuitive feeling, so she allowed Ye Li to put these things in.

This part doesn't require acting; Ye Li just needs to be herself and say what's on her mind directly.

Judging from Old Deng's expression, he was indeed shocked by Ye Li. This was exactly the effect Su Cheng wanted.

He had no idea what Old Deng was thinking at that moment.

Anyway, it's just amazing.

In the character played by Su Tianyan, not having to pay a bride price is definitely a great thing.

Saving money is a good thing, isn't it?
But this is not the point.

The key point is Old Deng's real thoughts.

Ye Li's importance and position in his heart must have risen sharply, at least by two levels, right?

"How can we not ask for a bride price? This is our custom here. Even if you don't want it, Xiao Ye, we will still give it to you."

"Uncle, I really don't want to."

The two were locked in a heated argument.

Actually, arguing is not very meaningful.

Old Deng was just engaging in a symbolic argument for the sake of "face".

If there's no argument, then Lao Deng's acting wouldn't fit the character's persona.

Because in his character's eyes, the fact that his family, the Su family, married a woman without paying a bride price must make them think that his father was incompetent, and so on.

Therefore, Su Cheng said this was a symbolic dispute.

He quickly changed the subject: "Dad, let's not talk about the bride price for now. How are you doing at home?"

"What can we do? That's how it is. We take jobs, we work, we take jobs and work again."

Old Deng answered fluently, as if he had been rehearsed beforehand.

Actually, after all these years, Old Deng doesn't need any training anymore. Su Cheng feels that this form has become his second personality.

"After dinner, let's go see your wedding home. The house in the city is already renovated."

Su Cheng readily agreed: "Sure, let's take a look. I've never been there before, and I don't even know where it is."

Ye Li then expressed a "reserved" attitude.

Had a meal.

Ye Li and Su Cheng helped wash the dishes.

The three of them went downstairs and drove to the city where Lao Deng had chosen a large apartment for Su Cheng.

Su Cheng originally thought that the large apartment didn't exist at all, and was just an excuse for Lao Deng to squeeze money out of him.

I didn't expect there actually was.

They really went all out with their act.

Su Cheng drove, Su Tianyan sat in the passenger seat, and Ye Li sat in the back.

"This car is really nice, Xiao Ye. Why did you choose this one? Are you going to be doing business with people a lot?"

Su Cheng retorted, "Dad, is that important?"

"It's not that important, but it's not that important either. What is a car? ... To a certain extent, it represents a person. This car represents stability."

Su Tianyan praised the Volkswagen Magotan.

Finally, Ye Li concluded, "Uncle, actually, Xiao Cheng helped me choose this car."

Eh?
Su Tianyan looked at Su Cheng with new respect.

This brat actually made someone buy him a Volkswagen Passat?

Why would a girl drive a Volkswagen Passat?

He felt something was off, but he couldn't say that Su Cheng's idea was wrong, otherwise he would be contradicting himself.

Su Tianyan felt so uncomfortable, as if he had suffered a humiliation, but he had nowhere to vent his anger.

After setting off.

Su Cheng followed the route directed by Su Tianyan.

But after searching for a long time, I still couldn't find the place.

"Dad, where exactly is the house you bought? You haven't forgotten, have you?"

Su Tianyan looked embarrassed.

He really forgot.

"Huh? I remember it being in this area!"

"There aren't any large apartments in this area. Tell me the name of the complex, and I'll use navigation."

"Don't rush, let me think about it."

Immediately afterwards, Su Tianyan took out a sticky note from his pocket, on which some notes were written in pencil.

Su Cheng and Ye Li couldn't help but exchange a glance.

???

Do you bring cheat sheets?

No.

You bought a house, but you don't know where it is?
So how did you decorate it?

Do I have to come over every day to do renovations?

"Oh, Xiujin Haoting, Xiujin Haoting, this name is too convoluted. It's either something like 'Yuan' or something like 'Ting'. I take on jobs every day and I've gotten all the names of these neighborhoods mixed up."

Su Tianyan defended himself.

"Just search for it on the navigation app, let's go there now."

Su Cheng searched on the map, and the navigation showed that there were still 17 kilometers to go.

It's not this area at all!
Having just left the county, Su Cheng wanted to turn on the navigation, but the old man wouldn't let her, saying she should just follow his directions.

As a result, we've gone around in circles several times, and there are still 17 kilometers to go.

What kind of brain do you have?!

Could it be that Old Deng has really developed Alzheimer's disease?

That's some serious memory.

It's one thing to not remember the way, but he can't even remember the four-character name of the neighborhood.

I'll have to check the cheat sheet.

It took almost another hour for the three of them to arrive at Xiujin Mansion.

"Dad, do you remember which building?"

"Remember, remember, just follow me."

It's actually very easy to remember.

It's the first building on your left as soon as you enter the gate; there's no need to wander around the community at all.

The three went up to the seventh floor, and Lao Deng awkwardly took out his key and opened the door.

Upon entering, Su Cheng and Ye Li were both dumbfounded.

This renovation... is a bit too luxurious.

The living room boasts a large, bright surface, with huge floor-to-ceiling windows offering panoramic views of the lush greenery of the courtyard.

The entire space is dominated by a low-saturation warm gray tone, creating a refined and elegant atmosphere.

Modular sofas from top Italian brands can be freely combined to create a comfortable space for conversation.

The TV background wall is not a traditional design, but rather adopts a deconstructivist approach, interweaving black steel strips with marble and lacquered panels to form a visually striking art installation.

Su Cheng did the math and came up with a total of tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands.

But this renovation looks like it cost at least a million.

Su Cheng felt that Lao Deng's people must have hired a professional designer at a high price to do it.

"How is it? Pretty good, right?"

Su Cheng exclaimed sincerely, "Not bad, really not bad."

"Of course! Don't think of your dad as a country bumpkin. I had someone specially make the blueprints and design this for you. Let's see how much effort your dad put in!"

"Dad, this renovation must have been very expensive, right?"

"It's not expensive at all. This is what our family does. Everything is at cost price. We only paid for labor. The workers are all our own, and they do a very careful job. I personally supervise them every day."

Su Cheng:?
No.

You personally oversee it every day, but you don't know the location of the neighborhood.

Isn't that contradictory?
You probably only used that word after you successfully found your place, right? Using it now would definitely be wrong!

(End of this chapter)