The fool has become a spirit, and she can speak

One by one, they all scolded him for being ungrateful. Chen Qingsheng got up and went to his west wing in a huff. He couldn't understand how his second brother could speak so arrogantly. What did those touching words from last night even mean?

From that day forward, the Chen family's gate was never locked again, and people came every day.

The people who came weren't there because of Chen Qingsheng; they were there because of his second brother's remarriage. There was no one in charge of the family, so Chen Qingsheng had to handle all the welcoming and sending off.

Not only that, Chen Qingsheng also had the mission of making furniture for his second brother, so after two days, Chen Qingsheng was so tired that his limbs were weak and he was exhausted.

Three days later, his second brother's wife, Jin Feng, was married into the family, which was two days before the New Year. Chen Qingsheng complained in his heart, but he didn't dare to say it in front of his second brother. He only dared to grumble in front of his eldest brother, "Eldest brother, there are only two days left until the New Year. Isn't second brother in a bit too hasty? Can't second sister-in-law stay at home for the New Year before getting married?"

Chen Qingliao, the head of the family, has been overjoyed these past two days. His two bachelor brothers have become his obsessions. The reason the marriage was arranged so hastily was because he instructed Yuhua to let the woman marry into the family as soon as possible. He was willing to spend more money on the dowry rather than delay the matter. Jin Feng's family was not well-off, but they were not in such a hurry to marry off their daughter. It was because they saw that the Chen family was eager to remarry and that they were sincere that Jin Feng's family agreed to let their daughter marry into the family before the new year. Chen Qingsheng had no idea about these things.

Chen Qingliao said to Chen Qingsheng, "Third son, today is your second brother's big day. So many people have come to the house. Don't just follow your eldest brother around. Help your eldest and second brothers entertain the guests. You know almost all of them."

How could Chen Qingsheng not recognize them? There were fifteen tables set up, and fourteen of them were full. Most of the people were those who worked with his older brothers, and the other three tables were for fellow villagers who had fled with them to beg for alms.

Chen Qingsheng said awkwardly, "Why is Boss Cheng here?"

Chen Qingliao glared at Chen Qingsheng, signaling him to lower his voice, "How could Brother Cheng not come? When you broke your ribs, didn't he come to see you often?"

"He came to see me because his wife broke my ribs."

"San'er, Brother Cheng and his son Tiezhu are here. Those who can come today are all people who respect the Chen family."

"Then why did lotus leaves come too?" Chen Qingsheng seemed even more awkward when lotus leaves were mentioned.

"I haven't even asked you about your trip to the opera with He Ye yet, and you're already asking what she's doing here! Did Shang Xi bring her? Her uncle Cheng Feng is sitting there too. Do you dare to kick her out?"

Chen Qingsheng tugged at the corner of his older brother's clothes, looking a little aggrieved. "I was forced to go to the play with He Ye by her. I didn't want to go, but she said such hurtful things that I had no choice but to go."

Chen Laoda warned Chen Qingsheng, "You're not allowed to go there again. If you go out with He Ye again, I'll break your legs."

Chen Qingsheng swore, "Brother, if it happens again, you won't even need to lift a finger; I'll just end it all myself. Brother, going to the theater that day was really because He Ye forced me... By the way, brother, how did you find out about this?"

“I ran into Cheng Tiezhu on the street yesterday. Tiezhu said you took his sister Heye to listen to music. He sounded like you had kidnapped Heye. San’er, you need to be more careful. There can’t be a next time.”

"Honestly, it was He Ye who took me there. She treated me. I didn't have any money to listen to the music. I didn't go willingly," Chen Qingsheng explained to his older brother, tilting his head. Now, his older brother was only listening to what he said.

“Qingsheng, if you want your elder brother to be more assertive in front of the Cheng family, then don’t provoke Heye. Heye is good in every way, but our family can’t handle her mental illness. For the sake of our family, stay away from Heye. Your sister-in-law and I will never agree to you and Heye.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Qingsheng blushed and his neck thickened. "Brother, who wants to be with He Ye? I can't avoid her! She came uninvited, and you tell me to avoid her, but you also tell me to treat her with courtesy. What am I supposed to do?"

"No wonder your sister-in-law scolded you for being spineless!"

"What's wrong with me?"

Chen Qingliao looked at Chen Qingsheng's feet and said, "Does our family lack insoles or something? You insist on wearing a pair of lotus leaf embroidered insoles. Since you can't agree to this marriage, why are you wearing other people's insoles while listening to music with them?"

Chen Qingsheng's soles were sweating, and sweat was also dripping from his armpits. "Brother, this is a misunderstanding. This insole was embroidered by He Ye for Brother Fengzi. It just ended up in my shoe by mistake."

Chen Qingliao had his hand raised, but then helplessly lowered it. If he had slapped his brother, his eyes would have seen stars. "Don't you know how big Cheng Feng's feet are? And what about yours? Did you even see what's embroidered on those insoles?"

"Phoenix wearing peony! You can see these kinds of soles everywhere on the street, and I can buy a pair for two coins."

Chen Qingliao shook his head and went to look after the guests.

Seeing his elder brother's appearance, Chen Qingsheng's heart was also filled with longing. He couldn't resist and found a secluded spot to take off his shoes. He pulled out the insoles and took a closer look. The front was a phoenix wearing a peony, and the back was a lotus flower. Moreover, there were words next to the lotus flowers. The left one was embroidered with "twin lotus flowers blooming" and the right one was embroidered with "May we be together for all eternity".

Chen Qingsheng was shocked on the spot, and the insole fell to the ground. "Twin lotus blossoms, may you be happy for all eternity"—this could not possibly have been embroidered by He Ye for Cheng Feng! It seems that He Ye was lying to him. This man has not given up on him at all; he is clearly still harboring ill intentions!

Suddenly, Cheng Feng's voice came from above: "Hey, not entertaining guests, just fiddling with shoe insoles here!"

Chen Qingsheng hurriedly picked up the insole and stuffed it into his shoe, then kicked his foot into the shoe. "Brother Feng, why don't you sit down and have a drink?"

Cheng Feng laughed and said, "I haven't seen you for half a day. Let's see what you're up to!"

Chen Qingsheng put on his shoes, got up from the ground, patted his bottom and pretended nothing had happened, "There's a pebble in my shoe, I took it off to check."

Cheng Feng put his arm around Chen Qingsheng's shoulder and looked at Chen Qingliao, who was entertaining guests, "Third Brother, aren't you worried about your second brother getting married?"

Chen Qingsheng scoffed at his second brother's actions, "Hmph! My second brother has no conscience. My sister-in-law has only been dead for a few months, and he's already remarrying. If my sister-in-law Meifeng were alive, she would be furious with my second brother."

"What's so special about this? There are plenty of men who remarry right after they die. Don't be so rigid at such a young age. Who would willingly sleep in a cold bed with a wife? You're just a bachelor, you have no idea about the pleasures of a woman's bedroom. San'er, with your second brother carrying on the Chen family line, you can just settle down and be a bachelor from now on."