1994: From a young man from a small town to a second-generation resident of Shanghai

Wang Juan had never seen anyone buy so many things in her life.

She had never seen the things Chen Yong brought back before in her life.

Has Shanghai become that developed?

"Chen Fang, how much did you buy this time?"

Seeing so many things, Wang Juan's face showed no joy, but rather a growing sense of worry.

Having not been back to Shanghai for so many years, she felt she had fallen behind.

I had thought I could spend my life happily in this beautiful little county town with my husband and children.

Chen Fang's arrival undoubtedly brought great trouble to their family.

"Sister-in-law, this is a new dress I bought for you. Try it on. And some new shoes too."

"Brother, you get some too. These are Nebrecht-Blanc shoes, try them on."

Chen Dagang looked at the shiny leather shoes in front of him, then at the pair he was wearing on his own feet. They cost five yuan, and he had worn them for over ten years.

When she got married, she spent a lot of money to have a pair of genuine leather shoes made for herself.

So many years have passed, and they're still wearing it.

The soles are worn down, but the shoes are still in good condition. They look very old, but I can't bear to throw them away.

The shoemaker can replace the soles and the shoes will be wearable again.

"Xiaofang, there's no need to buy so much stuff. We don't need it in our small town."

Chen Dagang wanted to refuse, knowing that every gift he received would create more distance between him and Chen Yong.

Chen Fang is deliberately trying to spoil Chen Yong's tastes.

"Brother, are you worried that I'll spend too much money? I've come back now to tell you about the development in Shanghai."

"Shanghai's prosperity is beyond your imagination. Rich people on Huanghe Road can spend two or three thousand yuan on a single meal."

"If I run into a rich guy again, he'll spend two or three hundred thousand on fireworks alone."

"The floor tiles on Nanjing Road are all imported stone, each one costing thousands of yuan, and the road was paved with them one by one."

When Wang Juan and Chen Dagang learned about Shanghai's current development, it felt like a lifetime had passed.

They wouldn't even dare to dream of hundreds of thousands.

"Chen Yong is going to study in Shanghai, so you can take this opportunity to go back to Shanghai. It will also be more convenient for you to take care of him."

Chen Fang appeared to be considering the couple's best interests, but in reality, she had her own ulterior motives.

I know these two people can't go back, but I can't go into the details of why.

She wouldn't lose anything by saying that, and at the same time, she could gain the favor of the couple and make Chen Yong feel closer to her.

Sure enough, Chen Dagang became much more wary of her, and sincerely said, "We've lived here for twenty years. How could we possibly get used to going back to Shanghai?"

"I hope you can take good care of Chen Yong when he goes to school in Shanghai."

When a child travels a thousand miles, the parents worry.

"Dad, don't worry, I'm a top student from Fudan University!" Chen Yong said confidently. Even without his aunt's help, he was confident that he could make a name for himself in Shanghai just because he was a reborn person.

No matter what business he starts, he can make money because of information asymmetry, which allows him to capitalize on every trend that will emerge in the next thirty years.

But now, his life has another possibility.

…………

A few days later, at Ye Huiling's college entrance celebration banquet.

Ye Huiling was the county magistrate's daughter, and almost all the prominent figures in the county came that day.

All of Ye Huiling's classmates who lived in the county town came.

Not all the students in Class 1 of the county school are from the county town; some live in remote mountainous areas.

I can only go home once or twice a year, and I have to walk dozens of kilometers of mountain roads.

Those classmates naturally couldn't come.

There are nearly thirty students here today.

The Ye family booked a separate table for them.

Almost everyone had arrived. Squad leader Xu Tao said, "It seems like we're still missing one person."

"It's Chen Yong. He hasn't arrived yet."

Xu Tao asked Ye Huiling, "Did you inform him?"

"Of course we notified him. He's the hope of our whole class."

Some people spoke up for Ye Huiling, saying, "Huiling, you are also our hope! Huazhong Normal University is no worse than that person's Fudan University."

Ye Huiling said modestly, "It's not that exaggerated. To be frank, Fudan University is still much better than East China Normal University. But once you get to university, you'll have to rely on yourself. There's no need for everyone to be so concerned about their college entrance exam scores."

"Ye Huiling, I also got into a university in Shanghai."

"Wang Chenbo, you also got into a university in Shanghai. Which one?"

Wang Chengbo looks dark-skinned and thin, and he's not even as tall as the girls.

Seeing that Ye Huiling had responded to him, he scratched his head shyly, "I got into Shanghai University."

"That's great! Are there any other people from our class in Shanghai? We could travel together sometime."

After asking around, I found that there were no other people with them besides the three of them.

Class monitor Xu Tao also had good grades, but he applied to Sichuan University, which was next door.

There are only four key universities in the whole school. The last one is Chen Qingqiao, the class representative, who was admitted to Wuhan University.

The students chatted for a while, and it was almost time for the meal to begin.

They were at a restaurant in the county town, the same restaurant where Chen Fang had brought Chen Yong to eat, which also usually caters to banquets.

"Why hasn't Chen Yong arrived yet? Is he not coming?"

"He's too arrogant. So what if he got into Fudan University?"

"Yes, he didn't even come to Ye Huiling's college entrance celebration. It's just that his grades are temporarily better."

Some classmates were dissatisfied with Chen Yong.

Chen Yong is just too outstanding. If Ye Huiling could get tired of him, that would be even better.

"Don't panic, everyone. Brother Chen might have been delayed on the way." Wang Chengbo took the initiative to explain for Chen Yong, as he and Chen Yong were good friends.

Ye Huiling had eaten at a restaurant hosted by Chen Yong's aunt before, so she offered to drive Chen Yong around. "He must have been delayed on the way. It's okay if he's a little late."

He Li looked at the two boys who had just mocked Chen Yong. Guo Hao's family owned a restaurant, and this restaurant was his family's; Wang Chong's family owned a breeding farm in the county. Their grades were average, but they both had feelings for Ye Huiling and had been very attentive to her during the school years.

"Chen Yong is here!" said squad leader Xu Tao. "He's with a pretty girl next to him, is she his sister?"

"A pretty older sister? When did Chen Yong get a pretty older sister?!"

Looking over, everyone could indeed see Chen Yong, with a stylishly dressed, beautiful woman wearing sunglasses beside him.

In the county town, you won't find another woman as beautiful as her.

Ye Huiling should be considered half of that woman; the difference between her and that woman lies in their temperament.

She has more of a childlike innocence, purity, and the feeling of first love.

Chen Fang, on the other hand, is the kind of woman that any mature man would fall for.

Holy crap!

Guo Hao and Wang Chong were taken aback. They had just finished complaining about Chen Yong, and now he had brought over such a beautiful older sister!

Chen Yong was already tall and handsome, and now he's brought along such a beautiful woman. Is he just showing off?

A bad thought crossed their minds: "Could it be his sister or girlfriend?"

Chen Yong brought his aunt Chen Fang over to greet the classmates.

"Hello everyone, this is my aunt Chen Fang from Shanghai." Since Chen Yong brought his aunt along, he took the initiative to introduce her to his classmates.

He had originally planned to come alone, but Chen Fang insisted on joining in the fun, her mind racing with calculations, probably wanting to show off her presence in front of his classmates and friends.

"Chen Yong, is this your aunt?" Everyone was incredulous. "When did you get an aunt from Shanghai?"

There are still some clever people. Xu Tao immediately thought, could Chen Yong also be a child left behind by the educated youth?

This guy was already intimidating enough, and now another seemingly powerful aunt has appeared.

How come this guy gets all the good things?

Xu Tao, who has always been very cheerful, also began to believe in fate after meeting Chen Yong.

Good luck only comes to those who are lucky.