I couldn't take it anymore; when I went home for Chinese New Year, the family genealogy book ha

Jiang Chen looked at his fists, clenched tightly with nervousness, and the worn-out sneakers on his feet that seemed out of place for his age, and sighed inwardly.

Rent an electric scooter?

That's too narrow-minded, little brother.

Jiang Chen did not answer directly, but stood up from the stool and slowly patted the dust off his pants.

He walked up to Jiang Xiaobei, reached out, and patted him hard on his thin shoulder.

The warmth and strength of that hand made Jiang Xiaobei freeze for a moment.

"Walk."

Jiang Chen's voice was gentle yet unquestionable.

"Let's talk on the bus."

"what?"

Jiang Xiaobei looked up, completely bewildered, not understanding what his cousin meant at all.

Weren't we supposed to be renting electric bikes? Why are we getting on now?

Before he could figure it out, Jiang Chen had already turned around and walked straight toward the black beast that was lying quietly in the yard.

"Beep beep!"

Jiang Chen casually pressed the car key.

Jiang Xiaochen opened the heavy rear door and raised his chin at Jiang Xiaobei, who was still standing there dumbfounded.

"What are you standing there for? Come on up."

Jiang Xiaobei's mind went blank for a moment.

He...he wants me to...ride this car?

This top-of-the-line Audi A6L, worth hundreds of thousands, has become a legend in the village.

Jiang Xiaobei felt his calves trembling.

He looked at the open car door, inside which was a spacious and luxurious beige interior that exuded the scent of high-quality leather.

He didn't even dare to take a step.

He looked down at his worn-out sneakers, yellowed from washing and with the soles coming unglued, afraid that stepping on them would dirty the seemingly spotless cashmere carpet.

"Brother...I...I think I'll pass, I'm afraid I'll get it dirty..."

Jiang Xiaobei's voice was barely audible.

"Stop talking nonsense!"

Jiang Chen frowned, his tone carrying an undeniable air of authority.

"Get on the bus when I tell you to! Stop dawdling, are you even a man?"

This rebuke struck Jiang Xiaobei's heart like a heavy hammer.

He was so startled that he didn't dare to hesitate any longer and practically crawled into the ridiculously spacious back seat.

The car door slammed shut, cutting off all outside noise.

Inside the carriage, it was so quiet that only the sound of each other breathing could be heard.

Jiang Xiaobei was so nervous that she didn't know where to put her hands. She could only press her hands tightly on her knees, sit up straight, and not even dare to breathe.

A scent that blends premium leather with a subtle woody fragrance lingered around his nose.

Is this the world of the rich?

Jiang Chen sat in the passenger seat. He turned around and looked at his cousin in the back seat, who looked ridiculously reserved. He felt both annoyed and amused.

This child's inferiority complex is ingrained in his very being.

Jiang Chen didn't say anything more.

He simply reached out and opened the glove box in front of the passenger seat.

Then, from inside, they took out a brand new white square box, still with the outer plastic film still on, printed with a bitten Apple logo.

He didn't even turn his head, and casually tossed it behind him.

"then."

Jiang Xiaobei, who was sitting upright, was startled by this sudden action. He hurriedly and clumsily hugged the heavy box to his chest.

He looked down.

The box had several English letters and Chinese characters clearly printed on it.

[iPhone 15 Pro Max]

[256GB, Original Color Titanium]

Jiang Xiaobei felt as if his brain had been struck by a thunderbolt!

His eyes were practically bulging out of their sockets!

This... isn't this the latest, top-of-the-line Apple phone that was just announced in the news a while ago?!

His richest roommate in the dorm had someone buy one from Hong Kong for over ten thousand yuan. He treasured it like it was something special and wouldn't even let him touch it.

Now, this brand-new phone, still in its packaging, has just been... thrown at me?

"Chen...Brother Chen!"

Jiang Xiaobei's voice was distorted by extreme shock and panic.

He held the box as if it were a red-hot iron, his hands trembling, and was about to hand it back to Jiang Chen.

"This...this, I can't take it! It's too expensive!!"

Jiang Chen didn't even turn around to look at him.

He simply looked ahead and began his performance in a matter-of-fact, even slightly disdainful tone.

"Oh, you mean this?"

Jiang Chen waved his hand casually, as if he were talking about a piece of trash that was not worth mentioning.

"I just replaced it a couple of days ago, I'm not used to it."

"That system is a mess, it's much easier to use with our domestic Android phones."

"It's just gathering dust. I see your crappy phone, it takes forever to even open WeChat, so just take it and use it."

Holding the brand-new box, Jiang Xiaobei listened to her cousin's words and was so anxious that she almost cried.

The ones that were taken off?

The packaging film is still intact! It hasn't even been torn off!

Whose used phone looks like this?!

This is clearly a brand new one!

"No! Brother! I really can't take it!"

Jiang Xiaobei's attitude was firm; he knew the significance of this item.

"This phone...this phone costs over ten thousand yuan! I...I..."

"What do you mean, 'me'?"

Jiang Chen finally turned around, the smile on his face gone, replaced by a serious, elder brotherly authority.

His gaze sharpened as he stared directly at Jiang Xiaobei.

"You're my brother, so if I give you something, just take it."

"What's with all this pushing and shoving? Are you looking down on your brother?"

"Or do you think your brother Chen can't even afford a phone worth ten thousand yuan right now?"

These words weighed heavily on Jiang Xiaobei's heart like a mountain.

How could he dare to look down on his cousin, who had now soared to great heights?

"No...no, brother..."

Jiang Xiaobei's eyes immediately reddened.

Seeing that the time was almost right, Jiang Chen's tone softened again.

He reached out and forcefully pushed the phone box that Jiang Xiaobei had pushed towards him back into his arms.

"Besides, this phone wasn't given to you for free."

A playful smile returned to Jiang Chen's lips.

"Weren't you going to deliver food to earn money for your tuition?"

"Try it with your crappy phone. The order pops up, and before you can even click on it, someone else has already snatched it up. You're looking at the map, and it freezes and times out. One bad review, and you've worked for nothing all day."

"Consider this phone an investment from me as a 'production tool' for you!"

"If you want to do something well, you must first have the right tools. Do you understand?"

"When you start delivering food and earn money, you can pay me back every penny of the money you spent on this phone."

These words were like a key that unlocked a new world, instantly shattering the last line of defense in Jiang Xiaobei's heart.

Yup!

This isn't a free gift!

These are the production tools that Brother Chen invested in for me!

It was lent to me!

You'll have to pay it back later!

This reason was both reasonable and justifiable, making it impossible for him to refuse this enormous gift, while also cleverly protecting his sensitive and fragile self-esteem.

Jiang Xiaobei held the heavy phone box, which seemed to weigh a ton.

He looked at his cousin, who seemed calm and collected, yet always had his best interests at heart.

He couldn't take it any longer.

Tears, like beads from a broken string, rolled down from her red eyes.

He didn't refuse again, but instead used all his strength to hug the box tightly to his chest.

Then, she raised her head and, with a heavy nasal tone and a choked voice, uttered that belated thank you.

"Thank you... Brother Chen!"

Jiang Chen smiled, turned around, and restarted the car.

"Hold on tight."

The car drove smoothly out of the Jiang family compound.

Jiang Xiaobei held his phone, staring blankly at the rapidly receding scenery outside the window.

He quickly asked, "Brother Chen, where...where are we going?"

Jiang Chen gripped the steering wheel with one hand, his eyes fixed straight ahead, his voice calm as it came from ahead.

"county seat."

"Delivering food is hard work. Those worn-out shoes of yours will fall apart in a couple of days."

"I'll take you to buy a comfortable pair of shoes."

"And while I'm at it... I'll get you a new outfit too."