Chapter 147 — The Long-Awaited...

"Father-in-law—what an ugly thing to say." Chen Shutang flushed and spat the words out.

"What's so ugly about 'father-in-law'? Then I'll have to ask Uncle Chen properly later just how ugly it is," Yang Ce said, feigning astonishment as though he hadn't understood.

"You're impossible!" Seeing Yang Ce's lack of seriousness, Chen Shutang felt both sweet and ashamed. Whenever Yang Ce acted like this, she couldn't help thinking back to their high school days—the Yang Ce who always wore that cheeky grin in front of her.

Yang Ce laughed aloud, took Chen Shutang's hand and placed it on his own leg, then started the car and drove toward her residential compound. Chen's mother had called Chen Shutang a while ago, and upon learning she was with Yan, had invited Yang Puqi to come over for dinner.

Yang Shuoxuan hadn't seen Chen's mother and Uncle Chen in quite a while—not since Chen Fei was discharged from the hospital. So by any measure, Yang Ce ought to pay them a visit.

To be continued

930. Mission Failed

Chapter 930 — Mission Failed. As they neared Chen Shutang's home, Yang Jiyan pulled the car up in front of a tobacco-and-liquor shop by the roadside to buy Chen Fei a gift. Their relationship was familiar enough by now, but a son-in-law calling at the door still ought to show some courtesy.

"Why are we stopping?" Chen Shutang had been dozing with her eyes half closed; feeling the car stop, she opened her eyes in surprise.

"I'm going to buy your dad a little something," Yang Ce said, pointing at the famous tobacco-and-liquor shop by the road.

"There's no need for all that formality." Chen Shutang rubbed her eyes and stretched lazily. "The heater in this car is so warm I was about to fall asleep."

"How could there be no need? At the very least it's a token of goodwill," Yang Hengye said. "Come down and take a look with me."

"I'll pass. I don't understand any of that tobacco and liquor business," Chen Shutang said, shaking her head. "I'll just lie here a while. I'm a bit sleepy."

"All right then," Yang Yuting nodded. "I'll leave the engine running. I'll be right back."

With that, Yang Yanzhou got out and walked toward the shop by the road. Shops like this usually stayed open all night; most of their customers came to buy gifts or to visit family and friends.

Yang Ce entered the shop. A man and a woman were already inside buying things. The man's back looked somewhat familiar, but the moment he spoke, Yang Ce recognized him at once.

"It's my first time going to your place—shouldn't I buy a slightly better bottle of liquor?" the young man said.

"It doesn't have to be that expensive. My dad isn't picky anyway. Besides, he only said he wanted to see you—he hasn't approved of us or anything," the girl said quietly. "And we don't have much money left as it is. We're going to the amusement park tomorrow, so don't spend all our New Year's money. If you want to buy liquor, use your own money—keep your hands off mine."

"Yang Xiaobo!" Yang Ce called out, never expecting to run into his cousin here. And from the conversation between him and his girlfriend, this Shen Hua, the two of them seemed already very close—close enough to pool their money.

Yang Yongjin could only shake his head. Kids these days—what a gap between them and his own generation. He hadn't gotten together with Chen Shutang until his senior year of high school, while his cousin had started dating in his first year. Yang Ce didn't stop to consider that he himself had already had that indescribable, undefined thing with Su Ya back in middle school. "Bro!" Yang Xiaobo turned around and, catching sight of Yang Ce, remembered what he had just been saying and flushed. "Bro, what are you doing here?"

"Same as you—visiting my father-in-law, buying some tobacco and liquor," Yang Jiyan said, not nearly as embarrassed as Yang Xiaobo. He was a university student now, after all, not a high schooler sneaking around with an early romance.

"Bro, I'm just going to Shen Hua's place for a meal," Yang Xiaobo explained awkwardly, flustered by Yang Cenbin's words.

"All right, no need to explain," Yang Hengye said. "Since we've run into each other, you don't need to spend your money. Save what little you have for your dates at the park."

"Thanks, big bro!" Yang Xiaobo didn't stand on ceremony; he and Yan had been the closest since childhood, so there was no need for formality. Besides, it was the holidays and he and Shen Hua were always going out on dates, which cost money. Their New Year's money was nearly gone as it was—two more bottles of liquor and they'd have practically nothing left.

"Shen Hua, is it?" Yang Hengye nodded at the girl beside Yang Xiaobo. "What kind of liquor does your father like—wine or baijiu?"

"Baijiu, I think," Shen Hua said after a moment's thought. She didn't usually pay attention to such things; from what she could remember, no red wine had ever appeared in their house.

Yang Yuting nodded. People of Shen Hua's father's generation generally had a taste for baijiu and not for red wine. Red wine had only caught on in the country in recent years, and was favored mostly by young people from the upper crust.

"Wuliangye—what do you have in the better grades?" Yang Ce turned and asked the shopkeeper.

"Over here. The best Wuliangye we have is the 1985, in 52 proof and 26 proof," the shopkeeper said.

Yang Shuoxuan did not expect to find any Maotai or Wuliangye from the early years of the People's Republic here—that was all but impossible. This was just a small roadside shop selling cigarettes and liquor.

"All right, then give me four bottles of the fifty-two percent," said Yang Minlan, the boss. "Wrap them two to a box."

"Certainly." Seeing how readily Yang Ce agreed, the shopkeeper happily set to work. He had them packed in no time and handed them over. "Sir, that comes to twelve thousand eight hundred in all."

"Fine, I'll pay by card." Yang Ce tossed over a bank card. He was fairly satisfied with the price; the shopkeeper clearly knew how to do business. Though Yang Ce had bought four bottles without so much as asking the cost, the man's quote was reasonable enough—there was no sign he had tried to fleece him.

Truth be told, it was not that the shopkeeper had no wish to earn more. His reasoning was this: a wealthy man like Yang Cenbin who walked in and asked for the best liquor straight away was surely a regular buyer who knew roughly what things cost. Quote too high and he would only scare the customer off. So he named a fair price outright.

Yang Xiaobo had meant to buy just one bottle, a few hundred yuan at most, yet never imagined Yang Ce would get him two bottles worth over three thousand apiece.

"Brother, isn't this way too expensive?" Yang Xiaobo glanced at Yang Puqi and murmured.

"You little rascal—you can't even bear to spend a little money on chasing a girl? That won't do at all," Yang Ce said, clapping him on the back of the head with a laugh.

Yang Cenbin's words made both Shen Hua and Yang Xiaobo lower their heads in embarrassment. Yang Ce also bought Chen Fei two cartons of Little Pandas and two of Chunghwa. He did not buy any for Yang Xiaobo, of course—the two bottles were quite enough; Yang Yongjin did not want him drawing too much attention.

"How are you two getting back?" Yang Ce glanced at the sky outside. At this hour, hailing a taxi would be difficult.

"We walk up the road a bit and there's the No. 87 stop; ride it to the terminus and we're there," Yang Xiaobo said. "Brother, don't worry about us. If you've got business, go on ahead."

The bus—Yang Puqi slapped his forehead. Only then did he recall that when he was in high school, had he not taken the bus too? Back then he had never once hailed a cab. But life was comfortable now, and Yang Ce had not ridden a bus in a long time; just now he had been judging Yang Xiaobo and the others by his present way of thinking.

"Then let's go together. I'll give you a ride—it's cold out," Yang Yanzhou said.