Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations
The department store.
“Dad, why are you buying such expensive things? I don’t think you should do that. Just think about it. If you buy such an expensive gift and your other classmates see that, they will look for you whenever they have any problems and you’ll have to buy them something expensive as well,” Huang Yun Ge said with a look of dissatisfaction in his voice. They had only just reached Zhongzhou, so the natural thing was for them to wait for the other party to come and receive them. However, his father had not even bothered to contact the other party and just came here straight to the department store.
Also, the things that he was buying were not cheap at all. Huang Yun Ge felt a heartache even by looking at the price tag. To him, there was no point buying something so expensive. It would just go to waste as they did not even have a good relationship with the other party. Also, the other party was not able to offer them any help in return.
Huang Ting looked at his son and said, “How can you think like that? I had a pretty good relationship with this Uncle Lin back then. This is his 50th birthday so I should do something a little more special for him.”
“Next time, when one of my classmates calls for help, if I have the time, I have to go and help them. You can’t just refuse to help people based on their status. You have to understand that life can change in an instant. Our fortune won’t last forever. If you ignore people while you are rich, when you have nothing at all, do you think people will come and help you?” Huang Ting was trying to teach his son some life principles.
Huang Yun Ting completely ignored that. He just shrugged his shoulders and said, “Ah, dad, I think your thinking is wrong. When the time comes, they will definitely come to help you.”
“Let me tell you this. You better be well behaved tomorrow. You better not be so sloppy the whole day.” Huang Ting did not want to say much more.
“Got it,” Huang Yun Ge said as he let out a sigh. There was not much that he could say. “Dad, can you hurry up? Just randomly choose a gift. I have to go and meet my friends.”
“Look. This one looks pretty good. A 3 or 4 thousand dollar watch is enough.”
Huang Ting ignored his son’s words. He pointed at the 20 thousand dollar Longines watch and said, “This one. By credit card.”
“Okay,” the staff member said as he nodded his head and proficiently did his job.
The next day!
Usually, Lin Fan would wake up at around 8 or 9 AM. However, today, he was loudly awoken at 7 AM.
The guests could just make their way to the place at 11 AM. However, since they were the hosts, they definitely had to wake up earlier.
“Son, quickly get up. Don’t sleep anymore,” his mother said as she entered the room and started to pull his blanket.
Lin Fan replied, “Mum, stop pulling my blanket, I’m already so old.”
His mother replied with annoyance, “Why? Just because you’re old, I can’t pull your blanket? Hurry up. Go out and help your father to prepare.”
“Okay, okay,” Lin Fan helplessly said. He could not say anything else in response and could only just drag himself out of bed. When he reached the living room, he realized that some of his relatives had come.
“Hello, aunts and uncles,” Lin Fan said. His father’s few siblings were already enough but they had invited even more than that.
However, his family’s relationship was still pretty good. Although there were times of friction, these were small matters that were not the concern of the younger generation and were for the older generation to settle amongst themselves.
His second uncle said, “Little Fan, you’ve done a great job planning your father’s birthday all by yourself.”
Lin Fan laughed and said, “I definitely had to do a good job.”
His second aunt said, “I knew that you were the filial one, Lil’ Fan. However, from what your mother tells me, you still haven’t found a girlfriend yet. You better quickly find one so to fulfill your mother’s wishes. After that, once you give her grandchildren, all her wishes will be complete.”
Lin Fan laughed and replied, “I’ll find one soon.”
His third aunt, who was standing at the side, laughed and said, “You really are amazing Lil’ Fan. I heard from your father that you’ve been making a name for yourself in Shanghai, even appearing on television a few times.”
Lin Fan just laughed and did not say anything to that.
It seemed like his father was not very in depth when it came to explaining these sorts of things to his relatives. Perhaps it was a good thing as he did not want to have to deal with all sorts of other problems.
After listening to some instructions, Lin Fan left and got to work.
He waited in the neighborhood for a while for Bai Ke to drive his car over. After which, the two of them went over to the fireworks store, collected the fireworks they had ordered and brought them over to the hotel.
With regards to the alcohol and all the other stuff, they had also already made arrangements for those.
After finishing all of that, they took a quick check of the time and realized that it was reaching 10 AM already.
The two of them were sitting in the car and smoking as Bai Ke said, “Brother Fan, you didn’t invite your friends this time around?”
Lin Fan smiled and replied, “Why would I invite my friends? It’s my father’s birthday so what right do I have to invite my own friends?”
“That’s not right. You’ve been doing so well in Shanghai and have made so many connections. Furthermore, this whole meal was organized by you, it’s only right that you invite some of your friends over,” Bai Ke said. Naturally, he knew all about the name Lin Fan had made for himself in Shanghai. If not for him having known Lin Fan for so long, he would not dare believe that it was true.
At the same time, it also made him feel very proud inside. After all, he was good friends with the Master Lin who was widely discussed on the Internet.
His relationship with Lin Fan had been steady all this while. There were times when he would boast to others about being friends with him and they would not believe him at all. However, he still felt extremely good inside.
However, if he was just talking to an ordinary person, he did not dare bring it up in case the other party would feel that he was just trying to show off.
From the early morning all the way until 11 AM, Lin Fan’s mother and father had been busy bringing their groups of relatives over.
Some of that had come from the rural side of Zhongzhou. Thus, they were super happy when they saw the hotel. After all, this hotel was a lot more high class than the banquets that they were used to going.
In their eyes, Elder Lin was very rich, to be able to hold a banquet at such a huge hotel.
Bai Ke also got to work. His main role was to bring one group of relatives upstairs and then come down and bring more of them up.
At the entrance of the hotel.
Lin Fan felt a little helpless as he said, “Dad, why did you have to bring me down here? Can’t you welcome your classmates yourself?”
His father replied, “What do you mean welcome them myself? Your aunts and uncles are all here so what does it say if my own son isn’t here with me as well?”
Lin Fan helplessly replied, “Okay, okay. Whatever you say, dad.”
Very quickly, another group of people came.
“They’re here, they’re here,” his father was very excited upon seeing them. It was as if he was seeing a group of friends that he had not met in years. The excitement was clearly plastered all over his face. Then, he rushed up to meet them. The moment he was face to face with them, he gave each one of them a huge hug.
“It’s you Elder Chen. It’s been almost twenty years since we last met.”
“Elder Zhang! The last time we met was about nine years ago. That time, when you came over to Zhongzhou, we didn’t have the chance to properly sit down for some drinks. This time, you can’t run away. We have to go for some drinks.”
“Wow, I’m really touched. I sent that message in the group but I didn’t expect you guys to all come.”
The moment his father saw all his classmates that he had not seen in a long time, he was filled with excitement and was smiling like a kid.
“Son, come over here and greet them. This is Uncle Chen.”
“This is Uncle Zhang.”
His father pointed at them one by one. Then, Lin Fan put a smile on his face and extended his hand, saying, “Hello Uncle Chen.”
“Hello, Uncle Zhang.”
“Hello, Auntie Wang.”
Even though he had never met his father’s classmates before, he still treated them with a huge amount of respect. After all, they were his father’s classmates so he had to give his father face. At the same time, he did not want to give them the idea that his father had not raised his own son properly.
However, from Lin Fan’s point of view, these people did not really have too much interest in him.
“Wow, Elder Lin’s son has grown up so much already.”
“Elder Lin, he really looks like you.”
Inside, he was laughing as well. It seemed like, in the minds of these uncles and aunties, he was just a little brat. After that, he just returned to his father’s side and stopped behind him, not saying anything else.
