Chapter 10: Dignified Banquet (Part 1)

乎還冇有動工，已經擱置了很久。市政地下水管道施工正在進行，這塊空地臨時用作堆放水泥管的地方。很多學生放學會從這裡經過，他們也正好從此路過。看到那邊有很多人，有的蹲著、站著，有些還手裡提著棍子。張菲菲等女生的臉色變了，艱難地說：“是趙承言那夥人……”確實是趙承言一行人，但也不僅僅是他們。錢隆和梁笑等人也在場，還有十幾個看上去體格健壯的人，穿著紅色白色統一的運動服，背後印著“建陽體校”。趙承言正在跟一...Chapter 10: Dignified Dinner Gathering (Part 1)

The next day at Bamboo軒Residence.

This was also the first day of vacation before the high school entrance exam.

Bamboo軒Residence was a place where Su Cun's large family gathered most frequently back in those days. However, it wasn't his parents who organized these gatherings; at that time, both his father and mother were ordinary employees. His mother's workplace was also involved in layoffs, which made everyone nervous. It was impossible for places like Bamboo軒Residence, a medium to high-end restaurant, to afford such large family get-togethers.

The one treating them to dinner was his eldest uncle, Zeng Quanming, who held the most power and status in the extended family as its head. He worked at the city's Construction Bureau and held the position of Director of the Planning Office; he was also the only civil servant among the whole family, let alone a director. His pivotal role within the household was unquestionable.

The younger uncle, Zeng Zhao Ding, was then a small shareholder in the "Century Club," an upscale karaoke night club in Xiahai City, lacking his elder brother's political acumen.

After graduating from high school, he ventured into society to start his own path. The gang leader among those who had once roamed with him managed to make a name for himself and became a legitimate big boss. As the younger uncle was one of his former fighting companions, he also received some care and consideration. These ex-gangsters' sense of opportunity regarding new business ventures was keenly sharp; they were already operating gift and toy stores in Xiahai City, which were quite novel at the time. The younger uncle Zeng Zhao Ding had previously been the manager of this store, and after its successful development, his "big boss" gave him shares to work as a shareholder in the night club. By his thirties, he was already enjoying significant success.

In my impression, although the group of people from Xiao Jiu’s faction were originally rowdies, they eventually became legitimate businessmen. However, they still retained some of their thug-like demeanor. Back then, Xiao Jiu was enjoying his prime time. Especially when he became a shareholder of "The Century Association," he had significant influence at home. Even Da Jiu, Ceng Quanming (the Planning Office Director), looked down on him. He would often boast about how much more money he earned in three months compared to what a civil servant like Da Jiu could make in an entire year and brag about his connections with high-level city leaders whom he had dined or played golf with.

This infuriated Da Jiu, who was already known for being temperamental and eccentric within the civil service system.

If Xiao Jiu treated his elder brother like this, it’s no wonder he held little regard for Su Chen’s father, who used to earn a fixed salary. However, compared to Da Jiu, Xiao Jiu was much more adept at navigating social situations and relationships. He would frequently confront their father directly while ignoring Su Chen's retorts during family dinners, often leading to unpleasant endings.

While Xiao Jiu had disdain for his own father Su Licheng, he would still maintain a polite facade when dealing with him. In private conversations with his mother, however, he wouldn’t hide his true feelings.

Su Chen’s father was well aware of the pressure and disrespect he faced within this circle. He usually remained silent and bore it all alone. When he returned home after being humiliated elsewhere, he would only smile bitterly and occasionally console Su Chen: "If I am looked down upon for lacking ability, you are my hope. I can still proudly say that my son is exceptional."

Unfortunately, when Su Chen was younger, he had never made his father feel proud.

He stumbled everywhere and needed constant support from his parents. Looking back now, it fills Su Chen with a deep sense of guilt.

"Li Cheng Su, Kang Zeng cannot make it; you should bring your son forward. With people like you, the unit will collapse! What can you rely on Only when your son Li Chan Su succeeds can you change your fate!" Uncle Zeng's voice, tinged with official authority, pierced through his ears.

Uncle Zeng Quanming was a straightforward person and did quite well in his role at the planning office. One of his eyes had cloudy lenses, but he managed to become a civil engineering technician using just one eye. However, there weren't greater promotion opportunities for him as he didn't engage in political maneuvering; instead, due to aging and weakening influence, coupled with cerebral hemorrhage issues, he was later transferred to the administrative center where his power gradually diminished until it was almost time for retirement.

Uncle Zeng was one of the people whom Su Chan was most grateful towards during his growth. Even though conflicts arose between them due to his father's problems, Uncle Zeng genuinely wished that they, as a younger generation, could have greater prospects and achievements. Seeing his clear-minded uncle from eleven years ago now made Su Chan feel thankful; despite often clashing with him when young, he never harbored resentment towards him. As he matured over time, the feeling of gratitude deepened until many years later when Su Chan realized that Uncle Zeng did not need repayment but rather desired results, even if it meant dealing with him arrogantly.

Now, as Uncle Zeng spoke candidly as usual, targeting his father this time and pulling in his mother Kang Zeng too, the statement didn't seem specific. Moreover, while talking, Zeng Quanming's one eye glanced at Su Chan, seemingly concerned about any possible confrontation should he mention his father again.

Su Chan found it amusing yet touching; Uncle Zeng was still the chief of the planning office and had many people flattering him daily, but now he actually considered Su Chan's temperament and reacted to his expressions. How difficult must that be

"Yes, yes, okay..." His parents nodded hurriedly in agreement. His mother turned her head with a slightly caring tone, "We are counting on you this time; after all, our hopes rest upon your shoulders, son!"

His sister Zeng Na immediately shot him a look and said, "How good can his grades be! You two still cling to great hope. Look at the score in his mock exams—only 470 points, less than 500. Forget about entering No.3 High School; even when he was in junior high here, students with the worst scores were over 500 points. Your grades are merely average in your class! You can know how bad it is to enter that school!"

Sense of superiority, this inherent sense of superiority represents a unique imprint of Xiaohai City.

His elder sister is currently in her second year of high school. Given that she has been academically excellent since childhood, it's natural for her to attend the top-ranked First High School, and thus her sense of superiority is not surprising.

In a momentary flashback, Su Cen also recalls how his cousin (his aunt’s daughter), who was around the same age as him when they were younger, did not get along well with him. Firstly, there was Xiao Di's (his uncle's son) five-year-old sister Zeng Yuan, whom his elder sister favored more than him. Secondly, although they both went through middle and high school during the same period, their generational gap often led to ideological clashes. Both of them were competitive, frequently arguing until they were flushed with anger. Additionally, Su Cen’s poor academic performance made it impossible for him to compare favorably with his elder sister who attended First High School, naturally causing her to look down on him. This attitude is in stark contrast to the one she would adopt years later when she would call him regularly from another big city and inquire about his welfare, showing that growth can indeed change many things.

With all the family members gathered together, even though there might be mutual accusations or complaints, sometimes leading to heated discussions, it always ends up being the warmest scene. In the future, these three siblings will each go their separate ways; during the New Year celebrations, someone is often missing, but reminiscing about those days spent together always brings warmth and joy.

Now that Su Cen feels as though time has reversed, he feels a sense of closeness. He does not mind his elder sister's disdain for him anymore and smiles calmly, saying, "It doesn't matter if my grades are poor; I will make up for it by working hard to review. This time, I'll aim to perform at my best. How about that"

Su Cen’s mother, Zeng Ke, who was worried that the brother and sister might argue again, immediately tried to smooth things over, saying, "Oh, Su Cen is making an effort now. He studied very late last night; he knows how to work hard!"

To her surprise, despite her sarcastic remarks, Su Cen remained calm. This level of composure from the brother she had always been most dissatisfied with was something Zeng Na had never seen before and it left her momentarily speechless. She did not want to continue provoking him but only pursed her lips and said, "With such poor grades, studying won’t help anyway!" Can in Building 17 hadn't reached Room 602 in Building 13 yet. However, Su Can felt this was good because when he met Tang Wu's roommates recently, there seemed to be a barrier between them. While ta...