Chapter 107: To Reverberate the Village

Lu Cheng Yu and Li Fang Yue returned to the village on an oxcart, both were too shocked to say a word to each other on the whole way.

Lu Cheng Yu was in a state of utter stupefaction, and Li Fang Yue was no better.

"Son, what has Secretary-General and you talked about?" Tang was confused when she saw Lu Cheng Yu's shocked expression.

Lu Cheng Yu glanced at Tang and said, "Secretary-General talked to me about something very serious."

Tang asked curiously, "What is it?"

Lu Cheng Yu took a deep breath and glanced at Tang, "The boss of Sino Commercial House is Chen Xiao Mi!"

Tang jumped excitedly. "Impossible."

Lu Cheng Yu pulled a long face and muttered, "It's hard to believe, but it should be true."

Logically speaking, no boss would entrust the store to a Bio and a stranger and retire backstage without ever showing up for years. The employees of the Sino Commercial House all signed their indentures with Chen Xiao Mi. It was also up to Chen Xiao Mi how much pay the workers were getting.

Lu Cheng Yu used to think that the boss of Sino Commercial House was too muddleheaded. The boss didn't even bother to show up after the villagers raising a colossal uproar about the couple embezzling the turnover of the store. But now he just thought that Lu Lin and Chen Xiao Mi had done a damx great job tricking everyone!

To think they managed to hide such a thing from everyone for years!

Lu Cheng Yu suddenly understood why Chen Xiao Mi had given much money to Chen Jing easily.

Lu Lin was married into the Chen Family by his own grandparents, no one could accuse him of being unfilial. Chen Xiao Mi was different. Although Chen Xiao Mi had renounced his family verbally, if Grandma Chen and Grandpa Chen resolved to sue Chen Xiao Mi, it was possible that Chen Xiao Mi would be imprisoned.

With a written and witnessed Renouncement Letter in hand, Chen Xiao Mi had ironclad proof that he and his brothers had nothing to do with the Chen family.

Thirty taels of silver was nothing for Chen Xiao Mi.

Back then, if the Chen family knew that Chen Xiao Mi was actually the boss of commercial house, they would never let him go with just thirty taels of silver.

Lu Cheng Yu thought to himself, 'Chen Xiao Mi is quite thoughtful and prudent, he had spared all later trouble with mere 30 taels of silver and a country house. Chen Xiao Mi has been leading such a comfortable life in town for the past few years, but the Chen family didn't have any improvement.'

The Chen brothers were very resentful towards Chen Jing due to the stupid thing he had done.

"This Lu Lin is actually the boss."

Tang gritted her teeth with hatred. In the past few years, Tang had been looking forward to the boss of commercial house coming back and kicking Lu Lin out as she saw what a great life Lu Lin and his family were leading. She turned green with envy when she heard the so-called "Big Boss" didn't exist at all. Chen Xiao Mi and Lu Lin actually owned the commercial house themselves.

"Chen Xiao Mi and Lu Lin, how is it possible though! They could afford a store and a house in town! How did they get the capital in the first place!" In Tang's opinion, those who could gain a foothold in town all had a rich family supporting them, but neither Chen Xiao Mi nor Lu Lin had such a family!

Tang had always seen Chen Xiao Mi as nothing but a bold hunter, Lu Lin as an ill-starred invalid like his own grandmother had said. She was shocked to the core when she heard this couple actually owned the store!

Lu Cheng Yu looked pale and sullen, he did not say anything back to his mother. The business in Sino Commercial House was very lucrative. If the commercial house really belonged to Lu Lin, Lu Lin must have saved no less than a thousand taels of silver over the years.

Lu Cheng Yu suddenly found that although he was a Xiucai, the gap between him and Lu Lin was getting bigger and bigger. Lu Lin had long stood at a height that he could not see. Being a Xiucai sounded impressive, but only tangible silver was the real thing.

Over the years, the Lu Family only had a slender income from the field, their living standard had plunged. Although Lu Cheng Yu still enjoyed some special treatment at home, it had been so many days since he had any meat.

Lu Cheng Yu felt flustered when he thought about Lu Lin, a cousin who he had been held in contempt, was leading such a successful life in town.

......

The news about Lu Lin disturbed the balance of Tang's mind.

Tang couldn't help but spill the beans to Grandma Lu about this. Grandma Lu broke out into curses and made a racket, she insisted on going to town and asking Lu Lin for money.

The news that Chen Xiao Mi was the real boss of commercial house spread throughout the village.

Lu Cheng Yu meant to sit on it for a while but Grandma Lu couldn't help spread the word across the whole village that Lu Lin was unfilial, he had kept everyone in the dark and shut his eyes to his grandparents' suffering over the years.

With Grandma Lu's cursing and swearing, the village instantly exploded.

"This Sino Commercial House belongs to Chen Xiao Mi and Lu Lin? Impossible, what about that Big Boss who is out of the town?"

The villagers found the news hard to process, how come two of their fellow villagers actually own such a big store in town! That was purely unbelievable.

"From the little bit I know, it is very possible this commercial house belongs to Chen Xiao Mi and Lu Lin. The so-called 'Big Boss' has never even showed up in town for years."

"Chen Xiao Mi once said he had accidentally saved the Big Boss, is it possible that the Big Boss has given Chen Xiao Mi his store as a reward?"

"This shop is a golden goose! I can't imagine how rich this couple is now!"

"This store is really theirs? But Chen Xiao Cai only gave Shen Chi ten taels of silver or so when they got married, isn't that too stingy for a family who owns such a huge business?"

"Ten taels of silver is quite a lot to be honest. They are a family now. This betrothal present is nothing more than a formality. Shen Chi is so lucky!"

"The Lu boys are so capable! Lu Cheng Yu is now a Xiucai, and Lu Lin is the boss of such a big commercial house in town!"

"But I don't think Lu Lin would appreciate it when we call him a Lu boy, his family sold him to Chen Xiao Mi years ago, he is by no means a Lu boy."

"..."

The news that Chen Xiao Mi was the boss of Sino Commercial House broke out, and the marriage between Shen Chi and Chen Xiao Cai was discussed again, Shen Chi all of sudden became the luckiest Bio in the entire village. If Chen Xiao Mi were the master of their family business empire, Chen Xiao Cai would be the young master and Shen Chi the young madam.

A few people who had taken a liking to Chen Xiao Cai in the past started to regret it. they wished they had been more determined to be betrothed with Chen Xiao Cai. The Sino Commercial House was such a big commercial house, they could lead a comfortable life by riding the Chen Brothers' coattails.

Then the villagers started to sigh with emotion that Granny Shen was indeed the luckiest, even though she lost her son and daughter-in-law years ago, she and her grandson were leading such a great life now.

......

The Chen family were now sitting by the table, sulking.

Chen Shou Xin said excitedly, "Father! This Chen Xiao Mi is the Big Boss and he is hiding it from us."

Chen Shou Li was also a little excited. It baffled him that Chen Xiao Mi had suddenly become the boss of commercial house.

Chen Jing said in resentment, "Chen Xiao Mi is filthy rich, but he complained of being hard up when we asked him for money."

In the past few years, Chen Jing had been greatly tortured. When the news that Chen Xiao Mi was the boss of commercial house spread to Chen Jing, Chen Jing was both shocked and indignant.

"We should've asked for more!" Grandma Chen was seized with remorse.

Grandma Chen then turned to Grandpa Chen, "You were even defending him back then! You felt sorry for him that he had to sell his house in the village. He tricked us all! He sold the house because he had his own property in town and he was too good for the village houses!"

Grandpa Chen sighed in his heart. He felt so sorry when he forced Chen Xiao Mi to cover half of Chen Jing's debt. The truth was Chen Xiao Mi could easily cover Chen Jing's whole debt, but he manipulated everyone and tricked them into writing the Renouncement Letter with only 30 taels of silver.

"Father!" Chen Xiao Mi shuts his eyes to us, that's not the way!" Chen Shou Ren said.

Grandpa Chen sighed and said, "What's the point now? he has nothing to do with us after we signed the Renouncement Letter."

Chen Xiao Mi only agreed on giving them 30 taels of silver and the village house on the condition that the Renouncement Letter be signed. The letter specifically stated that the two sides were unrelated to each other. Even if Chen Xiao Mi was about to starve to death, the Chen family had no obligation to save him, and vice versa.

Grandma Chen said excitedly, "That brat did it on purpose. I wondered why he gave us the money so easily! He was tricking us!"

Grandpa Chen now had realized it with bitter hatred that Chen Xiao Mi had seen this day coming, so he asked them to sign the Renouncement Letter as part of the precaution mechanism.

Chen Shou Ren looked at Grandma Chen and said excitedly, "Mother! Back then, you shouldn't have asked for just 30 taels, you should have asked for 300 taels!"

Grandma Chen pulled a long face and said, "30 taels for him is nothing, isn't it?"

Chen Jing shivered as he thought about how miserable his life had been in the past few years. He had to quit school and the imperial examinations because of his debt. He had been toiling in the field while his classmate Lu Cheng Yu had passed the exam. Now he couldn't help but think, 'That could be me! I could be a Xiucai as well! Chen Xiao Mi is rich, he could have covered my debt and supported me at school!'

He gritted his teeth on thinking that Chen Xiao Mi folding his hands and seeing him quitting school with indifference.

Grandpa Chen's mind was in a great turmoil as well.

Grandpa Chen had never expected that Chen Xiao Mi would be so capable. Grandpa Chen couldn't help but think what if he had been nicer to Chen Xiao Mi's father, what if he had defended Chen Xiao Mi when he was being abused by Grandma Chen, what if... ...

Maybe Chen Xiao Mi would be filial to him and invite him to live in town with him.

He had heard from the villagers that Granny Shen had been living in the town over the past few years. And those female workers were all at her service. Grandpa Chen wished to have some servants as well.

"Grandpa Chen, I heard that Sino Commercial House belongs to Chen Xiao Mi, is it true?"

As soon as Grandpa Chen walked out, he was surrounded by several villagers.

"I don't know either."

"Grandpa Chen, how come you don't know?"

Grandpa Chen's face darkened. He knew just as much as the villagers. And now they pestered him for more information, making Grandpa Chen a little embarrassed.

Grandpa Chen said sullenly, "How would I know about anything about that brat!"

Seeing that Grandpa Chen was mad, the villagers stopped asking knowingly.

"I already said it was useless to ask Grandpa Chen. Don't you know how sour the relationship between the Chen family and Chen Xiao Mi is?"

"But Chen Xiao Mi is a Chen after all!"

"Let me ask you a fair question, how did Chen Xiao Mi's father die?"

"I know, I know. I just didn't expect Chen Xiao Mi to be the boss. If I had known that, I would have helped him when he was down and out, so I could have found a job in commercial house."

"I heard that Sino Commercial House pays their employees extremely well!"

The villagers discussed for a while and they all regretted for not treating Chen Xiao Mi, the big tycoon, better back then.