Reaching the age of thirty, my income randomly doubled

In the warm sunshine of December, the temperature is cold.

Chen Pingsheng, rarely at home, played with the kids.

Chen Xinyi was one and a half years old, and even had a tiny ox-horn braid tied up with a small elastic band on her head.

Tying up that sparse little head of hair was quite a struggle.

Little Chubby Girl had grown round and plump, not quite like her sister at her age.

When Chen An’an was little, she wasn’t that chubby.

She had forced herself to get plumper later on, but Chen Xinyi was different.

Her chubby little face was especially adorable.

"Dada."

"Come here, let Daddy hold you."

Chen Pingsheng picked her up, and Little Chubby Girl giggled joyfully.

Before long, Chen An’an also returned home with her schoolbag.

After December comes New Year’s Day, and after New Year’s Day is the Spring Festival.

What she looked forward to most was the Spring Festival because she could take a month off.

"Dad, you’re quite free, huh?"

"Free what, can’t your dad take a break?"

Chen An’an sat next to her dad and even pulled out an apple-flavored lollipop from her pocket, her little sister’s favorite.

Once tucked into her mouth, she could play quietly for half an hour.

Really easy to look after.

"Dad, how are we going to celebrate the New Year this year?"

"Of course, we’ll go home for it, where else do you want to go play?"

Chen An’an tilted her head in thought, not coming up with anything at the moment, and said with a giggle that she would tell him once she thought of something.

Chen Pingsheng couldn’t be bothered with her.

Actually, whether they went back to the village this year seemed optional, mainly because in October, during her sister’s wedding, all the relatives had already visited.

Grandpa and Grandma had played here for half a month.

As for Granny Peng Ying, it seemed she had taken her Koenigsegg to do the shopping.

She probably wanted to go back.

We’ll see when the time comes.

If they didn’t return, they would just bring all the relatives in the family to the Capital City for the New Year.

Younger Sister Chen Qi came over with gifts in hand; she had been very happy recently because of the family’s happy event.

Hu Lin had been transferred from that unknown school in the Capital to the Capital City’s Education Bureau.

Although it was just a start, being a junior clerk in the Basic Education Department,

the leap from a primary school directly to an institution like the Education Bureau was considered a promotion by any standard.

Chen Qi was very happy, occasionally bringing over something to visit him.

Having a family of her own really made a difference; she had settled down.

"Brother, do you think Hu Lin can make it in a place like the Education Bureau with his personality?"

"It’s tough."

Chen Pingsheng spoke the truth, "In such a place, everyone is shrewd. Your Hu Lin, though he’s hardworking and willing to endure hardship, is a bit too straightforward. He needs more experience."

He didn’t want to discuss this matter further.

In many jobs, it’s all about seniority or having the right connections. Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Without either,

as the leaders would say, young people should not be afraid of hardships and should spend more time honing their skills at the grassroots level.

That’s what they say when you’re thirty.

At forty, they say you need to have patience.

By fifty, you’re asking the leaders if there’s still an opportunity for you.

That’s probably how it goes.

Chen Pingsheng didn’t know if Hu Lin could make it. Working at the Education Bureau might not pay more than being a teacher, but it certainly carried higher status.

His younger sister Chen Qi didn’t lack money, so the salary was a moot point for her.

Granny Peng Ying had returned, too, having bought a hen from outside, which she was told by the vendors in the market was an authentic free-range chicken from the countryside.

She decided to buy it, mainly wanting to make soup for her two little granddaughters.

The vegetables on the second floor, after half a year of growth, were ready to eat.

The vegetables from the Siheyuan tasted no different.

The taste was more or less the same, not getting any better just because they were grown in a prime location.

Now that the younger sister was pregnant, Granny often stewed hen soup for her.

It wasn’t even five o’clock yet.

His wife, Song Yanxi, surprisingly returned in her red LaFerrari, too.

Her sister, Liu Fen, didn’t mention it openly, but she had, in fact, always urged her to get married soon.

"Husband, my sister is bringing her boyfriend over later."

"The actor?"

Chen Pingsheng felt that compared to his younger sister Chen Qi’s choice, Hu Lin,

his sister-in-law Song Wu’s choice of partner was clearly less reliable.

Although Hu Lin was not rich, his virtue lay in his honesty and integrity, and his genuine filial piety.

But Song Wu’s boyfriend, let’s just say, is a more complicated story.

It can be said that he was chasing her because she had a brother-in-law who was the boss of the Tengying Group.

Song Yanxi was aware of this.

But she was even more aware that, given her family’s status, it was impossible for her sister’s love life to be free of materialistic interests.

The majority of those who pursued her would have had an eye on her family background from the start.

Song Wu’s boyfriend could only be considered a third-tier actor, signed to a small company.

He had played the second male lead in a drama she had invested in.

The only thing he didn’t dislike about this man was that he was quite masculine and not like the effeminate pretty boys that were currently popular in the industry.

Unknowingly, Song Wu had reached the age of 26; it was about time for her to think about settling down.

Song Yanxi had come back this time just to take a look at him with her.

Song Wu was very nervous, as it was the first time she was bringing a boyfriend to meet her brother-in-law.

Thinking about the recent fuss caused by Tengying Group, she became even more nervous.

Her brother-in-law had donated eight hundred million in just one month to create a welfare project for employees.

In the entertainment industry, he was the first ever to do such a thing.

Furthermore, he gave out about two billion in year-end bonuses for the group.

That was even more unprecedented.

There were no other bosses in the entertainment circle who could afford to give so much for charity.

This showed just how high her brother-in-law’s status was in the entertainment industry.

"Are you two planning to get married now?"

Song Wu nodded.

Chen Pingsheng looked at her boyfriend and said, "What’s going on with you, giving up the ’old Baby’ who picked you up?"

The entertainment circle isn’t a place where you can thrive just through acting skills and real strength.

To come from a humble rural kid to a third-tier actor wasn’t without someone’s backing.

That person was a female actress in her forties who had taken a liking to him.

Although her status in the industry wasn’t that high, her seniority was significant.

It took pleading with countless people to raise him from an unknown nobody to a third-tier status.

He even got to play the second male lead in a drama starring his sister-in-law.

"Big brother, I truly like Little Wu." Sun Hao was startled, not expecting to be asked such a question as soon as he arrived.

His legs were a bit shaky, mainly because the man in front of him wasn’t someone he could easily fool.

"Isn’t that the same thing you told your previous ’old Baby’?"

Chen Pingsheng sipped his tea indifferently, making it clear he was not fond of this man who had lived off a woman.

Because after getting to know his sister-in-law, he decisively cut ties with the ’old Baby’ who had helped him rise up, clean and thorough.

The reason he didn’t kick him out immediately was that eight out of ten in the entertainment circle were like this.

Nothing new under the sun.

Having said that, if his sister-in-law still wanted to continue with him, he wasn’t going to bother anymore.

It can’t be said that his judgement of people isn’t great—at least Chen Qi chose Hu Lin, and she seems quite happy with her little life.

As for this guy, he’s clearly got character issues.

"Big brother, I’ve explained this to Song Wu, and she has forgiven me," Sun Hao hurriedly explained.

Chen Pingsheng replied, "She might have forgiven you, but does that mean you can enter the Song Family’s door?"

"Don’t use those little schemes in front of us; they’re not called sincerity but stupidity."

"You’re well aware, given Tengying Group’s standing in the entertainment industry, we could expose all your little games in less than three minutes, so it’s better to come clean yourself."

"You dumped the actress who had supported you wholeheartedly and gave her all your savings over the years to gain a reputation as sincere, kind, and true to your roots."

"Who gave you the courage to play these foolish tricks in front of us?"

Song Wu’s face turned deathly pale; she had never imagined that her seemingly sincere boyfriend had been calculating from the start.

The genuineness he displayed was just what he wanted her to see.

Song Yanxi was also furious. She had never approved of her sister dating someone from the entertainment circle.

Now that this incident had occurred, it was even less likely that she would agree to let the relationship continue.

"Get out. You shouldn’t have set your sights on my wife’s only sister."

Chen Pingsheng pulled out his phone and sent a message right in front of them. "Don’t you know that if you fail, you can only go back to your countryside home and start farming again?"

He placed his phone on the table.

Chen Pingsheng had sent just four words to Bai Xin: Ban Sun Hao.

Years of effort gone in an instant due to a skewed desire, disappearing like smoke into thin air.

A third-tier male actor in the entertainment circle wasn’t that prominent to begin with.

Earning a few million a year was still easy.

He was at least considered a winner in life, someone who could be looked up to when he went back home.

Now, all he could think about was squeezing his way into a wealthy family.

Just like those passionate entrepreneurs, his nights were filled with dreams of success.

Aiming to rise above everyone else, to slap in the face all those who had looked down on him.

Clearly, he had underestimated the cost of entering a wealthy family.

Sending him back to the countryside was something the current Chen Pingsheng could easily accomplish.

"Big brother, I..." Sun Hao still wanted to explain.

But he was directly dragged out by Zhao Yimin, who had just entered the door.

Thrown outside like tossing out a clown.

As for Song Wu, she was already being pulled into the room for a reeducation by the stern-faced Song Yanxi.

If she dared to chase after that man, her position as an older sister would be nothing but a joke.

To betray once is to potentially betray again and again.

Her family could accept someone with no money or status entering their home, but they absolutely would not accept someone with serious character flaws.

Especially someone with unfathomable intentions, stepping into the Chen Family’s door.