Chapter 014: Brewing

Li Ping took a deep breath, suppressing the fire in his heart, trying his best not to lose his temper. He turned around and forced a stiff smile. "Alright then, I have nothing else to do anyway!"

Chen Ying nodded. "That’s for the best!"

Li Ping gave a hollow laugh.

Zhao Feng was watching from the side. He could see that Li Ping was not at all eager to send him off, but Zhao Feng said nothing. In fact, he rather enjoyed making things difficult for Li Ping.

Zhao Feng waved his hand. "Enough, let’s have breakfast."

"Okay, okay!" Chen Ying eagerly followed Zhao Feng away. The two of them headed toward the simple dining room, paying no attention to Li Ping, who was left standing there, somewhat at a loss.

Li Ping took another deep breath, his face dark as he glared at Zhao Feng’s departing back. "Zhao Feng, is it? I have plenty of ways to deal with you! Hmph!" With that, he too made his way to the dining room.

When everyone arrived, Zhao Jun and Chen Lan were already waiting. It was clear that Zhao Jun was in high spirits, brimming with energy. After all, he could now walk normally again, hardly any different from before. Still, his legs weren’t fully healed, but it was enough to make him happy.

"Xiaofeng, come try some of the buns I made!" Chen Lan picked up a bun and handed it to Zhao Feng.

Zhao Feng reached out and took it. "Thanks, Mom!"

Chen Lan laughed, glancing at both Chen Ying and Zhao Feng.

"Mom, what is it?" Zhao Feng asked with a frown.

Chen Lan smiled sweetly. "Don’t frown! You’re not handsome when you frown."

Zhao Feng rolled his eyes. "Alright, I won’t frown."

"That’s better!"

Chen Lan took a bun for herself and bit into it. "Xiaofeng, did you and Yingying have any falling out last night?"

Zhao Feng, in the middle of eating, paused. He glanced at Chen Ying, who kept her head down, sipping her soy milk in small sips.

Zhao Feng shook his head. "Did Chen Ying tell you?"

Chen Lan quickly shook her head. "No, no! I just noticed you both seemed a bit unhappy. I wondered if something had happened!"

Zhao Feng looked a bit helpless.

He shook his head. "Nothing happened between us. And even if it did, it’s over now! Don’t you know your son by now? I’m very forgiving!"

Chen Lan chuckled. "That’s good to hear!"

Zhao Feng nodded lightly.

Chen Lan picked up another bun and placed it in front of Zhao Feng. "Are you heading to the county town later?"

Zhao Feng nodded. "Yes. I need to get a new SIM card."

"That’s good!"

Zhao Feng scratched his head. "Mom, do you need me to bring anything back for you?"

Chen Lan shook her head. "No need. I just wanted to ask if I could go with you."

Zhao Feng frowned. "You want to come with us?"

"Yes."

"But what about Dad? Who’ll look after him?"

Chen Lan thought for a moment. "Your dad should be fine on his own."

"Exactly!" Zhao Jun chimed in. "I’ll be fine here. You all should go out and enjoy yourselves."

Zhao Feng’s brows were tightly knit. "Dad, are you really okay by yourself?"

Zhao Jun rolled his eyes. "What could possibly happen to me? Who’s going to pick a fight with me now?"

After thinking it over, Zhao Feng agreed. He relaxed his brow and nodded. "Alright, Mom, you can come with us."

Chen Lan smiled happily, clearly in good spirits.

After breakfast, Chen Lan returned to her room and asked Chen Ying to join her, saying she wanted some advice on what to wear to look her best.

Zhao Jun, Zhao Feng, and Li Ping sat in the first-floor living room of their two-story house, chatting and drinking tea. Li Ping sat on the sofa, head down, playing with his phone, ignoring Zhao Feng and his father.

Zhao Feng didn’t mind at all. He and Zhao Jun chatted idly, until suddenly Li Ping looked up.

Feigning casual interest, Li Ping asked, "Uncle, I heard your leg was lame before?"

At that, Zhao Jun’s smile froze, and Zhao Feng’s expression grew cold.

Zhao Jun nodded calmly. "Yes, it was."

Li Ping laughed. "My family knows a lot of doctors at major hospitals. If you ever need anything, you can get in touch with me."

Zhao Jun glanced at Zhao Feng, then smiled. "No need. I already know the best doctor there is."

Li Ping shook his head, thinking Zhao Jun was just being stubborn, and said nothing more.

After a while, Chen Lan and Chen Ying came out of the room. Chen Lan was wearing a yellow floral dress and asked, laughing, "Well? How do I look in this dress?"

Zhao Feng nodded. "Mom, you look great! That dress takes ten years off you!"

Li Ping sneered under his breath, muttering, "Looks like something off a street stall."

Chen Lan’s smile faded instantly, and Zhao Feng’s eyes darkened. Chen Ying was visibly angry.

She shouted, "Li Ping, if you can’t say anything nice, just don’t speak!"

Li Ping spread his hands and shrugged. "I’m just telling the truth..."

"You—!" Chen Ying was furious.

Chen Lan patted Chen Ying’s hand. "It’s alright, Yingying. The boy’s not wrong—this is a street stall dress. We’re country folk, there’s no need to dress up, no fancy clothes to wear."

Li Ping laughed, a hint of mockery in his tone. "See? Auntie knows it herself."

Chen Ying glared at Li Ping, her chest heaving with anger. She took a deep breath. "Li Ping, I’ll tell your sister everything you’ve done!"

That startled Li Ping. He quickly said, "Yingying, Auntie, I didn’t mean anything by it! Since Auntie doesn’t have nice clothes, I’ll buy her a nice outfit when we get to the county."

That was enough to calm Chen Ying a little. "That’s more like it."

Li Ping laughed, rubbing his nose.

Chen Ying took Chen Lan by the arm. "Auntie, let’s go."

Chen Lan nodded.

Throughout it all, Zhao Feng hadn’t said a word, as if he was deep in thought.

The four of them stepped out the front gate, where an Audi A8 stood parked. Zhao Feng recognized immediately that it was a pricey car; after all, his former classmate Xiang Tao used to be picked up from school in one.

Taking a deep breath, Zhao Feng opened the front passenger door and got in. Chen Lan and Chen Ying took the back seats.

Li Ping glanced at the rearview mirror. "Why are you sitting in the front?"