Chapter 77
Taking in the Sister-in-Law
The farce caused by Brother Long quickly ended with his cronies bowing and scraping as they apologized to Coach Sun.
"Remember this, I've got this restaurant under my protection. Chen Huan is my little brother."
"If you want to cause trouble in the future, just come to the driving school training ground in the abandoned factory and find me, understand?" Coach Sun said, hands on his hips, his eyes fierce.
"Understood, understood." The thugs on the other side nodded repeatedly.
"Do you really understand?" Coach Sun frowned.
"What we mean is, we absolutely won't cause any trouble, we're leaving now." In the blink of an eye, the thugs had vanished.
Only then did Xia Meili help Long Ge, whose face was bruised and swollen and whose head was covered in bumps, out of the room.
"Hey, isn't this our Brother Long?"
"I heard you're quite energetic, why are you acting so timid today?" Qiao Lingling really is a troublemaker.
Even at this moment, they didn't forget to kick someone when they're down, mocking them in front of everyone.
Brother Long didn't dare utter a sound. He shoved Xia Meili aside and climbed into a dilapidated Santana parked next to him.
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Xia Meili approached Chen Fan with a livid face, seemingly wanting to say something, but in the end, she only revealed a complicated look in her eyes.
Then, turning to the little girl hiding behind Chen Huan, he said, "Xia Xiaozhu, I'm giving you one last chance. Are you coming with me?"
Xia Xiaozhu instinctively shook her head.
Xia Meili gritted her teeth, "You think you're all grown up now? Do you still want to study? If you don't come with me, who will feed you and provide you with a place to live?"
Xia Xiaozhu looked like she was about to cry again.
"Don't be afraid, I'm here."
"If you want to go to school, I'll pay your tuition, and I'll take care of your food and lodging until you're able to support yourself." Chen Huan held Xia Xiaozhu's hand, his tone steady.
Xia Xiaozhu looked up and stared blankly at Chen Huan.
"What, you don't want to?" Chen Huan grinned.
"I'm willing," Xia Xiaozhu hurriedly replied.
"What's going on with you two?"
"Don't forget, I'm Xia Xiaozhu's older sister. Chen Huan, who do you think you are?"
"She used to be your sister-in-law, but she's not anymore. What right do you have to meddle in our family's affairs?" Xia Meili broke down completely and shouted hoarsely.
"Just because I'll treat her like a younger sister from now on," Chen Huan replied calmly.
"Are you trying to steal my sister from me?"
"Why should I? Just because your family is dirt poor? Do you know how much high school tuition is, or how much it will cost after you go to college?"
"You probably don't even have a thousand yuan on you, so what are you pretending to be, acting all high and mighty!"
"You're clearly trying to harm Xia Xiaozhu!" Xia Meili shouted even louder.
"Don't worry about the money."
"Perhaps I'm not rich now, but I can still afford the tuition. As long as I have food to eat, I will never let Xia Xiaozhu go hungry."
"I would never push her into the arms of a scoundrel like you did." Chen Huan's tone remained calm, but his eyes were confident and firm.
At that moment, a series of angry horns came from the old, dilapidated Santana not far away.
Xia Meili frowned deeply and glared at Chen Huan fiercely. "What do you know?"
Then he looked at Xia Xiaozhu and said, "You chose this path yourself, so don't regret it later!"
After saying that, he turned around angrily and quickly walked towards the Santana, opened the car door and got in.
With a few hard throttle presses, the Santana sped away.
Xia Xiaozhu stared blankly as the car disappeared from sight, her expression seemingly somewhat bewildered.
"What, you don't have faith in me either?" Chen Huan raised his hand to wipe away the tears on the little girl's face.
Xia Xiaozhu forced a smile, "Brother-in-law..."
Chen Huan frowned. "Xia Meili and I are already divorced. Why are you calling me brother-in-law? Call me brother."
"Brother-in-law..." Xia Xiaozhu was still a little dazed, her emotions not yet calmed down.
Chen Huan grinned. "Fine, call me whatever you want."
"Have you eaten yet? I'll take you to get something nice to eat, so you can forget all these unhappy things."
"Yes, yes, little sister, don't be afraid. I'll add a few more dishes for you later. Just tell me what you want to eat," Qiao Lingling comforted her gently from the side.
Xia Xiaozhu's smile relaxed a bit. "Thank you, sister."
"Alright, alright, stop standing outside in the sun. Let's talk back in the private room." Kim Dae-sung cheerfully made the arrangements from the side.
So the group returned to the private room in the backyard.
"Her name is Xia Xiaozhu, and she will be my sister from now on," Chen Huan introduced her to everyone.
Qiao Zhenshan and Qiao Lingling were also present, and everyone smiled and congratulated Chen Huan and Xia Xiaozhu.
"Sit down and eat. Don't worry about anything. I'll take care of everything, even if the sky falls." Chen Huan helped Xia Xiaozhu sit down and served her some food.
Xia Xiaozhu, however, seemed to have little appetite and looked preoccupied.
"What's wrong?" Chen Huan asked, puzzled.
Qiao Lingling chimed in, "You used to live with your sister, right? Now you have nowhere to live, don't you?"
Xia Xiaozhu nodded, her lips pursed in worry.
Chen Huan then suddenly realized what was going on.
He only thought about keeping the people there, but he didn't think about so many other things.
"If it doesn't work..." Chen Huan planned to take him back to his home first.
Li Chunlan might have some objections, but she wouldn't be so intolerant of Xia Xiaozhu.
I'm afraid the villagers will gossip, and Xia Xiaozhu might not be able to handle it.
"How about this? It's not convenient for a little kid to live with a grown man like you. If you're willing, you can live with me."
"We have a house nearby, it's big enough, and there are lots of rooms," Qiao Lingling continued.
"Isn't this inappropriate?" Chen Huan was surprised as well as delighted.
Unexpectedly, Qiao Lingling, this rebellious woman, would actually take the initiative to help with this.
"What's inappropriate about it? I think this girl is quite well-behaved, and it's good that she has a companion with Lingling."
"Also, we're not letting her stay and eat for free. She can come to the hotel to help out when she's on vacation or when she doesn't have classes on Saturdays or Sundays."
"We can just give them a small amount of salary as a token gesture later, wouldn't that be great?" Qiao Zhenshan offered his suggestion with a smile.
Chen Huan was even more grateful.
The old man was very thoughtful; he directly helped solve Xia Xiaozhu's food and accommodation problems, making it very convenient for her to attend school nearby once school starts.
They can also work part-time at restaurants to earn a living.
Money doesn't matter; the main thing is to prevent Xia Xiaozhu from feeling awkward about accepting charity or living under someone else's roof.
"What do you think? If you have any concerns, you can come home with me. We can talk about the future later," Chen Huan asked patiently.
Xia Xiaozhu nodded. "Brother-in-law, I think it's a good idea. I was originally planning to find a summer job anyway."
"I would love to stay here, but I'm afraid of causing trouble for everyone."
"No trouble at all. From now on, you'll be my little sister, and I'll protect you."
"No one will dare to bully you." Qiao Lingling put her arm around Xia Xiaozhu's shoulder, looking like a big sister.
Xia Xiaozhu quickly became more relaxed and cheerful, and a genuine smile appeared on her face.
Chen Huan didn't intend to ask what Xia Meili had intended to do to her.
I was just thinking that after we finished eating, I would go and buy some clothes and daily necessities for Xia Xiaozhu.
At this moment, Qiao Lingling suddenly became interested in Coach Sun's identity again.
He stood up to offer a toast and said, "Brother Sun, is this really the infamous Tiger Sun from Dongjiang City?"
Coach Sun coughed twice, "Let's not bring up the past again..."
Qiao Lingling then added, "I'm asking you about someone, do you know anyone from across the river?"
Coach Sun raised an eyebrow, just about to answer, when Qiao Zhenshan, who had been all smiles, suddenly slammed his hand on the table. "Lingling, what are you trying to do?"
"Remember this, I've got this restaurant under my protection. Chen Huan is my little brother."
"If you want to cause trouble in the future, just come to the driving school training ground in the abandoned factory and find me, understand?" Coach Sun said, hands on his hips, his eyes fierce.
"Understood, understood." The thugs on the other side nodded repeatedly.
"Do you really understand?" Coach Sun frowned.
"What we mean is, we absolutely won't cause any trouble, we're leaving now." In the blink of an eye, the thugs had vanished.
Only then did Xia Meili help Long Ge, whose face was bruised and swollen and whose head was covered in bumps, out of the room.
"Hey, isn't this our Brother Long?"
"I heard you're quite energetic, why are you acting so timid today?" Qiao Lingling really is a troublemaker.
Even at this moment, they didn't forget to kick someone when they're down, mocking them in front of everyone.
Brother Long didn't dare utter a sound. He shoved Xia Meili aside and climbed into a dilapidated Santana parked next to him.
101 Reading - Read books on 101 Reading website! All the best content is at 101read.com. (This site is completely error-free and user-generated.)
Xia Meili approached Chen Fan with a livid face, seemingly wanting to say something, but in the end, she only revealed a complicated look in her eyes.
Then, turning to the little girl hiding behind Chen Huan, he said, "Xia Xiaozhu, I'm giving you one last chance. Are you coming with me?"
Xia Xiaozhu instinctively shook her head.
Xia Meili gritted her teeth, "You think you're all grown up now? Do you still want to study? If you don't come with me, who will feed you and provide you with a place to live?"
Xia Xiaozhu looked like she was about to cry again.
"Don't be afraid, I'm here."
"If you want to go to school, I'll pay your tuition, and I'll take care of your food and lodging until you're able to support yourself." Chen Huan held Xia Xiaozhu's hand, his tone steady.
Xia Xiaozhu looked up and stared blankly at Chen Huan.
"What, you don't want to?" Chen Huan grinned.
"I'm willing," Xia Xiaozhu hurriedly replied.
"What's going on with you two?"
"Don't forget, I'm Xia Xiaozhu's older sister. Chen Huan, who do you think you are?"
"She used to be your sister-in-law, but she's not anymore. What right do you have to meddle in our family's affairs?" Xia Meili broke down completely and shouted hoarsely.
"Just because I'll treat her like a younger sister from now on," Chen Huan replied calmly.
"Are you trying to steal my sister from me?"
"Why should I? Just because your family is dirt poor? Do you know how much high school tuition is, or how much it will cost after you go to college?"
"You probably don't even have a thousand yuan on you, so what are you pretending to be, acting all high and mighty!"
"You're clearly trying to harm Xia Xiaozhu!" Xia Meili shouted even louder.
"Don't worry about the money."
"Perhaps I'm not rich now, but I can still afford the tuition. As long as I have food to eat, I will never let Xia Xiaozhu go hungry."
"I would never push her into the arms of a scoundrel like you did." Chen Huan's tone remained calm, but his eyes were confident and firm.
At that moment, a series of angry horns came from the old, dilapidated Santana not far away.
Xia Meili frowned deeply and glared at Chen Huan fiercely. "What do you know?"
Then he looked at Xia Xiaozhu and said, "You chose this path yourself, so don't regret it later!"
After saying that, he turned around angrily and quickly walked towards the Santana, opened the car door and got in.
With a few hard throttle presses, the Santana sped away.
Xia Xiaozhu stared blankly as the car disappeared from sight, her expression seemingly somewhat bewildered.
"What, you don't have faith in me either?" Chen Huan raised his hand to wipe away the tears on the little girl's face.
Xia Xiaozhu forced a smile, "Brother-in-law..."
Chen Huan frowned. "Xia Meili and I are already divorced. Why are you calling me brother-in-law? Call me brother."
"Brother-in-law..." Xia Xiaozhu was still a little dazed, her emotions not yet calmed down.
Chen Huan grinned. "Fine, call me whatever you want."
"Have you eaten yet? I'll take you to get something nice to eat, so you can forget all these unhappy things."
"Yes, yes, little sister, don't be afraid. I'll add a few more dishes for you later. Just tell me what you want to eat," Qiao Lingling comforted her gently from the side.
Xia Xiaozhu's smile relaxed a bit. "Thank you, sister."
"Alright, alright, stop standing outside in the sun. Let's talk back in the private room." Kim Dae-sung cheerfully made the arrangements from the side.
So the group returned to the private room in the backyard.
"Her name is Xia Xiaozhu, and she will be my sister from now on," Chen Huan introduced her to everyone.
Qiao Zhenshan and Qiao Lingling were also present, and everyone smiled and congratulated Chen Huan and Xia Xiaozhu.
"Sit down and eat. Don't worry about anything. I'll take care of everything, even if the sky falls." Chen Huan helped Xia Xiaozhu sit down and served her some food.
Xia Xiaozhu, however, seemed to have little appetite and looked preoccupied.
"What's wrong?" Chen Huan asked, puzzled.
Qiao Lingling chimed in, "You used to live with your sister, right? Now you have nowhere to live, don't you?"
Xia Xiaozhu nodded, her lips pursed in worry.
Chen Huan then suddenly realized what was going on.
He only thought about keeping the people there, but he didn't think about so many other things.
"If it doesn't work..." Chen Huan planned to take him back to his home first.
Li Chunlan might have some objections, but she wouldn't be so intolerant of Xia Xiaozhu.
I'm afraid the villagers will gossip, and Xia Xiaozhu might not be able to handle it.
"How about this? It's not convenient for a little kid to live with a grown man like you. If you're willing, you can live with me."
"We have a house nearby, it's big enough, and there are lots of rooms," Qiao Lingling continued.
"Isn't this inappropriate?" Chen Huan was surprised as well as delighted.
Unexpectedly, Qiao Lingling, this rebellious woman, would actually take the initiative to help with this.
"What's inappropriate about it? I think this girl is quite well-behaved, and it's good that she has a companion with Lingling."
"Also, we're not letting her stay and eat for free. She can come to the hotel to help out when she's on vacation or when she doesn't have classes on Saturdays or Sundays."
"We can just give them a small amount of salary as a token gesture later, wouldn't that be great?" Qiao Zhenshan offered his suggestion with a smile.
Chen Huan was even more grateful.
The old man was very thoughtful; he directly helped solve Xia Xiaozhu's food and accommodation problems, making it very convenient for her to attend school nearby once school starts.
They can also work part-time at restaurants to earn a living.
Money doesn't matter; the main thing is to prevent Xia Xiaozhu from feeling awkward about accepting charity or living under someone else's roof.
"What do you think? If you have any concerns, you can come home with me. We can talk about the future later," Chen Huan asked patiently.
Xia Xiaozhu nodded. "Brother-in-law, I think it's a good idea. I was originally planning to find a summer job anyway."
"I would love to stay here, but I'm afraid of causing trouble for everyone."
"No trouble at all. From now on, you'll be my little sister, and I'll protect you."
"No one will dare to bully you." Qiao Lingling put her arm around Xia Xiaozhu's shoulder, looking like a big sister.
Xia Xiaozhu quickly became more relaxed and cheerful, and a genuine smile appeared on her face.
Chen Huan didn't intend to ask what Xia Meili had intended to do to her.
I was just thinking that after we finished eating, I would go and buy some clothes and daily necessities for Xia Xiaozhu.
At this moment, Qiao Lingling suddenly became interested in Coach Sun's identity again.
He stood up to offer a toast and said, "Brother Sun, is this really the infamous Tiger Sun from Dongjiang City?"
Coach Sun coughed twice, "Let's not bring up the past again..."
Qiao Lingling then added, "I'm asking you about someone, do you know anyone from across the river?"
Coach Sun raised an eyebrow, just about to answer, when Qiao Zhenshan, who had been all smiles, suddenly slammed his hand on the table. "Lingling, what are you trying to do?"