Chickens and dogs fly in chaos and rebirth

Chapter 91

Who knew that this big mouth would announce at the dinner table that very night that his brother had a girlfriend!

Shang Lin was looking at the profit and loss statement while eating when he suddenly spat it all over the statement, then coughed incessantly, patting his chest. Qiu Jianguo, who was about to drink his soup with a spoon, heard this and his hand trembled, causing the spoon to fall into the soup bowl, spin, and sink.

Zhang Hongwei remained the calmest: "Chang Sheng, it's not good to fall in love too early."

She adopted a long-winded approach, preparing to patiently educate the child, when Li Changsheng, his face flushed red with frustration, kicked Qiu Xialin, sending him tumbling three times:

"Don't talk nonsense!"

With a serious expression, she said, "Auntie, don't listen to his nonsense, I don't have a girlfriend!" She glanced at Qiu Shanglin almost imperceptibly. Having just caught her breath, she grinned mischievously and squatted down in front of Qiu Xialin:

"Quick, tell me!" He exuded an aura that said: I'm a gossip, I want to gossip!

For some reason, Changsheng suddenly became very angry. He put down his chopsticks, looked at them, and didn't say a word.

Shang Lin had his back to Li Changsheng, so he couldn't see Li Changsheng's expression. Qiu Xia Lin, who was facing Li Changsheng, could see it clearly and shook his head repeatedly: "I won't say it! I won't say it! If I say it, I won't live."

Shang Lin raised an eyebrow: "If I don't tell you now, you won't survive. Right, Dad, Mom?" Seeking backup.

Qiu Jianguo also found it amusing and urged, "Hurry up and tell me, don't embellish!"

When the patriarch spoke, Li Changsheng remained silent. Qiu Shanglin then used both threats and inducements, promising to buy him the latest game console, before he finally stammered, "Aunt Li wrote to say that she's looking for a partner for my brother. There's a business partner of theirs whose daughter is a year younger than my brother, in junior high school. She's very pretty, sensible, and hardworking. They want to arrange an engagement between my brother and her!"

Zhang Hongwei found this utterly unbelievable: "An engagement?"

Xia Lin glanced at his brother and shrank back: "There's another photo; the other party also wrote a letter to my brother."

Zhang Hongwei was speechless: "There are photos too?"

Good heavens, Changsheng isn't even an adult yet, and they're already thinking about arranging a marriage for him? Aren't these parents being way too ahead of their time?

While there are examples of early engagements and marriages in rural areas, with many boys getting engaged at sixteen or seventeen, which isn't considered early, this is still rural life. Those who graduate from junior high and leave early to farm or do business are nothing compared to Li Changsheng, who is destined for university! Isn't getting engaged now far too early?

Qiu Shanglin laughed so hard on the carpet that he almost fell over, rubbing his stomach and crying out in pain.

"Oh my god, I'm dying of laughter, tears are streaming down my face... an engagement... Changsheng, you... hahahaha, I can't take it anymore, I'm dying of laughter..."

Chang Sheng roared, "I didn't agree!"

Qiu Shanglin chuckled to himself: "Didn't you say you had photos? Bring us the photos so we can give you our opinions. If she's really beautiful, then we'll make a reservation. These days, beautiful women are hard to find!"

Changsheng glanced at her, stood up, and turned to leave.

His silence startled everyone. Shang Lin's smile froze on his face, taking a long time to recover. Xia Lin's features were furrowed with worry: "It's all over, it's all over, he's angry, he's angry! It's all your fault, my brother's angry!" He pushed his sister, blaming her.

"How is it my fault? You're the one who provoked him!" Shanglin retorted.

She was still angry. He'd really grown up, daring to throw a tantrum now, just walking away without a word? She muttered to herself, "Doesn't he realize how hard it was for me to raise him? And now he's giving me attitude..."

Zhang Hongwei found it amusing and stopped him, saying, "That's enough! Changsheng is kind and won't stoop to your level, but you're going on and on! What did you do to him? Changsheng has been independent since he was a child. You've only ever fed him a few meals, and now you're making him do hard labor. How dare you say that?"

One shouldn't be too shrewd. Her daughter is good in every other way, but she's too strong-willed and unwilling to suffer losses or give way to others!

Shanglin refused to accept this and stubbornly retorted, "How could I not take care of him? Without me, he would have been beaten to death or starved to death long ago; without me, could he have passed the high school entrance exam? Can't I even laugh at him a few times?"

Zhang Hongwei ignored her and let her rant.

He instructed his son, "Go downstairs and check on your brother!"

Xia Lin pouted, "I'm not going. He's in a bad mood. Anyone who goes will be in trouble!" He then slipped into the study to watch TV.

Shanglin muttered and talked for a long time, still unable to put his mind at ease. Seeing that his family members were all busy with their own things, he secretly slipped downstairs.

A sandbag was hanging in a corner of the living room. Li Changsheng, shirtless, was punching the sandbag. Hearing the sound, he glanced sideways and saw that it was Qiu Shanglin. He ignored her and continued punching.

Shang Lin felt awkward and pretended to go get some food from the refrigerator.

I opened the freezer; it was full of cold meat. Stealthily watching him pound it, I casually groped my way into the refrigerator, pulled something out—eggs!

Frowning, she scanned the food. He didn't like bread, and didn't want milk, but thankfully there was fruit. She took out some strawberries, washed them, and quietly went to the living room, settling on the sofa while keeping an eye on him out of the corner of her eye.

Changsheng didn't even glance at her, treating her as if she were nothing, and continued punching the sandbag. Sweat streamed down his back, making his dark, smooth muscles appear even more defined.

He didn't have the effeminate mannerisms common among boys these days, nor was he like a delicate scholar raised in a greenhouse. His muscles were full of strength, and every move he made was full of masculinity. He was tough yet elegant—although he was trained by Qiu Shanglin!

Upon closer and careful observation, I realized that the little Changsheng I remembered, who was irritable, easily angered, and prone to throwing punches, had grown into a young man!

Shanglin felt uneasy. Her son, whom she had raised from infancy, had grown up and would one day spread his wings and fly. She had never imagined that Changsheng would spend his entire life under her protection, but this day had come so suddenly, it was unsettling. Thinking of him, and then of Qiu Xialin, the woman she had painstakingly raised, was about to say goodbye and be taken by another woman… it seemed… she felt a pang of jealousy…

She finally understood why there are always wicked mothers-in-law in the world! She was feeling exactly like one right now!

While she was preoccupied with her thoughts, Changsheng was also feeling uneasy.

He initially dismissed it as a joke, finding his parents' ideas laughable. But Qiu Shanglin's laughter made him very uncomfortable.

Are you so happy that I'm getting engaged to someone else? Are you going to personally arrange the wedding and give me a lavish gift?

As for why he was unhappy or angry, he didn't have time to think about it.

Perhaps it was because I was ridiculed—I made up a flimsy excuse.

The sandbag swayed slower and slower. Changsheng adjusted his breathing, held the stopped sandbag steady, and wiped it haphazardly with a towel.

Shanglin leaned closer: "Want some strawberries? I just washed them, they're from the fridge, they're so refreshing and delicious."

Changsheng glanced at her, then grabbed one and put it in his mouth.

After a quick shower, Qiu Shanglin was still there. He was sitting cross-legged on the sofa, laughing heartily at the TV, occasionally popping a strawberry into his mouth. Seeing him come out, she was overjoyed:

"Come and eat! If you don't come out soon, I'll eat it all!"

Chang Sheng rolled her eyes at her. "You've got such a short memory! I'm still angry!"

"Hahaha, this is so funny!" She was laughing so hard she was doubled over on the sofa. Changsheng couldn't help but wonder what she was looking at. He leaned closer to take a look and immediately fell silent:

"Three Variations on Plum Blossom? Doesn't that sound like a tragic story?"

Shang Lin wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, bewildered: "Ah, is it that tragic? Don't you think she's hilarious? Look at the Roaring Cult Leader's expression... and her nostrils... hahaha..."

Chang Sheng remained silent. He casually changed the channel.

Qiu Shanglin has never really watched 'meaningless soap operas'. In her words, "I could make up all that stuff myself, why waste my time?" Oh, I forgot to mention, she has a stake in these TV dramas.

Enough of the small talk. Shang Lin composed himself, picked up a strawberry, and said, "I sincerely apologize to you. I shouldn't have ignored your feelings and mocked your life so carelessly. Marriage is a very serious matter for you... Pfft, hahahaha... Let me laugh for two minutes, no, just one minute!"

She simply couldn't resist.

An 18-year-old high school student getting engaged? That's hilarious! It's not like we're filming a TV drama!

Chang Sheng was speechless again. He glared at her fiercely, "Are you here to apologize or to make me angry?"

Finally, she calmed down.

What do you think?

Chang Sheng asked irritably, "What are you thinking about?"

"Engagement, oh, it should be called engagement!" That's the rural way of saying it.

Chang Sheng rolled her eyes at her: "You can make the reservation if you want, I'm not making it!"

Shang Lin laughed: "Alright, alright, I won't book it. But, I think you should go back to live with your parents..."

Chang Sheng narrowed his eyes, his tone unfriendly: "You're kicking me out?"

She raised her hands in surrender: "Of course not! Listen to me!"