Volume 1, Chapter 38: Showing Off

"You young rascal, you've really grown wings, haven't you? Making such an important decision as buying a car without even saying a word to me!"

"Over two hundred thousand for a car? Do you really think you're something special?"

"With that kind of money, you could have saved it and renovated our house. Wouldn't that have been better?"

"Don't think that just because you've made a little money, you're a big shot. Save your money and don't end up like your father!"

It was already dark when he arrived home. When the old man learned that Guo Dong had gone into the city to buy a car and had spent over two hundred thousand, he was absolutely livid. He spent the entire night scolding him, to the point where he didn't even eat his dinner properly.

It wasn't just the old man; even Meng Xiaohan called to ask about it. She said it was too expensive and that he should have saved some money and bought something for a few tens of thousands instead. They hadn't even officially confirmed their relationship, yet she was already trying to manage his life. Guo Dong didn't know what to say.

He didn't get much rest that night. To calm his mind, he took out the "Thirteen Ghost Needles" and continued his studies.

Early the next morning, he was dragged out of bed by Li Tianhu to pick up the car in the county seat. Just as Guo Dong had expected, the keys were handed straight to Li Tianhu, and he took the wheel. Throughout the entire drive back, Li Tianhu was incredibly excited.

"Guodong, help me take some photos!"

"Make sure to get the interior in the shot!"

"Show the steering wheel and the car emblem, hurry up, don't mess it up!"

Li Tianhu was driving, but it was Guo Dong who was kept busy the whole time. The trip from the county to Xiantao Village usually took about ten minutes, but Li Tianhu stretched it out to over twenty. Not only that, but starting from the neighboring village, he made sure to greet everyone he saw. And the worst part was, the guy was a total show-off.

"Tianhu, that's a nice car you've got there! Must have cost a lot, right?"

Without even stepping out of the car, Li Tianhu handed out cigarettes and chuckled, "It didn't cost much, just a few hundred thousand!"

Ninety thousand is technically "a few hundred thousand," but he was just being coy, his tone dripping with humble-bragging.

"Tianhu, you've been making good money lately!"

"Not really, just started a fish pond, planted some vegetables, and cleared a few hundred thousand, that's all!"

Good grief. Sitting in the passenger seat, Guo Dong had become nothing more than a prop; he couldn't even get a word in. He wanted to say he didn't know these people well enough to strike up a conversation, and frankly, they didn't really notice him anyway.

By the time they reached Li Family Gully, Guo Dong finally lost his patience and kicked the guy out of the driver's seat.

"Guodong, you son of a gun, that's biting the hand that feeds you! I worked hard to drive this car back for you, can't you let me have a little fun?"

"Fine, I'll get out, but can I at least go check on my fish pond?"

"Don't be in such a hurry, give me my phone first!"

"I've got all these photos, I need to show off on my social media feed, don't I?"

That was how Guo Dong finally managed to force Li Tianhu into the passenger seat, driving the new pickup truck back into the village himself.

At the village entrance, Guo An—a man who never usually stood around chatting—was there. Today, the old man hadn't just come out; he was actually engaging in small talk. It wasn't just Guo An; he also saw the usually busy Meng Tianming. While others were playing cards at the village entrance, the two of them stood by, watching and chatting aimlessly.

When the car pulled up, the group didn't react at first.

"Is someone here to pick up vegetables again? It’s not the right time, the crops aren't ready yet!"

"What vegetables? Can't you see it's a new car? It doesn't even have license plates yet!"

"This... could it be Tianhu?"

Just as they were speculating, the passenger window rolled down and Li Tianhu stuck his head out. Before he could even say hello, the crowd swarmed the vehicle.

"Is this a pickup? It looks so impressive!"

"Isn't it a truck? Why does it look so different from the one at Tianhu's house?"

It was indeed different. With Li Tianhu following along and the salesperson spinning a smooth story, they hadn't paid attention to anything but the exterior. From a distance, the car looked no different from a luxury vehicle. It had five seats, and the body was much longer than the open cargo bed in the back.

"This car must be expensive, right?"

Meng Tianming stood with his hands behind his back in front of the car, looking it over with glowing eyes. Although Guo An's expression remained stern, he walked right up to the passenger side and said to Li Tianhu, "Kid, get out!"

He tried to pull the door handle a few times, but it wouldn't budge.

"Grandpa, we're almost home, why..."

Guo An ignored Li Tianhu completely and addressed Guo Dong, "Don't go home yet, take me to East Village. I have something to discuss with your maternal grandfather! Yes, something medical!"

That excuse was flimsy at best. Guo An hadn't been to East Village in years; ever since Guo Dong was old enough to remember, he hadn't gone more than a handful of times.

Discussing medical matters was just a front; showing off was the real goal. Over the years, he had been the target of many whispers in East Village. Having an unaccomplished son had kept him from holding his head high for half his life. Now that his grandson had finally made something of himself, he was determined to show it off so he could walk through that village with his head held high in the future.

Li Tianhu opened the door, handed the phone back to Guo Dong, and winked at him—the meaning was clear. Guo Dong had complained earlier about being lectured all night, and Li Tianhu had comforted him. Now, as Li Tianhu had predicted, the old man was acting grumpy on the outside, but was clearly bursting with pride on the inside.

"Grandpa An, this is the seatbelt. You have to buckle up once you're in. And this here is the door lock; if you can't open the door when you get out, just press this!"

Li Tianhu tried to explain, but the old man glared at him, scaring him into backing off.

"Do you think I don't know how to use my own family's car?"

Following Li Tianhu's instructions, he sat in the passenger seat. He had intended to light a cigarette, but upon seeing the pristine interior, he immediately thought better of it. It was brand new, after all; he had to be careful.

Seeing his grandfather's cautious behavior, Guo Dong finally breathed a sigh of relief. He turned the car around and headed toward East Village.

At the village entrance, the group of onlookers began to laugh.

"Grumpy on the outside, soft on the inside. Old Man An has finally shed his bad luck and is entering a time of good fortune. He's going to enjoy his golden years!"

"Indeed. I haven't seen him leave the house in ages."

"He used to only leave to gather herbs in the mountains. This is the first time he's left the village in three years!"

"Tianming, it looks like your Xiaohan has found a good match!"

Hearing the conversation turn to his own family, Meng Tianming snorted dismissively but didn't say a word.

The others continued, "Guodong has really made something of himself. I always thought he and your Xiaohan were a perfect match, but I never expected them to actually end up together."

Meng Tianming felt proud, though he didn't let it show on his face. He finally interjected, "A fresh flower planted in cow dung. Xiaohan is a graduate of a prestigious university, and this kid couldn't even get into college."

"But he can make money!"

Meng Tianming: "..."