From Wage Slave to Tycoon

"Big Bro, it’s getting late! Get up and eat some tangyuan!"

Hearing the voice next to his ear, Su Chen had just opened his groggy eyes to find a large face looming right in front of him. The shock jolted him wide awake.

When he saw it was Su Yan, Su Chen glared at him in annoyance. "What are you doing getting so close? You nearly scared the life out of me!"

Su Yan scratched his head sheepishly. "I was just trying to wake you up quietly. You know how loud my voice is..."

Hearing this, Su Chen let out a resigned sigh. "Fine, fine. I’m getting up."

After the fireworks last night, he had been ready for bed, but the younger generation in the courtyard had pulled him into a game of Golden Flower that lasted for several hours. He wasn’t sure if it was because of the kowtows he’d performed earlier, but he’d actually won a small sum of one or two thousand yuan.

"Dad, have you guys eaten already?" When Su Chen came downstairs, he saw his father and two uncles already preparing the items for burning incense.

Just then, Chen Shufen walked out of the kitchen with a small bowl and handed it to Su Chen.

"Don’t you know what time it is, my dear young master!"

Looking at the tangyuan in the bowl, Su Chen knew they were the sweet kind he loved.

They say the great migration from Huguang to Sichuan brought with it many unique local delicacies.

Take the tangyuan Su Chen was now eating, for instance. The people of Fuzhou generally preferred the sweet kind, but in districts not far from Fuzhou, they ate savory tangyuan filled with meat.

Su Chen had been very surprised the first time he tried one, but the taste was actually quite good.

Following the adage that "good things come in pairs," there were only two tangyuan in Su Chen’s bowl. But these two were more than double the size of the ones he used to eat, and he just barely managed to finish them.

"Xiaochen, there’s something I want to discuss with you," Su Zhuyun said, walking over to Su Chen and crouching down beside him.

’This tone felt a little unnatural to Su Chen, like the world was turned upside down. Since when did a father consult his son so humbly?’

"Dad, if you have something to say, just say it."

"Ahem... It’s nothing major. We’re going to burn incense for the ancestors soon, right? I was thinking..." As he spoke, Su Zhuyun’s eyes drifted to the white G-Wagen parked nearby.

Su Chen gave Su Zhuyun a strange look. "Dad, aren’t you a little old to be showing off? But if you really want to drive it, I guess that’s fine."

He assumed Su Zhuyun just wanted to show off in front of their relatives, but his father’s next words left Su Chen speechless.

Su Zhuyun took a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and lit one for himself. After smoking nearly half of it, he spoke with a wistful sigh, "To be honest, I probably shouldn’t be telling you this."

"Our branch is supposed to be the main line, descended from the eldest son of the Su family. But we’re also the poorest branch of the whole clan. Myself, your second uncle, your third uncle... none of us could ever hold our heads high in front of the other two branches."

"You’ll probably laugh, but for all these years, the other two families have been the ones to lead the ceremony of burning incense for the ancestors. It’s as if *we’re* the junior branch, not them!"

"But things are different now!" Su Zhuyun patted Su Chen’s shoulder proudly. "I thought our line would always have to bow our heads in front of the other two families. I never expected my son to become so successful! This year, I want to see if they still have the nerve to look down on us!"

Su Chen said nothing. He simply passed the car keys to Su Zhuyun.

Honestly, this was the first time he’d ever heard his father talk about this. He thought back and realized it was true. Every New Year, his family always acted subserviently around the other two branches. They barely even interacted with them.

In previous years, all he cared about during the holidays was having fun; he’d never paid any mind to these family politics.

Keys in hand, Su Zhuyun didn’t waste any time. He called his second and third brothers over to load the firecrackers, incense, candles, and other supplies into the white G-Wagen.

Traditionally, only the men went to burn incense at the graves. This was unavoidable. The ancestral graves were on a mountain, and besides the climb, they also had to clear away the new vines and undergrowth, making it a difficult trip.

Every year, they had to bring sickles and machetes, with the younger generation clearing the path ahead.

By the time they finished packing, it was already nine in the morning. After a brief discussion, they decided to take Su Chen’s white G-Wagen and Su Zhuyun’s Volkswagen. It was necessary, as Master Su, the three brothers including Su Zhuyun, and the three siblings including Su Chen couldn’t all fit in one vehicle.

Su Chen looked down at the Volkswagen keys in his hand, then at Su Yan and Su Qingya standing beside him. With a sigh, he told them to get in the car.

As for Su Zhuyun and the others, they had already driven off in the white G-Wagen.

.....

The Third Great-Uncle’s home wasn’t far from Su Chen’s, only about a twenty-minute drive away.

It was a five-story house built right by the highway, where all the brothers of the Third Great-Uncle’s line lived together.

In front of the house was an exceptionally large paved courtyard, over a hundred square meters in size. Three or four cars were parked there, the most eye-catching of which was a Mercedes S300.

A large group of men was currently sitting in the courtyard, smoking cigarettes and chatting.

"The eldest branch is the last to arrive every single year. I wonder where they are now. You’d think they could buy a car, or even just a motorcycle!"

"What’s your hurry? If you’re so impatient, why don’t you drive and pick them up instead of just sitting here complaining?"

"Exactly. Talk is cheap. It’s not like we don’t all know the eldest branch’s situation. What’s the point of saying things like that? We’re all family, after all."

"Alright, that’s enough. Stop arguing. Let’s just wait a little longer. They should be arriving soon, just like every other year."

When an older, middle-aged man finally spoke, everyone sensibly fell silent.