From Wage Slave to Tycoon

They had a simple lunch, mainly because Su Chen and the others hadn’t timed their arrival very well.

It was already 11:30 AM when they arrived, so even if Chen Changjie had wanted to prepare an elaborate meal, there wasn’t enough time. They made do with a simple lunch, planning to cook something better for dinner.

After lunch, Su Zhuyun took Chen Shufen for a walk around the neighborhood, eager to show off a little. When he had visited a few of the neighbors that morning, they had all called him "Brother Zhuyun."

In the past, this would have been unimaginable. Those same relatives and neighbors used to just refer to him as "Shufen’s husband," not even using his name.

Things were even more interesting for Su Chen. Little Yao Yao had taken a shine to him, even insisting that he hold her while she ate. No matter what Chen Rui and his wife said, the little girl wouldn’t have it any other way and demanded to be held by Su Chen.

"Uncle~" Little Yao Yao’s big, dewy eyes stared right at Su Chen.

Looking at her adorable face, Su Chen couldn’t resist pinching her little cheek. "Hm? What’s the matter, Little Yao Yao?"

Little Yao Yao pouted and rubbed her cheek. It seemed Su Chen had pinched a little too hard, and it hurt.

In an instant, tears welled up in her big, dark eyes. This sent Su Chen into a panic, and he quickly pulled her into a hug.

"Did your uncle pinch too hard just now? I’m sorry. Please don’t cry, okay?" Su Chen was at a complete loss. He tried to coax her with sweet words, but nothing seemed to work; she still looked like she was on the verge of tears.

This stumped Su Chen. He had no experience with this sort of thing and could only rely on his limited knowledge to try and soothe her.

Just as he was about to call for his sister-in-law’s help, an idea struck him. He gently rubbed Little Yao Yao’s head and said, "Hey, Little Yao Yao, do you want a Barbie doll? Your uncle will buy you one!"

As he spoke, Su Chen pulled out his phone, found a picture of a Barbie doll online, and showed it to her.

Sure enough, the moment Little Yao Yao saw the picture of the Barbie doll, her eyes were glued to the screen and a smile spread across her face. But then she seemed to remember something, and she pouted, "Uncle, we shouldn’t buy a Barbie doll. Mommy will spank me if she finds out!"

She might have been saying no, but her little eyes kept stealing glances at Su Chen’s phone.

"Hahaha! Don’t worry, I’ll talk to your mom about it!" With that, Su Chen scooped up Little Yao Yao and headed for the G-Wagon.

What he didn’t see was the triumphant little smirk on the face of the girl leaning against his shoulder.

The white G-Wagon slowly pulled out of the courtyard. Just then, his second sister-in-law came rushing down the stairs. Watching the SUV drive away, she couldn’t help but sigh. ’I hope that little rascal goes easy on her uncle.’

Su Chen didn’t head into the local town. For one, it wasn’t very large, and he didn’t know his way around. Besides, there was no guarantee they’d even sell Barbie dolls there. Rather than waste time, he decided to drive directly to Fuzhou.

He didn’t drive very fast on the way, keeping his speed around fifty or sixty kilometers per hour, mainly because he was worried about Little Yao Yao in the back.

To his surprise, the little girl was exceptionally well-behaved. She didn’t cry or make a fuss, content to press her face against the window and watch the scenery go by. Whenever they passed something interesting, she would tell Su Chen to look too, in her sweet, childlike voice.

He had to admit, seeing the mundane scenery he usually ignored through a child’s eyes gave it a special kind of charm.

They reached the city in just over half an hour. It was quite different from what Su Chen had anticipated—not nearly as congested as he’d imagined. In fact, the roads were surprisingly empty, save for a few taxis.

Chongbai Department Store, one of the city’s most iconic shopping centers, was always bustling, even during the New Year holiday.

"Wow! Uncle, look at all the Barbie dolls!" The moment they entered the toy section, Little Yao Yao froze, her eyes wide. The sheer variety of Barbies completely blew her mind.

Seeing how eager she was, Su Chen quickly set her down. The girl immediately scampered over on her little legs, moving with a purpose that seemed beyond a child of just over two.

"Wow! This one is so pretty!"

"Gasp! This one has so many outfits to go with it!"

For a moment, Little Yao Yao was completely lost in the beautiful world of Barbie dolls.

It was true: no little girl could resist the allure of Barbie, just as no little boy could resist a toy gun.

"See any you like, Little Yao Yao?" Su Chen walked over, crouched down beside her, and asked softly.

"Uncle..." Little Yao Yao murmured, her eyes still wandering over the rows of beautiful dolls.

"Let’s just buy this one!" she said, pointing to a Barbie on the very bottom shelf.

Su Chen glanced over. It was the most basic model, one that didn’t even come with a change of clothes. It was also the cheapest one there.

Seeing this, Su Chen immediately understood what the little girl was thinking. He smiled, patted her head, and asked, "Are you sure you want this one?"

A conflicted look appeared on her face. Her eyes flickered back to the fancy dolls on the top shelf for a moment before she finally gave a reluctant nod. "Uncle, let’s just get this one."

As soon as the words were out, the smile vanished from her face, replaced by a pouting lip and a dejected expression.

"Hahahaha!" Su Chen laughed, scooping Little Yao Yao into his arms. He waved over a nearby store employee and said, "Except for this cheapest one, I’ll take all the rest. Please bag them up for me."