Chapter Thirteen

“Why?” Wu Mei’s uncharacteristic behavior left Luo Fancheng utterly bewildered.

At home, eating out was simply unheard of, and even ordering delivery was considered a forbidden act. If anyone dared to order takeout or eat outside and Wu Mei or Chen Kangjian found out, it would spark a quarrel that would last half the day.

Wu Mei, wearing a broad smile, turned to Luo Fancheng and introduced him, “This is Manager Xiao from Foxfang Live, and beside him is his secretary, Secretary Zhao.”

She then introduced Luo Fancheng to Manager Xiao, “This is my son-in-law, Luo Fancheng.”

Manager Xiao stood and shook hands with him.

“The thing is, you all made the trending list last night,” Manager Xiao began, glancing at Luo Fancheng and the wheelchair-bound Chen Xingxin, “and I want to use this surge in popularity to make your entire family famous.”

Luo Fancheng and Chen Xingxin remained silent. Manager Xiao went on, “I’ve prepared a contract for you. I hope you’ll agree to stream a family show—just broadcast your daily life from time to time. With this heat, you’re bound to become a sensation.”

Seeing Luo Fancheng still silent, Wu Mei patted him on the back and said to Manager Xiao, “Manager Xiao, tell him—how much money can we make by signing this contract?”

“Eight million a year, and that’s not even including gifts and tips from the livestreams,” Manager Xiao replied.

Luo Fancheng remained mute. Wu Mei grinned and patted his back again. “Stunned by all that money, aren’t you?”

Manager Xiao chuckled as well. Secretary Wu, behind him, chimed in, “He’s probably never seen so much money in his life—he’s dumbfounded.”

“Haha, Manager Xiao, don’t mind him. Let’s just sign the contract,” Chen Kangjian said eagerly.

Manager Xiao nodded and looked over at Secretary Zhao. The secretary took out a contract from the briefcase and said, “Please take a look first. Once you’re sure everything is correct, we’ll sign.”

Since the contract involved the whole family, everyone had to sign—there were four copies. They each took one to read, except for Luo Fancheng, who remained unmoved and silent.

A few minutes passed.

“Alright, I think there’s no problem. Let’s sign,” Chen Kangjian said first.

“I think it’s fine too,” Wu Mei agreed, having finished reading.

Manager Xiao and Secretary Wu both nodded with pleased smiles.

“I have a question,” Luo Fancheng, who hadn’t spoken until now, suddenly said.

“Useless fool, what kind of question could you possibly have?” Wu Mei snapped, then smiled at Manager Xiao. “Don’t mind him. As long as we agree, it’s fine.”

Ignoring Wu Mei, Luo Fancheng looked at Manager Xiao. “Manager Xiao, isn’t this a bit low? With over a million viewers and trending status, it should start at least at ten million, don’t you think? Besides, there are four of us in the family.”

Wu Mei bristled with anger. “Luo, we said it’s fine, so it’s fine! Who asked for your opinion?”

Chen Xingxin quietly wheeled herself next to Wu Mei and whispered, “Mom, the price really is low. The real amount is about what Luo Fancheng said.”

Wu Mei was startled. She had thought eight million was already a fortune and that this useless son-in-law was just causing trouble, but she hadn’t expected him to be right.

Chen Kangjian, sitting beside Wu Mei, overheard what Chen Xingxin said and slammed his hand on the table.

“So you think our family is easy to cheat because we’re poor?”

“N-no, not at all,” Manager Xiao replied awkwardly, glancing at Secretary Zhao.

Secretary Zhao shook his head, clearly flustered.

“Well, hurry up and bring it out,” Manager Xiao ordered sternly.

Only then did Secretary Zhao take out several more contracts from the bag and hand them to Luo Fancheng, Chen Xingxin, Wu Mei, and Chen Kangjian.

“This is the true contract from our platform,” Manager Xiao explained. “The actual offer is eight million per person, thirty-two million in total, for one year.”

Now, everyone’s faces lit up with delight.

After carefully reading through the contract and confirming everything was in order, they each signed their names.

Once Manager Xiao and Secretary Zhao had left, Wu Mei gave Luo Fancheng a new, appraising look.

“Well done, Luo. You’ve truly surprised me.”

Luo Fancheng scratched his head with a smile.

Even Chen Kangjian, for once, gave him a rare smile. “Come on, let’s go out for a big dinner tonight.”

Soon, they were pushing Chen Xingxin’s wheelchair to a restaurant called Peach Garden.

As Luo Fancheng pushed Chen Xingxin ahead, he thought silently to himself:

Now that I can use my medical skills again, it’s time for you to stand up on your own legs.

“What’s wrong?” Chen Xingxin turned to see Luo Fancheng lost in thought.

“It’s nothing, really. I just realized it’s been a long time since we went out together,” he replied, coming back to his senses and looking at her.

“Now that things are better at home, you’ll have to take me out often,” Chen Xingxin said with a smile.

“Alright.”

Luo Fancheng nodded.

But deep down, he thought, I still hope you’ll be able to walk beside me someday. Of course, he didn’t say this out loud.

As the family approached the restaurant, a heady fragrance of flowers greeted them.

Chen Kangjian grinned in admiration. “High-end restaurants really are different—the aroma says it all.”

Peach Garden was a famous restaurant in Jianglan City, known for its all-natural, open-air setting. Built in a peach orchard, the restaurant took its name from its surroundings and was renowned for its upscale clientele.

Entering the peach grove and following the path for a few minutes, they soon saw pavilions and gazebos, with tables and stools fashioned to look like tree stumps.

After they were seated, a waiter approached with the menu.

“May I take your order?”

Chen Kangjian studied the menu for a long time, his frown deepening with each passing moment.

Growing impatient, Wu Mei snatched the menu from him. “How long does it take to order a dish?”

But as she glanced at the menu, she too hesitated.

Sensing their discomfort, the waiter sneered, “If you can’t afford to eat here, don’t pretend you can.”

Wu Mei bristled with anger. “What kind of service is this? The customer is always right—don’t you know that? Do you want me to file a complaint?”

The waiter shrugged indifferently. “Feel free.”

Chen Kangjian couldn’t stay silent any longer. He slammed the table and shouted, “Three thousand for boiled cabbage, two thousand for stewed tofu, two thousand for noodles, even a plate of pickles costs a thousand! Why don’t you just rob people?”

“I told you, this is a high-end restaurant—people like you can’t afford to eat here,” the waiter scoffed.

“Alright, alright, I’ll pay for this meal,” Chen Xingxin interjected, not wanting the situation to escalate. After all, this was a place meant for those with serious spending power. She took the menu from Wu Mei.

At that moment, a voice called out from not far away:

“No need. This meal is on me.”