Goodbye Lingling, this... this is too precious.

The car came to a stop.

The architectural style here was quite old-fashioned, with rows of aged buildings packed closely together.

It really needed some urban planning.

Not necessarily turning it into a high-end residential area, but at least modernizing it a bit.

After getting out of the car, Tang Xin looked around with interest, taking in the old buildings.

Cao Cheng pointed to the third floor.

"That's my place."

Drying from the third-floor window were strings of sausages, cured meat, and salted fish.

"Someone’s at your house?" Tang Xin was surprised.

"Probably Aunt Wang’s doing. I gave her my keys—she drops by occasionally to tidy up," Cao Cheng explained.

Despite their bickering, they were still neighbors from the same compound.

"Come on."

Cao Cheng took her hand but didn’t head upstairs immediately. Instead, he turned toward the entrance.

He’d spotted a crowd earlier—perfect for showing off.

Wait, no.

Perfect for catching up with the folks he hadn’t seen in years. He missed them dearly.

"Aunt Wang."

"..."

Aunt Wang looked up and saw Cao Cheng and Tang Xin.

She snorted. "None of your damn business."

Cao Cheng chuckled. "I didn’t even say anything! Long time no see, Aunt Wang. You’re as spry as ever—not a day older. Little Wang must be behaving lately, not giving you any trouble?"

"His surname is Zhou," Aunt Wang said darkly.

"Ah, right, right. Little Zhou."

Smiling, Cao Cheng scanned the area, exchanging greetings with the locals of Jiangbei. Most were familiar faces, if not old acquaintances.

He then introduced Tang Xin to the aunties.

They warmed up quickly, bombarding her with questions.

"This girl’s a real beauty."

"Tall too—must be over 170 cm, right?"

"So pretty, and dressed so stylishly."

"The Cao family’s really done well—making money and landing such a fine wife. With genes like these, their kids will be smart and good-looking."

"Our compound’s finally produced a golden phoenix."

Soon, word spread like wildfire—the richest man had returned.

Even the neighborhood committee aunties showed up.

Higher-ups got wind of it too.

Once things blew up, the visits and requests piled up.

Luckily, Cao Cheng was prepared.

Aside from flaunting his success, he also planned to expand the old cotton mill residential area.

The place was ancient.

The buildings were decades old, only six stories high.

With over twenty blocks, it covered a sizable area.

The main reason for redeveloping it?

This was the ancestral dragon vein—a place that deserved something in return.

He’d turn it into the "Richest Man’s Residential Area," ensuring his legacy lived on. Future generations would grow up hearing tales of Cao Cheng, feeding him emotional energy from birth.

Pure bliss.

Of course, it was a win-win.

By that evening, news of the demolition had spread.

All the old residents were buzzing about it.

Despite the freezing night, a crowd of elderly folks gathered in the courtyard, chatting excitedly.

The compensation was generous—not just a payout but also a new apartment. They’d still live here, with no real disruption to their lives.

All in all, the future looked brighter.

Cao Cheng kept busy over the next few days, meeting officials and discussing development plans.

Mostly just preliminary talks—details would be handled later.

He couldn’t be bothered with the nitty-gritty.

His real priority? Showing off.

He took Tang Xin around, hosting banquets for old cotton mill acquaintances—a preemptive wedding celebration so they wouldn’t have to return later.

And to set a standard.

"This is the benchmark. Find someone like Tang Xin."

"No more bringing in subpar matches—it’ll ruin the compound’s feng shui."

"Especially you, Little Wang—er, Little Zhou. You’re almost done with college, right? When you look for a wife, listen to your mom—Aunt Wang here. Don’t pick blindly."

Cao Cheng patted Little Wang’s shoulder, his face twisted in discomfort.

"Remember, you might not be as handsome, smart, or wealthy as me… but aim for at least ten percent of my caliber."

"And your sister—is she here? Doesn’t matter. Pass this along: no more dating deadbeats. Find someone at least ten percent as good as me."

"We can’t let the cotton mill’s feng shui go to waste."

Little Wang looked like he wanted to punch him—if only he stood a chance.

The past still haunted him.

But damn, Cao Cheng’s girlfriend was stunning.

He couldn’t even look directly at her—she practically glowed.

Cao Cheng gave an approving pat.

Good.

The seeds were planted.

After half a day of boasting to the kids’ table, he’d surely left a mark on their souls.

They’d be lucky to find wives at all if they held Tang Xin as the standard.

Then again…

They’d be demolition millionaires soon. There was hope.

Honestly, Cao Cheng was doing them a favor—creating hundreds of instant millionaires who’d dominate the local scene.

And the new compound’s name? "Richest Man’s Residence." Pure prestige.

After wrapping things up at the cotton mill, Cao Cheng visited his grandmother.

He brought plenty of supplements.

The Old Lady was in high spirits, thrilled by his visit.

Lingling was home too.

Even as the nation’s top female pianist with legions of fans and annual Spring Festival Gala invitations, her clout was undeniable. If she said she’d rather spend the holidays with her grandmother, no one could argue.

After all, she was just a young girl.

"Brother~"

"Sis… sister-in-law!"

Politeness first—like bowing in a temple.

Whatever Lingling felt inside, she kept it hidden behind perfect manners.

Tang Xin liked her—pretty, delicate, and sweet-natured.

But Tang Xin was sharp.

Fans speculated about Lingling’s gaze toward Cao Cheng, but Tang Xin knew—this girl had feelings for him.

She handed Lingling a gift.

"First meeting—wasn’t sure what you’d like. Your brother said you love pianos, so I ordered one. Hope it suits your taste."

The receipt in Lingling’s hands was for an instrument worth millions.

"This… it’s too much."

"Take it," Cao Cheng said dismissively.

Tang Xin pulled Lingling aside to chat while Cao Cheng helped the Old Lady cook.

He rarely cooked, but today was special—a feast for Lingling.

The girl has lost weight recently.

She should eat more—a little plumpness would do her good.

In her twenties, not too short in stature, yet weighing less than a hundred pounds.

Her limbs are slender.

Her legs are straight, long, and thin, but being too skinny affects her appeal.

Some girls look even better with a bit more curves.

Or rather, they carry more presence.

Too thin, and it feels like something’s missing.

This girl has lost at least ten pounds since the last time I saw her.

“This girl seems nice, with good poise and presence. Her family must be decent, right?” The Old Lady asked while cooking.

“Well, how should I put it?”

Cao Cheng thought for a moment and lowered his voice. “Let’s just say, if I marry her, I could strut sideways across this country.”

“…” The Old Lady was speechless.

Not that she thought Young Master Cao was bragging.

She knew him well enough—some of his words were clearly exaggerated, but others were understatements.

“That’s no small matter. If you marry a girl like that, you’ll have to be careful from now on—mind your words and actions,” the Old Lady warned.

“Don’t worry, Granny. I know what I’m doing.”

“Good. Now chop some scallions for me.”

“Sure thing.”

After that, the Old Lady didn’t ask any more about the family.

The kitchen buzzed with activity while lively chatter filled the living room.

Tang Xin, well-traveled and experienced in playing the role of an elder sister-in-law, quickly hit it off with Lingling.

By dinnertime, Lingling acted as if they’d known each other for years, calling her “Sister Xinxin” so sweetly that even Cao Cheng felt left out.

Not a single compliment about the food—was she deliberately keeping her distance, or… had she really moved on?

Either way, it left Young Master Cao feeling a bit sour.

Ah, men.

Sometimes they’re just like this.

When someone’s all over them, they don’t care.

But when that person pulls away, they get uncomfortable.

Sigh!

Let’s drink, drink.

It was a joyous occasion—even the Old Lady had an extra glass or two.

In the days that followed, Lingling stuck close to Cao Cheng, though mostly clinging to Tang Xin. Knowing Tang Xin wasn’t familiar with Sanjiang, she took the initiative to show her around, exploring the city where Cao Cheng grew up.

……

And so it went.

Five days passed in the blink of an eye.

With the New Year approaching, it was time to leave.

At their departure, a crowd gathered to see them off—practically the entire old cotton mill turned out. Cao Cheng stood through the sunroof, waving to everyone.

“Aunt Wang, take care of yourself! When Little Wang gets married, remember to invite me back.”

“…” Aunt Wang had been in good spirits, relieved that this little rascal was finally leaving.

And everyone knew he genuinely respected her—wasn’t that something to be proud of?

But then…

Whatever.

Little Wang or not, what’s in a name?

“Off I go. Remember—even if he’s just a college grad, make sure he marries a female Ph.D. Gotta improve the family genes. The Wang family’s future rests on him.”

“…”

Aunt Wang gritted her teeth. “Just get out of here already.”

The crowd laughed.

Those who knew them understood—Aunt Wang and Young Master Cao had been bantering like this for years.

A friendship across generations.

Many couldn’t help but envy it. After all, not everyone could forge ties with the wealthy.

Even the crumbs from their table could feed ordinary folks for days.

Rumors had it that Little Wang—er, Little Zhou—was studying computer science, the so-called “IT major,” all on Cao Cheng’s advice.

So even if it’s just a college diploma, his future wouldn’t be too shabby.