The Wisdom of the Older Generation Artists, The Association President Under Collective Attack

The Tang family courtyard.

The weather was quite nice today. The sun was warm, making it perfect for doing some embroidery.

Another year had passed, and it was time to make a pair of winter shoes for her old man. Tang's Mother saw the good weather, brought out a large pile of yarn and crochet hooks, and sat alone in the courtyard making shoes, taking the opportunity to mend some of her old man's slightly tattered clothes.

Tang's Mother's craftsmanship was somewhat hard to describe. She used to be considered a lady from a wealthy family and was not good at this kind of needlework. It wasn't that she wasn't taught; she simply lacked the talent for it. Once, she embroidered a pair of mandarin ducks, but people said they looked like ducks, which made her so mad she refused to learn anymore.

But with such a large family, buying all their clothes would be quite a heavy burden. She had given birth to several sons, none of whom were handy. In the end, Tang's Mother had to force herself to do it; she had to make it work even if she couldn't.

Although they were still a bit ugly, fortunately, they at least looked like something a human could wear.

The clothes and shoes Tang's Mother made in the past were all kept at home. She couldn't bear to throw them away because her sons were away from home all year round, so she would occasionally take them out to look at them and think of the people who wore them.

After all, she was a woman and tended to be more emotional. Old Master Tang didn't have this issue. Although he also missed his sons, what came out of his mouth was always...

Having a promising future is a good thing. What would it look like if they just stayed at home all day?

Things along those lines. But sometimes when Tang's Mother was looking at their things and missing them, he would stand beside her and look too.

Life had gotten better, and the Tang family had replaced many things with new ones, but they never forgot the road they took to get here. At least the Tang brothers, who took after the old man's temperament, hadn't forgotten. As for Tang Shouye... that remained to be seen.

The one who most forgot his roots was Tang Shouye.

In the past, it was because he saw how poor the family was that he worked hard to do business, wanting to be a rich man and live a life above others.

As a result... after all these years, Tang Shouye indeed lived a life above others, but he found that he had reached the top and it was hard to go any further. His finish line might just be his older brothers' starting line.

It seemed like he had chosen the wrong path from the very beginning?

However, not everyone was suited for those paths. His current life was already pretty good...

Hiss...

Tang's Mother gasped and hurriedly put her needle-pricked finger into her mouth. She was a bit unlucky today. Usually, she got pricked once every ten minutes, but today she got pricked right at the start. It didn't seem like a good omen.

Tang's Mother was the classic example of practicing more if you're bad, but the more she practiced, the worse she seemed to get... If nothing unexpected happened, Tang's Mother would probably spend the whole day struggling with these shoes and the torn clothes on the stool.

Ring, ring, ring...

Just as she had dealt with the wound on her hand and was planning to continue her battle of wits and courage with the shoes in her hand, the phone on her rang.

Caller ID.

Fat Boy.

The other brothers in the family were saved as Oldest, Second, and Third. Only Tang Shouye was Fat Boy. Of course, her favorite precious daughter had a different nickname too.

Hello, Fat Boy, what's up? Tang's Mother put down the needle and thread in her hand.

Tang Shouye's very anxious voice came from the other end of the phone, sounding like he was about to cry from anxiety.

Mom, this is bad, Little Sister is bewitched!

Bewitched? Tang's Mother propped herself up from the recliner, sat up straight, and frowned.

Did your sister run into an evil spirit?

Tang's Mother and Old Master Tang's ancestral home was in Dachuan City. Dachuan City had a vast territory and a large population, and many strange things were passed down by word of mouth. Things like running into ghosts or evil spirits were all heard from their elders.

In the past, when the kids were naughty and wouldn't sleep at night, they would talk about these strange things, and only then would they sleep. Things like zombies, Bear Granny, or some neighbor who hanged himself returning as a ghost the next day...

It was very interesting.

Being a staunch materialist warrior was true, but that didn't stop them from burning incense during the New Year and festivals, or praying to the God of Wealth when they had nothing else to do.

No, it's even scarier than running into an evil spirit. She ran into a succubus! Tang Shouye said excitedly.

Tang's Mother: ...

Fat Boy, do you think your mom doesn't use the internet? Where can you find a succubus these days? Are you just making fun of your old mom for no reason? Tang's Mother's face darkened.

No, Mom, it's true. Little Sister ran into a succubus. She won't listen to me at all now. Just now I nagged her a bit, and the way she looked, she was ready to cut off all ties with me. Tang Shouye wanted to cry but had no tears.

Hmm?

Tang's Mother raised an eyebrow. Tell me clearly. If she really ran into something unclean, your dad and your brothers know quite a few capable people...

Tang's Mother began to show off her family's background and connections.

I don't care what kind of evil spirit or demon it is, if you have the guts, come and mess with our Tang family!

The local thugs and gangsters in Dahai City... oh wait, thugs and gangsters are too low-level, they aren't even worthy.

Anyway, if you mess with my daughter, just wait and see how I'll deal with you!

A moment later, Tang Shouye explained clearly what had happened previously. There was a long silence on the other end of the phone. It took a while for Tang's Mother to recover and speak.

Fat Boy, do you mean... your sister has been deceived by a scumbag?

Yes, that kid has some tricks up his sleeve. The little girl from the Dongfang family was also unlucky. It looks like he's a master who specifically targets these rich young ladies. He was even exposed online to warn the students in the school...

Tang Shouye kept talking non-stop, continuously venting.

I looked at this kid, and he doesn't have any special skills. He's just a bit taller than me, a bit stronger than me, a tiny bit better looking than me, a bit more... than me, that's all. Mom, don't you agree?

Tang's Mother: ...

First of all, she was a mother, and secondly...

Son, you really have thick skin.

Tang Shouye: ???

Mom, what do you mean? Tang Shouye blinked his mung-bean-sized eyes.

Oh, oh, nothing. Mom is just praising you for growing up well... Hmm, in that case, the problem is indeed quite serious. How can this kid be so half-hearted? That's really inappropriate.

Tang's Mother laughed it off and muttered to herself.

But he does have some good looks, a good body, and looks strong...

Tang Shouye: ???

Mom, what are you talking about?

Ahem, nothing. Son, you're right. It's not a solution for things to go on like this. Then you figure out a way to remind the little girl from the Dongfang family to turn back before it's too late, or just go directly to the boy from the Dongfang family and talk about this matter. After all, we know each other, so reminding them is the right thing to do.

Tang's Mother made arrangements there, and Tang Shouye listened and nodded.

Uh-huh, and then what, Mom? And then?

And then, um... I'll have a chat with your sister and see if we can get this kid to settle down or something. If that really doesn't work, we'll have your second brother drag him into the military to train for two years...

Tang Shouye: ???

That's not right, Mom!

Tang Shouye hurriedly stopped her. Why did it feel a bit different from what he had in mind?

This kid has bad intentions! He's a scumbag! He has character issues!

"Hey, you can't say that about him. After all, who doesn't make mistakes when they're young? No wonder your sister is mad at you; your words are too harsh," Tang's Mother shook her head.

Tang Shouye: "???"

So in the end, he was the one at fault?

Was he still asleep or something?

"Mom, you're not joking, are you?" Tang Shouye broke his slight silence. If this kept up, he was going to call the police. Was there a single normal person left in this family?

Faced with her son's questioning, Tang's Mother fell silent. After a long while, she let out a sigh.

"Then what am I supposed to do? Your sister is already twenty-six or twenty-seven. Forget about dating, she's practically about to become a nun. Once a woman passes thirty, there's a world of difference; she'll become a leftover woman."

It wasn't that Tang's Mother had warped values or couldn't distinguish right from wrong. It was just that... between right and wrong and her own daughter, she would ultimately show favoritism toward her daughter.

As for whether Ye Cheng's character or morals were truly problematic... she would make her own judgment after meeting him. If he really was no good, she wouldn't just watch her daughter sink into a quagmire.

It was still too early to jump to conclusions.

The wisdom of the older generation of artists.

Tang Shouye was dumbfounded. He knew it—his mother was playing dumb while knowing perfectly well what was going on. He just hadn't expected her to scheme so quickly.

"Fourth Brother, you and your brothers are all married and settled down, but your sister is still single. It's rare for her to meet someone she can develop a relationship with. As for whether his character is truly problematic, my eyes aren't failing me yet. Your father and I will make our own judgment when the time comes..."

After hearing this long, earnest speech, Tang Shouye seemed to somewhat understand his mother's meaning.

"Mom... what are you saying?" Tang Shouye asked tentatively.

"That little girl from the Dongfang family has a boundless future, and she's still young. There are plenty of good men out there for her; there's no need for her to waste her time on someone with bad character..." Tang's Mother's very calm voice came through the phone.

Tang Shouye: "..."

"Then what about my little sister..."

"Your sister is different. She's not getting any younger; she can just make do..." Tang's Mother continued.

Tang Shouye: "???"

Holy crap!

Mom, isn't it a bit bad to have your double standards written so plainly all over your face?

Tang Shouye didn't even have the energy to complain. After all that talking, his mother's meaning boiled down to one thing: others couldn't handle it and shouldn't try, but his sister could... Was this really right?

"Fourth Brother, your dad and I are getting on in years. We don't even know if we'll live to see a family reunion in our lifetime. Sigh..." Tang's Mother suddenly grew a bit emotional, a faint trace of sorrow creeping into her tone.

Tang Shouye: "..."

Mom, you're too devious. Playing the emotional card at a time like this—isn't this just blatantly telling me to go sabotage the Dongfang family?

The core purpose of the mother and son's long conversation was just one thing: to set someone up.

But these words couldn't come directly from Tang's Mother's mouth; they needed to be understood by her son, Tang Shouye. Once again, the wisdom of the older generation of artists at play.

For Tang's Mother, as an elder, to use such underhanded, despicable methods would be highly inappropriate. But... if an older brother were to use them just a little bit for the sake of his sister's happiness, it seemed... justifiable?

So, go get 'em, big Fat Boy!

Tang Shouye: "..."

"Fat Boy, you only have this one little sister..." Tang's Mother's demon-like whisper echoed in Tang Shouye's ears.

Tang Shouye: "..."

A moment later, when the call disconnected, the expression on Tang Shouye's face had morphed into the Fire Punch forced-smile meme. He felt he never should have made this call in the first place.

Go ahead and use despicable methods against him!

A long silence.

"I'm sorry, Big Brother Dongfang!"

Tang Shouye picked up his half-drunk coffee, downed it in one gulp, walked out the door, gave a few instructions to his subordinates, and chased after the direction his sister had left earlier.

After this morning, a mysterious force suddenly appeared at Dahai City's Elite Academy, frantically posting online to attack Ye Cheng.

The kind of posts that even a dog on the side of the road would spit at and mark its territory on before walking away.

...

By the side of the road.

Tang Yuyao stood silently to the side, while Ye Cheng was not far away, directing Tang Shouye's bodyguards and secretary as they moved things.

"Keep it gentle, don't break anything. Right, right, right, if it doesn't fit inside the car, tie it to the roof..."

Ye Cheng held two bottles of soda in his hands, one red and one blue—regular iced black tea and mint-flavored iced black tea. He used them like traffic batons to direct the group in moving the iced tea.

Tang Yuyao: "..."