An Unexpected Surprise: It’s Not a Vase, but Solid The Wisdom of the Older Generation...

"Auntie, chew chew chew, why aren't you talking, chew chew chew..."

The youngest son chewed the orange in his mouth, peeling the next one as he ate. His chubby little hands kept rummaging through the oranges Tang's Mother had bought earlier.

He was turning his grief and indignation into an appetite.

After eating the last piece of orange in his hand, the youngest son blinked his mung-bean-sized eyes. Seeing that everyone around was looking at him, his heart skipped a beat, and he silently pulled his little claws back.

Did he... say something wrong?

The youngest son's brain spun rapidly. Thinking of his dad, his uncle, and his grandmother, and the things they had said over the past couple of days, it seemed they were all very anxious about his aunt getting married.

He had done some digging afterward and learned that his aunt fell into the category of what society called an "older leftover woman."

This kind of older leftover woman couldn't possibly have a boyfriend, so... he had definitely said the wrong thing!

Having figured it out in an instant, the youngest son hastily changed his tune: "Auntie, what I meant is, is this handsome brother lying on the hospital bed your male good friend? That's what a boy friend means. Auntie, Grandma, you know I'm just a kid who hasn't even started elementary school yet. Children's words carry no harm."

Tang Yuyao: "???"

You've said all that, and you still claim children's words carry no harm?

That you don't understand anything?

You're smarter than a monkey!

Tang Shouye's youngest son had been smart since he was little. Even though the food allowance was the same for all the brothers, he managed to eat himself round and chubby, all thanks to that mouth of his.

Coaxing a little here, grabbing a bite there, the meat on his body was accumulated bit by bit. It was all "hard-earned flesh."

The youngest son had now managed to turn the tide, forcefully pulling back his ruined future. He knew very well that his aunt was more petty than the eye of a needle.

If he held onto the thought that "I'm just a kid, Auntie won't hold it against me," he would be dead wrong!

Moreover, he had heard that older leftover women had bad tempers and unsatisfactory lives, easily doubling their wrath. A little kid like him was the easiest target to get whacked!

As soon as the youngest son said this, the atmosphere in the ward eased slightly. Tang Yuyao's face, which had turned as red as Lord Guan, finally subsided bit by bit, returning to a normal color with just a hint of pink.

Ye Cheng and Tang's Mother were in perfect, unspoken agreement; neither of them opened their mouths. One young fox and one old fox, both calculating in their hearts.

On Ye Cheng's side, if Tang's Mother followed up and asked if he was the boyfriend, he would declare his identity: they were in a "pure friendship with no mixed interests" boyfriend-girlfriend relationship!

After all, Tang Yuyao had paid him beforehand, and doing things for money was his motto!

He had to satisfy the customer!

Of course, if Tang's Mother didn't ask, he wouldn't say much either. The biggest taboo in their line of work was creating unnecessary complications. The more you say, the more mistakes you make. Since he was acting as a slippery rogue, he had to have the awareness of one—absolutely refuse to take the blame!

As for Tang's Mother, Ye Cheng's situation was complicated, and she certainly couldn't push him too hard. Her daughter had lived to such an age all for nothing; she was a person nearly thirty years old in a few years, yet she still acted like an innocent young girl.

Sigh...

Her grandson just made a casual remark, and her face turned as red as a monkey's butt. Daughter, oh daughter, you've instantly shown yourself to be far weaker than him!

Tang Yuyao's face was as red as could be; was there even a need to say what the answer to the question was?

The youngest son immediately pulled a move of "cutting off his tail to survive," pushing all the responsibility away cleanly. He was just a senior kindergarten student who hadn't even started elementary school yet; what bad intentions could he possibly have?

At the same time, he was praying frantically in his heart, hoping that his aunt wouldn't take revenge on him for this matter. He was still just a child...

The eerie silence in the ward quickly passed and the page was gently turned. No one brought up what had just happened, sharing a bizarre tacit understanding.

The youngest son finally reached into the large bag of oranges, rummaged around a bit, stuffed two into his pockets, and prepared to quietly slip away. Suddenly, he felt a tightness behind him—the back of his neck, the scruff of destiny, had been grabbed!

"Xiaobao, come here, Auntie has something to say to you." Tang Yuyao wore a "gentle" smile on her face, but the hand grabbing the youngest son was not gentle at all. She kept tightening her grip, afraid he would run away.

The youngest son: "..."

At such a young age, the youngest son's face was already wearing a mask of pain.

"Auntie, give me a chance. I didn't have a choice before, but now I want to be a good person!" The youngest son's emotions were sincere.

"Heh, save that nonsense for your dad!" Tang Yuyao sneered.

Secret Move: Tattletale to get pocket money completely deducted!!!

Youngest son's HP -10000...

Youngest son: NO!!!

The youngest son was defeated in less than a round. Completely burnt out, he collapsed in the corner, still clutching the two oranges he hadn't had time to eat, leaning against the wall with lifeless eyes.

Ruined, everything was ruined. He wouldn't have anything to eat next month...

After dealing with her "rebellious" little nephew, Tang Yuyao shifted the battlefield, continuing to hide on the sidelines like an ostrich to see how her mother and a certain annoying brat were getting along and what they were talking about.

"Prices are getting more and more expensive nowadays. Xiao Cheng, you have no idea. When I came over just now and bought a couple of oranges, the scale shot up faster than my blood pressure. Sigh."

Tang's Mother looked pained at the expense.

Ye Cheng nodded, quite agreeing. "Yes, with the prices here in Dahai City, you only realize the sky is bright after you walk out of the store. When I can't sleep, I go for a stroll in the shopping mall."

Tang's Mother was confused. "What do you mean?"

"It's too dark." Ye Cheng sighed.

Tang's Mother froze for a moment before catching on, and burst into laughter. "Xiao Cheng, the way you young people talk is so interesting. How does your brain come up with this? Why couldn't I think of that? I really need to read more books."

"In the past, the schoolteacher in our village, who was also my teacher, had a way with words. He would curse someone right to their face, and they wouldn't even realize it. It sounded so refined that the other person thought he was praising them..."

Ye Cheng nodded. "Then the schoolteacher you met must have had a high level of skill. Nowadays, most people who teach can no longer be called teachers; it's just a profession. The halo is gone, leaving only the scheming and shouting of the streets. Education has become a business transaction..."

The more Tang's Mother listened, the brighter her eyes became, completely overturning the mental preparation she had made before coming over.

Actually, before coming, she had already prepared herself for the possibility that Ye Cheng was just a pretty vase. As a vase, as long as he looked good and had a healthy body, that was enough. As for the rest... she would just have to make do.

As long as there were no major flaws in his character, she would just make do. After all, her daughter had taken a fancy to him, so what else could she do?

Her daughter was just like her, both incredibly stubborn. From the looks of it, it was unlikely she would change partners. Otherwise, she wouldn't have stayed single for so many years. She was someone who would be nearly thirty in a few years, yet she acted even more innocent and pure than young girls.

She had already prepared herself for the possibility that Ye Cheng might not be that capable and was just a pretty face. Who would have thought he would give her such a pleasant surprise.

Ye Cheng's way of speaking and attitude were different from the impetuous younger generation around him. Instead, he possessed the purity of people from her era, combined with the vitality of the new age.

As someone with a son, grandsons, and granddaughters, she also kept up with the times. Her thoughts were constantly evolving, and she had her own judgment of what was good or bad.

Setting everything else aside, Ye Cheng's level of awareness alone was far superior to the younger members of her family. He could see through the surface to the essence of things. Even if that essence was not beautiful, in Ye Cheng's description, there was still hope attached to that terrible reality.

This so-called hope was not a matter of standing by with complete indifference, but rather, after seeing the terrible side clearly, remaining undiscouraged. He had the intention and resolve to bring about change... He was prepared to make sacrifices and be misunderstood by those around him!

Good, this was simply too good!

He wasn't just a pretty vase; he had real substance!

Tang's Mother was incredibly thrilled. It seemed her daughter's years of being single and failing to catch a man hadn't been in vain. Catching just one now was enough, especially since this one was both extremely handsome and practical!

Perfect!!!

The tide of excitement quickly receded, and Tang's Mother gradually calmed down, beginning to ponder how to devour Ye Cheng.

After all, her chubby son had told her about the situations of the other young girls. With such fierce competition, her pure and silly daughter really didn't have much of a winning chance. Plus, there was a childhood sweetheart waiting in the wings, biding her time.

She knew better than anyone the sheer weight that the title of childhood sweetheart carried.

She herself was one of those childhood sweethearts. She understood all too well that the more time that passed, the heavier the weight in the heart became. People around them couldn't easily pry them apart, even if they went against the tide.

She was the best example of this. Therefore... this matter required careful, long-term planning.

Tang's Mother seemed to think of something and turned her head to glance at her pure, silly daughter who had been eavesdropping nearby. Seeing her mother looking over, Tang Yuyao pretended to be very busy, grabbing an orange and starting to peel it, then feeding it to her little nephew, who was lying on the floor looking completely burnt out.

Swallow it, swallow it, swallow it...

Little nephew's fullness plus one, plus one, plus one...

Tang's Mother was speechless.

Every little thing was written all over her face. Oh, daughter, you really can't compare to your mother when she was young!

Contrasting her daughter with him, Tang's Mother once again rested her gaze on Ye Cheng. Ye Cheng's level and mindset were far, far higher. No wonder the eyes of all the little girls around him were shining. If she were in their shoes, her eyes would be shining too!

Xiao Cheng, forgive my presumption, but what was your score on the college entrance exam? Tang's Mother suddenly changed the subject.

Ye Cheng blinked. It was alright, around the top few in the school.

Everyone seemed quite curious about his score. He didn't even know how many times he had been asked about his college entrance exam score by now. Ye Cheng was starting to find it hard to keep a straight face, but he still had to answer, just in a more tactful way.

Tang's Mother was a smart woman. Seeing that Ye Cheng didn't state it directly, she figured out a few things, smoothed things over with a smile, and didn't press the matter further.

But she had a rough idea in her heart. The score couldn't be low; it had to be at least around six hundred points, right?

She remembered that the school where her daughter worked did not have low admission scores, and its external recruitment conditions were quite strict. This was actually a guarantee in itself. She was just asking casually now—partly out of curiosity, and partly to see if Ye Cheng was arrogant or conceited...

The result was highly satisfactory.

He was neither arrogant nor impetuous, and his answer was humble.

As for the exact score... she could just have her son look it up. There was no rush.

Then, Xiao Cheng, could I trouble you for a favor? Tang's Mother asked with a smile. The earlier question about his score was just a setup, paving the way for what she was about to say next.

Ye Cheng blinked. No problem, leave it to me.

Tang's Mother was taken aback. But I haven't even said what it is yet. Aren't you afraid it might be an unreasonable request, Xiao Cheng?

Your face shows that you are a person of great kindness, with the appearance of a dragon among people. You are surrounded by a purple aura, and there is a faint golden light behind you... You definitely wouldn't ask me to do anything unreasonable! Ye Cheng said with absolute certainty.

He praised her to the high heavens, leaving the aunt and nephew pair—the one feeding and the one being fed—staring in stunned silence. For once, they reached a rare consensus in their minds.

Holy crap, how is he so good at kissing up?

Ye Cheng's proficiency in flattery had reached a masterful level. He praised people invisibly; as soon as he opened his mouth, before you even heard the words, you were already feeling great about yourself...

Now that the praising was done, it was time to get to the main point. This round of flattery had placed Tang's Mother on a very high pedestal. Even if she really did have an unreasonable request, she wouldn't be able to voice it now under Ye Cheng's shower of compliments.

Tang's Mother listened in a daze. Ye Cheng's words flowed as smoothly as a tongue twister, completely natural and without a trace of acting. It was all genuine emotion. It felt amazing!

It was her first time hearing someone praise her like this. Hahaha!!!

The corners of Tang's Mother's mouth curled up wildly. You're just saying things to flatter me. Xiao Cheng, you child, hahaha...

Before she could even finish her sentence, Tang's Mother couldn't hold back her laughter. Mother and daughter were exactly the same in this regard.

Tang Yuyao was speechless.

Mom, you got won over by this kid that quickly?

Wait a minute, weren't we the ones supposed to be winning him over?

Mom, hold your ground!

As a bystander, the little nephew had now revived. Having eaten too many oranges just now, he was pacing around to digest, while simultaneously studying Ye Cheng's flattery techniques. He planned to go home later and use them to sweet-talk his mom into increasing his allowance...

Tang's Mother's laughter lasted for quite a while.

It shouldn't be considered an unreasonable request. I have a few grandsons and granddaughters at home whose grades aren't very good, and the adults in the family are quite busy. I don't have much of an education myself, so Xiao Cheng, could you come to my house and tutor the kids for me?

Tang's Mother finally voiced her little scheme.

Since they wanted to win Ye Cheng over, they definitely needed to choose a battlefield advantageous to them. The school was the home turf of those other young girls, and with her daughter acting like such a coward, she probably wouldn't stand a chance there.

But if they invited him to their home, it would be a completely different story. Plus... the excuse was perfectly reasonable!

As for whether their grades were actually bad... that didn't matter. What mattered was tricking Ye Cheng into coming to their house, giving her daughter a chance to be alone with him!

The wisdom of the older generation!

When the matter of tutoring came up, Tang Yuyao was completely dumbfounded. Her eyes widened and her breathing quickened. How could she not know exactly what her mother was trying to do?

Mom, you are the best!

The little nephew, who was digesting his food on the side, saw his aunt's nostrils flare in excitement and knew his chance to shine had arrived!

Whether his allowance went up or not depended entirely on this moment!

The little nephew turned and walked away as if he had made some sort of firm resolution. He, who had never liked studying, uncontrollably fell in love with learning at this moment and possessed a heart that thirsted for knowledge.

This is great, Grandma! My transition from kindergarten to first grade is saved!

The youngest son raised both hands high in the air, his face full of excitement. Except... for some unknown reason, after he finished speaking, a sudden silence fell over the room.

Do kids really need extra tutoring just to graduate from kindergarten to the first grade?

Ye Cheng: "..."

Way to move up, bro, way to move up!

Tang Yuyao: "..."

"Xiaobao, come out here for a second. Auntie has something to talk to you about..." Tang Yuyao said in a "gentle" tone. Without giving him a chance to object, she grabbed the youngest son and dragged him out of the room.

The youngest son: "???"