154: Chapter 154 Cousin Zhao Bin

The weather in Chang City is quite different from that in Rong City. If Rong City steams you, Chang City roasts you to a crisp.

Thanks to the high altitude and intense ultraviolet rays, the people here tend to have darker skin. Su Ye remembers clearly that the fair complexion he had maintained while at school didn't even last ten days in Chang City before turning bronze.

Zhao Bin kept his eyes on the road, his left hand gripping the steering wheel, while his right hand familiarly reached for the cigarettes in the storage compartment. With one hand, he took one out, placed it in his mouth, and then pulled out another to hand to Su Ye.

"Pop!"

The cylindrical cigarette lighter, a feature only found in older cars, popped out with a crisp sound once it had heated up.

Zhao Bin picked it up, lit his cigarette, took a couple of puffs to get it going, and then pushed the lighter back in.

He took an epic drag, a long dragon of smoke exhaling from his nostrils.

Switching his right hand to the steering wheel, he took the cigarette from his mouth with his left hand, rested his elbow on the open window, and flicked the minimal amount of ash.

"How many days are you staying this time?"

Su Ye looked at the cigarette Zhao Bin handed him. It was the same brand as before—Liqun. Even though the price of this cigarette had gone up twice since Zhao Bin started smoking it, he never changed brands.

Not minding that it was a cheap cigarette, Su Ye put it in his mouth and lit it. He took a long drag; a slight stinging sensation pricked his mouth, and a bitter taste instantly spread.

"This Liqun still packs a punch."

"I'm not sure how many days I'll stay; it depends. I'm not in a rush to go back to Chengdu. At least a week, maybe even after National Day."

Zhao Bin grinned when he heard Su Ye: "That works. Stay a while, and I'll take you out for some fun."

Su Ye leaned against the door frame, looking at the familiar scenery outside the window: "Alright, I'll leave myself in your hands."

"By the way, your income as a doctor isn't low. Why are you still driving this beat-up third-hand Chevrolet? And you haven't even switched brands despite the price hikes on Liqun. This doesn't quite fit the status of Doctor Zhao, does it?"

Zhao Bin laughed and scolded: "Stop trying to brainwash me all day. What status? The status of a doctor at the municipal psychiatric hospital? Besides, this Chevrolet is fine. It was a 'beauty-kept' used car when I bought it, and it still runs, doesn't it? Does it hinder me from picking up girls? Not at all. It's actually an excellent wingman, helping me build a persona of being sentimental and nostalgic."

He took a fierce drag, then tossed the cigarette butt out the window, embodying the philosophy of: 'The wind smokes half, and I smoke half.'

"And don't look down on this Liqun. Once you get used to it, you really don't feel anything from other cigarettes. I think this brand has the widest audience—from bosses worth tens of millions to the hardworking 'ox and horse' wage slaves, everyone smokes it. Any Liqun more expensive than this just isn't authentic!"

Su Ye glanced at his cousin: "What's up? Does smoking Liqun give you a sense of superiority now?"

On his Su Family side, the cousin he was closest to was Zhao Bin. When he was a child, Su Hong and Su Ye's mother were busy making money, so Su Ye spent most of his time living with his grandparents. Su Ye's Third Aunt, who was Zhao Bin's mother, lived just a bit below the old house. Zhao Bin was three years older than Su Ye, and they basically grew up playing together. Su Ye remembers that the first thing he would do after school or during holidays was to go down and find his cousin.

Zhao Bin raised his head and said: "You don't know anything. Do people who smoke Liqun smoke for the cigarette? They smoke for the mood."

After saying that, he changed the subject: "This elder we're returning for might not be simple."

Su Ye naturally knew Su Yi's identity; calling him 'not simple' was an understatement, but naturally, he couldn't show that he knew anything right now.

"What do you mean?"

Zhao Bin said with a serious expression: "I might just be a small doctor, but I'm still in the system. And since illness doesn't discriminate, I've seen all sorts of people, including more than one bureau-level cadre. Fourth Uncle might look very kind, but in my gut, his presence is much stronger than those bureau-level cadres I've met."

"Little Su, be sweet-talked and polite when you go back later. It'll be good for you. After all, you share the Su surname. If a person like that just gives you a little push, you'll be set for life."

Su Ye didn't argue. He knew his cousin had his best interests at heart. Zhao Bin didn't know that he now possessed a net worth of billions and still thought he was the same downtrodden person he used to be.

As for Zhao Bin not recognizing his designer clothes, Su Ye thought it was normal. The Su Family was just an ordinary family, and besides, Zhao Bin was a man; it was perfectly normal for him not to know designer brands. Perhaps if Su Ye wore a full outfit with the Nike swoosh, Zhao Bin would recognize it.

"Alright, I got it. When my dad called me at noon today, I thought something huge had happened at home, and it scared the life out of me."

Zhao Bin also said: "It wasn't just you who was scared. I was on the day shift. My mom called and didn't explain clearly, so I was scared too and had to rush to ask my boss for time off."

At this point, Zhao Bin laughed: "I bet everyone in the family was scared. Just think about it: someone who hasn't been heard from in over twenty years, whose cenotaph has been standing for over a decade, suddenly pops up. Who wouldn't be shocked?"

"See, now all the younger generation in the family have been called back. I have to come over again tonight, so you keep me company, alright?"

Su Ye looked puzzled: "Why are you coming to the airport tonight? Who are you picking up?"

Zhao Bin glanced at Su Ye: "Are you stupid? Your sister, Younger Sister Su Li. She's still in Chengdu. She couldn't get a ticket; the earliest one she could get is after nine o'clock. Luckily she could still get a flight ticket; the high-speed rail tickets were long gone."

Su Ye's mouth twitched. He felt like he had forgotten something. So it was Younger Sister Su Li. There were four people in the Su Family in Su Ye's generation. The eldest sister, Younger Sister Su Li, was the daughter of Su Ye's Second Aunt. Her original name was Yang Li, but after her divorce, she followed Su Ye's Second Aunt and changed her surname.

The last one, Zhou Yang, was the son of Su Ye's Eldest Aunt. He was the third in line and was currently working in the Pearl River Delta.

Chang City isn't big; it only takes thirty minutes to drive across the entire urban area, even going through the city center. If you take the North Ring Expressway, you can get from the west side of the city to the east side in just over ten minutes.

It took about twenty minutes from the airport to reach the old house.

The Su Family's old house was staff housing from the 1980s, located at the foot of a small hill. Back then, there was no concept of a 'residential complex'; they basically just found a piece of land and built on it. It was a bit remote, but it had the advantage of being quiet, having good air, and since it was against the mountain, no one cared if you cleared a couple of vegetable patches.

Su Ye's grandparents had long since retired. Now, they just spent their time gardening, taking walks, and playing mahjong to pass the time.