58: Chapter 58 The Furious Snobber

Facing the fiery enthusiasm and the cacophony of the surrounding crowd, Qin Yi had no choice but to cast a look for help toward his father. His eyes held a hint of helplessness and embarrassment, as if saying, 'Dad, I can't hold down this scene!'

Seeing this, Qin Jianye shook his head with a wry smile, his gaze revealing a touch of doting for his son and resignation toward the current situation.

He immediately got out from the passenger seat, straightened his clothes, and stood before the car. He cupped his hands in a respectful greeting to the crowd, his attitude humble yet not lacking in authority: 'Everyone, everyone—Xiao Yi has been driving for four or five hours all the way back from Magic City. It's been a long, tiring journey. How about we clear the road first so Xiao Yi can park the car? We can talk about everything else later. After all, as fellow villagers, we should prioritize harmony, right?'

Hearing Qin Jianye speak, several elderly men who had been complimenting him earlier began to help persuade the crowd. Just as people were clearing a path, Yan Lishi unexpectedly stepped forward again.

Yan Lishi glared at Qin Jianye, his eyes full of disdain and suspicion. He said coldly, 'Old Qin, is this really your son's car? It's not a rental, is it? And that license plate with five nines—it wouldn't happen to be a cloned plate, would it?'

After saying this, Yan Lishi looked around at the crowd again, feigning a warning: 'Everyone, there are all sorts of people these days. Don't let yourselves be fooled by these low-class, show-off tactics.'

Sitting in the car, Qin Yi's expression immediately darkened upon hearing this. Seeing the man's arrogant attitude toward his father, he spoke up coldly and bluntly, 'Uncle, if you don't believe the car is mine, that's easy to fix. The purchase contract and registration are right here in the car. If you want to see them, I can show you! Besides, even if the car wasn't mine, what does that have to do with you? Why are you being so passive-aggressive? Do you have some grievance against the Qin Family?'

Qin Jianye's Face also darkened. He walked up to Yan Lishi, stared him in the eye, and said in a low voice, 'Old Yan, I don't care how you usually treat me, but if you keep slandering my son with that loose tongue of yours, don't blame me for being impolite!'

Yan Lishi acted as if he didn't care at all. He glared at Qin Jianye and said arrogantly, 'Ho, Qin Jianye, alright, you've grown a spine! Today, I want to see exactly how you're going to be impolite to me! I, Yan Lishi, haven't feared anyone in Lanhong Town!'

Seeing this, Qin Yi immediately unbuckled his seatbelt and turned off the engine, preparing to get out of the car.

The atmosphere suddenly became tense. However, just as everyone thought a conflict was inevitable, the young man standing next to Yan Lishi hurriedly grabbed him and pulled him behind himself.

The young man stepped forward himself. With a respectful attitude and a forced smile, he said to Qin Jianye, 'Uncle Qin, please calm down. My dad isn't very educated and doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut. He's just a bit too blunt. If he offended you, I'll apologize on his behalf.'

Seeing that Yan Lishi's son had stepped up to apologize for his father, the anger in Qin Jianye's heart dissipated slightly. Moreover, he didn't want his son to be filled with needless anger right after returning home, as it would ruin the mood.

Thus, Qin Jianye took a deep breath, exhaled a cloud of turbid air, and waved his hand. 'It's fine, it's fine. Everyone knows Old Yan is a straight shooter; I won't lower myself to his level.' As he spoke, he reached out and patted Yan Lishi's son on the shoulder, then added, 'Xiao Yan, you're a good lad. You understand the big picture and have manners. Don't learn from your father in the future!'

Yan Lishi's son's mouth twitched, but he couldn't say much. He could only nod with a forced smile as a response to Qin Jianye's words.

Afterward, Qin Jianye didn't get back in the car. Instead, he parted the crowd and walked ahead of the vehicle to lead the way for Qin Yi. At this moment, his back looked exceptionally straight, as if the man from half a year ago had returned, exuding an aura that could not be ignored from the inside out.

Seeing this, the crowd tactfully cleared a path for Qin Yi. Qin Yi restarted the car. As he passed the Yan father and son, he glanced at them with eyes full of contempt and disdain, as if he were looking at ants.

Then, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Qin Yi steadily parked the five-meter-long cullinan close to the side of the road.

After getting out, he opened the trunk and took out a whole case of moutai, two cartons of Chunghwa cigarettes, and five or six bulging shopping bags one by one. The onlookers couldn't help but stare with envy.

Before the Qin father and son could even leave, the people couldn't resist whispering among themselves, though their tones were filled with a mix of bitterness and admiration.

'Oh my, I really couldn't tell. Has that Qin boy become so successful now?' the woman who had earlier claimed to be Qin Yi's Third Aunt lamented.

'Yeah, a whole case of moutai—how much must that cost? This display, these gifts... they aren't things an ordinary person could afford!' an old man next to her chimed in, his eyes shimmering with envy.

...

Once the Qin father and son entered the alley and their figures disappeared, the crowd truly began to discuss loudly.

'Do you think we were a bit too harsh on Old Qin before?' a voice asked, tinged with regret.

'Isn't that the truth? Looking at the situation now, I'm afraid the Qin Family is going to rise again!' another person exclaimed.

Yan Lishi, who had just lost Face after being stopped by his son, couldn't help but snap angrily, 'Son, why did you stop me just now?'

His son sighed helplessly. 'Oh, Dad, if I hadn't stopped you, there's no telling how much trouble you would have caused!'

'What do you mean? Me, cause trouble? What trouble could I possibly cause?' Yan Lishi looked stunned, spreading his hands in a gesture that was both innocent and confused.

His son rubbed his forehead, trying to make his father understand the gravity of the situation. He asked in return, 'Oh, Dad, do you even know what kind of car Uncle Qin's son was driving?'

'What car? Wasn't it just an MPV?' Yan Lishi looked blank, clearly knowing nothing about cars.

'What MPV! That's an SUV! Uh, wait, not just an SUV, that's a rolls-royce cullinan!' His son was speechless as he corrected his father's mistake.

'So? Is that car very expensive? It's just big, isn't it? Could it be more expensive than your Passat?' Yan Lishi still looked incredulous, his brow furrowed and his eyes full of doubt.

'Oh my god... let's put it this way: one of those cars could buy fifty or sixty Passats! Never mind the car itself—that license plate alone is worth more than twenty Passats!' his son explained patiently, gesturing with his hands to try and make his father understand the massive gap between the two vehicles.

'What? Are you joking with me? With Old Qin's circumstances, how could he afford such an expensive car? It's probably a rental! Right, it's definitely a rental, and that license plate is definitely cloned! Why did you stop me? I should have exposed him on the spot!' Yan Lishi was agitated, his hands clenched into fists as if he were trying to grasp some evidence.

'Dad! Have you ever seen anyone use five nines for a cloned plate? Besides, didn't you hear Uncle Qin? They drove all the way back from Magic City for four or five hours. If it were a cloned plate, the traffic police would have impounded it long ago!' His son shook his head helplessly. His father was simply too stubborn. It was lucky he happened to return today, otherwise, there was no telling how much trouble the old man would have brought upon them.

'Uh, so what you're saying is... that car really belongs to Old Qin's son?' Yan Lishi's voice finally trembled slightly, clearly beginning to believe his son's words.

'I'd guess it's ten to one that it is! You probably didn't notice the wristwatch on Uncle Qin's son's hand; it looked like a Rolex to me. I had dinner with a bureau chief and a corporate CEO a while ago, and I saw that CEO wearing a similar one,' his son analyzed patiently.

'A Ro-what? Is that watch very expensive?'

'Yes, expensive! The cheapest ones cost five or six hundred thousand. And the one on his hand looked like it was covered in diamonds; I'd guess it's even more expensive, probably over a million!' his son said with certainty, crossing his arms, clearly confident in his assessment.

'How... how much? Over a million? How is that possible! Isn't Old Qin's son just a delivery boy and food courier in the city? How could he be so rich...' Yan Lishi's voice trembled even more, but his volume grew smaller and smaller, and his gaze became dazed.

Looking at his father like this, his son couldn't help but sigh and continue, 'Dad, who exactly did you hear that from? Who told you Uncle Qin's son was a delivery boy and food courier in the city...?'

...

Just then, the old man who had advised Yan Lishi earlier slowly strolled over to him. He reached out a weathered hand and patted him gently on the shoulder, his eyes full of deep meaning as he spoke slowly: 'Old Yan, I'll give you a piece of advice: you shouldn't be so snobbish in the future. As the saying goes, even a roof tile has its day to flip over, and the east wind eventually turns south. Look, you were mocking Old Qin before, saying the debt he owed could never be repaid in this lifetime. This time, you've been slapped in the Face, haven't you? From what I see, the Qin Family is about to rise again! You... you'd better look out for yourself!'

After the old man finished speaking, he shook his head and turned to leave.

Seeing this, the surrounding crowd exchanged meaningful glances. Then, as if avoiding a plague, they all stepped back a few paces in unison. Some even turned and walked away quickly, afraid of being associated with Yan Lishi in any way.

Feeling the sharp change in everyone's attitude toward him, Yan Lishi's Face instantly darkened. His mouth tightened, and a flash of anger and resentment crossed his eyes.

He jerked his arm violently, as if trying to shake off all the dissatisfaction and humiliation, then turned and stomped off toward his home in a huff.

Seeing this, his son couldn't help but feel worried. He immediately got into the car, restarted the Passat, and followed closely behind Yan Lishi. At the same time, he shouted through the car window, 'Dad! Get in!'

Hearing this, Yan Lishi's displeasure intensified. Without looking back, he roared furiously, 'Get in for what! I'll walk back myself!' After saying that, his pace quickened.

However, the roads in the village weren't as flat as those in the city. In his haste, Yan Lishi stepped into a pothole, followed by a stumble that nearly sent him sprawling.

Seeing this, his son immediately braked, got out of the car, and went forward to support him, asking with concern, 'Dad, are you okay?'

'Damn it, what rotten luck! Of all times to sprain my ankle!' The people who hadn't left yet nearby saw this and began to snicker behind their hands. Yan Lishi glared at them, then looked at his son and barked, 'What are you standing there for? Help me into the car!'

...

In the alley, Qin Yi carried the heavy case of moutai with two cartons of cigarettes stacked on top, following closely behind his father, Qin Jianye.

Qin Jianye carried five or six bulging shopping bags, walking ahead with steady steps, his Face beaming with the joy of returning home.

'Dad, who was that man named Yan? Does he usually talk to you like that?' Qin Yi's tone carried a hint of displeasure; he was clearly very unhappy with Yan Lishi's attitude earlier.

Qin Jianye smiled, seemingly unbothered. He explained, 'Ah, that's the Yan family from the bridge entrance. His name is Yan Lishi, but everyone calls him Snob. He's not just like that with me; he acts that way toward anyone he thinks is doing worse than him. The one who apologized for him was his son, who just got a job as a civil servant in Jingnan City. A father's status rises with his son, so it's inevitable he'd be a bit arrogant. It's not worth getting angry at someone like that; we won't lower ourselves to his level.'

Although his father said so, Qin Yi silently made a note of it in his heart.

It seemed this Yan Lishi had given his father quite a bit of grief. Since he was back, he would definitely have to win back this Face for his father!

As they spoke, the two had already reached the gate of their small courtyard.

Qin Jianye stepped forward to push open the large iron gate and shouted toward the main house at the top of his lungs, 'Wife! Wife, come out quick! Our son is back!'

Hearing her husband's shout, a brilliant smile immediately blossomed on Wu Xiuhua's Face. Without even pausing to take off her apron, she hurried out of the main house.

'Mom, I'm home!' Qin Yi set the case of moutai down at his feet, opened his arms, and gave his mother a big hug.

'Oh, don't hug me, my apron is dirty...' Wu Xiuhua laughed and patted Qin Yi's back. Although she said that, the smile on her Face couldn't be hidden.

After a moment, Qin Yi released the hug.

He took the shopping bags from his father's hands and handed them to Wu Xiuhua, saying, 'Mom, these are gifts I bought for you. There are clothes, shoes, bags, skincare products... oh, and perfume! I specifically chose a gardenia scent! Try them later and see if you like them.'

'You're so thoughtful, son.' Wu Xiuhua looked at the many bags and noticed the Chanel logo on the packaging; her nose couldn't help but feel a bit prickly.

She fought back the tears that were about to burst forth and continued, 'Oh, son, why did you buy so much? I don't have any use for these things in the village.'

'It's your son's filial piety; just enjoy it secretly,' Qin Jianye said with a smile, though his eyes also faintly shimmered with tears.

Over the past six months, the family had undergone earth-shattering changes. His wife used to be someone who loved beauty, but now her skin had worsened and wrinkles had appeared. Fortunately, their son was successful; otherwise, he didn't know how much longer they would have had to endure such days...

Qin Yi looked at his father again and said with a smile, 'Dad, I bought things for you too. Here are some clothes and a watch.'

As he spoke, he started rummaging through the shopping bags, wanting to take out the gifts for his father.

Wu Xiuhua then said, 'Don't just stand in the yard, come inside first. We can look slowly once we're in the house. I've made so much delicious food for you, all your favorites. We can eat and talk at the same time.'