I'm So Stupid, Truly

"Dad, come on down." Zhang Yang sent a message to Zhang Zhaohai.

He wasn't going back up into the restaurant. His aunt-in-law always had a way of making perfectly normal things sound biting and mean.

As for his uncle-in-law, the man was completely henpecked; if his wife said east, he wouldn't dare look west.

"Be there in a minute." That was Zhang Zhaohai's reply.

Up in the restaurant, Zhang Zhaohai packed his personal belongings one by one, his mind drifting back over the last few years in the kitchen.

The restaurant belonged to Song Wenbo, but the experience of these past years belonged to him alone.

From the moment the restaurant opened and the kitchen fires were first lit, he had been there helping out. He had treated it like a family affair, managing the kitchen with care and diligence, but looking back now, he realized he had been far too naive.

Damn it, he hadn't even seen a raise in all these years!

"Brother-in-law, heading out?" Song Wenbo walked over to greet him, his tone sounding somewhat hollow.

"Yeah." Zhang Zhaohai didn't give him much of a response.

Song Wenbo let out a dry laugh and walked him out. People aren't made of wood or stone; to be honest, the kitchen had run much smoother these past few years because of his brother-in-law. With him there, the menus and accounts were always in good hands.

Now that Zhang Zhaohai was leaving, he actually felt a bit reluctant.

But as for asking him to stay? Forget it.

Passing the bar, he felt a sudden impulse to bring a case of liquor for Song Wenbo as a parting gift.

It wasn't expensive—only a thousand or so per case—but it was a gesture of goodwill.

Just as he stepped behind the bar and Song Wenbo bent down to grab a case of Guoyuan, his wife immediately called out, "Hey, hey, hey, Song Wenbo, what are you doing?"

"I'm... I'm bringing a case of liquor back for my brother-in-law," Song Wenbo stammered.

"Oh, you should have said so earlier." Zhou Xiaona swept her gaze over the stock and immediately had an idea. "Here, take this case. The supplier said last time that this stuff tastes great."

She bent down and grabbed a case of some off-brand swill from a small factory that had been pushed on them; the whole case wasn't worth much at all.

Zhang Zhaohai glanced at it, let out a cold snort, and walked straight out.

Clutching the liquor, Zhou Xiaona glared fiercely at Song Wenbo. "You've got too much money, don't you? Always picking the expensive stuff. There are so many off-brand cases here, don't you know how to pick one?"

Song Wenbo's expression shifted uncertainly; he truly felt he had lost face.

"Stubborn and asking for trouble." Zhou Xiaona grumbled, clutching the liquor as she chased after them. "Brother-in-law, should I put this in the car for you or somewhere else?"

Outside the restaurant, Zhang Zhaohai didn't want to spend a single second longer in that place.

He couldn't afford to offend them, but his aunt-in-law and his uncle-in-law were truly a match made in heaven.

He scanned the area, looking for his son.

Once.

Huh? Where was he?

Twice.

That tall, well-built figure over there, looking so spirited—it looked a bit like him.

But his son wasn't that thin.

Just as he was about to look away, the figure in the distance actually waved at him.

Good heavens, Zhang Yang's grandmother! It really was his son, Zhang Yang?!

"Dad." Zhang Yang walked up to meet him, smiling as he took the bag from his father's hand.

Zhang Zhaohai looked at the tall figure before him, his eyes bright and his demeanor brimming with confidence, and for a long moment, he couldn't process it.

"You brat, were you holding out on me?"

"Dad, don't make such a fuss. This is called image management." As Zhang Yang exchanged pleasantries with his father, he looked toward the distance, where his uncle-in-law and aunt-in-law were heading straight for them.

"Is that you, Zhang Yang?!" Zhou Xiaona hurried over. "The kid has gotten handsome, hasn't he? Got a girlfriend yet?"

Zhang Yang looked at the couple and gave a lukewarm nod of greeting.

"Come on, Zhang Yang, your dad is being too polite with us. Take this liquor back for your dad to try." Zhou Xiaona insisted, shoving the case of liquor into Zhang Yang's hands without waiting for an answer.

"This... is this appropriate?" Zhang Yang held the heavy, cheap-looking box and glanced at his father.

Zhang Zhaohai's face looked rather unpleasant.

"No, no." He waved his hand while signaling to Zhang Yang with his eyes.

"Uncle, Aunt, I think you should probably..." Zhang Yang understood and prepared to return the liquor.

"Oh, nephew, don't be so polite. It's for your dad to drink. He's just too thin-skinned to ask for it, so you take it for him." Zhou Xiaona smiled and pushed it back.

Zhang Yang looked at the case, then at the couple who wouldn't take no for an answer, and pondered for a moment.

"Alright then, I'll accept it for my dad."

"That's more like it." His aunt-in-law was satisfied. "Your dad loves to drink. When you start making money, remember to buy him some better liquor... wait... is this your car?"

Zhang Yang opened the trunk of the Porsche, struggling to move aside the Wuliangye and Moutai to make room for the case of cheap liquor, and gave his aunt-in-law a strange look.

Zhou Xiaona and Song Wenbo stood blankly at the rear of the car, staring at the brand-new Porsche and the eyesore of a cheap, off-brand liquor case wedged between the various premium cigarettes and spirits in the trunk, their faces burning with heat.

"Just picked up the car. Uncle, Aunt, thanks for the wine." Zhang Yang held a carton of cigarettes worth over ten thousand yuan, weighing it in his hand.

Beside him, Song Wenbo rubbed his hands together, watching with eager eyes.

Then, right in front of him, Zhang Yang put the cigarettes back down and slammed the trunk shut.

"Let's go, Dad."

"Let's go." Zhang Zhaohai walked forward happily, comfortably opened the passenger door, and sat down.

Before pulling away, Zhang Yang looked at the flushed faces of his uncle and aunt and waved. "Uncle, Aunt, we're heading off."

Song Wenbo hurriedly responded, his hands hanging limply as he gave a dry laugh, his head buzzing in confusion until the Porsche's taillights flared and it sped away before them.

Even after the car vanished from sight, the couple stood there in a daze.

"Asking to borrow money from you must have been intentional!" Zhou Xiaona seemed to suddenly wake up, her fists clenched tight.

"What?" Song Wenbo looked up blankly.

"They knew you wouldn't lend it, so they asked on purpose. It was a tactical retreat to prevent us from asking them for money!" Zhou Xiaona said, her chest heaving.

"I'm such a fool, really..." Song Wenbo muttered to himself.

On the way back, Zhang Zhaohai was in an incredibly good mood, feeling the comfort of the seats and admiring the interior of the Cayenne.

"How's the car?" Zhang Yang asked with a smile while driving.

"It looks a bit too mature for you; a young guy should buy a sports model. It suits me just right," Zhang Zhaohai joked.

"Sure, I'll let you drive it later," Zhang Yang laughed.

"I'm just joking. Why would I drive this car? To wander the streets all day doing nothing? You have better use for it." Zhang Zhaohai shook his head. "By the way, I'm not working for your uncle anymore."

"You're quitting?" Zhang Yang glanced at Zhang Zhaohai, though he didn't find it strange. "If you're done, you're done. There's nothing worth staying there for anyway."