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"So you agree with Cheng Yu too, Sister-in-law?" Zhao Jinchui stared at Chen Lingyun in disbelief. He had thought Chen Lingyun would give him a way out like she had before. Who would have expected her to go with the flow and follow a child's lead?

Zhao Jinchui, who had originally planned to pester Cheng Kaiyun until he softened and agreed, suddenly found himself in an impossible position.

Cheng Yu also looked at Chen Lingyun with some surprise.

Ignoring Cheng Yu's look, Chen Lingyun said calmly, "Although Cheng Yu's words were a little extreme and rash, they do make sense. These are extraordinary times, and I have to be careful with every decision I make."

Cheng Kaiyun frowned slightly, wanting to speak but stopping himself. "Lingyun..."

Chen Lingyun waved a hand, stopping Cheng Kaiyun from speaking. She continued, "Old Zhao, it's not that I'm unwilling to help you. You have to understand my difficulties too. Over all these years, whenever you ran into trouble in business and came to ask me for help, have I ever refused you? But things are different now. You know that the foreign trade market is indeed in poor shape, and everyone is taking risks. To put it bluntly, C&C Jewelry doesn't belong to me alone. I can't make all the decisions by myself, so I have to be even more cautious."

Zhao Jinchui's face alternated between red and white. His lips trembled, but no words came out. After a long while, he finally said hoarsely, "Sister-in-law, what you've said really leaves me ashamed to show my face. I admit that over the years, you and Brother Cheng have helped me a great deal. I've always been grateful, and I've kept your kindness in my heart. If I ever get the chance, I'll definitely repay you. But I truly can't sell you this piece of land right now. To be honest, I was planning to use it as collateral for a bank loan. You know how bad things are overseas these days. Foreign trade orders have practically dried up, so I have to find another way out. I planned to use the money to buy raw materials, then switch from exports to domestic sales..."

At this point, Zhao Jinchui looked pleadingly at Chen Lingyun. "Sister-in-law, you can't just stand by and watch my thousand-odd workers sit idle in the factory every day until they waste away, can you?"

"That's right!" Cheng Kaiyun also spoke up for him. "I'm sure Old Zhao only came to us because he truly had no other options. We've helped him all these years. One more time won't make a difference. I believe Old Zhao is someone who knows gratitude and values loyalty. If we help him this time, then if we ever run into trouble in the future, Old Zhao definitely won't stand by and do nothing."

Standing beside them, Zhao Jinchui nodded vigorously. "Yes, yes, yes. I'll never forget Brother Cheng and Sister-in-law's kindness."

Cheng Yu coldly cut in from the side. "That's hard to say. As the saying goes, you can know a person's face but not their heart. You've known him for decades, and every time he ran into trouble, you helped him unconditionally. That doesn't prove he values loyalty and righteousness. Nor does it mean that when you need his help someday, he'll definitely help you. There's another possibility—that he'll put his own interests first and turn around to help someone else deal with you."

Cheng Kaiyun's brows knitted tightly. "Cheng Yu, don't go too far."

"Exactly!" Zhao Jinchui grew angrier the more he listened. "Brother Cheng, you be the judge here. Listen to what your nephew is saying. First he says I'm trying to get something for nothing, and now he's insulting my character too? Cheng Yu, I'm your father's old friend of several decades and your elder. Even if you don't think much of me, you don't have to make your words so unpleasant."

Zhao Jinchui's words left Cheng Kaiyun too ashamed to show his face. Every word seemed to imply that he did not know how to raise his child, and he became angry out of embarrassment. "Cheng Yu, apologize to your Uncle Zhao."

"There's no need for that." Cheng Yu shrugged. "I only spoke the truth. The words may be rough, but the reasoning isn't."

"Cheng Yu!" Cheng Kaiyun had no way of dealing with him. After fuming for a while, he suddenly pointed upstairs and shouted, "Go upstairs. You're not needed here."

"What are you arguing about again?" Ever since Zhao Jinchui entered, the elderly couple had retreated to their room. Hearing Cheng Kaiyun shouting, they could not help opening the door and coming out. "Yu is already sick. Can't you two, as his parents, show some consideration for your child? Do you have to shout like this? Have you forgotten what the doctor told you yesterday?"

After speaking, Chen Simiao shot Zhao Jinchui a glare. "Taking your anger out on your own child for an outsider—you two really have some nerve."

"Dad!" Cheng Kaiyun's confidence immediately faltered when the elderly couple came out. "It's Cheng Yu who's being outrageous. Just listen to what he said. If word gets out, outsiders will laugh at our Cheng Family for having no manners."

"Yu wasn't raised by your Cheng Family in the first place!" Lin Sufen snorted and said protectively, "If people want to talk, let them say our Chen Family has no manners. Children raised by their grandparents are naturally spoiled. Isn't that only normal?"

Hearing Lin Sufen's unreasonable argument, Cheng Kaiyun was so angry that he laughed. He was both exasperated and helpless. "Mom!"

"All right, all right!" Lin Sufen waved her hand impatiently and grabbed Cheng Yu by the arm. "If they don't want you here, then come back to the room with Grandma. Keep Grandma company while we play leaf cards."

Cheng Yu put an arm around his grandmother's shoulders and said with a grin, "I don't feel like playing leaf cards today. I want to go upstairs and sleep for a while. My head hurts."

"Did you get up too early this morning and aren't used to it?" Chen Simiao chimed in. "Then go take another nap."

Cheng Yu obediently nodded. Before going upstairs, he looked at the calm-faced Chen Lingyun and Cheng Kaiyun, who kept shaking his head with a bitter smile, then could not resist adding, "Good advice is hard on the ears. I'm only doing this for your own good. I'm warning you that things could very well develop exactly as I said. Don't always look so unconvinced. I'm your son. Would I really harm you?"

Cheng Kaiyun and Chen Lingyun's expressions instantly turned strange. They both felt that Cheng Yu's words carried another meaning.

Cheng Yu slowly headed upstairs. As he passed Zhao Jinchui, he did not forget to give him a warning. "If you want to turn things around and save that lousy little factory of yours from bankruptcy, then show some sincerity. Every time, all you know is to cry, make a scene, and threaten suicide to pressure my parents. You take advantage of their soft hearts and thin skins, always trying to get something for nothing..."