Chapter Summaries

Liu Xinyu told Wang Xiaoliang and Zhou Qiang how his grandfather built a fortune by gathering information through his Early Morning Wine stall and turning struggling factories around. He also explained how his grandfather raised him, Fan Qishan, and Qingyu together, ending with a story about how Fan Qishan got his name.

• Liu Xinyu explained that his grandfather quietly saved a hundred thousand yuan by selling beef offal soup and homemade rice wine at his Early Morning Wine stall.
• Liu Xinyu described how his grandfather used information from fishermen, customers, and drivers to trade scarce goods and eventually take over a struggling state-owned cannery.
• Liu Xinyu said his grandfather transformed the cannery by producing canned bananas and lychees for northern markets, then took over several more factories before handing the businesses to Liu Xinyu's father.
• Liu Xinyu explained that his grandfather raised him, Fan Qishan, and Qingyu together while their parents worked at the factories.
• Liu Xinyu told Wang Xiaoliang and Zhou Qiang that his grandfather named Fan Qishan after joking that he was a little Jia Baoyu and choosing a name meaning a mountain full of jade.

Liu Xinyu recounted his childhood with Fan Qishan and Qingyu, their life with their perceptive, affectionate grandfather, and the circumstances of the old man's death. After Grandpa died, Fan Qishan left with a Taoist priest to learn from him, leaving Wang Xiaoliang wondering why Liu Xinyu had shared the story.

• Liu Xinyu described how Grandpa read people and recalled Fan Qishan's blunt childhood remark to a woman that her bottom was bleeding.
• Liu Xinyu recalled the three children listening to Grandpa's stories over meals and at night, and how Grandpa rejected the idea of a rebellious phase.
• Liu Xinyu said that he and Fan Qishan attended Fucheng No. 1 High School while Qingyu went to vocational school and cared for Grandpa.
• After Grandpa collapsed from a heart attack, Liu Xinyu and Fan Qishan reached the hospital, where Grandpa gave them parting advice and died.
• Liu Xinyu recounted how Fan Qishan chose to follow the Taoist priest and left without turning back or kowtowing to Grandpa.
• Wang Xiaoliang wondered why Liu Xinyu had told them the story.

Liu Xinyu explained that his skill at reading people came from years of practice, while Fan Qishan's focused mind let him master whatever he pursued. After Fan Qishan admitted he had been wrong, Liu Xinyu began to confide what had truly been troubling him.

• Zhou Qiang reasoned that Liu Xinyu was better at reading people because he had more experience, and Liu Xinyu agreed.
• Liu Xinyu said Fan Qishan had a pure, undistracted mind that helped him excel, but Fan Qishan called him dishonest and prompted him to admit he wanted someone to talk to.
• Liu Xinyu recounted how Fan Qishan had gone to Donglei Temple to study Buddhism, then left after deciding its monks had no ability.
• Fan Qishan said the problem had been with himself, not his teachers, and declared, "I was wrong."
• Fan Qishan asked Liu Xinyu to talk about Uncle Liu, and Liu Xinyu admitted that he had hated his dad since childhood.

Liu Xinyu recounted how his father’s ambition and infidelity fractured the family, while his grandfather tried to protect them by securing the factories and the Early Morning Wine shop. He ended his story by revealing that his father had eventually been kidnapped.

• Liu Xinyu told Wang Xiaoliang, Zhou Qiang, and Fan Qishan that his father had been mostly absent during his childhood and tried to make up for it with expensive gifts.
• Liu Xinyu recalled that when he was eight, his grandfather drove his father and his pretty female secretary out of the house after discovering the affair.
• Liu Xinyu explained that his mother returned to work without showing emotion, and he realized that the family had already fallen apart.
• Liu Xinyu said his grandfather transferred the three factories to the mothers and gave Qingyu the Early Morning Wine shop to protect the family from financial ruin.
• Liu Xinyu described how his father ignored his grandfather’s warnings, pursued fast money, and kept expanding his business and network of friends.
• Liu Xinyu revealed that his father was eventually kidnapped.

Liu Xinyu explained how his grandfather’s encouragement and his father’s expectations shaped his plans to stay in Jiangcheng, until his father’s sincere request convinced him to return home. The conversation ended when Yang Qingyu and her friends arrived, and Liu Xinyu joked that his wife’s praise was a restaurant owner’s sales skill.

• Liu Xinyu recalled that his grandfather let him and Qingyu choose their own paths, while his father’s advice often amounted to orders.
• Liu Xinyu described how he cultivated connections in college and was offered a chance to stay at the university after graduation.
• Liu Xinyu said his mother asked him to return and take over the family business, but he suggested hiring a professional manager.
• Liu Xinyu recounted how his father gently asked him to come home for a heart-to-heart, and how he decided to return after the call.
• Yang Qingyu arrived with Li Lanxiang, Wei Zijin, and Zeng Haiyan, and announced plans to take the women out for late-night congee.
• Liu Xinyu dismissed the women’s praise of Yang Qingyu as a sales skill, and Zeng Haiyan teased him for being an even better deceiver.

Liu Xinyu told Zhou Qiang, Wang Xiaoliang, and Fan Qishan about his father’s past and revealed that his father was dying. He broke down in the tea room, then found some relief after his friends stayed with him and let him cry.

• Liu Xinyu recounted how his father apologized for neglecting him and explained that he had given three million to kidnappers before having them arrested.
• Liu Xinyu’s father confessed that he had two other families and three more children, then told him he had at most three months to live.
• Liu Xinyu broke down sobbing as Zhou Qiang, Wang Xiaoliang, and Fan Qishan gave him space to grieve.
• Liu Xinyu admitted he no longer hated his father but was afraid of losing him, and Zhou Qiang comforted him while Wang Xiaoliang offered tissues.
• Liu Xinyu wiped his face and said he felt much better.

Wang Xiaoliang pieced together why Liu Xinyu had been avoiding Yang Qingyu, and Liu Xinyu admitted he had agreed to marry her out of guilt and concern for his critically ill father. After confessing how he had wronged her, he vowed he would never repeat his father’s behavior, while Fan Qishan bluntly called him shameless.

• After Liu Xinyu left to wash his face, Wang Xiaoliang wondered why he had not confided in Yang Qingyu and suspected their relationship began in middle school.
• When Liu Xinyu returned, Fan Qishan said his story resembled Grandpa’s but left out important parts, then went to the restroom.
• Wang Xiaoliang asked Liu Xinyu whether Yang Qingyu was the person from his final year of middle school, and Liu Xinyu confirmed it.
• Liu Xinyu explained that he had dated women in college, compared them with Yang Qingyu, and avoided her out of shame before asking her to marry him when his father became critically ill.
• Liu Xinyu said Yang Qingyu accepted without blame, confessed that he felt like a piece of shit, and vowed never to become like his father again.
• Fan Qishan accepted Liu Xinyu’s resolve but called him shameless.

Liu Xinyu and Yang Qingyu drove to her beef offal shop with their friends, sharing a tender moment on the way. At the shop, Yang Qingyu prepared for her wedding celebration, ordered a two-day closure, and set the wedding gift at just nine yuan per worker.

• Liu Xinyu kissed Yang Qingyu's hand as she drove, and their friends teased them from the back seat.
• Yang Qingyu said she wanted to keep the Land Cruiser because Liu Xinyu's father would be unhappy if they replaced it, and she told Liu Xinyu she wanted to keep selling beef offal because it reminded her of Grandpa.
• Liu Xinyu and Yang Qingyu arrived at her shop, where the staff were finishing preparations for opening.
• Yang Qingyu told the workers the shop would close for two days for her wedding celebration and invited them to bring their families to the banquet.
• Yang Qingyu ordered that each worker give only nine yuan as a wedding gift, then told the staff to open the doors.

Yang Qingyu’s well-run shop impressed Liu Xinyu and his friends, who sampled her food while Liu Xinyu stayed close to her. Their visit was interrupted by Yang Qingyu’s mother, who tried to take her home after realizing the couple were not supposed to see each other before the wedding.

• Yang Qingyu managed the busy shop smoothly, prompting Zhou Qiang to praise her business skills and explain why the modest shop could be more profitable than Hongbin Tower.
• Yang Qingyu served Liu Xinyu, Fan Qishan, Zhou Qiang, and Wang Xiaoliang, and the men were impressed by the beef offal.
• Liu Xinyu held Yang Qingyu’s hand as Sister Hua watched them with a knowing smile.
• Yang Qingyu’s mother arrived, grabbed her wrist, and greeted Liu Xinyu and his friends after recognizing him.
• Yang Qingyu’s mother urged Liu Xinyu to persuade Yang Qingyu to quit the shop, but Liu Xinyu told her to let Qingyu do what made her happy.
• Yang Qingyu’s mother remembered the couple were not supposed to see each other before the wedding and hurried to take Yang Qingyu home.

Yang Qingyu left Liu Xinyu and his friends to return home, while the men enjoyed Fucheng rice wine and discussed Liu Xinyu's renewed confidence in his relationship. Fan Qishan decided to attend the class reunion to meet more people and test what he had learned from an old Taoist priest.

• Yang Qingyu said goodbye to Liu Xinyu, gave him the Cruiser keys, and kissed his cheek before leaving with her mother.
• Liu Xinyu and his friends praised the rice wine, and Fan Qishan recalled that it tasted better than his grandfather's warmed wine.
• Liu Xinyu told Zhou Qiang and Wang Xiaoliang that he had avoided Yang Qingyu out of guilt, but their conversation had helped him feel at ease with her again.
• Liu Xinyu suggested they rest at a bathhouse before picking up wedding clothes and attending the class reunion.
• Fan Qishan first said he would not go, then changed his mind, explaining that he wanted to meet people and test whether his Taoist lessons were useful.

Before his wedding, Liu Xinyu treated his friends to massages and arranged suits for his best man and coordinator. At the class reunion, he announced the wedding details, required every guest to give exactly nine yuan in a red envelope, and toasted their youth, present, and future.

• Liu Xinyu took Wang Xiaoliang and Zhou Qiang to the Golden Cauldron Pavilion for massages while Fan Qishan stayed asleep in the car.
• Liu Xinyu brought Wang Xiaoliang and Zhou Qiang to a tailor, where they tried on suits for the wedding and had them altered.
• Liu Xinyu gathered his classmates at a hotel banquet and announced the wedding arrangements and that he would cover guests’ meals and lodging.
• Liu Xinyu told every wedding guest to give exactly nine yuan in a red envelope, promising his family would return double any larger amount.
• Liu Xinyu led the classmates in three glasses of baijiu to celebrate their youth, present, and future.

At Liu Xinyu’s wedding banquet, Wang Xiaoliang asked his father how much to give his wealthy best friend and learned to follow Liu Xinyu’s request for a nine-yuan gift. His father also suggested that Wang Xiaoliang write Liu Xinyu a piece of calligraphy and reminded him to bring a courtesy gift when visiting Liu Xinyu’s parents.

• Wei Zijin told Wang Xiaoliang about meeting Liu Xinyu’s fiancée, Qingyu, and Wang Xiaoliang playfully touched Wei Zijin’s thigh beneath the table.
• Chen Xiaoying teased Zeng Haiyan about having dated Liu Xinyu, and Zeng Haiyan hinted that Chen Xiaoying had liked him too before Chen praised her husband, Zhao Shengkai.
• Wang Xiaoliang stepped outside the banquet hall to call his father, who offered to send him money for a wedding gift.
• Wang Xiaoliang told his father that Liu Xinyu would accept only nine yuan and would return any larger gift double, and his father advised him to respect Liu Xinyu’s wishes.
• Wang Xiaoliang’s father suggested that he write Liu Xinyu calligraphy and reminded him to bring fruit or pastries if he visited Liu Xinyu’s parents.

At Liu Xinyu's wedding dinner, Wang Xiaoliang watched Zeng Haiyan seek Fan Qishan's attention and clashed with Zhao Shengkai. Zeng Haiyan stormed off after Fan Qishan altered a character she had written, and Chen Xiaoying then asked him to tell her fortune from a character.

• Wang Xiaoliang asked Fan Qishan what calligraphy to write for Liu Xinyu's father, and Fan Qishan jokingly suggested the characters for “whatever.”
• Chen Xiaoying greeted Fan Qishan, but he ignored her, and Zeng Haiyan asked Wang Xiaoliang to switch seats so she could sit beside Fan Qishan.
• Zhao Shengkai challenged Wang Xiaoliang for ignoring his toast, and Wang Xiaoliang retorted that Zhao kept looking at his girlfriend despite being engaged to Chen Xiaoying.
• Zeng Haiyan wrote a character for Fan Qishan to interpret, but after he added a few strokes, she crumpled the paper, called it tricks, and switched seats back with Wang Xiaoliang.
• Chen Xiaoying asked Fan Qishan whether he could tell fortunes from written characters, and, after he nodded, begged him to read one for her.

Fan Qishan interpreted characters written by Chen Xiaoying and Wei Zijin, provoking Chen’s anger but earning Wei’s acknowledgment that his reading was accurate. Wei’s result reflected her loneliness and uncertainty about her future, and the group’s curiosity grew as Li Xiaoman asked for a reading.

• Chen Xiaoying wrote “八,” and Fan Qishan added strokes to turn it into “分,” which she took as a prediction that she and Zhao Shengkai would part and angrily called him a fraud.
• Wang Xiaoliang told Fan Qishan that he thought the reading was accurate, and Zhao Shengkai confronted him until Wei Zijin defused the argument.
• Wei Zijin wrote “争,” and Fan Qishan added the bamboo radical to make “筝”; she said the kite reflected her past loneliness but not the definite career outcome she wanted.
• Wang Xiaoliang comforted Wei Zijin, and she smiled and slapped his leg when he flirted with her.
• Li Xiaoman asked Fan Qishan to read a character for him.

At a reunion, Fan Qishan gave cryptic character readings that pleased Li Xiaoman and disheartened Fang Dongxu, while the guests’ conversation turned to relationships, children, and Zhou Qiang’s past. Fan Qishan left Wang Xiaoliang with a blunt prediction that Xiao Weijin and He Runya would not marry.

• Li Xiaoman asked Fan Qishan for a reading about a woman, and Fan added the character for “cause,” leaving Li Xiaoman delighted.
• Fang Dongxu asked whether his café would prosper, and Fan crossed out the “fire” in “boom,” changing it to “violent” and leaving Fang dejected.
• Xiao Weijin dismissed character readings as superstition and stopped He Runya from asking for one, while Liu Xinyu redirected the table toward drinking.
• Zhou Qiang explained that he had stopped drinking because he and Li Lanxiang were trying for a baby, then answered Zhao Shengkai’s jab about his humble past with a pointed remark about wealthy men and harems.
• Xiao Weijin announced that he and He Runya planned to remain child-free, and Fan Qishan told Wang Xiaoliang that they would not get married.

After Liu Xinyu’s banquet, Wei Zijin discussed changing the focus of her interviews with Wang Xiaoliang, who also suggested a series about successful women. Their talk turned to infidelity and wealth, and Wei Zijin ended by warning Wang Xiaoliang not to stray.

• Liu Xinyu hosted the banquet as classmates toasted him, while Zeng Haiyan created a WeChat group and Wei Zijin kept the men who admired her at a distance.
• After the gathering, Wang Xiaoliang and Wei Zijin returned to Liu Xinyu’s house, where she declined his advances and suggested interviewing people such as Liu Xinyu, Zhou Qiang, Qingyu, and Fan Qishan.
• Wang Xiaoliang agreed to help Wei Zijin approach Liu Xinyu and Zhou Qiang, but said Fan Qishan would refuse and Qingyu should be asked by Wei Zijin herself.
• Wang Xiaoliang suggested Wei Zijin interview successful women, prompting her to consider the idea.
• Wei Zijin explained that Fan Qishan had added the character for “stand” to Zeng Haiyan’s “woman,” forming an insult; Wang Xiaoliang connected it to modern mistresses and worried about his friends’ talk of multiple wives.
• Wei Zijin warned Wang Xiaoliang not to become unfaithful if he got rich, and he promised to love only her before she joked that she would castrate him if he broke his promise.

Wang Xiaoliang and Zhou Qiang joined Liu Xinyu’s relatives for the wedding rituals as Liu Xinyu married Yang Qingyu. After the newlyweds returned home and completed the ceremonies, Yang Qingyu changed into a qipao-style outfit and said she did not like wedding gowns either.

• Wei Zijin woke Wang Xiaoliang and told him they were going to Yang Qingyu’s home as part of the bridal party.
• A makeup artist styled Liu Xinyu, Wang Xiaoliang, and Zhou Qiang, and Liu Xinyu gave her a red envelope.
• Liu Xinyu and his relatives traveled in seven Mercedes-Benz cars to Yang Qingyu’s home and completed the traditional wedding rituals.
• Liu Xinyu carried Yang Qingyu from her bedroom, while Wang Xiaoliang exchanged shy glances with Wei Zijin.
• The wedding procession returned to Liu Xinyu and Yang Qingyu’s home, where the couple completed more ceremonies before changing for the hotel.
• Yang Qingyu changed into a wine-red qipao-style outfit and told Zeng Haiyan that she and her grandfather did not like wedding gowns.

Liu Xinyu welcomed guests at his wedding banquet, where Wang Xiaoliang learned more about the guests’ relationships and status. A handsome guest called Mr. An arrived with a rare wedding gift, and Chen Xiaoying and Zhao Shengkai recognized him.

• Liu Xinyu introduced Fu Zhaojun to Wang Xiaoliang and Zhou Qiang as his stepfather and assistant.
• Liu Xinyu, his parents, and his cousins welcomed guests and escorted some important guests to private rooms.
• Mr. An arrived alone and presented Liu Xinyu with a pair of dragon and phoenix bracelets from himself and Old Hu.
• Liu Xinyu warmly called Mr. An Brother Wen and invited him inside.
• Chen Xiaoying and Zhao Shengkai spotted Mr. An, and Chen Xiaoying asked if he was Mr. An.

At Liu Xinyu and Yang Qingyu’s wedding banquet, Liu Chengde announced that his son would take over as chairman of Chengyu Group, and Wei Zijin sang a wedding gift that moved the bride to tears. As the newlyweds made their toasts, Liu Xinyu reserved a special greeting for Mr. An, just as Zhao Shengkai and Chen Xiaoying entered the private room.

• Liu Chengde praised Yang Qingyu, announced Liu Xinyu would become chairman of Chengyu Group the following month, and invited the guests to enjoy the banquet.
• Yang Qingyu’s uncle spoke about her childhood and urged Liu Xinyu to help her relatives, then Wei Zijin sang a song that brought Yang Qingyu to tears.
• Fu Zhaojun asked Wang Xiaoliang and Liu Xinyu’s younger cousin to take drinks for Liu Xinyu during the toasts so he would not get drunk.
• Liu Xinyu and Yang Qingyu toasted the elders and business partners, then continued to a room of newer acquaintances while Wang Xiaoliang and the cousin helped with the drinks.
• Liu Xinyu introduced Yang Qingyu to Mr. An as they offered him a respectful toast, and Zhao Shengkai and Chen Xiaoying entered the room.

At Liu Xinyu and Yang Qingyu’s wedding, An Peiwen recognized Wang Xiaoliang and revealed that he had been trying to arrange a meeting with him. The Liu family’s prize draw then returned Li Xiaoman’s wedding gift with a red envelope of 1,991 yuan, keeping nine yuan as a wish for the couple’s lasting marriage.

• Liu Xinyu introduced Chen Xiaoying and Zhao Shengkai to An Peiwen as classmates, while introducing Wang Xiaoliang as his buddy.
• An Peiwen asked Wang Xiaoliang if he knew Luo Bisheng and said he had asked Luo to arrange a meeting with him, but Wang had been out of town.
• Wei Zijin, Li Lanxiang, and Liu Xinyu’s younger cousin began drawing lucky red envelopes for the wedding guests.
• Li Xiaoman won a red envelope containing 1,991 yuan and realized the Liu family had returned his 1,000-yuan wedding gift, keeping nine yuan for good luck.