Chapter 58 : Chapter 58
Chapter 58. After dealing with the younger one, it was time for his fiery mother to deal with the older one.
“Sister-in-law, you...”
Under everyone’s gaze, Jiang Dongnian had been slapped in public by Shen Qingyue, and he was overcome with humiliation and rage.
His son had been beaten, and now he himself had been struck as well, losing face in front of everyone.
“Shen Qingyue! We’ll see about this!”
Jiang Dongnian had not been blinded by anger. He knew very well that his elder brother, Jiang Zhentian, was a man who feared his wife.
Even if he reported it to him, nothing would happen to Shen Qingyue.
He glared viciously at the mother and son, then turned to leave with Jiang Feng.
A cold light flashed in Shen Qingyue’s eyes. He was threatening her?
Since she had already hit him anyway, and since he was the kind of ungrateful wretch who sided with outsiders against his own family, she might as well tear away the last bit of pretense.
“Stand right there. Did I say you could leave?”
Her figure blurred into an afterimage as she blocked their path. With one hand on each of them, she grabbed both the older one and the younger one by an ear.
“Have the two of you forgotten your place? Is that how you speak to your sister-in-law? Apologize!”
Jiang Dongnian and Jiang Feng were both stunned. They had known Shen Qingyue was fierce, but they had never imagined she would be this fierce.
How could Jiang Dongnian possibly endure such humiliation? The aura of an eighth-stage Martial Emperor erupted from him as he prepared to resist.
But Shen Qingyue said coldly, “You dare raise your hand? When we get back, I’ll have your brother deal with you.”
The moment Jiang Dongnian heard that, his face twisted for an instant. In the end, he still withdrew his aura and ground out through clenched teeth, “Sister-in-law, I’m sorry. Just now, I...”
“Apologize to Xiao Chen. Your nephew was in danger, and not only did you refuse to help, you even sided with outsiders against him.” Shen Qingyue’s grip on their ears tightened slightly.
Jiang Dongnian winced in pain. Noticing the shocked stares of the examinees around him, he wished he could crawl into a crack in the ground.
But he had no one backing him. If he laid a hand on Shen Qingyue, then Jiang Zhentian, cowardly as he was before his wife, would still deal with him even though he was his own younger brother.
He took a deep breath, turned to face Jiang Yichen, and said, “Xiao Chen, your uncle was muddle-headed just now. I hope you can forgive your uncle.”
Jiang Yichen raised an eyebrow and revealed a contemptuous smile.
Muddle-headed?
In his previous life, Jiang Dongnian had colluded with the Zhou family from the shadows so Jiang Feng could seize the position of heir.
Not only had he repeatedly tripped Jiang Yichen up, once Jiang Feng became the heir, he had also suppressed him constantly.
He docked seventy percent of the money his mother transferred to him each month, and Jiang Yichen received not a single bit of family resources.
He had left him absolutely no room to turn his life around.
And now he was pretending he had just been muddle-headed?
Jiang Yichen dug at his ear. “Uncle, what did you just say? I didn’t hear you clearly. Say it a little louder.”
“You...” Jiang Dongnian was just about to flare up when a sharp pain shot through his ear.
“I’m counting to three,” Shen Qingyue said in an icy tone.
Jiang Dongnian’s whole body trembled, his eyes bloodshot. “Your uncle was wrong. I shouldn’t have sided with outsiders. Please... forgive your uncle.”
Only those who could endure humiliation could accomplish great things. Jiang Feng had not yet become the heir. Now was not the time to turn hostile.
Watching his father grit his teeth like that, Jiang Feng clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles cracked.
“Oh, then I won’t forgive you,” Jiang Yichen said with a smile.
Jiang Dongnian and Jiang Feng both froze. Rage burned in their hearts. It was obvious he was toying with them on purpose.
“Xiao Chen, that’s enough,” Shen Qingyue said as she slowly let the two of them go. After all, he was her husband’s younger brother. She ought to give him a way out.
Jiang Yichen shrugged. “All right.”
Jiang Dongnian grabbed Jiang Feng by the hand and left the martial exam plaza in fury.
“Father, are we really just leaving like this? I can’t swallow this humiliation! I’m going to make that man pay!” Jiang Feng trembled with rage.
Jiang Dongnian said coldly, “Now is not the time. When we get back, you need to train even harder and prepare for the Team League a month from now.”
“With the Yanhuang Team, the number one team in Huaxia, winning first place in the league will not be a problem. Only then will I have a way to make you the heir.”
“When that time comes, it will not be too late to deal with Jiang Yichen.”
“Feng’er, remember this. Only those who can endure can accomplish great things.”
Jiang Feng took a deep breath and slowly calmed himself down. “Thank you for your guidance, Father. I understand.”
Jiang Dongnian nodded, glanced back once, snorted coldly, and turned into a streak of light that vanished into the blue sky.
On the plaza’s high platform, after dealing with Jiang Dongnian, Shen Qingyue’s gaze fell on Zhou Mingyuan, who was still staring in shock.
“Principal Zhou, you like following procedures so much, do you? Then you should also properly follow the procedures for how a sixth-rank demonic beast appeared in the Monster Battlefield.”
“I will tell my husband exactly what happened today. I only hope your explanation will not be too feeble.”
The Zhou family was different from Jiang Dongnian. She would not go so far as to treat Zhou Mingyuan the same way.
Hearing that, Zhou Mingyuan slowly came back to his senses. Shen Qingyue’s fierceness just now had truly shaken him.
His voice carried a trace of unease as he laughed awkwardly. “Madam Shen, Young Master Jiang, please rest assured. Once I investigate everything thoroughly, I will definitely give you a satisfactory answer.”
Then he stood up and faced the examinees below the platform.
“All examinees, some problems occurred during this martial exam. As principal, I promise all of you that I will investigate this matter to the end.”
“We will protect the rights of the examinees and severely punish anyone who caused this chaos.”
“Also, after the two-month summer break, the academy will arrange military district internships. That will be the time for all of you to display the excellence of Huazhong students. I hope none of you will slack off in your training.”
When Shen Qingyue saw Zhou Mingyuan make the promise in public, her expression softened somewhat.
Jiang Yichen, however, was focused on the military district internship. That was not the academy’s requirement, but a compulsory demand imposed by Huaxia on martial arts graduates.
The point was to ensure that the martial artists it trained were not flashy ornaments, but people who could truly kill demonic beasts in the wilderness and defend the nation’s territory.
Children of great families were even less able to refuse. The upper echelons of Huaxia kept a close watch on them, demanding that the great families set an example.
In his previous life, even though he had only been in the second stage, he had still been dragged off to a border military district to work as a corpse carrier. Every day, he had mixed with a battlefield drenched in blood. It had been miserable beyond words.
No, once he got back, he had to think of a way to live comfortably in the military district. Better yet, not go at all.
Jiang Yichen stroked his chin. Slacking off at home and enjoying life was obviously the best option. If that did not work, then treating it as an experience would do, but he refused to suffer.
“Xiao Chen, we’ve pretty much finished dealing with people. Come have dinner with Mom.”
Shen Qingyue glanced at the darkening sky and asked tentatively.
Before this, whenever this little brat came home, it was only to ask for money to support his team. He had never even been willing to sit down and eat with his parents.
“Sure. It’s been a long...” Jiang Yichen stopped mid-sentence and suddenly froze. After a long moment, he said, “Mom, I’ll go.”
There was a trace of disbelief in Shen Qingyue’s eyes. Had this silly son of hers really come to his senses?
“All right. Let’s go.”
Under Zhou Mingyuan’s insincere, tight-lipped smile of farewell, he left the school with his mother.
They did not go to some high-end restaurant, but to an old noodle shop.
When Jiang Yichen was little, Shen Qingyue had often brought him here to eat. The spicy noodles here were truly exceptional.
Back before the Great Cataclysm, his father had met his mother at this very noodle shop. There was a story between them here as well.
Not long after they sat down, two steaming bowls of noodles were brought over.
“Madam Shen, Young Master Jiang, please enjoy,” the owner said with a grin.
Shen Qingyue nodded with graceful composure, picked up her chopsticks, and took small bites.
Jiang Yichen held back a laugh and copied his mother’s manner, putting the beautifully fragrant noodles into his mouth.
Compared to dishes made by a top private chef, these noodles could not be called refined, but they had their own unique charm.
Jiang Yichen glanced to the side and saw the owner head into the kitchen. Then he whispered, “Mom, the owner’s gone.”
Shen Qingyue paused, looked up, and instantly stopped caring about maintaining the image of a refined noblewoman.
She picked up nearly the whole bowl of noodles in one chopstick lift, slurped down a huge mouthful, and let out a noisy sucking sound. Beneath the table, one leg rose onto the footrest and began bouncing rhythmically.
Jiang Yichen naturally knew how to do the same. His mother had taught him. She said that was how these noodles were meant to be eaten, and that it made them taste even better.
But before Shen Qingyue could swallow that mouthful, her phone rang.
With noodles still in her mouth, she wiped her lips and answered the call.
“Madam, the family head has convened the family heir selection meeting. It begins in ten minutes. Where are you? I’ll come pick you up.”
Shen Qingyue’s expression changed. Looking at the time, she frowned.
Then she looked at her son across from her, who was eating his noodles, and instantly found herself in a dilemma... Xiao Chen had finally agreed to have a meal with her, and now this...
“Mom, you should go. Work comes first.”
Jiang Yichen smiled. He was already used to it.
When his parents had him in their previous life, the Jiang family had been in the middle of its meteoric rise. They had hardly had any time to spend with him.
But once the Jiang family stabilized and his parents finally had time, he had gone running after Lin Wan instead and never came home.
And every time he did come home, it was only to ask for money.
Sigh. He really had been a bastard.
“Xiao Chen, when it’s your father’s birthday, Mom will spend proper time with you.” Shen Qingyue pinched his cheek, then walked out of the noodle shop in her clicking high heels.
Jiang Yichen shook his head. Just as he was staring absentmindedly at the entrance, a message popped up on his phone.
Su Linyu: Brother Yichen, have you eaten yet?
Jiang Yichen glanced at the time. It was exactly seven o’clock, right on his dinner time.
He scrolled back through their earlier chat history and saw that, aside from the meal they had shared at noon today, she had sent him the same message every day at noon and at seven in the evening.
He just had never replied.
Jiang Yichen felt a little embarrassed. He typed back: ‘I’m eating right now.’
Su Linyu replied instantly.
‘【Shocked】Brother Yichen, you actually replied to me【Happy】. Brother Yichen, what are you eating? Can you show me?’
Jiang Yichen hesitated for a moment, then took a photo and sent it to her.
But after he sent it, Su Linyu did not reply for a long while.
Only two minutes later, after he had finished his noodles, did a message come from her.
‘Brother Yichen, have a nice meal with her. Remember to take the medicine I gave you when you get back. Your stomach isn’t good, and those noodles are spicy. Your stomach will easily start hurting tonight, and you won’t be able to sleep.’
‘You have to remember, okay~’
Huh?
Jiang Yichen froze. He opened the photo he had taken and looked at it.
Good lord, he had also captured his mother’s half-finished bowl of noodles.
This girl had clearly misunderstood, and yet she was still worrying about him...
In his previous life, for the sake of the team, not only had he stayed up all night for long periods, he had often been so busy that he missed meals as well. At night, his stomach would often hurt, leaving him unable to sleep.
After Su Linyu found out, she started calculating the days and bringing him medicine. Even when he yelled at her, she kept delivering it.
She often sent him tips on how to care for his stomach, and had even specifically gone to study gastrointestinal medicine.
It was just that... he had never paid any attention to her.
Jiang Yichen typed out an explanation: ‘Just now, I was having dinner with my mom. Don’t misunderstand.’
Ding!
Su Linyu: ‘Ah? So that’s what it was. I’m sorry, Brother Yichen. I misunderstood. I promise I won’t do that next time.’
‘Also, Brother Yichen, you were willing to explain it to me. Wow, I’m so excited~’
‘Oh right, Brother Yichen, congratulations on passing the martial exam. I’m going to prepare a surprise for you!’
Jiang Yichen: What surprise?
Su Linyu: It’s a secret for now. If I tell you, then it won’t be a surprise anymore.
Jiang Yichen smiled helplessly. After chatting a little more, he walked out of the noodle shop.
【Ding! Congratulations, Host, on reaching ‘Fifth Stage, First Level.’】
Oh, so the results of his automatic cultivation had arrived.
Sigh. This feeling of growing stronger without cultivating was simply too satisfying.
Jiang Yichen glanced at the Magical Artifacts, money, and everything else in his system space. With all this time on his hands, he could go home, keep slacking off, and enjoy the pleasures of life.
Right, back in high school he had always dreamed of esports. He absolutely had to get himself a top-end setup and maybe even organize a tournament to experience it.
Jiang Yichen’s eyes lit up. His money was impossible to spend anyway, so he had to find some fun for himself.
As for the Huaxia Team League, he could leave that to professionals and simply enjoy the final result.
Wonderful.