The night was deep and dark.
All the households in the crowded tenement courtyard were pitch black, with only the Su family's oil lamp still glowing at the very end.
Someone entered the courtyard.
With a wave of his hand, the unoiled gate let out a groaning sound, and faint complaints drifted from the neighboring houses.
Su Chen felt not a shred of guilt.
The candlelight, shining through the opened door, fell on his face as if through a filter—long eyebrows, peach-blossom eyes that always seemed to hold a hint of ambiguous sentiment when looking at someone.
As soon as he entered, his gaze was completely captured by the pile of silver dollars wrapped in white paper on the table.
"Dad, which poor sucker did you swindle this time?"
Before Half-Immortal Su could speak, Su Chen's handsome brows furrowed slightly with worry:
"Did you check their background? Don't mess with the wrong people. Things have been hectic over at Rouge Alley lately, and I won't be home much. What if someone comes knocking?"
Half-Immortal Su: ...
What nonsense is this brat spouting!
He was always cautious, how could he act recklessly? As for someone seeking him out today... well, you can't walk by the river forever without getting your shoes wet.
Stroking his beard with an air of profound mystery, he chuckled and scolded:
"Hmph, your father here was once taught divination arts by an immortal in a dream. If nothing else, I'm top-notch at avoiding misfortune and seeking good fortune. You should worry more about yourself."
"Save that story for the outsiders."
Su Chen was merciless. He pointed under the table, where the left leg was propped up by a tattered yellow booklet, so worn that even the title on the cover was illegible:
"See there? What kind of immortal's secret manual gets used as a table prop, and cost two whole silver dollars at that!"
He remembered it vividly—anyone who had survived on nothing but cabbage soup and cornmeal buns for two months straight, starving until they staggered when they walked, would remember it well.
"Where your father sets up his stall is a nest of paupers. I'd love to find a rich sucker to con, but I'd need a wealthy sucker to exist there first."
Half-Immortal Su dropped the act completely, holding up five fingers.
"This is fifty silver dollars!"
"If you didn't earn it, then who did?"
Su Chen spoke while pulling an oil-paper package from inside his coat. The aroma of meat wafted out even before it was opened. He deftly untied the hemp string.
It was packed full of meat.
On top was a braised chicken leg, glossy and fragrant. Both father and son gave it an extra glance, their Adam's apples bobbing.
"Helped Boss Hu handle some business for the Fragrance-Seeking House. They weren't as generous as the Immortal-Gathering Hall, didn't give much money, just treated us to a banquet. I picked out some clean pieces of meat to bring back."
Leftovers from the feast.
But don't look down on them.
How many meat dishes could there be at a banquet for lackeys like them?
They weren't even enough to go around at the table, yet he still managed to bring home this much. That was first-rate skill in itself.
Su Chen reached out, pinched a slice of meat, and popped it into his mouth.
Suddenly remembering something, he didn't even savor the meat, chewing hastily a few times and swallowing before urgently asking:
"Wait, where's Zhenzhu? These silver dollars... they're not something she got from the Fang family, are they?"
Normally, when there was meat to be had, Su Zhenzhu could smell it from hundreds of meters away. Her absence now was rather suspicious.
"You, you underestimate your sister too much."
Half-Immortal Su shook his head in disapproval:
"Zhenzhu isn't that foolish. What could she possibly take now? It's easy to get caught. It'll be time for her to show her real skills when she becomes the young mistress of the Fang family."
"Master Fang is returning from abroad soon, isn't he? Zhenzhu is afraid of delays causing complications. She went to the Fang residence to whisper in Madam Fang's ear."
"True, Zhenzhu is careful."
Words that would make ordinary people blush to hear, Su Chen accepted with perfect naturalness.
That was strange, then.
The money didn't come from Half-Immortal Su conning a sucker, nor did Zhenzhu get it from the Fang family. It couldn't possibly have fallen from the sky, could it?
It actually did!
…………
"I have a cousin?"
"Mhm."
"A cousin who not only returned from abroad but is also very wealthy?"
"Correct, very wealthy."
Half-Immortal Su held his head high, like a proud rooster, though unfortunately, the grease stains around his mouth somewhat ruined the effect.
"Haven't I told you before? Our family used to be famous for its wealth in Beiping City, living in luxury, dressed in nothing but silks and satins..."
Su Chen lowered his head, too embarrassed to say that while he had heard the stories, he hadn't taken them to heart at all.
He had thought Half-Immortal Su was just polishing his own image.
After all, by the time he was born, the Su family's wealth had long since vanished without a trace.
And Half-Immortal Su, hustling and scamming in the Jianghu, sweet-talking people and deceiving ghosts, bore not the slightest resemblance to a scion of a wealthy family.
Meanwhile, Half-Immortal Su, having reminisced enough about the carefree wealth of yesteryears, steered the conversation back on track: "Anyway, the family has this root of prosperity in its blood. It didn't manifest in your father, but fortunately, your Uncle Huaishan made good abroad."
"Such a pity, my good brother passed away in a foreign land before the family could be reunited."
His eyes grew slightly red as he spoke.
No man is an island.
Even in a man like Half-Immortal Su, who couldn't exactly be called good, there existed a soft spot.
It was his care and affection for his blood relatives.
Hearing about this relative for the first time, Su Chen wasn't as emotionally moved as his father, but looking at those fifty silver dollars, he was mostly convinced.
To put it bluntly,
these days, on the streets, ten silver dollars could buy a man's life.
The three members of the Su family weren't even worth fifty!
So, the family had truly stumbled upon good fortune. A wealthy relative had returned from abroad!
It was like one of those cliché stories the storyteller at the teahouse down the street always told, but now it was happening to his own family. Su Chen sat dumbfounded on the stool, feeling as if in a dream.
Suddenly, he grabbed Half-Immortal Su's hand:
"Dad, did my cousin say when she'd come again?"
"Don't address her so casually. We haven't compared ages yet. It's unclear whether she's your younger cousin or older cousin." Half-Immortal Su drew out his words, teasing his son.
But Su Chen interrupted anxiously:
"Why fuss over a form of address? As long as we can latch onto this wealthy relative, I'd call her 'ancestor,' let alone 'older cousin.'"
"The most important thing is we absolutely cannot let this opportunity slip."
"If Uncle Huaishan were still here, the relationship between our families would naturally be solid. But his daughter was born abroad. She has no feelings for us whatsoever!"
He grew more agitated as he spoke, standing up and pacing back and forth:
"It's the first meeting, and with Uncle Huaishan's funeral arrangements, she's bound to be polite to us. If we don't build a connection now, what will be left for us after the funeral is over?"
"That... that can't be right."
Half-Immortal Su was stunned, mumbling:
"We're the only Su family left in Beiping City. Blood is thicker than water."
"Who said she wouldn't acknowledge the kinship? It's just that the way relatives interact, those with feelings and those without are completely different."
"Some can follow along to live in luxury and even be lifted to prosperity together. Others can only show up during holidays to beg for handouts."
Su Chen was very clear-headed, analyzing for his father:
"Right now is the perfect time for us to build a bond with our cousin."
"How so?"
"Think about it. Uncle Huaishan just passed, and our cousin returned to the country all alone. She must be at her loneliest, most in need of family right now."
"Of course, we can't expect our cousin to take the initiative to get close to us. We must take the initiative to get close to her, show more care and concern, visit more often. That's how affection develops."
Half-Immortal Su listened and felt this made more and more sense.
He secretly regretted not seizing the opportunity earlier.
He then racked his brains to recall if he had said or done anything wrong during the day, determined not to have left a bad impression on Su Ning.
What, saying he was too obsequious?
That wasn't just his cousin's daughter; she was the Su family's god of wealth—no, the goddess of wealth.
She should be enshrined!
Having reached a consensus, father and son immediately stopped eating their meat. Under the lamplight, they brainstormed ideas for each other, with the core principle being to please Su Ning better and more effectively.
Their efforts should blend flattery with respect, and respect with familiarity.
And within that familiarity, it would be best to carry a hint of warmth...
"It's a pity Zhenzhu isn't here. It would be easier for girls to talk among themselves."
Su Chen took a sip of water to moisten his throat.
"No need for pity."
His father waved a hand dismissively: "We'll just have Zhenzhu come back tomorrow. If she knew about this, she probably wouldn't be able to stay put at the Fang family's either."
Hearing this, Su Chen hesitated somewhat, worried it might interfere with Zhenzhu's affairs.
The Fang family was well-off, but their only legitimate son was betrothed to their family. The specific reasons were no longer clear, but regardless, this marriage contract was formally acknowledged by both families.
In earlier years, it was fine.
But after Fang Lin went abroad to study, the Fang family's attitude became more and more ambiguous year by year.
Even the news of Fang Lin's imminent return was something he had to find out from outside sources.
The Fang family hadn't even thought to inform Zhenzhu.
This marriage was likely in jeopardy.
Thinking of this, a flash of ruthlessness passed through Su Chen's eyes. If that Fang family dared to break off the engagement, he would absolutely not let them off easily.
For someone like him, achieving great things might be difficult, but ruining things for others was easy!
"Besides, our cousin is wealthy and influential. If the Fang family knew, they'd probably be happy for Zhenzhu to come back too." Half-Immortal Su added meaningfully.
Su Chen thought it over and simply nodded in agreement.
It might be good for the Fang family to get wind of this and have some reservations.
