Above the Galaxy -
Chapter 337 - 221: Another Intruder?
Chapter 337: Chapter 221: Another Intruder?
"A son-in-law is almost part of the family, next you’d be asking when they’re getting married and planning how many kids to have, right..."
Sheng Xinhua wanted his mother to back him up but not to this extent.
Worried about deepening his parents’ misunderstanding of his relationship with Tang Fei, Sheng Xinhua quickly said, "Mom, Tang Fei and I are just friends... Can’t you stop thinking so far ahead?"
If his parents seriously thought he and Tang Fei were in that kind of relationship, nagging about marriage and kids all day long, his life would be unbearable.
That would be even more torturous than making him quit drinking.
Is there anything more frightening than being pressured to marry in this world?
"So what if you’re just friends? Didn’t every couple start off as friends? It’s not like people marry right off the bat," Mei Yuyin countered.
"He’s still young, still a student..."
"What’s there to fear about being young? What does love have to do with age? Your father and I... we’re over a decade apart, and after all these years, aren’t we still happily married?"
Tang Fei and Little Fatty looked over at Sheng Jing, surprised that this burly guy also preferred a younger partner...
Sheng Jing, uncomfortable under their gaze, deliberately coughed twice and complained, "What are you two talking about? How did the subject of kids get turned onto us?"
"I was just giving the kids an example to overcome their mental blocks, not to care about societal views... If I had minded that you were older or uglier, we wouldn’t have our happy life today, nor this child..."
"Cough, cough, cough..."
Sheng Jing coughed even more violently.
Tang Fei and Little Fatty exchanged glances, both secretly laughing to themselves.
Who would have thought that the Imperial Finance Minister, frustrating countless departments and the Emperor Zhong Daolong, could also have such awkward moments at home.
Sheng Xinhua also noticed his father’s discomfort and took the box from Tang Fei, forcefully stuffing it into Sheng Jing’s arms, saying, "Whether you like it or not, at least you can open it and have a look, right?"
Seeing his wife and daughter’s expectant looks, Sheng Jing knew he had to accept the gift today. If he resisted, who knows what wild things this mother-daughter duo might say next.
In the end, he would be the one at a loss.
He opened the finely-crafted mahjong set and stared blankly at the sets of tiles, white as jade.
"What’s this?"
"Ivory," Tang Fei explained. "After the great catastrophe, elephants on Old Land mutated, growing as large as mountains... Normal hunters can hardly capture them; only when they die naturally can their teeth be harvested. This Mahjong set is carved from the tusks of a whole elephant."
These weren’t lies made up by Tang Fei but were told by Phoenix’s maid when she delivered the gift.
"This is really a rare treasure," Sheng Jing praised. "There are no elephants on New Star, and the genetics department tried using elephant DNA from Blue Star to breed elephants that could survive on New Star... but they haven’t succeeded yet."
"The elephants born in the incubators are too frail and can’t adapt to the environment of New Star, often dying once they exit the sterile room. They’re still working on it, hoping to achieve a breakthrough soon."
"Then accept it, and play with it when you’re free," Tang Fei said with a smile.
Sheng Jing shook his head, replying, "I can’t bear to use it. What if it gets damaged? Where would I find an exact replacement? Such fine things are not meant to be used, they should be treasured instead..."
"Then just play with it among family members when you’re free," Tang Fei suggested, still smiling.
"Our family always ends up one player short when we play Mahjong. Is there anything more painful than that?"
Mei Yuyin pointed at Tang Fei and said, "Xiao Tang is here, isn’t he? From now on, Xiao Tang can come over for dinner whenever he’s free, and after dinner, he can join you for a few rounds... Is there anything happier than this?"
"Young people have their own things to do, you can’t even call your own daughter back, and yet you expect others?"
"If Xiao Tang comes, won’t your daughter come back?" Mei Yuyin looked at Tang Fei and said, "Xiao Tang, don’t you agree?"
"Yeah," Tang Fei could only nod and say, "I’ll come over and join Uncle for a few rounds whenever I’m free."
Sheng Jing looked at Tang Fei and asked, "Do you know how to play Mahjong?"
"I’ve never played before," replied Tang Fei.
"That’s alright, young people learn fast. After a round or two, you’ll get the hang of it..." Sheng Jing turned to Mei Yuyin, urging her, "Let’s eat quickly, and after dinner, I’ll teach Tang Fei how to play."
"..."
Dinner was lavish, perhaps due to Sheng Xinhua’s specific instructions, as the aunt prepared a table full of meat dishes.
Tang Fei was somewhat reserved, knowing that he was sitting in front of the Imperial Finance Minister and might rely on his favor in the future.
If he could curry favor, it could possibly aid in his future plans for revenge.
Little Fatty, however, ate heartily without any reservations, not caring for fame or connections, just enjoying dish after dish of meat.
Thus, his behavior once again received unanimous praise from the elders. Mei Yuyin looked at Little Fatty with affectionate eyes and said, "This boy has a great appetite; it’s endearing to watch."
"He’s a candid, good kid," Sheng Jing rarely praised someone.
"..." Tang Fei.
He always lost, yet never understood exactly what he did wrong.
He had tried to mimic Little Fatty’s voracious eating, but others found his behavior obnoxious.
Everyone believed Little Fatty was the most sincere of them all...
Is eating also a skill?
Sheng Jing looked at Sheng Xinhua and asked, "Is there any alcohol at home?"
"We could have some." Sheng Xinhua’s eyes lit up slightly.
Since she was unsure about her father’s attitude, her answer was somewhat ambiguous.
"If not, never mind," Sheng Jing said. "Alcohol isn’t anything good; you young people should also drink less... Come on, let’s eat."
Phoenix was right; Sheng Jing himself didn’t drink and didn’t like others drinking either.
Sheng Xinhua put on a look as though she had expected this, and disinterestedly picked up some greens with her chopsticks.
Tang Fei usually didn’t drink either, spending time chatting about everyday matters with Sheng Jing and Mei Yuyin.
When Mei learned that Tang Fei was an orphan who lived in Old Land with an old man and Little Fatty, she sighed deeply and stuffed several pieces of meat into Little Fatty’s bowl...
Sheng Jing, however, was interested in Tang Fei’s life after coming to New Star, casually asking some questions that delved into his present, future, and possible achievements.
This was a man skilled at focusing on the important things.
After dinner, they skipped the tea and rest and started playing mahjong right away.
They were using the ivory mahjong set that Tang Fei had brought.
They played late into the night until Sheng Jing had enjoyed enough mahjong, finally agreeing to let Tang Fei and Little Fatty leave.
Sheng Xinhua offered to drive them home, but Tang Fei refused.
Pointing to a taxi nearby, Tang Fei said, "Cars are everywhere, why do you need to specifically drive me home? If you take me back, wouldn’t I need to drive you back again?"
"When have you ever been so considerate?" Sheng Xinhua retorted. "It’s always me taking you home and then driving myself back. Tell me, is there any ’girlfriend’ as humble as me?"
"It’s just because I don’t have a car. If I had one, I wouldn’t need Mr. Sheng to give me a ride," Tang Fei chuckled.
"Still, I want to thank you today. My dad loves playing mahjong but usually can’t find people to play with... today he really got his fill."
"He can’t find people? How many are there who’d want to play mahjong with the Finance Minister? They probably have to circle Phoenix City a few times," Tang Fei chuckled.
The Finance Minister worried about not finding mahjong partners? It was just that ordinary people couldn’t make it to his table.
"My dad also played with colleagues, but then he found out he won all night, not losing a single round, so he never played mahjong with them again," Sheng Xinhua explained.
"Those colleagues are really considerate, aren’t they? I love the feeling of winning."
"Then if you were an official, you would definitely be corrupt."
"I can’t be an official."
"That’s not necessarily the case," Sheng Xinhua said. "What if you really make it with Phoenix, you would be the Prince Consort, only below one person, and then there will be even more people asking you for favors..."
"Below which person?" Tang Fei asked.
"..."
Having said goodbye to Sheng Xinhua, Tang Fei and Little Fatty got an autonomous car and headed home.
Tonight was a fruitful one, with the biggest gain being meeting Sheng Jing.
Despite his unassuming appearance, he was the Empire’s God of Wealth, controlling the purse strings of a nation.
His rise to power was rather legendary; originally just a professor of economics, he was spotted by the previous emperor and promoted to dean, and then Zhong Daolung had elevated him to Imperial Finance Minister.
He was the leading figure in the financial sector of the Phoenix Empire, with an incredibly powerful influence.
With his support, what big things couldn’t be achieved?
Of course, it was premature to talk about support; the most important thing was that they had established close contact and even become mahjong buddies.
By frequently joining him for a few rounds, wouldn’t their relationship get stronger?
As long as Phoenix didn’t get jealous, it was fine.
Little Fatty held a bunch of gifts in his arms, presents from Mei Yuyin to them. They had tried to decline for a long time but eventually followed the elder’s arrangements.
For thousands of years, which child could win over an adult in this regard?
When Tang Fei and Little Fatty got home and just opened the courtyard door, they heard a loud "thump."
A huge figure rolled off the roof and crashed heavily into the yard.
"There’s a thief!" Little Fatty roared, ready to rush over and trample him.
There had just been a thief at their house not long ago, and he had accidentally killed him with a hammer.
It hadn’t been long before another thief crossed their threshold...
What, did they think this was a free storage warehouse?
"Wait..." Tang Fei called out.
He already knew who the person that had fallen down was.
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