Rebirth: He Decides to Lie Flat
Chapter 469 - 469 464 Turned Against Us

Chapter 469: Chapter 464 Turned Against Us Chapter 469: Chapter 464 Turned Against Us Hong’s father had spent over two hours in the internet café before leaving, his hands stuffed with several boxes of tea and goji berries by Xiaotie. Judging by the packaging and brand, he instantly had an idea of the price.

How to put it?

He had reached his current position and naturally wouldn’t lack such things, but most of them were given by others. If he were to buy them himself, it’s not that he couldn’t afford them, it’s that he wouldn’t be willing to.

The brothers had been very considerate. They didn’t make him carry the items directly, adding an ordinary-looking kraft paper bag on the outside so that it wouldn’t draw attention.

With mixed feelings, Hong’s father returned home.

Hong’s mother was sitting in the living room watching television. To say she was watching television was actually to say she was keeping an eye on Hong Jing. If she went out, her mother would immediately follow; if she was at home, her mother would sit in the living room and watch over her.

No matter what, the point was to prevent her from meeting that young man again.

Seeing her husband return, she hurriedly stood up to greet him, asking eagerly and in a low voice, “How did it go? Did that boy agree?”

Hong’s father didn’t rush to answer but handed her the items he was holding, “Xiaotie gave these, seems like they were bought well in advance.”

Hong’s mother glanced down, saw the very ordinary packaging that didn’t reveal anything, and frowned in disdain. Taking it from him without a second look, she carelessly placed it on the ground, “What’s this? Besides, why are you accepting his stuff? After this, Jingjing won’t have anything to do with him. What do you want his things for?”

“Let’s talk in the room,” said Hong’s father as he led the way inside.

Hong’s mother turned her head to look at her daughter’s room. Thinking it over and not feeling reassured, she went to the TV cabinet, took out a key, and locked the door to Hong Jing’s room with a couple of clicks.

Seeing her do this, Hong’s father couldn’t help but laugh and cry, “That’s not necessary. She’s your daughter, not a prisoner.”

Hong’s mother spoke bitterly, “I treat her as my daughter, but does she consider me her mother? We had agreed that if she got a boyfriend, she’d tell me right away. Look what happened now, keeping it so tightly under wraps.”

The thought alone made her angry, and her voice involuntarily rose.

At that moment, Hong’s father couldn’t help but recall what Jiang Yan had said: mother and daughter at odds…

If it really came to that, even if Jingjing eventually broke up with Xiaotie, she would still resent them. Years later, if her marriage was happy, then fine, but if it was not, they would inevitably dredge up the past.

Even if she didn’t bring it up, wouldn’t they, as her parents, reflect with regret?

Although these were all scenarios analyzed by Jiang Yan, who might have been taking Xiaotie’s side, trying to get her parents’ approval, it was undeniable that his points made sense.

“Come on, tell me, how did the talk go? Did that boy agree to break up?” As soon as they were in the room and the door was shut, Hong’s mother asked impatiently.

“Well, my dear, sit down first, and let me explain things to you,” replied Hong’s father.

“Explain? What’s there to explain? What are you up to?” she said.

Although she said this, Hong’s mother still sat down on the bed as told, while Hong’s father pulled up a chair to sit in front of her.

“Here’s the thing, I went to Xiaotie’s internet café today…”

“What internet café? You mean a cybercafe, right? Wasn’t he running a repair shop? How did it turn into a cybercafe?”

Hong’s father was somewhat helpless. This term was relatively new to him, and without seeing it firsthand, it was hard to imagine what it was like. And for middle-aged women like Hong’s mother, who didn’t surf the internet much, their first reaction upon hearing it would almost ninety percent of the time be that it was a cybercafe.

He thought of a more understandable explanation, “It’s not like a cybercafe. It’s a coffee shop with computers available for internet access, quite large and luxuriously decorated, and the business is very good. Most importantly, Xiaotie is very eager to have Xiaojiang join him in starting this kind of shop, all for the sake of your daughter.”

“For Jingjing?” Hong’s mother was not convinced, and she asked with a frown, “Is that what he told you? And you believed him?”

“Xiaojiang was the one who said it, and he has no reason to lie to me. You know about the specialty store at the entrance of Beijing University that’s run by Xiaojiang; he has also partnered with classmates to open an electronics factory. With university still to attend, he’s already quite busy and simply doesn’t have the energy to deal with an internet café. It’s Xiaotie who wants to give Jingjing a future, so he’s pulling him in to start it together.”

“Wife, don’t be so quick to dismiss it. I asked, and the monthly profit from the internet café is about thirty thousand that Xiaotie can take home. Let’s not talk about anything else, just think about the young people in their early twenties you know who have just graduated. Is there even one who earns thirty thousand a month? Never mind thirty thousand, is there someone making even ten thousand?”

Hong’s mother kept silent, but after only a minute of pause, she countered, “Business has its ups and downs. You’re looking at how much he earns now, but what if he loses so much he has to shut down later? Unlike a civil servant, which is stable whether there’s drought or flood.”

This opinion wasn’t wrong and was indeed the expectation of most parents for their children. But on consideration, even if one were a civil servant for ten years, how much money could they save up? It’s likely that they couldn’t save as much as what Xiaotie earns in half a year.

But it’s true that business involves risks and earnings; however, Hong’s father didn’t believe Xiaotie’s internet café would lose money in the future. Setting Xiaotie aside, that kid Xiaojiang gave him a very peculiar feeling today. He felt that Xiaojiang wasn’t the type to lose money.

But he couldn’t convey this feeling to his wife, so he could only try to prove Xiaotie’s choice was the right one by slightly analyzing the development of computers and their gradual popularization in the country.

After all, Hong’s mother had also attended university and felt quite moved by this.

When she first started working after graduation, there was none of this computer and projector technology; all the record-keeping and archiving had to be done by hand. But now, every office is equipped with several computers; you can store any materials inside, and it’s both convenient and time-saving to find them.

So when her husband said that Xiaotie’s chosen path was the right one, she really had no objections.

“But his education…”

“Although a degree from an adult college exam isn’t comparable to that from a standard university, the kid is still hardworking. Jingjing isn’t planning on pursuing a graduate degree, but if Xiaotie could obtain a master’s degree, wouldn’t that put them on equal footing?”

“…”

“Don’t look down upon the education from adult college exams. Aren’t there also associate degree holders among your school’s teachers? They then self-study for their bachelor’s degree. How much difference is there really between self-studied degrees and those from adult college exams?”

“…”

“So, summing it all up, you see, Xiaotie’s conditions aren’t bad.”

Hong’s mother looked at her husband in a daze, hitting the nail on the head, “I sent you to warn him, and you’ve turned into his advocate instead?”

Hong’s father: “…”

He quickly retorted, “How could that be? Do you think I’m that fickle? I’m only considering things from our daughter’s perspective. Think about it, the whole life the two of us have been busy and toiling away, for what? It’s all for her to have a good future, a life without worries about food and clothing, a comfortable existence.

I’ve reached the position I’m in today also to prepare her for a civil servant exam and to help her career. But have you really grasped our daughter’s disposition? She has no real ambition, just wants a stable and easy job. But if a job is secure and easy, the salary can’t be too high. Under such circumstances, if we still want her to live comfortably, we can support her before marriage, but what about after she gets married?”

“It’s possible for you to find her a well-matched young man with prospects, but don’t forget that such families also have high expectations. Do you want your daughter to be scrutinized by others?”