"...Isn't it only worth one dollar?" 　　The Xi family's old house at this time. 　　The courtyard, a blend of Chinese and Western styles, features a gently flowing stream. The remnants of last night's banquet are still visible in the busy figures of servants cleaning up, a testament to the importance placed on the event. In the spacious reception room, an elderly man with white hair and a beard sits at the head of the table, holding a cup of tea. He uses the lid to skim off the foam, then leisurely blows on it and asks, "What are you laughing at?" 　　The person being questioned was Xi Siyan, who had changed her clothes after returning home that morning. 　　Unlike the formal attire for a banquet, or the casual wear for everyday outings, the white shirt was tailored to fit well, with subtle gold embroidery on the shoulders hinting at its preciousness. 　　He sat on a pear wood chair at the lower end of the table, and looked up when he heard this: "You've mistaken me for someone else." 　　"I'm not blind yet." The old man took a sip of tea and said slowly, "What did you do last night? Even your second uncle, that scoundrel, knows to come home to sleep, but you've learned to stay out all night." 　　If it were any other member of the Xi family here, they would probably have already bowed their heads in fear and admitted their mistake. 　　But Xi Siyan didn't. He simply put away his phone and raised an eyebrow: "I'm almost an adult. Don't try to apply those old rules from seventy or eighty years ago to me. They won't work." 　　"Hmph." The old man placed his teacup on the table beside him, expressing his displeasure. "You think you can fool anyone? Wasn't that Yang family kid in the phone just now?" 　　Xi Siyan looked back, surprised, "I thought you weren't interested in these things." 　　"I've known Yang Congxian, the great-grandfather of the Yang family, for many years." The old man's face was filled with nostalgia and sighs. "It's a pity that the current head of the Yang family had a terrible relationship with his wife in his early years, and now that he's middle-aged, it's been revealed that his son isn't his biological child. In comparison, your parents have been loving and affectionate for decades, which is the most gratifying thing for your grandmother and me." 　　The banquet master found the conversation boring. 　　His parents were very loving, so much so that he grew up in this house. 　　It was precisely because of the eldest son's success that the second uncle's dissolute lifestyle was particularly unacceptable to the old man. 　　Although the Xi family has many collateral branches, there are only two direct descendants. Counting further down, Xi Siyan, the only son, has been the culmination of generations of hard work and hopes since childhood. 　　But he sometimes doesn't seem so outstanding or respectable. 　　For example, when talking about his parents, his furrowed brows revealed his speechlessness. "What exactly did you say to them last night? My mom sent me a sixty-second voice message that took up three whole pages. Anyone who didn't know better would think I'd done something really serious." 　　The old man was also a bit annoyed, "You still have the nerve to bring that up? Let your second uncle drink himself to death outside. Your mother has always felt sorry for you. You were nowhere to be seen at that kind of event last night. How could she not worry that you still hold a grudge?" 　　The banquet master leaned back in his chair. 　　He tilted his head back and placed his hands on the armrests, crossing them in front of his chest. 　　"I just don't like her making decisions on her own." 　　The old man glanced at him, picked up his teacup again, and looked inscrutable. "The Yang family has more than one youngest son. Didn't you just meet another one last night?" 　　Xi Siyan turned his head, "What do you mean?" 　　The old woman said, "Your mother was kind to your great-grandmother, who has passed away. Your mother asked you to take good care of the children in the Yang family, but she didn't ask you to marry a daughter from the Yang family. You don't like one of them, and you don't like two of them. During holidays and festivals, for big and small matters, can't you at least pretend to be a good older brother? You're a grown man, yet you treat your own mother like a monster." 　　Speaking of this, Xi Siyan had a headache. "That's because she would never cry in front of you and Grandma." 　　She used all her acting skills to deal with her husband and son. 　　At this point, Xi Siyan seemed to remember something and asked the old man, "Since you can tell me to pretend, why did you specifically bring up what happened last night?" 　　The old man cleared his throat. 　　“Your Grandpa Yang specifically came to see me,” he said. “He’s quite satisfied with his grandson who was recently found. If you don’t want to meddle, that’s fine, but at least be nice to people.” 　　The banquet master was initially surprised, then gave a slight smirk. 　　He asked, rather half-heartedly, "How can I be more attentive?" 　　Before the old man could express his opinion, she suddenly said, "You clean up after him when he fights, you move your desk to be his deskmate, you tutor him and are always his free driver. Is this attitude good enough?" 　　"Straighten up your attitude!" The old man kicked him. "Stop bullying people. I heard from your Grandpa Yang that his grandson is kind-hearted and soft-hearted. You should take good care of him." 　　Xi Siyan straightened up from the stool, propped his forehead up, and laughed for a long while. 　　The old man asked him what was wrong with him. 　　Xi Siyan: "Whether he is weak and easy to bully or not, you can only wait and see." 　　Xi Siyan got up and left the hall. 　　The old man called out from behind, "Where are you going again?" 　　"Nanshan". 　　The old man, who had been sitting upright, suddenly stood up, beckoned to the maid next to him, and said, "Quick, stop that brat! He's recklessly speeding again!" 　　"Grandpa, please calm down." The servant who had worked in the Xi family's courtyard for many years quickly patted the old man's back and said with a smile, "Don't worry, Ayan went to say hello to the old lady. He didn't go to Nanshan for racing. He said there was some cycling activity. This morning he specifically asked me to go to his apartment to get him some clothes, saying that he would be spending the night on the mountain tonight." 　　"Really?" The old man looked doubtful. 　　The maid chuckled, "Really, that child was just teasing you on purpose. He's never been tactless, so you can rest assured." 　　The old man then calmed down. 　　He slammed his hand on the table, sat down, and cursed, "You unruly bastard!" 　　The maid chuckled to herself. 　　"Only you would curse him like that." 　　* 　　Chen Mo left the hospital at nine o'clock and went back to his dormitory to take a shower. 　　After spending a night in the hospital, he felt that he was covered in the hospital's distinctive smell, which made him frown. 　　Even if he was a frequent visitor to hospitals in his past life, and had a witty friend like Lao Gou working there, it didn't mean Chen Mo was used to hospitals. On the contrary, hospitals always reminded him of some unpleasant memories. For example, when he was young, Li Yunru threw a tantrum at the hospital entrance over his hundred-odd yuan medical bills, and Chen Jianli called him a good-for-nothing who wouldn't grow up. For example, on the day he had leg surgery, the cold lights overhead in the hospital made him think that just falling asleep like that wouldn't be so bad, in the last second before he lost consciousness from the anesthesia.

Chapter 40