Chapter 33: Do You Think We’ll Skip the Bill?

Translator: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

Chapter 33 – Do You Think We’ll Skip the Bill?

“Alright, that’s enough. I’ll give each of you ten yuan, so stop arguing,” Chen Yu said, clicking his tongue as he dug out two ten-yuan bills from his pocket and passed Chen Yike and Chen Sanke one each. “I really feel embarrassed to have sisters like you two.”

“Thank you, Big Brother!” Chen Yike said fawningly as she happily received the ten-yuan note.

“Thank you, Big Brother!” Chen Sanke answered similarly, jumping with joy after receiving the note.

After putting the money in her pocket, Chen Yike returned her gaze to Chen Sanke and said sternly, “Third Eldest, now that you’ve got money, give that torn ten-yuan note to me.”

“No! Each of us gets half!”

“You have money already!”

“Didn’t you receive some as well?”

“Give it to me!”

“No!”

“Torn money can’t be spent!”

“Liar!”

In no time at all, the two sisters resumed arguing and tearing at each other.

Chen Yu: “…”

“Brother…” At this time, Chen Erke, whose hand Chen Yu still held, suddenly called out to Chen Yu with wide eyes. Without trying to hide her yearning for the money Chen Yu just handed out in the slightest, she said, “Big Sis and Little Sis both received money. I really am happy for them.”

Chen Yu: “…”

“Big Brother, you said you were going to buy me crayons before, yet you never actually bought them for me. If I had ten yuan as well, I could buy a lot of crayons.”

Before Chen Erke’s unbearably piercing gaze, Chen Yu’s lips twitched as he said, “D-Didn’t I bring you to the amusement park just now?”

“But I didn’t ask for that!” Chen Erke said, shrugging. In a very logical manner, she explained, “You were the one who brought me there, Big Brother. I didn’t ask to go. Moreover, I even advised you not to bring me there.”

“What advice did you give me?! You were obviously having fun in there!”

“I told you that an amusement park is expensive!” Chen Erke sighed, “But I failed to dissuade you.”

Chen Yu’s complexion instantly darkened at Chen Erke’s words.

“Of us three sisters, only I didn’t get any allowance.” Gripping the edges of her shirt, Chen Erke put on a pitiful act as she said, “But I know Big Brother isn’t rich. Big Sis and Little Sis need allowances more than I do. I’m the second eldest, and I’ve always lacked presence in the house. You don’t need to pay too much attention to me.”

At Chen Erke’s following words, Chen Yu’s complexion turned even darker. Immediately, he pulled out another ten-yuan note from his pocket and said, “You win.”

“Thank you, Big Brother!” Upon seeing Chen Yu cave, Chen Erke revealed a joyful expression as she accepted the ten-yuan note.

Meanwhile, almost at the same time this happened, Chen Yike and Chen Sanke stopped arguing with each other. Instead, both of them turned to glare at Chen Yu as if he were an enemy.

“Uh…” Chen Yu was stunned by this turn of events. Confused, he asked, “Why are you two looking at me like that?”

“Big Brother brought Second Sis to the amusement park,” Chen Sanke said, the edges of her eyes reddening instantly.

“Why did you leave us at home?!” Chen Yike demanded, stomping her foot.

Chen Yu: “…”

“Big Brother hates Sanke.”

“Brother, you’re biased!”

After a moment of silence, Chen Yu suddenly held his head and hunkered down, shutting himself off from the outside world completely.

Today, he finally understood the main reason why his family was poor.

“Second Eldest!” Ignoring Chen Yu’s actions, Chen Yike walked up to Chen Erke and grabbed her left hand, saying, “Congratulations. You became Big Brother’s new favorite. Big Sis really is envious of you.”

“Second Sis!” Chen Sanke similarly approached Chen Erke, her butt knocking down Chen Yu on the way. She then grabbed Chen Erke’s right hand and asked, “Was the amusement park fun? Did you see Pikachu there? I’ve never been to an amusement park before.”

Unable to bear the torture anymore, Chen Yu frantically scratched his head as he abruptly stood up. He then raised his hands in defeat, saying, “I was wrong! It was my mistake, alright?!”

Chen Sanke: “I want to go to the amusement park!”

Chen Yike: “I want to go, as well!”

“Eldest, you’re already in middle school, yet you still want to go to an amusement park? Are you not ashamed?”

“I look young,” Chen Yike said as she caressed her own face. “Nobody can tell that I’m a middle-schooler.

“Fine, fine, fine!” Giving up, Chen Yu pushed open the security door and pointed at the distant elevator, saying, “I’ll bring you all there, alright?!”

“Will Second Sis be going too?” Biting her thumb, Chen Sanke said, “If Second Sis goes again, won’t she be going there twice? That’s unfair.”

“My little ancestor! Spare me!”

“Third Eldest! How can you be so greedy?!” Chen Yike said as she lightly slapped Chen Sanke’s head. She then continued in a whisper, “At least wait until you’re done playing before saying that! You’ll get to play again in that case!”

“You’re right!” Chen Sanke’s eyes glowed brightly when she heard Chen Yike’s reasoning. She hugged Chen Yu’s leg and said, “I misspoke before. Let’s go play!”

Chen Yu: “…”

…

Twenty minutes later, the Chen family’s four siblings arrived at the supermarket’s third-floor children’s amusement park once more.

After Chen Yu footed the bill for her ticket, Chen Sanke immediately dashed into the amusement park in excitement.

“Brother, don’t buy me a ticket.”

Just as Chen Yu was about to get Chen Yike a ticket, she suddenly stopped him.

“Didn’t you want to play as well?” Chen Yu asked, confused.

“I was just joking! How old am I already? Why would I want to play this?” Chen Yike said, rolling her eyes. “Moreover, it costs 60 yuan an hour to play here. It’s too wasteful. Let Second Eldest and Third Eldest play.”

At this time, Chen Erke tugged on Chen Yu’s shirt and shook her head, saying, “I won’t play, either. I played already. Let Little Sis play.”

“Even if you’ve played before, you can still play again.”

“No need,” Chen Erke said, shaking her head. “I’m tired.”

After remaining silent for a short moment, Chen Yu rubbed Chen Erke’s head as he revealed an understanding smile.

Exactly one hour later, Chen Sanke walked out of the amusement park and put on her shoes. Panting tiredly, she ran up to Chen Yu and stretched out her two hands, demanding, “Carry me!”

Hurriedly picking up Chen Sanke, Chen Yu asked, “Why not continue playing?”

“One hour passed already,” Chen Sanke replied while panting for air. “We’ll need to add more money if I continue playing.”

Chen Sanke’s reply confounded Chen Yu. “Is that something for you to worry about?!”

“Hah… Our house isn’t wealthy, so we can’t casually spend money,” Chen Sanke said like a sage. “The children of poor families grow sensible at an earlier age. You need to learn how to live properly.”

Chen Yu: “…”

“Brother, let’s go home. I’m hungry already,” Chen Yike said.

Chen Erke: “I’m hungry too.”

Chen Sanke: “Hungry.”

“I’m hungry as well,” Chen Yu said. He then pointed ahead and continued, “Let’s go! Big Brother will treat you all to a feast!”

…

Bang!

Ten minutes later, the doors to a famous restaurant named “Happy Dumplings” opened abruptly.

Immediately, a burst of passionate and rhythmic singing flowed into the restaurant.

“Invincibility is so, so lonely…”

“Invincibility is so, so hollow…”

“I stand alone at the top, the cold wind constantly blows…”[1]

Upon hearing the strange music drifting into the restaurant, the restaurant’s customers promptly turned their attention toward the establishment’s entrance. What entered their gaze was a group of four wearing sunglasses and exaggerated hairstyles.

From the group’s eldest to the youngest, they were:

Chen Yu, eighteen years old.

Chen Yike, fourteen years old.

Chen Erke, nine years old.

Chen Sanke, five years old.

“My loneliness… who can understand me…?”

“Oh, how lonely invincibility is…”

“Oh, how empty invincibility is…”

“Music, stop!” Chen Yu commanded as he stepped on the long-jump diagram drawn near the restaurant’s entrance.

In response to Chen Yu’s words, Chen Yike hurriedly turned off the music her phone was playing.

“S-Sir…?” At this time, a waiter timidly walked up to Chen Yu. After briefly evaluating Chen Yu’s group of four, he asked, “A-Are you here to dine?”

“What am I here for if not to dine?” Pointing at an empty table, Chen Yu said majestically, “A table for four. We’ll sit there. Bring me the menu.”

In response, the waiter remained in a daze for quite some time before hesitantly handing the menu to Chen Yu.

After taking a seat at his chosen table, Chen Yu flipped to the menu’s first page before stabbing out his index finger and saying, “This, this, this, this… This one as well!”

“A-Are you really going to order so much?” the staff member asked, shocked by Chen Yu’s order. “Can you finish it all?”

“Just bring everything I ordered. If we can’t finish it, we can just pack it home.”

“But…”

“But what?” Frowning, Chen Yu said, “Do you think we’ll skip our bill? We’re flowers of the new generation!”

Chen Yike: “That’s right!”

Chen Erke: “That’s right!”

Chen Sanke: “That’s right!”