"It's like this. A friend of mine has developed a high tech nano-integrated super-compound fertilizer! That is why the peach trees grew so quickly. The fertilizer is mainly made up of... Erm…even if I explain it to you, you wouldn't understand."
Chen activated his power of making-up-semi-believable-stories and fired away, "Anyway, all you need to remember is that this is currently the world's most advanced technology! Our country's highly classified information! Many of our nation's enemies want to get their hands on it! So, if this gets out, we will be sinners in our country's eyes!"
"Oh… How critical! We won't say a word at all! Absolutely not!" Chen's mom's face crumpled in panic, her forehead wet with perspiration.
Chen's dad, on the other hand, wore a grave expression on his face, he said in a stern manner, "We Chens, will never betray our country! This secret will die with us!"
When both elderlies have expressed their firm positions on the matter, Chen let out a loud sigh of relief. It's a good thing his parents never went to school – and so are easily deceived.
"If anyone asks, we'll tell them that the peach trees were transplanted here. As long as the three of us are on the same page, no one will suspect anything!" said Chen.
"Alright! No problem!" both Chen's parents nodded their heads resolutely.
"Why don't you sit here, I'll go and pluck some peaches for you to taste." Chen grinned and walked towards the garden.
Their saliva nearly spilled over when they heard that they would get to bite into some of those peaches.
That delicious sweetness of honey peaches had already been deeply imprinted in their hearts. Just thinking of it would invoke a sort of insufferable thirst and hunger.
Very quickly, Chen had picked about a dozen of large round peaches. After he had washed them, he presented them to his parents.
They were not shy at all. They each picked one up and immediately sunk their teeth into the juicy peaches.
Just then, Xiaobai came out of nowhere. His beady eyes were fixed on the peaches sitting on the coffee table.
"Little greedy cat!" Chen laughed, stood up and went to get a bowl from the kitchen. He cut open a peach and placed them in the bowl for Xiaobai.
That little guy was supposed to be an arrogant Frosty Jade Lion Spirit Beast. But when it came to eating, he revealed his true self – gobbling like a hungry pig. His face was covered in peach juice!
What was arrogance? He had already long forgotten it.
"How is it?" Chen picked up another peach.
"It tastes really good! Just as I remembered it! But I feel like there's something missing…" said Chen's dad.
What is missing?
Chen scratched his head and took a bite out of the peach in his hand.
It tasted as it should, mouthwatering – but that comforting feeling… Was missing.
Chen thought about it for a while and realized that he should not be surprised at all.
The honey peaches on Mount Huaguo that Monkey King had stolen were grown on the soil of Pantao Heavenly Garden and has longevity and strengthening effect on the body.
The peaches grown in his own garden would, naturally, not be able to produce the same effect.
"What are you babbling about? Nothing's missing! It tastes exactly the same!" Chen's mom said between bites. "Xiaobei, go get some more. Later, when Luo comes over to treat your father using acupuncture, give her some to bring home!"
"Oh, she's coming today?" said a baffled Chen.
"She comes every three days! What kind of boyfriend are you? How incompetent!" Chen's mom fumed.
"Listen to your mum! Go get more peaches. It's because of Luo's treatment that I was able to recover! You must pick the biggest and the best one for her!" Chen's dad ordered.
"Er… Okay…" Chen felt troubled. His parents favored Luo so much. Did that mean that he would not even have a place in his family?
*Sob…*
Suddenly, Xiaobai cried, and blinked at Chen, as if saying, I'm here for you.
Damn, that was how deeply-bonded a Spirit Beast could be!
Chen was pleasantly surprised, feeling somewhat comforted. He then went off compliantly to pluck peaches.
After that, Chen's mom took a couple of hundreds to go grocery shopping.
Normally, she was very frugal. The money that she took was almost a month's expenses. But to welcome her darling daughter-in-law, she had gone all-in!
More than two hours had gone by.
Chen was lying in his bedroom and browsed through the Red Envelope chat group when he heard a burst of loud noises as well as the barking of what that seemed to come from large dogs – deep and rumbly - from outside his house.
Something was not right. He got up and went out to inspect.
Chen's mom sat on the ground, the contents of her shopping bag scattered around her.
About half a meter away was a black BMW SUV.
A brawny guy came down the car and barked at her, "Are you blind, old woman? Crossing right in front of my car! If I hadn't swerved in time, you would be dead!"
"Woof! Woof! Woof…"
In the backseat of the BMW was a ferocious German Shepard, cavorting and barking incessantly.
Chen's mom, pale with fear, quivered, "I made sure there was no car before I crossed the road. It was you. You were driving too fast. You came out of nowhere…"
"Motherf*cker! How dare you blame me?"
The man's tone grew aggressive, "Are you trying to pull a 'crash for cash' me? You run into me, put all the blame on me and then ask for compensation? Are you trying to extort money from me?"
"I don't want money… I'm just reasoning with you…" Chen's mom explained.
But the man didn't want to listen, he raised his voice and snapped, "What a load of crap! Do you know who I am? How dare you try to blackmail me? Bored of living?"
"I…" Chen's mom was frustrated and felt greatly misunderstood but she didn't want to stir any trouble. So she stood up to leave.
But she had hurt her ankle during the fall and could not stand upright, causing her to fall towards the car.
"What the hell! Are you really that desperate to extort my money? Die!" the man hollered. He raised his hand and gave her a violent shove, causing her to lose her balance. This time, because she was not prepared, she fell on the back of her head. This could turn out bad!
"Mom!"
At this critical juncture, Chen rushed over like a cheetah, catching hold of her at the last moment.
"Why did you push my mother?" Chen asked, staring daggers at the man.
"Why? Do you know how much my car costs? Would this bitch be able to pay for it if she scratched it?" the man didn't show even an ounce of remorse.
"POM!" before the man could finish, Chen raised his leg and kicked the guy in his stomach.
The huge impact sent the man flying off and landing with a bang on his car like a meteorite.
The hood of the BMW was caved in. Spiderweb-cracks lined the windshield.
"Blurrrrrhhh…" The man turned his head and spewed nearly half a bowl of blood. He felt as if his internal organs had exploded.
However, Chen had only used a third of his strength in this kick.
He did not want to kill someone in front of his mother. If not, the man's guts would already be spilling out of him.