Chapter 444 True Daughter and Fake Son-in-Law

"Hall, Miss asked me to send this person to the Cadre Guesthouse. I couldn't refuse Miss, so the car is still parked in the yard."

Xiao Liu was a bit of a headache. Zhang Qun had always been domineering in this family, his word was law. He couldn't afford to offend Zhang Yingying either, as this young lady didn't give Zhang Qun any face.

"I'll go and see. This girl has really gone too far."

"I want to see who it is that has charmed my daughter so much."

Zhang Qun stormed out of the room angrily. Xu Jiali followed him at a leisurely pace. Although she had refuted her husband's opinion, she was equally curious about her daughter's rumored beau. She knew better than anyone how high her daughter's standards were. The sudden appearance of a potential partner surprised her more than it delighted her.

As soon as they stepped out, they saw their daughter, reeking of alcohol, and Chen Yang, who was drunk and sound asleep. In his current state, sprawled like a puddle of mud, Chen Yang didn't look particularly impressive.

"His appearance is quite decent. It's not as if my daughter has been bewitched to fall for him."

"But his alcohol tolerance is not good."

Xu Jiali's father had an unparalleled tolerance for alcohol, drinking a bottle of baijiu every meal and remaining unfazed by anything. As his daughter, Xu Jiali's capacity was astonishingly large, two jin (a catty) was nothing to her. Zhang Yingying was similar. There was no one in the Xu family who couldn't drink.

Zhang Qun had nothing much to say. He knew his own capabilities. His wife, his daughter, and his son all had a considerable tolerance for alcohol, at least he couldn't match them. It was normal for this young man to be drunk. If he could have gotten his own daughter drunk, Zhang Qun would have been truly impressed.

"Do you still have any semblance of a young lady? Look at yourself, out drinking with someone late at night, getting them drunk and bringing them home. If this were to get out, what would happen to your reputation?"

Zhang Qun's face was cold. Although his two sons were not outstanding, they at least dared not defy him at home. Only his daughter, who often clashed with him, never listened to a word he said. If he wasn't so resilient, Zhang Qun would have had a heart attack from anger.

"I'll drink with whomever I want, it's none of your business. I don't care about my reputation, you'll arrange a marriage with someone from a prominent family anyway."

"Your eyes are only on profit. Can't I do something I like? I like him, and I want to drink with him."

"I even want to stay out all night..."

Before Zhang Yingying could finish speaking, Zhang Qun trembled with rage and couldn't help but slap her. The entire courtyard fell silent. Zhang Yingying covered her face, looking at Zhang Qun in disbelief. Ever since she was old enough to understand, Zhang Qun had never slapped her.

"Zhang Qun, are you crazy!"

Xu Jiali was the first to react. She rushed over to Zhang Yingying, pushed Zhang Qun away, and hugged her daughter. She never expected that her husband, whom she had always kept under her thumb, would dare to hit their daughter.

"I'm crazy, I'm crazy."

"Do you think I want to be crazy? Why can't you understand me?"

"There's no one in this family who is not a disappointment. Are you just going to let your grandfather's lifelong efforts go to waste?"

Zhang Qun regretted his impulsiveness now, letting his daughter's words infuriate him. Otherwise, no matter what, he wouldn't have slapped his daughter in such a setting. She was an adult, and this slap would likely create a rift between them that could never be healed. However, Zhang Qun could not back down. If he yielded now, everything he had strived for would vanish into thin air.

"My grandfather was from humble beginnings. He always said that his life was a gift he picked up. If his life was a gift, then what is there that cannot be discarded?"

"It's not the elder's fault that the younger generation is incapable of holding onto the family business. You are incapable of holding onto the qualifications my grandfather gave you. What's the point of forcing me?"

"Do I have to marry someone I don't like for you to keep everything you want? Don't forget, twenty years ago, you were also an ordinary person with nothing."

"You have achieved your current status, so why can't you be content?"

Zhang Yingying's eyes were red as she glared at Zhang Qun, perhaps due to the long-suppressed emotions or because she was drunk.

"Daughter is right. Some things we cannot let the younger generation sacrifice for us. What is destined to be yours will be yours; what is not, you cannot force."

"Look at young Li. He didn't rely on anyone, and he's still going to Beijing. I heard he's getting promoted. My dear, you are too stubborn."

Xu Jiali held Zhang Yingying, who was crying uncontrollably. As a mother, how could she not feel for her daughter? Moreover, she herself was not someone who cared much about power. If she had cared, she wouldn't have chosen Zhang Qun, who had no family background, back then. She didn't understand why the passionate young man she once knew had become like this after more than twenty years. This was a side of him she had never seen before, a side she now detested! This was a side even her father never had, and he never interfered with her marriage freedom.

"You don't understand. Once you've tasted something, you won't want to give it up."

"You speak righteously now, but if one day you lose your power, and you ask me to go to the countryside and farm, facing the soil and the sky, working hard for a whole year and not being able to afford a single piece of clothing."

"The children can't even eat a piece of candy all year round, and barely have meat a few times. You won't understand."

"You and your daughter have never experienced such hardship since birth. You have never been destitute. I have been poor, and I am afraid of poverty. I would rather die than let my descendants go through such a life."

"Yingying, Dad is doing this for your own good."

Zhang Qun choked up, but his eyes were filled with determination. He would not yield! No one could change his mind.

"This matter can't be seen this way either. Society is changing rapidly. Of course, power will always be enjoyed by those at the top."

"But in the future, having money can, to some extent, achieve the same effect."

"Reform is the trend of the future. As long as you seize the opportunity, those who make money can become rich, and those who understand reform can be promoted."

"Why do you only think of relying on your daughter? Can't you rely on yourself?"

Chen Yang was groggy. His mind was a bit hazy. He had been vaguely aware of Zhang Qun's shouting earlier, but he wasn't fully conscious. He didn't know why he suddenly spoke up. Perhaps it was the alcohol, or perhaps he couldn't stand seeing Zhang Qun hit Zhang Yingying. Chen Yang had originally thought Zhang Yingying had a very good family background and should be incredibly happy. Now, it seemed that every family had its own troubles. However, Zhang Yingying had helped him. He was a grateful person. He would not stand by and watch someone bully his teacher in front of him!