381: The Smell of Copper

"You've been in good spirits lately..." Su Hanyan couldn't detect any signs of his previous restlessness.

"Because of you." Jin Chen shrugged, pointing to her delicate fingers. "Touch. Just by touching you, I feel comfortable... As long as I'm close to you, my heart is calm, and I don't feel restless anymore."

Su Hanyan recalled all the moments they had shared from their first meeting until now. No wonder he always seemed to appear at just the right times—it was because she made him feel comfortable and serene.

"You... You're not just getting close to me because of this, are you? Do you..." Su Hanyan hesitated, pulling away from his hand and taking a step back.

"What are you thinking!" Jin Chen stepped forward, embracing her waist, holding her in his arms. "I admit that was a part of it initially, but later I fell in love with your soul. Yan Yan, don't doubt me, okay?"

Su Hanyan looked deeply into his eyes for a moment before averting her gaze. "I trust you."

"Thank you."

...

When the two returned home, the table was already set with dishes, and the family was waiting for them to sit down.

There was a large round table in the house, specially made by a carpenter at Jin Yan's request. It wasn't brought out on ordinary days, only when there were many people dining.

"Brother, we've been waiting for you." Shen Xingchen shifted his chair aside. "You guys... You disappear when it's time to work, and even at mealtime."

"What's wrong? Grandpa and Grandma don't have any complaints, do you?" Jin Chen raised an eyebrow at him.

"I wouldn't dare." Shen Xingchen chuckled, "Forget I said anything."

At the dinner table, Rong Qing didn't say much; she had already discussed everything she needed to with Su Hanyan in private.

As long as Su Hanyan truly loved Jin Chen and wasn't just interested in the Jin family's status, everything was fine.

Jin Xihai and his wife had met Su Hanyan before and had a favorable impression of her. After all, Jin Chen had high standards; if he liked her, she must have outstanding qualities.

Jin Baiwei and her husband, Geng Wenbin, had heard their son shouting about Su Hanyan at home long ago, so they knew some things about her.

Especially Jin Baiwei, she feels Su Hanyan this girl is straightforward and true to herself.

So, she appreciates this point.

Jin Shujing and Jin Yan, naturally, don't need to mention it.

The one who raised objections was Jin Dongfeng and his son Jin Bin.

"Su Hanyan, right?" Jin Dongfeng asked, "I heard you are a worker in the factory, right?"

"Yes, Jin uncle."

"The income is not high, right?"

"Thirty-eight six a month!" Su Hanyan answered very specifically, "Although it is not high, it is enough to support myself."

"What education?"

"Technical secondary school. However, I just took the entrance exam for night university. If I am admitted, my education should improve."

"Your education is not high! Your salary is not good! Our Jin Chen is not an ordinary person. He is a surgeon and has studied abroad! Don't you... feel pressured?"

"What are you talking about?" Jin Yan was unhappy. "When we Jin's family get married, when do we have to look at education and background?"

"Character is the most important!" Jin Shujing said.

"Grandma, Grandpa! My dad is right! As long as I understand our Jin's family, I should know the situation! This girl is not just looking at our family's conditions, it really is not said!" Jin Bin inserted.

He is a businessman, and his words are filled with a strong taste of copper**.

[as the title of the chapter, it conotates to 'money']

382: Defense

"Big brother is indeed a businessman, always looking at money in everything." Jin Chen didn't like hearing Jin Bin publicly criticize Su Hanyan, so naturally, he had to defend her.

"How could you say that? I'm considering things for your sake everywhere, and you just throw these words at me." Jin Bin looked innocent, "I'm just a living example! Look at your sister-in-law, wasn't she marrying me back then for our family's wealth? Now, what's the point of us living together?"

"Sister-in-law is kind-hearted and honest, and raising children for big brother has been really tough. I think you should be grateful, not speaking ill of her here." Jin Chen showed no mercy, his words as sharp as knives.

"It's not... I... I'm saying this for your own good. How come I'm being treated like an outsider?" Jin Bin put down his chopsticks and turned to Jin Laozi for help. "Grandpa, did you see that? Isn't Jin Chen's way of speaking a bit too harsh? I don't even know what he said to Yan Yi, but she didn't even come back for dinner after coming back late."

"Bin Bin!" Jin Shujing waved her hand at him, "I disagree with what you said. This isn't Jin Chen's problem, it's yours! You can't keep bringing up money and family background all the time. Most of us live ordinary lives despite your ability to earn money. You shouldn't look down on others just because you can earn money."

"Grandpa, you're biased again. Let me put it this way... I want to say something, and then you'll know why I said that." Jin Bin looked at Su Hanyan and asked her a question, "Do you have a sister named Su Chanjuan? Her husband is Li Baojun?"

"Yes." Su Hanyan was slightly surprised, "Do you know them?"

She knew that Su Chanjuan and her husband had always wanted to get in touch with him in order to secure a deal.

She always thought Jin Bin didn't know they existed, but it turns out that the other party actually knew.

"It's more than just knowing." Jin Bin smiled awkwardly. "Jiang Lei, do you know? He's a friend of mine, and he told me something."

Then, he explained how Su Chanjuan and her husband paid money to her sister to come over and talk to Jiang Lei about their love affair.

After the matter was not completed, the two of them asked people to find relationships and want to connect with this line.

Jin Bin knows this very well, and he despises these two.

But, he happened to hear about Su Hanyan from Yan Jia, and then he connected the two things together.

He brought these two things out, and his purpose was to embarrass Su Hanyan.

"Elders and brothers and sisters, what do you think, such a family can raise what kind of children? Do you think I question whether this matter makes sense?"

Jin Dongfeng agreed with his son's opinion: "Dad, Mom! If you ask me, Bin Bin is right. This marriage should pay attention to a good match, so that happiness can be achieved! I'm saying something that Jin Chen doesn't like to hear. You and Yan Yi are a good match! Living together is happiness! As for this Su Yan, I think it's better to forget it!"

[u should clean ur ears and wash your eyes]

"Nonsense!" Jin Shujing slammed the table with her chopsticks. "If you two don't want to eat, just go home quickly and don't cause trouble here! Listen to what you're saying, it's really embarrassing!"

"That's right! Smells like brass!" Jin Yan glared at her eldest son, then turned to Su Hanyan and said, "Yan Yan, don't listen to his nonsense. We are not like that at all, except for these two old men!"

383: Testimony

Su Hanyan smiled faintly, unaffected by those hurtful words.

"Thank you for believing in me," she gently patted Jin Yan's arm, "What Jin Big Brother said did indeed happen, that's a fact I must admit."

"Grandma, you see, I wasn't making it up, right? She herself has admitted it!" Jin Bin hurriedly said.

"Regarding that matter..."

"Regarding that matter, you want to explain, right? You were forced to go on a blind date, not willing, but your sister and brother-in-law forced you!" Jin Bin cut off Su Hanyan's words, making any further explanation from her sound like forced defense.

Jin Chen's brow remained furrowed, his gaze turned towards Shen Xingchen, signaling him with his eyes.

About that matter, he was present, so he should be clear about it.

When Su Hanyan said these words herself, the credibility was indeed relatively low, but coming from Shen Xingchen, it was different.

Shen Xingchen had been busy gnawing on bones, but when he raised his eyes and saw Jin Chen signaling to him, he immediately understood. He sighed silently and put down the bones in his hand. "I have something to say."

"This is something for adults, what business does a kid like you have?" Jin Baiwei rebuked him, annoyed at her son's meddling.

"I must say." Shen Xingchen cleared his throat deliberately amidst everyone's gaze, speaking loudly, "I was there when Sister Yan went on the blind date! I can testify that Sister Yan did not know she was going on a blind date at the time. As soon as she saw Jiang Lei, she immediately stated her attitude clearly, saying she had a boyfriend!"

"I can also testify." Jin Ling, who had been silent all along, saw Uncle's family targeting Su Hanyan everywhere, and finally spoke up, "Yan Yan is not that kind of person! Her family background may be complicated, but she is still like a lotus flower untainted by mud. To say that she's after Jin Chen's family wealth, I don't believe it! You may not be clear, but I am very clear. Yan Yan earns as much as Jin Chen herself."

"Ling Ling, how can you say that? Does she earn more money? How can she earn more money?" Jin Bin couldn't see how a woman could earn more money no matter how he looked at it, "You don't have to help her lie! If you want to earn more money, you shouldn't say that a monthly income of one or two hundred is enough!"

"Brother, why do you say things that are so unpleasant?" Jin Ling was very unhappy to hear this, "My salary is also just one or two hundred. Do you think you earn more money, so you look down on us?"

"Ling Ling, that's not what I meant..."

"Don't explain." Jin Ling raised her hand to stop his second half of the sentence, "Then let me convince you. Yan Yan opened a training class herself, and there are many students attending! She earns at least a thousand a month!"

"Is that... true?" Jin Bin asked.

"Yeah." Su Hanyan nodded, "It's true. It's actually quite distressing. Opening the tutoring class was also accidental. I didn't intend to make money, but I couldn't stop the students' enthusiasm for learning, so I opened the tutoring class..."

"A factory worker opening a tutoring class? What level are you at?" Jin Bin didn't believe it. He thought Jin Ling was helping Su Hanyan deceive him.

"An English tutoring class." Jin Chen spoke lightly, "Her level is not inferior to mine. Brother, there's a saying that goes 'there's always someone better'. You can't look down on her just because she's a woman!"

"I believe this!" Old Jin remembered the newspaper report about Su Hanyan, "Didn't you also serve as a translator for the factory and host visiting delegations?"

384: Apology

"Yes." Su Hanyan smiled, "You remembered."

"How could I forget?" Jin Yan chuckled, "When we saw you in the newspaper back then, we talked about it for half a day! To be able to be a translator, that level is definitely not ordinary!"

Listening to them talk about the translation matter, Shen Xingchen suddenly remembered something, "Wait a minute. The translation you're talking about... Isn't it about Sister Yan being hired to be a translator for the factory? I remember someone specifically went to our Foreign Language Institute to invite Sister Yan to be a translator. How did it become Sister Yan?"

Su Hanyan gave a meaningful smile, but she remained silent.

Some words, spoken through someone else's mouth, sounded more believable and more impactful.

"No need to doubt." Jin Chen casually remarked, "Clearly, Sister Yan's skills surpassed hers!"

"I can't believe it..." Shen Xingchen began to reevaluate Su Hanyan.

"What's there not to believe? You study English. You should know that you need real skills to be a translator. You can't fake it! Besides, it's all in the newspapers! You people, especially Big Brother, should read more news when you have nothing else to do, even if you don't know much about national affairs, at least know what's happening around us!" Jin Ling's words not only criticized Shen Xingchen but also gave Jin Bin a tongue-lashing.

Rong Qing took it all in but remained seated without moving or speaking, her expression faint. But if you looked closely, you could see a slight curl of her lips.

Jin Bin was publicly embarrassed and had nothing to say.

He opened his mouth, "Alright, I made a mistake. Since that's the case, I have nothing more to say."

"You've said enough." Jin Shujing glared at him, "Let's eat, stop with the nonsense!"

...

After a meal, it was already late, and it was time for Su Hanyan to bid farewell.

Originally, as a first-time visitor to the Jin family, she should have prepared gifts, but because Jin Chen didn't understand these things, he didn't inform the family in advance, resulting in no gifts to give.

However, the Jin family all gave red envelopes to Su Hanyan.

Su Hanyan didn't want to accept them, but Jin Lao Tai Tai said it was a matter of etiquette. If she didn't accept them, it would make outsiders laugh at the Jin family for not understanding etiquette.

So, she had to accept them.

"Hanyan, come with me." Rong Qing, who had shown no sign of approval, called out to Su Hanyan before she left.

"Sure, Auntie." Su Hanyan agreed.

Jin Chen's face turned displeased, his eyes somewhat cold as he looked at his mother, "Is there something you can't say here? You must go upstairs?"

Rong Qing smiled faintly but said nothing, turning and walking upstairs.

Su Hanyan released Jin Chen's hand and whispered to comfort him, "It's okay. You have to trust me. Whatever Auntie says, I'm on the same page as you!"

"Hmm."

Su Hanyan followed Rong Qing upstairs.

Downstairs, Jin Yan clapped Jin Chen on the shoulder, "You rascal, you've been missing your mom so much on ordinary days, and now that she's back, why are you treating her like this? Are you making her feel cold? I won't let you talk to your mom like that!"

Jin Chen pursed his lips and said nothing.

Upstairs.

Rong Qing looked at Su Hanyan and apologized, "Sorry, I underestimated you."

385: Gift

"I understand your feelings for Jin Chen, I don't blame you. A parent's love for their child always considers the long term! You love him, so you worry about what I might want from him... that's normal. If my mom could plan for her children like you do, I would feel happy and understanding from the bottom of my heart."

"Thank you for understanding. I'm afraid Chen Chen may not understand. His illness is something he finds difficult to talk about, something he has always wanted to forget, so he's so sensitive about it," Rong Qing said, pausing for a moment before continuing, "Actually, his illness is something our whole family avoids mentioning. But the truth exists regardless of whether we mention it or not."

"You don't need to say anything, I understand everything." Su Hanyan smiled sweetly at her, "Jin Chen is happy with me, you have to believe that! And you have to believe that his illness will definitely be cured! People need to have hope for good things to happen."

"Thank you." Rong Qing felt a warmth in her heart. She turned and opened her purse, taking out an exquisitely carved wooden box, "This is for you."

Su Hanyan took it and opened the box, inside quietly lay a translucent jade bracelet. Although she didn't understand jade artifacts well, she knew a bit about them.

The quality of this bracelet clearly indicated that it was no ordinary piece; perhaps it was priceless.

"No, this is too expensive, I can't accept it. Please take it back," Su Hanyan refused the gift.

"It is indeed not cheap." Rong Qing didn't hide it from her, her gaze lingering on the bracelet for a while before she insisted, "This was bought by Jin Chen's father. I have kept it well all these years. He said that if one day Chen Chen was to marry, this bracelet would be given to his bride! Now, I'm giving it to you. You must accept it."

Su Hanyan understood. This was Rong Qing's acknowledgment of her.

"Thank you." Su Hanyan carefully placed the bracelet in her purse, joking with her, "I will also cherish it and give it to Jin Chen's future daughter-in-law."

Rong Qing smiled silently.

Su Hanyan smiled too.

Jin Chen escorted Su Hanyan to where she rented, reluctant to part ways.

"Jin Chen, don't blame Auntie for talking about your illness. She loves you deeply, more than you can imagine," Su Hanyan said with a smile, "Her heart has always been filled with love for you."

"I know." Jin Chen's voice was heavy, "It's just that her way of loving me is hard for me to accept."

"Give her time. After all, when your father was here, she was pampered like a little princess!" Su Hanyan leaned close to his cheek and gently kissed him, "Jin Chen, I'm going back to sleep! Goodnight!"

"Goodnight~"

...

On Monday, Su Hanyan returned to work at the factory.

As soon as she entered the Publicity Department office, Zhu Lin came up to her, circling around her with a look of curiosity, "Hmm, you look so happy! I can tell your meeting with the parents went smoothly!"

"It was okay." Su Hanyan smiled.

"How was it, how was it? Did your boyfriend's grandfather like that tea set?" Shao Yu happened to come in looking for Su Hanyan and overheard their conversation, so she approached to ask.

[college is so crazy guys istg i love it here but i hate the commute.]