Chapter 207: Inquiring About Mimi Xiang

Xiao Fang prepared a bowl of water,

I took it and splashed it directly onto Lao Wai's face.

After a moment's daze, Lao Wai woke up.

He slowly opened his eyes and looked at me, Shangguan Zhuren, and Xiao Fang,

Then he flipped over and got up from the ground.

Lying on the ground, he called out,

"Brothers of the road, I'm just a street vendor; I have no grudge against you,

"Please, brothers, go easy on me."

"I have no money on me, so you can't rob me of any wealth."

"And I'm not a woman, so you wouldn't have any other thoughts, right."

"My leg is bad, I'm disabled; you brought me here and still need to support me."

"Just let me go; it was all a misunderstanding."

Hearing Lao Wai's plea, I just wanted to laugh.

This Lao Wai has strong survival skills; at crucial moments he always likes to play the victim.

Shangguan Zhuren then asked, "Are you Lao Wai?"

The Lao Wai sitting on the ground clasped his fists and said, "Yes, I'm Lao Wai. How should I address you, big brother?"

"I'm not your big brother; we came to ask you for something," Shangguan Zhuren said politely.

"What thing?" Lao Wai asked.

I directly said, "Mimi Xiang."

"What?" Lao Wai said, feigning ignorance.

"Mimi Xiang." I reiterated.

Lao Wai shook his head and said, "I've never heard of this thing. I don't know."

This Lao Wai is still stubborn.

I took out the tissue from just now,

"This thing, you don't know; I'll say it again. If you don't tell me, I'll make you smell it again and then throw you outside,

First I'll freeze you for a night, then talk. If that doesn't work, I'll tie you up and make you a eunuch."

Hearing me say that, Xiao Fang quickly stepped aside.

After Lao Wai heard me finish, he looked at me more carefully,

"Who exactly are you, and how do you know this can make someone a eunuch?"

Back then, Lao Wai used this method on the sunglasses guy beside Fan Shazi, making him a eunuch.

I snorted.

"Never mind who I am; I'm asking you again: do you have Mimi Xiang?"

"This friend, we're all mixing in the underworld; do you understand the rules of the road?" Lao Wai said, then crossed his arms over his chest.

"Don't give me that useless talk, what bullshit rules; there are no rules here. Hand over the Mimi Xiang."

After I said that, I grabbed Lao Wai's collar.

When Lao Wai saw I was getting rough,

He loudly shouted, "Brothers, brothers, let go, do you have a cigarette? Give me one to smoke, let me explain in detail."

I lowered my hand, and Shangguan Zhuren took out a cigarette and tossed it to Lao Wai.

Lao Wai caught it,

"Fire, big brother, do you have a light?"

I took out a lighter and lit it for Lao Wai,

Lao Wai took two puffs and said, "Brothers, I want to ask, what are you using this thing for?"

"What's it to you, you're being too nosy." I said.

"No, you misunderstood me, brothers. This Mimi Xiang is now rare in the world; using a little means less left."

"What I have on hand is still my old stock."

"If you brothers want it, we can negotiate."

"This thing isn't an ordinary commodity you can just buy at a supermarket,"

"I won't ask what you specifically do with it; anyway, using it isn't the proper way."

"My words are pretty straightforward, right?"

"Since it's not the proper way, we're like family, all friends of the road."

"Since we're friends of the road,"

"I won't hide anything,"

"The rule I just mentioned about the road is that this Mimi Xiang, I can't give it away for free."

"I have no friendship with you,"

"We only talk about interests between us."

"Fine, let's talk interests. You say, how shall we discuss?" I said.

"Five thousand for ten grams, that's the market price. It's fair; I have no other income now, I'm counting on this bit of Mimi Xiang to make money for my old age." Lao Wai said.

This Lao Wai has become smarter, knows to talk about benefits; he's no longer the muddle-headed Lao Wai in prison.

I looked at Lao Wai and said, "Alright, give me 100 grams."

"100 grams, that's fifty thousand." Lao Wai looked at me and said.

He doubts our ability to pay.

"Okay, 100 grams. Fifty thousand dollars—I'll give it to you, but we must do payment and delivery hand-to-hand." Shangguan Zhuren said.

Lao Wai glanced at Shangguan Zhuren,

"Sure, but the goods aren't on me. I can't possibly carry that much rosemary on me. Tomorrow we can go pick it up together. Then we'll do payment and delivery hand in hand."

I said to Lao Wai, "Lao Wai, don't try to fool us—I won't let you off."

"Am I that kind of person? Back then, the boss of Da Heng Group, Zhao Jianqiang, started his business with my rosemary. At that time, he was still called Wang Xinsheng. Hmph, he used my medicine for free and never gave me a cent.

Damn it, this kid's made it big and now refuses to acknowledge the debt."

Hearing Lao Wai say that, I felt furious,

Back then, Lao Wai gave me rosemary to use, hoping we could go into business together.

But in the end he stole all my clothes and money from the hotel.

This guy instead claimed I didn't give him money,

I shouted at Lao Wai, "Bullshit, what kind of person is the Da Heng Group director Zhao Jianqiang, how could he know someone like you."

Cut the crap.

"What? I'm not talking nonsense—I'm sworn brothers with Zhao Jianqiang. Back then, if I hadn't saved him in Qi He, he'd have died."

Ungrateful wretch, eating my food, drinking my drink, using my stuff,

"And in the end he refused to acknowledge me." Lao Wai sat on the ground smoking.

Shangguan Zhuren laughed at the side,

"Like this, we've already reached an agreement,

Tomorrow we'll go together to get the rosemary, payment and delivery hand in hand.

Brother, you'll have to put up with staying here for now. We'll go together tomorrow."

Hearing Shangguan Zhuren say that,

Lao Wai stood up from the ground,

"I want to drink alcohol, I want to eat meat, otherwise I won't stay here."

This Lao Wai, whenever there's a chance, will seize the opportunity to make demands.

His nature has never changed.

"I'll go get you some alcohol and meat in the middle of the night; here are two steamed buns, make do with them."

After saying that, I wanted to get two steamed buns for Lao Wai and throw them at him.

This guy has never said a good word about me, yet he still wants meat and alcohol—no way.

"If there's no meat and alcohol, I won't stay here." Lao Wai raised his voice by an octave.

Shangguan Zhuren, in order to prevent others from hearing,

"All right, brother, we'll have the alcohol and meat; I'll get them for you shortly. Don't shout."

"That's more like it—have we teamed up? We're all friends on the same path; treating friends means we must have alcohol and meat." Lao Wai said proudly.

Shangguan Zhuren assigned me to watch Lao Wai while he went to busy himself in the kitchen.

We still haven't eaten, and we're all hungry.

Lao Wai looked around and saw no one,

Then he whispered to me, "Brother, I think you resemble someone."

I said, "Who?"

"Like Zhao Jianqiang—really, when you speak you have his aura, but your accent is different."

Hearing Lao Wai say that,

I then crouched down,

"You really know Zhao Jianqiang."

Lao Wai then proudly said, "No kidding—I really know him. In the past he hung out with me in Qi He; later I went to prison and he followed me into prison. In prison he also hung out with me. If I hadn't been covering for him, this kid wouldn't have survived."