Chapter 573: Those abacus beads were almost hitting my face

"Damn it, you are all lunatics!"

Brother Zhang cursed loudly, and even kicked the pillar hard with his foot to express his anger.

"Since you're crazy, then I'll be crazy with you!"

But his next sentence exceeded many people's expectations.

Duyanlong, who had just been keeping his eyes tightly shut, opened them at this moment and looked at that fleshy Pangzi; his cold face seemed to carry a hint of a smile, though it was not obvious.

"Pangzi, I've remembered you." Duyanlong looked at Zhang Pangzi and said nothing else.

And that young man stood up from the ground, walked forward, and gently hugged Zhang Pangzi, "Brother."

"Alright, alright, get lost. If we lose, the three of us will line up to jump off a building; on the road to the Yellow Springs, we won't be lonely." Zhang Pangzi also sat down on the ground.

Since the choice had already been made, the previously tense emotions finally relaxed.

Before long, the sound of snoring, "Snore... snore...", drifted out.

For the past few days, he had been extremely nervous; previously, he had cast a wide net, not putting much into any single stock—if he made money, it was fate, and if he lost, he lost.

Now, all his money was placed on one stock; if he lost, that meant death.

How could he not be nervous?

"Brother Pangzi is too tired." The young man looked at Zhang Pangzi and said helplessly.

This state had appeared in many people.

Zhang Pangzi was not an isolated case, but he was an exception in being able to persist.

Now there was no need to stare at it, just wait for word from the Madam, which was what finally allowed him to relax his whole body.

"You'll be fine after a sleep, why are you persisting, kid?" Duyanlong asked him.

He and Zhang Pangzi could be considered to have a friendship; previously, when Zhang Pangzi was being tailed, it was he who saved Zhang Pangzi once. He wasn't surprised that Zhang Pangzi chose to stay, but he was surprised that this young man stayed.

"Me? It's just pure belief."

This youth thought of Li Zai, who followed by the Madam's side; their ages were not far apart, but all these old-timers said how Li Zai used to be, and how dazzling he was now.

There was much he needed to learn, and much he needed to change, and Li Zai was the object of his study. Others were gambling, but wasn't he also gambling?

"Kid, your eyes tell me you have other thoughts." Duyanlong was silent for a moment, but still said it.

He had seen too many people; apart from infants, the cleanest eyes he had ever seen were the Madam's eyes.

And it was precisely when he was at his wit's end that the Madam gave him the courage and capital to go on living.

He would follow her to the death.

"I..." The young man lowered his head.

Duyanlong touched the wine gourd behind his waist, then took a sip, his eyes squinting, "This City, what a crime-ridden city it is; who doesn't have little ulterior motives?"

As he spoke, he took another precious sip.

Carefully, afraid of spilling even a tiny bit.

"Having little ulterior motives is nothing to be ashamed of!"

"As long as you can face your own conscience—in this city full of sin, too many people have lost their conscience; even if they survive, they are restless and suffer endless torment," Duyanlong said indifferently.

Through these few sentences, one could also see that he must have experienced many stories to be able to recount these words so calmly.

"I understand." The young man nodded.

He envied him, but it was only envy.

He had never thought of harming anyone, nor did he have any intention to harm others.

Time passed quickly; in a blink, half a month had gone by.

"It's up!" A sudden exclamation came from inside the Main Hall, but it was too late to get on board now.

"It's up! Duyanlong, did you hear? It's up, it's up." Zhang Pangzi stood up at this moment, jumping up and down like a child.

These past few days, he only ate a tiny bit a day; he hoped that when he jumped off the building, he could be a well-fed ghost.

"Did I hear wrong? Why does it feel like it's noisy all around?"

As Zhang Pangzi spoke, he felt stars dancing before his eyes, the surroundings spinning, and the entire space rotating.

"Don't move, don't move... can you all stop moving?" As Zhang Pangzi was speaking, he suddenly sat down on the ground with a thud.

Duyanlong was quick-eyed and fast-handed, pulling him once.

Immediately, Zhang Pangzi fainted.

An Yinan, who was about to go home to breastfeed, saw this and hurried over, took out a Silver Needle pouch from her leather bag, and skillfully gave him a few needles.

Afterward, she checked his pulse and frowned slightly, "How long has it been since he ate properly?"

Duyanlong thought for a moment, "About ten days or so."

Pangzi's money was all invested in the stock market; now he only ate half a Steamed Bun a day, drank a little cold water in the Trading Room, and just scraped by living like that every day.

Yesterday, he even self-mockingly said, "Hey, Duyanlong, look at this physique of your brother's; no matter how much I eat, I'm destined to be plump. Just tell me, are you convinced?"

He forgot if he had answered; he had reminded him a few times these past few days, but he could only remind him, as he himself had been hungry for three days...

Seeing Duyanlong's state, how could An Yinan not understand??

"Li Zai, go outside, buy some food, and go ask Yun Shu for money," An Yinan said.

It was her oversight; these guys who were risking their lives had no spare money at all.

That they could survive until now was entirely due to their firm willpower.

"Yes." Li Zai ran out.

But the young man, who had just been pale-faced, also stood up immediately and said, "I'll help."

An Yinan looked at that young man, just nodded, and said nothing else.

Little ulterior motives—she saw them, but they wouldn't hurt anyone; it was harmless.

"When the food comes in a moment, eat quickly. I have urgent matters now. I've already performed Acupuncture on Pangzi; he should wake up in about ten minutes."

"This stock might take at least another half a month to clear out."

"Tomorrow I will have Li Zai bring food over; whatever he brings, you all just eat that..."

An Yinan said quickly, just as Duyanlong was about to open his mouth to refuse; he was a grown man, and he had already received too many favors.

This debt of gratitude, no matter what he did, he would never be able to repay.

"Wait until the day you clear out your positions to thank me."

An Yinan did not wait for his refusal, pulled out the Silver Needle, stood up, and left the Exchange.

There were still two money-guzzling beasts at home!

They seemed to have found a regular schedule for drinking breast milk; once it was their turn in line, they would immediately stop drinking formula, and no one could force it into them.

Yun Zhi would speechlessly say to An Yinan every day, "Are these children you gave birth to? You gave birth to foxes, didn't you? They've practically become spirits!"

"Look at them, they're so small, yet those abacus beads are almost hitting me in the face."

As long as Chen Xun and An Yinan were not at home, the two little ones were as easy to take care of as could be.