Chapter 131

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Protagonist:

Li Xiulan

Facing Wang Zhanggen's persistence, Li Xiulan's face was full of surprise.

"That would lose us a lot of money! We only managed to save a little bit of money with great difficulty, are we just going to lose it like this!"

Li Xiulan naturally hoped not to do Zhang Zhongtian's project anymore; since there was no profit to be made, they wouldn't do it, and Zhang Zhongtian couldn't do anything to them anyway — at most it would just damage their reputation a little.

However, Wang Zhanggen insisted on doing it regardless:

"Once we've agreed to someone's request, we can't go back on our word. We're all fellow villagers, so we should be even more trustworthy. Besides, it's not their fault — we quoted the price ourselves. Although I really hate Zhang Zhongtian, that corrupt village official, in this matter the fault isn't his. For the sake of keeping our reputation, we must help him do this project!"

Li Xiulan kept a straight face, sullen and unhappy.

She didn't understand what Wang Zhanggen wanted this intangible reputation for; she felt this was a small matter, and even if they didn't help Zhang Zhongtian with this project, it wouldn't have much impact on their reputation in the industry.

Wang Zhanggen spoke again:

"Actually we won't lose money, we'll just earn a lot less. Two Big Workers' wages for half a year total ten thousand eight hundred; our total contract price is twelve thousand. That means, after deducting the two Big Workers' wages, we still have one thousand two hundred to earn."

"Didn't you say we still need to hire a Small Worker?" Li Xiulan asked coldly.

Wang Zhanggen bowed his head smoking: "Given the current situation, we won't hire a Small Worker anymore. If you can't handle it, I'll help do some Small Worker tasks. Only this way will we not have to pay out of our own pocket."

Li Xiulan still found it very hard to accept.

Earning one thousand two hundred in half a year — that meant the couple earned two hundred a month, averaging one hundred per person. That's way too little!

Wang Zhanggen comforted her:

"Don't nitpick. Grit your teeth and bear it; half a year will pass in a flash!"

Li Xiulan finally compromised and said nothing more.

Because in this matter she herself was also at fault. Initially when Wang Zhanggen calculated nine thousand in labor costs, she didn't verify the calculation and just went straight to negotiate with Zhang Zhongtian. She didn't think it through more carefully; the primary responsibility actually lay with her.

Time flew, and it was the day after the Lantern Festival.

Lin Dajun brought Zhou Hongwei to Shanggou Village.

When Li Xiulan brought them to Zhang Zhongtian's new house construction site, Wang Zhanggen was already at the site directing the excavator to dig the foundation.

"Isn't this Changgen?"

Seeing Wang Zhanggen, Zhou Hongwei immediately beamed with joy and went up to greet him.

Wang Zhanggen, however, felt a bit guilty.

Seeing this, Li Xiulan's face showed surprise:

"This is my husband. You know him?"

Zhou Hongwei immediately froze, a trace of astonishment on his face:

"He's actually your husband! I thought he was a Big Worker you hired!"

Lin Dajun and Zhou Hongwei only now suddenly realized why, back when they came to do Li Xiulan's site, Wang Zhanggen was unwilling to come along and work with them — turns out Li Xiulan was actually his wife!

This guy hid from his wife and played around with Liu Xiaoli on the side; probably to this day Li Xiulan is still kept in the dark.

But this is their family business; as outsiders it's not appropriate for them to say anything.

Lin Dajun said:

"Just a one-time meeting, hehe, just a one-time meeting."

Li Xiulan didn't say anything more, and he didn't think further about it.

Wang Zhanggen hurriedly passed cigarettes to Lin Dajun and Zhou Hongwei, his eyes full of gratitude toward them.

"Dajun Shu, Hongwei Ge, we'll be working this site together from now on. Please take care of us!"

Lin Dajun laughed heartily and responded politely: "Everyone working together, looking out for each other is only right!"

Zhou Hongwei's face also wore a smile, but the look in his eyes at Wang Zhanggen clearly carried contempt.

Zhou Hongwei was a straightforward man; what he looked down on most were scumbags like Wang Zhanggen who two-timed behind their wives' backs.

But he didn't expose Wang Zhanggen to his face; instead he gave Wang Zhanggen face.

Only at the noon break did he call Wang Zhanggen aside and say coldly:

"Wang Zhanggen, you're really not human. You have a wife and kids yourself, yet you actually went and hit on Liu Xiaoli!"

Wang Zhanggen knew he was in the wrong on this matter, and it couldn't see the light of day.

So he hurriedly pleaded:

"Can you not tell my wife? I'm begging you. Otherwise we'll have another fight."

Zhou Hongwei felt very displeased inside. Actually, back then he also wanted to pursue Liu Xiaoli, but ever since Wang Zhanggen joined their engineering team, Liu Xiaoli only fooled around with Wang Zhanggen and barely paid him any attention. Later Liu Xiaoli even left the engineering team with Wang Zhanggen, which depressed him for a long time.

"Asking a favor requires some sincerity. No sincerity is just being a rogue!"

Zhou Hongwei coldly said this one sentence.

Wang Zhanggen could only smile bitterly. He knew that Li Xiulan inviting Zhou Hongwei and Lin Dajun as Big Workers would bring him unnecessary trouble, but things had come to this; he could change nothing and could only accept the fact.

"I have a pack of Double Happiness here. I'm reluctant to smoke it myself. I'll give you the whole pack."

Wang Zhanggen hurriedly offered sincerity.

Then he added:

"Now Liu Xiaoli has already married another man. Let the past be the past. If it's dug up again, it benefits no one."

Zhou Hongwei froze, astonished:

"Liu Xiaoli is already married?"

Zhou Hongwei knew nothing about this.

Wang Zhanggen was somewhat surprised:

"You don't know? She brought that man home for Spring Festival this year."

Zhou Hongwei's face was full of depression, feeling very uncomfortable.

Wang Zhanggen hurriedly helped him light a cigarette, comforting him:

"Actually, you not being able to be with Liu Xiaoli is your good fortune. You don't know, that woman Liu Xiaoli is very shrewd, very realistic. I went to work in Dongguan with her for half a year, lived in the same rental house for half a year, and she actually found another man behind my back, put a big green hat on me. During that time I didn't know the slightest bit. It was only when Dajun Shu mentioned to me that she was getting married that I found out the truth."

Zhou Hongwei immediately couldn't help but sympathize with Wang Zhanggen, but also bluntly cursed him:

"You damn well deserve it, retribution! Back then you cheated on your wife behind her back, put a green hat on your wife, how did you not feel anything? Now Liu Xiaoli puts a green hat on you, and you're indignant?"

Wang Zhanggen could only dry laugh, unable to speak, unable to refute.

Seeing Wang Zhanggen like this, Zhou Hongwei felt even more disgusted in his heart, felt he should punish him severely, so he said:

"From now on, every day I come here to start work, you have to prepare a pack of Shuangxi for me, otherwise don't think you can keep this matter covered up forever!"

Wang Zhanggen was immediately shocked.

This Zhou Hongwei, simply a lion's big mouth, actually demanding a pack of Shuangxi from him every day, simply too hateful!

But he also had no way to resist.

"Fine fine fine, I agree to you then!"

After all, a pack of Shuangxi every day is better than the matter of him raising another woman outside being known by Li Xiulan, being known by the whole village of Shanggou Village.

Actually, Li Xiulan knowing doesn't matter, Li Xiulan isn't unaware that he raised other women outside before.

What he fears is the whole village of Shanggou Village knowing, fears becoming a laughing stock in the eyes of the whole village of Shanggou Village.

He is just this kind of person, super dead-set on face.