Chapter 123

After Li Ye entered the house, Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng glared at the four "Cheng Yaojins."

Having someone jump out halfway to intercept the deal made anyone feel uncomfortable. This was in the Great Capital; if it were in Qingshui County, he would have waved his hand, and several of his underlings would have already pounced on them with fists and kicks to teach them how to behave.

"Brother Peng... why don't I just finish them off! We can't let them ruin Brother Xiao Ye's business."

Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng, who was glaring, was speechless. I'm currently using psychological deterrence! Are you really taking it seriously, you blockhead?

Seeing Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng's blaming look, Wang Jianqiang licked his lips and said sheepishly, "At worst, I'll go in and squat for a few days. If I can help Brother Xiao Ye, I can also save two thousand..."

Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng couldn't help but shake Wang Jianqiang's shoulders, "Qiangzi, we're not who we used to be. Never mind two thousand, even twenty thousand isn't worth taking action over."

Wang Jianqiang grinned, "Twenty thousand... hehe, I'll listen to Brother Peng..."

"Sigh~"

Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng sighed and said, "You're just a fool with a fool's luck. If it weren't for your Brother Xiao Ye, you wouldn't have been able to afford three dishes in your whole life."

Wang Jianqiang wasn't annoyed at all and nodded repeatedly, "I often couldn't eat my fill before, but now I can eat as many dishes as I want."

Isn't that nonsense?

A vegetable dish only costs a few cents, and a meat dish costs one or two yuan. Wang Jianqiang was now a small millionaire with a six-figure sum; what couldn't he afford to eat?

At this moment, Zhang Rui and Li Ye walked out of the house.

Zhang Rui said to the four people, "You guys go back! This house has been sold to someone else, sorry."

The four people who hadn't spoken until now were suddenly startled, looking at Zhang Rui in confusion, and then looking at Li Ye.

They thought the price they offered was high enough; how could there be someone even more foolish?

"Mr. Zhang, actually the price can still be negotiated. We can also exchange foreign currency..."

"It's not about the money. The deed for selling the house has already been written. You guys hurry up and leave!"

Zhang Rui was irritable as he chased people away, while Li Ye beckoned to Wang Jianqiang, rubbing his thumb and index finger together in a money-counting gesture.

Wang Jianqiang hurriedly went over and took off the satchel he was carrying.

Li Ye took out ten bundles of "Big Unity" notes and handed them to Zhang Rui casually.

"Keep the money safe. I'll come to handle the paperwork in a while."

"Don't worry about that. We'll move out in ten days or so at most."

Zhang Rui took the money and still couldn't help but say, "You're really generous, brother! I'm envious to death."

Li Ye smiled, waved his hand at him, and stepped out of the courtyard, truly free and easy.

Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng and Wang Jianqiang hurriedly followed.

Once outside, Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng asked in a low voice, "Xiao Ye, you're not going to wait for him to count the money before leaving?"

Li Ye shook his head, "A senior professor from outside the Capital is a person who values face; he won't cheat us out of this kind of money."

"But you were too fast," Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng said, "You just threw two thousand away like that? Our money didn't come from a strong wind, did it? You should have bargained!"

Li Ye smiled and said, "These two thousand yuan are not a loss."

A house full of old things—that exquisite carving craftsmanship, those clear wood grains—even if Li Ye had no eye for it, he knew they were good things.

Besides, would a professor from outside the Capital use a house full of fakes to cheat an outsider out of two thousand yuan?

That would be looking down too much on the aloofness of scholars in this day and age.

Seeing Li Ye acting as if he'd picked up a wallet, Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng naturally couldn't say anything more. He knew clearly who was the master and who was the subordinate; anyway, Li Ye was the big tycoon, and if he wanted to spend it, he could spend it!

"Wait a moment, wait a moment!"

The three brothers hadn't walked far when they heard someone shouting behind them. Judging by that thick accent, they knew it was those four people from just now.

Li Ye stopped and looked back at the four people chasing them.

Wang Jianqiang hugged his satchel tightly, his eyes scanning the surroundings, looking for a brick or something similar.

"No need to be nervous, they're here to buy furniture."

"Buy furniture? What do you mean?"

"I reckon that buying the house was a fake; buying the furniture is the real goal."

"..."

Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng didn't quite believe it. Was there anyone who treated money even less like money than Li Ye?

But after the four people caught up, they indeed proposed to buy Li Ye's furniture, though the method was quite novel.

"These brothers, you've just bought a house, so you must want to change to new furniture. We're in the imported furniture business—authentic Italian-style plywood furniture, trade-in for old..."

I bought a watch last year!

Li Ye smiled and said, "What's your surname, brother?"

The other party handed over a cigarette and said, "Just call me Old Ge. You're young and promising, little brother, so you must want to keep up with the trends. We have Italian goods..."

Li Ye shook his head and smiled, "Are you earning US dollars, brother? Or Japanese yen? Or Hong Kong dollars?"

Old Ge was stunned for a moment and once again carefully sized up Li Ye.

Outsider accent, young, shouldn't be one of those gangs in the Capital—how did he see through him at a glance?

"This little brother is a discerning person, so are you willing to do this business?"

"No," Li Ye said, "I don't work for overseas people, and I won't let these things flow out of this land and lose the face of our ancestors."

"..."

Old Ge looked at Li Ye in surprise, as if looking at an idiot.

Who doesn't know the value of foreign currency in this day and age? You're here lecturing me about integrity?

Are you Yue Fei? Or Wen Tianxiang?

"Since the little brother has no intention, then we'll meet again by the mountains and rivers. Let's part ways here."

Old Ge cupped his hands at Li Ye and left with his people. One of them even looked back at Li Ye fiercely, quite unconvinced.

"Pfft~"

Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng suddenly laughed, "Damn, a few furniture sellers are actually so arrogant. In this Great Capital, you can meet all kinds of people."

"They're not simple," Li Ye shook his head and said, "They're not furniture sellers, but antique dealers. Be careful of these kinds of people in the future; they're much more ruthless than you think."

Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng couldn't help but touch his scalp and said, "I've seen antique players before, and I've never seen them act so arrogant!"

"Oh, Brother Peng, you've seen antique players?"

"Haven't you seen them too?" Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng said, "That lame Old Song in the south of the city. He used to be a manager at a big pawnshop in the provincial capital years ago, bragging and acting mysterious all day long.

His leg was broken a few years ago, and he had to sweep the streets and scoop feces; he was truly miserable... If I hadn't been young at the time and been tricked by him into bringing him steamed buns to listen to his stories, he would have starved to death long ago..."

Li Ye stopped and stared hard at Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng, making this Brother Peng, who ran rampant in Qingshui County, feel uneasy.

"Brother Peng, do you know what's most precious in this day and age?"

"..."

Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng smoked, speechless.

How would I know what you're talking about?

Is money precious? Is love precious? Can you give me a hint?

If I say your wife is the most precious, you won't flip out, will you?

Wang Jianqiang, who was on the side, suddenly said, "University students are the most precious. Hey, Brother Peng, university students are the most precious, hehehe."

Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng nodded repeatedly, "Right, university students like you, Xiao Ye, are the most precious."

Li Ye was so angry he laughed. Wang Jianqiang, who was so honest and kind, had been led astray by the bad social atmosphere.

"More or less. What's most precious in this day and age is... talent."

"Send a telegram and have Old Song come to the Capital."

Li Kaijian rode his 250 motorcycle, wearing an imported helmet, roaring wildly along the provincial road toward the provincial capital, completely ignoring the constant pleading of the lame Old Song on the back seat.

"Slow down, slow down, you're going to shake me to death..."

"Oh, my old waist, if you do this again, I'm not going..."

Li Kaijian didn't care. He sped all the way to the provincial capital railway station before coldly glancing at Old Song, "What did you just say?"

Old Song got off nimbly, "Hehe, I said this bike is really not bad, fast, stable, and comfortable..."

"Hmph~"

Li Kaijian snorted coldly and said, "When you get to the Capital, don't tell those things to the child. If I find out you're not being honest, don't blame me for throwing your grandson into the Clear Water River."

"Won't, won't," Old Song said, bowing and hunching his back, "The top scholar is a new-style student; I definitely can't tell him those old-fashioned things."

"I really don't know what kind of evil spirit he's possessed by."

Li Kaijian entered the railway station, still muttering to himself.

Yesterday afternoon, the lame Old Song from the south of the city found Li Kaijian with a telegram, saying that Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng wanted him to go to the Capital and needed Li Kaijian to help write an introduction letter.

What was Old Song's status before? How could Li Kaijian just write an introduction letter for him? It was only after finally getting through to the Capital hotel's phone that he realized it was his own son who needed someone.

It had only been a few days, and that bastard son had actually bought a house full of old furniture and asked Old Song to help him see how much it was worth.

This was truly having hardened wings, treating his father like a servant.

But Li Ye had arranged everything—what time the train was, who to find at the station to get the ticket—all arranged clearly.

Li Kaijian had no choice but to find someone to write the introduction letter and send Old Song to take the bus.

As it happened, the bus from Qingshui County to the provincial capital this morning had long been full and left.

There were only two buses a day from Qingshui County to the provincial capital, and it often happened that "one person chartered the whole bus." How could they add an extra bus for his Old Song?

So Li Kaijian had no choice but to ride his motorcycle to send him over, while sternly warning this old lame man not to play any tricks.

Don't look at Old Song as being pathetic now; when he was young, he was truly awesome.

Li Zhongfa carried a gun at fifteen, while Old Song was eating and drinking well in the provincial capital at twenty, and could name the top girls in this building and that building.

A few years ago, Old Song was carrying his only grandson and almost couldn't survive; it was all thanks to a clever mouth that he made it through those winters.

You just ponder how good he is at cheating people!

He himself had even been fooled into listening to a segment about Ximen Qing!

"Whoa~, a sleeper ticket? Old Song, you've really had a taste of the high life this time."

Li Kaijian got the train ticket outside the station as agreed, and upon seeing it was a sleeper ticket, he was surprised.

Old Song took it sheepishly, cursing in his heart: "When I was taking the train thirty years ago, you were still wetting the bed!

But for the sake of your son and the money, I won't hold it against you..."

Old Song was a crafty person; how could he be summoned by a single telegram from Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng?

At the same time Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng sent him the telegram, he also sent a remittance slip for a full two hundred yuan.

"I'll send you to the train in a while. Make sure you don't crush your other leg..."

Li Kaijian had a sharp tongue but a kind heart. He planned to protect the limping Old Song all the way to the train after the ticket gate opened.

But as soon as he entered the waiting hall, he saw a whole bunch of acquaintances.

Li Dayong, Hu Man... and Principal Chang.

No wonder the morning bus was full and left early; it turned out the county's university students were all rushing to catch the train, and the school had come to see them off.

What was even worse was that Li Kaijian saw his sister, Li Mingyue.

Li Mingxiang's eyes were red as she paced back and forth in the waiting hall, her expression as if she would bite anyone she caught.

"Old Song! I'll just send you here! Take this money for food and drink on the road. When you get to the Capital, remember to persuade my son not to neglect his proper work for trivial pursuits. If he learns any bad habits, I..."

"Know, know, definitely won't."

Old Song agreed profusely, his hands already having quickly taken the twenty yuan.

His grandson was over twenty and still a bachelor; the family was short of money!

Otherwise, why would Old Song, at his age, risk his old life and rush to the Capital even with a lame leg?

Li Kaijian turned to leave, but happened to be seen by Li Mingyue, who turned her head.

"Kaijian, Kaijian! You stop right there for me!"

Li Mingyue ran over and grabbed Li Kaijian.

"Oh, Big Sister, you're sending Aiguo to catch the train? What time is the train..."

"You still have the nerve to ask about your nephew, you heartless..."

Li Mingyue's tears flowed down in torrents.

Li Kaijian was also fed up; he had been dreading seeing Li Mingyue these past few days.

Originally, Cui Aiguo had been admitted to a junior college in the west, and the family had been overjoyed.

But later, when Li Mingyue found out that Li Ye had actually "brought along" seven classmates to all be admitted to key universities in the Capital, she went straight crazy.

A junior college in the west versus a key undergraduate university in the Capital—could they even be compared?

"Why didn't you bring our Aiguo along? Just because I introduced him to an ugly wife?"

Li Ye had gone to the Capital early, which saved him some peace, but his biological father had suffered.

Li Mingyue had been going to their house to make a scene every day these past few days, which had annoyed everyone to death.

But Li Mingyue herself had forgotten that she had repeatedly used her own child as a role model to look down on Li Kaijian and Li Ye's faces.

Cui Aiguo studied well, Li Ye studied poorly—just this one point, she didn't know how many times she had shown off in front of her younger brother.

Even so, Li Kaijian and Li Zhongfa had mentioned to Li Ye twice whether he could bring Cui Aiguo along.

But Li Ye had refused without hesitation.

Cui Aiguo studied in the township middle school because he was homesick, dozens of miles away from the county seat; Li Ye didn't have the time to wait on him.

Li Kaijian owed Li Mingyue, but Li Ye didn't owe her anything.

Besides, no one had expected that Li Ye could really bring so many people along!

It was too shocking, alright!

"Big Sister, it's useless for you to blame me now. If you have the ability, go to the Capital and find Xiao Ye. If Aiguo had had a better relationship with Xiao Ye in the first place, could Xiao Ye have not helped?"

Li Kaijian was also fed up and directly dumped the blame on his son.

But Li Mingyue cried and said, "Aiguo is lost, my son is lost, you have to compensate me for my son..."

The irritable Li Kaijian was instantly shocked and hurriedly asked, "How could he be lost? He's such a big person, where did he get lost?"

"Right here... I've searched everywhere."

Li Mingyue cried and complained, and it took several minutes for her to make it clear.

It turned out that after knowing that Li Ye's eight-person group had all been admitted to the Capital, Cui Aiguo had been distracted and had said several times that he wanted to repeat his studies and fight again next year to get into a good school.

But his father, Cui Zhixian, was a person with his own opinions and ignored his son's opinion, telling him to hurry up and report to school.

Who could guarantee that he would be admitted next year? A junior college was not bad; did you think you could also have Old Huaiye entrust you with a dream?

As a result, today, Li Mingyue sent her son to catch the train, but Cui Aiguo had disappeared.

"Big Sister, don't worry. Aiguo must have left in a fit of pique. He has nowhere to go; he will definitely return to Qingshui County. Let's go to the bus station to find him."

Li Kaijian rode his bike and took Li Mingyue back to the bus station. After getting off, they split up to look for him.

After a while, Li Kaijian really found him.

Cui Aiguo was sitting in a corner of the bus station, his eyes dull and distracted, muttering to himself.

"Why didn't it work? I clearly reported him... why didn't they arrest him?"

"There's no one in the whole county who can do that math paper. All eight of them can do it—isn't that evidence enough?"

"What's going on! Both report letters didn't work. Why didn't I write three letters at the time... why did he become the provincial top scholar!"

"..."

Cui Aiguo was lost in thought, muttering to himself, when he suddenly felt a human face in front of him.

"Did you report Li Ye?"

"Uh, uh..."

Cui Aiguo's pupils instantly focused, seeing the face half a meter away, and the big slap that was swinging over.

"Smack~"

Thanks to book friend "Mo Xincheng" for the 500-coin tip, thanks to the book friend for the tip, thanks to book friend "july-27th" for the tip, thank you to several brothers.

(End of chapter)