"You son of a bitch, you've got a sweet tongue!" Yao Chushun spat as he leaned against the counter, lit a cigarette, and darted around in his triangular eyes, yelling, "Go, call Jin Er here!"
“Master Gu, my uncle is upstairs discussing something. Would you mind waiting a little while?” The young man was respectful, but his eyes didn’t hold much reverence. “Please have a seat. I’ll go get you some tea…”
Yao Chushun was clearly very dissatisfied. He glared at the waiter and shouted upstairs, "Jin Er, Jin Changfa, you son of a bitch, get down here!"
A moment later, footsteps could be heard on the stairs.
A man who looked to be in his fifties, dressed simply, came down from upstairs. With a smile on his face, he saw Yao Chushun and greeted him with a fist and palm salute, saying politely, "I could tell from your voice that it was you, Master Gu. I'm so sorry for not welcoming you properly!"
"Stop talking nonsense!" Yao Chushun wasn't going to mince words. He dragged a chair over to the counter, puffed on a cigarette, and yelled, "You're out of business, aren't you? Looks like your shop's going to be sold..."
Before he could finish speaking, Yao Chushun's expression changed, and he stood up abruptly, glaring at the man who was following Jin Changfa down the stairs and cursing, "What the hell! Why aren't you in your own little hole? What are you doing digging a hole here?"
Who else could Yao Chushun find so objectionable besides Zou Mingyuan?
Sometimes Xu Zhengyang had wondered if he were Yao Chushun, he probably would have already stabbed Zou Mingyuan to death. But upon reflection, it was understandable. After all, seven or eight years had passed since he learned the truth. Although the hatred was still deep-seated, he no longer had the violent temper that would lead to a fit of rage.
Most people in this world are like that, right?
Moreover, Zou Mingyuan is wealthy and powerful, while Yao Chushun has long since lost too many advantages due to his decadent lifestyle over the years. Whether in terms of physical health, mental state, or interpersonal relationships, he has deteriorated to the extreme, and he has long lost his fighting spirit.
Hatred and revenge are two different things.
Perhaps Yao Chushun was always thinking that making the other party live a life of unbearable suffering would be a better way to vent his hatred? Unfortunately... only a very few people can actually do this; most people just use it as an excuse for their own cowardice.
"Rubbish!"
As usual, Zou Mingyuan glanced at Yao Chushun with disdain. Then, he saw Xu Zhengyang, the young man who had beaten him up because of a spit, standing by the counter on the other side with his eyes narrowed and his expression calm.
Xu Zhengyang wore a calm smile, his eyes half-closed. One hand was in his pocket, the other held a freshly lit cigarette, his thumb resting lightly on his belt buckle. He casually exhaled a puff of smoke, a slight smile playing on his lips, and politely greeted, "Manager Zou, hello!"
“You…” Zou Mingyuan’s face darkened. He took three steps toward Xu Zhengyang, then stopped, pointed at Xu Zhengyang, and said angrily, “You, you wait, you wait…”
"Take care!" Xu Zhengyang smiled slightly, seemingly oblivious to the threat in the other party's words.
For Xu Zhengyang, such threats were utterly childish. In one-on-one conflicts, those who utter phrases like "You wait and see" are usually cowards, merely trying to save face. Besides, Zou Mingyuan's behavior just now had already betrayed his true intentions.
Imagine someone angrily striding towards Xu Zhengyang; it's obvious they're about to rush forward and raise their fist or kick him.
However, after taking three quick steps, Zou Mingyuan realized that Xu Zhengyang hadn't moved an inch, showing no fear whatsoever, or rather, not taking his imposing manner seriously at all. He then backed down. Could Xu Zhengyang be afraid of him?
Perhaps they are simply well-mannered people who believe in using words rather than fists? Xu Zhengyang chuckled self-deprecatingly.
Volume Two, Chapter 47: Trust Requires a Reason
The atmosphere became somewhat tense. Zou Mingyuan seemed to realize that his behavior just now was a bit embarrassing. If he left now, wouldn't that prove that he was afraid of this young man? If he didn't leave... he really wanted to go out and call some thugs right now to give Xu Zhengyang, this brat who had popped out of nowhere, a good beating.
"Oh, what's with that?" Jin Changfa, noticing the atmosphere was getting a bit tense, quickly stepped in to smooth things over, saying, "Manager Zou and this young man have some kind of grudge?"
Yao Chushun interrupted, "Jin Er, what the hell are you doing hanging out with this bastard?"
"Hehe, Mr. Gu, you're making fun of me." Jin Changfa wasn't angry at all and laughed, "The business is failing, and the shop needs to be transferred. I'm currently talking to Manager Zou about selling the shop to him."
"Nonsense! You were forced out of business by him, weren't you? How can you be so spineless?" Yao Chushun cursed and retorted, then waved his hand and said, "I came to you today to take over your shop. Name your price."
“Master Gu, please don’t say such hurtful things.” Jin Changfa’s eyes lit up.
"What? You don't believe me?" Yao Chushun glared at him.
Zou Mingyuan sneered from the side, then tilted his head and looked at Yao Chushun with disdain, as if watching a charade. He remained silent, thinking he would see how Yao Chushun would embarrass himself. In the antique trade of Fuhe City, who didn't know Zou Mingyuan's "Tianbaozhai"? Looking across the entire antique market, aside from those tiny shops that Zou Mingyuan looked down upon, he had squeezed out every other slightly established shop that had been brought to ruin.
The antique shop, Gu Xiang Xuan, was quiet and peaceful.
Xu Zhengyang's cigarette had burned out. He flicked the cigarette butt out through the open doorway, put his hands in his pockets, and casually paced around the counter.
Jin Changfa frowned in thought, glancing at Yao Chushun every now and then. Clearly, he didn't quite believe Yao Chushun was capable of taking over his shop. After a while, Jin Changfa suddenly held up one finger, his eyes hesitant, and said, "Eight hundred thousand!"
"You son of a bitch, 800,000 is enough to buy all the junk in here!" Yao Chushun glared and roared angrily.
"Now that we've taken over the shop, of course we'll leave you everything."
Yao Chushun paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Okay, but I need to take a look at the items first."
"You don't trust me, Kim Jong-il?"
"Damn it!" Yao Chushun cursed, rolled his triangular eyes, and waved his hand, saying, "Then it's settled!"
Zou Mingyuan suddenly roared in fury, "Jin Er, you sold it to me for a million...you, you fucking tricked me?"
Jin Changfa turned his head and laughed, "I'd be happy to throw away 200,000 yuan, Manager Zou, this shop... is still mine now, right?"
"Hehe..." Zou Mingyuan sneered in anger, nodding and saying, "Good, good, very good..." As he spoke, Zou Mingyuan lifted his leg and walked out, turning his head to glare fiercely at Xu Zhengyang.
Xu Zhengyang kept his eyes narrowed, his expression calm and unwavering, seemingly unconcerned about what the person inside had just said.
Just as Zou Mingyuan stepped out of the store, Xu Zhengyang suddenly said calmly, "Manager Zou..."
Zou Mingyuan turned around.
"This shop was opened by me and Master Gu... My name is Xu Zhengyang!"
Zou Mingyuan snorted coldly and walked out without looking back.
"Hey, does your name, Xu Zhengyang, make you so arrogant? Are you that famous?" Yao Chushun said disdainfully.
Xu Zhengyang shrugged and laughed, "I think he seems to have forgotten my name, so I'm just reminding him. When you're in the game, you need a name, right?"
Yao Chushun and Jin Changfa were both stunned. What was the meaning of this statement?
Xu Zhengyang's thinking was actually quite simple: first, intimidate Zou Mingyuan. What if this guy went out and gathered a bunch of thugs to attack him and Yao Chushun? Wouldn't they just get beaten up for nothing? As a mere clerk, he couldn't be carrying around heavenly soldiers. If he threw out such a tough stance, Zou Mingyuan's first concern would be figuring out who this young man was, why he was so arrogant, and whether he could afford to offend him.
“Brother Xu…” Jin Changfa stepped forward, extended his hand and said with a smile, “My name is Jin Changfa. May I ask where you are making your fortune, young man?”
"Hello Mr. Jin, I'm just a farmer who grows the land." Xu Zhengyang smiled and shook hands with Jin Changfa.
Jin Changfa paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Brother Xu is too modest." As he spoke, Jin Changfa turned his head and looked at Yao Chushun with a puzzled expression, as if asking Yao Chushun a question.
Yao Chushun rolled his triangular eyes, glanced at the jade and antique items behind the glass frames in the counter, raised his right hand, and moved his index and middle fingers up and down a few times.
Jin Changfa nodded in sudden realization, then looked at Xu Zhengyang with an incredulous expression, grasped Xu Zhengyang's hand again, and said, "My apologies, I truly didn't recognize your greatness! Brother Xu, you are indeed a young hero..."
"You're too kind." Xu Zhengyang was completely bewildered, but his expression remained calm and humble.
"Master Gu, I really admire you so much..." Jin Changfa turned to Yao Chushun with a face full of admiration and said, then smiled bitterly, "If I had a friend like Brother Xu, I wouldn't have been squeezed out like this by Zou Mingyuan, sigh." As he spoke, he winked at Yao Chushun.
Yao Chushun naturally understood what he meant, and spat out a mouthful of saliva in a very immoral way, cursing and saying, "Who does Zou Mingyuan's father think he is? Zhengyang won't be dragged over by him, don't worry."
Xu Zhengyang naturally understood the meaning behind those words, smiled, and remained silent.
Jin Changfa felt somewhat embarrassed, inwardly grumbling to himself why Yao Chushun had said it in front of everyone. "I was just trying to kindly remind you," he thought. But aloud he said, "That's not what I meant. I was just reminding you, Master Gu, to be careful of Zou Mingyuan in the future. He's capable of any kind of wicked scheme, and he's done plenty of underhanded things..."
"Only a coward like you could have had his balls squeezed so hard!" Yao Chushun cursed.
"Alright, alright, isn't your Grandpa Gu's power enough?" Jin Changfa, embarrassed by Yao Chushun's scolding, hurriedly said, "Grandpa Gu, let's not beat around the bush, even brothers should settle accounts clearly..."
"You son of a bitch, are you afraid I won't give you the money?" Yao Chushun interrupted Jin Changfa, saying, "I'll bring you the check this afternoon. Oh, and let's get the business license and property deed transferred this afternoon, make it quick!"
"Alright, Mr. Gu, you're very generous!" Jin Changfa explained with a smile, "I really am eager to go back to my hometown. I don't want to stay in Fuhe City for even a day longer. Oh, Mr. Gu, my nephew is an honest man. He's been working for me for two years and is quite experienced in this line of work. What do you think..."
"Stay!" Yao Chushun waved his hand magnanimously.
The young man thanked him repeatedly, and looked at Jin Changfa with gratitude.
After leaving Gu Xiang Xuan, Xu Zhengyang remained silent, maintaining a somewhat aloof and low-key demeanor.
The motorcycle was parked under the parking shed at the entrance of the antique market. Xu Zhengyang walked over, got on the motorcycle, and then turned to look at Yao Chushun, whose face was slightly uneasy, and smiled, "Master Gu, what are you thinking about?"
"Oh, it's nothing." Yao Chushun shook his head.
"Not enough money?"
"good."
"Oh..." Xu Zhengyang nodded, kicked off the slant brace, inserted the key, and said casually, "Okay, then let's do it the way we agreed before. I'll put up 200,000, and you can cover the rest. Oh, by the way, didn't you say my stuff was worth 2 million? Cash it!"
Indeed, when Yao Chushun saw those pottery jars, plates, and bowls wrapped in cotton rolls at Xu Zhengyang's house, he was stunned. After carefully examining each one, he picked out several items that were indeed top-quality antiques. He then patted Xu Zhengyang on the shoulder and offered two million.
Yao Chushun, who never lied about such matters, was unaware that Xu Zhengyang was judging a gentleman by his own petty standards.
It's no wonder Xu Zhengyang was cautious and suspicious, after all, he wasn't really that familiar with Yao Chushun. But it was precisely this suspicion that led Xu Zhengyang to discover his extraordinary ability to read people's minds within Cixian County, and at the same time, he became even more certain that Yao Chushun was a trustworthy person.
Xu Zhengyang frankly admitted that when he discovered he could read people's minds, he seriously considered that he should never use his supernatural powers to look into the inner world of people he trusted, as that would be spying and disrespectful. For example... his own family.
Everyone has their own little secrets and privacy, and these should be respected.
Therefore, Xu Zhengyang felt that under normal circumstances, such a mentally taxing ability was really unnecessary. After all, he didn't have the leisure or quirk to try to find out what someone was thinking just because he saw them on the street.
"Zhengyang, where are you going to get so much money all of a sudden?" Yao Chushun said with difficulty, "I borrowed two million from Zheng Ronghua, thinking it would be enough for you, but I never expected that Jin Changfa's Guxiangxuan would be transferred... Anyway, we're going to open a shop together, right? You can leave your stuff in the shop to keep it open for now, and I'll give you the money after it's sold."
"Go borrow it again."
"You son of a bitch, do you even have any face left?" Yao Chushun roared.
Xu Zhengyang wasn't angry. He smiled and said, "Let's sell those good items to Zheng Ronghua first. Actually, I didn't want to do this, but I really need the money urgently. My sister is going to Beijing in a few days..."
"Huh? Isn't your sister in school? Why would she need so much money?"
"Well, there are some troublesome things. I'm thinking of preparing some money first, so I'll have some peace of mind when the time comes." Xu Zhengyang scratched his head. He knew in his heart that not everything could be solved with money, but without any background, education, or experience in dealing with people in a big city, he really couldn't think of any way. Anyway, he would prepare the money first. Having some is better than having none.
Helpless, Yao Chushun could only nod and say, "Then let's go see Zheng Ronghua together, and you can get to know him too..."
"No, I have something to do. You go ahead."
"Shall we meet here this afternoon?"
"You can go ahead with your work. I trust you. Once it's all taken care of, just come to my place to pick up the goods." Xu Zhengyang smiled and waved, starting the car and turning it around to leave.
"Hey, we're opening a shop, how can you trust me so much?" Yao Chushun stopped Xu Zhengyang, feeling a little uneasy. What a joke!
"Don't worry, would I partner with you to open a shop if I didn't trust you?" Xu Zhengyang smiled, pushed Yao Chushun aside, shifted gears, and drove off towards the market exit. He wondered to himself, "Would this move impress Yao Chushun? When he goes to get the goods, I'll have to figure out his intentions again. I don't want that old rascal to suddenly have some ulterior motive!"
Yao Chushun called out from behind, "What are you busy doing?"
As the motorcycle reached the market entrance, cars were entering and exiting, so Xu Zhengyang braked briefly and turned back with a smile, saying, "Let's buy a few books to read..."
Yao Chushun scratched his head, not understanding why Xu Zhengyang was in such a hurry to buy books, even neglecting his business.
Isn't he afraid that I'll pocket all the money?
Silly boy!
Volume Two, Chapter 48: A Farmer's Family Has a "Scholar"
There was a shower around noon, and the weather cooled down considerably in the afternoon.
The grapevines climbing and twining on the trellis in the courtyard are lush and leafy, with bunches of purplish-brown grapes that reflect the sunlight filtering through the leaves, making them appear even more translucent and tempting.
Under the grape trellis, the red brick ground was still damp, with occasional small, glistening puddles of water in the hollows.