{"id":11802,"date":"2020-05-09T12:00:51","date_gmt":"2020-05-09T16:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/?p=11802"},"modified":"2020-06-27T07:23:59","modified_gmt":"2020-06-27T11:23:59","slug":"epiphanies-of-rebirth-33","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/epiphanies-of-rebirth-33\/","title":{"rendered":"Epiphanies of Rebirth 33"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Chapter 33<\/span><\/h1>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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What did an amount of two or three thousand yuan represent for Mother Zhou?<\/span><\/p>

To put it simply: she had never seen that much liquid cash in her entire life.<\/span><\/p>

Before Mother Zhou was laid off, she had earned 170 yuan a month working at the Liyun Thermos Factory. The couple\u2019s combined earnings reached 400 yuan a month, and in the small, remote southern town this made them a high-income household. However, anyone who had a family, especially one with a child, knew that expenditures added up imperceptibly; after all the monthly expenses, there usually wasn\u2019t much money left to put in their savings.<\/span><\/p>

But this income still made many people not employed in the state-owned enterprises or factories very envious. In the 1990s, many farmers who laboured over the land might not even have earned 200 yuan a year (not counting <\/span>food ration coupons<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>

Mother Zhou used to think that after getting laid off, her life had reached a dead end and that there would be no turn for the better. Lin Jingzhe and Hu Shaofeng\u2019s remarks were casual, but they shook her to the core.<\/span><\/p>

Hu Shaofeng\u2019s in particular\u2014he was obviously a Yan City native, and both his clothes and his manner screamed that he came from an affluent family and was well-versed in the ways of the world. His exclamation was so natural that it was hard for Mother Zhou to doubt his words.<\/span><\/p>

No matter how humble and unassuming somebody was, they still subconsciously desired to better themselves. Inspired, Mother Zhou went back to discuss this matter with her husband.<\/span><\/p>

Father Zhou vetoed it without thinking: \u201cNonsense! We\u2019re upright and honest people, not some criminals!\u201d<\/span><\/p>

In his mind, the best possible occupation was to be a worker in a state-owned enterprise. The term \u201cself-employment\u201d had only appeared in the past decade, and in the early years, it was simply a synonym for \u201cnot engaging in honest work\u201d. It was somewhat better in a metropolis like Yan City, but in the Liyun Town of the \u201880s, only former convicts and other such crooks who were unable to find honest jobs would run their own businesses. The common folk heard of a crime labeled \u201cillegal speculation and profiteering\u201d, but they were not really clear on what constituted as such\u2014they only knew that many lawbreakers were jailed for hoarding, manipulating prices, and disrupting the market in order to make a big profit since the newspapers denounced them. Therefore, for the majority of the lower class, the words \u201cprivate business\u201d became anathema.<\/span><\/p>

It was the same for Father Zhou. He would not even think of touching stocks; he was a typical representation of the working class in that era: a simple, law-abiding man with high integrity.<\/span><\/p>

Mother Zhou was even more observant of traditional standards than him, but in addition to her apprehension, she was also excited. In all these years, it was the first time Zhou Haitang had left his parents\u2019 side for a significant period of time, and he\u2019d even gone to the faraway Yan City. Ever since her son left, she couldn\u2019t sleep well and often woke up in the middle of the night, worried that something would happen to him and she wouldn\u2019t know nor be able to help him. Opening a private business in Yan City was a huge temptation to her\u2014how much money she could earn was secondary, the most important thing was that she could stay close to her son.<\/span><\/p>

The strength of a mother was something to behold\u2014Mother Zhou, who had always been obedient to her husband, defied his decision for the first time in her life.<\/span><\/p>

While Father Zhou was still thinking about when the best time to leave Yan City was, Mother Zhou had already secretly launched into action.<\/span><\/p>

She had only just arrived in this place and had no foundation, but because of her divine cooking skills, many housewives in the community would knock on her doors when it was time to start cooking dinner, like pilgrims visiting a temple to listen to holy scriptures. Mother Zhou was unassuming and honest, but it didn\u2019t mean she was dull; after only a few days, she already had built good relationships with them.<\/span><\/p>

In the kitchen, a pot of stewed pork belly with glass noodles<\/a> simmered quietly. The pork belly had been pan fried until it turned golden brown, then was cooked with Mother Zhou\u2019s homemade <\/span>doubanjiang<\/span><\/a><\/em> and chili sauce she brought with her from Liyun Town. After stir-frying it until the broth thickened into a gravy, the glass noodles were added and the dish was cooked slowly on low heat; the plain noodles absorbed the gravy and turned into soft, elastic, crystal-clear gold threads<\/a>. The mouthwatering fragrance crept out into the corridor and flowed down the stairs, permeating throughout the whole building. It was still quite a long time until dinner, but many people heard their stomachs cry out for food.<\/span><\/p>

The other residents wondered about the source of the savory smell. They didn\u2019t know that from this day forward, every time the housewives would begin cooking, they would be subjected to a sweet and terrible torture.<\/span><\/p>

The women in the kitchen stood in a circle and passed around a small bowl of stew to have a taste, \u201ctasting\u201d the whole bowl until it was empty after a few mouthfuls. The soft noodles were laden with gravy; like tiny artillery shells with amazing firepower, once they slipped into the mouth, they launched an unstoppable attack, erupting with flavor! Not to mention, they were cooked just right, neither too soft nor too chewy, perfect!<\/span><\/p>

Watchful and reverent, the housewives carefully noted down everything Mother Zhou did, including mundane details like rinsing the noodles before adding them to the stew; they dared not to omit even the most trivial things.<\/span><\/p>

Mother Zhou generously filled several bowls with stew so that her new friends could take some home when they left. As the housewives tried to figure out why their attempts had never turned out this delicious, she took off her cooking sleeves<\/a> and stood there, nervously rubbing her hands. After a moment, she managed to pluck up enough courage to ask, \u201cSister Wang, Sister Chen, Sister Jin, do you think I would be able to earn some money with my food?\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Surprised, the women looked at their guileless friend\u2014they could see through her thoughts at a glance. As Mother Zhou waited for their answer, anxious, Sister Chen, the neighbor from the sixth floor, slapped her thigh. \u201cOf course you would! Why wouldn\u2019t you?\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Mother Zhou was inevitably afraid that she was engaging in flights of fancy, especially after her husband\u2019s reaction. Although she still insisted on trying, her confidence was much lower than in the beginning, and she was prepared to be told that she should give up. To her surprise, she actually got a positive response.<\/span><\/p>

Well, of course! As early as ten years ago, when most residents of small towns had never even heard of \u201cprivate businesses\u201d, a large number of people in the capital had already taken the plunge\u2014opening a business was something normal here! The local housewives\u2019 outlooks were completely different to those back in Liyun Town; as soon as Mother Zhou asked her question, they immediately followed her line of thought.<\/span><\/p>

Sister Chen continued, \u201cYes, this is a very good idea! With your craftsmanship, any restaurant would hire you as a cook on the spot! Or you can run your own business\u2014though it would be more tiring and you would have to work harder, you would definitely earn much more than just working as a cook!\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Sister Wang echoed, \u201cIf you opened a shop nearby, and sold something popular like these noodles you made today, it would definitely be packed every day! This way, you wouldn\u2019t have to go back to Qunnan but could stay with your son! Wouldn\u2019t that be great?\u201d<\/span><\/p>

\u201cAh, forget about a shop for now\u2014the rent has risen in recent years, we have to pay almost a thousand a year for ours.\u201d Sister Jin, the oldest of the three, took a more pragmatic approach to the matter. \u201cWhy don\u2019t we set up a street stall<\/a> first, to test the waters and accumulate some funds? If the results are good, then it will be time to make bolder plans!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The women in Yan City were straightforward and resolute\u2014if they decided to do something, they acted without delay. The person who put forward the suggestion, Lin Jingzhe, hadn\u2019t even begun to make plans, when they had already finished making all the preparations.<\/span><\/p>

Setting up a stall was much simpler than opening a shop. Sister Wang helped Mother Zhou borrow a tricycle from an old carpenter in the community, Sister Chen returned to her apartment to find a briquette stove and briquettes, and Sister Jin took Mother Zhou to buy a batch of cheap aluminum pots and pans. The whole operation was carried out swiftly and covertly, without alerting Father Zhou.<\/span><\/p>

Zhou Haitang\u2019s phone call took Lin Jingzhe completely by surprise\u2014he had just thrown out an idea, but never expected that Mother Zhou would move so fast. Knowing her character and worldview, he thought it would take a long time to convince her to give it a try!<\/span><\/p>

{My mom set up a stall outside my school!} Zhou Haitang said, his voice thick with astonishment. {And on the snack street just next to the freshmen\u2019s dormitory! There was such a commotion\u2014everyone rushed out, even my roommates!}<\/span><\/p>

\u201cCommotion? What commotion?\u201d Lin Jingzhe asked, confused.<\/span><\/p>

Was there some kind of trouble?<\/span><\/em><\/p>

{<\/span>Ai-ya!<\/span><\/em>} Zhou Haitang exclaimed, slapping his thigh. {Don\u2019t you know how my mother cooks? Our dormitory is only separated from the snack street by a wall, and soon the whole building was filled with the smell. Once they took a whiff, it was like a stampede!}<\/span><\/p>

\u201c\u2026\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Recalling Aunty Zhou\u2019s craft, Lin Jingzhe could almost see the scene described by his friend.<\/span><\/p>

The street at the west gate of Wutong University, behind the freshmen\u2019s dormitory, had long become an unofficial snack street, discreetly operated by the local residents. Walking from one end to the other, you could find delicious snacks from all over the country: <\/span>jianbing<\/span><\/a><\/em>, <\/span>deep-fried pancakes<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>grilled skewers<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>rice noodle rolls<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>zhajiangmian<\/span><\/a><\/em>, <\/span>guan chang<\/span><\/a><\/em>, <\/span>stinky tofu<\/span><\/a>\u2026 The food here was cheap but delicious.<\/span><\/p>

All the university\u2019s cafeterias were far from the dorms and the meals served there tasted rather mediocre, so students were oftentimes more willing to eat on the snack street. The advantage of this location was easy to see.<\/span><\/p>

It was the first time Mother Zhou had set up a stall, and she clearly was not prepared enough. Lin Jingzhe arrived not even an hour after Zhou Haitang called him, yet her stall was already swept clean, left only with several empty pots and a group of disappointed students who had queued up too late and hadn\u2019t managed to buy anything.<\/span><\/p>

She and several middle-aged women who came along to help had shell-shocked looks in their eyes. Mother Zhou sat on the crossbar of the tricycle, staring blankly at the large cookie tin in her hands, full of banknotes.<\/span><\/p>

She was amazed\u2014they only came here two hours ago!<\/span><\/p>

What she had sold was the stewed pork belly with glass noodles, which had been unanimously praised the other day. Afraid that her husband would be suspicious, she didn\u2019t cook at home, but borrowed Sister Jin\u2019s kitchen on the first floor, and made two large pots of stew. The other women helped her move the pots covered with bamboo lids to the burning briquette stove at the rear-end of the tricycle, and kept an eye on the fire during the journey so it wouldn\u2019t go out.<\/span><\/p>

At the front of the tricycle, they put up a piece of cardboard as a sign. Sister Jin wrote on it with a brush, <\/span>\u2018Pork belly noodles, 80 cents for 1 portion\u2019<\/span><\/em>.<\/span><\/p>

At first, Mother Zhou thought this price was ridiculously expensive. Unexpectedly, several uncles drinking tea and cooling off in the shade hailed them before they even came to the intersection and bought a few portions.<\/span><\/p>

By the time the tricycle arrived at the school, one-third of the stew was already gone. The stove kept the aluminium pots hot, the dish inside cooked just right: the noodles were soft and sticky, the broth nearly boiled down and reduced to a thick, savory sauce. The bamboo lids could hardly keep the rich fragrance from escaping.<\/span><\/p>

Mother Zhou had originally intended to leave some aside for her son and his roommates and deliver it to them later, but the students of Wutong University didn\u2019t give her the opportunity. For a stretch of time, she mechanically repeated several steps\u2014folding the oiled paper into a cone, scooping up noodles, sticking in a bamboo pick, and collecting the money.<\/span><\/p>

It was only after she sold out that she remembered she had forgotten to save some food for her son!<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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When she came home, she took the tin and counted the money, gently smoothing out the banknotes. She arranged them in stacks according to denominations: one, two, and five <\/span>jiao<\/span><\/a>, then one and two yuan. By the time she was done, she had a sizable pile of money in front of her!<\/span><\/p>

Eighty-seven yuan and two jiao!<\/span><\/p>

A whole eighty-seven yuan!!!<\/span><\/p>

The raw ingredients she bought at the farmer\u2019s market cost only fourteen yuan and two jiao in total!<\/span><\/p>

I earned a full seventy-three yuan in one day\u2026 no, in a few hours?!<\/span><\/em><\/p>

Mother Zhou had no knowledge of how the market economy worked; before she set up the stall today, buried underneath her determination to give it a try, there was still some uneasiness and fear over the unfamiliar situation. However, there was nothing more straightforward and simpler to understand than money\u2014these piles of banknotes laid a strong foundation for her timid heart to build on!<\/span><\/p>

In the evening, when Father Zhou, who had gone to the train station to check the schedule and the prices of tickets, returned home, she was waiting for him in the living room, filled with an unprecedented resolve. When her husband came in, she threw the stacks of money on the table directly in front of him.<\/span><\/p>

For Zhou Haitang\u2019s tuition and living expenses, they borrowed money from everyone who was willing to lend to them; after Father Zhou lost his job, returning it became a huge problem. The Zhou couple were good-hearted and thoughtful people\u2014even though they could barely make the ends meet, they were determined to pay the money back as soon as possible. After being laid off, Father Zhou spent many sleepless nights worrying about this matter.<\/span><\/p>

That night, Father Zhou did not sleep either\u2014he spent it leaning against the wall in the corridor, looking at the moon and smoking until his eyes were bloodshot and his throat was hoarse.<\/span><\/p>

The next morning, Mother Zhou went to the market to buy ingredients, this time a larger amount than the previous day. When she came back, she heard the crisp sound of pots clanging against each other.<\/span><\/p>

She paused, then looked for the source of the noise, the grocery bags still in her hands.<\/span><\/p>

In the kitchen, Father Zhou, with his sleeves rolled up, was scrubbing the large aluminium pots she used at the stall. He looked haggard and had a half-smoked cigarette in his mouth, taking a drag from it from time to time.<\/span><\/p>

He glanced up at the door from behind the curls of smoke. Seeing his wife, his expression didn\u2019t change much, but the cigarette butt hanging from his lips quivered slightly as he spoke, \u201cGive me the meat, I\u2019ll wash it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

When the relieved smile appeared on Mother Zhou\u2019s face, one could catch a glimpse of the beauty she was in her younger years.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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A street stall with particularly delicious food had opened on the snack street next to Wutong University!<\/span><\/p>

Even Lin Jingzhe\u2019s roommates knew about it.<\/span><\/p>

The chubby Lu Xiaojiang was a serious foodie and would wander around Yan City looking for tasty food whenever there were no classes. Therefore, after hearing the news, he headed for Wutong University; upon returning, he sung praises of the rumored stall. \u201cThey didn\u2019t lie, the food there really is delicious!\u201d<\/span><\/p>

He was hardly the only one\u2014just like him, many students from universities in the area made a trip to have a taste of the heavenly food from Mother Zhou\u2019s stall.<\/span><\/p>

Mother Zhou\u2019s business was very good, and now that Father Zhou was helping, her work was much easier. At that time, disposable tableware was not widely available yet, so selling semi-liquid food like the pork belly stew was inconvenient. Since this was the case, the following day Mother Zhou only prepared fried food, like Liyun-style stir-fried noodles and meat patties. However, because most of the students strongly disapproved of the stew\u2019s removal from the menu, Mother Zhou bowed to the will of the masses and added it back, only requesting that the customers bring their own containers. She also didn\u2019t take advantage of its popularity to raise the price\u2014it remained a reasonable 80 cents for a big ladleful.<\/span><\/p>

Lu Xiaojiang rushed out of the room before 8 a.m. with a <\/span>big enamel cup<\/span><\/a>\u2014to queue up, he said. As a loyal friend, he didn\u2019t forget about his buddies and brought back a whole four yuan-worth of the stew, which resulted in the scene of Wang Jun and Chen Jiankang shoveling in food as if they had starved for at least a month. Lin Jingzhe also ate some; sure enough, it was a nostalgic, familiar taste.<\/span><\/p>

It hadn\u2019t been long since the stall opened, yet Lin Jingzhe heard that the Zhou couple already started sending money back to Liyun Town to repay their debts; they obviously intended to make the stall a long term business. Well, it wasn\u2019t really surprising\u2014was there anyone in this world who hated earning money? Father Zhou\u2019s plan to get a job at the construction site in Qunnan City had clearly been abandoned. What\u2019s more, because the stall was getting busier and busier, they even began to consider asking Gao Sheng\u2019s father to give up his job on the construction site and come to Yan City to set up a business partnership with them.<\/span><\/p>

Hearing them come up with this idea, the worry that had been plaguing Lin Jingzhe for a long time finally disappeared. In the early nineties, doing business was extremely easy, and with Mother Zhou\u2019s cooking skills, it was impossible for them to make a loss. Their small business would only grow larger in scale, and Lin Jingzhe would naturally advise them on the most advantageous pathways for development; it was only a matter of time before they expanded to something bigger than a street stall. Now, if Gao Sheng\u2019s father came to Yan City as well, everything would be just dandy.<\/span><\/p>

The fatal accident that happened in his last life was like an invisible sword hanging over Gao Sheng\u2019s father\u2019s head, even if the man didn\u2019t know it\u2014the sooner he escaped it, the better.<\/span><\/p>

Everyone was doing better and better\u2026 Well, maybe except for poor Zhou Haitang whose parents, still believing in Lin Jingzhe\u2019s nonsense, watched him like hawks to keep him from \u201cstraying onto the wrong path\u201d.<\/span><\/p>

Anyway, Lin Jingzhe could finally stop worrying about them and focus on his own affairs.<\/span><\/p>

The land auction was about to be held soon\u2014he needed to liquidate his assets.<\/span><\/p>

Fifteen new stocks were listed at Shen City Stock Exchange, somewhat alleviating the awkward situation of the daily trading volume<\/a> dropping close to zero after the short period of time when the exchange had opened. The stock market, completely chaotic in the beginning, was much more regulated now, and the crazy unhealthy growth of prices had been contained; right now, it was basically in a benign state of prices rising steadily every day but not violently fluctuating.<\/span><\/p>

With the stock he bought from Lin Jingzhe, Tian Dahua had already earned more than 600,000 yuan! In addition, its worth was still slowly going up! He made such a big profit for the first time, and it was all thanks to Lin Jingzhe who had allowed him to board this \u201cbus\u201d that he\u2019d almost missed, so he was deeply grateful to the youth.<\/span><\/p>

He was shocked to learn that Lin Jingzhe wanted to sell all the shares he owned. However, though Tian Dahua was surprised, he didn\u2019t ask much and immediately set about arranging the sale.<\/span><\/p>

Unfortunately, he himself couldn\u2019t swallow such a large amount of shares, but that didn\u2019t matter. The stock market in Shen City was developing well. Recently, a group of affluent players had entered the game field, and Aeon Technology\u2019s stock was very popular, so it wouldn\u2019t be hard to dump it.<\/span><\/p>

Lin Jingzhe made another trip to Shen City, to turn the stock in his hands into money in his account. The buyer was covering the handling fee, so he finally managed to get more than 2.9 million<\/span><\/p>

The other party could be described as a typical major-league<\/span> investor\u2014not tight-fisted, daring to make big investments, and with solid financial strength and clear goals. As everyone chatted, the conversation drifted to the stock exchange in the special economic zone<\/a>, which had opened a month ago and was said to be just as popular as the one in Shen City. It seemed that the financial sector in China, which used to be almost non-existent, had lifted its head and was beginning to thrive.<\/span><\/p>

Tian Dahua was impressed by the various professional analyses in the other party\u2019s discourse, but as Lin Jingzhe listened, his heart was sinking. He knew that the appearance of such a person meant that big-shot financial securities players were already targeting the domestic market.<\/span><\/p>

All in all, Tian Dahua really did render him much help, so before Lin Jingzhe left, he reminded the man earnestly, \u201cMr. Tian, remember\u2014when the time comes to make a big decision, you should not choose greed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Tian Dahua was accompanying him to the boarding gate. Hearing Lin Jingzhe\u2019s words, he looked at him, confused, only to see a meaningful smile on the youth\u2019s face.<\/span><\/p>

After Lin Jingzhe left, he stood in the airport for a long time, dazed. Although he didn\u2019t know why the young man would say this, the vigilance in his heart broke through the joy and satisfaction he\u2019d been basking in lately.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Lin Jingzhe, who believed that he and Xiao Chi \u201cparted in disagreement\u201d, was sure their cooperation had fallen through. Time was too short for him to look for a new collaborator, so he found someone to help him check the private lending market in Yan City.<\/span><\/p>

In those days, private lending was still a gray area\u2014everything outwardly looked legal, but in essence, it was the same as <\/span>usury<\/span><\/a>. On top of that, all the private moneylenders in Yan City had relationships with the underworld, so dealing with them was very dangerous. Unfortunately, despite being reborn, the crazy soul hidden under Lin Jingzhe\u2019s innocent appearance hadn\u2019t changed.<\/span><\/p>

Everything he\u2019d gone through in his last life made him more rational, but it also honed him even sharper.<\/span><\/p>

Fortunately, before he made a move, Fang Wenhao brought back news that made him give up this risky plan.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cBrother Xiao said, when you have time, come to his company to sign the cooperation contract,\u201d Fang Wenhao relayed, still in shock. He was convinced that both Xiao Chi and Hu Shaofeng were suffering from a sudden bout of insanity.<\/span><\/p>

It was over five million yuan!<\/span><\/p>

They were really fucking ready to gamble with it?!<\/span><\/p>

Fang Wenhao had no idea how Xiao Chi was able to get so rich. They were both the same age and opened companies around the same time. However, his own Boundless Realty Group that he\u2019d worked so hard to expand was barely medium-sized, while Xiao Chi\u2019s Flux Realty had already developed several large projects outside the province, and its market value was several times higher than that of Boundless Realty Group.<\/span><\/p>

Fang Wenhao was a boss of his company, but Hu Shaofeng, who was just one of Flux Realty\u2019s shareholders, was richer than him\u2014he could throw around money to grab the land he wanted to grab, invest in what he wanted to invest, and basically do whatever he wanted. Fang Wenhao thought about Flux Realty\u2019s turnover that was much higher every quarter, then recalled the foul atmosphere and quarrels at every shareholders\u2019 meeting in his own company, and really felt that the old adage was true: you should be be happy with your accomplishments and not compare yourself to others, because it would just make you feel inferior.<\/span><\/p>

Lin Jingzhe was just as surprised\u2014last time, Xiao Chi had acted like <\/span>that<\/span><\/em>, but it turned out that he was willing to cooperate after all?!<\/span><\/p>

That man\u2019s personality was really weird; he seemed to dislike Lin Jingzhe so much that he was unwilling to take back the rosary Lin Jingzhe touched, but at the same time, he was able to calmly and rationally discuss business with Lin Jingzhe, not letting this dislike influence his decisions.<\/span><\/p>

Despite their personal grudges, this made Lin Jingzhe change his opinion of Xiao Chi a little bit.<\/span><\/p>

And to be honest, most of the time, the other party appeared very reliable.<\/span><\/p>

When signing the contract, the two sat opposite each other. Lin Jingzhe read over the document after the lawyer finished reading it, and then carefully signed it. It was the first time he was handling such a large sum of money after his rebirth.<\/span><\/p>

After he signed, Xiao Chi signed it as well, then both sides stood up to shake hands.<\/span><\/p>

Feeling the cool palm touch his own and slip away right after, Xiao Chi calmly retracted his hand. \u201cHappy cooperation,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>

Lin Jingzhe felt like he could finally understand why Fang Wenhao was always saying that Xiao Chi was a hundred times more mature and reliable than Hu Shaofeng.<\/span><\/p>

Smiling slightly, he replied, \u201cHappy cooperation.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Xiao Chi: \u201c!!!\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Amitabha.<\/span><\/em><\/p>

He inwardly shook himself off and said, \u201cThe money will be sent to you before the month\u2019s end, we will also provide assistance with the formalities of the auction.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Lin Jingzhe\u2019s smile became more sincere. \u201cThank you, I\u2019d really appreciate that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Aaah, his teeth! These small, even, white teeth are so good-looking!<\/span><\/em><\/p>

Xiao Chi couldn\u2019t look away from Lin Jingzhe\u2019s \u201crabbit teeth\u201d for a while, but he found that the youth still wasn\u2019t wearing the beads he had given him.<\/span><\/p>

As the short meeting broke up, while no one was paying attention, he quietly approached Lin Jingzhe and asked, \u201cWhere are my prayer beads?\u201d<\/span><\/p>

So in the end, do you want them or not?!<\/span><\/em> Lin Jingzhe exclaimed silently, impatient. But since Xiao Chi very generously gave him five million yuan ten minutes ago, he stifled his irritation and took the rosary out of his pocket, letting it hang from his upturned palm.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cI brought them. Here,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>

This rosary is very auspicious!<\/span><\/em> Xiao Chi was both a little angry that Lin Jingzhe didn\u2019t wear it and a little happy that he was carrying it with him. Okay, so today, he was both happy and angry with the other man!<\/span><\/p>

He glanced at Lin Jingzhe\u2019s palm, then at the youth\u2019s bemused expression, and pursed his lips. Without a word more, he turned around and left!<\/span><\/p>

His back looked very forlorn!<\/span><\/p>

Lin Jingzhe, left behind with the string of prayer beads in his hand: \u201c……\u201d<\/span><\/p>

He felt he might\u2019ve been too hasty when he called the other man reliable.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\tTranslator's Note:<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tWhile not stated outright, the land auction LJZ is participating in should be a first-price sealed-bid auction (also known as blind auction). In this type of auction, all bidders simultaneously submit sealed bids, so that no bidder knows the bid of any other participant. The highest bidder pays the price they submitted.<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t