Chapter 808: Chapter 807: Brother Sheng’s Wondrous Experience
When Lu Zai went ho to fetch his mother, he happened to run into Qiangzai, who had co looking for him.
“Why aren’t you at work?” Lu Zai asked, puzzled as he looked at him.
Qiangzai grinned at him, then turned his head to continue chatting with his mother: “Auntie, you’re really lucky. Lu Zai got picked by a big shot, so you’ll have good days ahead.”
Lu Zai didn’t understand, listening blankly to Qiangzai rambling to his mom.
Qiangzai kept talking for a while longer, making his mother laugh heartily before getting up and dragging Lu Zai outside.
“Mom, I have to get back to the docks, so let Lu Zai see off for a bit, okay?”
“Yes, yes, see him off,” his mother said, getting off the bed to tuck the only pear in the house into Qiangzai’s arms, “Take this ho to eat.”
“Sure thing.”
Qiangzai happily pocketed the pear and walked out.
Lu Zai followed behind him, full of confusion.
After rounding a couple of corners, Qiangzai stopped, looked around, and furtively pulled one hundred and sixty yuan out of his pocket and stuffed it into Lu Zai’s pocket.
“What are you doing!” Lu Zai, realizing it was money, quickly moved to take it out of his pocket.
Qiangzai held his wrist still, sneakily glancing around, only speaking when he saw no one was nearby: “Keep it safe. If you’re rolling with the big shots, your wallet can’t be empty.”
“But you…”
They were brothers in manual labor, and Lu Zai knew Qiangzai didn’t have much money; he had caught a glimpse of that roll of bills, and the outermost one seed to be a hundred yuan note.
Qiangzai chuckled, squinting his eyes: “I just went over to Gem Company and managed to bag a hundred yuan—no need to do anything for it.”
Lu Zai’s pupils constricted: “Going over there, won’t Brother Sheng get upset if he finds out?”
“Brother Sheng’s busy with your stuff, not around,” Qiangzai said with a bit of slyness, shaking his head, “Besides, with so many people at the company, they won’t notice soone as small as .”
Lu Zai was still a bit worried and cautioned, “Maybe don’t go there again tomorrow?”
“We’ll see about tomorrow,” Qiangzai answered vaguely, quickly changing the subject as he patted Lu Zai on the shoulder, “Stick with the big shots, but don’t stand out too much, got it? If anything’s tough to handle, let us brothers know, I’ll help you.”
Lu Zai’s eyes burned, and he rubbed his nose, nodding: “Yeah, I understand.”
“I’ll head back to the docks first, you head ho.” Qiangzai didn’t linger, waving a hand before pulling his collar up and running off.
Lu Zai watched his receding figure, clenching the money through the rough fabric, feeling a heightened urge to make sothing of himself.
On the roadside, Ah Sheng casually walked into a small shop in a corner. With his back to the door, he accidentally avoided crossing paths with the outgoing Qiangzai.
Catching sight of Qiangzai running away in his peripheral vision, he exhaled lightly and then noticed a few charming older ladies staring steadily at him as if he were prey.
“Mister, you’re early.”
A woman showing off two white thighs hurriedly put on a business smile, reached up to switch on an ambiguous pink light, and then stepped toward Ah Sheng.
Ah Sheng: “…!”
…
After arranging the next steps of her plan, Lin Nianhe carried two bags and went to the Shen household.
Coincidentally, Ah Sheng had just settled Lu Zai and his mother, planning to find Lin Nianhe to report, when he encountered her at the door.
“Miss Lin,” Ah Sheng greeted her, “Lu Zai and his mother are settled. Uncle Mao let them stay in the corner tower in the backyard, which is usually for guests. The items you needed are in the study on the second floor.”
“Thanks for the trouble…” Lin Nianhe looked up and noticed Ah Sheng’s shirt collar, hesitated for a mont, but said, “Brother Sheng, your shirt is dirty, you should change it.”
Ah Sheng froze for a second, then followed Lin Nianhe’s gaze to his shirt collar—
A bright red lipstick mark.
Ah Sheng rarely panicked and quickly explained: “This, this is from bumping into soone on the road…”
Lin Nianhe hadn’t imagined Ah Sheng wandering into any such place and just assud his girlfriend was overly affectionate, giving him an excuse: “Well, the docks are crowded, you’ve been working hard lately.”
Ah Sheng turned beet red: “I really did just bump into soone.”
He swore, it was really that woman who collided into him.
Nearly scared him to death.
“Change your clothes; you’ll have to et with Uncle Four later.” Lin Nianhe said with a light smile, pointing in the direction of the backyard, “I’m going to check on Lu Zai and his mother.”
“Alright.”
Feeling embarrassed, Ah Sheng called a servant to show Lin Nianhe the way, then hustled off covering his collar.
It had been many years since the Shen family’s backyard corner tower had housed a guest.
It was originally for distant relatives who ca seeking refuge, and being sowhat far from the main house, it always seed less than hospitable for guests.
However, the Shen family wouldn’t let any part of the house go neglected, so even if no one lived there, servants would regularly clean it.
Lu Zai and his mother had never lived in such a nice house before, with bright windows and clean spaces filled with the fragrance of flowers.
His mother walked cautiously along the edge of the carpet, barefoot, as if afraid her soles would scuff the floor.
“Zhuzi, tell your mom honestly, what exactly have you been up to outside?” his mother asked, anxious, gripping Lu Zai’s hand tightly, her heart in her throat.
Lu Zai was also baffled; he licked his lips, almost in tears: “Mom, I haven’t done anything—Brother Sheng just let work with a Miss Lin for now… She said it’s drawing…”
“What kind of drawing gets you a place like this to live?” His mother frowned, “Tell the truth!”
“I’m not lying…”
Just as his mother’s hand was raised, Lin Nianhe arrived.
“Auntie, hello, I’m Lin Nianhe.” Lin Nianhe placed the bags she was carrying on the table, acting as if she hadn’t noticed the tense atmosphere, cheerfully saying, “I’m from Beijing, here for an exchange, so it seems we’re fellow townsfolk.”
His mother looked at the pretty Lin Nianhe, her hand lowered, but she was even more nervous.
“That, that…” His mother avoided eye contact, hesitantly whispering, “Are we going to get arrested?”
Lin Nianhe was briefly stunned, then chuckled.
She stepped forward and supported his mother’s arm: “Aren’t you here to seek refuge with relatives? That’s perfectly reasonable, nothing I can control.”
With that, she helped his mother to the small sitting room, letting her sit down before speaking: “I didn’t bring a secretary with here, and there’s a lot of work. That’s why I had Brother Sheng find a literate young man to help.”
Lin Nianhe had a knack for dealing with elders; she didn’t lie, only saying what could be said.
She looked sweet and spoke fluently, putting his mother sowhat at ease.
Cautiously eyeing Lin Nianhe, his mother asked: “Is it really just drawing?”
“Of course it is,” Lin Nianhe replied, taking out her docunts, “If you don’t believe it, let Lu Zai read it to you. I’m indeed here for an exchange.”
She spoke, handing her introduction letter and student ID directly to Lu Zai.
Lu Zai took them hesitantly, not daring to read them aloud; he scanned them quickly and nodded to his mother: “Mom, Miss Lin isn’t lying to you.”
His mother seed to be relieved all at once, murmuring to God as she wiped the cold sweat off her forehead.
Lin Nianhe smiled, reclaiming her docunts, casually saying to Lu Zai: “Help grab those two bags.”
“Oh, okay.”
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