Chapter 104 The Boss's Rent Collection Method
Xiao Cheng gave her a deep look and remained silent. After what seemed like an eternity, he finally spoke in a tone that suggested he had been thinking deeply for a long time: "You cook, and that will pay for the rent."
Bai Lu was slightly taken aback. Could simply cooking a meal as usual cover the cost of accommodation and meals?
Isn't this a bit too good a deal?
However, if she pays for the groceries and the electricity, it seems like it can be considered a form of equal assistance.
Unexpectedly, the next second Xiao Cheng said, "Deduct the cost of groceries and electricity from the 30,000 yuan."
Bai Lu couldn't believe her ears, wondering if she was hallucinating: "You mean, I don't have to pay for the groceries and electricity; it's all included in the 30,000 yuan I owe you? I'll use the money I earn from selling roasted chestnuts to buy groceries, and once I've raised 30,000 yuan, I'll deduct the groceries from that amount, and then pay you back the rest?"
Xiao Cheng nodded slightly, acknowledging her understanding.
Bai Lu stared at him blankly: "I just cook a meal and it covers all the rent, and I don't have to pay for food or lodging. Aren't you being taken advantage of?"
Moreover, her ability to successfully sell roasted chestnuts in this chaotic world, where local bullies were everywhere, was partly due to the protection afforded by Xiao Cheng's notorious reputation as a tyrant.
She could sell on her own, but it would definitely be fraught with trouble, unlike the smooth sailing she is now.
The incident where Wang Cuihua and Wen Xiuyun's stalls were overturned is the most obvious example, showing that the market here is not peaceful.
He was surprisingly easy to talk to, not charging her rent and not charging her any extra "convenience and protection fee" for any reason.
Xiao Cheng took in Bai Lu's surprised and puzzled expression, and said calmly, "It's worth it."
He spoke in a tone that suggested he was a nouveau riche landlord who didn't care about money.
Bai Lu was truly shocked. When she first started selling roasted chestnuts with Wen Xiuyun, she offered to split the profits 50/50, and Wen Xiuyun looked at her like she was a stupid kid.
I feel like she's sticking her neck out to be chopped off by someone else.
Now... she felt... he was the stupid kid... was he sticking his neck out for her to chop?
Could it be because of that layer of legally invalid, unlicensed marital relationship?
Bai Lu felt it necessary to clarify: "The reason I moved back to your house was because I received a positive pregnancy test result from the hospital and thought I was pregnant, so I packed my things and came to your house to ask you to come and talk to my mother..."
"Let's talk about the bride price." As soon as the bride price was mentioned, Bai Lu remembered how the original owner of this body was forced by Li Xuelan to come to Xiao Cheng's house, where she lured Xiao Cheng out and used the child to threaten him into compromising.
Even though she didn't do it, she still felt a little guilty, thinking that she had really put Xiao Cheng in a bad position.
Her tone softened slightly: "I know you don't want to marry me. The wedding dinner we had was just a formality for you. Besides, we didn't get a marriage certificate, so we're not really husband and wife."
At the time, the original owner was underage and could not get a marriage certificate. For the wedding dinner, the original owner's parents were present, while Xiao Cheng had no relatives, so it was Lao Hu who was there.
According to China's marriage law, a man and a woman who have not obtained a marriage certificate are not considered husband and wife.
After February 1, 1994, China's Marriage Law explicitly stipulates that so-called undocumented de facto marriages are no longer recognized, and cohabitation as husband and wife can only be considered a cohabitation relationship.
They are not considered husband and wife.
Legally, it is not protected by any marriage law.
Strictly speaking, a wedding banquet does not constitute any basis for a marital relationship and has no legal effect.
Xiao Cheng couldn't possibly be unaware of this; Bai Lu guessed that his thoughts at the time were probably just that he wanted a child.
After all, he compromised for the sake of the child, ignoring the original owner of the body, not caring about her, not coming home every few days, and when he did come home, they did their own things and ignored each other.
Whether or not they get a marriage certificate is irrelevant to him.
Bai Lu thought Xiao Cheng would give a perfunctory "hmm" like when they were discussing rent, but when she looked up, she saw that Xiao Cheng's expression, which had just softened, had turned cold again.
His tone was cold as he asked, "What do you want to say?"
Bai Lu paused, ignoring the cold gaze she was being directed at, and said tactfully, "We're not legally married, so you don't need to treat me like a married couple. Just follow the normal procedures for everything."
"Also, we don't need to sleep together at night..."
Before he could finish speaking, the man got up and left, the sound of the chair he left behind turning echoing with extreme indifference and arrogance.
His face, as gloomy as the sea, flashed by in a fleeting moment; his footsteps, heavy with barely concealed rage, echoed as his figure vanished into the darkness.
He got angry again.
Bai Lu sighed, unable to understand the boss's unpredictable temper. Oh well, let's talk about it tonight.
Li Bingkun overturned Wen Xiuyun's fruit stand in public, causing all the roasted chestnuts to fall to the ground. He also spat on her twice, so she definitely couldn't sell them to customers anymore.
It's already been packed up and given to Li Bingkun to take away. He has no choice but to accept it; he has to eat the saliva he spat out himself.
So, I need to roast another batch of chestnuts this afternoon and deliver them to Wen Xiuyun's stall.
Bai Lu quickly sorted out her chaotic emotions, got up and went to the kitchen to continue working hard to earn money.
When they arrived at the kitchen, they saw Xiao Cheng, with a gloomy and unapproachable expression, already standing by the pot frying chestnuts.
Yes, he cooked it himself.
We no longer need electric chestnut roasting machines.
Those strong, muscular forearms, wrapped under the sleeves of his black shirt, gripped a spatula, scrambling and frying the sand and chestnuts in the pan with a clattering sound.
For some reason, Bai Lu suddenly thought of that night when the three-year-old boss got drunk and threw a tantrum in the bathroom.
It seems that's true; they don't talk, they ignore people, and they get angry at anything.
That night it was water, now it's sand and chestnuts, and an innocent spatula caught in the crossfire.
Bai Lu wanted to laugh but dared not, so she could only hold it in.
He seems to have spotted her.
He didn't even glance at her, and instead tossed out three words: "Bring me candy."
Bai Lu obediently took the maltose jar from the table, reached out and took out two pieces for the boss.
The big boss finally looked at her, his handsome face still gloomy, and he frowned: "Sugar syrup."
Bai Lu stared blankly at her hands before realizing she had grabbed the wrong thing; roasted chestnuts should be cooked with syrup.
Adding maltose to roasted chestnuts? What kind of nonsense is that?!
I hurried over to fetch the syrup bucket from the small square table. There was only a little less than half a bucket of syrup left. I'll dilute it when it's used up.
Bai Lu stood motionless by the stove, watching the expert roast chestnuts, occasionally giving a super impressive thumbs-up and offering a sickeningly sweet smile.
Three-year-olds and evil dragons have something in common: a gloomy face. A few more words of praise will make them look better.
If she's throwing a tantrum and not talking, just coax her a little and she'll be fine.
Wen Xiuyun pulled a small wooden cart to collect chestnuts, and saw Xiao Cheng, who had beaten someone to a pulp that morning, taking out a winnowing basket of chestnuts and pouring them into a large hamburger.
The irritation on his face had been replaced by calm indifference, and upon closer inspection, a hint of gentleness still lingered.
Wen Xiuyun looked behind him.
Sure enough, Bai Lu, with her gentle smile, followed behind with small, quick steps.
Who says only bad people can be defeated?
Even a cute and adorable little sweetheart can do it!
(End of this chapter)
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