Chapter 93: After reporting to the police and raising 20,000 yuan, they...
With just 20,000 yuan, you can unfreeze 20 million US dollars frozen in the bank.
It's obviously a scam to fool idiots.
No, you can't fool a fool like that.
Mingxi, behind the telephone pole, kept rolling her eyes, feeling that Li Xiangdong's words had no credibility whatsoever.
But the problem is, Dong Chunling is a complete idiot.
She believed everything Li Xiangdong said.
Dong Chunling was worried that Li Xiangdong wouldn't agree, so she kept persuading him, "Xiangdong, if your dad had only left a few hundred dollars abroad, we could just leave it. Even if we left all the money to foreign banks, we wouldn't have lost much. But your dad left behind twenty million US dollars! That's no small amount!"
"With these twenty million in hand, we can buy whatever we want and do whatever we want." Dong Chunling looked on with anticipation, as if she had already started planning how to spend the twenty million US dollars.
“Xiangdong, I’ve thought it through. The first thing I’ll do when I get the money is buy a house, a big house, a big yard, the kind with three courtyards. We’ll build a swimming pool in the front yard and a big garden in the back yard. That way, we can swim in the pool in the summer and enjoy the flowers in the garden in the spring and autumn. How wonderful would that be?”
"No, the first thing I should do after I get the money is quit. We have so much money now, why should we still go to work? I'm not going! Let those gossipy women at work nag me all the time, saying I'm divorced and all that. Humph, so what if I'm divorced? I can still find a good man!"
Dong Chunling took Li Xiangdong's hand and said, "Xiangdong, do you agree to let me resign? Will you pay for my support?"
Li Xiangdong smiled, put his arm around Dong Chunling's waist, and nodded gently: "I agree, of course I agree."
Dong Chunling was satisfied, and she proudly raised her head.
She said, "When we have money, we'll travel and spend it all. We'll buy whatever looks good and eat whatever tastes good."
"Oh, right, and my parents too." Dong Chunling suddenly remembered her parents and said, "They are my biological parents after all, and it wouldn't be right for me not to show any appreciation. How about this, once you bring the money back, we'll give them a little bit of living expenses every month. We don't need to give them too much, a hundred or two hundred yuan will be enough. They can't spend all the extra money."
Li Xiangdong nodded without hesitation: "If you say so, then I'll give it to you."
Hearing this, Dong Chunling smiled happily and hugged Li Xiangdong's arm affectionately, saying, "Xiangdong, you're so good to me."
Li Xiangdong: "You're my woman, if I don't treat you well, who else can I treat well?"
The two embraced each other, all lovey-dovey, and Mingxi, who was eavesdropping nearby, couldn't help but close her eyes.
It's so offensive, it really is offensive.
Have these two forgotten again that it's still broad daylight and they're still outside?
Dong Chunling: "Then it's settled. I'll go back today and urge my parents to help me raise the money as soon as possible. Once they've raised enough, I'll let you know so you can take the money and go to America right away."
Li Xiangdong's acting skills are quite good. For example, at this moment, he deliberately pretended to be hesitant, and under Dong Chunling's gaze, he finally nodded in agreement after a long time.
It was as if he was forced by Dong Chunling to agree.
Dong Chunling then tried to persuade him: "Xiang Dong, don't think about where that money came from. You should think about our future. Whether we can live a good life without worrying about food and clothing in the future depends on whether you can get the money back."
"For our future?"
Li Xiangdong: "Yes, for our future, I also need to get that money back."
Dong Chunling smiled and said, "That's right."
Mingxi hid to the side and watched Dong Chunling and Li Xiangdong being affectionate for a while before they separated. Dong Chunling walked home with a smile on her face and light steps, while Li Xiangdong gave Dong Chunling's back a meaningful look before turning and leaving.
Mingxi glanced in the direction Li Xiangdong left, then followed Dong Chunling home.
She quietly followed Dong Chunling, who went straight home, closed the door, and didn't notice if anyone was behind her.
When Mingxi arrived at the Dong family's gate, he heard Dong Chunling's voice coming from inside.
"Dad, Mom, have you thought about the investment business I mentioned to you last time? My friend is already urging us to invest. If you don't hurry up and put your money in, he won't help us make money anymore."
This immediately restrained Mingxi. She stopped at the door of the Dong family's house, not moving, her ears perked up like a long-eared rabbit, listening intently to the sounds inside.
All I heard was Mrs. Dong saying, "Chunling, your father and I have thought about this matter seriously for two days, and we still feel that it's a bit unreliable. Why don't we just let it go?"
Upon hearing this, Dong Chunling became anxious, stamping her feet in frustration: "No, why? This is such a great opportunity to make money! Didn't I tell you last time that this business is incredibly profitable? If you invest 10,000 yuan now, you can double it in less than two months and get back 20,000 yuan. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; if you miss it, there won't be another chance."
"Is this a legitimate business?" Mrs. Dong muttered.
Although she wasn't very knowledgeable, she knew that such high profits sounded abnormal.
Dong Chunling had finally settled down for a while, but her mother, fearing she would get involved with those shady characters again, looked at her with concern.
"Honey, tell Mom properly, how did you meet this friend of yours? He's not lying to you, is he?"
Dong Chunling: "Mom, how can you say that? How could Xiang Dong possibly lie to me!"
"Xiang Dong, who is this Xiang Dong? How come we've never heard you mention him before?" Brother Dong keenly sensed something was wrong and immediately pressed for an answer.
Dong Chunling hesitated, reluctant to tell her family the truth, but under the intense gazes of her older brother and father, she had no choice but to speak.
“Xiangdong is Li Xiangdong, a friend I recently met. We met when I ran away from home. It was late at night, and I had nowhere to go. I was wandering the streets alone when Li Xiangdong saw me. He thought I was in trouble and offered to call the police for me. I didn’t want to call the police, so I asked him to help me find a place to stay. He then took me to a guesthouse.”
"What?!"
The Dong family members inside the house and Mingxi outside the house widened their eyes instantly.
They thought that Dong Chunling had been hiding at the home of some friend they didn't know during the days she disappeared.
Unexpectedly, she had gone with a complete stranger she had just met and stayed at a guesthouse for so many days.
Mingxi rolled her eyes to the heavens.
She seriously doubted whether Dong Chunling had any brains at all.
Even a three-year-old knows not to talk to strangers or go home with strangers. Dong Chunling is an adult, yet she went home with a stranger without thinking.
"Dong Chunling, do you even have a brain? You just randomly bumped into a stranger on the street and followed him? Do you even know who he is? Do you even know what he does? What if he's a bad guy? What if you follow him and he tries to rob or kill you?"
Brother Dong acted as Mingxi's mouthpiece, spitting out a torrent of abuse at Dong Chunling.
Dong Chunling pouted, unconvinced: "I'm fine, aren't I!"
Brother Dong raised his voice: "You're back safe and sound now, but when you went with Li Xiangdong, did you know you'd be alright? What if something had happened to you? You wouldn't even have time to regret it then!"
Dong Chunling felt very wronged after being yelled at by her brother Dong.
She pouted and said, "I know Li Xiangdong isn't a bad person. If he were, he wouldn't have offered to call the police for me. Besides, he took me to a guesthouse, not his home. There are so many people in the guesthouse. Even if he had bad intentions, I could have called for help. I'm not stupid."
She sniffed: "You guys are really sorry to Li Xiangdong for making such assumptions about him. I was away for so many days, and it was Li Xiangdong who took care of me. He paid for my stay in a guesthouse and comforted me, telling me not to be sad because of Yan Zhiwen. He said that Yan Zhiwen was a scumbag and didn't deserve me. He also advised me to go home quickly and apologize to you, saying that I was immature before and must have caused you a lot of trouble, and that I should understand your good intentions."
She earnestly defended Li Xiangdong, saying, "I only came back because I listened to Xiangdong. You all don't know how good Xiangdong is, yet you talk such nonsense. If Xiangdong knew, he would definitely be sad!"
Brother Dong, who was in a fit of anger, paused upon hearing this.
He toned down his imposing manner. According to Dong Chunling, that Li Xiangdong was actually a decent person.
However, there's no such thing as someone being so kind to a stranger for no reason.
Brother Dong still harbored a degree of wariness towards Li Xiangdong, whom he had never met before.
Li Xiangdong is either after money or women.
He definitely has something on his mind regarding Dong Chunling!
He glanced at Dong Chunling and suddenly noticed the girlish shyness on her face. He immediately realized, "Do you like that Li Xiangdong?"
Dong Chunling's face immediately flushed with embarrassment, and she squirmed shyly, saying, "Brother, don't make wild guesses!"
Brother Dong: ...
Did he even need to guess? Isn't it obvious at a glance?
Brother Dong: "Does Li Xiangdong know that you like him? What is your relationship now? Are you dating him?"
Mingxi couldn't help but sigh, Brother Dong really went to great lengths for Dong Chunling.
This was the case even before Dong Chunling divorced Yan Zhiwen, and now that Dong Chunling has divorced Yan Zhiwen, he still has to worry about this matter.
Even Mingxi, an outsider, felt that Brother Dong had a tough time, but Dong Chunling didn't appreciate it at all.
She flung her hand away abruptly and said impatiently, "Why are you asking so many questions!"
Seeing Dong Chunling's impatience, Dong's mother stepped forward and grabbed Dong Chunling's hand: "Daughter, if you don't want to talk to your brother, then tell me, what is your relationship with this Li Xiangdong? Are you two dating now?"
Her attitude was noticeably gentler than Brother Dong's: "Even if you two are really dating, it's fine. But if you are dating, shouldn't you bring him home so we can meet him?"
Mother Dong thought so too. She felt that compared to Yan Zhiwen, Li Xiangdong sounded like a decent person.
As long as Dong Chunling takes him home and lets them see for themselves, they can confirm that Li Xiangdong is not the same kind of person as Yan Zhiwen.
Brother Dong couldn't understand, and he scratched his head with both hands.
In his opinion, Li Xiangdong wasn't much better than Yan Zhiwen.
No, to be precise, Li Xiangdong is not as good as Yan Zhiwen.
At least when Dong Chunling was dating Yan Zhiwen, her whole family knew what Yan Zhiwen's surname and given name were, what his family did, and what his family members were like.
But now, apart from the name Li Xiangdong, his family knows nothing about him.
Seeing Dong Chunling like this, Brother Dong was afraid that she would fall into a trap again and be deceived.
If Mingxi knew what Brother Dong was thinking, she would definitely say, "No wonder he's my brother, he really understands his sister."
Dong Chunling: "I also want to bring Xiang Dong home, but he's been busy lately and it's not convenient. Let's wait a while."
Brother Dong: "Is it really inconvenient, or does he not want to see us?"
"Big brother, what nonsense are you talking about!" Dong Chunling said unhappily with a stern face: "Of course it's inconvenient for Xiang Dong. He has important things to do, which is that big money business I told you about before. He's doing business investment and negotiating big deals with foreigners."
Dong Chunling hadn't forgotten her real purpose; she came back today to ask for money, and she was determined to get enough from her family to give to Li Xiangdong.
She pursed her lips and said, "Xiangdong's business involves negotiating with foreigners and helping them resell goods. When foreigners come here to buy things, the factories offer them one price and the locals another. Xiangdong negotiates a price with the factories to buy the goods and then resells them to the foreigners at a slightly lower price. This way, he can make a lot of money."
Dong Chunling lies so easily that if Mingxi hadn't known that Li Xiangdong hadn't mentioned doing business at all, she probably would have been fooled by her.
Not to mention the Dong family.
Mrs. Dong stared wide-eyed: "Then isn't he... taking advantage of the factory?"
Dong Chunling scoffed: "What do you mean by taking advantage of the factory? Aren't there plenty of people in the factory who collude to line their own pockets, abuse their power for personal gain, take kickbacks, and resell factory materials?"
Dong Chunling didn't think it was a big deal.
Besides, Li Xiangdong isn't actually in the business of reselling.
She was just saying it casually.
Mrs. Dong was an honest and upright person. She would feel like she was stealing if she was asked to take an extra dish from the cafeteria, and she would feel uneasy about it, let alone this kind of business.
She felt this was wrong and advised Dong Chunling: "Girl, this is not a good thing. It's speculation and profiteering. If people find out, you'll go to jail. Don't do this kind of thing. You should also advise Xiao Li not to do this kind of thing."
Dong Chunling was anxious. She was an impatient person by nature, and the fact that she had talked so much with her mother showed that she was already being very patient.
Hearing what Dong's mother said, everyone was in an uproar.
"No, Mom, what do you mean? I've already talked to Li Xiangdong. He didn't want to make money with our family in the first place. I had to persuade him a lot before he agreed. If he finds out you're unwilling now, he'll definitely be angry."
Dong Chunling was genuinely anxious. She feared that if she couldn't raise enough money for Li Xiangdong to unfreeze the funds within the stipulated time, Li Xiangdong wouldn't be able to withdraw the 20 million US dollars from the American bank.
When Mr. and Mrs. Dong saw her like this, their expressions changed instantly.
The two elders were already against giving money, and now that Dong Chunling was pressing them so hard, they felt even more that the matter was unreliable.
Seeing her parents' expressions change, Dong Chunling gritted her teeth, suppressed her impatience, and patiently continued, "Dad, Mom, I know what you're worried about. Don't worry, there's no risk in this. If it really doesn't work out, I'll listen to you and persuade Li Xiangdong not to do this business next time. But this time everything has already been discussed, and the buyer and seller have been contacted. We can't just say we're not doing it anymore."
Dong Chunling's idea is good.
Anyway, this is the only time I'll be going to the bank to withdraw money.
There was never going to be a next time.
But Dong's mother insisted: "Not even once. What if something goes wrong this time and the police find out? It's not a big deal if the money is gone, but what if you get arrested and taken to the police station?"
Dong's mother genuinely cared for her daughter. She stroked Dong Chunling's hand and said, "Daughter, you have a job. Work hard. We two old folks won't ask you for money. Your salary is enough for you. Don't use it for these crooked ways."
Thinking of Li Xiangdong, she subtly inquired, "Yes, that guy surnamed Li you mentioned, does he have a job? Is he a worker? If he has a job, why is he doing this? What's his family situation like? Who else is in his family...?"
"Enough!"
Dong Chunling irritably flung her hand away: "Why are you asking so many questions!"
I didn't even get the money, yet I kept asking so many questions. It's so annoying!
"How dare you talk to your mother like that!" Mr. Dong, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up.
Dong Chunling pouted: "I didn't say anything, why are you yelling at me!"
Father Dong: "You silly girl, we're only doing this for your own good!"
"You say you're doing this for my own good, but then you should give me the money! You just keep saying you're doing this for my own good, but you don't give me any money. What kind of 'doing this for my own good' is that!"
Dong Chunling angrily threw down her words, opened the door, and was about to walk out.
As soon as she opened the door, she saw Mingxi standing there.
Dong Chunling curled her lip and said irritably, "What are you doing standing at my door? Eavesdropping on my house? Have you no shame?"
Mingxi rolled her eyes, showing no sign of guilt at being caught out.
"Who said I came here to eavesdrop? I came here to see you."
Dong Chunling: "What do you want?"
Mingxi: "If I introduce you to someone, do you have any plans to remarry?"
This isn't Mingxi lying.
Although Dong Chunling has a bad temper, she is still quite well-off.
She was good-looking, had a job, and came from a well-off family. Her parents doted on her, and after seeing how much trouble she caused in the Yan family for so many years, they didn't say anything after she divorced and returned home. They knew that if Dong Chunling remarried, the dowry from her parents would definitely be substantial.
Moreover, although Dong Chunling had been married before, she had no children.
These conditions are really quite good in the second marriage market.
Let alone those who are also getting married for the second time, even those who are getting married for the first time and whose families are not well-off would still be willing to marry someone like her.
Dong Chunling had just returned from her divorce when someone approached Mingxi to sound her out, wanting her to help make a connection.
However, due to Dong Chunling's personality, Mingxi did not readily agree.
Given Dong Chunling's temper, no matter whether the introduction went well or not, if anything happened afterward, Dong Chunling would always find a way to cause trouble for her.
However, Mingxi is now using this matter as an excuse.
Dong Chunling didn't suspect anything when she heard this.
She was very confident in herself; she was young and beautiful, and she was sure that many people would be interested in her.
Now that she's single again, who knows how many men are secretly yearning for her.
Mingxi works as a matchmaker, introducing people to potential partners. It's inevitable that some people will approach her, wanting her to introduce them to someone.
Not surprising at all.
However, Dong Chunling had no intention of agreeing. She raised her head and pursed her lips, saying, "No need. I don't like any of the ones you introduce. If anyone comes to you in the future, just turn them down for me."
Mingxi: "...Okay."
Dong Chunling glanced at Ming Xi: "Anything else? If not, I'm leaving?"
Mingxi shook her head: "Nothing else."
Seeing that she had nothing else to do, Dong Chunling turned and left.
However, when Dong's mother saw Mingxi's figure inside the house, she greeted him warmly: "Hey, Mingxi, what brings you here? Come in and sit down."
Mingxi waved her hand: "Auntie, I won't sit down. I came here to see Dong Chunling. Someone wanted me to introduce her to someone, and I came to ask her what she thought. She just rejected me. I don't have anything else to say, so I'll go back now..."
"Hey, wait a minute, Xiaoming, don't go yet."
Before Mingxi could finish speaking, Dong's mother interrupted her, grabbing Mingxi's arm and asking, "Xiaoming, are you saying someone wants you to set him up with our Chunling?"
Mrs. Dong's eyes lit up: "Come in and sit down. Tell me properly what kind of person he is. What's his name? What does his family do? Has he ever been married?"
Dong's mother pondered that although Dong Chunling seemed to be dating Li Xiangdong, she didn't know what kind of person Li Xiangdong was or whether he was reliable. She thought it best to keep an eye on things and find a few more candidates.
If Li Xiangdong really isn't a good person, he can introduce other bad people to her daughter.
And so, Mingxi was pulled into the house by Dong's mother.
Fortunately, there were indeed a few men who approached Mingxi, hoping she could help them get introductions.
She went through the other party's requirements one by one: "Three men contacted me for introductions. Two of them came to me on their own, and one was contacted by his mother. The one his mother contacted was..."
Mother Dong carefully noted down the conditions of the three men Mingxi introduced.
She compared the options in her mind.
One of them won't do. Not only is his family poor, but he's also too indecisive. He's a grown man in his twenties, and he just does whatever he's told. No way.
The second condition is not bad. When he was still a teenager, his mother passed away and his father ran away. Because of his poor circumstances, he never dated or got married until he was in his thirties. Now that he has a stable job and his circumstances have improved, he is looking for a partner, which is acceptable. The only problem is that he has no parents and no elders in his family, so he will have no one to help him after marriage.
The third one won't work either. She's divorced with a child, and she knows her own daughter well. She's not a good-tempered person, so she wouldn't trust her to be a stepmother, let alone her own child.
While Madam Dong was still pondering this, Mingxi had already said goodbye.
Dong's mother was so preoccupied with finding a partner for Dong Chunling that she didn't think about leaving Mingxi.
Mingxi had just come out of the Dong family's house when he saw Zhao Sulan's figure in the alley.
"mom!"
Mingxi jogged forward. Zhao Sulan saw Mingxi coming out of the Dong family's house and asked in confusion, "Weren't you supposed to accompany Wang Na to the matchmaking event today? Why did you go to the Dong family's house again?"
"Oh my, Mom, you have no idea what I heard today!" Mingxi leaned close to Zhao Sulan's ear and chattered away, repeating everything she heard from Dong Chunling and Li Xiangdong outside, to what she overheard at the Dong family's door.
After listening, Zhao Sulan stared wide-eyed: "This Li Xiangdong is just like a conman from the old society."
She had heard of such things back in the old society.
Some young men pretend to be rich women, using various excuses to swindle money from them.
But those were things from the old society. I haven't heard of such things since the 1950s.
How did these monsters and demons reappear?
Mingxi: "Mom, do you think we should report this to the police?"
Zhao Sulan frowned and pondered for a moment, then said, "We should report it to the police."
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Author's note: I haven't been feeling well lately, so I'll be taking a six-word daily streak for a while. I'll try my best to get back on track and continue writing 10,000 words a day!
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