Chapter 38 Return to Mosk (Revised)
Upon arriving in Mosk, He Changyi went straight to Grandma Vitalie's house.
Although she had confirmed through a cross-border phone call that Grandma Vitalie was alright while she was in China, she still couldn't put her mind at ease until she saw her in person that she was completely unharmed.
I heard that when the unrest broke out, Grandma Vitalie stayed at home and did not go out. She kept the lights off, the curtains drawn, and listened to the tanks roaring past on the street outside, and heard gunshots and explosions in the distance.
She did not go to the square; she simply waited calmly for the verdict on the fate of the nation.
In the end, everything came to an end, the political strife subsided, nothing changed, yet it seemed that everything had changed.
Only Grandma Vitalie's smile remained unchanged, and her embrace was still generous and warm.
In the desolate and cold city of Mosk, only at this time could He Changyi feel truly at peace.
Grandma Vitalie said gently, "My little bird, why don't you stay in the warm south a little longer?"
He Changyi hugged Grandma Vitalie and said in a muffled voice:
"It's probably because I don't have money to pay the heating bill, so I had to shamelessly come to your house to mooch off your fireplace."
Grandma Vitalie was taken aback, unsure whether to believe it or take it as yet another joke—though this one wasn't very funny.
He Changyi had already tilted her head back and smiled nonchalantly, saying:
“I’ve been missing your pie. Alexei’s not here, is he? Perfect, I can eat his whole portion.”
Before the words were finished, a giant bear, whose whereabouts were elusive, emerged from the shadows of the room and said in a cold but polite tone:
"Unfortunately, I'm at home, so you won't have a chance today."
When we met again, his stubble was clean-shaven, he was wearing an old, casual sweater, and his newly grown curly hair was loose at his temples. He looked like a free-spirited art student who might be sketching in front of Pushkin's tombstone.
He Changyi couldn't help but want to laugh, but he managed to hold it back. He deliberately looked Alexei up and down, and said slowly:
"You look great, you look ten years younger—like a young man in his early twenties."
Alexei: ?
He's only in his early twenties this year. Did he look like he was thirty before?
Alexei walked up to He Changyi, looked down at her healthy and rosy complexion, his expression softened, but his words still retorted defiantly:
"You look great too. It seems the food from your hometown really suits your taste—you look like you've gained ten pounds? I'm sorry, I've never really had any sense of a woman's weight."
He Changyi: ?
Speak properly! What do you mean by "gained ten pounds"?!
Although the food in China is indeed more to her liking, she has been so busy lately that she has only gained three pounds at most!
Grandma Vitalie quietly slipped away from the two tense young men, like a nimble old cat, and nimbly escaped to an area outside the reach of the war.
Behind her, artillery fire raged, and language almost became a tangible weapon of mass destruction.
"You really have no concept of the weight of young women. After all, only virgins would think that women should be as thin as matchsticks."
"Yes, compared to your extensive experience in relationships, I do have much more to learn."
"Do you want to attract a rival of the opposite sex with just one sentence? Then you are already a master. I believe there is no one in the entire Mosk who can match you."
"I think a more appropriate way to put it is to learn how to skillfully manipulate the feelings of the opposite sex—in this respect, I think you are fully qualified to open a professional academy with enough students to fill the entire Red Square."
Grandma Vitalie walked even faster.
She wondered incredulously, "Is this how young people connect with each other these days?"
As someone born at the beginning of the century, she still associates lyricism with writing poems for others, but it seems that young people today are more accustomed to using "euphemistic" language to express their feelings.
To be honest, this is a little... scary.
He Changyi has a lot to do during this trip to Moscow, or rather, he has a lot of messes to clean up.
First, she confirmed the extent of the damage to each warehouse, then went to the insurance company and argued with them until they promised to transfer all the compensation to her account within a month.
Next is to process the office lease termination procedures.
She has limited funds now, so she tries to save every penny she can. There's no need to spend money on this, since the rent for a high-end apartment office near the train station is quite expensive.
He Changyi took away all the contracts, receipts and other important documents, and gave away the large items in the office that she couldn't move to the old lady at the door, including the giant golden toad that she praised for its artistic design.
The old lady at the gate, with a serious face, said reluctantly:
"Miss He, if you ever pass by the train station again, please don't forget that there is a poor old man here who misses you."
He Changyi took the initiative to hug the lonely old lady.
During this time, the old lady at the gate often fed He Changyi with homemade Emei cuisine; in return, every time He Changyi cooked Chinese food, he would always save a portion for the old lady at the gate.
Before parting, He Changyi said, "This is only a temporary departure. I will come back. I hope you won't feel that I come too often."
He Changyi asked the old lady at the door to leave her name and contact information if anyone came to see her later, and she would come to the apartment regularly to check these messages.
Next, He Changyi visited all the clients he could contact. Although there were deaths, injuries, and disappearances, quite a few people were fortunate enough to survive the turmoil.
Amidst the rising steam of black tea, everyone tacitly avoided discussing politics, focusing instead on the recent dire business environment.
After a month of turmoil, the civil unrest has come to an end, but aftershocks continue, like kicking a crumbling ruin. No one can guarantee that the ruin will last until the next century.
He Changyi recovered some of the payments from the customers, but most of it became bad debt, making it unnecessary to even file a lawsuit. It would only result in unnecessary litigation and legal fees, as well as the possibility of the judge soliciting bribes.
When it came to new collaborations, clients either evaded the question or bluntly told He Changyi:
“I have no confidence in the future, and neither do my downstream customers. To be honest, after losing a lot of money, all I want now is to sit peacefully with my family around the fireplace, rather than worry about another upheaval.”
He Changyi expressed his understanding.
After all, not everyone can be like her, getting back up despite being knocked down by fate.
In the turn-based arena of life, being knocked out with a single punch is the reality for most ordinary people, or rather, lying down where you fall is the more comfortable option.
But He Changyi is a stubborn person who is not afraid of pain; her hobby is to go against fate.
After He Changyi cleaned up all the mess, 10,000 down jackets had been delivered by train.
Normally, He Changyi would have already found buyers for the goods before they arrived in Mosk, but this time, even after the goods had been moved into the temporary rented warehouse, she hadn't closed a single deal.
During this period, the expenses in Mosk almost depleted He Changyi's already meager cash reserves. Even though the insurance company agreed to pay out, the lengthy process and inefficiency made the compensation a mere pipe dream.
But if anyone were to judge He Changyi now, they would not think that this woman is in a desperate predicament.
On the contrary, He Changyi eats and sleeps well every day, walks with a brisk pace, and looks radiant.
Even in the coldest weather, her face still had a thin blush, and she looked incredibly energetic.
No one could tell from her appearance how bad her situation was. Even her grandmother Vitalie and Alexei, who lived with her, only saw He Changyi as before the turmoil, leaving early and returning late every day, living a busy and fulfilling life.
Even though he didn't have enough money in his pocket to pay next month's warehouse rent, for He Changyi, this was nothing.
You should know that she is a woman who escaped the control of the original work and survived death.
Since fate didn't let her die in that river as a supporting character, she is now the sole protagonist of her own life, and nothing can bring her down.
After traveling all over Moscow and visiting all of Emirates' clients, He Changyi successfully sold 6,000 down jackets.
As for the remaining four thousand items, He Changyi turned around and went to the Bee Open-air Market.
The market was densely packed with container stalls, and most of the stall owners were Chinese resellers.
After the unrest, many of the market stalls were empty, and the empty shipping containers looked like garbage dumps, with rats constantly crawling in and out. It's a mystery how they survived the cold winter.
Although business is tough for everyone right now and people are reluctant to do large-scale transactions, taking small orders of a few dozen or a few hundred items is still no problem.
He Changyi asked questions from beginning to end, and after offering a further 10% discount on the wholesale price, he successfully sold 3,000 down jackets.
Just when there were only a thousand down jackets left, He Changyi ran into an old acquaintance.
"Oh my, what are you doing here?"
Xie Shirong was sitting at his stall, directing the new young man to run errands, when he saw He Changyi coming to sell his wares and was almost speechless with astonishment.
He Changyi smiled and held up the down jacket she was holding as a sample, saying to Xie Shirong:
"Uncle Xie, would you like a down jacket? It's good quality and inexpensive, only 110 yuan apiece."
Xie Shirong, not even bothering to look at the down jacket, exclaimed in surprise:
"They all say you went bankrupt and went back to China. How dare you come to Moscow? Oh my, you're even bolder than I imagined. Aren't you afraid of losing money again and wiping out your life savings?"
He Changyi's smile remained unchanged, and she said in a light voice:
"What's so scary? When I first came to Mosk, I was in a worse situation than I am now, but I still managed to make it. I may not have much money right now, but if I sell all the down jackets and get the insurance payout, I'll have money again, right?"
Xie Shirong clicked his tongue in amazement, looking around at He Changyi.
"You are truly the fiercest woman I have ever met. You are not afraid of death or poverty. I think even if I gave you a broken bowl, you might be able to beg until you become an emperor."
He Changyi accepted it all, taking it as a compliment, and raised his eyebrows, saying:
"Then I'll take your kind words, Uncle Xie."
Xie Shirong said urgently:
"I'm not praising you!"
This young woman may have become poorer, but her skin is even thicker than before!
He Changyi didn't have time to argue with him, and held up the down jacket, asking:
"Uncle Xie, do you want the down jacket or not? If not, I'll go ask other stores. Anyway, my clothes are of good quality and low price, so I'm not worried about selling them."
Xie Shirong hadn't finished speaking, and fearing that He Changyi would really turn around and leave, he hurriedly stepped forward and took the down jacket.
"What's the rush? Let me take a look first. It's a deal worth over ten thousand yuan, there's no reason to just buy it like that..."
He absentmindedly examined the seams of the down jacket, his eyes constantly glancing at He Changyi. Finally, he couldn't help but speak:
"Um, I heard you and Xie Xun are doing business together in Eastern Europe?"
He Changyi readily admitted:
"Yes, it's been like this for a while now, didn't you know?"
Xie Shirong hurriedly said, "Who said I didn't know? I knew a long time ago! That little brat Xie Xun said he would go solo, and I was just about to move from the wholesale market to the new market, which was exactly when I needed manpower. He just snuck away from me and almost messed up my business. Do you think I didn't know?"
He Changyi casually countered:
"You know quite a lot, you even know that it's business in Eastern Europe."
Xie Shirong said, "What don't I know? I'm the one who brought that brat Xie Xun out of his hometown. Otherwise, would he have come to Eros? Back then, his parents hosted a banquet for me for three days before I agreed to bring him out. Otherwise, he would still be doing odd jobs like trading chicken feathers for sugar back in his hometown, and he would still have to respectfully call me 'Third Uncle' when he sees me!"
Xie Shirong went on and on about Xie Xun's past, even recounting how his family used to be so poor that their roof didn't have any tiles.
He Changyi asked in confusion:
"Uncle Xie, why are you telling me all this?"
Xie Shirong was taken aback. He hadn't expected that He Changyi had no intention of joining him in condemning Xie Xun, that ungrateful bastard. Instead, she was wondering why he was saying all this.
"I'm reminding you! I've been so good to Xie Xun. If it weren't for me, he wouldn't be where he is today. But that little brat still ran away without a second thought, showing no regard for my kindness to him. You partnered with him in business, and now you're in big trouble. Aren't you afraid he'll abandon you and take over the business in Eastern Europe for himself?!"
He Changyi lowered his eyes in thought.
Just when Xie Shirong thought his words had worked, He Changyi suddenly asked a completely unrelated question.
"Uncle Xie, when Xie Xun worked for you, how much of his share did he get?"
Xie Shirong was taken aback, and subconsciously said:
"What profit sharing? I'm already being generous by providing him with food and lodging and not asking him for money. Does he, as a mere employee, expect to split the profits with the boss?!"
Upon hearing this, He Changyi then asked:
"No profit sharing? Then how much salary do you pay him?"
Xie Shirong had already realized something was wrong, and forced himself to say:
“I pay him 300... no, 1,000 yuan a month. Even government agencies can't pay that much!”
He Changyi gave a half-smile.
"A salary of one thousand yuan might be considered respectable in China, but in a place like Russia where death is a constant threat, that amount of money is nothing. Uncle Xie, I also have two men working for me. Do you know how much I pay them?"
Xie Shirong asked instinctively, "How much?"
Thirty thousand yuan.
Under Xie Shirong's shocked gaze, He Changyi slowly added:
"Monthly, per person."
Xie Shirong was speechless for a moment, and after a while he said sourly:
"You're so generous, willing to spend so much money on salaries... If everyone were like you, I'd rather go work myself and save some money..."
He Changyi shrugged and said bluntly:
"So that's why Xie Xun wants to go solo. Uncle Xie, Xie Xun has been with you for two years, hasn't he? Isn't that enough time for him to repay your kindness? Even an apprentice will eventually graduate."
She also mentioned that she had previously helped Xie Xun promote his products.
"I was wondering why someone would deliberately offend others, since everyone says harmony brings wealth. Even if you're going to haggle, this isn't the way to do it. Now I understand, it turns out some people don't want Xie Xun to go solo."
Xie Shirong was frustrated, but he couldn't come up with a decent rebuttal, as if he would have to admit that he had indeed mistreated Xie Xun, that little brat.
He Changyi took the sample down jacket from Xie Shirong's hand and said casually:
"You two, uncle and nephew, should settle your own score. I'm too busy to be a judge. Uncle Xie, I don't think you're really interested in buying a down jacket. I have other things to do, so I'll be leaving now."
He Changyi left without hesitation, heading towards the next stall.
Xie Shirong shouted at He Changyi's retreating figure, unwilling to give up:
"Do you think Xie Xun is some kind of good person? We're from the same hometown and we all do business together. Xie Xun is a junior, and he was afraid of taking a small share if he partnered with us, so he approached you... If he didn't have so little money, do you think he would be willing to give up half of his share?! You have shares but no money now, and who knows, Xie Xun might kick you out one day!"
He Changyi wasn't angry; instead, she turned and smiled at Xie Shirong.
"Xie Xun is indeed a master at business. If you hadn't tried to take advantage of his seniority, I wouldn't have found such an excellent business partner. As for kicking me out—to be honest, Xie Xun just recently paid me my share of the profits for this period. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to recover from this so quickly."
Xie Shirong was stunned, he could hardly believe his ears.
Is this still the same ungrateful brat he knew?!
So Xie Xun is cold and ruthless towards his own family, but warm and caring towards beautiful women? How can there be such a person!
He Changyi finished speaking and left, leaving Xie Shirong behind, cursing angrily:
"Xie Xun is an ungrateful wolf cub; sooner or later you'll get bitten by him!"
He Changyi, with his back to Xie Shirong, waved lazily.
"It's okay, I've had a rabies vaccine."
Xie Shirong: ? ? ?
Is this about rabies vaccines?!
Before the bee market closed, He Changyi finally sold the last thousand down jackets.
Although the customer who placed the largest order only ordered 300 pieces, every little bit helps, so let's get it going first.
He Changyi called Grandma Vitalie from a street-side phone booth to tell her that she wouldn't be coming home for dinner that night.
After hanging up the phone, He Changyi turned to look at the man waiting for her outside the phone booth. She tried to hold back, but couldn't.
"Xie Xun, who exactly told you to wear a mink coat?"
Xie Xun was wearing a long, dark blue mink coat, a genuine leather briefcase tucked under his arm, and pointed crocodile leather shoes.
If it weren't for his handsome, clean-cut face, he would look no different from a nouveau riche coal mine owner.
Xie Xun tugged at his mink coat, looking rather smug.
"Everyone dresses like this; it looks impressive and classy. People say that when I wear this out, I look like a boss."
He even enthusiastically offered to buy one for He Changyi as well.
"Changyi, let me give you a ferret coat. The collar will be made from a whole Arctic fox tail, and the whole coat will be snow-white. You'll look beautiful in it."
He Changyi was deeply moved, but then resolutely refused.
Just kidding, wearing this out is practically like having "Come and rob me!" written all over your forehead—a mobile billboard facing all the thieves and robbers in Mosk.
Xie Xun was a little disappointed, but he didn't insist. Instead, he mentioned a Chinese restaurant in Mosk that he had seen in a magazine.
He skillfully flagged down a taxi and, imitating the mannerisms of a foreigner, somewhat awkwardly reached out to invite He Changyi into the car.
This Zhongguo Restaurant was outrageously expensive. When He Changyi looked at the menu, she wondered why those armed "volunteers" didn't rob this restaurant but instead robbed her poor little warehouse.
Having connections is nothing special—having connections is truly remarkable.
Xie Xun now orders food without looking at the prices, enthusiastically ordering all the signature dishes, regardless of whether the two of them can finish it.
He also ordered a bottle of expensive red wine, and when he met He Changyi's gaze, he said frankly:
"I'd heard people say that only rich people drink red wine, but it didn't seem like much to me. But since we're here, let's try everything we should."
He Changyi smiled tolerantly as she watched Xie Xun frantically display his ego in front of her.
After all, when the incident happened, Xie Xun single-handedly took on the business in Eastern Europe, paying Zhang Jin and Chen Yue's salaries out of his own pocket.
Due to the numerous restrictions on remittances from China to other countries, He Changyi entrusted Xie Xun to transfer a portion of her profits from her business in Eastern Europe to her Eurasian client who needed a refund of the prepayment. Xie Xun did so without hesitation and efficiently completed the task.
Most importantly, Xie Xun didn't take advantage of He Changyi's weakness to kick her out and monopolize the Eastern European business.
In fact, even if Xie Xun had done that at the time, He Changyi had no means to stop him at the time, except to retaliate afterward.
He Changyi has also prepared for the worst.
On the contrary, Xie Xun did nothing, which surprised her even more.
He Changyi couldn't help but wonder if she had thought too badly of Xie Xun before.
Xie Xun is actually a good kid, isn't he?
Therefore, when facing Xie Xun, who had specially come back from Eastern Europe to see her, He Changyi always felt a subtle sense of guilt.
She couldn't even bring herself to criticize his incredibly ugly nouveau riche outfit.
If the person opposite him were Alexei, He Changyi could come up with at least 180 ingenious metaphors that would absolutely make him furious on the spot.
The food at Zhongguo Restaurant has been modified to suit the tastes of the Koreans, making it more sour and salty, and not as delicious as restaurants in China.
But today wasn't originally for the purpose of eating.
He Changyi put down his chopsticks and listened to Xie Xun talk with great interest about the fugitive royal descendants and Bai E nobles he encountered in Eastern Europe, as well as the crowns and jewels that these people were selling, the authenticity of which was unknown.
“That is indeed a beautiful crown, Changyi. If you wore it, you would look like a princess in a fairy tale.”
As he spoke, Xie Xun reached into his purse, as if to take something out.
He Changyi, oblivious to this scene, lazily remarked:
"That's not necessarily true. Fairy tale princesses are all waiting for princes, but I only want to usurp the throne and become queen."
She said wistfully, "I've heard that the Queen of the Sunset Empire has the world's largest diamond set in her scepter, as big as a goose egg. I don't think any princess's crown could be set with such a huge diamond."
Xie Xun: ...
Xie Xun silently withdrew his hand.
The meal was enjoyed by both host and guests. As it drew to a close, Xie Xun suddenly made a heartfelt suggestion to He Changyi:
"Changyi, come to Eastern Europe! If we join forces, the entire market will be ours!"
-----------------------
Author's note: Xie Xun (pondering): Was she implying that the diamond on my crown was too small?
He Changyi (longing): Ah, I want to be the emperor!
—The so-called "talking past each other like chickens and ducks"
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