The phone kept ringing. I finally put it down, which was being held up in the wind, and looked at the caller ID. It was an unfamiliar number from Dali. I answered it.
The other person said to me in broken Mandarin, "Are you Michael?"
"Um, who are you?"
"I'm Xiao Song's friend..."
I was trying to figure out which Xiao Song it was, and then it dawned on me that it was the same Xiao Song I had worked with last year when I opened my guesthouse, the one who did car rental business. I hadn't been in touch with him much lately, so I didn't immediately recognize him.
I smiled and replied, "What's up, bro?"
"Xiao Song said you've acquired quite a few shops in Jiulongju... I'm in the renovation business and have my own renovation team. If you have any renovation work, could you share some with our team?... We're a very meticulous renovation team, and we have a great reputation in Dali."
I smiled wryly: "Brother, if I really had work to share with you, I would definitely meet with you to talk about it... But the problem is, things at Jiulongju are still very uncertain."
"No way, Xiao Song said you've been preparing for this for a while now."
I couldn't quite describe the feeling in my heart, but I still patiently replied, "We've been preparing for a while... but things haven't gone very smoothly, so we haven't been able to secure any shops yet."
The other party remained silent, probably because they were also disappointed.
After a short while, he seemed to remember something and said to me, "By the way, I renovated a villa in Haidong last year. I talked to the owner who bought the villa. He also bought three shops in Jiulongju, saying they've been sitting idle... Why don't I talk to him for you? He trusts me a lot. I renovated the villa for him, and he didn't complain at all. When it came time to settle the payment, he even treated all the guys in our renovation team to a meal."
"That's great!" After a slight pause, I added, "But brother, I won't be paying rent to the landlords for the first year... You know what the business is like in Jiulongju. If we don't attract these businesses by waiving rent, the area definitely won't get any attention..."
“I understand…I understand. Xiao Song told me about your thoughts…When that boss talked to me about Jiulongju, he also felt that he had overpaid…He said that the owners in Jiulongju were not united and were all greedy for the short-term rent, which ultimately made the entire commercial street deserted…I think he is quite open-minded to say such a thing.”
I immediately perked up and said, "If he really thinks that way, then there's hope... If you can really help me get this done, then I'll truly be indebted to you!"
The other party laughed and said, "It's not really... Xiao Song said you're quite righteous. When the inn went bankrupt, you didn't let him suffer any losses. You're a genuine businessman, so helping you is also helping myself... In the future, if you really make Jiulongju a success, just remember to give our renovation team more work."
"Definitely...then I'll wait for your news."
...
After ending the call, I immediately felt half the burden in my heart lighten. I'm glad I have this attitude towards people that I've always stuck to; although most of the people I've met are from the working class, they sometimes bring me genuine surprises.
I closed my eyes again and finally felt a touch of warmth in the wind.
I let out a long sigh of relief, drove to the nearest stationery store, and bought 10,000 yuan worth of stationery supplies, which I then handed over to the old man who guarded the store.
I told the old man that I would come again, and next time I would bring the children something even better.
The old man asked me my name, but I didn't tell him...
Like Wang Lei, as long as these children can live in the sunshine, what I have given and what I have gained are secondary.
...
When I got home, it was already nine o'clock at night. After chatting with Lao Mi and my mom for a while, I started packing my luggage. I plan to leave for Dali tomorrow. If that guy can really help me negotiate those three shops, then to avoid any unforeseen problems, I definitely have to sign the contract with the owner as soon as possible. Anyway, I don't dare to waste any more time at home.
Not long after I finished packing, Old Mi knocked on the door, saying he wanted to talk to me.
He rarely offered me a cigarette, and then asked, "Leaving tomorrow?"
"Yes, something urgent needs to be taken care of over there..."
"I thought you could stay for three or four days."
I didn't say anything, just silently took a drag of my cigarette, but the guilt in my heart was more real than the smoke I exhaled. But that's how people are sometimes; they always have to choose between career and family.
Old Mi sensed my emotions. He smiled, patted my shoulder, and said, "Do a good job over there. Don't be careless like you used to be."
"I will do my best."
Old Mi looked at me, then took out a bank card from his pocket and handed it to me, saying, "This card was prepared last year... There's 150,000 yuan in it. I originally planned to give it to you to make a down payment on a house in Shanghai... It's the same now... Once you've settled down in Dali, that's all your mother and I can do to help. You'll have to put in the effort yourself when it comes to buying the house."
"How could I possibly take your retirement money!"
Old Mi handed it to me again and said, "I still have a retirement pension, so I'm not afraid."
"I really can't accept this... Dad, please take it back... I've felt so ashamed these past few years!"
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