Chapter 91: While chatting and laughing, I got a house
On the 16th day of the first lunar month after the Lantern Festival, Master and his wife finally returned home.
I was overjoyed and called Linghu, who installed the surveillance camera, and asked him to come to Youranju in half an hour to remove it. Then I went to the high-speed rail station to pick them up.
Along the way, I reported on the family affairs of the past month or so. Master simply nodded, without commenting.
My wife praised me highly and summarized me in four words: "loyal and reliable."
When I got home, I received two more compliments. One was that Linghu came to retrieve the surveillance footage, which showed that my master was only using it to prevent theft. Once he returned, the thing would be useless. He didn't want to rely on these deceptive tricks to predict the fortune.
Second, my wife just stepped onto the second-floor balcony and exclaimed, "You've taken such good care of my flowers. They're even more energetic than when I left."
Then, the neighbors all flocked to Youranju. I made tea, and my wife spread out the candy. Aunt Chen also came and helped cut the fruit. The house was filled with happy laughter.
Suddenly, a strange call came in, and a burst of laughter came from the other end.
I walked out of the yard and wanted to hang up. There are a lot of scammers nowadays. They don’t do it themselves, but hire some women with nice voices to act as front runners.
But, based on my experience, this laughter wasn't from the "front girl" hired by the scammers. Her laughter was bright and clear, like the fluttering sound of a flock of geese flying across a clear sky.
I could only smile and ask, "You are..."
"Didn't President Song ask you to come to me and get a form?"
I blurted out: "Xi Ruoqin!"
She said: "We added each other on WeChat and even met in person."
I scratched my head: Add WeChat, we've met, the young voice suddenly shouted:
"A beautiful police officer from the Public Security Bureau, whose online nickname is 'Plain Hands Playing the Qin'."
She laughed even more widely. Then she said, "Go to a deserted corner and calm down. I'm about to tell you some important good news."
"Caught?"
"Well, our criminal investigation team just arrested someone in Shanxi and immediately reported back. I've written a press release and sent it to the leadership for review. It's about to be released to the public. I thought I'd tell you first. Thank you on your behalf."
My heartbeat immediately quickened, and I quickly said, "Thank you for your hard work in ensuring the safety of the people."
After hanging up the phone, I silently recited Master's teachings—to remain calm in the face of adversity—so I walked into the living room with a calm expression and helped Aunt Chen clean up the melon and fruit shells left over by the neighbors.
I guess after Xi Ruoqin finished speaking, she published the news on their website.
As expected, my brother-in-law called me right away and said, "Shanhong, I calculated that you bought a lottery ticket today and won a hundred thousand yuan."
I laughed out loud when I heard this: "Mr. Gao Xu, you can open a shop and collect money now. Your calculations are quite accurate."
I turned on my phone and received a message from Xi Ruoqin (playing the piano with bare hands).
"Zheng Jiaqi, the suspect in the Dengjia Town murder case in our city, was arrested"
After the Dengjia Town murder occurred, our bureau quickly identified the suspect after a citizen provided important clues... At 9:00 this morning, the suspect was successfully apprehended. Our bureau will offer a 100,000 yuan reward to Comrade Wan XX, the citizen who provided the important clue...
I just finished reading it, and my phone started ringing like last time. Then the neighbors came to Youranju again,
My master was delighted and said, "Shanhong, call Brother Shi to come over and prepare a celebratory drink."
After I finished calling Brother Shi, I called my mother and told her that I would have lunch at Master's house.
My mother naturally also knew the good news and said:
"One hundred thousand yuan, you have a better chance of buying a house."
My mother's words reminded me, yes, with an extra 100,000 yuan, I'm more confident. I'm going to talk to Master about this after dinner.
The lunch was sumptuous. It was to welcome Master and his wife home, and to celebrate my commendation by the Public Security Bureau. The two themes connected, and Master was delighted. He drank a few more glasses and was in high spirits.
After dinner, he moved to the study to talk to me.
The idea of buying a house shouldn't be broached rashly; one must look for opportunities. So, I slowly steered the conversation back to myself. I mentioned my plans to join the Prose Society and visit President Song.
The master said, "President Song is a good person. He is an atheist."
I smiled and said, "Yes. He doesn't believe it, but my whole family does, especially my mother and my sister. Whatever you say is an imperial decree."
The master nodded and asked, "Happy Spring Festival, family."
I hesitated for a moment and said, "Life is pretty good."
What a shrewd man the master is! He understood the meaning of my words and asked:
"What's the matter? Are the old people missing home?"
I frowned and said, "Homesickness isn't a big deal. My parents have integrated into city life now. They go to the park to practice Tai Chi every day. The main reason is that I have some minor conflicts with my sister. Maybe it's the generation gap. So, I plan to buy an apartment and let my parents live with me."
The master asked in surprise, "You're buying a suite?"
I nodded. "A second-hand house is fine. Otherwise, I'm afraid my mother will go back to her hometown to live there. And I'll be known as an unfilial person."
The master nodded, uttered a few "ohs," and stopped talking. He stood up and walked out of the room. I was so scared that I didn't dare to move for a long time. How could I tell the master such trivial things? It would make him unhappy.
About ten minutes later, he came in again and said to me, "Pack up! President Deng called and wants to pay New Year's greetings."
I wiped the tables and chairs again, lit Indian incense, made some tea, and asked Aunt Chen for some fruit and cakes she brought back from Shenzhen, and arranged them one by one.
Suddenly, I heard a horn outside and hurried out. Master was already at the gate welcoming Mr. Deng. Mr. Deng got out of the car, clasped his fists, and said with a smile, "Happy New Year."
The master said, "Please come in and take a seat. It is never too late for you to come."
I walked up to him and said with a smile, "Mr. Deng, I wish you a happy new year."
"Let's have fun together." He said as he took his master's hand and walked into the yard.
I was about to enter the house when Mr. Deng's driver waved at me and I went over to help him move his things. After he finished, the driver said, "I'll come pick him up later."
When I went in, the two of them were chatting, and Aunt Chen had already poured tea and handed out cigarettes.
The master was talking about some interesting things that happened during his stay in Shenzhen, and Mr. Deng listened with great interest.
About ten minutes later, the master's wife came in. She said to Mr. Deng, "For a big boss like you to wear a 300-yuan belt every day, how can that be good? I picked out a good one for you."
President Deng was taken aback and asked, "Are you giving me a gift?"
The Master's wife scowled, "It's not a gift. What do you need? You don't need anything. I'm just a token of my appreciation."
Mr. Deng quickly said, "Okay, okay, I'll appreciate your kindness on the spot." After that, such a big boss actually changed his belt in front of me.
When he was done changing, he kept saying, "Great. Great."
Master's wife said to me, "Shanhong, your master doesn't take care of finances, so this little money is a token of respect."
She put a plastic bag on the table with the bills wrapped in newspaper inside.
"My goodness, if it's a hundred yuan, it's hundreds of thousands."
I waved my hands and said, "I can't afford it, I can't afford it. If you give me 500 yuan in red envelopes, I won't accept it."
The master's wife scowled: "Here, fifty thousand a year for four years. You're old enough now, and you want to find a partner. Without a house or a car, who would come into your house?"
I was about to say something when Mr. Deng said, "Shanhong, take it. Back then, I was broke and my master gave me 100,000 yuan. Why wouldn't I accept it? You can pay me back double later."
After saying this, he made a phone call and said, "Xiao Liming, come to Youranju immediately. Hurry up."
I picked up the bag, chased him to the backyard, and said, "Master's wife, I really..."
The teacher's wife stared at me with her eyes wide open. It was the first time I saw her so frightening. She said, "Do you think I'm joking or just pretending?
I shook my head: "I don't dare to think like that."
I said, “That’s too much…”
She waved her hand. "Why are you so disobedient? How many times do I have to tell you? Send the money back and come back later. Your master has something to tell you."
I drove as fast as I could, got out of the car, and went up to the second floor. My mother was watching TV, so I said, "Let's go to your room and talk about something."
She followed me into her bedroom. I took a breath and said, "Please keep this money for me. Don't tell my sister. I have something else to do."
She grabbed me and asked, "Bonus?"
I said, “…Um, yes, bonus.”
When I arrived at Youranju again, Master and Mr. Deng were chatting animatedly. I pulled my foot back. Mr. Deng smiled and said, "It's nothing secret. Xiao Liming will be out soon after using the bathroom."
After Xiao Liming came out, President Deng said, "From the second phase of completed housing, you can give Shanhong whichever one he likes. It's half price. You should take the initiative to contact Shanhong to see when he's free. He's always hanging around Master, so you can't just tell him to leave."
My grandparents. I used to think there was no such thing as a free lunch, but now there is indeed a half-price lunch. I practically kneel down to Master and Mr. Deng.
The master said, "Go home early and tell your mother the good news."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
