The moment Lin Qiqi approached, the smile on Lin Zhengxian’s face deepened.
“Qiqi, you missed your dad, didn’t you?” He lifted what he was holding even higher. “Look what I brought for you and your mom.”
“Let me in. Let’s have a family reunion meal.”
But Lin Qiqi’s face was ice-cold.
“Lin Zhengxian, you and my mom are already divorced. Your household registration has been moved out, and you even wrote a guarantee letter cutting ties with me.”
“So what are you doing here now?”
“Leave. You’re not welcome here!”
This time, Lin Zhengxian didn’t shout. His expression fell, and he actually looked somewhat regretful.
“Qiqi, I was wrong. I was blinded at the time.”
“Can you and your mom forgive me?”
“No matter what, I’m still your father!”
“Yunling! I’m Qiqi’s father!”
“Forgive you?” Lin Qiqi repeated.
A smile appeared on her face. “Sure.”
Lin Zhengxian’s heart instantly lifted.
He knew it—his wife and daughter were soft-hearted. As long as he admitted his mistake, they would take him back.
Now that he had no job, he could stay with Yunling and Qiqi for the time being.
Once he found a way to get money, he could bring Shuilian over.
He turned sideways, about to squeeze into the courtyard, when the gate was suddenly pulled open.
Lin Qiqi’s voice rang out again.
“My mom lost a leg because of you. If you cut off one of your own, then we’ll forgive you.”
Before she even finished speaking, she raised a broom and jabbed it straight into Lin Zhengxian’s face.
The bamboo broom was full of stiff twigs and barbs, stabbing painfully.
Some strikes hit his mouth, others nearly poked his eyes.
Lin Zhengxian had to shield himself with his hands and retreat, but his heel caught on something, and he fell flat onto the ground.
From walking out, it turned into scrambling and crawling away.
He kept mumbling something.
Lin Qiqi only caught words like “wrong.”
She didn’t care, nor did she want to listen.
Driving him out with the broom, she noticed the rolled-up bedding by the alley.
She immediately understood why Lin Zhengxian had come.
Her report must have worked—this scumbag had been fired from the factory.
Serves him right!
In her satisfaction, she swung even harder, making Lin Zhengxian howl in pain.
Seeing she had no intention of going easy on him, his pleading turned into wailing.
“Stop hitting! Stop hitting! I’ll leave!”
“I’ll go, alright?!”
Only then did Lin Qiqi lower the broom, looking down at him coldly.
“If you come again, it won’t just be a broom.”
With that, she turned back, slammed the courtyard gate shut with a loud bang, and bolted it.
No one knew what Lin Qiqi said to Aunt Zhang, but Aunt Zhang burst into hearty laughter.
Amid her laughter, she shouted toward Lin Zhengxian, “Get lost!”
After all the commotion, the sky had completely darkened.
Lin Zhengxian sat on the ground for a while, his whole body aching. That girl hadn’t held back at all.
He didn’t dare cause trouble again. He spat toward the courtyard gate, picked up his bedding, and prepared to leave.
Even if he wanted to return to the countryside now, he couldn’t—the last long-distance bus had already stopped running.
After being treated like this by Jiang Yunling and Lin Qiqi, Lin Zhengxian only wanted to vent his anger by spending that 2,000 yuan.
If he couldn’t enter the courtyard, then he would go stay at a state-run hotel.
As he walked, a bicycle bell rang behind him.
He stepped aside, but the bicycle stopped beside him.
“Well, well, Brother Lin.”
The man was Pan Zhonghua, a well-known loafer in the alley.
He wandered the streets all day with no proper job.
Respectable people in the residential compound didn’t associate with him, but Lin Zhengxian had once gotten along with him.
“Pa… Pan?”
Pan Zhonghua had heard about the situation in the courtyard. Seeing Lin Zhengxian carrying bedding, he more or less understood what had happened.
Though he lived idly, he was smooth-talking and tactful, deliberately not exposing anything.
“Brother, long time no see. How about coming to my place tonight? Let’s catch up.”
Catching up was just an excuse—he had his eye on the chicken Lin Zhengxian was carrying.
With nowhere else to go, Lin Zhengxian agreed, and the two went to Pan Zhonghua’s house.
They slaughtered the chicken and got two bottles of liquor.
After a couple of drinks, Lin Zhengxian spilled everything about being fired for taking Jiang Yunling’s 2,000 yuan.
Pan Zhonghua had only wanted a meal, but after hearing this, his mind began to turn.
“Brother Lin, did you see my bicycle?”
Lin Zhengxian, having not eaten all day and already tipsy, slurred, “I… I was about to ask you…”
“Where did you get that bicycle?”
“You got rich and didn’t even bring your brother along.”
Pan Zhonghua leaned close and whispered, “I’ve been working as a middleman lately.”
“That’s illegal!” Lin Zhengxian still retained a bit of awareness.
He remembered the past crackdowns—many middlemen had been executed.
“What are you afraid of?” Pan Zhonghua raised his glass. “The country has already loosened up.”
“Look at me—I’m doing just fine.”
“With the capital you have, if you get into it, you’ll earn way more than I do.”
“Just one deal, and your money could double.”
“When that happens, forget this shabby compound—you could easily buy an apartment in the city!”
“Really?” Lin Zhengxian was tempted.
“I’ve got the capital—but what would I trade?”
Pan Zhonghua leaned in even closer, speaking mysteriously.
“If you want in, I’ve got a connection I can introduce you to.”
“If it works out, you give me… this amount. How about it?”
He held up two fingers.
“Two yuan?” Lin Zhengxian guessed.
“Oh come on, brother—it’s forty yuan.”
“Forty?!” Lin Zhengxian was shocked. That was several months of his wages. He waved his hands. “No, that’s too expensive.”
“Brother Lin, in business, you have to be willing to invest. My connection can turn your 2,000 into 4,000.”
“What’s forty yuan compared to that?”
“For a city apartment?”
Lin Zhengxian gritted his teeth. “For an apartment… fine. I’ll pay it. Tell me.”
Seeing he was hooked, Pan Zhonghua smiled.
His “middleman” business was all about selling information—no capital required.
He specialized in offloading unsellable goods onto gullible buyers.
If the deal succeeded, he took a cut from both sides and skimmed profit from the price.
As for whether the buyer could resell the goods—that had nothing to do with him.
“You know the aluminum factory next to your plant was converted into a stainless steel factory, right?”
Lin Zhengxian nodded.
“There’s still a batch of aluminum lunch boxes left. I can negotiate for you to buy them at the ration price—but without needing coupons.”
“These lunch boxes are in high demand. Who doesn’t have a couple at home?”
“Not to mention, train meals are packed in these now—they’re in short supply.”
“Once you buy them, just double the price slightly, and your 2,000 becomes 4,000.”
“Buying with all 2,000… isn’t that too much? What if I can’t sell them?” Lin Zhengxian hesitated. “Maybe I should just spend 1,000 first.”
Pan Zhonghua refilled his glass.
“Brother Lin, business is about boldness and carefulness.”
“Opportunities can disappear in the blink of an eye.”
“The bigger the risk, the bigger the reward.”
“Trust me—you won’t go wrong.”
Lin Zhengxian was completely persuaded. He shut his eyes, gritted his teeth.
“Alright! I’m in.”