“Looks like you’re still too idle.”
Zhou Jinyuan ignored him after saying that and turned to walk out.
Fang Man quickly followed behind him and said with a grin, “Brother Yuan, since you’ve got that connection, why not sell some expensive equipment? How much money can you make selling gloves?”
Zhou Jinyuan did not respond.
Fang Man looked at his back and sighed inwardly.
He understood it all too well. In this world, the hardest debt to repay was a debt of favors.
These past few days, Zhou Jinyuan had been very busy, leaving early and returning late every day.
Lin Wangxi, staying home alone, had basically learned everything she needed.
She knew how to use the stove, how to use the washing machine, and when she had nothing to do, she would even tidy up the apartment.
Though there was not much to tidy.
Her greatest achievement was probably that she had made many little animals.
She had even created an online account. Originally, she wanted to list them for sale online, but the videos she posted got no traffic, and nobody bought anything.
Lin Wangxi thought she might as well go out and sell them in person.
So, early that morning, after Zhou Jinyuan left, she went out right after him.
Carrying the toys she had made, she arrived at the busiest part of the urban village.
She spread the items out on the ground and then started playing on her phone.
There were many people, but very few buyers.
Some asked the price, and the moment they heard fifty yuan, they turned around and left.
With no choice, she gritted her teeth and lowered the price to thirty yuan.
After an entire day, she successfully sold two and earned sixty yuan.
In the past, if sixty yuan had fallen on the ground, she probably would not even have bothered picking it up.
But now, seeing the extra sixty yuan in her phone balance, she felt especially happy.
After all, she had earned it through her own ability. It felt very rewarding.
Still, she had only sold those two. The remaining five had not sold at all.
Looking at the sky, it was already past ten at night. Lin Wangxi prepared to pack up and go home.
Suddenly, an auntie stood in front of her and looked her over.
Lin Wangxi quickly said, “Auntie, would you like to buy a toy?”
The auntie shook her head, still looking at her with that pitying expression.
Lin Wangxi was baffled.
Before she could speak, the auntie took out fifty yuan from her pocket and placed it on the ground by her stall.
“Poor child. Your leg is crippled and you still have to come out to set up a stall. Go home early, alright?”
Lin Wangxi froze.
“No, Auntie, you misunderstood…”
The auntie gave her a kind smile, turned, and left without taking a single cloud with her.
Lin Wangxi picked up the fifty yuan on the ground, deeply moved.
There really were many kind people in this world.
“At such an old age, still setting up a stall. So pitiful. Go home early.”
Not far away came the familiar voice of the auntie again. Lin Wangxi turned to look and found an elderly woman selling vegetables five meters away.
Just like before, the auntie gave fifty yuan to that old woman as well.
Lin Wangxi sighed again. That auntie truly was a kindhearted person.
But the old woman did not react at all. It was as if she had not seen the auntie. She did not even say thank you.
Lin Wangxi frowned, feeling the old woman was a little rude.
Forget it. Better not meddle in other people’s affairs. What if a brick fell from the sky and killed her later?
She quietly began packing up her stall.
After gathering everything, she was just about to leave.
Someone suddenly approached again.
“Hello…”
Lin Wangxi looked up. It was a woman in her thirties, looking at her apologetically.
“What is it? Do you want to buy a toy?” Lin Wangxi asked.
The woman smiled awkwardly. “No, um… did an auntie just give you fifty yuan?”
“Yes.”
“I’m really sorry. That was my mother-in-law. She has some mental issues. Every time she goes out, she gives money away everywhere. Could you possibly…”
The woman rubbed her hands together and looked at her guiltily.
“…”
Lin Wangxi still returned the fifty yuan to her.
Then she watched helplessly as the woman walked over to the vegetable-selling old woman nearby.
She did not even need to say anything. The old woman simply picked up the fifty yuan from her stall and handed it back to the woman.
Her movements were smooth and practiced. Clearly, this was not the first time it had happened.
The woman apologized while taking the money, then moved on to the next stall.
Lin Wangxi stood there on her crutch, a mess in the wind.
On the first day of setting up a stall, that auntie had taught her a lesson.
As expected, one should never be too shallow in judging people.
When Zhou Jinyuan returned, it was almost midnight.
He pushed open the door and habitually looked toward the sofa, but no one was there.
These past few days, whenever he came home, Lin Wangxi was almost always either sitting or lying on the sofa.
But today, there was no sign of her.
He subconsciously looked toward the bedroom. The bedroom door was open as well.
Zhou Jinyuan paused, then walked to the bedroom doorway.
It was empty inside.
The bathroom was empty too.
As if realizing something, he slowly let out a breath.
Tired, he walked to the sofa and sat down.
He stared at the bedroom diagonally across from him and fell into silence.
It was better if she had left.
Zhou Jinyuan closed his eyes and leaned back against the sofa, letting the cold night wrap around him.
The next second, his phone rang.
Zhou Jinyuan opened his eyes and picked it up.
When he saw the caller ID, he froze slightly.
It was Lin Wangxi.
He answered the call, and the woman’s anxious voice came through.
“Zhou Jinyuan, are you back yet? I’m stuck! Come save me!”
…
Five minutes later.
Zhou Jinyuan arrived downstairs beside the greenbelt on the left.
Lin Wangxi was sitting on the ground. Her good leg was stuck in the gap beside a shifted manhole cover.
Zhou Jinyuan’s expression turned a little strange.
Seeing him was like seeing a savior.
“Zhou Jinyuan, hurry up and help me! I can’t get out!”
Zhou Jinyuan twitched the corner of his mouth.
He stepped forward, bent down, and lifted the manhole cover.
Lin Wangxi pulled her leg out.
She finally let out a sigh of relief and rubbed her ankle.
“Great, I’m finally out!”
“…How did you get stuck in there?”
“I don’t have a key, and you weren’t coming back, so I came downstairs to walk around.”
Lin Wangxi stood up, leaned on her crutch, and demonstrated for him on the spot.
“I was just walking like this, back and forth. It was too dark, I didn’t see it, so I…”
As she spoke, she stuck her leg into the gap of the manhole cover to show him exactly how she had gotten stuck.
“Like this. I got stuck and couldn’t get out.”
Zhou Jinyuan silently looked at her.
Lin Wangxi blinked and suddenly felt something was wrong.
She looked down and tried to pull her foot back out.
Well then.
She had gotten stuck again.
…
…
Lin Wangxi laughed awkwardly.
“Yes… exactly like that.”
Zhou Jinyuan looked at her not-too-bright appearance and tugged the corner of his mouth.
Helplessly, he bent down and lifted the manhole cover again.
Lin Wangxi pulled her leg out and coughed lightly, forcefully trying to save face.
“I was afraid you wouldn’t understand, so I demonstrated it for you! In case you get stuck next time too!”
Zhou Jinyuan stared at her without blinking.
The late autumn wind carried a chill, rustling the bushes in the greenbelt.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
Zhou Jinyuan withdrew his gaze and looked at her ankle.
“Does it hurt?”
“What?”
Zhou Jinyuan crouched down and lifted her pant leg, revealing a ring of red marks around her ankle.
Fortunately, the skin was not broken.
Lin Wangxi herself had not even noticed it and did not feel pain.
“It doesn’t hurt.”
Zhou Jinyuan turned around and presented his back to her.
“Get on.”
Lin Wangxi responded with an “oh,” obediently climbed onto his back, and wrapped her arms around his neck.