The next day, Jiang Zhuo planned to stay home and keep Qiu Xianzhi company, while Uncle Zhong handled the phone matter.
They had just finished eating when the doorbell rang. Aunt Zhong came in with two men in suits behind her, each carrying two paper bags.
Qiu Xianzhi: “Go upstairs and play for a bit. You can use the computer in my study. The password is…”
Jiang Zhuo nodded obediently, turned off the TV, and went upstairs.
The villa resort’s Property Management staff came up wearing ingratiating smiles, bowing and scraping to Qiu Xianzhi the moment they entered. They set the paper bags on the floor. “I came specially to apologize for the fright your family suffered yesterday. It’s all because of our poor management that a snake got in.”
It really was their fault. In a place like this, never mind snakes, there shouldn’t even be rats or cockroaches. If even a stray cat showed up once in a while, it was supposed to be caught and removed.
“Please don’t worry, it won’t happen again. No, no, no, there won’t be a next time. We’ve added more security guards and cleaners. We guarantee every corner and every patch of lawn will be cleaned twice a day. Even if there isn’t any trash, the cleaners will still make a round of the lawns. Also, anywhere with Living Water flowing in, we’ll put up fine mesh.” Property Management dabbed sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief. His whole body trembled, his head bowed, his eyes fixed on the tops of his own shoes, not daring to glance around.
Qiu Xianzhi lifted a hand toward Aunt Zhong, and she understood instantly. Politely, she moved to see Property Management out. Property Management also understood Qiu Xianzhi’s attitude at once, and immediately picked up the paper bags the two men had brought. From inside, he took out a carton of cigarettes, then stacks of cash packed neatly in paper boxes.
Property Management set the cigarettes and cash in front of Qiu Xianzhi. “Just a small token of goodwill. Please take the cigarettes to smoke. School is about to start, so use this to buy your younger brother a new schoolbag.”
Qiu Xianzhi did not even glance at the cash on the floor. He pulled out his own cigarette case from his pocket. The moment the cigarette touched his lips, a flame was already there to light it for him.
Property Management: “Please be merciful. That area is right on the far edge. There aren’t any houses over there, and nobody goes there, so it was hard for me not to overlook it.”
Qiu Xianzhi took two drags from his cigarette and shifted into a different position, leaning sideways against the sofa. “Oh? So you’re blaming my younger brother for going there to play and causing you trouble.
As he said this, Qiu Xianzhi arched a brow at Property Management. He had even stressed the word “oh.” Anyone who wasn’t an idiot could hear that Qiu Xianzhi was questioning him.
Property Management: “No, no, no, that isn’t what I meant.、
Before Qiu Xianzhi had even spoken, Property Management was already scared. The moment Qiu Xianzhi did speak, the pressure of his presence crushed him so thoroughly he no longer dared open his mouth.
Qiu Xianzhi: “Then you think my family is short of these few stacks of cash from you.”
Property Management was so frightened he waved both hands again and again, his mouth stammering, “N-no, no, no, I…I came to comfort, comfort your younger brother.”,
Qiu Xianzhi: “The fright my younger brother suffered, this little bit of money isn’t enough. No amount of money would be enough.”
Qiu Xianzhi’s tone suddenly turned sharp, leaving no room for anyone else to say another word: “Aunt Zhong, see them out.”
Property Management knew that if he stayed any longer, he would only be thrown out directly. He might as well leave on his own with the money, and just hope things would go more smoothly at the other house.
As soon as Property Management stepped outside, he ran into the Ye Family, all four of them. In an instant, he knew there was no chance on either side. His heart filled with regret. In frustration, he flung the bags onto the ground. If he had known it would turn out like this, he never should have been greedy. He had thought skipping one round of killing snakes, insects, rats, and pests would be fine, that it wouldn’t matter whether the Living Water Area over there was managed or not.
The person who had come along with him patted Property Management on the shoulder. The two of them were relatives, so of course he knew the problem this time came from skimming money from the pest control budget, which was why the snake had gotten in. But the snake had actually entered through the drainage pipes, and there was even a shed snakeskin inside.
The Ye family had all come to thank Jiang Zhuo.