Chapter 24 - Boss Xu gives away a car

Zeng Cuicui finished cutting and washing Xiao Jiu's hair. Liu Heping asked how much it cost. The girl said it was two yuan. Liu Heping took out a ten-yuan note and said, "Keep the change," adding that he would come to the town to hang out with her next time. Zeng Cuicui happily agreed. Xiao Jiu shook his head, feeling that the girl was so easily taken in. In Xiao Jiu's opinion, if his elder brother beckoned again, she would probably follow him home right away. The girl even stood at the door and waved goodbye to Liu Heping. The two crossed the railway and came to the other side, where they set their eyes on three storefronts by the roadside. They thought the location was quite good, being close to the main road with people coming and going, making it an ideal place for doing business. They found the landlord and inquired about the price. The landlord asked for 300 yuan for one storefront and 900 yuan for three. The price the landlord asked for was rather high. At that time, a worker's salary was only a little over 100 yuan, which meant it was equivalent to the salaries of eight workers. At such a high price in a rural town, it was difficult to rent out. No wonder this excellent storefront hadn't been rented yet; it was because the price was too high. Liu Heping began to bargain, saying he would pay 700 yuan for a year's rent. He added that this would save the landlord the trouble of coming to collect the rent every month, and since he was paying the rent in a lump sum, there should be some discount. Otherwise, who would rent the place at such a high price? The landlord thought about it and agreed. After all, the house had been vacant for half a year, and not renting it out would result in significant losses. Now, having a boss with such financial strength paying a year's rent in one go, renting it out for 700 yuan was not a bad deal. Liu Heping paid a deposit of 500 yuan and said he would come to sign the contract the next day. The landlord said there was no need to be so troublesome. Liu Heping insisted that it was necessary because he was renting the place for five years. If they didn't sign a contract and the landlord raised the rent once he saw that Liu Heping was making money, Liu Heping would suffer a great loss. The landlord said, "Don't worry. I'm not that kind of person. If you want to sign a contract, then go ahead. Renting it to someone as capable as you gives me peace of mind and saves me a lot of trouble." They reached an agreement, and the landlord handed the keys to Liu Heping, saying that the house was a bit dirty and he could hire someone to clean it up first. Now that the house was rented, the two of them headed back home. Xiao Jiu asked his elder brother what kind of business he wanted to run. Liu Heping said opening a restaurant was out of the question because it was too tiring and wouldn't earn much money. Since the three storefronts were connected, it would be better to open a large store. Xiao Jiu also thought it was a good idea, as he would have free things to eat in the future. The two brothers made this decision happily. When they got home and saw that their mother hadn't returned, they felt relieved. Liu Heping urged Xiao Jiu to finish his homework quickly, saying that if their mother came back and checked, they would both be in trouble. Xiao Jiu said, "Brother, why don't you do it for me? I'll give you more money later." Liu Heping smiled and said, "I'd like to, but our handwriting is different. Mom will notice it right away, and then we'll both be in trouble. You'd better do it honestly yourself. Don't drag me into everything. I've taken the blame for you enough already. If you can handle the task, don't implicate me." Xiao Jiu had no choice but to finish writing the characters honestly. Not long after he finished, his mother came back. Seeing that both brothers were at home, she even gave them a compliment, saying, "You two brothers are honest. If I came back and you weren't home, I'd treat you to 'bamboo stir-fried with meat' tonight." Both brothers wiped their foreheads, which didn't have any sweat, and thought to themselves that it was a good thing they had come back quickly. If they had been caught, their mother would have enforced the family rules again. Zeng Wenxiu then checked Xiao Jiu's schoolwork. Seeing that the characters were all written, she said, "Not bad. Your handwriting is getting better and showing progress." Xiao Jiu looked at his own handwriting, which was as messy as earthworms, and he himself could hardly stand it. But his mother said it was good and showed progress. Xiao Jiu didn't know which eye his mother was using to see that. Zeng Wenxiu hadn't even finished the second grade of primary school, so how could she know what good handwriting was? As long as Xiao Jiu had written something, she thought it was good. Xiao Jiu was too lazy to expose his mother. Otherwise, if his mother became angry from embarrassment, he would suffer again. Anyway, Xiao Jiu was used to it. He thought that being beaten and scolded meant being loved, and the more he was beaten, the more he was loved. This was how Xiao Jiu and his elder brother had endured over the years. Otherwise, his elder brother wouldn't have stayed away from home for two years, fearing his mother's method of "raising a filial son through the rod." His elder brother had been very fierce when fighting outside since he was a child, but as soon as he came home, he became timid and let his mother do whatever she wanted to him. The next day, his mother said she was going to his aunt's house and would drop by to see his second brother. Xiao Jiu was a bit speechless. It had only been two months, and she already missed her son. If that was the case, why did she give his second brother to his aunt in the first place? Xiao Jiu just thought about it in his heart and didn't dare to say it out loud. Otherwise, he would definitely get a beating. Before leaving, she warned the two brothers not to do anything reckless and to stay at home honestly, adding that they knew what the consequences would be if they didn't. Both of them obediently agreed. As soon as their mother left with her things, they became lively. It was truly a case of "when the cat's away, the mice will play." The two were going to pay the money today, sign the contract for the storefront, and get the store ready before telling their mother. After all, their mother would find out sooner or later, so it would be better to confess early and hope for lenient treatment. Just as they locked the door, they saw three cars parked at the door: a Rolls-Royce, a Mercedes-Benz, and a Crown. Xiao Jiu immediately knew that Boss Xu had come. Boss Xu got out of the car with a big smile and said, "You two are planning to go out?" Xiao Jiu said, "It's nothing. We were just going for a stroll. Since Boss Xu is here, please come in." Xiao Jiu asked his elder brother to open the door and invited Boss Xu in to sit, as one should be polite to the God of Wealth. While his elder brother went to make tea, Boss Xu asked Xiao Jiu, "Little Master, how is your health? Has it improved?" Xiao Jiu said, "My body is much better, but some injuries can't be healed for the time being. Thank you, Boss Xu, for your concern. I'm not going to die anytime soon." Xiao Jiu said, "Boss Xu, you've really made a fortune this time. I overestimated my abilities and tried to change your fate, which brought down the wrath of heaven. I almost died. From now on, no one will help anyone change their fate. You were the first, and you'll also be the last." Boss Xu also stood up and bowed to Xiao Jiu, saying, "Thank you, Little Master. I finally have offspring, and they're even twins. You risked your life to change my fate, and I have nothing to repay you with. The Crown outside is for you, and there's also two million yuan in cash in the car. This time, I came to ask Little Master to give my son and daughter names." Xiao Jiu thought for a while and said, "These two children didn't come easily. They're a blessing from heaven. The boy can be named Enci (which means 'blessing' in Chinese), and the girl can be named Enxi (also carrying the meaning of 'blessing')." Xiao Jiu said, "You don't need to keep thanking me. 'Take someone's money and solve their problems.' That's the rule for us cultivators. It's best that you don't reveal the matter of me changing your fate to anyone. From now on, I won't change anyone's fate again. I hope Boss Xu will keep your mouth shut." Boss Xu said, "Little Master, don't worry. I'll make sure everyone keeps quiet and won't reveal what happened that day." Xiao Jiu said, "If there's nothing else, Boss Xu, I won't keep you any longer. In the future, if you have anything, you can come to me. I'll definitely help if I can, and if I can't, I'll tell you straight out." Boss Xu said, "Thank you, Little Master. I will definitely come to consult you if I have something in the future. I hope Little Master won't find me troublesome then." Xiao Jiu made a gesture of invitation and saw Boss Xu and his entourage out the door, watching them drive away. Only then did Xiao Jiu's elder brother bring the tea. Seeing that there was no one in the hall, he asked Xiao Jiu, "Where are they? They left after just a few words of conversation." Liu Heping looked at the Crown parked outside and said, "Boss Xu left. Why didn't he take the car with him?" Xiao Jiu said, "Boss Xu gave the Crown to me as a token of gratitude. From now on, you can drive it." Liu Heping happily said, "Then I'll be a real boss from now on!" Liu Heping said, "It's a pity I can't drive now. Otherwise, I'd take it for a spin." Xiao Jiu said, "If you can't drive, go and learn. Anyway, you're going to be my driver from now on." Xiao Jiu told his elder brother that there was a box in the trunk with two million yuan in it and asked him to deposit it in the bank later. Liu Heping nodded and said, "No problem."