Chapter 1437 - 1400: The Cannon Fodder Home 8
Chapter 1437: Chapter 1400: The Cannon Fodder Home 8
Xiao Yuan finished up at Liu San’s house and was about to leave.
Xiao Yuan quickly asked his wife to hand over a bank card.
Xiao Yuan waved his hand: "It’s no big deal, no need to pay."
Liu San wasn’t having it: "That’s not acceptable, it might be a small thing for you, but for us, it’s a huge deal. Besides, over the years, we’ve relied on you to live so smoothly."
Xiao Yuan sighed: "To be honest, this line of work isn’t favorable for ourselves. I’m revealing heavenly secrets, and after a while, I can’t bear the heavenly punishment. If not for my wife’s illness, I would have washed my hands of it all. If it weren’t for how well you and your wife took care of us when she was very ill, I wouldn’t... Anyway, in the future, you can come to me if there’s anything at your home, but I won’t take jobs from other families."
Liu San’s wife immediately smiled, "We’re all aware of that. It’s not easy for you to come here. You effortlessly fixed everything, but it required quite some effort on your part. Just by setting up this Spirit Gathering Array, you’ve brought us endless benefits; it can extend our lifespan, and how much is that worth?"
As she spoke, she forcefully stuffed the bank card into Xiao Yuan’s hand.
Xiao Yuan did not refuse again.
Afterward, Liu San drove Xiao Yuan back.
When Liu San came back after seeing Xiao Yuan off, Lv Zhiguo had not left yet.
He stayed in Liu San’s bedroom for a while but didn’t want to leave, hoping to linger.
"Alright, come on out,"
Liu San forcibly pulled Lv Zhiguo out: "I mean, what’s going on with you always hanging around in my room?"
Lv Zhiguo felt several pounds lighter, feeling incredibly comfortable: "Well, because you have the Spirit Gathering Array set up in your house, I must say, you’re quite lucky, meeting such a high-level expert. Just by setting up this array, many would bring money begging for favor."
Liu San chuckled: "Yeah, guess I’m just lucky."
Lv Zhiguo whispered with Liu San, "Ask the master tomorrow to go to Boss Bao’s house and give some guidance. You know, Boss Bao is nearly driven crazy now."
Bao Bufen is the richest man in the county. In fact, he isn’t actually called Bao Bufen, but he’s the wealthiest, and he won’t accept anyone comparing wealth with him, so people call him Bao Bufen.
Liu San dared not offend Bao Bufen.
He feared Lv Zhiguo would stir trouble with Bao Bufen if he didn’t agree, so he thought for a while and said, "Alright, I’ll try, but you’ve heard from the master himself that he only came out for his wife’s illness. Now that she’s gone, he has no ambition left; he doesn’t want to do it anymore. The master wants to retire, so if Boss Bao’s offer isn’t good, the master probably won’t agree."
Lv Zhiguo quickly nodded, "Don’t worry about that, Bao Bufen isn’t short on money. Although he lives in the county, he actually has considerable assets in the city and investments elsewhere. If he moved to the city, he’d be quite notable."
"Alright then, I’ll shamelessly ask for you. Whether the master agrees or not, I can’t promise."
Liu San said upfront.
Lv Zhiguo quickly patted Liu San, "That’s for sure. Just ask the master—if he doesn’t agree, I don’t think Boss Bao will blame you."
Xiao Yuan explained to Anning about what happened at Liu San’s house and handed over the bank card to Anning: "The password is six sixes; take the money out tomorrow and deposit it in your card."
Anning didn’t ask how much money there was and simply pocketed the bank card: "Don’t deposit it into my card; tomorrow I’ll take you to the city to shop for some things. Since you’re becoming a master, you need the grandeur to match—make it big, and that’s how you’ll make more money."
This made sense.
Xiao Yuan steamed some fish, cooked the ribs, washed his hands, and ruffled Anning’s hair, "Alright, I’ll listen to you."
Anning smiled, looking silly with her chubby face that appeared to be in her forties, "Do you have enough money? I still have a bit over ten thousand."
"Enough."
Xiao Yuan was setting the table and said to Anning, "Tomorrow we’ll hit the city and I’ll get you some new clothes."
"No need."
Anning went into the kitchen to check the ribs simmering in sauce: "I need to lose weight. If I buy clothes now, I won’t fit them in a few days. It’d be a waste of money."
Xiao Yuan fell silent.
In so many lifetimes, Anning had never been so downtrodden, worrying about how long clothes would fit, and whether there was enough money.
Anning knew what Xiao Yuan was thinking: "Hurry up and make more money, and when I slim down, you can buy me several outfits."
Xiao Yuan finished setting up the table and looked at the clock: "I’ll wait outside for the kids to come back."
Anning waved as Xiao Yuan left, throwing him a set of keys.
After Xiao Yuan was gone, Anning went to her room to change clothes and wash her face. Just as she finished washing her face, Zhao Xiaocong and Zhao Xiaomeng came back.
"Mom, what delicious food are we having today? It smells so good!"
The two kids put down their bags and asked.
Zhao Xiaocong put away his bag, washed his hands, and reached for the ribs.
Anning went over and smacked his hand: "Wait a bit, we have guests coming."
Zhao Xiaocong rubbed his belly: "How long do we have to wait? I’m starving."
Just as he was whining about being hungry, the door opened, and Xiao Yuan came in with Xiao Yilin and Xiao Yishan.
Zhao Xiaomeng seemed surprised to see Xiao Yishan: "Yishan, what brings you here?"
Anning smiled and pointed to Xiao Yuan, saying to Xiaocong and Xiaomeng: "This is Uncle Xiao, say hello."
The two kids were polite: "Hello, Uncle Xiao."
Xiao Yuan smiled back in acknowledgment.
Xiao Yishan looked at Anning nervously: "Hello, Teacher Qin."
Xiao Yilin knew Anning as well—she was taught Chinese by Anning in middle school—so she promptly said, "Hello, Teacher Qin."
"Have a seat."
Anning gestured to the dining table.
The six of them sat down for dinner, and Xiao Yuan said to Xiao Yishan, "I’ve discussed with your Teacher Qin, and from now on, when school lets out, you’ll come here for dinner, and Teacher Qin will help you with your studies."
Xiao Yishan glanced up at Anning: "Thank you, Teacher Qin."
Zhao Xiaocong seemed a bit surprised and glanced at Zhao Xiaomeng, who frowned, as if she had understood something.
Although the meal was abundant, each of the six had different thoughts and did not eat well.
After dinner, Xiao Yuan left with Xiao Yilin, leaving Xiao Yishan to study.
Anning had Xiaomeng and Xiaocong start their homework, then quizzed Xiao Yishan on several subjects, identifying her weak points, and tutored her for over half an hour.
Once the tutoring was done, Anning had her focus on homework, and then checked the homework of Xiaomeng and Xiaocong.
Xiao Yishan stayed at Anning’s until after nine o’clock before heading home.
Once she left, Anning went back to her room with Zhao Xiaomeng following her.
"Mom, what’s going on between you and Uncle Xiao?"
Zhao Xiaomeng was direct, speaking straightforwardly.
Anning smiled, patting the bed: "Come sit."
Zhao Xiaomeng went over and sat down.
Anning hugged Zhao Xiaomeng affectionately and softly said: "Your Uncle Xiao and I are planning to get married. Once we do, you and Yishan will be like family."
Zhao Xiaomeng’s brow furrowed tightly: "Mom, why do you want to marry Uncle Xiao? You just divorced dad..."
"This isn’t about how long I’ve been divorced. Sometimes when you meet the right person, even in a moment, you know they’re the one."
Anning understood that these matters can’t be fully explained to kids, so she shifted to reasoning, discussing with Zhao Xiaomeng: "I’ve divorced your father, and you and Xiaocong are still young. It’s a bit hard to raise both of you alone. Moreover, having a man in the house makes many things easier."
"Is this the only reason?"
Zhao Xiaomeng seemed a bit upset.
Anning understood her concerns; any child would worry about their parents remarrying.
Such matters are closely tied to their own interests—deep down, they fear the person their parent remarries might be unkind to them, or that the parent might neglect them after remarrying.
"Xiaomeng, even if mom remarries, I’m still your mom. Our lives will continue the same, just with a few more people in the house making it lively. Right now, don’t overthink it; just remember that no matter what happens, mom will always protect you and Xiaocong."
Then Zhao Xiaomeng’s tears began to fall.
"Mom, can’t you not marry Uncle Xiao?"