Chapter 95

The scene in the teahouse deeply shook She Lin. He suddenly realized that he was indeed a bit ridiculous and had been judging others by his own low standards.

Who is Zhao Shenluo? He dared to sponsor Zhang Tianyuan with so much money to do business in Shangpu, while She Lin himself was just going to be a bodyguard. Could Zhang Tianyuan really be worried about losing She Lin's monthly salary of ten thousand yuan?

With this thought, She Lin straightforwardly replied to Zhang Tianyuan, saying that being a bodyguard was no problem, but he needed to say goodbye to his comrades and family first before leaving.

This was a reasonable request, and Zhang Tianyuan, of course, agreed immediately. When they parted, he even insisted on giving She Lin a bank card with about 200,000 yuan, which could be withdrawn from any bank.

She Lin, of course, refused to accept it.

Zhang Tianyuan said, "Captain She, don't rush to refuse. This money isn't a gift, just a loan. I need you to follow me with peace of mind, without worrying about your family and comrades. As I know, after you were discharged, you've been giving money to your comrades' families. Phoenix told me that over the years, at least seven or eight of your comrades have died. Each of their families has either elderly parents or a wife and children. You have no money yourself but still help others, which is too difficult. So take this 200,000 yuan, deal with these matters properly, and only when you are at ease will I be at ease. Otherwise, if you are distracted while working, it will be troublesome if I encounter danger."

She Lin was suddenly choked up. This tough man hadn't cried for a long time, perhaps since the day his second comrade died. But this time, he couldn't help but choke up.

"Captain She, let's not be formal. We're giving you the money to use, not to be polite. Just take it," Xu Gang also advised.

She Lin wiped away his tears, his expression becoming serious again. The resolute look on his face replaced the sadness.

"Great kindness needs no thanks. I won't say anything more. As long as I, She Lin, am alive, nothing will happen to you, Zhang Tianyuan." She Lin clenched his teeth and said, "I will get to Shangpu as soon as possible."

"Alright, call us when you get there. You know both my and Gangzi's phone numbers. It doesn't matter which one you call. Also, don't be too anxious. Before we go to Shangpu, we will return to Xifeng to visit our families. So you can take your time to settle things before coming to Shangpu. Otherwise, if you get there and we're not there, it will be inconvenient," Zhang Tianyuan reminded him.

"Okay, I understand."

...

After saying goodbye to She Lin, Lan Fenghuang, Zhao Shenluo, Zhao Danfeng, and others, Zhang Tianyuan and Xu Gang boarded a flight to Xifeng. Now that they had money, flying was no longer a problem. For them, time was money. Thinking back to when they were students, traveling from Xifeng to Nandu, they had to take those green-skinned trains, which were unbearably hot in summer and freezing in winter, with the carriages packed with people, making it difficult to even go to the toilet. Hot water was sometimes available, sometimes not, and it was truly a miserable experience.

Zhang Tianyuan used to hate the rich, but now he realized that he was just jealous. With money, one could enjoy life, which was better than anything else.

In early March, the weather in Xifeng City was pleasant, and many people liked to go on spring outings. Near Zhang Tianyuan's village, one could often see wealthy people from the city. In the past, the two young rascals would often sit on a hill and daydream about those people.

"When I have money, I'll buy a motorcycle and take a girl on a spring outing!"

"That's nothing. When I have money, I'll eat KFC every day!"

The dreams of these two country bumpkins were so simple back then. Now, they felt that instead of envying others, they should earn more money to make their families live better.

Zhang Tianyuan's parents no longer did heavy farm work. They sold their land to the road construction project and opened a small vegetable garden behind their house. They spent their days walking around the village, playing cards, chatting, and boasting, living a leisurely life.

Of course, they sometimes helped Zhang Tianyuan's sister, Zhang Xue, take care of her children. Life was much more comfortable than before.

Zhang Tianyuan's grandmother had also moved to live with them, making it easier to take care of her.

Zhang Tianyuan also had an uncle who, at the age of forty, was still single. The villagers always mocked him for being incapable, short, and unable to find a wife.

This time, Zhang Tianyuan planned to help his uncle find a wife. In this day and age, age and height weren't the main issues; the key was having money. It wasn't that women loved money, but that they couldn't live a hard life with you. Otherwise, what would attract them to you?

His uncle was actually very smart. According to his father, he was the best student in the family when he was young, but the family's poverty held him back. Now, he was stuck in a mediocre situation, doing small business in the county, earning about a thousand yuan a month to get by.

After returning, Zhang Tianyuan directly bought a storefront and a house for his uncle in the county, spending only a few hundred thousand yuan, which was a small amount compared to his wealth. A single fake antique was enough to cover it.

His uncle, who had always been smart but lacked capital, immediately expanded his business with the storefront. With a house in the county, he didn't need Zhang Tianyuan's help to find a wife. The village immediately introduced several candidates.

In just a week, he met four women and chose one who was familiar, though not very pretty and divorced. But such a woman was reliable, as the divorce was due to the husband's domestic violence, not her fault.

Zhang Tianyuan thought this was good. If he chose a young and beautiful woman, who knew what her intentions might be?

He left the rest to the matchmakers and his parents and then called Liu Mengxun.

However, the one who answered the phone was not Liu Mengxun but Mou Ying.

"What's going on? Did I dial the wrong number?" Zhang Tianyuan asked in surprise.

"You didn't dial the wrong number. This is indeed Mengxun's phone, but she is under house arrest. She entrusted me with her phone. Fortunately, she had the foresight, or you wouldn't have been able to reach her," Mou Ying sighed.

"What happened?" Zhang Tianyuan frowned.

"It's those same old things. Her family is trying to find her a husband, saying that the old man is not doing well and wants to see Mengxun married before he dies," Mou Ying replied.

"That's not acceptable!"

"It's not up to you. Unless you can cure her grandfather's illness, everything else is pointless," Mou Ying added.

"I have the relic. I can go to the island to find you!" Zhang Tianyuan said urgently.

"No need, come to Shangpu. Her grandfather has been sent to a famous hospital in Shangpu, which is renowned worldwide and has top-notch equipment," Mou Ying said.

"Alright, I'll settle things at home and head to Shangpu immediately." Zhang Tianyuan hung up and then found Xu Gang, asking when they could leave.

Xu Gang said he had been waiting impatiently and was eager to see Mou Ying, so they agreed to leave. After saying goodbye to their families, they booked a flight to Shangpu for that day.

Modern transportation was indeed convenient. They could leave in the morning and arrive the same day, making the world feel like a large village.

They left at noon and arrived in Shangpu in the afternoon. They hurried to their accommodation, dropped off Li, and stored their valuables in a bank safe before heading to find Mou Ying, without even visiting their shop.

For Zhang Tianyuan, the purpose of making money was twofold: to live well himself and to make the people he cared about live well. These people included his family, his brothers, and his girlfriend.

He had already established a romantic relationship with Liu Mengxun, though it was still somewhat awkward. In his eyes, Liu Mengxun was his girlfriend, and she was more important than business.

Seeing Mou Ying, Xu Gang was excited, but seeing Zhang Tianyuan's anxious expression, he suppressed his excitement.

"What's going on? Where is Mengxun?" Zhang Tianyuan asked.

"Don't worry. She's just under house arrest. There are always people around her, making it inconvenient to do anything. Her calls are recorded, but nothing serious will happen, just some frustration," Mou Ying explained.

"That's a relief. I was afraid she might go on a hunger strike or something," Zhang Tianyuan sighed.

"Don't worry. Her grandfather dotes on her the most. He wouldn't let her go hungry. Besides, Mengxun believes you can handle the situation. So, you said you got the relic? How confident are you about curing her grandfather?" Mou Ying asked.

"I can't say 100%, but I'm 70-80% confident. We'll have to see once we meet the old man," Zhang Tianyuan said cautiously, not wanting to overpromise.

"Alright, I'll call my grandfather."

"Your grandfather?"

"Yes, do you think you can just walk in and see her grandfather? You're making it too simple. Her grandfather's ward is always guarded by four or five bodyguards. Unfamiliar people aren't allowed in," Mou Ying explained. "My grandfather and her grandfather are good friends. If my grandfather takes you, it will be different."