Chapter 2

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While his younger brother was preparing the items and the bicycle, Zhao Zhiqiang sorted out the messy situation.

The strange message earlier was aimed at his younger brother, meaning that today, his younger brother might get rich, and it would be related to sea pine.

Sea pine?

After thinking for a long time, he finally remembered.

More than ten years ago, his father often fiddled with a strange piece of wood full of holes, which he said he picked up from the sea. It was originally intended for his grandfather to carve a pipe, but after his grandfather suddenly passed away, no one paid attention to it anymore.

"Xiaogang, can you find that strange piece of wood with holes that our father picked up a long time ago?" Zhao Zhiqiang decided to give it a try, after all, he knew that the matter of his younger brother having 50 yuan was true.

...

In the cold winter, although there was no snow, the coast of the Liaodong Peninsula was even colder and more humid.

This kind of cold and dampness would freeze a person through even with two layers of cotton and one layer of wool.

The Zhao brothers pushed their bicycle, shivering from the cold, and walked out of the village against the wind.

Zhao Zhiqiang wrapped the lunch box in his military coat and held it close to his chest.

His younger brother, Zhao Zhigang, pushed an old 28-inch bicycle, with a gray cardboard sign tied to the back:

Selling Sea Pine.

The two-foot-long, arm-thick piece of wood was tied to the frame of the bicycle.

The brothers struggled against the wind, and by 11:30, they reached the car wash at the west entrance of the village.

The cold and strong wind made people in the village occasionally pass by, looking at the brothers, who were dressed in tattered clothes and had red, frozen faces, and shake their heads. Those who greeted them quickly left.

"Brother, they are also dressed warmly, why do they not slow down to talk when we greet them, and walk so fast?"

Zhao Zhigang observed carefully. These neighbors seemed to quicken their pace when they saw the brothers, or if they couldn't avoid them, they would pretend not to see them or give a forced smile and quickly leave.

Zhao Zhiqiang rubbed his icy hands vigorously, his pale face smiling, "Xiaogang, remember, the poor are bullied, and the kind are ridden. Our family is poor now, so they avoid us. They are afraid we might ask for money. In the future, don't greet people proactively; we don't need anything from them."

"Okay, brother, can we really pay back Uncle Er's money before the Spring Festival?"

"Yes! With me here, the army salary will be credited soon... " Zhao Zhiqiang spoke with a forced smile, but his mind was preoccupied with how to get the 150,000 yuan!

150,000!

His father worked outside all year, earning more than 30,000 yuan, but that barely covered the medical expenses, living expenses, his younger brother's education, his military service, and his mother's dialysis...

150,000 yuan was an astronomical figure for the Zhao family. If it weren't for the help of their relatives, perhaps... So even if they were "squatting for the year" today, Zhao Zhiqiang was still grateful to Uncle Er for helping his family in their most difficult and critical times.

To cure uremia, a kidney transplant was needed, which cost about 300,000 yuan, and the matching and waiting period were also required.

Since the day he returned, Zhao Zhiqiang had been burdened with a heavy heart.

"Brother, what are we going to do with this thing?"

Zhao Zhiqiang raised an eyebrow, "Well, I heard that someone is collecting this kind of thing recently. Let's try it out. We'll wait here to see if anyone buys it. If not, I'll take it to the cultural market or a herbal shop in Bincheng..." He made up a reason to reassure his younger brother.

Zhao Zhigang said, "Oh."

He parked the bicycle by the roadside and tightly wrapped the nearly new military coat his brother had sent him last year. This was his best winter coat.

After parking the bike, he kept an eye on both sides.

Zhao Zhigang trusted his brother's words 90%, but he never questioned them. Since childhood, he had always listened to his brother, even if it was wrong. In his heart, this brother, who was four years older, treated him better than his parents...

Ten minutes passed, and the brothers on the 206 National Road were almost frozen stiff. They decided to put the sign on the bicycle and retreat to the roadside, about ten meters away, in front of the car wash.

There was a plastic warm tent and a rest room nearby. To keep an eye on the bike, the brothers stood under the tent, which was much warmer than the road.

There were many passing cars, and occasionally people would stop at the village supermarket to add water or buy snacks, but no one came to inquire.

Zhao Zhiqiang looked back at the direction again. This was indeed the exact west of their home, about 800 meters away.

However, the direction "west" in the message was too vague. The city was also to the west, but Zhao Zhiqiang analyzed that if the message was true, it shouldn't be too far from the village, and this road was the busiest.

Suddenly, a red BMW slowed down and stopped.

Right next to Zhao Zhigang.

Zhao Zhiqiang's heart warmed!

Zhao Zhigang was also surprised. After waiting for half an hour, they finally had a customer!

But when he saw the face that appeared as the window rolled down, he immediately wilted like a frost-bitten eggplant.

It was her...

Zhao Zhiqiang didn't recognize her, but he could tell she wasn't a buyer, "Who are you?"

A middle-aged woman, her face whitened by cosmetic treatments, looked even colder in the winter. Her lips were unnaturally red, and her eye bags were huge. Zhao Zhiqiang was puzzled; she was clearly a nouveau riche woman, and the BMW was at least a 3 million yuan car...

"Car wash!"

The woman got out of the car, took off her large sunglasses, and looked at Zhao Zhiqiang, then focused on Zhao Zhigang, "Xiaogang, he is—your brother, right?"

Zhao Zhigang took a deep breath, "Aunt Su, this is my brother, who just returned from the army. Brother, this is Aunt Su from the administrative village, and Zhao Yunxiang, who is in the same class as me."

"Aunt Su, hello." Zhao Zhiqiang forced a smile and nodded to the parent of his younger brother's classmate.

"Ah, Xiaogang, I've heard about your family's situation from Xiaoxiang. Here, I have 10,000 yuan, take it. You're waiting to sell the sea pine to treat your mother, right? Take the money, I've told Xiaoxiang to tell you if you have any difficulties, but you never said anything. I've been busy, but I promised to come and see you. It's better to meet by chance..."

"Aunt, I can't take this money!" Zhao Zhigang's red face was very serious.

"Take it, you and Xiaoxiang are classmates..."

"No, Aunt, we have enough money..." Zhao Zhigang firmly refused. Zhao Zhiqiang also supported his younger brother. If his brother didn't want something, even if it was a mountain of gold, Zhao Zhiqiang would spit on it and refuse.

The middle-aged woman shook her head in frustration but had no other choice, "Sigh, I actually have no other intentions, I just want Xiaogang to help Xiaoxiang a bit, to tutor her. Xiaoxiang is not very smart..."

"Aunt, I'll tutor her when I have time. But I can't take the money, thank you for your kindness!" Zhao Zhigang stepped out of the car wash.

At this moment, a more luxurious white sports car, which Zhao Zhiqiang couldn't identify, screeched to a stop next to the BMW.

"Old Lady Su, are you also getting a car wash? Are you going to play cards later?" The window rolled down, revealing a more fashionable but uglier middle-aged woman. Her appearance was completely mismatched with the beautiful sports car.

The woman saw the bicycle and the sign not far away.

"Hey? Who's selling sea pine? My old man needs to carve a pipe. How much? Is 200 yuan enough? It's only worth 200 yuan..." She threw the car keys to the car washer and went to examine the wood on the bicycle.

Without hesitation, Zhao Zhiqiang coldly said, "200 yuan? Too little, not selling!"

When the car stopped, Zhao Zhiqiang thought it might be a buyer and quickly channeled a bit of spiritual energy to his eyes!

Today's fortune:

Sure to lose in gambling, money flows out, fortune wanes, blessings increase.

"Hmph, what rotten wood, 200 yuan is already too much. My old man is an expert in this field, I've seen this kind of thing many times. Your wood has been weathered for too long, there's not much material left!"

Since she wasn't a buyer, Zhao Zhiqiang didn't want to talk much, but hearing her words and her annoying attitude, he was immediately angry. Giving up his precious spiritual energy for 200 yuan was too much.

Since it was a fat sheep that came to the door, not taking advantage of it would be a waste.

"You don't know what you're talking about. This thing, even if you give me 2,000 yuan, I won't sell it to you! Because you don't know its value!" Zhao Zhiqiang's face was calm and disdainful.

"What? You dare to say I don't know its value! My family has been in the sea pine carving business for three generations. This rotten wood clearly hasn't been well maintained, giving you 200 yuan is already a good deal!"

"Oh, madam, may I ask your name? Since you are an expert, how about we make a bet? I guarantee that within two hours, there will be a buyer, and the price will definitely be more than 200 yuan! Do you dare to bet with me?"

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