Chapter 19

When Wang Xiaoqiang saw that Zheng Dana was going to give him 80,000 yuan as a consultation fee, he couldn't help but get excited. Although 80,000 yuan wasn't a huge sum in today's society, it was a significant amount in this impoverished small village. Moreover, this was the first large sum of money Wang Xiaoqiang had ever earned, which could be considered his first pot of gold.

However, when Wang Xiaoqiang thought about the wonders and value of the Five Elements Spirit Spring, his mindset immediately calmed down. 80,000 yuan was nothing; with the Five Elements Spirit Spring, how hard would it be to earn more money?!

However, twenty minutes later, when Li Gang placed the 80,000 yuan in front of Wang Xiaoqiang, his heart still raced uncontrollably. This was the power of money; it could affect one's mood, and Wang Xiaoqiang was no exception.

"Xiaoqiang, this is just a token of my appreciation, a small reward. I hope you can accept it..." Zheng Dana said, pulling out a business card from his pocket and placing it on the stack of pink hundred-yuan bills. "And if you don't mind, I hope we can become good friends... By the way, although there's a significant age gap between us, we can be friends regardless of age. Since I'm older, I'll call you Brother."

"Cough, cough..." Wang Xiaoqiang awkwardly coughed twice and said, "Isn't that a bit inappropriate, Auntie Big Mouth?"

Wang Xiaoqiang turned his gaze to Auntie Big Mouth, seeking her opinion. After all, he usually called her Auntie Big Mouth, and if he were to call Zheng Dana brother, he would have to call her sister in the future.

At that moment, Auntie Big Mouth was busy finding a plastic bag to wrap the money for Wang Xiaoqiang. Without turning her head, she said, "You call each other what you want; I don't care."

"Yes, Xiaoqiang, we'll call each other what we want, and it's none of others' business. From now on, I'll call you Brother, and you call me Brother..." Zheng Dana said seriously.

Wang Xiaoqiang felt a bit uncomfortable about a man around his father's age wanting to call him brother, but seeing Zheng Dana's serious expression, he knew it wasn't a joke. If he refused, it would be very impolite. So he reluctantly nodded, "Alright, then from now on, call me Brother Zheng."

Zheng Dana was thrilled and immediately asked Auntie Big Mouth to prepare a meal. He wanted to have a good drink with Wang Xiaoqiang.

Wang Xiaoqiang, seeing the sincere invitation, didn't refuse.

At the dinner table, Zheng Dana seemed very happy, drinking continuously and urging Wang Xiaoqiang to drink as well, causing the not-so-good drinker to have a few extra cups.

During the meal, Zheng Dana asked Wang Xiaoqiang if he would be interested in working at his factory, assuring him that he would be in an office and wouldn't have to do any manual labor.

Wang Xiaoqiang declined.

Zheng Dana didn't push further because he believed that with Wang Xiaoqiang's abilities, he wouldn't settle for a job at a factory.

In fact, as Zheng Dana thought, if he had made this offer three days ago, Wang Xiaoqiang might have considered it, but now, even if he were offered a deputy manager position, he wouldn't take it.

After a satisfying meal, Wang Xiaoqiang bid farewell to Zheng Dana, carrying the 80,000 yuan wrapped in a black plastic bag by Auntie Big Mouth, and went home.

Auntie Big Mouth was very considerate, using a black plastic bag to wrap the money, so it wasn't obvious from the outside. This prevented others from making a fuss.

However, when Wang Xiaoqiang brought the 80,000 yuan in cash home and placed it on the table, his father and sister-in-law, Liu Juyi, were quite surprised.

"Wow, Xiaoqiang, where did you get so much money?" his mother exclaimed first.

"Yes, Xiaoqiang, where did you get this? It's not...?" his father, Wang Kuishan, suddenly had a bad feeling.

Liu Juyi's heart also skipped a beat. Everyone knew that Wang Xiaoqiang didn't have much money, and the money for leasing the land was all borrowed. It was impossible for him to come up with so much money at once. The only possibility was that Wang Xiaoqiang had done something illegal.

Seeing the family's surprise, Wang Xiaoqiang chuckled and said, "Don't worry, I earned this with my skills."

Then, Wang Xiaoqiang explained how he had treated Zheng Dana's leg.

The two elders of the Wang family and Liu Juyi finally breathed a sigh of relief, feeling both surprised and delighted. As they had suspected, Wang Xiaoqiang could indeed earn money with his massage skills, and he had earned a lot on his first try. It seemed that Xiaoqiang was about to rise to prominence!

Wang Xiaoqiang asked his mother to put the money away, but she refused, saying, "You're grown up now and need to develop your own career. You need money for that. Keep it yourself."

Wang Xiaoqiang didn't insist. He indeed needed money for his career.

While putting the money away, his mother mentioned that Auntie Big Mouth had proposed a match for him. Before she finished, Wang Xiaoqiang coldly said, "Mom, I know about it, but I disagree."

Wang Xiaoqiang's words stunned the whole family, who found it quite unexpected.

Liu Juyi, feeling both surprised and relieved, secretly sighed in relief. The sense of loss in her heart vanished instantly.

"Xiaoqiang, did you understand? Auntie Big Mouth introduced you to Doctor Xu from the health station..." his mother thought he hadn't understood and repeated it.

Wang Xiaoqiang calmly said, "Mom, I understand. It's Xu Xiaoya, right? That's exactly why I disagree."

"Why? Xu Xiaoya is from the city!" Wang Kuishan was puzzled. In his view, there was no better match for Wang Xiaoqiang in Sanmiao Village, especially since she was from the city.

"Because she's from the city, I disagree..." Wang Xiaoqiang said, "Dad, Mom, think about it. How can Xu Xiaoya marry into our rural family? Even if she agrees, will her parents agree? If they don't, they'll definitely cause trouble... I don't want to deal with that hassle."

Wang Xiaoqiang's words made the two elders silent. He was right, and they didn't have high hopes for this match either.

His mother, somewhat unwilling, opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted by Liu Juyi, "Dad, Mom, I think Xiaoqiang is right. We should respect his choice. He's young and should focus on his career. Marriage shouldn't hold him back."

After saying this, Liu Juyi went back to her room. Her words were partly to advise her in-laws not to interfere with their son's marriage and partly to express her own feelings, as she had experienced the bitterness of an arranged marriage.

Seeing that their daughter-in-law agreed, the two elders sighed. Wang Kuishan said, "Alright, Xiaoqiang, you decide."

Wang Xiaoqiang nodded, recalling his sister-in-law's words to his parents. He couldn't help but respect her more and sensed a hint of bitterness in her tone, which made him think about the relationship between his brother and sister-in-law.

Now, even the couples who got married later than his brother and sister-in-law had children, and the slower ones were pregnant. But his brother and sister-in-law had no news, whether they hadn't taken action or simply didn't plan to have children. From the current situation, it seemed his parents would have to wait a long time to have a grandson.

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