Chapter 33

The only word that could describe the workers' village was "boiling."

If this had happened a month or two ago, giving away a street stall would have been nothing more than a generous act. But now, everyone could see that this stall was a golden goose!

It had been featured in newspapers and on TV. The young man from the Ba family, with his dark and rugged appearance, had swept the street with such boldness that other vendors dared not interfere. There was no rent, no troublemakers, and just by cooking a few dishes and grilling some meat, they raked in money every day!

Some people even suspected that the young man from the Ba family had lost his mind. He wasn't exactly wealthy, yet he was giving away the stall? Were there really living Lei Fengs in this world?

Liu Shufen had made the news herself.

According to Ba Ke's mindset, he could have privately discussed the matter with Liu's parents. Liu Changyuan had been discharged from the hospital, rested for a few days, and then started working with Ba Ke again. Apart from being a bit weak, he looked no different. The young man still had an optimistic smile on his face. In his own words, if it weren't for Brother Ba giving him a stable job, the incident would have left him disheartened.

So, Ba Ke quickly made up his mind.

Liu Shufen, with a somewhat haughty air, led her two sisters, each carrying something. She herself borrowed a sieve from the Lao Zhang family to carry some frozen meat. They went to the Liu family's house, deliberately speaking loudly along the way to attract the neighbors' attention. The Liu family lived on the second floor, and because of the long corridor and railing in front of their door, everyone on the floor could see her actions. People on the ground floor looked up.

Liu Shufen didn't go inside. She called out and handed the sieve to them: "My son Xiaoming said to give the barbecue stall to San'er. He'll go ride the tricycle later. The motorcycle, grill, and skewers will all go to San'er. You two can work with San'er on the barbecue stall. The monthly treatment and medicine costs won't be a problem, but don't overwork San'er..." As a primary school teacher, her voice was sharp and clear, making sure everyone present could hear.

To be honest, after hearing various encouragements and gossip, Liu San's mother had some resentment towards the Ba family. When people are in trouble, they often forget things and might think that Ba Ke had overworked her son, even though the doctors and nurses had explained that it was a long-term illness. But the sudden financial crisis made her grasp at straws. On the contrary, Liu Changyuan's father was less angry and had scolded his wife several times.

Now, hearing Liu Shufen's voice at the door, they were stunned and didn't dare to believe it. Liu's father, hunched over, moved to the door, and Liu's mother was speechless, feeling ashamed.

Ba's eldest daughter, who had also heard a lot of harsh words during this time, put down a stack of metal boxes and utensils at the door with a pout, clearly dissatisfied. Children's emotions often mirror their parents', and she couldn't be as calm as Ba Ke. Moreover, Ba Ke noticed that the eldest daughter seemed to care more about money, perhaps because of the direct and harsh experiences she had during the year of begging.

The younger sister, who was protected, was sharp-tongued: "Brother told us to bring these utensils and leftover materials. San-ge is buying groceries. When he comes back, he'll bring the motorcycle. Tonight, Uncle and Aunt can start working with us. Wishing you a booming business... while we drink the north wind!"

Liu Shufen, with a triumphant air, called out to her younger daughter: "Why say that? San-er is sick, and we don't have much ability. We're giving the stall to him, hoping he can run it well and get better. That's our greatest wish. The neighbors also want to see San-er healthy. We're leaving..." She turned and led her daughters downstairs.

More and more curious coworkers gathered downstairs. They all knew that the Ba family's barbecue stall was making a lot of money, not just a little. Unlike other street stalls where the income was split among several people, this bustling stall was known to make tens of thousands of yuan a month. It was impossible not to be envious, so many people had been comparing the Liu family's misfortune with the Ba family's success.

Poverty doesn't always breed kindness, and the poorer one is, the more disputes arise. The key is that everyone should be poor together. Once someone rises, they're no longer in the same class.

But now, the Ba family had clearly surpassed this level. "I don't care, do what you want!"

The surrounding people were buzzing with surprise, jealousy, curiosity, and disbelief.

Liu Shufen felt like a victorious general, leading her daughters with their heads held high. People asked if they were really giving away their source of income, and the younger sister replied: "Brother decided. He's the kindest person in the world. He said it's better to give a path than to give money. He's giving our path to the sick San-ge!"

The younger sister's voice was clear and quick, while the elder sister pouted and clung to Liu Shufen's arm, keeping her head down.

Someone asked, "Does Zhiming have other plans? He's so capable, what's he going to do? Can he help us out, and we'll contribute some money to work with him?"

Oh, Ba Ke hadn't said anything about that. Liu Shufen herself was still uncertain. She had vented her anger, but didn't know what to do next. She just said, "Hmph, he's been abroad, so he must have his plans. It's only right for neighbors to help each other..."

So, many people followed the mother and daughters to the Ba family to get more information. The previous cold words turned into praise and compliments.

On the other hand, Liu Changyuan, who had just returned on a tricycle, was a bit stunned. He had heard the news at the market, and his parents were overjoyed, calling him to tell him the news. The stall he had helped run was now his. He knew how much money it made every day. Ba Ke had already given him a high salary of 250 yuan a day, but compared to the amount of work he did, Ba Ke's lack of enthusiasm sometimes made him feel a bit unfair.

But at this moment, he was completely stunned.

Especially when he stepped onto the stairs and saw the looks of envy and jealousy, which far outweighed other emotions, and the pity, disgust, and condescension that had been directed at him before were now gone.

Had Brother Ba, who was only a few years older than him, seen all this?

Someone even congratulated Liu Changyuan: "Congratulations! Want to treat everyone to a drink tonight?"

"Truly, you must have done something good in your past life to meet such a kind person like Zhiming. The Ba family has been so kind to you..."

Liu Changyuan walked to the Ba family's door, his parents following. Seeing the various expressions around him, and the dramatic changes in human nature over the past few months, Liu Changyuan, who had been influenced by Ba Ke, suddenly had a moment of clarity.

Seeing the joy on his parents' faces, Liu Changyuan suddenly knelt down at the Ba family's door, causing a commotion. As the saying goes, a man's knees are worth their weight in gold, but... well, was it a bit much?

Liu Changyuan bowed three times to the Ba family's door, and when Ba Dacheng and Liu Shufen heard the knocking and lifted the curtain, they were surprised to see Liu Changyuan. He stood up: "Brother Ba treats me like a younger brother. My life is given by Brother. This illness does require money to survive, and it's a terminal illness, but now I'm grateful for it. It has shown me the warmth and coldness of human nature, and what people are made of. I thank Brother for teaching me how to be a person. I'll take over the stall, but after using what I need each month, I'll hand over the rest. I'll live up to the life Brother has given me."

Tears streamed down his face as he finished speaking, his emotions still raw. He bowed deeply to the Ba family and left with his head held high.

Back home, he cried on his bed.

The saying goes that a man doesn't cry easily, but only when it's the right time.

Liu Shufen reflected on whether she had been too boastful and felt a bit apologetic: "Maybe we shouldn't take the money they give us?"

Ba Ke, sitting in the house, didn't bother to look outside at the commotion and didn't say anything to Liu Changyuan: "If he can grow up and understand, that's the best. Take the money if they give it, use it if you need it, and save it if you don't. In the future, if the Liu family or anyone else in the courtyard needs help, it will be better to have it saved."

Ba Dacheng was so happy he wanted to drink three cups with his son: "Worthy of being a Ba family descendant!" He couldn't say much about his son's mindset or behavior, but he felt proud and happy!

So, life went on. Many people's curiosity about what Ba Ke would do next had faded, as the outcome was truly unexpected.

The weather was still hot, and as schools were about to reopen, Fang Lingying returned to the street, feeling like she wanted to talk to Ba Ke. She had no other business, just to ask if she could take him on her next self-driving trip. After experiencing the luxury of having a skilled driver and a wilderness safety guard, Fang Lingying had developed a taste for it.

But what surprised her was that the stall was still there, but the person running it was now Liu Changyuan and his parents.

They were familiar with each other: "You're out of the hospital? How's your health? You're working so soon? Where's Brother Ba?"

It was better not to ask. The young man, who had been working with his head down, suddenly had red eyes: "Brother..." and choked up, unable to speak.

Fang Lingying felt a pang in her heart: "What happened to him?"

Liu's father, who was helping his son, was a bit hunched but not as emotional as his son. He answered for his son: "Little Ba has a kind heart... seeing that San-er was out of the hospital, he gave us the barbecue stall, without asking for a cent. The tools, skills, grill, and tricycle motorcycle are all ours..."

Fang Lingying was stunned!

She knew Ba Ke would help the boy, but she didn't expect him to help to this extent. For Ba Ke, who had nothing, to give away a stall that brought in daily income was surprising.

But this was clearly the most direct way to solve the Liu family's financial problems. Instead of borrowing money or relying on others' charity, giving this unfortunate family a steady income was a better solution. Liu Changyuan needed dialysis treatment every month but could still work and live a normal life. With the whole family working hard, they wouldn't struggle to make ends meet...

This was truly teaching a man to fish rather than giving him a fish.