Chapter 122 : The Consciousness of Living a Life of a Gigolo

When class ended, the classroom burst into a noisy commotion. Zhang Lu ran back, practically shouting, “Shen Haifeng, Shen Haifeng! Your dad had an argument with Teacher Zhou, and your dad won!”  

As soon as Zhang Lu said this, a crowd of curious students gathered around.  

Shen Haifeng blinked in surprise. “My dad came to school?”  

“Yes! Everyone’s talking about it. Your dad completely silenced Teacher Zhou and left with your water gun!”  

Shen Haifeng ran to the window just in time to catch a glimpse of Shen Zheng’s retreating figure.  

Zhang Lu followed closely behind him, saying, “It’s said in the compound that your dad is a ruthless and intimidating man, but I didn’t expect him to be so kind to you. If a teacher complained about me to my dad, he’d definitely take the teacher’s side, not mine.”  

Hearing this, Shen Haifeng felt a wave of warmth and pride. He lifted his head and declared, “My mom and dad trust me now.”  

After Shen Haifeng said this, many of his classmates looked at him with envy.  

It wasn’t uncommon for parents to disregard their children’s side of the story, choosing instead to trust outsiders’ opinions. But if parents don’t stand behind their children, who else will truly support them?  

—

Over the weekend, Fang Xiaoluo and Shen Zheng drove to Jiangcheng. When they arrived in Honghe Village, they picked up Fang Qiang as well.  

Their destination: a shop to buy a motorcycle.  

Fang Qiang felt a pang of pain as he watched his sister casually hand over 2,000 yuan to the shopkeeper.  

‘That’s 2,000 yuan!’  

Noticing Fang Qiang’s concern, Shen Zheng leaned over and whispered, “According to Xiaoluo’s plan, spending 2,000 now is an investment to make 20,000 in the future. If she had more money, she’d have already bought you a small truck instead.”  

Fang Qiang stared at Shen Zheng in disbelief. “And you… you just let her spend it like that?”  

Shen Zheng chuckled. “Why not? It’s her decision and her project. My role is just to support her.”  

Just then, Fang Xiaoluo returned with a receipt in hand. “They happen to have the bike in stock. They’re fetching it now, so we can test it out before riding it home.”  

Fang Qiang nodded. “Alright.”  

As they waited, Fang Xiaoluo suddenly said, “Brother, you should find some time to learn how to drive and get your license. We’ll eventually need a bigger vehicle when the business grows. It’s better to be prepared in advance.”  

Hearing this, Fang Qiang realized his sister had made the right choice in marrying Shen Zheng.  

‘This man really understands her!’  

Fang Qiang, who had experience working at a repair shop, quickly got the hang of riding the motorcycle.  

He drove the bike back to Honghe Village, with Fang Xiaoluo and Shen Zheng riding as passengers.  

The sight of the motorcycle entering the Fang family’s yard drew attention from the entire village. People stood outside gossiping, filled with envy.  

“Looks like a golden phoenix has flown out of the Fang family,” one villager remarked. “She’s not been married long, and she’s already bought a motorcycle for the family!”  

Members of the Fang family came outside to admire the motorcycle, their eyes shining with excitement.  

To them, the motorcycle wasn’t just a vehicle, it represented the beginning of new hope for the family.  

Inside, Zhang Xinyan cut up a watermelon, and the entire family gathered around the table to eat.  

After some casual conversation, Fang Xiaoluo spoke up. “We need to discuss something important today, how to split the income from the land. The land is yours, and you’re the ones working on it. Shen Zheng and I haven’t contributed any labor. So, we’ve decided that the income from this land will be divided 30/70: 30% for us and 70% for you.”  

Fang Xiaoluo had her own reasoning for the decision. The land belonged to the Fang family, and her parents had been tending to it with diligence and care.  

With Fang Qiang now handling deliveries and errands, her own life had become significantly easier.  

Fang Shijun spoke up first, “Xiaoluo, we discussed this as a family a few days ago. We’ve been farming this land for years, but we’ve never made much money from it. The success this time is all thanks to you. We can’t accept such a large share of the profits.”  

Zhang Xinyan chimed in, “Exactly. Since you came back, your father’s health has improved, and life at home feels brighter. Let’s forget about the 30-70 split. Just giving us 10% is already a big deal.”  

Fang Xiaoluo thought for a moment and countered, “But you’re the ones waking up before dawn and working until it’s dark. I’ve barely lifted a finger. How can I take 90% of the profits?”  

Fang Qiang interjected, “You should accept it. Even 10% is more than we’d make in an entire year. We’re lucky to have you back, bringing this opportunity to the family. Besides, without your special fertilizer and your negotiations with Dongfeng Hotel, there’s no way we could sell our vegetables at such good prices.”  

Despite their arguments, the family couldn’t reach a consensus. They all wanted to give her a big share, while she insisted on a fairer division.  

After a while, Shen Zheng spoke up. “I have an idea. Let’s see if it works.”  

Everyone turned to Shen Zheng, who seemed to command the room effortlessly.  

“Go ahead,” said Fang Xiaoluo. “We’re all ears.”  

Shen Zheng explained, “You mentioned before that if things go well, you’ll want to lease more land in the future. While the current contract with Dongfeng Hotel is for a year, wouldn’t you want to expand after that? Why not treat this as a business venture? Rent your parents’ land at the market rate, sign a formal lease agreement, and establish clear roles for everyone with appropriate salaries. Wages can increase annually, and bonuses or holiday gifts can be distributed based on the business’s performance. Xiaoluo, think of yourself as the boss, and everyone else as your team.”  

Fang Qiang was the first to respond. After a moment of thought, he nodded. “That’s a good idea. Everyone does their part, and it’s fair.”  

Fang Shijun agreed as well. “Shen Zheng is right. Xiaoluo, you’re the boss now. We’ll follow your lead. Whoever works gets paid, whoever doesn’t, doesn’t get anything.”  

With that, the family reached an agreement. Though she didn’t officially set up a company or factory, in everyone’s eyes, Fang Xiaoluo became a true boss, a leader who could bring both income and hope to the Fang family.  

They formalized the arrangement in writing, signed the lease, and set salary standards. Fang Xiaoluo ensured Zhang Xinyan, Fang Shijun, and Fang Qiang received competitive wages.  

Shen Zheng’s idea made perfect sense to her. She could even distribute year-end bonuses if the profits were good.  

After signing and sealing the agreement, Zhang Xinyan sighed with relief. “This is the best solution. When your older brother or Xiaojie gets married in the future, there will be no confusion about money or responsibilities.”  

Her words revealed her deeper concern, she didn’t want her daughter’s hard work to cause conflict within the family.  

On the way back, Fang Xiaoluo glanced at Shen Zheng. “You’re quite the expert at keeping things balanced.”  

Shen Zheng smiled. “My wife is destined to do great things. We can’t just focus on this one plot of land, we have to think long-term.”  

“You believe in me that much? Aren’t you worried I might fail?”  

“Not at all,” Shen Zheng replied confidently. “You’ll succeed. As Jinxia said, I married you to be your gigolo, after all.”  

His response made Fang Xiaoluo burst out laughing. “Oh, she’s such a good daughter of mine! I’ll buy her a big chicken drumstick later.”  

Shen Zheng raised an eyebrow. “What about me?” He pointed at himself.  

Feigning innocence, Fang Xiaoluo replied, “Of course, my two sons each get one, too. And my mother-in-law deserves one, she works so hard every day. But I won’t eat any. I need to save money after spending 2,000 yuan today.”  

Shen Zheng cleared his throat. “What about me?”  

Widening her eyes, she teased, “You still want to eat if I’m not eating? A proper gigolo should know his place. If your wife isn’t eating, what right do you have to eat? Why don’t you eat your wife instead?”  

Shen Zheng smirked and leaned in, his voice low. “Alright. Tonight, I’ll have my wife for dinner.”