Chapter 48: Mutual Explanations

Zhao Sihai took a deep breath and turned to Tang Hua, “Big brother, can you go out for a while? We need to talk.”

“Ah, ah, ah, okay, okay, okay.” Tang Hua nodded, completely bewildered, then quickly stepped aside and crossed the threshold.

Seeing Xiao Zhi peeking in, he immediately pulled him away.

Xiao Zhi hadn’t seen the change in their expressions. He was guarding the door.

When he saw this, his eyes lit up, “Hua ge, did Si ge just talk about a new deal?”

“Talk your head off.” Tang Hua pulled him further away, making sure they couldn’t hear anything inside before stopping. He slapped Xiao Zhi on the head.

Then, he ran his hand around his bald head, feeling conflicted.

Looking at Lao Si’s situation, could it be that he had a past relationship with this woman?

What about his wife?

No way! How could his brother be a Chen Shimei?

He took the cigarette from his ear and took a hard drag.

At this moment, inside the house.

Bai Ruojiao wiped her eyes and turned around. Her mood had calmed down a little.

She was also a little annoyed. She could always manage her expressions perfectly before, but this time, she lost control.

It was just too sudden.

Zhao Sihai looked at her back and took out a blue checkered handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her.

Bai Ruojiao looked at the handkerchief being handed to her and her nose felt sour again.

She reached out and grabbed the handkerchief, but didn’t wipe her eyes. She said hoarsely, “It’s not washed.”

This handkerchief was made by her last night from scraps. She hadn’t had time to wash it.

As a result, this guy brought it out in a hurry. Those fabrics must have passed through many hands.

Her words were a way of acknowledging her identity.

Although it was a little inappropriate, Zhao Sihai couldn’t help but smile helplessly and indulgently.

“I washed it last night. I just got it back this morning.”

After saying this, they fell silent again.

After a while, Zhao Sihai tried to put his hand on her shoulder.

Seeing that she didn’t avoid it this time, he reached out with his other hand, held her shoulders, and turned her around.

Bai Ruojiao pursed her lips, turned her head away, and didn’t look at him. Her eyes and nose were still a little red.

Zhao Sihai pursed his lips and hesitated, “We shouldn’t do this anymore. Or… I’ll do it for you.”

Bai Ruojiao was stunned, then quickly reacted.

Zhao Sihai wouldn’t think she was forced to join some kind of gang, would he?

She turned her head and saw his face full of self-blame, worry, heartache, unease, and suppressed anger.

But it was clear that the anger wasn’t directed at her.

She couldn’t help but laugh. She didn’t know what Zhao Sihai was imagining at this moment.

But this distraction dissipated the slight grievance and resentment that had risen in her heart because of her previous life.

“I haven’t joined any organization. This is the first time I’ve resold anything. As for those things, their origins are fine. Don’t forget what kind of background I have.”

She still didn’t tell him about the space.

After all, she still couldn’t trust Zhao Sihai enough to entrust him with her life.

Maybe she could in the future, but not now.

She no longer had the system. She couldn’t gamble in this life.

Zhao Sihai’s expression changed again when he heard this.

His first thought was, could these things really be stolen from his work?

But then he thought about what she said about the origins being fine…

He looked at her deeply, and decided to believe her.

“So, you’re reselling things for someone else, or is it your own idea?”

Bai Ruojiao wanted to say she was doing it for someone else.

But seeing Zhao Sihai’s trusting gaze, she couldn’t help but tell the truth.

“It’s my own idea. The goods are all mine. What about you? How long have you been dealing in the black market? What’s your relationship with Tang Hua?”

She hadn’t forgotten that he had called him big brother. Could it be a long-lost brother?

Zhao Sihai pulled her to sit down and poured her a glass of water.

“Four years ago, our unit was on a mission and cooperated with Big Brother’s convoy. That time, some of his people were almost caught reselling goods. I helped cover for them and gave them a tip. Maybe Big Brother was afraid I would report them, so he forced me to join. He just gave me a share of the money.”

After listening, Bai Ruojiao narrowed her eyes. She was skeptical about the “forced” part.

She always felt that Zhao Sihai wasn’t someone who could be easily forced.

Zhao Sihai smiled, “After that, our two teams didn’t cooperate anymore. But every time we were on leave, we would meet up. I made a few plans for them, and then we became sworn brothers.”

Bai Ruojiao suddenly understood, she looked at him sideways, “So you said yesterday that you had money with your friend. That friend is Tang Hua? Where’s the money?”

Zhao Sihai chuckled, reached out and took a burlap bag from the side and handed it to her, “It’s all here.”

Bai Ruojiao raised an eyebrow, reached out and took it. As soon as she opened it, she saw bundles of large black bills.

Each bundle should be one thousand yuan. There were thirteen bundles in total, which means thirteen thousand.

She was a little surprised, “So much?”

Zhao Sihai heard this and suddenly felt a little resentful, “I thought it was a lot before, but now I realize it’s not even a fraction of yours.”

The extra thousand yuan was from the profit she made from selling those watches.

Thinking about the hundreds of thousands in her cloth bag, he felt a little depressed.

“Qiaoqiao, should we stop doing this?”

Bai Ruojiao paused, looked up at him.

She knew what he was worried about, but she couldn’t agree to this. She needed to accumulate more capital as soon as possible.

Seeing her shake her head, Zhao Sihai’s brow furrowed.

Before he could speak, she said first, “I have my reasons, but I can’t tell you now. Don’t worry, I’ll be careful. Nothing will happen.”

How could Zhao Sihai be reassured?

But seeing her like this, he knew she had made up her mind.

The room fell silent again.

Bai Ruojiao glanced at him. She was also a little conflicted in her heart.

She thought maybe she should stop for now. After all, she could make money anytime, she wasn’t in a hurry.

Just as she was trying to convince herself, she heard Zhao Sihai suddenly speak.

“What other goods do you have?”

Bai Ruojiao was stunned and looked at him in surprise.

Zhao Sihai smiled helplessly, “Big brother asked me to come. He wanted me to help see if we could cooperate again.”

He knew he couldn’t persuade her, and he didn’t want to force her to do anything.

It was better to have her under his nose, rather than letting her cooperate with people he didn’t know.

At least if something happened, he could help.

“You…” Bai Ruojiao was truly surprised, “You want to continue cooperating with me?”

She thought he would continue to persuade her.

After all, such a big deal was easy to get into trouble. Most people wouldn’t dare to get involved easily.

Zhao Sihai nodded generously, “It’s better to find someone you know than strangers. But can you tell me your target?”

Bai Ruojiao pursed her lips and sighed softly, “Don’t worry, I’ll only do it for a year.”

After the first college entrance exam in a year and a month, she would stop.

That’s right, she wasn’t planning to take the college entrance exam this year.

It was too rushed. It was fine as long as she didn’t miss the first college entrance exam.

Besides, the first batch of college students would inevitably clash with the workers, peasants, and soldiers college students. She would be in the first batch, at least there would be a transition.

“Okay, do you want Big Brother to know your identity?” He asked again.