Chapter 8

Seeing that the balance of his bank card had two additional zeros at the end, and after a few more strokes could make it reach six digits, Jiang Wang decided to take the child and buy some clothes.

He had gradually become famous in town.

It stands to reason that a person who was able to own this huge sum of money should have left the small town a long time ago.

For more than 100,000 yuan, one could buy a big house in the provincial capital, buy a new car, and pay a little bit of sponsorship fee to get their children into famous schools.

Several people who were familiar with Jiang Wang also asked why he didn’t take the child out to see the world.

The man touched his stubble and said nothing about it.

At the same time, Sufeng Express had quickly taken root in the city. Two outlets had already opened in Nancheng and Beicheng respectively. They were tracking the records throughout the whole process, not to mention that there was triple compensation for lost valuables and damaged parts, this silently changed the living habits of the people in the small town.

But still it was a little difficult to popularize it, so posters had been put up all over the place ever since the location was determined, and a bus had also been specially painted with a new announcement.

“It can reach the whole city in one day, and the whole country in one week!”

“The minimum price starts at six yuan, and the speed of freight you can’t even imagine!”

“Are you still hanging onto feather letters^[1]This refers to documents and/or letters that need to be sent quickly, it is usually adorned with chicken feathers on its corners.? Send it through us now!”

For this reason, Jiang Wang bought a third-hand Xiali^[2]Just basically an old car, and Jiang Wang is the third owner. Xiali is the brand., and took the newly recruited guys to run all over the city all day long. Sometimes he even went out to handle business before dawn, leaving some money for the child to buy his own morning and evening meals.

But no matter how busy he was, he remembered to come back every three to five days to accompany the child and do homework.

Peng Xingwang was very satisfied, “Big brother has not forgotten me, you are a good person.”

Jiang Wang felt the urge to pin down the idiom that was just said behind him.

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The first step to establish a running program for express outlets was to take care of them layer by layer to avoid chaos in the management, and then use this momentum to step on a higher platform.

The headquarters of the company did not expect that this seemingly inconspicuous small town would have so many orders, so they began to consider expanding a few more hubs to the nearby cities.

Jiang Wang hesitated whether to worry more about the coexistence of the two lines, and drove Representative Liu to find a few more places to visit, wondering if there was a chance for fresh food to circulate in the province.

Cross-district traffic turned into cross-city inspections, and the time to go home became even later.

He was driving in the direction of his home when the pouring rain smashed down.

First, like a truck full of stones had overturned, the shell of the car crackled with raindrops. Then thunder and lightning broke through the sky, tearing the gloomy night apart in an instant.

Jiang Wang held onto the steering wheel firmly, frowning but ultimately kept silent.

Representative Liu had gotten acquainted with him recently. He vaguely wondered about the other side’s situation, but didn’t ask any further questions.

This guy had an iron temper, a steady temperament but with no apparent inkling of joy or anger. He looked like he was always smiling at everyone, but in reality it was not easy to get close.

Why did his head suddenly turn and fall into a bad mood?

Representative Liu continued to ponder, Jiang Wang was already exhaling deeply with his head propped up with one hand.

“It should stop soon,” he murmured, “There is a child at home, he probably didn’t bring an umbrella when he went out.”

Whether there was an umbrella or not at home was one problem. If he doesn’t dry himself properly when he gets home, he could also develop a fever throughout the night.

Jiang Wang got up at 5 o’clock in the morning to run errands today. The three spare batteries in his bag had been emptied out and the phone couldn’t be turned on anymore.

He prayed a few words in his heart, and after the traffic light passed, he turned the steering wheel neatly. He gave priority to sending his business partner back to the hotel first then turned his head and stepped on the accelerator to go home.

The lights of the car pierced through the twilight, he drove like he was treading through the snow alone running from thousands of troops and horses. The heavy rain reflected in the steaming smoke.

The air was reminiscent of the romance of a mature man, but his stomach was so empty that there was no chance he could’ve been intoxicated.

At noon, he only drank and blew smoke with the employees. Don’t even talk about eating, there was nothing to eat.

Jiang Wang parked his car and hurried back inside the building under the rain, he glanced up as he approached.

The lights were all busted so it was too dark to see.

He hoped the child knew to borrow an umbrella from the teacher. The water heater was just installed yesterday, he had to make sure to dry the child’s head after taking a shower.

Taking two or three steps up to the third floor, he opened the door but the house was empty.

The strange thing was that the windows were all closed, and the balcony clothes had all been collected, and neatly folded.

Jiang Wang looked back in the dark living room, thinking that the child shouldn’t have shamelessly run to the teacher’s house.

He had excellent eyesight, and on this rainy night when he couldn’t even see his fingers, he could vaguely make out a paper strip that fell near the door.

Jiang Wang went over to turn on the lights to look at the strip, and a line of words was written crookedly on it.

‘Big brother, went to 501, Teacher Ji.’

The upper and lower Ji characters were so far apart, he barely recognized them after reading it a second time.

The man found a towel and wiped his face hurriedly, he closed the door and went up to pick up the juvenile version of himself to take back home.

But as he walked up, his heart felt a little empty.

The nature of his visit felt equivalent to visiting the teacher in the evening, ah… sorry.

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Jiang Wang stood at the door of 501 and waited for a while, then he pulled up his collar and smelled the scent of smoke and wine. He rubbed the smoke stains between his knuckles twice, and then combed his hair with both hands to have a more presentable look.

He was being really careful right now, like entering the teacher’s office when he was a child.

Jiang Wang knocked on the door twice with restraint, and after a while there was a sound.

“Who is it?”

“Jiang Wang, Peng Xingwang’s Big brother.” The man pursed his lower lip, “Excuse me, I’m here to pick him up.”

The door opened quickly, revealing beige walls and Ji Linqiu with wet hair.

Teacher Ji had just taken a hot bath, his black hair that had been tucked behind his ears fell in front of his temples, and his body was still steaming in the warm yellow light like a sunset.

In the patio, cold rain could be heard falling. The other side of the door was dry and warm, making people feel the desire to go in.

Ji Linqiu wiped his wet hair and stepped back, “Come in, Mr. Jiang has worked hard.”

The young man was wearing a light gray T-shirt, but his shoulders were covered in small dark patches of water droplets that fell from the tips of his hair, making him appear inexplicably softer.

Jiang Wang felt a little discouraged going in.

Perhaps it was because he was a tiny bit afraid to enter such a private and warm space of another, not to mention a good teacher who he has respected for many years in his heart.

It may also be that he had never seen a teacher in such a relaxed state.

Or, specifically Ji Linqiu.

Children usually looked up to their teachers with a bit of sacredness.

Writing on the blackboard with their beautiful handwriting, wearing a serious and calm expression, and their clothes so neat as if they could never be wrinkled.

It wouldn’t be this wet, steaming young man in front of him.

At this moment, he looked at the 26-year-old Ji Linqiu again from the perspective of a 27-year-old. Through his eyes, the light and shadow in his memory both overlapped and staggered.

Ji Linqiu didn’t notice the other party’s gaze, and looked down with a sigh, “Your shoes are drenched, were you in the rain?”

Jiang Wang was startled but quickly nodded and said, “Well, I shouldn’t go in, so as not to wet your carpet. Peng Xingwang should be alright?”

“His homework would be finished in a while, so take off your shoes and socks first,“ Ji Linqiu pointed to the shoe rack at the door. “Come in and sit down, I will pour you a cup of hot tea.”

Jiang Wang suddenly felt his face turn a little hot.

He now kind of understood the sticky feeling, and long-lost freshness of the stinky child to his Teacher Ji.

The man carefully took off his drenched shoes and socks, and walked into the strange house, similar to a child going on an adventure.

The dark brown plush carpet was very soft to step on, and the soles of his sore feet easily sank in. After a few steps it somehow felt relaxing.

He controlled himself not to look around, but a cup that had the shape of a horse skull met his eyes as soon as he raised it.

The texture of the bones looked very real, unlike fakes made of plastic.

The small living room was unexpectedly stylish.

There was no TV in the living room, a small pine coffee table was placed in the middle of a pure white round blanket, and fluffy pillows were scattered in the corners. It looked very comfortable to sit and lean on.

A beer was pressed beside a half-finished book titled “Decameron“^[3]Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio. It references the most terrifying existential crisis of his time; the decimating effects of the bubonic plague in the 1348 outbreak known as the Black Death. Holy … Continue reading with a red leaf clipped onto its front page.

A pair of rings could be seen in the horse skull cup, prompting Jiang Wang to take a closer look.

Taking two more steps in, a snake-skin covered Sanxian^[4]The sanxian is a three-stringed traditional Chinese lute. It has a fretless fingerboard, and the body is traditionally made from snake skin stretched over a rounded rectangular resonator. was placed in the corner.

The python skin had a blue and white pattern, looking old but beautiful.

“It was given by students I’ve taught,” Ji Linqiu handed over the hot tea. The glass was very old, “I have been studying for four months, and I can barely even play half of “Eave Bells in the Wind”.”

“It’s amazing,” Jiang Wang was very restrained when he stood, not daring to lean against the wall casually. He picked up his hands and remembered to say thank you, “Teacher has great taste.”

He remembered his business, and lowered his head to explain the reason.

“I have been developing a business for the past two days. I just came back from the suburbs of Dongcheng so I didn’t have time to pick up Xingwang. I’m sorry.”

“He is very clever,” Ji Linqiu laughed and motioned to Jiang Wang to sit for a while. “I saw a cloudy day in the afternoon, but before it rained, he had already come running and asked me if I wanted to go home together with him if it rained. He brought an umbrella.”

Jiang Wang coughed and looked at the novel on the low table to change the subject.

“Is this book good? I’ll buy a copy later.”

He hasn’t read much since he graduated from junior high school, but he still wanted to look like a cultured person in front of his teacher.

It’s okay to pretend like this a little bit.

Ji Linqiu smiled and said, “Don’t look, it’s pretty intense.”

Jiang Wang wondered if he looked like an innocent lover. He raised his eyebrows to express his interest. He remembered something and asked tentatively.

“Teacher Ji’s house is very warm, did your girlfriend clean it up?”

Ji Linqiu shook his head and entered a room to ask Peng Xingwang to come out.

Jiang Wang put down the teacup and got up, only to find that the child had fallen asleep on the desk.

The man gently picked up the juvenile version of himself, but the child continued to sleep with his snot dripping out, still holding a pen in his hand.

Ji Linqiu helped pack up all the homework books into the schoolbag, then brought his keys to help deliver them to the third floor.

Jiang Wang put the child on the bed and covered him with the quilt. Walking out, he went to thank Ji Linqiu.

“Teacher Ji,” he smiled apologetically, “Thank you for today, let me invite you to dinner later.”

“Small things, you can let Xingwang come over if you are too busy in the future. He has always been very good.”

Jiang Wang’s breathing paused, he was not used to being called a nickname in person.

“Well,” he responded quickly, and then stretched out his hand to brush the tips of Ji Linqiu’s hair. “Be careful, it’s stained with wall ash.”

Ji Linqiu subconsciously went to avoid the physical contact and waved goodbye.

Jiang Wang didn’t think too much about it, he closed the door and went back to change Peng Xingwang into pajamas.

The child had long been sitting upright with an energetic expression on his face.

“You’re awake?”

“I woke up as soon as you put me down on the bed!” Peng Xingwang raised his hand and said, “The teacher took me to eat his fried custard pie and invited me to drink yogurt!”

“…Got it.”

“Big brother, have you eaten yet? Remember to dry your hair when it rains!”

“Got it.”

Jiang Wang helped him change his pajamas, and touched the child’s hair to confirm that it was dry. He breathed a sigh of relief and said, “Go to bed, you have to get up early tomorrow.”

The child nestled himself into the pillow and hugged another pillow in his arms, and asked Jiang Wang to help tuck the quilt.

“Big brother, come closer, and I will quietly tell you a secret.”

Jiang Wang glanced at him, “Are you going to sleep or not.”

“Come here.”

The man leaned over and approached the child, then a whisper came to his ear.

“The teacher smells so fragrant, like gardenia.”

Jiang Wang moved back with a blank expression and said fiercely, “Don’t smell people indiscriminately, go to sleep.”

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TL NOTE:

‘It wouldn’t be this wet, steaming young man in front of him.‘
Uhmm… hmmm… huhhh??? hehehe (΄◞ิ౪◟ิ)