Watching Qin Chuan wave goodbye and leave the trade fair so casually, Li Ya’s pretty face showed a complex expression. No one knew her true thoughts.
“Boss, why did you just let Qin Chuan go?”
Chun Tao and Xiao Li appeared out of nowhere, their expressions full of doubt.
The sales performance of the entire afternoon had already convinced them. Their initial disdain had turned into admiration.
“He’s our biggest contributor!”
Li Ya came back to her senses and said faintly, “He said he had other matters to attend to!”
“What could be so important late at night? Will Qin Chuan not come tomorrow?” Xiao Li murmured.
“He will,” Li Ya said with unexpected firmness, gazing in the direction Qin Chuan had left. “I can feel that he's very short on cash!”
As night gradually descended, the county town lit up with the glow of countless homes.
It was only the second day of the Lunar New Year, and the festive atmosphere was still strong. Walking down the streets, one could see people of all ages, dressed in new clothes, smiling and enjoying the warmth of reunion.
China is a nation that highly values family reunion. Whether it's the Mid-Autumn Festival or the Spring Festival, most people who can return home do so from afar to cherish the affection of kinship.
Qin Chuan ducked into a restaurant. “Boss, I’ll have a plate of braised pork ribs, braised carp, garlic-flavored greens, Mapo Tofu, and twenty steamed buns! And a bottle of Erguotou!”
“All to go!”
“Sure thing, young man, please wait a moment, it’ll be ready soon!” The boss responded excitedly and immediately got to work.
While waiting, Qin Chuan suddenly thought of his second brother, Qin Gang. He wondered what his brother had been up to all day and if he had returned to the hospital yet…
When he returned to the hospital with the packed meals and pushed open the ward door, he indeed found only his mother accompanying his father. His second brother, Qin Gang, had not yet returned.
“Xiao Chuan!”
Jiang Cuihua, who was changing the dressing for Qin Shuren, saw her son enter and became immediately emotional. Her two sons had been gone all day, and in this unfamiliar county town at that. As a mother, it was impossible not to worry.
Qin Shuren, who had already woken up on the bed, was also happy to see his third son. Then, as if remembering something, his gaze dimmed.
“Mom! Dad!” Qin Chuan greeted. “You haven’t eaten yet, have you? I packed some food.”
“Xiao Chuan, weren’t you with your second brother?” Jiang Cuihua’s attention was not on the food; her eyes kept scanning the doorway.
“No!” Qin Chuan shook his head and quickly comforted her, “Mom, don’t worry. My second brother is a grown man; he can take care of himself when he goes out. Your biggest task now is to take care of Dad. You don’t need to worry about anything else outside. We’ll handle it!”
“Third brother is right!”
Just as Qin Chuan finished speaking, a voice of agreement was heard, followed by a tall, imposing figure stepping into the ward.
“Xiao Gang!”
Seeing Qin Gang enter, both Jiang Cuihua and Qin Shuren were overjoyed. Their second son, Qin Gang, had always been the most troublesome and hot-tempered one, someone even dogs in the village would avoid. The Qin couple worried more about Qin Gang’s return than Qin Chuan’s, fearing he might have gotten into trouble again.
Qin Chuan also looked at his second brother, scrutinizing him.
“What are you looking at? Don’t you recognize your second brother!” Qin Chuan’s gaze made Qin Gang unhappy. He glared, a look that could scare a child to tears.
But Qin Chuan paid no attention to his second brother, retorting, “Looking at you won’t make me lose hair. Are you afraid of being looked at, you grown man!”
“What were you doing this year?”
“None of your business!” Qin Gang was displeased with his younger brother’s attitude. He didn’t know when his third brother had started not respecting him, diminishing his authority as an older brother.
“It’s good that you’re back! It’s good that you’re back!” Seeing the brothers about to glare at each other again, Jiang Cuihua quickly intervened. “Xiao Chuan brought back food, let’s eat quickly! Eat!”
As she spoke, she quickly unwrapped the black plastic bag Qin Chuan had brought. To her surprise, she froze upon seeing the rich variety of dishes inside, staring at them intently.
“Mom, what’s wrong?” Qin Gang noticed something unusual and walked over. He, too, was stunned and quickly turned to stare at Qin Chuan.
“Xiao Chuan, where… where did you get the money to buy all this?” Jiang Cuihua finally recovered and asked with great emotion. She knew their family’s financial situation clearly. Ribs, fish, meat, and alcohol – they hadn’t feasted like this even on New Year’s Eve!
“Mom, why such a big reaction? I earned this money!” Qin Chuan explained, “Dad is very weak now; he urgently needs nutritional supplements. He must eat well and drink well. And you, with this extended hospital stay, we brothers will be out earning money, so the task of caring for Dad will fall on you! You’ve endured even more hardship than Dad, so how can you not eat and drink well?”
Jiang Cuihua was easily moved to tears. Hearing Qin Chuan’s words, tears welled up. They were tears of both relief and sorrow. Relief that her sons were growing more sensible, but sorrow that her youngest son, still so young, had to bear the burden of the family. For parents, this was the most complex feeling…
“I know, but we can’t spend all the money we earn on food and drink. Your father’s daily medical expenses are…” Jiang Cuihua said, wiping her tears, but suddenly, a hand reached out in front of her. When she saw what was in the hand, she was completely stunned and looked up in shock, forgetting to cry. In the hand was a stack of money, all in hundred-yuan bills. The portraits of the four great leaders were so dazzling.
“Xiao Chuan, you…” At this moment, not only Jiang Cuihua was stunned, but Qin Shuren and Qin Gang were also gaping, staring intently at Qin Chuan, or rather, at the money in his hand.
“Third brother, where did you get so much money?” Qin Gang was the first to recover, asking with urgency. Qin Shuren and Jiang Cuihua remained silent, but their eyes conveyed everything: they needed a prompt explanation of the money’s origin.
“I told you, I earned it!” Qin Chuan patiently explained. “Today, there was a trade fair in the county square. I helped someone sell clothes, and they paid me for it!”
“Nonsense! What kind of big boss would give a subordinate eight hundred yuan in wages for just one day?” Qin Gang shouted excitedly. His eyesight was good, and he had discreetly counted the money: eight hundred yuan! Qin Shuren and Jiang Cuihua also looked incredulous. They worked tirelessly for a month and could only earn two to three hundred yuan. Eight hundred yuan was equivalent to two or three months of their total income! What kind of boss would pay someone eight hundred yuan a day?
“This isn’t wages; it’s remuneration!” Qin Chuan added. “Strictly speaking, I didn’t earn eight hundred today, but a thousand!” Qin Chuan took out another two hundred yuan from his pocket. “However, I’ll keep this two hundred yuan for now, in case of any unforeseen needs!”
The ward was terrifyingly quiet, everyone completely dumbfounded. A thousand yuan a day? Were they dreaming?