"Only 2,000?"
Li Haochen smacked his lips, his expression one of disdain. "I shouldn't have bothered picking it up. Now I stink all over."
Liang Borui looked at Li Haochen as if he were an idiot, a vein throbbing in his forehead. "2,000 per gram and you think that's not much?"
"How… how much?"
"2,000 per gram."
"Holy crap…" Li Haochen's legs went weak, and he slumped to the ground, clutching his chest as if his heart was about to leap out.
"Hey, young man, are you alright?" Liang Borui was startled too. If he had scared Li Haochen into some sort of accident, it would be his fault. He quickly stepped forward to ask with concern.
"I… I'm fine. Just need a moment to recover."
After a while, Li Haochen finally felt a little better, but the heaving of his chest showed he was still very excited.
"Are you alright now?"
"I think so. It's just hard to believe. Feels like a dream."
"Heh heh, I suppose so. A windfall like this would make anyone feel that way. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Liang Borui, the owner of Jiuzhitang."
"Hello, Elder Liang. My name is Li Haochen, you can call me Xiao Li."
Liang Borui was taken aback. When he looked at Li Haochen again, there was a newfound satisfaction in his eyes. "Saving a life is more virtuous than building a seven-story pagoda. Xiao Li, you are indeed a person of great fortune to have found ambergris. Hahaha."
"Elder Liang flatters me. It was just a coincidence," Li Haochen scratched his head sheepishly.
"Young man, you should be bold when it's time to be bold. Excessive humility is not good, understand?"
"Uh… I'll keep that in mind, sir."
"Alright, enough idle chat. I'll buy this ambergris. Come back to Jiuzhitang with me to weigh it."
"Okay, I'll do as you say."
In the car, Li Haochen tossed the valuable ambergris aside and chatted with Liang Borui about everyday matters. They were like old friends, talking non-stop and enjoying each other's company.
The main branch of Jiuzhitang wasn't far, about a ten-minute drive. Getting out of the car, Li Haochen saw that it was magnificent, grand, and antique. Many people were there to purchase medicines and herbs.
Li Haochen followed Liang Borui up to the office on the top floor. After a while, a young woman in a physician's robe entered with a precision weighing instrument. "Grandpa, have you found something good again?"
"Mingyue, this is something truly special. Guess what it is later, and you might win a prize."
"You said it! Don't regret it later. I've already got my eye on a handbag,嘻嘻!"
"You little rascal. Right, let me introduce you, this is Li Haochen, and this belongs to him."
Liang Mingyue had already noticed Li Haochen but didn't know him, so she hadn't greeted him. Seeing Liang Borui introduce him, she only offered a perfunctory smile.
Liang Borui carefully opened the trash bag, and an acrid smell immediately wafted out. Liang Mingyue covered her nose, looking uncomfortable. "Grandpa, what is this dreadful thing? It's so smelly, get rid of it quickly."
Liang Borui ignored his granddaughter's protest, cupped the ambergris, and admired it as if it were a treasure. "It's truly beautiful."
"Mingyue, come and take a look."
Liang Mingyue recoiled with a look of disgust, moving a few steps away. "It's so smelly, I won't look!"
"Heh heh, you said it yourself."
Liang Borui placed the ambergris on the precision instrument for weighing. The number on the display finally stopped at 758. "Haochen, not bad. This is quite a large piece of ambergris. You're a millionaire now, heh heh."
"I have to thank you, sir. If it weren't for you, I would have thrown it away as trash."
"Right," Liang Borui slapped his thigh as if he had just realized something, feigning regret. "What a loss, what a loss! I should have waited for you to throw it away before picking it up. Over a million yuan."
But his expression was exceptionally calm, as if he didn't care about this million-plus yuan at all, treating it as a mere game.
"Ambergris?" Liang Mingyue suddenly rushed over. She no longer found it smelly and began rubbing it with her hands. Soon, a unique fragrance overpowered the acrid odor. Liang Mingyue's eyes shone as she looked at the ambergris in her hand.
Blinking rapidly, she looked at Liang Borui. "Grandpa, can I discuss something with you…"
Liang Borui knew exactly what his granddaughter was thinking. He quickly snatched the ambergris back. "I know what you're thinking the moment you pout. Let me tell you, no way."
"You stingy old man, I'm not talking to you anymore." Liang Mingyue huffed and left the room.
Liang Borui took Li Haochen to the finance department to complete the transaction. When he received the transfer notification on his phone, it still felt like a dream. He couldn't help but exclaim, "Elder Liang, this dung truly is as precious as gold!"
"Heh heh, your description is quite fitting."
After chatting with Liang Borui for a while, Li Haochen left Jiuzhitang. As soon as he stepped out the door, his demeanor was unbearable. It couldn't be helped; who wouldn't act like this after suddenly coming into a fortune? Those who didn't would probably be stunned.
He hailed a Didi and returned to Dalong Village. As soon as he got out of the car, Li Haochen slapped his thigh. "Damn, my fish…"
He hurried to the riverbank, but there was no sign of the fishing rod or the fish. Someone must have conveniently "borrowed" them.
Even though he lost his fishing rod and fish, it couldn't dampen the excitement from his windfall. Li Haochen happily walked home and ran into the village chief, Huang Haiyuan. "Haochen, why are you so happy? Did you find some gold, heh heh."
"Yes, Uncle Yuan. I found ten or twenty pounds, heh heh."
"You child. Alright, come visit when you have time."
"Sigh… why doesn't anyone believe it when I tell the truth?"
Li Haochen hummed an unknown tune, walking as if he were drunk. Back home, Murong Yanran and Xie Baolian had already returned. Seeing Li Haochen's demeanor, they felt like kicking him.
Li Haochen walked over, planted two kisses on Xie Baolian's face, and then gave Murong Yanran a scandalous, passionate kiss. "Hahaha, I'm in a good mood today, let's go out to eat."
Li Haochen's good mood lasted less than three seconds before his ears and the soft flesh of his waist were subjected to a 360-degree assault.
"Oooooh…"
Li Haochen seized an opportunity, covering his ears and holding his waist as he escaped the torment of the two she-devils.
"Hmph, walk any slower and I'll twist your ear off, making me slobber all over my face."
Before long, Li Haochen came waddling back, arm around Murong Yanran and Xie Baolian. His excitement was irrepressible, and he grinned foolishly.
Xie Baolian placed the back of her hand against Li Haochen's forehead. "You don't have a fever, do you? Why are you acting so silly?"
"I…" Li Haochen's face was covered in black lines. "Mom, why would you wish your son to be silly?"
Xie Baolian rolled her eyes at Li Haochen. "You're not silly, then why are you drooling?"
"Heh heh, I'm in a good mood, so I won't argue with you."
The moment he finished speaking, two murderous gazes shot towards him from the side, scaring Li Haochen into shrinking his head.
"Still not going to tell us?"
Thinking about it again, Li Haochen's excitement couldn't be contained. "Your son has struck it rich today, heh heh…"