Chapter 141 Here Comes Someone to Deliver Money

Hearing Liu Xing say this, Nai Xinru could no longer hold back the tears welling up in her eyes, and they streamed down uncontrollably. After whispering a word of thanks to Liu Xing, she scooped up little Doudou and ran into the kitchen.

It was not that she wanted to hide, but the grievances in her heart could no longer be contained. She wanted to cry, to cry out loud, and let out all the unfair treatment and bitter experiences she had suffered over the past few years.

Yet, here in the marketplace, there was no one to whom she could pour out her sorrows.

Little Doudou was too young to understand.

Zhao Wuliang was even less of an option, for he now only filled her heart with disgust.

As for Liu Xing...

Nai Xinru did have that fleeting thought.

But alas, there were so many people present.

If she were to actually do such a thing, she would likely no longer have a place to stand in the marketplace.

After all, when all was said and done, she was a widow—a widow with baggage whom outsiders looked down upon.

As a person reborn, Liu Xing saw through Nai Xinru's thoughts at a glance. With a light sigh, he said to Liu Dongju, "Sister, why don't you go and comfort her?"

"Okay!" Hearing this, Liu Dongju hurriedly walked into the kitchen.

Li Qing wanted to follow her inside, but was pulled back by Zhao Geng, who was puffing on his bamboo water pipe. "Don't go in there and stir up trouble right now. I can tell already; our son Zhao Wuliang and this widow Nai are simply not a match."

"I don't believe it for a second." Li Qing gave Zhao Geng a sideways glance and walked straight into the kitchen anyway.

But she came back out almost immediately.

As for the reason, she said nothing.

Yet everyone present could tell.

She had most likely been given the cold shoulder.

Ignoring all this, Liu Xing turned to Zhao Gou and said, "Once I head home, you need to make sure you, Gouzi, and Zhao Liang keep the peace and order in the marketplace. You heard what my uncle said earlier—if anyone causes trouble, just arrest them and send them straight to the police station. Don't overthink it."

"Got it! Got it!" Zhao Gou nodded repeatedly.

"Also, the marketplace management fund has some money now. We can't keep scraping by on a fixed wage of just a dozen yuan; people will look down on us for that." Liu Xing reached out and patted Zhao Gou on the shoulder. "Did you understand what I meant?"

"Not really," Zhao Gou replied with an honest, goofy smile.

"I'm planning to raise your salary next month." Knowing that Zhao Gou wouldn't understand hints, Liu Xing had no choice but to spell it out plainly.

"Really?" Zhao Gou was overjoyed.

"Of course it's real, but you'll need to take more responsibility for maintaining order in the market," Liu Xing reminded him.

"You can count on me." Zhao Gou straightened his posture.

"Well... barring any unexpected issues, you, Gouzi, and Zhao Liang will each make no less than fifty yuan a month," Liu Xing said earnestly.

The reason he offered such a high sum was that he knew people wouldn't be motivated to work without proper compensation.

Sure enough, upon hearing that Liu Xing would pay him that much starting next month, Zhao Gou was beyond thrilled. "Boss, say no more! I'm off to find Gouzi to start the patrol."

With that, he turned on his heel to leave.

"Get back here, you big oaf! My brother-in-law's rice seedlings haven't been planted yet!" Liu Xing scolded with a mixture of exasperation and amusement.

"Haha... Right, of course." Zhao Gou rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. Seeing that Zhao Geng, Li Qing, and Zhao Dongkui had all headed off to the farmlands, he quickly hurried to catch up with them.

Liu Xing watched Zhao Gou walk away, then turned around to see that Zhao Liang had brought Yang Zhi over. He pointed at the two tote bags resting beside the wooden table and said, "Tell me, Brother Yang, do you recently harbor some dislike for my shoe store's business, since you seem reluctant to come by and make deposits anymore?"

Initially, he hadn't wanted to accept Liu Siwen's money, but upon second thought, realizing that Bureau Chief Wu had personally intervened, accepting it was the wiser choice.

After all, Bureau Chief Wu's face had to be respected regardless.

If he acted willfully and recklessly, he would undoubtedly be the one to suffer in the end.

"How could I? The leadership has been tied up in meetings!" Yang Zhi hastily explained. "If Zhao Liang hadn't shown up, I probably wouldn't have been able to slip away at all."

"That's right," Zhao Liang chimed in to corroborate.

"I see!" Liu Xing smiled. "No more small talk; I need to make a deposit."

"How much?" Yang Zhi placed the two tote bags onto the wooden stool.

"Not much, just forty thousand," Liu Xing replied.

Hearing this, Yang Zhi, who was sitting on the stool, nearly tumbled backward in shock. "Did you say how much?"

"Forty thousand," Liu Xing repeated with a calm smile.

From Yang Zhi's reaction, he could tell that the rural credit cooperative in the market didn't handle large deposits annually; otherwise, Yang Zhi would never have lost his composure over forty thousand yuan.

Realizing he had acted unprofessionally, Yang Zhi offered an awkward laugh and hastily opened the tote bags.

Upon seeing that the bags were packed with bundles of brand-new ten-yuan banknotes, he froze in place, utterly dumbfounded.

Recovering his wits, he stared blankly at Liu Xing. "What on earth have you been up to lately? Even robbing a bank wouldn't bring in money this fast!"

"Don't ask questions you shouldn't," Bureau Chief Wu interjected from the side.

"Fair enough!" Yang Zhi chuckled awkwardly. Seeing that Li Dawei and Liu Siwen were also present, he quickly guessed the general situation.

Noticing that Liu Xing had no further instructions, Yang Zhi eagerly set about counting the cash with utmost concentration.

Liu Xing waited nearby until Yang Zhi finished counting and confirmed the exact sum of forty thousand yuan. Only then did he instruct, "Deposit this money into my personal account, and make it a current account. Do not put it into the marketplace's public account."

"Understood, but regardless, you'll need to come with me to the rural credit cooperative," Yang Zhi said, lifting the two tote bags with a grin.

"Let's go," Liu Xing led the way.

After exchanging nods with Bureau Chief Wu, Zhang Qiuxiang, Li Dawei, and Liu Siwen, Yang Zhi hurried to keep up.

Bureau Chief Wu watched Liu Xing depart, then turned to Li Dawei and Liu Siwen. "Listen, when we go to plant rice seedlings at Liu Xing's place today, the two of you need to put on a harmonious front. No backstabbing or plotting against each other—it won't do either of you any good."

"Understood," Liu Siwen hastily expressed his compliance.

Li Dawei raised no objections either.

Bureau Chief Wu lit a cigarette. "As for whose bottling equipment gets repaired first after the planting is done, I assume it will be the Hengshui Distillery. After all, Li Dawei was the one who sought out Liu Xing first."

"That's not fair! My Zhongyi Distillery—" Liu Siwen started, but Bureau Chief Wu cut him off. "What else do you expect? There is only one Liu Xing in this world, and for now, he is the only one who knows how to repair bottling equipment, unless you can find someone else equally brilliant."

At these words, Liu Siwen was left utterly speechless.

Naturally, he had no choice but to compromise.

After all, Bureau Chief Wu was right.

There was only one Liu Xing in this entire world.

He could never find a second one.

Li Dawei chuckled as he watched Liu Siwen's expression.

Just as he was about to deliver another jab, Li Weiwei poked her little head out from the car window. "Dad, how much longer do we have to wait?"

"How would I know? If you're feeling cooped up inside the car, I can roll you out for a stroll," Li Dawei said with a smile.

"Yes, please!" Li Weiwei jumped at the chance.

Seeing this, Li Dawei walked over to the sedan.

Before he could even open the door, Guazi and Xiaobudian came running up.

Guazi tilted her head and asked, "Sister Weiwei, since you're already here, why didn't you get out and play with us right away?"

"Exactly! Let's go play Hawk Catches the Chick, it's so much fun." Without waiting for Li Dawei's consent, Xiaobudian stood on tiptoes and yanked the car door open.

Guazi was just as quick, helping to pull the wheelchair out from the car.

Fearing that Li Weiwei might fall, Li Dawei quickly stepped in to assist.

Just as he was about to tell Li Weiwei to be careful, Guazi and Xiaobudian had already wheeled her far away.

"Such mischievous little imps." Li Dawei felt a mild headache coming on, but he didn't scold them.

Because he spotted Lanlan running over as well, trailed by the scrawny little Doudou.

Upon joining Guazi, Xiaobudian, and Li Weiwei, they actually started playing Hawk Catches the Chick.

Their joyful expressions were so infectious that even he found himself smiling.

Especially Li Weiwei—her laughter didn't stop for a moment.

It seemed that here was where she was truly happiest.

Watching them, Li Dawei suddenly felt his eyes grow moist.

Only now did he truly understand the meaning behind the stern warnings from the divine physician Jiang.

He realized he truly had neglected Weiwei and her emotional needs.

If he had spared more time to accompany her back then, perhaps she would never have ended up confined to a wheelchair.

Yet regret came too late, for helping Weiwei's legs recover so she could stand again would likely be an impossible task.

Noticing that Li Dawei's mood had soured, Bureau Chief Wu pulled Liu Siwen away and led him toward the kitchen to roast some rice cakes.

By the time they came back out, Liu Xing had not yet returned, but Niu Lianfang had driven back in her jeep.

Moreover, Zhao Wuliang's figure was nowhere to be seen in the back seat.

Sensing something amiss, Bureau Chief Wu stepped forward and asked, "Weren't you sent to Luosi Village to handle the matter of Zhao Wuliang getting beaten up? How did you get back so fast?"

Even though Luosi Village wasn't far by car, returning this quickly seemed quite bizarre.

After parking the jeep securely, Niu Lianfang lowered her voice to address Bureau Chief Wu's confusion. "Zhao Wuliang and a whole bunch of local hoodlums have all been taken away by Station Chief Tian."

"What?" Bureau Chief Wu was startled.

Weren't the perpetrators supposed to be just a few local thugs from Luosi Village?

How did Zhao Wuliang end up getting arrested along with them?

Seeing no strangers nearby, Niu Lianfang whispered, "According to what Station Chief Tian implied, Zhao Wuliang is implicated in a major criminal case from three years ago, and he's highly likely to be the mastermind."

"What?!" Bureau Chief Wu clutched his forehead, momentarily speechless.

It wasn't just about Zhao Wuliang committing a crime, but rather how they were going to explain this to Liu Xing when he returned!

After all, taking Zhao Wuliang to Luosi Village this time was meant to help Nai Xinru seek justice, not to let Zhao Wuliang dig his own grave.

Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't have felt any psychological burden.

But right now...

He feared Liu Xing might use this as an excuse to refuse repairing the bottling equipment!

Regardless of the reasons, quietly letting Tian Jun arrest Zhao Wuliang was undeniably underhanded.

Sensing Bureau Chief Wu's anxiety, Niu Lianfang smiled and reassured him, "Don't worry, Bureau Chief Wu. Zhao Wuliang's arrest won't affect the repair of the bottling equipment."

"Why's that?" Bureau Chief Wu asked, puzzled.

"Because Liu Xing intensely dislikes Zhao Wuliang, even if he is his brother-in-law's younger brother," Niu Lianfang whispered the reason.

"Are you certain?" Bureau Chief Wu paused.

"Extremely certain," Niu Lianfang replied.

"That's a relief." Bureau Chief Wu breathed a sigh of expression. Seeing that Liu Xing had finally returned to the street, he hurried forward to meet him.

Niu Lianfang didn't follow; instead, she walked into the kitchen to enjoy her roasted rice cakes.

On the street, noticing Bureau Chief Wu's slightly peculiar expression, Liu Xing smiled and casually asked, "What's wrong? Who managed to upset you this time?"

"It's Zhao Wuliang," Bureau Chief Wu answered bluntly.

"Oh?" Liu Xing froze.

Why could this Zhao Wuliang never stay out of trouble?

Bureau Chief Wu reached out and patted Liu Xing's shoulder. "Here's what happened: Niu Lianfang took Zhao Wuliang to Luosi Village and happened to run into Station Chief Tian. Perhaps while looking into the thugs who beat up Nai Xinru, they dug deeper, and the investigation unraveled a massive old case. Zhao Wuliang turned out to be the mastermind."

"A major case?"

"The mastermind?"

"Good lord! Does that mean Zhao Wuliang is facing a firing squad?" Liu Xing blurted out.

"I don't know the exact details, but I'll make one thing clear: this has nothing to do with me. Who told Zhao Wuliang to commit such crimes in the first place?" Bureau Chief Wu sighed lightly.

"Fair enough," Liu Xing nodded. Seeing Liu Dongju leading Nai Xinru toward the shoe store, he said to Bureau Chief Wu, "I need to break this news to my sister so she won't be caught off guard."

"As for how to deal with Zhao Wuliang, you and Station Chief Tian don't need to consult my opinion. Handle him however the law requires," Liu Xing added after a brief pause.

"Very well!" Bureau Chief Wu nodded with a sense of relief.

This Liu Xing truly was a sensible and reasonable young man.

Had it been anyone else, they would have stepped forward to plead for Zhao Wuliang by now.

After all, Zhao Wuliang was, to some degree, Liu Xing's relative.

"I'll be right back!" Liu Xing greeted Bureau Chief Wu and walked straight into the shoe store.

Inside, Liu Dongju was whispering quietly with Nai Xinru.

Seeing Liu Xing arrive, she quickly changed the subject. "So, is all the money safely deposited?"

"Yes. I've also arranged with Yang Zhi that on every market day afternoon, he'll personally come to collect the cash for deposit at the cooperative," Liu Xing replied with a faint smile. "As for shoe supplies, I'll have someone deliver them when I head back. Sister, your only job is to manage the sales."

"Okay! Okay!" Liu Dongju nodded repeatedly.

Her younger brother's growing competence gave her greater peace of mind with each passing day.

"Oh, there's one more thing you need to know, Sister." At this, Liu Xing's expression turned serious.

"What is it?" Liu Dongju felt a flutter of anxiety seeing Liu Xing's demeanor.

"Zhao Wuliang has been arrested again. According to information from Bureau Chief Wu, he seems to be involved in a major criminal case this time. My intervention won't help, so you need to mentally prepare yourself and go tell your parents-in-law so they can brace themselves as well." Having said this, Liu Xing glanced at Nai Xinru. Seeing she didn't look terrified, he smiled and waited for Liu Dongju's response.

"Y-you... what did you say?" Once the words registered, panic completely overtook Liu Dongju. "That Zhao Wuliang got arrested again? And he's mixed up in a major case?!"

"Yes," Liu Xing confirmed with a nod.

Utterly flustered, Liu Dongju paced back and forth in a panic. "This is bad. I have to go tell my mother-in-law right away."

"Go on then," Liu Xing smiled.

Hearing this, Liu Dongju hurried out of the shoe store.

Liu Xing watched her leave, then noticed Nai Xinru standing stiffly nearby, too nervous to move. He smiled and said, "Once I leave, I'll have to trouble you to look after the store, Sister. If you run into any trouble, you can ask Zhao Gou for help. Though he's a bit simple-minded, he's completely trustworthy."

"Okay!" Nai Xinru nodded happily.

Her happiness stemmed simply from the fact that Liu Xing had called her sister.

"As for Zhao Wuliang's arrest, it might bring you some trouble, but from another perspective, it's actually a form of liberation for you." Seeing Bureau Chief Wu calling out to him from outside, Liu Xing didn't elaborate further, turning to walk out of the shoe store.

Nai Xinru stood in place, mulling over the meaning behind Liu Xing's words. Once she understood, she couldn't help but smile.

Liu Xing was right; Zhao Wuliang's arrest was indeed a release for her.

Otherwise, remaining entangled with Zhao Wuliang would only have brought her endless, escalating misery.

Noticing that the floor of the shoe store was somewhat dusty, she immediately picked up the broom in the corner and began to sweep.

Yet for some reason, her mind was completely filled with images of Liu Xing.

It wasn't out of romantic affection, but rather the sudden realization that this young boy was far from ordinary.

No! He was far too extraordinary.

To possess such powerful connections at such a tender age—

what would he achieve once he grew up?

Most importantly, he possessed the exceptional craft of shoemaking.

At his age, most children were still busy playing with mud at home!

...

Outside the kitchen door, Bureau Chief Wu checked his wristwatch. "Liu Xing! Since your money is deposited, it's about time we head over to your place to plant those rice seedlings. Don't drag your feet too long; I still have plenty of matters to attend to!"

"Then you should go handle them, Uncle! Our rice planting doesn't require you to come and join the spectacle," Liu Xing replied with a smile.

"You rascal, always talking back to your uncle." Bureau Chief Wu pointed a finger at Liu Xing with a faint, amused smile. "Can we drop the jokes? Your affairs are essentially my affairs now. Surely I don't need to spell out the underlying reasons to you, do I?"

"Fine! Let me go gather my things," Liu Xing conceded.

"Hurry up, hurry up!" Bureau Chief Wu waved his hand.

Liu Xing turned and walked over to Guazi, who was still in the middle of playing Hawk Catches the Chick. "Stop playing. Help me pack our things so we can head back and plant rice."

"You're coming back with us too," Liu Xing added, looking at Lanlan, who was sweating profusely.

He had no choice; the divine physician Jiang had entrusted him with Lanlan's care. If he left her at his eldest sister's place and something went wrong, he wouldn't know how to explain it, so taking her home was the safest option.

Hearing this, Lanlan grabbed Guazi's hand and bolted toward the backyard.

Liu Xing followed closely behind.

Before he had even walked two meters, Xiaobudian rushed over and wrapped her arms around his right leg. "Uncle! Uncle! Can I go play at your house too?"

"And what if someone eats up all the braised pork at your house while you're gone?" Liu Xing teased, picking Xiaobudian up with a smile in his eyes.

That thought instantly baffled Xiaobudian. "Then I won't go! I'll wait until we finish eating our own braised pork before I go play at Uncle's house."

"Now that's more like it!" Liu Xing set Xiaobudian down. "Right! Remember not to let anyone bully little Doudou."

"Okay, okay!" Xiaobudian nodded vigorously.

Seeing little Doudou watching from the side, she ran over, grabbed his hand, and dragged him off to poke at an ant nest.

Standing at the entrance of the shoe store, Nai Xinru watched this scene and smiled with a deep sense of comfort.

For reasons unknown, Liu Xing's words just then had filled her with a sense of familial warmth.

It was a feeling she had never experienced before.

Noticing a customer stepping into the shop to look at shoes, she quickly hurried inside. "Hello! What kind of shoes are you looking for?"

...

Liu Xing didn't have many belongings to take back home.

Aside from his bankbook and a few changes of clothes, the bulkiest item was Black Calf.

Of course, Black Calf wasn't an item.

It was his family's most beloved plow ox.

Seeing that Guazi and Lanlan were all set, he took the lead and headed toward the ox pen.

After leading Black Calf out, he left Guazi to watch it for a moment.

Then he walked alone back to the shoe store.

Right after Nai Xinru successfully closed her very first sale, he approached with a smile and said, "I'm heading home right away. Before I go, let me remind you: never sell these shoes to outsiders. Even if you do, wait until I'm here."

His caution was to prevent merchants like Luoxun from bulk-purchasing his handmade shoes.

After all, summer was fast approaching, and the business for sandals and slippers was bound to boom.

Though Nai Xinru didn't fully grasp the business logic behind it, she nodded earnestly and etched his words into her mind.

"Also, you should change into a decent set of clothes. Change little Doudou's clothes too—stop letting him look like a little beggar; it affects my shop's image." Disregarding Nai Xinru's startled expression, Liu Xing pulled out thirty yuan and handed it to her. "Take this money. It's not charity—consider it a loan, and I'll deduct it from your future wages."

"Thank you! Thank you!"

Nai Xinru accepted the cash with warmth spreading through her chest.

Truth be told, these were the kindest words she had ever heard since getting married.

"Work hard, and don't let me down." With that, Liu Xing turned around, walked back to Black Calf, and lifted Lanlan and Guazi onto the ox's back before leading the animal toward Shishi Village.

"Liu Xing, stop walking the calf back—just ride in my car instead!" Bureau Chief Wu called out.

"No thanks, I wouldn't trust leaving him behind," Liu Xing replied with a smile.

"This kid," Bureau Chief Wu shook his head.

"Never mind him, let's head over first," Zhang Qiuxiang said. Seeing that Liu Xing had climbed onto Black Calf's back as well, she urged Bureau Chief Wu to get the car moving.

"You got it!" Seeing Li Dawei, Liu Siwen, and the others drive off in their sedans, Bureau Chief Wu quickly cranked up the jeep and followed behind.

Before long, they had all vanished down the marketplace street.

Yet, to everyone's surprise, shortly after they left, Li Qing rushed back from the farmlands and pointed at Nai Xinru, unleashing a torrent of abusive curses.

The reason for her vicious tirade was her belief that Nai Xinru, the widow, was a jinx who had caused Zhao Wuliang to be unjustly arrested yet again.

Because her voice was piercingly loud, it quickly drew a crowd of curious villagers.

Not a single person stepped up to defend Nai Xinru; instead, many joined in to point fingers and condemn her.

After all, in the countryside, superstitions about widows carrying a curse of bad luck ran deep.

If Nai Xinru wasn't a jinx, why had her first husband suddenly dropped dead, and why did all her previous suitors either fall gravely ill or meet untimely ends?

Such merciless and unfair treatment pushed Nai Xinru to the brink of wanting to end her own life.

Yet her rationality returned swiftly. She retreated deep into the shoe store, letting Li Qing hurl insults without fighting back.

Her ability to endure this abuse stemmed entirely from remembering Liu Xing's words.

*A mother is soft by nature, but becomes strong for her child.*

If she died now, it would be an easy way out for her, but what would become of her son, little Doudou?

Therefore, she had to be strong, turning everyone's unfair treatment into fuel for perseverance.

She believed that heaven would eventually open its eyes and grant her a good life.

No!

Heaven had already opened its eyes, because in the darkest hour of her life, hadn't she met someone like Liu Xing, who was willing to help her?

Thus, she had to be strong.

Even if only to live up to the expectations Liu Xing held for her, she could not give up on life, nor could she lose her ideals at this very moment.