Chapter Fifty-Nine: Want to Hit Me? Impossible!

The ticket scalper was momentarily stunned—good heavens, even lighting a cigarette could look so suave? Should I try that too? With skills like that, winning over women would be effortless! But then he remembered the exorbitant price of lighters. Forget it, matches are just fine. It’s all about style, anyway. Let me study how to make matches look cool—I'll be just as impressive!

“Brother, that’s 87.52 in total! You can just give eighty-five!” The scalper, reluctant to smoke the premium cigarette Chen Liang had given him, tucked it behind his ear and pulled out a pack of mass-produced cigarettes, handing one each to himself and his companions.

Chen Liang figured that was about the right price. Under the scalper’s eager gaze, he pulled out a thick wad of large black ten-yuan bills from his pocket. “Here’s a hundred. Give me some change in small bills—one and five yuan notes.”

“Sure! Brother, I’ll get your change right now!” They dug into their pockets, gathering fifteen yuan in small bills and handed them to Chen Liang.

Taking the change, Chen Liang glanced at the excited scalper and handed him an extra five yuan. “I’m not looking to take advantage. Next time, collect more Maotai tickets—I’ll buy them all. Take the extra as a tip for your trouble.”

“Brother, I’m called Big Dog. I do business around here. Next time you come, if you don’t find me, just ask anyone—they all know me!”

“Alright, remember to collect more Maotai tickets. I need them.” Chen Liang thought for a moment and tossed the newly opened pack of premium cigarettes over.

“Don’t forget. Make sure to gather as many Maotai tickets as you can!”

He could handle most things, but in Chen Liang’s supermarket, Maotai was truly disappearing bottle by bottle. After all, the shop was run by foreigners—there wasn’t much Chinese liquor, but plenty of Western spirits. Perhaps he should bring some Western liquor for his master and uncle to try? Maybe give them Royal Salute or Louis XIII? If that didn’t work, switch to Remy Martin XO. Who knows, they might get used to it!

Big Dog caught the premium cigarette Chen Liang threw, grinning with delight. Ignoring the envious glances from his companions, he took the cigarette from behind his ear and tucked it into his vest pocket.

He thought, what’s the point of a country bumpkin like me smoking premium cigarettes? Those mass-produced ones are good enough!

“Stop staring, guys. This cigarette needs to be used wisely—who knows, it might help one of our brothers get a permanent job!”

“Dog Bro, are you serious?” Getting a permanent job? That was something these poor kids could only dream of.

“When have I ever lied to you? Alright, hurry and get to work. Second Donkey, come here. Take these tickets and sell them. I need to help our Money God collect Maotai tickets!”

Chen Liang entered the Pigeon Market and quickly walked up to a stall selling mountain goods. The stall was messy, offering all sorts of things.

“Hey, how much for the goji berries?” The vendor was an old man in a shabby padded coat.

He sized up Chen Liang. “Eight cents a pound. Authentic Ningxia goji berries.”

Chen Liang pinched one, sniffed it, then tasted it. He had to admit, wild goji berries from this era were truly excellent.

As for whether they were from Ningxia, it didn’t really matter—wild ones were good enough.

“Eight cents? I’ll take them all! Pack them up!” He watched as the old man poured all the goji berries into a small, worn cloth bag, weighed them, and handed the scale to Chen Liang. “Ten pounds and three ounces. I’ll charge you for ten pounds.”

Chen Liang didn’t understand the scale, but he nodded gravely, playing along. “Give me my change.”

Money exchanged hands. Chen Liang handed over a large black ten-yuan note. While the old man was making change, Chen Liang noticed a small clay jar at his feet and pointed to it. “Old man, what’s in there?”

The old man paused, glanced over. “Wild honey. Want some? It’s very sweet.”

Honey, if consumed regularly, was good for beauty and skin. His precious Xiao Yu was so lovely—she needed all the care she could get. If she grew old and lost her beauty, who would suffer more than him?

“I’ll take it all!” Chen Liang didn’t even ask the price.

“One jar, ten pounds. One pound is one yuan fifty. Give me thirteen yuan.”

He quickly handed over the money. “Old man, I don’t have anything to carry it in. I’ll give you an extra dime and take the jar for one yuan.”

Satisfied, carrying his honey and goji berries, Chen Liang headed home. As for wild mountain goods, his supermarket had everything else imaginable.

By the time he got home, dawn was breaking. Chen Liang took off his scarf, went to the kitchen, lit the coal stove, boiled a kettle of water, and brought out Xiao Yu’s daily porcelain cup to make her a honey drink.

He thought for a moment, then scooped a spoonful of honey into each cup belonging to his mother, sister-in-law, little sister, and Chen Hong. Everyone should have some—not just Xiao Yu.

His mother, awakened by the commotion, looked at him. “Mom, I made you a cup of honey water. Let it cool before you drink.”

“You never sleep, wandering around like a ghost. What are you up to?” His mother was clearly cranky, starting to nag him the moment she saw him.

But Chen Liang was a master at coaxing women. “Oh, Mom, women shouldn’t get angry first thing in the morning. Look, you’re getting crow’s feet already!”

“Still your fault!” His mother was unimpressed.

“That’s why I made you honey water. Drink a cup every morning, and I promise you’ll be beautiful!”

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Mom, soon you’ll look younger and younger, and leave Dad looking like an old codger!”

“Pfft!” He made her laugh, just as his father walked out of the bedroom, face dark and silent.

Chen Liang looked at his father’s unfriendly gaze and thought, this is nothing—just trivial matters.

Hmph! As long as I cling to my mother, you can only dream of hitting me!

“Mom, today I want some wontons from the street vendor.” See? He easily distracted his father.

Not only did he avoid a beating, but now his father had to fetch him wontons. Why bother?

“You heard him—your son wants wontons. Go buy some already!” His mother, sitting at the table sipping honey water, gave his father a hard look.

Chen Dashan: Wants to hit his son but has no excuse. What should he do? Waiting online—urgent!

“Got it!” Chen Dashan, simmering with anger, trudged off to buy wontons for his son, who only knew how to aggravate him. He was so frustrated!

Having sent his father away and coaxed his mother into laughter, Chen Liang took Xiao Yu’s cup and returned to the bedroom.

He gently woke his precious Xiao Yu, coaxed her into drinking honey water, and she fully woke up.

She snuggled with Chen Liang for a while, acting spoiled, until his father returned with wontons, prompting her to get up and wash.