《Back To 2001: Becoming The Richest Man Alive》 Chapter 1 Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation ¡°Director Jiang, thank you for your generous investment in our company. As the company¡¯s director¡¯s secretary, I¡¯d like to propose a toast to you.¡± A graceful woman walked to him. She wore black stockings and bright red high heels, and she bent down beside Jiang Bei. Her deep cleavage and perky bum were stimulating the male hormones. The man whom she called ¡°Director Jiang¡± also had a smile on his face as he lightly clinked glasses with her. ¡°Ah!¡± The woman suddenly exclaimed in a coquettish manner. It turned out that her handbag had slipped onto the ground. She hurriedly faced Jiang Bei and squatted down. Then, she picked up her handbag and slipped him a business card. She held onto Jiang Bei¡¯s thigh and stood up. She even used her finger to gently hook it. When she saw Jiang Bei silently keeping her business card, she smiled. ¡°Director Jiang, come.¡± The woman downed the red wine in her glass in one gulp. Some red liquid flowed down the corner of her mouth and onto her neck. She was a young seductress who knew how to stir troubles in the workplace! Jiang Bei smiled and toasted. This banquet was held for Jiang Bei. He was the focus of the event. As they toasted, countless women handed him their business cards and secretly requested for him to stay over. Jiang Bei, who was slightly tipsy, slowly stood up and took his leave. He walked to the door and made a phone call to someone. The women¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up and they all stopped moving. This man, who was only in his forties but had a few billion in assets, was an absolute bachelor. Who wouldn¡¯t want to be with such a person? Although he had a wife and even a daughter, who would care if he had so much wealth? After all, his wife and daughter had been dead for twenty years. Jiang Bei walked out of the banquet hall and threw all the business cards in his pocket into the trash can. The handsome middle-aged man seemed to have suddenly aged by more than ten years. The smile on his face completely disappeared, and his brows seemed to be locked in a frown. This difference in his expressions showed how good of an actor he was. Everyone knew that he was an eligible bachelor who had lost his wife and child, but who would know that his wife and child died because of him? Jiang Bei returned to his hotel room, filled the bathtub, and sat in it. It was late at night, and he fell into a deep sleep amid self-reproach. ¡­ The swelling pain in his head and stomach caused Jiang Bei to gradually regain consciousness. ¡°I thought I didn¡¯t drink much¡­¡±Jiang Bei rubbed his temples, closed his eyes, and slowly sat up. Ever since that year, he had not drunk much. Other than during the social events that he had to attend, he did not drink a single drop of alcohol in his daily life. Because twenty years ago, he was a scum who drank too much, gambled, and abused his family! His wife and daughter died because of him, and his family was ruined because of him. Since then¡­ He had spent twenty years in regret. Every time he closed his eyes, he could not help but think about what happened that year. It was he who destroyed his family! It was his fault that his wife and daughter had left this world forever! How great would it be if he could relive his life again? As Jiang Bei thought of this, the corners of his mouth curled into a self-deprecating smile. He thought about his gentle and beautiful wife, his cute daughter. Their small family could have been happy. In this life, I have let you all down¡­ ¡°Mommy, mommy¡­ daddy seems to have woken up.¡± A weak voice entered his ears. It was a young child, as if she had seen something that made her afraid. Even her voice was trembling. Every day, he would beat and scold his wife. He would go crazy after drinking too much. He would ask his wife for money and smash things. He would make a mess in the house. This made his young daughter afraid of him. In the eyes of his wife and daughter, he was not a human, but a devil! A devil that deserved to go to hell! No matter how much charity he had done in the past twenty years, he could not redeem his own heart. He had heard such a voice and seen such a scene countless times in his dreams. ¡°Wanwan, be good. Mommy will protect you. We are not afraid of him.¡± ¡°Mommy¡­ Wanwan wants to protect you. I won¡¯t let daddy bully you anymore. I am already grown up.¡± The clear voices of the mother and daughter entered his ears and stimulated Jiang Bei. He slowly opened his eyes, but what he saw was not a hotel suite at all. On the dining table in front of him was a small plate of peanuts, half a portion of stewed fish, and half a bottle of low-quality white wine. He turned his head. The living room was simply decorated and there was no television on the television stand that he had smashed long ago. There was also a big wooden chair at the side, and a woman was sitting on it. There was a child in front of her. Jiang Bei¡¯s pupils contracted violently. That was his wife, Xu Xinrong, and their daughter, Jiang Xiaowan. The one who was trying her best to stand in front of Xu Xinrong was his three-year-old daughter, who appeared younger than her peers due to malnutrition! When she saw him turning around, she looked at him bravely with a bulging face. Her eyes were full of fear, but she did not take a step back! She wanted to use her small body to protect her mother. ¡°Wanwan¡­¡± Jiang Bei opened his mouth. The strong smell of alcohol in his throat and the piercing pain in his head clashed with the illusory scene in front of him. He shook his head and tried to wake himself up. He didn¡¯t know if this was a dream or not. Even if it was a dream, he wanted to see his wife and daughter again and apologize to them. ¡°Wanwan, Xinrong.¡±Jiang Bei slowly stood up. Because he was drunk just now, his body swayed, as if he could fall down at any time. He staggered toward his wife and daughter. There were tears in Jiang Xiaowan¡¯s eyes, she was terrified. Even so, she still didn¡¯t retreat. She stretched her arms to protect her mother behind her. Jiang Bei walked up to his daughter and smiled. Actually, he wanted to smile a little better, but he could not hold back the tears in his eyes. In addition to his drunken and pale face, this made him look even more ferocious and terrifying. He slowly stretched out his hand, wanting to touch his daughter¡¯s head. However, Xu Xinrong, who was beside him, had already stood up and protected her daughter behind her. Then, she suddenly pushed Jiang Bei! ¡°Jiang Bei! Are you going to attack your daughter now?! You could beat me to death! Don¡¯t touch my daughter!¡± ¡°Bam!¡± Jiang Bei fell and the back of his head hit the floor. It was as if the pain made his head clearer. He struggled to get up, but when he looked sideways, he saw the calendar on the wall. It was clear and blinding. ¡°May 29, 2001¡­.¡± Chapter 2 Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation ¡°Mom¡­ don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry. I will protect you.¡± Xu Xinrong¡¯s sobbing, Wanwan¡¯s panicked crying voice, and the date on the calendar all stimulated Jiang Bei¡¯s nerves. The sharp pain at the back of his head told Jiang Bei that he was really reborn. ¡°My daughter, my wife are still alive¡­¡± Jiang Bei grinned, tears silently rolling down the corners of his eyes. However, his body began to tremble violently. Those nightmarish days, even just thinking about them was enough to make him suffer endlessly! In his previous life, this was the day when he owed a gambling debt, and someone came to him to collect the debt! He didn¡¯t even know how much debt he owed. He would be beaten violently when someone came to collect his debt. And back when he was drunk, he didn¡¯t care at all about the life and death of his wife and daughter. After those hooligans came to his house, they threatened Jiang Bei who was drunk and couldn¡¯t pay a single cent. After that, they gave him a vicious beating. His daughter was pushed to the corner of the living room, and her head was heavily knocked on it. A child of only three years old died just like that. That night, his wife slit her wrists at home and committed suicide. His daughter¡¯s death was the last straw for this strong woman. Her hope for a better life was gone, and she could no longer see her daughter grow up. Jiang Bei struggled to stand up. He wanted to see his daughter, but he stumbled and fell to the ground. The pain in his knees, the weakness in his legs, and the lack of clarity in his mind made it impossible for him to stand up, but he straightened his body. And knelt down. Jiang Bei didn¡¯t care about Xu Xinrong¡¯s shocked expression. He murmured softly, ¡°Wanwan, Wanwan¡­¡± ¡°Can daddy hug you?¡±Jiang Bei asked in a pleading tone, ¡°Can daddy hug you again?¡± Jiang Xiaowan raised her head and looked at her mother beside her, as well as her tearful father. ¡°Daddy, can you stop hitting mommy? If you stop hitting Mommy, I¡¯ll let you hug me,¡± Jiang Xiaowan tugged at her mother¡¯s sleeve and said timidly. ¡°I won¡¯t hit her anymore. I was wrong.¡±Jiang Bei couldn¡¯t hold back his tears anymore, and they poured out like torrents at this moment. He hugged his daughter who was walking towards him and cried silently. How would the three-year-old Jiang Xiaowan understand any of this? How would she know that her father was reborn after twenty years? She just felt that if her father wouldn¡¯t hit her mother anymore then the family could be happy together again. ¡°Daddy don¡¯t cry. If you cry, you are not a good baby anymore.¡± Jiang Xiaowan patted Jiang Bei¡¯s back gently and comforted him. ¡°I won¡¯t cry¡­¡± Jiang Bei wiped his eyes with his sleeve, but he couldn¡¯t control his tears. ¡°Daddy, you¡¯re hurting me,¡± Xiaowan said softly in Jiang Bei¡¯s ear. She didn¡¯t dare to speak loudly because she knew that if her mother heard it, she would ¡°snatch¡± her away from her father¡¯s arms. She also enjoyed this kind of embrace. It seemed that in her few memories, this man whom she called ¡°daddy¡± had never hugged her. ¡°I am sorry.¡± Jiang Bei quickly relaxed his arms as he muttered. It was not clear whether he was apologizing for hugging his daughter too tight, or for what he had done in so many years. His daughter was much smaller than her peers. It was because he had stolen all the money in the family and went out to gamble and drink, resulting in the family not having the money to feed their daughter better. As for his wife, he could not remember how many years it had been since she had bought new clothes. She was so beautiful. She had met him at her prime but he had ruined her life. He could not even remember the way she smiled. That smile that came from the bottom of her heart. What he remembered was that desperate smile. He did not know when it started, but she did not even cry because of his actions anymore. And her daughter¡¯s death made her completely lose hope in life. All of this was his fault! Xu Xinrong looked at the scene in front of her in a daze. She looked at the man who was kneeling on the ground and crying bitterly, as well as her young daughter in his arms. It was like the scene of someone repenting. But¡­ This scene had appeared too many times! Every time was no exception. It was all for the money! She could no longer hope that this man would change, and she did not think that he would really treat her well after today. She did not care about herself anymore, as long as she still had her daughter, her life was enough. Jiang Bei¡¯s face still had tears that had not dried up. He raised his head from his daughter¡¯s neck and looked at his wife¡¯s emotionless face. He said hurriedly, ¡°Xinrong¡­ I am sorry. I am really sorry.¡± ¡°I will change. I will let you live a good life.¡± ¡°I will earn money. I will support my family. I will send Wanwan to kindergarten. I will take her to the park to play. I will buy you beautiful clothes. I will work hard¡­¡± Jiang Bei¡¯s tears could not stop flowing and he said it without thinking. He did not know what he should do to save his family. But in Xu Xinrong¡¯s eyes, all of this was just a joke. She had heard his promise countless times. This time, it was still for money. ¡°Isn¡¯t it just money? Jiang Bei, do you think I¡¯ll believe you?¡± Xu Xinrong asked without any fluctuation in her voice. There was no expression on her face because of Jiang Bei¡¯s crying. Xu Xinrong slowly took out two 100-yuan bills from her bag and handed them to Jiang Bei. She said calmly, ¡°This is all I have. I¡¯ll give it all to you. As for me and Wan Wan, you don¡¯t have to care.¡± She didn¡¯t know why Jiang Bei would behave like this, but she would no longer be deceived by his flowery words. A fox would reveal its tail sooner or later, and she was not willing to wait. She had been beaten up enough times, and she had long had enough. If it weren¡¯t for her daughter, she wouldn¡¯t have done this! Just like all the previous times, he only wanted money. It¡¯s all just for money! ¡°What? Two hundred is not enough?¡± Xu Xinrong had a desperate smile on her face. She just smiled and looked at Jiang Bei calmly. This smile made Jiang Bei¡¯s heart feel as if it was pierced by a needle. ¡°Mommy¡­ daddy will change. He said he won¡¯t hit you again. Daddy knows he¡¯s wrong. Please forgive him.¡±Jiang Xiaowan turned her head and looked at Xu Xinrong with tears in her eyes. She could feel that her dad was really repenting. ¡°Wanwan, come here.¡± Xu Xinrong snatched her daughter back and looked at Jiang Bei calmly. Jiang Bei¡¯s eyes were still filled with tears. As he met Xu Xinrong¡¯s gaze, his lips were trembling, and he was still kneeling. ¡°Xinrong¡­ I promise you¡­ Trust me one last time, one last time! I will use this 200 yuan¡­¡± At this moment! The sound of heavy footsteps suddenly came from the corridor. Jiang Bei¡¯s face instantly turned pale. He ignored the pain in his knees and staggered to his feet. ¡°Xinrong, you guys go in first! Take our daughter and go in!¡± ¡°Bang, Bang, Bang!¡± There was a violent knock on the door, as well as cursing and shouting outside. ¡°Jiang Bei, open the f * cking door for me! Hurry up and open the door! I know you¡¯re at home! Otherwise, don¡¯t blame me for smashing the door!¡± ¡°No wonder two hundred yuan isn¡¯t enough.¡± Xu Xinrong laughed silently. She looked at the man in front of her who seemed to be at a loss as if his lie had been exposed.. Chapter 3 Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation ¡°Xinrong, I beg you¡­ Bring the child in first,¡±Jiang Bei begged. ¡°Is there a difference? This time, we can¡¯t stay in this house anymore, right?¡± Xu Xinrong asked calmly, but her expression already gave the answer. ¡°Xinrong, believe me, I will take care of everything. You bring the child in first.¡± ¡°Ha¡­¡± She knew that once these people came in, they would not let Jiang Bei off. But what did the life and death of this man have to do with her? When this house was also sold, this marriage would truly be over. She could take care of her daughter by herself. Xu Xinrong wanted to carry her daughter into the house. She did not want her child to see the scene that was about to happen. However, this three-year-old daughter seemed to have realized something. She struggled and cried. ¡°Mommy! Mommy! A bad person is coming! A bad person is coming to bully daddy! I want to protect him!¡± She wasn¡¯t sure how Wanwan got the strength, but she struggled to get out of Xu Xinrong¡¯s arms. She ran to Jiang Bei¡¯s side and hugged his legs tightly. ¡°Wanwan¡­¡± Jiang Bei lowered his head and looked at his daughter. His heart felt like it was being cut by a knife. His daughter raised her head and looked at this devil-like father. But he had really changed. His father had just cried. He was so sad. How could he still bully her mother? He had just promised me¡­ If our family could be normal, how good would that be¡­ ¡°Daddy, don¡¯t be afraid. Wanwan will protect you. Wanwan has grown up.¡± Jiang Xiaowan¡¯s big bright eyes blinked. She tried her best to smile, giving Jiang Bei confidence. ¡°Wanwan¡­ be good. Wait for me to take care of these things. Trust me, okay?¡± Jiang Bei took a deep breath. His chest was burning because he was hungover, and he desperately wanted to get it out. ¡°I trust daddy.¡± Jiang Wanwan nodded with a smile. ¡°Damn it! You won¡¯t cry until you see the coffin, right? Playing dead? Lao Wu, it¡¯s your job now. Is this door easy to open?¡± ¡°I can open ten of these damn things in a minute.¡± The curses outside the door were heard again. Wanwan hugged Jiang Bei¡¯s legs tightly, her arms trembling slightly. Although she was very scared, she had to protect her father¡­ ¡°Wanwan, Listen to me. Let go of me. I will defeat the bad guys.¡±Jiang Bei squatted down and gently pulled his daughter¡¯s arm away. Then, he smiled and touched his daughter¡¯s dry hair. ¡°Yes! Daddy is superman!¡± ¡°Yes, daddy is superman.¡± Jiang Bei smiled silently, nodded hard, and stood up again. The creaking sound of the lock and the wire could be clearly heard. Jiang Bei walked into the kitchen, washed the tears off his face with cold water, and slapped his own face hard. The stimulation of the cold water completely restored his consciousness. He took out the only thing in the house that could kill people, the kitchen knife! When he walked out of the kitchen again, the door slowly opened with a crisp sound. The hooligans outside the door, who were dressed in dirty clothes and holding sticks in their hands, appeared in front of Jiang Bei. ¡°Damn you, Jiang Bei, playing dead?¡± ¡°This bastard has been dragging out his debts for a long time. If he can¡¯t pay up today, we¡¯ll take one of his arms!¡± A hooligan at the back said with a smile. These people were in charge of a casino and collecting debts, so they were more difficult to deal with than ordinary debt collectors. They had seen too many families being destroyed! While they were talking, the leader, the man in a flowery shirt, had a receipt in his hand. The bottom right corner of the receipt clearly had the words ¡°Jiang Bei¡± written on it, and there was a bright red fingerprint on the side. ¡°Including the interest, it¡¯s a total of 40,000 yuan.¡± ¡°Eh? This girl is not bad.¡± The leader¡¯s eyes immediately lit up when he saw Xu Xinrong. ¡°Third Brother, she is indeed not bad. Her looks are much better than the ones from the day before yesterday.¡± A few people beside him also agreed. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that such a beautiful woman is with such a scumbag.¡± He shook his head and said disdainfully. ¡°Please give me some time. I will pay back the money with interest.¡± Jiang Bei opened his mouth with difficulty. He tried his best to suppress his emotions so that his gaze was not invasive. However, he stared fixedly at the man who was leading the group and whom the others referred to as ¡°Third Brother¡±. In his previous life, this had happened, causing chaos in the house. As for Wanwan, in order to protect Xu Xinrong, she was fiercely pushed away by this man! She bumped her head at a solid wooden chair. With a bang, Jiang Bei didn¡¯t come back to his senses for the rest of his life! The daughter who called for her father and wanted her father to hug her was gone just like that! She was still so young¡­ That day, Xu Xinrong hugged Wanwan and sat on the living room floor, crying in despair. Jiang Bei remembered that scene for the rest of his life! ¡°Third Brother, give me ten days, give me ten days¡­ I will definitely pay back the money, including the interest.¡± Jiang Bei lowered his head and said these words through gritted teeth. The hand holding the knife was behind his back as he clenched it tightly. The veins on his arm were popping up. ¡°Ten days? Ten days is f * cking long! Don¡¯t blame me for being merciless, eh? How about this? Let your wife spend the night with us. I will give you three days. Third Brother is a man of his word.¡± ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Third Brother said as he walked over. Xu Xinrong, who was still expressionless, suddenly turned pale. She subconsciously protected her daughter. Not far away, he had already taken out the knife from his back. Third Brother paused for a moment, and his face instantly darkened. ¡°You dared to take out a knife? Scumbag, I dare you to!¡± As he spoke, he took another step forward. He could clearly see that Jiang Bei¡¯s hand holding the knife was trembling! He did not dare to do it at all. He was just putting on an act! How could such a scum care about the life and death of his wife and daughter? He should be grateful that they were giving him three days in exchange for one night with his wife. They knew Jiang Bei. They just did not expect that this scum¡¯s wife could be so beautiful. ¡°Did I give you a choice?! You still dare to hold a f*cking knife? Do you really think I¡¯m scared?¡± ¡°Brothers, seize them! In a while, let¡¯s enjoy ourselves! I¡¯ve never tasted such a woman in my life.¡± Third Brother laughed and grabbed Xu Xinrong! Jiang Bei suddenly raised the knife and stabbed him! ¡°Argh!!¡± An ear-piercing scream immediately echoed through the room. A bone-deep wound had already appeared on Third Brother¡¯s arm, and blood instantly gushed out. ¡°Bam!¡± At the same time, a skinny man rushed over to Jiang Bei and struck Jiang Bei¡¯s back with a club. It happened almost at the same time. Jiang Bei took the hit in order to buy a bit of time for his wife and daughter. Jiang Bei staggered two steps and almost spat out a mouthful of blood, but he forcefully held it back. He swallowed the mouthful of blood. The smell of blood and the pain in his chest stimulated his nerves again. He could fall at any time, but he couldn¡¯t! ¡°Daddy, daddy¡­¡± Tears welled up in Jiang Xiaowan¡¯s eyes. She rushed over and used her small body to support Jiang Bei.. Chapter 4 Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation At this moment, Wanwan stood in front of Jiang Bei. She raised her hands to protect Jiang Bei. Then, she shouted at these men with her childish voice, ¡°You are not allowed to bully my father, you are not allowed to bully him!¡± ¡°Cough, cough, cough! I am fine.¡± Jiang Bei patted his daughter¡¯s head and gently pushed her behind him. ¡°Listen to me. Don¡¯t look. Leave it to me. It¡¯ll be fine.¡± Jiang Bei¡¯s chest felt like it was about to explode. He lowered his head and tried to catch his breath. He didn¡¯t want his ferocious expression to scare his daughter. ¡°Okay, I will listen to you. I want you to bring me to the park, so you have to be fine, okay?¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Jiang Bei answered seriously, ¡°I promise you.¡± Jiang Bei raised his head again. His bloodshot eyes were scary. His gaze was as cold as a wild beast as he looked at these men quietly. The blood on the kitchen knife dripped onto the ground. Third Brother¡¯s howl seemed to be the most powerful foil at this moment. At this moment, he wasn¡¯t just a useless gambling addict who couldn¡¯t pay his debts. He was also an outlaw who was risking his life for the safety of his wife and daughter! Jiang Bei looked calmly at the few people in front of him who were scared out of their wits. Suddenly, he laughed. The teeth that were stained with fresh blood were reflected in everyone¡¯s eyes. He laughed without restraint! ¡°I dare to kill people,¡± Jiang Bei said slowly. He raised the kitchen knife in his hand and pointed it at them! His gaze slowly swept over everyone present, including Third Brother, who was lying on the ground, hugging his arms and howling. At this moment, the smile on his face disappeared. He roared like a wild beast, ¡°Come!¡± ¡°Fourth Brother, take Third Brother to the boss. Quick, he hould still be downstairs. We¡¯ll stay here and watch him!¡± ¡°Okay, you guys be careful. Wait for boss to come and take care of him.¡± ¡°Hurry up, this is a madman¡­¡± When Fourth Brother left with Third Brother who had been stabbed, only the last two men were left in the room. They had already retreated to the door. The hand holding the stick was trembling slightly. They did not even dare to look at the man who had fallen into madness! The clear and audible sound of blood dripping from the kitchen knife continuously stimulated their eardrums. The heavy panting of Jiang Bei also made the hairs on their backs stand on end! ¡­ Jiang Bei slowly turned his head to look at Xu Xinrong. But what awaited him was an unchanging silence. Even the look of despair was gone from her eyes. He did not feel hurt. He knew what he had done in the past. Especially now that these debt collectors had come looking for him and almost implicated them. ¡°Xinrong, believe me, I will solve it. There won¡¯t be such trouble in the future. We¡­¡± Jiang Bei put down the knife in his hand and tried his best to speak. He did not get a response from Xu Xinrong. Her gaze had long moved away from Jiang Bei and she gently held her daughter. ¡°Xinrong, bring Wanwan in first¡­ Don¡¯t let her see this any more. I will handle it,¡± Jiang Bei said softly and tried his best to calm himself down. Xu Xinrong did not respond to him, but she had already picked up Wanwan. ¡°Daddy¡­¡± Wanwan¡¯s little head stretched out from Xu Xinrong¡¯s neck and called out softly. ¡°Dad is fine. Trust me, okay? Go in and wait for me. Everything will be fine.¡± Jiang Bei smiled gently. ¡°Daddy, I will wait for you.¡± The door closed, and the atmosphere in the living room became tense again. Jiang Bei sat on the wooden chair and slowly calmed his breathing. He wanted to recover his strength as much as possible to deal with the boss, Zhang Luzhong, the man who was hungry for blood. But even if he sacrificed his life, he could not let them hurt his wife and daughter! He did not lie just now. He really would kill! Not long after, the sound of footsteps came from the corridor again. It was Zhang Luzhong who was waiting downstairs. Jiang Bei did not know what was going to happen next. The sound of the door opening suddenly came from the bedroom. Jiang Bei turned his head and looked at Xu Xinrong who was slowly walking out of the room. She was slightly absent-minded. ¡°What are you doing out here!¡±Jiang Bei lowered his voice and shouted anxiously. ¡°What are you doing out here? Go back in. Can you go back in¡­¡± His entire body was trembling. He did not know what Zhang Luzhong would do when he arrived. Even if this man had once knelt before him like a dog in his future life. But he did not dare to take the risk He could not let his wife and daughter suffer even the slightest bit of harm! ¡°Can you go back in¡­ Xinrong, you have to trust me one last time, trust me one last time.¡± Jiang Bei begged, the pain in his eyes was unmistakable. ¡°Wanwan has fallen asleep. You¡¯d better think about how to protect your arm.¡± Xu Xinrong said indifferently and then sat in the corner of the wooden chair. She glanced at the blood on the kitchen knife in Jiang Bei¡¯s hand that had not dried up yet and turned her head to look out of the window. After Zhang Luzhong entered the door, he saw the scene in front of him. A beautiful side profile looked out of the window without any fluctuation in her expression. There was also a pale-faced man who was holding a kitchen knife and sitting on a wooden chair. He looked extremely weak. However, his bloodshot eyes were so terrifying that even Zhang Luzhong, who had seen bloodshed for so many years could not help but feel a little scared. The person in front of him was definitely a madman! Moreover, he had also seen Third Brother¡¯s wound just now. How could that be from a kitchen knife? But it was the truth. Jiang Bei wanted to take his life! ¡°Hello.¡± Jiang Bei slowly raised his head and grinned, looking at this 1.8-meter-tall man with a buzz cut. This boss was the same as in his future life, looking more like a businessman. On the other hand, he looked more like a gangster. ¡°Hello, Mr. Jiang.¡± Zhang Luzhong slowly opened his mouth and pulled over a chair by the dining table. He sat not far away from Jiang Bei, and the six or seven underlings who swarmed in from behind him were already standing behind him. ¡°Big Brother¡­ It¡¯s him, it¡¯s this madman. We¡¯re just asking him to return the money. He doesn¡¯t have any money, yet he wants us to leave. He even stabbed Third Brother!¡± One of the men said while pointing at Jiang Bei. Jiang Bei took a glance at Xu Xinrong¡¯s silhouette. He did not know where the power had come from, but the hand holding the kitchen knife tightened. He knew that the people in front of him definitely came with knives. But at this moment, he was no longer afraid of death! If I couldn¡¯t get my wife and daughter back and make it up to them¡­ Then I¡¯ll use my life to exchange for their lives. Is this enough? It is worth it! ¡°Is that so?¡± Zhang Luzhong frowned and asked seriously. He didn¡¯t know whether he was asking his man or Jiang Bei. ¡°I don¡¯t have money.¡± Jiang Bei nodded. His gaze suddenly froze. He looked at Zhang Luzhong and said slowly, ¡°But¡­ whoever dares to touch my wife or my daughter, I¡¯ll kill them!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t lose anything even if I trade my life for hers.¡± Jiang Bei grinned and smiled silently. He wanted to trade his life for his wife¡¯s.. Chapter 5 Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation This man clearly looked very weak. But his words were firm and irrefutable. Zhang Luzhong¡¯s gaze narrowed. The crazier a person was, the calmer they were. At the moment, Jiang Bei was¡­ He believed that Jiang Bei would really do what he said. He dared to kill! He understood that his man must have done something wrong and angered the man in front of him. But¡­ ¡°No money, no deal.¡± Zhang Luzhong lit a cigarette and shook his head. He was afraid of death, but he also loved money. He had lived a life of bloodshed. He only wanted to help his men settle down. He did not want to anger the madman in front of him again. ¡°I can pay back the money, but I need time,¡± Jiang Bei suddenly said. ¡°Mr. Jiang, I¡¯ve heard this enough times, but where will you get the money?¡± Zhang Luzhong shook his head. He needed a satisfactory answer. ¡°This house can be sold, and it¡¯s enough to pay off his debt. He does need time,¡± Xu Xinrong turned her head and said calmly. Her eyes were like dead water. Even if it was the boss in front of her, she had nothing to fear. Her heart had long died, and all she had left in the world was her young daughter. As for this house that was about to be sold, she felt nothing for it. If the house was gone, the pain would also be gone. She could still rent a house to live in and raise her daughter by herself. ¡°Oh?¡± Zhang Lizhong was obviously surprised, and this answer was indeed satisfactory to him. ¡°How about this, Mr. Jiang, I¡¯ll give you another ten days, plus interest, a total of 50,000 yuan. As for Third Brother¡¯s medical expenses¡­ since he provoked you first, let¡¯s just forget about it, how about that?¡± ¡°This house is definitely worth 50,000 yuan.¡± Zhang Luzhong stood up with a smile. ¡°No problem.¡± Jiang Bei clenched his fists and nodded in agreement. ¡°In that case, I won¡¯t bother the two of you anymore.¡± Zhang Luzhong waved his hand and led everyone away. However, before leaving the house, he took a deep look at Jiang Bei. ¡°When Wanwan wakes up, I¡¯ll bring Wanwan back to my mother¡¯s place.¡± Xu Xinrong turned her head and said calmly. ¡°Xinrong¡­ Listen to me.¡± Jiang Bei¡¯s hand trembled slightly, and the sweat on his forehead dripped down again. ¡°Give me ten days. I won¡¯t sell the house. I¡¯ll make money.¡± Jiang Bei took out the two 100-yuan bills from his pocket with his trembling hand. ¡°I¡¯ll use this money to make more money. Xinrong, you have to trust me, okay? I won¡¯t spend these 200 yuan recklessly. I¡¯ll go into business. I¡¯ll really work hard.¡± ¡°Wanwan likes flowers, I¡¯ll buy her a lot of flowers, I¡¯ll buy you a lot of beautiful clothes, I¡¯ll buy a bigger house, send Wanwan to the best kindergarten, I¡­¡± Jiang Bei spoke without thinking, but he suddenly couldn¡¯t say anything. His throat seemed to be blocked by something. It was Xu Xinrong¡¯s calm gaze. Hearing Jiang Bei¡¯s words, Xu Xinrong¡¯s gaze no longer contained any disappointment. It was as if she was listening to a joke. Suddenly, she smiled gently. ¡°Jiang Bei, do you think I¡¯ll believe you? Let me go, okay?¡± ¡°Or, take the knife in your hand and stab me as well. Let me truly be free and live a good life with Wanwan, just like you said.¡± The coldness in Xu Xinrong¡¯s eyes was like a hammer, breaking Jiang Bei¡¯s heart. ¡°Xinrong, you have to believe me! Please¡­ believe me this time! I swear to you!¡± ¡°Xinrong, I swear to you. Give me ten days. I can really do it!¡± Jiang Bei panicked. He tried to stand up, but his body was so exhausted that he didn¡¯t even have the strength to stand up. His legs went weak and he fell to the ground. He was in a pathetic state. ¡°I will change. I will take good care of you and our daughter! Xinrong, please don¡¯t go¡­¡± Jiang Bei raised his head and struggled to speak. He tried to stand up, but he did not have the strength anymore. His eyes were filled with pain. How could he watch his daughter and wife leave him! He wanted to relive this life. He didn¡¯t want to suffer the pain of losing his wife and family again! ¡°Xinrong¡­ give me ten days. If I can¡¯t do it¡­ I will leave by myself, forever.¡± Jiang Bei lowered his head and hit his head heavily on the floor. This was his promise. If he couldn¡¯t do it, he would die and leave forever. ¡°What¡¯s the point? Whether you live or die has nothing to do with me,¡± Xu Xinrong said calmly and moved her gaze away from Jiang Bei. This man¡¯s behavior only made her feel disgusted. Creak¡­ The door of the room suddenly creaked. The young body behind the door appeared in front of Jiang Bei. Her swollen eyes and tears on her face stung Jiang Bei¡¯s heart. ¡°Daddy, mommy¡­ can you not separate?¡± ¡°Mommy, can you forgive daddy? Please, daddy has really changed¡­¡± Wanwan didn¡¯t sleep. She stood behind the door and eavesdropped. She thought she would hear the conversation between her hero father, who had gotten rid of the bad guys and got back together with her mother, but she didn¡¯t expect it to end like this. ¡°Wanwan, mommy will take you to grandma¡¯s house.¡± Xu Xinrong stood up. Before Jiang Bei could react, she had already brought Wanwan out of the door. ¡°I won¡¯t go, I won¡¯t go! Daddy! I want daddy!¡± Wanwan stretched out her hand and shouted at Jiang Bei, who was still inside the house. She cried so hard that her heart was torn apart. ¡°Bang!¡± The door was slammed shut. Jiang Bei lay on the ground, tears gushing out of his eyes like a dam breaking. He bit his lips hard. Fresh blood and pain made him feel like he had regained his strength. He got up, stumbled against the door, unlocked the door, and rushed out! When he reached the corner of the first floor, his legs finally lost all strength. He could not hold on to the handrail, and he lost his footing. He fell down the stairs, lying at the end of the corridor with his head bleeding. He heard his daughter crying. In his blurry vision, he saw his daughter, who had cried her eyes out, running towards him. Jiang Bei¡¯s consciousness was also gradually fading. ¡°Xinrong¡­ just give me one day. I¡¯ll prove it to you. I¡¯ll change, okay? Just one day¡­ that¡¯s fine too..¡± Chapter 6 Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation ¡°Wanwan¡­¡± Blood might have dripped into his eyes, so Jiang Bei squinted and looked at his daughter with a smile. ¡°Daddy, daddy!¡± Wanwan ignored the mess on Jiang Bei¡¯s body and sat on the ground. She hugged Jiang Bei¡¯s head and gently moved it onto her lap. Tears fell on Jiang Bei¡¯s face. ¡°Wanwan, Don¡¯t cry. Daddy will be fine.¡± Jiang Bei seemed to have used all his strength to say this. He only felt that the world in front of him was getting further and further away from him, until he completely lost consciousness. But he was still smiling. Because he saw Xu Xinrong locked the car and walked towards him. ¡­ They¡¯re not leaving, are they? Is Xinrong willing to give me another chance? Can I still save them? ¡°Wanwan, Xinrong¡­¡± Jiang Bei muttered softly and sat up abruptly. ¡°Wanwan, Xinrong!¡± His throat was abnormally dry and sweat dripped down his forehead. It was pitch black all around. Jiang Bei stretched out his hand and touched his clothes. He felt the money in the left pocket. It was 200 yuan. Xu Xinrong had given it to him in the afternoon. Jiang Bei suddenly let out a sigh of relief. He looked like he had aged 20 years in an instant. He took out the two light blue hundred yuan bills shakily and touched them. It was not a dream. He had really transmigrated! Jiang Bei staggered out of bed and turned on the fluorescent lights in the room. The white light was very harsh and it woke him up. The clock on the wall showed that it was 6:10 in the morning. After Jiang Bei brushed his teeth and washed up, he walked quietly to the living room and found that Xu Xinrong had already torn off a page of the calendar, revealing a brand new page, May 30th. He glanced at the other bedroom with the door tightly shut. Ever since she gave birth to Wanwan, Xu Xinrong had been sleeping in a separate room. He had done too many wrong things in the past few years. He could not let his wife down again. After coming back in time, he would not let his wife and daughter leave him. The scene yesterday broke his heart! Jiang Bei left home and went to the breakfast shop downstairs. He stuffed as many fried dough sticks into his mouth as possible and swallowed them with free sugar water. He was indeed very hungry, but he would not waste a cent of the money Xu Xinrong gave him, even though he still felt ashamed to take it. But he would do what he promised his wife! He was already prepared to not eat for the whole day. After breakfast, Jiang Bei stood up and was about to leave, but he suddenly thought of something. He turned his head and said, ¡°Boss, pack five fried dough sticks and two cups of soybean milk. Wrap the bags tightly.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± After buying breakfast for his wife and daughter, Jiang Bei left. When he saw the date, he had already thought of something. On the 30th of May, there was an opening ceremony of a new shopping mall in the city center. There were even a few celebrities who came to perform. They had already prepared several days in advance for the publicity. In order to promote the opening ceremony, there were massive sales. The appearance of celebrities and promotional activities had attracted the public. In the future, this would be a popular and busy mall. Even the customers in the breakfast place were discussing this matter. They were planning to do a lot of shopping today. Under such circumstances, Jiang Bei had a plan. But it was not easy. He only had less than 200 yuan on him, and today¡¯s event would officially begin at 9 am. He had no time to prepare! But as a businessman worth billions in his future life, Jiang Bei had a few ideas. After rejecting some infeasible ones, a business plan finally came to his mind. Jiang Bei took the breakfast home and immediately took a taxi to the nearest wholesale market. At this moment, he had to seize every second! In a short time, Jiang Bei had a solid plan. Then, he tried to think of every problem that he might face. He absolutely could not fail! He had to make money! After paying 5 yuan for the taxi, Jiang Bei took a deep breath and entered a stationery store. He bought five black and one red markers. With the rest of the money, he bought a thick stack of papers, a drawing board, a rack, and a stool. Just as Jiang Bei was about to pay, he happened to see himself in the mirror next to him. The wound on his forehead was glaring. Although he was dressed in decent clothes, this wound made him look a little scary. Jiang Bei hesitated for a moment and bought a pink rectangular plaster bandage that could cover almost half of his forehead. After paying, he put the bandage on his forehead and took a taxi to the mall. When Jiang Bei arrived, it was not even eight o¡¯clock. However, there were already many people there. As it was the weekend, everyone wanted to go to the event. There were a few stalls at the entrance of the mall that were about to open. They had big umbrellas and small carts to sell drinks and cold drinks. At this time, although it was illegal to set up stalls without a license, it was impossible to prohibit anything on such a day. As long as nothing went wrong, they would basically turn a blind eye to it. Jiang Bei would become one of them. He found a decent spot to set up. He put down the drawing board and the papers, and sat on the stool, waiting for his first customer to arrive. Yes, he was going to sell paintings on the street. This was Wanwan¡¯s hobby. It had also become his in the past twenty years. Jiang Bei gently touched the drawing board and finally took out a pen and started to draw. Gradually, people gathered around him and looked at his drawings curiously.. Chapter 7 Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation He drew comic style drawings. In 20 years¡¯ time, it would be common to have street artists drawing comic style portraits. But in this era, it was still a novelty. The bright pink bandage on Jiangbei¡¯s forehead made him look like a true street artist. He drew so seriously, as if every stroke had to be carefully thought through before drawing. As he was busy drawing, he thought about his wife and daughter, making one stroke at a time. When he thought about how he could let his wife and daughter live a good life, a faint but heartfelt smile appeared on his face. He had unintentionally attracted many pedestrians. ¡°What is this man drawing?¡± One by one, people approached him. There were even some nosy people who went behind Jiang Bei. They took a glance at his drawing and were immediately shocked. These people aroused the curiosity of those who were standing by even more. Suddenly, more and more people gathered around him. Although many people were discussing in private and pointed at Jiang Bei¡¯s drawing as he painted, everyone maintained the most basic courtesy, silence. They were immersed in the way he drew. The expression on Jiang Bei¡¯s face alternated between happiness and hesitation. Then, as if he had thought of something, he suddenly laughed and continued to draw. He was like a madman, but he was crazy and serious at the same time. After about ten minutes, this simple drawing that took a lot of effort was finally completed! When Jiang Bei raised his head, he saw dozens of people surrounding him and looking at him. ¡°Sir, are you done drawing? What is it?¡± ¡°Can you show it to us?¡± Immediately, someone asked. Jiang Bei was stunned. He clearly did not expect that he would attract so much attention. In fact, he was taking advantage of the time when there were not many people around to feel more at ease. ¡°Of course.¡± Jiang Bei smiled and nodded. Then, he turned the drawing board over. The two figures, one big and one small, appeared in everyone¡¯s eyes. It was just a simple drawing, but it was extremely lifelike. The figures were beaming in joy. ¡°This drawing¡­ is amazing!¡± ¡°Sir, is this comic? Who are they to you? Why were you so serious while drawing?¡± ¡°Do you even need to ask? It¡¯s obvious that they are his wife and daughter! Hahaha!¡± ¡°Hey! They are so lucky to be with you!¡± ¡°Can you draw one for me too? I¡¯ll pay you. I have their photos here.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Before Jiang Bei could introduce his business, someone took the initiative to ask. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, everyone. I¡¯m here today to sell drawings. One costs ten yuan,¡± Jiang Bei said with a smile. This was his way of doing business. He would never make money without conscience, because such a drawing would not cost him much energy. His skill was worth 10 yuan and was not too expensive in this era. Moreover, if there were models, it would take about five minutes to draw such a drawing. While the others were still hesitating, a young man pulled a young girl over. ¡°Only 10 yuan for such a drawing? Draw one for me and my partner!¡± ¡°10 yuan for a drawing, isn¡¯t that a bit expensive?¡± The girl couldn¡¯t help but say. ¡°It¡¯s not expensive. Look at his drawing. It¡¯s definitely worth this money!¡± The young man said with a determined look. ¡°Then, alright¡­¡± The woman hesitated for a moment, but agreed eventually. ¡°Please stand over there for a moment. I draw very quickly. Pay me if you are satisfied. Otherwise, I will redraw it. If you don¡¯t want it anymore, that¡¯s fine too,¡± Jiang Bei said with a smile. ¡°Okay.¡± Five minutes later, a drawing of a man and a woman appeared on the paper. The man had a big nose, and the woman¡¯s eyes were also very big. Her eyelashes were lifted more than in real life. The young man who always felt self-conscious about others saying that his nose was big laughed out loud when he saw the picture. ¡°It¡¯s so lifelike! Your drawing is really good.¡± ¡°Are you two satisfied?¡± Jiang Bei asked. ¡°Yes, here is 10 yuan. Thank you for your drawing.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± Jiang Bei stood up and nodded. The young man and woman held hands and left with the drawing and laughter. ¡°I want one too! Draw one for me and my wife too!¡± ¡°We¡¯re a family of three. It¡¯s also 10 yuan for three people?¡± ¡°Everyone, please line up. No matter how many people are in the drawing, it¡¯s 10 yuan,¡± Jiang Bei said. ¡°The mall is open for business. You should go inside and take a look. There¡¯s no need to rush. I¡¯ll be here the whole day.¡± After the first couple, many people thought that 10 yuan was enough to make their partner or wife happy. If she wasn¡¯t here, they could just show him a photo and ask him to draw it. Then, they¡¯ll bring the surprise home. It was worth it. Jiangbei¡¯s business was gradually improving. When it was nine o¡¯clock and the shopping mall was already open for business, there were still quite a number of people around Jiangbei. Although most of them were just watching the show, there was definitely no shortage of customers as there was a large crowd. What Jiang Bei was selling was the idea of ¡°10 yuan to make your wife happy¡±. This was something men basically would not refuse. As a result, his business was so good that it that he got a large sum of money just by selling drawings.. Chapter 8 Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation Although there were some people who were dissatisfied with the drawing and refused to pay, they would be shunned by others and left dejectedly. Such people were basically here to join in the fun, but they were not willing to pay 10 yuan for the drawing. Although there were such people, they were very rare. Facing such people, Jiang Bei only shook his head and smiled bitterly. He said that maybe his drawing was not good enough and moved on to the next one. On average, if one could produce ten paid drawings in an hour, they would earn 100 yuan. As for Jiang Bei, he painted for a whole twelve hours! He painted until his arms were sore, his head was aching, and his vision was blurry. However, he adhered to his own principles. He treated each painting seriously and tried his best to make every customer satisfied. This was also his principle in the future after experiencing the death of his wife and daughter. He would not go back on his promise to anyone, because he had made too many mistakes in his life. He could not continue making this mistake. At around eight o¡¯clock, Jiang Bei¡¯s vision was already blurry as the sky was dark. He finally could not draw anymore. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, everyone. I really can¡¯t draw anymore. If I continue, it will seriously affect the quality of the paintings.¡± Jiang Bei stood up and apologized to the people who were still waiting in line. ¡°F * ck, if it weren¡¯t for those bastards who wasted a few drawings, we wouldn¡¯t have lost the opportunity!¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Some people were dissatisfied, and some people scolded him. However, no one blamed Jiang Bei for not continuing to draw. Jiang Bei nodded apologetically. Then, he picked up the cloth bag, the drawing board and the stool, and left. In the cloth bag was the money that he had earned that day. It was about 1200 yuan. Compared to his future life where he was used to seeing hundreds of millions and billions of dollars, it was indeed insignificant, but it made him feel exceptionally at ease. When Xinrong saw this money and knew that he was working hard to earn money, would she be very happy? Jiang Bei could not help but think in his heart. With this money, he could go into bigger businesses. In this era, as long as he chose his target well, it was not difficult to get more than ten times the profit in a day. As long as he was given a few days, he could pay off his gambling debts and even give Xinrong and Wanwan a better life! As Jiang Bei thought, he quickened his pace and hurried home. His stomach was already growling. With the wind blowing, he felt refreshed and did not take a taxi home. If he saved more money, he could earn a lot more in the future. At 8:30 pm, Jiang Bei finally reached home. When he opened the door, the room was pitch black. Even Xu Xinrong¡¯s bedroom was dark. In an instant, Jiang Bei¡¯s heart seemed to have been struck by something! The heart that was filled with hope was completely shattered. And that indescribable sense of loss instantly filled Jiang Bei¡¯s mind, but what followed was panic. Where did they go! But it was Saturday! Did they¡­ leave? Jiang Bei¡¯s body swayed, and he almost fell over. It was as if the fatigue he had accumulated for the day had been completely released at this moment. His forehead was instantly covered with fine beads of sweat, which fell down his cheeks. Jiang Bei held onto the door frame and shouted with a trembling voice, ¡°Xinrong! Wanwan!¡± ¡°Xinrong! Wanwan!¡± No one responded¡­ Jiang Bei threw the small stool and drawing board in his hands and staggered into the room. He did not know why he was so flustered. He had clearly convinced them to stay yesterday! He had promised that if he was given a day¡¯s time, he would prove that he had changed! He had worked hard! He had earned money! He had fulfilled his promise! But his last hope had been destroyed. Xu Xinrong and Wanwan were not in the house. When Jiang Bei turned around, he suddenly saw the phone in the living room. As if he had finally found a lifeline, he threw himself onto the bench and knocked his leg, but he did not care anymore¡­ He dialed the number in his memory and called Xu Xuefeng, Xu Xinrong¡¯s father. ¡°Du¡­du¡­du¡­¡± The ringtone was like a death bell, slowly entering Jiang Bei¡¯s ears. ¡°Pick up, pick up¡­¡± Jiang Bei said urgently. But he was also afraid that Xu Xuefeng would pick up the phone and tell him, ¡°My daughter has nothing to do with you anymore.¡± He was also afraid that he would be blamed by his father-in-law for his mistakes all these years. But he still had a glimmer of hope. He wanted to talk to Xu Xinrong, even if it was just one sentence! Tell her that he went to the mall to sell his drawings today. He took advantage of the fact that there were many people coming for the opening of the mall today and drew all day. He was not tired. He earned a lot of money, more than 1000 yuan. He could use this money to do business tomorrow. He had a lot of ideas that he wanted to share with Xu Xinrong. He¡­ He would be able to earn 50,000 yuan within ten days. He could really do it! They did not have to sell the house or get a divorce. He would be good to his wife and his daughter. He would be very, very good¡­ The beeping sound on the other side of the phone stimulated Jiang Bei¡¯s nerves. His heart seemed to have been pierced by something. His stomach suddenly spasmed. The pain made him curl up in the chair. ¡°Pick up, pick up¡­¡± Jiang Bei said weakly. Finally, the call was answered. A cold voice entered his ears, ¡°Hello?¡± Chapter 9 - Regret Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation It was his father-in-law, Xu Xuefeng¡¯s voice. ¡°Hello, dad¡­ are Xinrong and Wanwan at your place?¡± Jiang Bei tried his best to make his voice sound natural. However, even though he tried his best, he was still trembling slightly. ¡°Yes, what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Saturday today. I didn¡¯t see Xinrong when I went home, so I thought I¡¯d ask you,¡± Jiang Bei said softly. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Dad¡­ can you let Xinrong answer the phone? I have something to tell her,¡± Jiang Bei asked. There was silence. ¡°Grandpa, is it daddy?¡± Suddenly, Wanwan¡¯s childish voice entered into his ears through the receiver. ¡°Grandpa, I want to talk to daddy, I want to talk to daddy!¡± ¡°Daddy, is that you?¡± Wanwan finally won and took the receiver. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me¡­¡± Jiang Bei said in agony, but he didn¡¯t let it show. ¡°Daddy, why aren¡¯t you talking?¡± ¡°I am fine.¡± Jiang Bei covered the speaker and panted heavily. After he recovered a little, he asked, ¡°Why did you go to Grandma¡¯s house today? I planned to give you a surprise tonight.¡± ¡°Mommy¡¯s going to work today¡­ Mommy sent me to grandma¡¯s house in the morning.¡± ¡°Mommy said that I would be bored if no one was there. Actually, I wouldn¡¯t be bored. I¡¯d paint by myself.¡± He didn¡¯t know that Xingrong had work today. Jiang Bei¡¯s guilt surged again. ¡°Daddy, what surprise are you going to give me? Oh right, it¡¯s Children¡¯s Day on June 1st. Can you take me to the park?¡± ¡°Yes, of course!¡± Jiang Bei answered confidently. ¡°Yes!¡± Wanwan instantly laughed out loud and then shouted, ¡°Mommy, it¡¯s daddy! Aren¡¯t you going to talk to him?¡± ¡°He said that he will spend Children¡¯s Day with me on June 1st and take me to the park!¡± At this moment, he heard the sounds of footsteps. The next moment, Xu Xinrong¡¯s cold voice came from the phone. ¡°Jiangbei, is it fun to lie to children?¡± ¡°Have you ever spent time with her on her birthday or Children¡¯s Day?¡± ¡°You left this morning, right? Did you just come back? Why? Did you run out of money? You can¡¯t find me so you can¡¯t get money?¡± ¡°Hmph¡­¡± Xu Xinrong took a deep breath and suddenly said, ¡°Wanwan and I are staying at my parents¡¯ house tonight. They have to go to work on Monday. I¡¯ll leave Wanwan with you for the day.¡± ¡°Jiang Bei, this is the last time I¡¯ll trouble you, okay?¡± ¡°Xinrong¡­ I know I¡¯m wrong. Really, I¡­¡± Jiang Bei felt like there was a fishbone stuck in his throat. He didn¡¯t know how to explain it. His image as a scumbag wouldn¡¯t be completely destroyed in one day. The pain in his stomach also made it so difficult for him to say a complete sentence. However, his speechlessness was extremely similar to the sorry state he was in when his lie was exposed. ¡°Mommy, daddy just promised me.¡± Wanwan¡¯s tender voice came from the phone. It was weak, as if she was crying. ¡°Didn¡¯t he make enough promises? Let¡¯s see if he will take you to the park on Monday!¡± Xu Xinrong said coldly. ¡°Mommy¡­¡± At this moment, Wanwan¡¯s crying was also heard. It was so clear. Along with Xu Xinrong¡¯s soft sobbing, she seemed to be comforting Wanwan. ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I made a mistake. Wanwan, be good, don¡¯t cry anymore. I am sorry¡­¡± The phone was suddenly hung up. Jiang Bei curled up on the bench. Tears gushed out and fell to the ground. He did not feel wronged, he only felt guilty¡­ He only thought that today was Saturday and that it was the opening day of a mall. However, he had forgotten that Xu Xinrong had to work today, so she left Wanwan to her grandparents. No matter how sensible and obedient Wanwan was, how could she stay at home alone for an entire day? She was still so young, she was not even four years old. ¡°Ah! ! !¡± Jiang Bei screamed in pain. This pain in the damn stomach made it impossible for him to stand. The physical pain was nothing, but the pain in his heart was really unbearable! He had gone back in time, with a passion and a firm heart. He wanted to redeem himself and take good care of his wife and daughter. But what had he done! He had abandoned his daughter. Yes! He had abandoned his daughter! Wanwan¡¯s cries seemed to still be echoing in his ears, as well as Xu Xinrong¡¯s cold voice. Jiang Bei¡¯s vision gradually blurred, and he slowly lost consciousness. He did not know when, but he finally fell asleep in the pain. That night, he woke up several times in his dreams. However, because of the pain in his body, he could not move. His cramping stomach seemed to be protesting. While he was in a daze, Jiang Bei fell asleep again. He was powerless to save his wife and daughter. He could not prove that he had changed. He could not even stand up. ¡°What should I do? Wanwan, Xinrong¡­¡± Jiang Bei murmured and called out softly for almost the entire night.. Chapter 10 - I’ll Trouble You One Last Time Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation At dawn, Jiang Bei finally woke up. He slowly sat up supporting himself on the bench. His stomach churned and he could not stop retching. However, as he had not eaten for an entire day, he could not vomit anything except stomach acid. Jiang Bei moved his arms and felt that he had the strength to stand up. Only then did he stagger into the bathroom. He turned on the tap and put his mouth under it. He gulped down the water like a person who was about to die of thirst in the desert. ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay¡­ when Xinrong comes back tonight, I¡¯ll show her that I have changed.¡± Jiang Bei wiped the water droplets from his mouth and clenched his fists. He walked out of the bathroom and gently tore off the page from the calendar from yesterday. A new page appeared, May 31st, 2001. ¡°Tomorrow is Children¡¯s Day¡­¡± Jiang Bei muttered softly and sat back on the bench, quietly thinking. He still had 1,300 yuan in hand. He could use this money to slowly develop and start a business from scratch. He could not give up hope. As long as his wife and daughter were still around, he could not be depressed! He still had many ideas. This small sum of money was enough. But¡­ He had to keep his promise. He had to spend June 1st with his daughter. Jiang Bei¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up. At this moment, his keen business sense helped him again. He could also take advantage of Children¡¯s Day to make a fortune at the public park! With that idea in mind, Jiang Bei left home and went to the breakfast shop downstairs to fill his stomach. Then he went straight to the park. Although it was Sunday, there were not many people in the park. Most of them were old men and women who came for morning exercises. Except for the bumper cars, pirate ships, and other recreational facilities, the other small stalls were not doing well. The adults all knew that this was a scam, and the children would not be too interested in it. On the other hand, shooting darts could attract the attention of some older children, but it also required a lot of investment. It did not fit Jiang Bei¡¯s idea of earning a quick sum of money. Jiang Bei hesitated for a moment and chose a small stall at a bad location. After discussing with the owner, he rented his stall for the next day at a price of 700 yuan. He readily agreed. After all, in this era, 700 yuan was already two months¡¯ salary of an average person. Then, Jiang Bei left the park and went to the fish market to buy some baby koi fish for 10 cents each. He ordered a glass fish tank and went to the other market to buy sticky rice paper and small plastic bags. By the time he was done, it was already three o¡¯clock in the afternoon. Jiang Bei set aside the money he had to pay on the next day and found that he only had 100 yuan left. He used another 50 yuan to order a rather eye-catching sign. With the last 50 yuan, he went to the second-hand market to buy a tricycle before returning home. He had to pay for the remaining stuff tomorrow. If everything went well, he could definitely earn a lot of money with a new game! And it was very likely to be more than 10,000 yuan! He also needed the remaining 1,100 yuan to fulfill his promise to Xu Xinrong and tell her what he had done yesterday and what he would do with the money tomorrow. Their lives would be better¡­ Xu Xinrong came back with Wanwan at around eight in the evening. Jiang Bei, who was sitting on the bench, suddenly stood up. Hearing the sound of the door opening and Wanwan¡¯s laughter outside, Jiang Bei did not know where to put his hands. He was at a loss. The door opened. The yellow light bulb in the corridor finally brought some light into the dark room. Xu Xinrong saw the man standing in the living room. It was very dark in the room, so she couldn¡¯t see his expression clearly. She didn¡¯t care about it. She just glanced at him lightly and turned on the light. ¡°Xinrong, Wanwan, you¡¯re back,¡± Jiang Bei suddenly said. ¡°Dad! I¡¯m so happy at grandma¡¯s house today. Grandma made a lot of delicious food.¡± Wanwan ran over and hugged Jiang Bei¡¯s leg. Xu Xinrong ignored him. In her heart, this was just a marriage that was about to end. ¡°Xinrong, wait!¡± Jiang bei couldn¡¯t help but shout when he saw Xu Xinrong entering the door and walking toward the bedroom. Xu Xinrong paused and asked coldly, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Xinrong, look¡­ look¡­ this money¡­¡± Jiang Bei shakily took out more than 1000 yuan from his pocket. As if he was under a lot of pressure, sweat began to appear on his forehead. He raised his head, waiting for the smile on Xu Xinrong¡¯s face¡­ Although he knew that she was never a person who was greedy for money, the only thing he had that could prove that he had changed was the money in his hands. Seeing the money, Xu Xinrong¡¯s gaze returned to Jiang Bei¡¯s face. However, he heard Xu Xinrong ask coldly, ¡°Where did you get this money?¡± ¡°I, Xinrong¡­ I earned this yesterday,¡± Jiang Bei said anxiously. However, in Xu Xinrong¡¯s eyes, he looked like a scumbag who was eager to prove something after his lie was exposed! ¡°What if I don¡¯t believe it? Are you going to slap me again?¡± Xu Xinrong laughed mockingly. ¡°Why are you showing me this 1000 yuan? To prove that you¡¯ve changed? Or did you successfully get the deposit to sell the house?¡± ¡°Jiang Bei, can you not be so pathetic?¡± ¡°I¡¯m tired. Take care of Wanwan tomorrow. This is the last time I¡¯ll trouble you,¡± Xu Xinrong said calmly and turned around to walk into the room.. Chapter 11 - Fishing Game Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation ¡°Daddy¡­ mommy seems to be unhappy.¡± Wanwan looked up at Jiang Bei¡¯s flustered face and said suddenly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I am fine.¡± Jiang Bei squatted down and gently held Wanwan in his arms as he sat down on the chair. ¡°But you didn¡¯t anger mommy, you earned so much money.¡± Wanwan looked at the money in Jiang Bei¡¯s hands and said in confusion. ¡°Daddy is useless.¡±Jiang Bei shook his head. Xu Xinrong was not willing to listen to his explanation. He understood that she had heard enough of it for so many years, or rather, she had been lied to enough by him. She thought that speaking to him was a waste of breath. If it were not for the fact that no one could take care of Wanwan on Children¡¯s Day, Xu Xinrong would not have given her daughter to him. ¡°No! Daddy is superman, my hero!¡± Wanwan suddenly shouted, ¡°You are not useless! You have promised, right?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ I have promised you, I will keep it,¡± Jiang Bei gently stroked Wanwan¡¯s hair and replied in a low voice. He looked at his daughter¡¯s small face and her thin and weak body. Facing a broken family, a heartbroken wife, and a malnourished daughter, in just two days, Jiang Bei¡¯s heart was already filled with holes, but he knew that all of this was because of him! This was his fault! Jiang Bei slowly raised his head, not letting his tears fall. He was a man. No matter how difficult it was, he could not fall. He had to support the child in his arms and the woman in the house. ¡°Wanwan, tomorrow is Children¡¯s Day. I will take you to the public park,¡±Jiang Bei said softly. ¡°Then you don¡¯t have to earn money?¡± Wanwan raised her head and looked at Jiang Bei with some hesitation. Although she was very young, she also understood that every time her parents quarreled, it was because of money. In the next few days, her father had to think of ways to earn money. If he earned money, they would not quarrel anymore. Although she really wanted to go to the park, she did not want her father stop earning money because of her. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Wanwan. Tomorrow, you will go to the public park with me to earn money, okay?¡± Jiang Bei asked with a bit of shame. He had to earn 50,000 yuan worth of gambling debt. He could not sell the house, and he would not let his family fall apart! But even the promise to take Wanwan to the park for Children¡¯s Day had to involve earning money. ¡°Okay!¡± Wanwan agreed readily. ¡°I am old enough to help you earn money!¡± ¡°Wanwan is the best.¡± Jiang Bei laughed softly. He stroked his daughter¡¯s hair and didn¡¯t say anything. He hugged his daughter gently, hiding his eyes that were filled with guilt. ¡­ The next morning. Jiang Bei left home early on his trishaw. He went to the fish market to buy the baby koi fish and fish tank that he had ordered the day before. Then, he went to the park to pay the rent for the day. Only then did he rush home to pick Wanwan up. Xu Xinrong had already prepared breakfast. When Jiang Bei entered the house, she immediately left without saying a word. She didn¡¯t even have the mood to listen to Jiang Bei¡¯s fake promise. After these few days, everything would be over. Jiang Bei looked at Xu Xinrong¡¯s back as she left. He wanted to say something but hesitated. He shook his head and didn¡¯t stop her. He wanted to do it first and then tell her the results! After eating breakfast with Wanwan and helping her get dressed, the father and daughter finally left home. Jiang Bei was riding a trishaw and carrying Wanwan, while Wanwan was standing on the passenger seat at the back, hugging Jiang Bei¡¯s waist. When the father and daughter arrived at the park, it was only eight o¡¯clock in the morning, but there were already quite a lot of people in the park. They were mostly parents who brought their children over to play. There were children whose age ranged from one to ten. Their faces were filled with smiles, and so was Wanwan¡¯s. ¡°Daddy, there are so many people,¡± Wanwan said excitedly as she was held in Jiang Bei¡¯s arms. ¡°Because today is Children¡¯s Day. It¡¯s a holiday for children like you.¡± ¡°Then I don¡¯t want to celebrate Children¡¯s Day anymore. I am not a child anymore,¡± Wanwan suddenly shook her head and said. ¡°You¡­¡± Jiang Bei gently pinched Wanwan¡¯s little nose, which made her laugh again. ¡°Daddy, where are we going to earn money now?¡± ¡°Go to the front. I have prepared everything.¡± ¡°I am ready too!¡± Jiang Bei opened the small door of the stall, took out a stool, divided the fish tank, and put up a sign. Business was open. ¡°Fishing Game¡± ¡°Daddy, are we going to sell fish? What beautiful little fish,¡± Wanwan squatted in front of the small fish tank and said excitedly. She wanted to reach out and touch the little fish, but she was too timid to go forward. Jiang Bei used a fishing net made of sticky rice paper and handed it to Wanwan. ¡°Try it. USe this to catch the fish. If you catch it, it¡¯s yours.¡± ¡°What¡­ Then you won¡¯t be able to make money,¡± Wanwan pouted, but she still tried it excitedly. A moment later, Wanwan stood up with a sad face and said, ¡°Daddy, the net broke! Not a single one was caught!¡± Not long after, people gradually surrounded the area. This new type of game was extremely attractive to children, especially those colorful small koi fish, which were very eye-catching. ¡°Daddy! I want this!¡± ¡°Mommy, look at these fish. They¡¯re so beautiful! I want them!¡± Most of the children who passed by would shout, and most of the parents would give them what they wanted. Compared to riding a bumper car, the game would end in three minutes for 10 yuan. The kind of thing that could be brought home and had some sentimental value was why the adults were willing to spend money on it. Especially this kind of small fish. If it could grow to become an adult fish, it would be even more meaningful. ¡­ At the same moment. Third Brother, who had been lying in the hospital for three days, could finally be discharged today. There was still a thick bandage on his arm. Once the anesthetic had passed, he would grimace in pain if he moved even a little. His hatred for Jiang Bei also enveloped him for three whole days. After all, this was a wound that needed more than thirty stitches! ¡°Find out where Jiang Bei went. I am out of the hospital today. It¡¯s his turn to stay for a month.¡± Third Brother said with a sinister smile.. Chapter 12 - Jiang Bei’s Business Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation In front of the small stall, someone finally came forward and asked, ¡°How does it work?¡± ¡°5 yuan for a net, 10 yuan for three. You can keep as many fish as you can get,¡± Jiang Bei answered. ¡°Then if I take all these fish, won¡¯t you suffer a great loss?¡± The man laughed heartily. ¡°It¡¯s not that simple. This paper is very fragile.¡± Jiang Bei smiled and shook his head. He did not avoid answering. This was not only an honest answer, it also aroused the man¡¯s competitive spirit. At this time, the child beside the man also said, ¡°Mommy and daddy, I want to play with this! I like these small fish!¡± ¡°Okay, give us three nets!¡± The man took out 10 yuan from his wallet and handed it to Jiang Bei. Jiang Bei received the money and handed over three small nets that he had just made. The little boy was not very good at it. He took the small net and fished around in the fish tank. He had just caught a small fish when the net broke. ¡°Dad, the net broke¡­¡± The boy looked at his father with frustration. ¡°Let me try and catch one for you!¡± The man rolled up his sleeves and picked up a small net. He had already understood the game a little. The paper would become soft when it came in contact with water. If it was too heavy, it would break. Therefore, it could not stay in the water for a long time. He found a small fish in the corner and slowly approached it with the net. With a light pull, the small fish was fished out. Then, he repeated this action, but this time he was a little slower. The fishing net broke, and the second small fish was not successfully fished out. ¡°Yay! Daddy succeeded!¡± The boy shouted excitedly. The man also smiled. He took the plastic bag containing the small fish and let the child have the last net to continue the game. As expected, the little boy¡¯s net broke again. He put on a sad face and begged to do it again. The man gave Jiang Bei another 10 yuan in exchange for three fishing nets. The boy used two more nets and finally fished out a small fish. The man used the last net and fished out two small fish. 20 yuan in exchange for four small fish. Both Jiang Bei and the family of three got something out of it. The child received joy and a sense of accomplishment. He successfully fished out a small fish, which was his trophy today. As for his father, he was usually busy with work and rarely accompanied the child. This time, he was able to make his child proud. Although the woman didn¡¯t play the game, she was also happy to see the father and son getting along so well. This was what 20 yuan bought them. Jiang Bei received 20 yuan and Wanwan was happy for her father because he earned money. ¡°Give me three nets too!¡± After that, others also wanted to play the game with their children. ¡°Dad, hurry up and make the fishing nets. There are so many people waiting for you. Wanwan will collect the money for you!¡± Wanwan volunteered. ¡°Okay, put the money in your bag. Got It?¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Wanwan nodded and agreed. When a person finished playing a game, Wanwan would even shout in her tender voice, ¡°Does anyone else want to play the game? It¡¯s a very fun fishing game! You can have all the fish you catch!¡± From time to time, the hearty laughter of adults and the adoring exclamations of children who said ¡°Daddy is so awesome!¡± could be heard in front of this small stall. This was not just a game prepared for the children. It was more like a parent-child game. The adults would first try how to play it, and then teach the children how to do it. Jiang Bei was generous with the fish nets even though the fish was only sold for 10 cents. He placed two sticky rice sheets on each fishing net. In other words, under normal circumstances, it was actually very easy to catch one, and it wasn¡¯t difficult to catch two. As for those children whose motor skills were not as developed, as long as they were careful, they could also succeed. Catching a small fish in such a game not only made the children but also the adults happy So¡­ Jiang Bei, who understood this, could capitalize on it. As for Wanwan, although other children were all playing in the park with their parents, she didn¡¯t feel bored. She felt happy that she could help her father. The new game was popular in the park. On this day, more than half of the children in the park were holding a small transparent plastic bag in their hands. Inside was the small fish from Jiang Bei¡¯s small stall. Because of this, Jiang Bei was very busy. Of course, he didn¡¯t forget to take his daughter to have lunch at KFC, which she had been missing for a long time, and then continued working at the stall in the afternoon. Wanwan¡¯s presence had helped Jiang Bei a lot. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t have been easy for him to collect the money and make the fishing nets at the same time. The sky gradually turned dark, and most of the visitors had dispersed. Almost all the baby koi fish were gone. He packed up his stall, put on his backpack, and prepared to go home with Wanwan. ¡°Did I help today?¡± Wanwan asked softly as she hugged Jiang Bei¡¯s neck. ¡°You did. Wanwan is very good. You helped me a lot.¡± Jiang Bei patted his daughter¡¯s back gently. She was still very young and needed an afternoon nap. However, because she hadn¡¯t slept at all today because of him. Jiang Bei was touched by his daughter¡¯s understanding, but his heart also ached. ¡°You are amazing to earn so much money. Mommy will definitely be very happy when she sees it.¡± Wanwan¡¯s voice gradually became softer. She was in Jiang Bei¡¯s arms and could not even open her eyes. Jiang Bei glanced at the park entrance and the locked trishaw. He shook his head and carried his daughter home slowly. One hand was carrying his daughter¡¯s small body and the other gently held the back of her head. In order to prevent her from catching a cold from the night wind. He was very satisfied. Taking advantage of the occasrion, he made almost 15,000 yuan from 1000 yuan! Under the street light, Jiang Bei¡¯s shadow was elongated. But behind him, a few people with malicious intentions followed him into the residential area.. Chapter 13 - Third Brother’s Revenge! Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation The lights in the neighborhood were dim. Jiang Bei¡¯s footsteps and Wanwan¡¯s steady breathing were very clear. The daughter in his arms and the light cloth bag on his back felt very real. Jiang Bei smiled lightly. He knew that his wife was waiting for him and his daughter at home, and that she might have already prepared dinner. Although he didn¡¯t know how she would react when she saw the money and knew that he and his daughter spent Children¡¯s Day together. But she wouldn¡¯t misunderstand him again, right? He already had 15,000 yuan in his hand, which was not far from the 50,000 yuan gambling debt. This money was enough to let him start a bigger business. Even if he opened a small shop to sell something, it would be very easy. There were only seven days left, so it should be very easy for him to earn the remaining 35,000 yuan Having a happy family was his greatest wish. It was also his only wish after he turned back time. Jiang Bei¡¯s smile became brighter as he thought about it. But at this moment, a few figures dressed in dirty clothes walked out from the corner of the street. They held clubs in their hands. The moment Jiang Bei saw them, he didn¡¯t hesitate at all and immediately ran! Behind him, there were already a few people waiting to block his path. ¡°Long time no see, Jiang Bei.¡± The gangster leading the group, whose arm was wrapped in a thick bandage, suddenly sneered. ¡°Why, don¡¯t you remember me?¡± ¡°That day when you stabbed me with a knife, weren¡¯t you pretty amazing?¡± Not all the gangsters were ¡°businessmen¡± like Zhang Luzhong, at least Third Brother was not. He held a grudge against Jiang Bei! After being stabbed up by such a good-for-nothing, he became a laughingstock! But today, he caught Jiang Bei! June 1 was a day for children, but it was also a day for hooligans, especially for people like Third Brother. A part of his income came from forcibly collecting protection fees, otherwise, he would not have been discharged today. The park was also one of their ¡°business¡± spots. It was his subordinates who were at the park collecting fees who sent him the news. They suddenly found a stall that had never been there before, and business was booming. Just as he was about to ask for money, he saw an acquaintance. It just so happened that this person was with Third Brother that day and met Jiang Bei. The ruthlessness of Jiang Bei holding a knife and the cold smile on his face were still fresh in his memory. He didn¡¯t look like a person at all, but more like a devil! He didn¡¯t dare to collect protection fees from such a person, so he went back and looked for Third Brother. When Third Brother heard that Jiang Bei was in the park, he couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore and immediately wanted to bring people over. However, when he heard from his subordinate that he had earned quite a lot of money, he hesitated again. Then let him continue earning the money. When it was dark, he had to go home. When the time came, even if he called the police, it would be useless! Jiang Bei naturally did not expect that Third Brother would be so persistent even though Zhang Luzhong had agreed to give him time. ¡°What do you want to do?¡± Jiang Bei took a step back to the other side and asked with a dark face. He wanted to run with his daughter, but it was impossible now. He was gradually approaching a dead end. ¡°What do I want to do? Look at my arm, what do you think I can do? I had more than 30 f*cking stitches in the hospital!¡± ¡°Zhang Luzhong should have told you, right? Give me ten days. I won¡¯t return you 1 cent less than 50,000 yuan,¡± Jiang Bei said coldly. ¡°50,000 yuan?¡± Third Brother suddenly laughed. When he laughed, the two men behind him also laughed loudly, as if they had heard the funniest joke in the world. ¡°50,000 yuan is f * cking Zhang Luzhong¡¯s! I took your stabbing for nothing!¡± Third Brother shouted coldly. He looked ferocious His gaze also landed on the bag that Jiang Bei was carrying. ¡°You want money, right?¡± Jiang Bei said with a sullen face. When he felt the Third Brother¡¯s gaze, Jiang Bei had become bolder. What he was most afraid of was that these gangsters did not want their lives. There were already seven or eight gangsters surrounding him. He could no longer escape. He didn¡¯t care about himself, but his daughter was still in his arms! If their goal was only to take the money he earned today, that would be the best. Money could be earned back at any time, but his daughter must not be harmed. He would not allow it. ¡°I¡¯ll give you 5000 yuan for the medical fees. I¡¯ll pretend that what happened tonight did not happen. How about that?¡±Jiang Bei took a deep breath and said. He couldn¡¯t reveal all his trump cards in front of someone like Third Brother. ¡°5,000? Are you sending beggars away?¡± Third Brother shouted. According to what his subordinate said, Jiang Bei earned more than 10,000 yuan today! ¡°What do you want?¡± Jiang Bei asked back. His expression was obviously hesitant. Third Brother noticed it. He laughed sinisterly. ¡°What do I want? Leave all the money in your bag to me!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you all the money and you let my daughter and I go. How about that?¡± Jiang Bei asked in a deep voice. ¡°If it gets out of hand, it won¡¯t benefit either of us. If you only take the money, I¡¯ll pretend this never happened.¡± ¡°That depends on how much money you have here. Do you think it¡¯s possible with just 5,000 to 6,000 yuan?¡± Third Brother sneered. Jiang Bei took off the bag on his back with one hand. The shoulder strap of the bag was hanging on his other elbow, which was holding his daughter. ¡°This is 15,000 yuan.¡± As soon as he said the number, Third Brother¡¯s eyes immediately lit up. ¡°I will return the 50,000 yuan to Zhang Luzhong. Take all this money and let me and my daughter go,¡± Jiang Bei said while clenching his teeth. His eyes were filled with hatred, but he could only lower his head as much as he could to hide everything. He had to do something that he didn¡¯t want to do. He had no choice. He was not alone now. He was no longer that numb machine in his future life! He would always remember that Third Brother, who had escaped for two years in his previous life, was caught by him and sent to prison in the future. He had clearly taken revenge, but that night, he cried until dawn. But now, he had to compromise! For his daughter! Even if there was a ferocious beast in him, he had to hold it in. He held it in until his eyes were bloodshot, and his arms trembled. ¡°15,000? That¡¯s quite a lot of money, huh?¡± Third Brother laughed. The greed in his eyes could not be hidden at all. ¡°Third Brother, 15,000 is not enough! You had more than 30 stitches on your arm! After the anesthesia wore off, how much pain were you in? Have you forgotten?¡± A man beside him suddenly said. ¡°Zhang Luzhong casually takes 50,000 yuan. How much of it will he keep? How much will he give to his subordinates?¡± ¡°If he hadn¡¯t played dirty back then, would he have been the boss?¡± After they finished speaking, the greed in Third Brother¡¯s eyes burned fiercely once again. That¡¯s right! Damn it! I was stabbed by this trash in front of me! I¡¯ve had more than 30 stitches! That bastard Zhang Luzhong didn¡¯t even look at me. And told me that it was my fault? It¡¯s against the rules to touch someone¡¯s wife and daughter? Even if he did, so what! This wasn¡¯t the first time he had done this! When he first became a gangster, Zhang Luzhong was nothing! At this moment, Wanwan slowly woke up. He looked up at Jiang Bei and asked, ¡°Dad¡­. are we home yet?¡± Chapter 14 - You are My Life Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation ¡°We are almost there. Sleep for a while more,¡± Jiang Bei said softly. At this moment, beads of sweat had already appeared on his forehead. His daughter waking up suddenly made Jiang Bei panic. He was no longer as calm as before. At this moment, his eyes were filled with worry. He did not want his daughter to see his crazy appearance from that day. He also did not want his daughter to see such a dark side of society. He only wanted to give the best to his wife and daughter. He couldn¡¯t let them get hurt again. ¡°Wanwan, look, isn¡¯t that our home? If you sleep a little longer, daddy will carry you up.¡± Jiang Bei pointed to the window not far away where the lights were on. ¡°Yes, the lights are on. Mommy is at home.¡± But this time, Wanwan didn¡¯t listen to him. When she saw the lights in the house were on, she turned her head. She saw the bad guys with clubs! ¡°Daddy! There are bad guys!¡± Wanwan suddenly shouted. Her voice was filled with fear. But she struggled in Jiang Bei¡¯s arms, wanting to jump down! ¡°Wanwan, Listen to me. It¡¯s okay. Have you forgotten? Daddy is superman,¡± Jiang Bei said hurriedly. He tried his best to comfort her daughter. ¡°I have to protect you. You can¡¯t get hurt!¡± Wanwan shouted emotionally. ¡°Wanwan, be good, leave it to me, okay? Leave it to daddy¡­ I will protect you,¡± Jiang Bei said in a low voice as he gently stroked his daughter¡¯s back. ¡­ ¡°Third Brother, this little girl is so pretty. She looks like she¡¯s only three years old, right?¡± ¡°I know someone who specializes in this business. If I take her to those people, she¡¯ll be worth at least 50,000 yuan.¡± Third Brother¡¯s eyes lit up again, but he couldn¡¯t help but frown. If they were caught, it would be a big crime! Compared to being arrested for collecting protection fees and being locked up for a few days, this would be completely different. ¡°Who would know about this? Hehehe, this gambling scum probably thought that the money could solve the problem and save him a beating,¡± Another man said. Among these people, many of them had never seen Jiang Bei before, so they had never seen his crazy side. At this moment, they only felt that he was the same as the other gamblers. Third Brother was a little conflicted. But without a doubt, he was tempted. If it was really as they had said, snatching this little girl away and selling her for tens of thousands of dollars was good business. But if¡­ In this silent and depressing night, their voices were so clear. Perhaps Wanwan still did not know what was waiting for her, Jiang Bei already understood. ¡°Third Brother, I was too impulsive that day. This is 15,000 yuan. Take it first, I¡¯ll write you an IOU of 50,000, no, 100,000 yuan. I¡¯ll definitely pay you back.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re still not satisfied, you can cut up my arm?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t call the police. I¡¯ll pretend that none of this happened. I promise you.¡± Jiang Bei clenched his fists. He was on the verge of exploding at any moment, but he was begging. He hoped that Third Brother would still have a bit of conscience. In front of him were seven or eight gangsters with clubs. He didn¡¯t know how he could escape from these people. He didn¡¯t even know how he could protect his daughter under this circumstance. If Wanwan was sold, he would go crazy, he really would! He might be able to find his daughter in the future, but what kind of treatment would Wanwan experience at such a young age! She might be scolded, she might be beaten, she¡­ Jiang Bei didn¡¯t dare to think about it anymore. He was used to preparing for the worst every time, this time he was really afraid! He was regretting his rash action the other day and provoked this hooligan! ¡°Third Brother, let me and my daughter go today, okay?¡± ¡°In the future, I¡­¡± ¡°An IOU of 100,000 yuan? You can¡¯t even pay off a gambling debt. You earned a bit of money today, and now you could pay 100,000 yuan?¡± Before Jiang Bei could finish his words, a man immediately mocked him. And just as Third Brother was in a dilemma and accidentally exerted strength in his arm, it once again opened his bone-deep wound. ¡°Hiss!¡± The pain made him suck in a breath of cold air. His hatred for Jiang Bei and his greed for the 50,000 yuan completely destroyed his last bit of rationality at this moment. ¡°You¡¯re right! Dongzi, are your people reliable?¡± Third Brother suddenly laughed ferociously. ¡°They¡¯re definitely reliable! Back then, I hung out with that person for a period of time. With this little girl¡¯s beauty, I reckon that we could even sell her for 70,000 yuan.¡± ¡°Hehehe, then let¡¯s just keep this between us. Later, when the child is sold, I¡¯ll give everyone 5,000 yuan!¡± Jiang Bei¡¯s pleading stopped at this moment. He slowly squatted down and placed Wanwan on the ground. ¡°Daddy, what¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t be afraid, I will protect you.¡± Wanwan gently caressed Jiang Bei¡¯s face. ¡°Wanwan, listen to me and protect yourself. You are my life. Protect yourself well only then I can stay alive. Do you understand?¡± Jiang Bei asked softly. His eyes were filled with determination. He did not know what kind of ending he would face. Even if he had to use his own life to protect his daughter, he would not hesitate! Even if he was beaten to death, he would protect his daughter! ¡°I understand, but those bad guys want to bully you, I¡­¡± ¡°Wanwan, be good. I will run with you in a while. Can you find the way home? I want to defeat the bad guys here.¡± Jiang Bei looked at his daughter and said with a smile. He wanted to make his smile look better, but he could not do it. ¡°Of course! Why is your smile so ugly again?¡± ¡°In the future, I will smile very nicely¡­¡± ¡°Go!¡± Suddenly, Third Brother¡¯s shout cut through the silent night.. Chapter 15 - I’ll Kill You! Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation ¡°Daddy, the bad guys are here!¡± Wanwan suddenly turned her head and shouted. Jiang Bei, who was behind her, picked up a piece of red brick. ¡°Wanwan, run. Don¡¯t be afraid. I will protect you!¡± Jiang Bei said and suddenly stood up. He took a step forward and stood in front of Wanwan. ¡°Daddy!¡± ¡°Wanwan, listen to me, run!¡± Jiang Bei shouted and rushed out. In the narrow alley, there were not many people who could rush over together. There were only three men coming forward with clubs in their hands. Wanwan followed behind Jiang Bei, following his footsteps and running forward! She was very thin and weak. Because of the situation, she could not run steadily. However, the man in front of her was her mountain, her hero, and her superman father¡­ ¡°Daddy!¡± Wanwan¡¯s eyes were covered with tears. She could not tell what was happening in front of her. However, she knew that she had to listen to her father and escape. She could not be a burden to her father. Her father would defeat these bad guys! The three gangsters¡¯ expressions changed when they saw Jiang Bei charging at them, especially with the brick in his hand. His eyes were abnormally bright in the dark night. There were flames of anger there! This was the anger that would only erupt when a man was forced into a desperate situation! The gangsters felt fear, but there were many of them, and they still had weapons in their hands. The sound of the clubs swinging in the air finally reached Jiang Bei¡¯s ears. ¡°Bang!¡± The man on the right directly swung his club into Jiang Bei¡¯s right arm! Although he was frightened by Jiang Bei¡¯s action and did not use that much strength, this blow was enough to make Jiang Bei¡¯s arm feel so much pain that it was powerless! The man gangster in the middle was obviously terrified. He had seen Jiang Bei the other day and in the park today. He did not dare to confront such a demon head-on, and at this moment, he was somewhat cowering. As for the thug on the left, he stretched out his hand towards Wanwan, who was staggering over. This little girl was worth 70,000 yuan! He did not know what kind of willpower this was. Jiang Bei, whose arm had been hit, did not lose that piece of brick at all! Because his attention was all on his daughter! He did not care, but his daughter could not be injured! He suddenly turned his head and looked at the man on the left who was grabbing his daughter. He did not know where the strength in his arm came from, but he raised the brick and directly hit it on the man¡¯s head! ¡°Bang!¡± There was another crisp sound! The sound of the brick and the skull colliding was so clear and terrifying at this moment. The man who wanted to grab Wanwan did not even let out a scream as he fell straight to the ground. His head was bleeding and the club in his hand rolled away. Jiang Bei knew that he had to be fast. He had to run away with Wanwan! He couldn¡¯t stop, not even for a little while! He had to be ruthless, even if it meant killing someone! He turned around again, clenched the brick in his hand, and hit the man on his right who was swinging the bat at him again! But it was a bat! Jiang Bei¡¯s right shoulder was hit again, and he could no longer hold onto the brick. It flew out of his hand and hit directly on the man¡¯s left cheek! Blood from his nose spurted out! ¡°Ah!¡± An ear-piercing howl resonated through the night sky. The remaining man in the middle finally reacted. Facing Jiang Bei, who was no longer armed, he swung his bat and struck! It hit Jiang Bei¡¯s chest. A muffled groan came from Jiang Bei. He staggered back a few steps. The anger that was already suppressed in his chest seemed to have been completely ignited by this heavy blow. His body exploded into chaos, and even breathing was painful. ¡°Daddy, daddy¡­ what¡¯s wrong?¡± Wanwan stopped behind Jiang Bei, and her tears fell down. ¡°I am fine, Wanwan¡­ run with me, okay? Listen, you have to be brave,¡± Jiang Bei said softly, his chest was burning, and his nose was filled with the smell of blood. Everything was stimulating his nerves. But his daughter was all he had. She was his life! These people wanted to take away his daughter! Jiang Bei wanted to scream in pain, but he couldn¡¯t. He bent down and gently touched Wanwan¡¯s little head. ¡°Wanwan, follow me. I will defeat the bad guys.¡± ¡°Daddy, you can do it. You are superman. I will not drag you down.¡± The tender, sobbing voice entered Jiang Bei¡¯s ears. The burning pain in his chest that had just been suppressed became intense again. He raised his head and looked at the only one left who was holding a baseball bat. A bloody smile appeared on his face. However, when the man saw that his attack had succeeded, he charged towards Jiang Bei once again. It was as if the devil from that day was nothing more than this! He did not have a kitchen knife, nor did he have a brick. He was just a good-for-nothing who was willing to be beaten by others! ¡°I¡¯ll cripple you!¡± The man shouted loudly. As if he was bolstering himself, he charged towards Jiang Bei once again. ¡°I¡¯ll f * cking kill you!¡± Jiang Bei roared angrily and shielded Wanwan behind him. His eyes were bloodshot! Even though the man was still holding a baseball bat in his hand, he did not hesitate to charge! ¡°Daddy!¡± Wanwan¡¯s heart-wrenching cries entered Jiang Bei¡¯s ears.. Chapter 16 - Daddy! Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation That man clearly did not expect his opponent to stand up so quickly, let alone charge at him! In a one-on-one situation, Jiang Bei was not afraid even if his opponent had a club in his hand! Under the stimulation of physical and mental pain, Jiang Bei¡¯s reaction became abnormally fast! The club swung at him, but Jiang Bei subconsciously dodged to the side, then his fist hit the bridge of the man¡¯s nose! ¡°Bam! Bam!¡± One punch after another! Along with it came ear-piercing screams, curses, and pleas for mercy. In a short while, the three men fell in this narrow alley! Still standing was Wanwan, whose face was full of tears, and Jiang Bei, whose chest felt as if it could explode at any time. ¡°Daddy, you¡¯re hurt¡­¡± Wanwan¡¯s cries stimulated Jiang Bei¡¯s nerves. ¡°Daddy¡¯s fine. Wanwan, be good. Stay with me. Don¡¯t let these bad guys take you away. You must stay with me. I will protect you.¡± Jiang Bei said softly. He wiped off the blood at the corner of his mouth. As he was breathing and talking, he swallowed some blood. ¡°Daddy¡­ I will be obedient. I will stay with you.¡± ¡°I will protect you. We still have to go home to give mommy a surprise, right?¡±Jiang Bei stroked his daughter¡¯s head lovingly, but his gaze was fixed on the gloomy Third Brother at the entrance of the alley. ¡°Third Brother, what should we do¡­¡± The remaining four men were panicking. In this situation, who would still dare to attack? The person was not a human! He was a madman! A demon! His gaze was more vicious than a f* cking beast. It was a gaze that wanted to eat people alive! The three men who were still lying on the ground were the best proof. They had only fought ordinary citizens before. When had they ever seen such a madman? He was not just fierce, he was gambling with his life! However, 5000 yuan was no longer enough for them to risk their lives. ¡°Go! Whoever can cripple this kid, I¡¯ll give him 20,000!¡± Third Brother shouted coldly. He had invaded territories and stabbed others. What kind of battle had he not seen before? ¡°He¡¯s only one person, how powerful can he be? Can¡¯t you see that he¡¯s about to die!¡± Under monetary incentive, three more men rushed forward. As for Jiang Bei, he also picked up a club from the ground and held it in his hand. He smiled sinisterly as he looked at the three men who were rushing towards him. They were obviously hesitating. Whoever attacked first would have to suffer this blow! ¡°Attack! Whoever cripples this bastard, I¡¯ll give him 30,000 yuan! 30,000 yuan!¡± Third Brother¡¯s angry roar was like a shot of stimulant. In their line of work, no matter how capable they were, they couldn¡¯t earn 5000 yuan a year! 30,000 yuan was enough for them to go crazy! ¡°F * ck!¡± The man in the middle shouted loudly and charged forward. ¡°Wanwan, you have to go home by yourself. I will protect you¡­¡± Jiang bei said softly. He ignored the pain in his body and charged forward once again! He swung the club in his hand at the man who was charging at him! ¡°Bang!¡± The two clubs collided, causing Jiang Bei¡¯s arms to go numb. The two men behind him also swung their clubs! Jiang Bei turned his body slightly to avoid one of them, but he still received a heavy blow from the other. ¡°You dare to kill? I¡¯ll kill you first!¡± The man who was the first to charge at him shouted and swung his club again, aiming at Jiang Bei¡¯s head! Jiang Bei lowered his head to dodge, then roared and used his head to hit his opponent¡¯s chest. After several steps, he slammed him heavily into the wall. He turned around and swung his club again, aiming at the one who was rushing over behind him! He used all his strength and swung his club at the opponent¡¯s arm. The sound of bones breaking could be clearly heard. Jiang Bei turned around and punched the man who had just stabilized himsel, causing blood to gush out from his face! In a moment, this bloody battle resulted in the two men falling to the ground and unable to get up. ¡°Let¡¯s see who is tougher! Come on!¡± Jiang Bei shouted angrily at the last man. ¡°Wanwan, follow me!¡± Jiang Bei panted heavily as he carried the club and walked towards the entrance of the alley. But the last man did not dare attack. He retreated slowly. ¡°Go! Why are you retreating! Cripple him, I¡¯ll give you money! I¡¯ll give you 30,000!¡± Third Brother flew into a rage, but he couldn¡¯t even lift his right arm. The last two subordinates were scared out of their wits didn¡¯t dare to go forward at all. ¡°Trash!¡± Third Brother shouted coldly as he grabbed the club from person beside him with one hand and held it in his hand. ¡°Let me see what you are! Damn, you have some skills!¡± Third Brother grinned and looked at Jiang Bei who was almost at the end of the alley. He stood forward and blocked the way! ¡°You two take that girl away. I¡¯ll deal with him!¡± Third Brother said viciously. ¡°Whoever dares to touch my daughter, I¡¯ll kill them.¡± Jiang Bei smiled sinisterly. His forehead was full of sweat that slowly dripped down his face. His body and the arm holding the club were trembling slightly, as if he would collapse at any moment. ¡°I will stand here and watch how you do it! Do you think I am scared?¡± Third Brother shouted coldly. His hatred towards Jiang Bei had already destroyed his last bit of rationality! Even if it was the intense pain from the wound on his arm, he did not care at all. He wanted to return all the pain he had suffered to this man in front of him! He would take that little girl away and sell her! And the 15,000 yuan in the bag was all his! ¡°Come! Kill me!¡± Third Brother roared, ¡°Come!¡± Jiang Bei gritted his teeth and squatted down. He stroked his daughter¡¯s head lovingly and tried to make his smile as gentle as possible. ¡°Wanwan, follow me. Don¡¯t turn back. Go home and find mommy¡­¡± ¡°You have to go home.¡± ¡°Daddy¡­¡± ¡°Wanwan, Listen to me. You are my life. Follow me, okay?¡±Jiang Bei said softly and stood up with difficulty. ¡°Okay! I will listen to you. I won¡¯t drag you down.¡± Her tears fell, but she nodded seriously. She understood everything. She couldn¡¯t drag her father down. Daddy will defeat the bad guys! Jiang Bei finally smiled, and in the next moment, he was already charging with the club! ¡°Wanwan! Follow me!¡± Wanwan didn¡¯t care about the tears on her face, and she didn¡¯t answer. She just staggered and ran behind Jiang Bei. She couldn¡¯t distract her father anymore. He had to deal with the bad guys.. Chapter 17 - The Beginning of A Nightmare Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation ¡°Come on!¡± Third Brother wasn¡¯t a pushover either. When he saw Jiang Bei rushing over, he raised the club in his hand and swung it at Jiang Bei. However, his injuries hadn¡¯t healed yet. His body couldn¡¯t withstand such intense activity. He simply didn¡¯t have that much strength! The two clubs that were swinging at each other collided. Bang! Third Brother could no longer hold onto the club and he dropped it. At this time, Jiang Bei kicked Third Brother¡¯s stomach, causing him to stagger and fall to the ground. ¡°Go! Cripple him for me!¡± Third Brother¡¯s angry roar was heard. Jiang Bei did not have the time to pay attention to him. He brought his daughter and ran towards the two men in front of him! One of them, who was unarmed, reached out to grab Wanwan. Jiang Bei¡¯s attention was on his daughter. Seeing that someone was about to take Wanwan, he swung his club again! But at this moment, he gave the other man a chance to turn around. He swung his club and hit it directly on Jiang Bei¡¯s back! Jiang Bei, who was already at the end of his rope, could no longer stand up. He fell heavily to the ground¡­ However, the good news was that Wanwan ran out on her own, and a gratified smile finally appeared on Jiang Bei¡¯s face. His daughter was fine. Meanwhile, Third Brother, who was standing by the side, supported himself on his uninjured arm and slowly stood up. He looked at Jiang Bei at the entrance of the alley and grinned hideously. The sound of footsteps entered Jiang Bei¡¯s ears. Third Brother was approaching him, but Jiang Bei could no longer care about him. His gaze was fixed on the young figure who was running further and further away. ¡°Run, run¡­ Wanwan, run home,¡± Jiang Bei murmured softly. Wanwan, who had run away, finally realized something. Her father was not in front of her. Why was she the only one left? Wanwan stopped and turned her head. She also saw her father lying on the ground. ¡°Daddy!¡± Wanwan shouted. Her voice was mournful, and at this moment, it was as if her heart was about to break from crying. She staggered and wanted to run back to protect her father. ¡°Wanwan! Run! Run quickly! Don¡¯t come back!¡± Jiang Bei roared. His body seemed to have regained its strength. He struggled to stand up! But at this moment¡­ ¡°Bang!¡± His back was heavily pressed down by something. Jiang Bei, who was about to stand up, fell to the ground again. He couldn¡¯t stand up anymore. It was Third Brother¡¯s foot that stepped on Jiang Bei¡¯s back. Third Brother had become the final victor. ¡°Daddy!¡± ¡°Wanwan, listen to daddy, okay? Be obedient! Go home!¡± Jiang Bei shouted. The sweat on his face was mixed with tears. They fell down his face. Wanwan shook her head desperately. She couldn¡¯t run away by herself. Her father had fallen into the hands of the bad guys. If she ran away, her father would definitely be hurt by the bad guys! However, she couldn¡¯t beat these bad guys. She promised her father that she wouldn¡¯t be a burden to him. She stood there and seemed to be at a loss. Wanwan¡¯s small face was full of tears. She looked at her father who was stepped on by someone and was in a sorry state. Jiang Bei was screaming in his heart. He wanted to stand up and push Third Brother off his back. But it was too difficult. He couldn¡¯t do it at all! He was exhausted. He was losing consciousness. It seemed like he couldn¡¯t do anything. He had to accept his fate. He tried his best. As long as his daughter was fine¡­ Third Brother sneered. One of his feet was stepping on Jiang Bei¡¯s back. He was enjoying this moment. ¡°Aren¡¯t you awesome? Don¡¯t you know how to fight? Aren¡¯t you going to kill me? Come on! Kill me!¡± Third Brother laughed impudently, the smile on his face was distorted because of the pain in his arms and stomach. He had won! He was the final winner! ¡°Go, Dongzi, catch this little girl for me! Sell her and I¡¯ll share it with everyone!¡± Third Brother shouted. ¡°Yes, Third Brother!¡± The remaining man replied and walked towards Wanwan with a cold smile on his face. Wanwan was frozen on the spot. She didn¡¯t know if she should run or not. If she ran, what would her father do? There was a bad guy walking towards her. Jiang Bei stared blankly as the man walked towards his daughter. At this moment, he seemed to have completely woken up. ¡°Wanwan! Run! Run! Don¡¯t let him catch you! Wanwan!¡±Jiang Bei shouted. ¡°Daddy¡­¡± Wanwan looked at the entrance of the alley. Her father was being stepped on by the gangster. ¡°Wanwan, run¡­¡± Jiang Bei couldn¡¯t help but burst into tears. ¡°I won¡¯t run! I want to protect you!¡± Wanwan shouted and ran towards Jiang Bei, ignoring the man who was walking towards her. Dong Zi suddenly took a few steps forward and grabbed Wanwan in his hand and lifted her up. Wanwan struggled violently in his hands. Then, she lowered her head and used her small teeth to bite his hand! ¡°Ah! F * ck!¡± The gangster cursed and slapped Wanwan, ¡°Let go of me!¡± Wanwan¡¯s face was filled with tears, but she did not let go. She wanted to use her strength to help her father. ¡°Wanwan!¡± Jiang Bei roared, ¡°Third Brother, I¡¯ll kill you!¡± ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Third Brother¡¯s wild laughter seemed to be the best mockery of Jiang Bei¡¯s incompetence and fury. Jiang Bei tried his best to reach out and grab the club not far away. When he grabbed it, the anger that had been pent up for a long time also filled his body! He turned around abruptly! Third Brother staggered a few steps back. His body finally erupted with strength! This was the beginning of their nightmare. Jiang Bei staggered to his feet, grabbed the club in his hand, and swung it directly at Third Brother who had yet to stabilize himself! Chapter 18 - Demons and Heroes Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation ¡°No!¡± Third Brother¡¯s pupils contracted violently as he screamed. However, the man in front of him had no intention of holding back at all! That club was already aimed at his head! However, he had no way to dodge it. He had yet to stand firm. At this moment, he could only raise his right arm to take the blow. ¡°Bang!¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Third Brother¡¯s miserable cry finally came out. The sound of bones breaking and the sound of wounds tearing could be heard clearly. Under this extreme pain, his miserable cry also came to an abrupt end. He passed out and fell to the ground. The man who was in a sorry state just now was walking out of the alley, his gaze fixed on Dongzi. The man who had slapped Wanwan! ¡°Don¡¯t you come over!¡± This sudden change made Dongzi numb. The man in front of him was clearly on the verge of collapse and could fall at any time, but he didn¡¯t want to take the risk. What if the next blow was aimed at his head! There were so many men lying in the alley. Jiang Bei had gone crazy. He was a demon! ¡°Don¡¯t come over!¡± Dongzi raised his voice as he retreated. Faced with fear, bean-sized beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, and he gulped down large mouthfuls of saliva. He had seen ruthless people, but he had never seen such a terrifying person! ¡°Let go¡­ of my daughter.¡± Jiang Bei panted violently and bit his lips, letting the slight pain stimulate his nerves. That pair of bloodshot eyes was like a devil that had walked out of hell. The bright moonlight reflected on the ground and the wails of the gangsters in the alley seemed to form a strange sense of beauty at this moment. ¡°I¡¯ll let her go! Please let me go!¡± Dongzi suddenly shouted as if he had found a lifeboat. He could not think anymore. Other than fear, there was no other emotion in his heart. He only wanted to run away from this hell! He slowly retreated and placed the little girl in his hand on the ground. It was as if he was afraid that he would pounce on him if his actions were too rough. Time seemed to have suddenly slowed down. Jiang Bei dragged his heavy body and walked step by step towards Dongzi. After Dongzi placed Wanwan down, he stood up and sprinted backwards! At this time, why would he still wait around?! This madman, he was not a human at all, he was a demon! If what he held in his hand today was not a club but a knife, then they might all die! This thought stimulated Dongzi¡¯s nerves, causing him to use all his strength to run! Jiang Bei looked at Dongzi. He wanted to chase after him very much! Because of his words, his daughter was almost snatched away and sold off. However, his body could no longer take it. The power that had erupted just now seemed to have been emptied. He was not able to stand properly. ¡°Clang!¡± The club in his hand fell weakly to the ground. Jiang Bei¡¯s legs went limp, and his entire body fell forward. His hands were propped on the ground, and he panted heavily. ¡°Daddy¡­¡± Wanwan stood there helplessly. As she looked at her father kneeling on the ground, her tears fell as she staggered towards Jiang Bei. She opened her arms and hugged Jiang Bei. ¡°Daddy¡­¡± Wanwan raised her head and looked at her father¡¯s terrifying eyes. There was no fear, only deep worry. Jiang Bei lowered his head. He knew that his appearance must be very ugly and terrifying. It could make his daughter, who finally had hope for him, afraid of him again. It was as if he did not dare to face his daughter. He did not protect his daughter well and let her fall into the hands of the bad guys. The slap from that man just now seemed to have hit his heart. It made him suffer. ¡°Wanwan, it¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay¡­¡± Jiang Bei murmured softly and gently touched his daughter¡¯s little head as if he could get some comfort from it. His daughter was still there.. ¡°Daddy is a big hero. You defeated the bad guys,¡± Wanwan said softly. She wanted to comfort Jiang Bei. ¡°But I almost lost you¡­¡± ¡°Daddy, it¡¯s okay. I am fine. It doesn¡¯t hurt. Let¡¯s go home? Mommy is still waiting for us. If we go back too late, mommy will be worried. Don¡¯t we still have to give mommy a surprise? You made a lot of money today. Mommy will be happy,¡± Wanwan suddenly said. ¡°Yes, yes¡­¡± Jiang Bei hurriedly wiped the tear stains on his face and tried to make his expression less scary. Then, he raised his head and forced a smile. ¡°Hehehe, your smile is so ugly again.¡± Wanwan laughed. In the eyes of those gangsters, Jiang Bei was a madman and a devil. However, in Wanwan¡¯s eyes, this man was her father and her hero. He fought them off with her. ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± Jiang Bei said softly as he supported himself on the ground and stood up slowly. He then carried the cloth bag back on his back. ¡°We still have to give mommy a surprise¡­.¡± Chapter 19 - I Did It Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation His wife was still waiting for him and his daughter at home. She must be worried about them going back so late. Oh right, the 15,000 yuan in his bag was still there. This money would prove to Xu Xinrong that he had changed. Jiang Bei¡¯s heart finally brightened a little. Although the pain in his body made it hard, he could still hold on. He had to¡­ He had to bring his daughter and the good news back. Jiang Bei held onto the handrail of the stairs. The burning pain in his chest made the sweat on his forehead fall continuously down his face. Even taking a step was so difficult. ¡°Daddy, what¡¯s wrong? Do you want to rest?¡± Wanwan couldn¡¯t help but ask when she saw Jiang Bei¡¯s strange behavior. ¡°I am fine. There¡¯s no need to rest. We still have to go home to give mommy a surprise, don¡¯t we?¡± Jiang Bei grinned. ¡°Okay!¡± Wanwan nodded heavily in agreement. The two slowly went up the stairs. Wanwan would run up from time to time, shouting ¡°good luck¡± to her father below. Then, she would follow behind Jiang Bei as they climbed up the next flight of stairs, she would even gently push Jiang Bei, helping him with her small body. Looking at his sensible and obedient daughter, Jiang Bei felt warm in his heart. Especially when he thought about what would happen next, he gritted his teeth and continued climbing. He would prove to his wife that he had changed. He took Wanwan to the park, accompanied her on Children¡¯d Day, as well as made a lot of money. Jiang Bei understood that Xu Xinrong was not a woman who cared about money. Otherwise, with her looks, she would not have married him when she had many better choices. All he wanted to show was that he had changed. Xu Xinrong only wanted a normal and peaceful life for the family. It was such a simple request. However, Jiang Bei only realized it after Wanaan and Xu Xinrong left him forever. Although his house was only on the third floor, Jiang Bei was almost exhausted when he reached the door. The physical pain was nothing because his daughter was beside him and the cloth bag on his back had filled Jiang Bei¡¯s heart. Jiang Bei took out the key from his trouser pocket. His hand trembled as he slowly opened the door. The fluorescent lights in the room were a little dazzling. Jiang Bei narrowed his eyes and finally saw the image of the woman sitting on the long bench in the living room, waiting for him and Wanwan to return home. ¡°Mommy!¡± Wanwan had already run into the room. She smiled and threw herself into Xu Xinrong¡¯s arms. ¡°Wanwan.¡± Xu Xinrong gently carried her daughter, but her voice sounded a little dry and hoarse. ¡°Mommy, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Wanwan raised her head and asked Xu Xinrong. ¡°I am fine..¡± Xu Xinrong said softly with a bitter smile on her face. From the moment they entered the house until now, her gaze had never even landed on Jiang Bei. She did not care if he looked disheveled or if something had happened today. However, Jiang Bei saw that Xu Xinrong was different. She seemed to have cried, and her eyes were a little puffy. Her voice confirmed his suspicions. After entering the house, Jiang Bei sat on the chair beside the dining table. He was a little conflicted and did not know how to speak to Xu Xinrong. Actually, he wanted to enter the house to change his clothes, but he was afraid that he would not be able to stay awake. ¡°Mommy, daddy brought me to the park today.¡± Wanwan waved her little hand in Xu Xinrong¡¯s arms and said excitedly. ¡°Really? Was it fun?¡± Xu Xinrong asked as she gently combed Wanwan¡¯s messy hair. ¡°It¡¯s fun! There are so many people in the park today. It¡¯s a pity that you didn¡¯t see it. Otherwise, you would have been very happy. Daddy and I are both very happy,¡± Wanwan replied with a smile. Hearing this, Xu Xinrong finally glanced at Jiang Bei. She turned her head and her brows furrowed slightly. At this moment, Jiang Bei looked like a beggar. His clothes were torn and covered in dust. His face was also covered in water and dust. ¡°Is this how you brought Wanwan to the park?¡± Xu Xinrong asked quietly. ¡°Xinrong, no, listen to me¡­¡± Jiang Bei quickly stood up. In this short period of time, he had recovered some of his strength. Then, he slowly took off his backpack and put it on the table. ¡°Xinrong, I promised you the other day. I did it, and I earned money. I went to paint by the street and earned some money. Today is Children¡¯s Day, so I didn¡¯t waste it. I earned money, I earned a lot,¡± Jiang Bei said hurriedly. He wiped the sweat off his forehead and slowly walked over with the cloth bag in his arms. He wanted to show Xu Xinrong the money that he made today. He couldn¡¯t help but imagine the smile that Xu Xinrong would give him when she saw the money.. If she saw that he had really changed¡­ Chapter 20 - She Must Be In Trouble Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation ¡°Is this how you earn money? Dressed like this? Did you work as physical labor, or did you go do something else ?¡± Xu Xinrong¡¯s indifferent voice destroyed Jiang Bei¡¯s expectations. Jiang Bei¡¯s paused. He wanted to unzip the cloth bag, eager to prove himself. He knew that Xu Xinrong would deeply misunderstand him. The only thing he could use to prove himself was the money. But before he could open the bag, Xu Xinrong had already put Wanwan aside. She slowly stood up and looked at Jiang Bei with a cold gaze. It made him freeze. ¡°Jiang Bei, I don¡¯t care what you did today. I don¡¯t care whether you lied to me or not. Even if you really made money, I don¡¯t care anymore.¡± Xu Xinrong slowly shook her head. ¡°Xinrong¡­¡± Jiang Bei stared blankly at the woman in front of him who was expressionless. His heart felt a sharp pain. ¡°Look at this¡­¡± He panicked and wanted to open the bag, but it seemed to be stuck. He couldn¡¯t pull it open no matter how hard he tried. His hands didn¡¯t have any strength at all. He didn¡¯t even have the slightest strength to open the cloth bag. ¡°Jiang Bei, I¡¯ve asked around today. This house should be able to sell for 60,000 yuan.¡± ¡°Use 50,000 of it to pay off your gambling debts. I won¡¯t interfere with the rest of your life. We¡¯re done, but I want to take the remaining 10,000 yuan for Wanwan¡¯s alimony. Is that okay?¡± Xu Xinrong suddenly asked. She had a pained expression. Obviously, she wasn¡¯t planning to ask such a question. Wanwan¡¯s alimony was just an excuse. She had never asked this scumbag in front of her to give her a cent. But she had just asked. ¡°Xinrong¡­ did something happen?¡± Jiang Bei asked hurriedly. Xu Xinrong had obviously cried, and she cried until her voice was hoarse and her eyes were swollen. She must be in a difficult situation. She asked for part of the payment. How was this possible? This was not something she would ask! So what exactly had happened to make this woman make such a request? She was in pain, but it also seemed like she was begging. ¡°Xinrong, what happened? Can you tell me? I will help you solve it. Trust me.¡± Jiang Bei said in a hurry, the sweat on his forehead slowly falling down. ¡°Trust you? I have trusted you many times!¡± Xu Xinrong asked with a smile, but it was cold. ¡°Mommy, daddy really made money today. He made a lot of money¡­¡± Wanwan tugged on Xu Xinrong¡¯s sleeve, but she gently shook it off. Xu Xinrong suddenly turned her head to look at Wan Wan. ¡°You only went out with him for one day! In just one day, and you already learned to lie! Did he take you to the park to make money? That¡¯s why you came back so late? Is this how he makes money!¡± Xu Xinrong pointed at Jiang Bei in rags and asked sternly. ¡°Mommy¡­¡± Wanwan¡¯s tears fell down, ¡°I didn¡¯t lie, daddy really took me to the park, and earned money. Daddy protected Wanwan, defeated the bad guys¡­¡± This was completely different from what she hoped for. She thought that her mother would forgive her father after seeing that he had worked hard. Then, the family could live together and be happy like other children¡¯s families. Wanwan didn¡¯t know how to defend her father. She couldn¡¯t do anything except cry because her father had been wronged. She was even scolded by her mother. ¡°Jiang Bei! Don¡¯t ever think about seeing my daughter again!¡± Xu Xinrong said as she picked Wanwan up and walked out. ¡°Bang!¡± The door was slammed shut. Jiang Bei fell weakly to the ground, he gripped his hair in pain. Jiang Bei wanted to chase after her, but he didn¡¯t have much strength left. However, the sound from outside the door gradually faded away, and it also stimulated Jiang Bei¡¯s heart. It was already so late, where would Xu Xinrong take Wanwan? Before this, she wouldn¡¯t have left with Wanwan so late. She must have encountered something difficult! Jiang Bei struggled to get up. He had already recovered a little. He rushed into the bathroom, washed his face, and drank a lot of cold water. Then, he quickly ran out with his bag. Xinrong definitely needed money. He had it here! No matter how much she wanted and how much she needed, he would not be stingy. As long as he had it, he would give it to her! When Jiang Bei ran downstairs, Xu Xinrong had already left with Wanwan on her bike. Jiang Bei could only see their backs. But at this time, Wanwan seemed to have heard something and turned her head. ¡°Daddy, daddy!¡± Wanwan used her tender voice to call out. She stretched out her hand, but was trapped in the child¡¯s seat. Xu Xinrong had no intention of stopping at all. She looked very anxious and didn¡¯t care about what Jiang Bei was doing behind her. It was as if she wanted to escape. ¡°Xinrong, Wanwan¡­¡± Jiang Bei murmured softly and followed behind her, stumbling as he ran. He kept falling but getting up again.. Chapter 21 - A Surprise For You Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation He couldn¡¯t let them leave. He knew that he was in a sorry state, but he deserved all of this. He didn¡¯t know where Xu Xinrong was going, but he knew that he could help her. He still had 15,000 yuan. Jiang Bei didn¡¯t know how many times he had fallen, but each time, he would get up again. He was running forward like a machine, even though his mind was telling him that it was time to stop. However, the little girl who turned her head and called out to her father, and the woman who was riding the bicycle in a hurry to go somewhere, were calling out to him in his heart. His reality seemed to be crumbling. All that was left in Jiang Bei¡¯s eyes was the mother and daughter who were gradually disappearing into the distance. He could only drag his heavy body and followed closely behind. After an unknown amount of time, Jiang Bei finally saw his destination. ¡°Donghai City Hospital¡­¡± Jiang Bei looked at the words and his heart suddenly skipped a beat. No wonder Xu Xinrong was so anxious! Who was in trouble? Was it her father? Or her mother? Or was it her younger brother? When Jiang Bei rushed to the inpatient ward, he saw that Xu Xinrong had already locked the car and was carrying Wanwan into the building. ¡°Mommy! Daddy is here too! Daddy!¡± Wanwan shouted loudly, but her voice was much weaker than before. She was already tired from crying. Xu Xinrong turned her head to look at Jiang Bei who was staggering over, but she did not say a word. She turned around and carried Wanwan into the ward. ¡°Xinrong, wait a moment¡­¡± Jiang Bei called out, but Xu Xinrong did not respond. He only gritted his teeth and followed behind her. One floor after another, he finally heard Xu Xinrong¡¯s voice at the stairs on the third floor. ¡°Mom, how¡¯s dad? How did the surgery go? Did you catch that person?¡± Xu Xinrong¡¯s voice was a little anxious. ¡°No, that person ran away. How are we going to catch him? There are no surveillance cameras there. It only happened after it was dark. No one saw it and I didn¡¯t remember the license plate number.¡± Mrs. Xu sobbed, ¡°I¡¯ll go in and see your father.¡± Jiang Bei sat on the steps and panted heavily. He finally understood the situation. It turned out to be Xu Xinrong¡¯s father. Xu Xuefeng had a car accident, and it was a hit-and-run. That was why Xu Xinrong was so anxious to ask him about the house. She was going to come here as soon as Wanwan came home. ¡°It¡¯s fine now. Dad¡¯s surgery was quite successful. He will be transferred to a normal ward in a few days. You still have to work tomorrow. Don¡¯t stay here too late,¡± Xu Xinrong¡¯s younger brother, Xu Xiaoqiang, said. ¡°I¡¯m not going back. There¡¯s an empty bed here. Wanwan and I will stay here to take care of dad,¡± said Xu Xinrong as she shook her head. ¡°Sigh¡­ that¡¯s true. It¡¯s better to stay here than go back. You¡¯ve suffered all these years. It¡¯s also a good thing to leave with Wanwan as soon as possible. Otherwise, I don¡¯t know what that scum will do to you in the future. When you come home, our family can be reunited again.¡± Xu Xiaoqiang sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this anymore, Xiaoqiang. What about dad¡¯s surgery and the hospitalization fees?¡± Xu Xinrong asked. Xu Xiaoqiang fell into silence, after a long while, he said resentfully, ¡°If the culprit was caught, it would be easy. But the person just ran away. They must be drunk-driving! Such a person should be sent to prison! The police didn¡¯t know what to do. It¡¯s so dark outside, where do we even go¡­¡± ¡°Xiaoqiang, how much more money do we need?¡± Xu Xinrong interrupted Xu Xiaoqiang¡¯s complaint and asked. Xu Xiaoqiang fell into silence for a long time, then, he said with some hesitation, ¡°I still have more than 3,000. I¡¯ve taken them out. We need 8,000 in total for the surgery and the hospitalization fees, so we are missing 5,000. If we include the follow-up fees, we need at least 14,000.¡± Hearing this, Xu Xinrong¡¯s body went limp. She hugged Wanwan and fell onto the bench in the corridor. 14,000 yuan.. Even if the hospital was willing to give her time, even if she got the 10,000 yuan that she asked for from Jiang Bei after the house was sold to settle the initial expenses. What about the follow-up? She still lacked 4,000 yuan! She already had no money on her. Her savings had been used by the scumbag. She did have any money at all. Her parents had just moved to a new place, so they did not have much money at the moment. However, even if she earned a lot from her work, it was still less than 400 yuan a month. 4,000 yuan was almost her annual salary! 4,000 yuan was enough to destroy an ordinary family. The atmosphere seemed to have suddenly become depressed. She was so pressured by the financial situation that she could no longer speak. However, Wanwan, who was beside her, suddenly opened her mouth, ¡°Mommy¡­ Don¡¯t cry. Daddy will help you.¡± ¡°Wanwan, don¡¯t lie to mommy anymore, okay? Mommy has had enough of his lies.¡± Xu Xinrong¡¯s gaze was a little bitter. Wanwan knew who she was referring to. It must be her father. However, Wanwan shook her head hard and said, ¡°I am not lying. Daddy will really help you. Daddy has money.¡± ¡°Mommy, do you need 14,000 yuan? Daddy and I earned 15,000 yuan today. Is that enough?¡± ¡°Daddy said that the money is a surprise for you.¡± Her eyes seemed to be shining.. Chapter 22 - I Came with Money Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation ¡°Wanwan, what did you say?¡± Xu Xinrong immediately looked down at Wanwan in her arms. ¡°How much money did you say he earned?¡± ¡°15,000¡­ Daddy earned a lot of money today,¡± Wanwan said. ¡°Mommy, grandpa will be fine with the money, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The corridor of the hospital was very quiet. Other than Wanwan¡¯s tender voice, there was no one else. However, only Xu Xinrong knew how much her words had affected her. Xu Xinrong slowly hugged Wanwan on her lap, tears falling down her cheeks. ¡°Wanwan, stop lying to mommy, okay?¡± She was a strong woman, but her daughter was her only hope for life. She wasn¡¯t going to watch her daughter become a liar like Jiang Bei! ¡°Mommy, daddy really made money.¡± ¡°Wanwan, your dad is a liar. Don¡¯t believe anything he says in the future, understand?¡± Xu Xiaoqiang squatted down and said sternly. ¡°Even if he has money, he won¡¯t give it to us. He would just spend it all. Isn¡¯t that how he¡¯s been living all these years?¡± After saying that, Xu Xiaoqiang turned to look at Xu Xinrong and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll think of a way to get the money. I¡¯ll get the 8,000 yuan first¡­¡± ¡°Wanwan isn¡¯t lying! Daddy isn¡¯t a liar!¡± Wanwan suddenly started crying. Compared to her previous image as a sensible and obedient child, Wanwan seemed like a stubborn child throwing a tantrum. ¡°Wanwan, listen to me¡­¡± Xu Xinrong wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes and held Wanwan in her arms, patting her gently. ¡°Wanwan, listen to me. I believe you, I believe you¡­¡± However, how could she really believe such childish words? She believed that her daughter didn¡¯t lie to her on purpose. She had just believed the man¡¯s lie. ¡­ In the stairwell. Jiang Bei sat on the steps. His breathing gradually calmed down, but his face was pale and devoid of blood. He tried to stand up again., but his body was limp and powerless. Jiang Bei felt like he couldn¡¯t control his body. He listened to the gentle cries, and his heart felt as if it had been pierced by a needle. After taking a few deep breaths, he struggled to grab the handrail of the stairs. Gritting his teeth, he stood up. However, just as he took a step forward, he staggered and almost fell down the stairs. With one hand on the wall, he supported his weak body as he slowly walked out of the stairwell. He saw the pair of siblings outside the ward. ¡°Dad!¡± Wanwan¡¯s voice, which sounded like she was crying, sounded extremely aggrieved. There was a bit of hope in her eyes. She struggled to jump out of Xu Xinrong¡¯s arms, then turned around and shouted, ¡°Daddy is here! He took me to earn a lot of money today. I didn¡¯t lie!¡± ¡°Daddy will prove that my words are true!¡± ¡°Wanwan¡­¡± Xu Xinrong was about to speak. But after she said that, she ran to Jiang Bei. There were still tears in the corners of her eyes. ¡°Wanwan.¡± Jiang Bei squatted down and revealed a smile on his face. He gently stroked his daughter¡¯s dry and lifeless hair. ¡°Daddy! You¡¯re finally here!¡± Wanwan smiled. ¡°We still have to give mommy a surprise, right?¡± Jiang Bei leaned against Wanwan¡¯s ear and whispered. ¡°Yes! We will prove to mommy that you are not lying,¡± Wanwan replied with certainty. Jiang Bei stood up and staggered over with Wanwan. ¡°What are you doing here? How dare you come here!¡± Xu Xiaoqiang suddenly walked over, glared at Jiang Bei and shouted in a low voice. ¡°I¡­ came to give you the money,¡± Jiang Bei answered weakly. ¡°Give us the money? Where did you get the money? If it wasn¡¯t for you, my sister wouldn¡¯t be where she is today. Jiang Bei, how long are you going to keep lying!¡± Even though they were in the hospital, Xu Xiaoqiang¡¯s voice could not help but raise his voice. He was too angry. Jiang Bei was still lying at this point! He was not a man at all. Other than empty words, he was completely useless! After all these years, how could they not understand? As long as Jiang Bei was still a decent person, they would not support Xu Xinrong¡¯s divorce so much. After all, the price of divorce was too high. Wanwan would be in a single-parent household in the future and she would forever lack fatherly love and might even be discriminated against when she went to school! ¡°I¡­¡± Jiang Bei opened his mouth but did not answer. He could not answer. He knew that he would not be considered a person after all these years. In his other life, it was because of him that his family was destroyed and they were killed. In this life, he would not hesitate even if he had to sacrifice his life to make up for it. He looked at Xu Xinrong who was sitting on a chair at the side and did not care about his arrival at all. He staggered over step by step. ¡°I¡¯m asking you a question!¡± Xu Xiaoqiang shouted. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to bully my father!¡± Wanwan stood in front of Xu Xiaoqiang and shouted. She glared at her uncle. She wanted to help his father, just like what he did for her tonight. Wanwan¡¯s determined gaze made Xu Xiaoqiang stop. He looked at his niece in a daze and the man in tattered clothes who seemed like he would fall at any moment. ¡°Xinrong¡­ I came with money,¡± Jiang Bei said softly as he sat on the bench. He slowly removed the cloth bag on his back. ¡°Zip!¡± He pulled open the spring forcefully. Everyone then saw the money in the bag.. Chapter 23 - I Owe You Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation 15,000 yuan! Almost all of it was 10 yuan bills and it filled the entire bag. When Jiang Bei pulled open the zip with all his strength, the money inside spilled out! ¡°Xinrong¡­ we have money now. I really made money,¡± Jiang Bei said softly. ¡°I took Wanwan to the park today. Did you forget? The 1,000 yuan I showed you last night was earned from painting by the street the day before yesterday. There were a lot of people that day. I painted for the whole day and earned more than 1,000 yuan.¡± ¡°I¡­ I used this money to rent a stall yesterday and the remaining money to buy some small koi fish on Children¡¯s Day to set up the stall.¡± ¡°It went well. I earned this money. Here is 15,000 yuan. It should be enough, right? It should be enough to pay dad¡¯s fees, right? Xinrong, it¡¯s okay. If you have any difficulties, you can tell me. I told you that I will treat you and Wanwan well.¡± ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t lie to you. I really went to earn money. I also took Wanwan to the park. I didn¡¯t do anything bad. The things I have on me, it¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s because I¡¯m a little tired today. I fell when I came home,¡± Jiang Bei said with his head lowered, he was a little embarrassed. His voice was also very weak and trembling. He was like a criminal who had been convicted of a crime, making the final excuse for his mistake. However, his words sounded so ridiculous! In one day, he had earned more than 1,000 from painting, and he had used this money to earn 15,000 on Children¡¯s Day? ¡°Mommy! Daddy didn¡¯t lie to you, and I didn¡¯t lie to you! We earned all this money by going to the park! Do you believe him?¡± Wanwan walked to Jiang Bei¡¯s side and hugged his leg. She then raised her head and looked at Xu Xinrong with tears in her eyes. Xu Xinrong was stunned. She could not trust Jiang Bei, but it was impossible for her to not trust her daughter. ¡°Xinrong, I will do what I promised you. I will never lie to you again,¡± Jiang Bei raised his head and said softly. Xu Xinrong did not respond. She slowly turned her head. The bag of money was extremely dazzling, but the sincerity on Jiang Bei¡¯s face also distracted her. Xu Xiaoqiang, who was beside her, was also speechless after seeing the banknotes that poured out of the bag. He stared blankly at it. This money was earned in¡­ a day¡¯s time? But he did not think that this was big talk. Because the money was right in front of him, this was the most powerful evidence! Compared to a neat stack of hundred-dollar bills whose origin might be suspicious, the scattered change was more visually striking and convincing. They were silently explaining all of this on behalf of Jiang Bei! Even Xu Xinrong didn¡¯t know how to respond. The money obviously couldn¡¯t be from selling the house. If the house was sold, the buyer would have given bigger notes. Moreover, Wanwan¡¯s words also caused Xu Xinrong¡¯s heart, which had long lost all feelings for Jiang Bei, to stir. But¡­ Has he really changed? ¡°Xinrong, take this money first. Pay dad¡¯s medical fees. I¡¯ll think of a way for the rest¡­¡± Jiang Bei said softly. Actually, 15,000 yuan, plus the 3,000 yuan from Xu Xiaoqiang, was enough. There were even 1,000 left. But that was not what Jiang Bei was talking about. He was talking about the money that he had to return to those men in seven days, a total of 50,000 yuan! He had to use the money to settle this matter, so that Zhang Luzhong and the others would not hurt his wife and daughter again. Xu Xinrong¡¯s expression suddenly became a little conflicted, and she seemed to be in pain. She raised her head and looked at Jiang Bei. ¡°Jiang Bei¡­ Thank you for giving us this money,¡± Xu Xinrong said slowly, ¡°I want 10,000 yuan. Consider it as child support for Wanwan in the future. I won¡¯t ask for more money from you. We have cleared our debts to each other with this 10,000 yuan.¡± Xu Xinrong¡¯s words were like the last straw that broke the camel¡¯s back. It made it difficult for Jiang Bei to breathe. He knew that Xu Xinrong had long given up on him. However, the fact that he had changed overnight was impossible to move the person in front of him. He had made too many mistakes in the past few years. Even if Xu Xinrong took his 10,000 yuan and was still short of 4,000 yuan, Xu Xinrong would rather go and borrow from others than use his money! Because she had already made up her mind to separate from him. The pain of losing his wife and family in his previous life lingered in Jiang Bei¡¯s heart, and the pain he had suffered tonight was unleashed at this moment. ¡°Xiaoqiang¡­ Take this and pay the bills first. We can¡¯t delay the hospital¡¯s payment,¡± Jiang Bei said with some difficulty as he gently handed him the bloth bag in his hand. ¡°This is 15,000 yuan?¡± Xu Xiaoqiang clearly didn¡¯t expect Jiang Bei to be so generous and actually give out all the money. ¡°Yes, exactly 15,000 yuan,¡± Jiang Bei answered stiffly. Xu Xiaoqiang was a little hesitant. He didn¡¯t know whether he should accept it or not. He looked at Xu Xinrong. After a long while, he sighed softly. He suddenly took out a wallet from his pocket, counted ten banknotes, and stuffed them into Jiang Bei¡¯s hands. ¡°This is 1,000 yuan. You take it first. I owe you the remaining 4,000. I will return it to you when I start working..¡± Chapter 24 - Do You Still Want to Divorce Him? Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation Jiang Bei raised his head in a daze and looked at his brother-in-law who hated him to the extreme. He wanted to say something. However, Xu Xiaoqiang did not want to waste any more time with him. He turned his head and said to Xu Xinrong, ¡°I¡¯ll go pay dad¡¯s fees first.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Xu Xinrong also stood up and left with Xu Xiaoqiang. At this time, Jiang Bei was holding 1,000 yuan in his hand and leaning against the bench weakly. The back of his head was pressed against the cold wall of the hospital. It was as if the cold could wake him up. ¡°Daddy¡­ mom is still unhappy,¡± Wanwan suddenly said. ¡°Wanwan, I am useless, but I will work hard.¡± Jiang Bei bent down and attempted to carry his daughter, but he was too weak. Wanwan was already three years old, but she weighed only two kg. She was much thinner than a normal child, but even so, Jiang Bei did not even have the strength to carry her. Jiang Bei supported himself and slowly slid down to the ground. Then, he hugged his daughter. Tears finally flowed out of his eyes. ¡°Daddy is great. You defeated the bad guys and protected me. You also earned money to help mommy. You.. have changed a lot.¡± Wanwan¡¯s voice entered Jiang Bei¡¯s ears, causing his heart that was filled with wounds to slowly heal. ¡°You must work hard. Mommy will definitely forgive you. I believe in you.¡± Wanwan gently patted Jiang Bei¡¯s back and comforted him. ¡°I¡­ know¡­¡± Jiang Bei¡¯s voice broke. He wanted to make his tone more stable, but he couldn¡¯t. ¡°Daddy, don¡¯t cry. If you cry, you are not a good boy anymore.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not crying. I am just happy. I¡¯m not a completely useless person. At least, you still believe in me, right?¡± Jiang Bei asked softly, even though he was trying very hard to hold back the tears in his eyes. But the child in his arms still touched the softest place in his heart, the weak spot that needed to be protected the most. The tears slid down silently. He was a person, a person with emotions and desires. Even if he started a new life, what he wanted was so simple. He just wanted a harmonious and beautiful family, just like what Wanwan wanted and Xu Xinrong wanted in the past. Yes, even if he was a bastard and a scumbag in the past, his daughter still accepted him if he changed. ¡°So you have to work hard. I¡­ don¡¯t want mommy and daddy to be separated. Daddy, can you work harder? Just make mommy happy, okay?¡± Wanwan asked softly. ¡°I will work hard.¡± Jiang Bei covered his mouth. He was afraid that he would break down and cry out loud. It was as if there was a ray of light that suddenly cut through the thick haze and shone into his heart, making him no longer despair. I will give them the best life. I have to work harder to make this marriage work. I don¡¯t want to experience the pain again! Jiang Bei clenched his fists and swore in his heart. When Xu Xinrong and Xu Xiaoqiang came back, they saw Jiang Bei and Wanwan sitting on the bench. He was still holding the 1,000 yuan in his hand, and he was leaning back on the chair as if he was asleep. ¡°Mommy, daddy is asleep¡­¡± Wanwan made a hush gesture and said softly. Xu Xinrong glanced at Jiang Bei and didn¡¯t say much. Compared to the coldness on her face that afternoon, her brows were tightly knitted. She was conflicted, especially when she saw her daughter gently wiping the tears on the man¡¯s face. Her heart was in turmoil again. Did he cry? Why? Was it because of her, or because of her daughter? Or something else? Xu Xinrong couldn¡¯t help but think. ¡°Do you still want to divorce him?¡± Xu Xiaoqiang couldn¡¯t help but ask. He wanted to ask just now, but when he saw his sister¡¯s face, he didn¡¯t say it out loud. But now, he couldn¡¯t help it. ¡°In the past¡­ if he had 10,000 yuan, he would never have given it away. He hasn¡¯t worked for so many years. Why did he suddenly want to earn money?¡± Xu Xiaoqiang seemed to be talking to himself and asking Xu Xinrong at the same time. ¡°Did the divorce shock him? He seems to have changed completely in a day.¡± ¡°No matter what decision you make, I will support you. But what if he has really changed? You have to think carefully. Wanwan is still young. If the divorce really happens, she will be affected for the rest of her life. When she has friends and meets a man in the future, and when they find out that she grew up in a single-parent household¡­¡± Xu Xiaoqiang did not continue, but it was already clear. It was so clear that Xu Xinrong had no choice but to reconsider. Xu Xinrong did not answer. She just looked quietly at her daughter and the man who was already asleep on the chair. He seemed to be very tired. She was silent for a long time before she finally raised her head.. Chapter 25 - Where Did You Get the Money? Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation Xu Xinrong seemed to be talking to herself as she said in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s too late now. I can take care of Wanwan by myself. If he really changes, I can let him take care of Wanwan occasionally for a few days.¡± ¡°As for us¡­¡± Xu Xinrong didn¡¯t finish the rest of her sentence, but Xu Xiaoqiang already understood. He sighed lightly and stayed silent, no longer dissuading her. That man¡­ no matter what kind of treatment he received, it was not too much! ¡°Wanwan, let¡¯s stay at the hospital with grandpa tonight.¡± Xu Xinrong gently carried her daughter, then turned her head and said, ¡°Xiaoqiang, you can stay outside first. Dad just finished his surgery. We should not be too noisy. I¡¯ll bring Wanwan in to take a look.¡± Xu Xiaoqiang nodded, then looked at Jiang Bei, who was sleeping soundly on the chair, and gently sat down. ¡°Mommy¡­ How¡¯s grandpa?¡± Wanwan asked softly. ¡°Grandpa is fine now. He should be thinking about Wanwan now,¡± Xu Xinrong said as she pushed open the door of the ward and walked in. Inside, Mrs. Xu turned around when she heard the sound. Her name was Li Yun. Although she had just turned fifty, years of hard work had left many marks on her face. ¡°Mom, how is dad?¡± ¡°Your dad just woke up. The surgery went well, but he will need to rest in the hospital for a while before he can go home. It¡¯s not a minor injury,¡± Li Yun said as she wiped away her tears. ¡°Why are you crying again? I¡¯m fine, right? Wanwan is here too? Come over and let grandpa see if you¡¯ve gained any weight recently,¡± Xu Xuefeng, who was on the hospital bed, spoke up. However, as he had just finished the surgery, he was weak. ¡°Grandpa, how are you? Does it hurt?¡± Xu Xinrong put down Wanwan and she walked over. ¡°I am fine. I just need to stay in the hospital for a few more days.¡± At this moment, Li Yun looked at Xu Xinrong and said, ¡°Have you paid your father¡¯s medical bills? Xiaoqiang has 3,000. I¡¯ll think of a way to borrow the rest when I go back. Xiaoqiang has a short temper. You should talk to the hospital staff and buy us a few more days. They did save your father¡¯s life, we can¡¯t owe them the money for too long.¡± Her voice sounded anxious. ¡°Mom¡­ the money has been paid. Don¡¯t worry,¡± Xu Xinrong said with a sigh. ¡°Where did you get the money? I heard from the doctor that¡­ you have to pay more than 10,000 yuan, right?¡± Li Yun asked. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ from Jiang Bei.¡± ¡°Him? Where did he get the money? Did he sell the house? It¡¯s good to divorce him as soon as possible. I¡¯ve tried to persuade you many times over the years, but the result is still the same, isn¡¯t it?¡± Li Yun held Xu Xinrong¡¯s hand and sighed. ¡°Mom, I know¡­¡± Xu Xinrong nodded and agreed. ¡°It¡¯s all earned by daddy! Grandma, daddy is actually great. He earned 15,000 yuan today!¡± Wanwan¡¯s clear voice was heard by the old couple. Xu Xuefeng, who was lying on the hospital bed, was about to say something, but he was stunned. ¡°Wanwan, don¡¯t talk nonsense. How do you know how much 15,000 yuan is?¡± Li Yun ignored her childish talk and gently touched Wanwan¡¯s little head. ¡°He did earn it,¡± Xu Xinrong said, looking somewhat conflicted. ¡°Whether he earned it or not, when the person who hit me is caught, the money will still be returned to him! Our family doesn¡¯t need his money.¡± Xu Xuefeng, who was lying on the bed, snorted coldly. Due to the emotional agitation, he might have reopened his wound. The pain caused him to suck in a breath of cold air. ¡°Alright, Alright, you don¡¯t have to worry about it anymore. Can¡¯t you just focus on recuperating?¡± Li Yun said in annoyance, but her eyes were filled with concern. ¡°Grandpa¡­ Daddy has already changed. He won¡¯t bully mommy anymore. He¡¯s also very good to me. Can¡¯t you guys forgive him?¡± Wanwan¡¯s tender voice asked weakly. ¡°Change my ass! He has been like this for the past few years. Even if he¡¯s changed, he has to prove it to me! What¡¯s a bit of money? We don¡¯t need his money! I don¡¯t even feel comfortable using his money¡­¡± Xu Xuefeng said angrily. However, when he saw the tears in Wanwan¡¯s eyes, his voice gradually softened. ¡°Wanwan, don¡¯t cry. I¡¯m sorry. When your father comes over, I will see if he has changed, okay?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get involved in this. Our daughter is already grown up, why are you still worried about her?¡± Li Yun said. Then, she looked at the IV drip hanging on the wall. ¡°I¡¯ll get the nurse to change this. You guys stay here.¡± After she left, Xu Xiaoqiang came over and asked, ¡°Mom, how¡¯s dad? I¡¯ll go in and take a look.¡± ¡°Your dad is awake. He¡¯s in good condition. He just needs to rest.¡± ¡°He¡­¡± Li Yun saw Jiang Bei sleeping soundly on the chair in his tattered clothes. She looked surprised. ¡­ It was late at night. Li Yun had already brought Xu Xiaoqiang home. In the hospital, Xu Xinrong and Wanwan were lying on the extra bed. Xu Xuefeng had just undergone surgery, so he fell asleep again. Wanwan had also fallen asleep after everything that happened today. However, Xu Xinrong¡¯s eyes were still open. She looked at the ceiling, sometimes at Wanwan beside her, sometimes at the door of the ward, and at the brightly lit corridor. There was someone sleeping on a bench there. The corridor of the hospital at night was very cold. She looked conflicted. After a long while, she slowly lifted the blanket and got out of bed.. Chapter 26 - The Xu Family Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation Xu Xinrong took out another spare blanket from the small cabinet beside her and walked out of the ward. Looking at the exhausted man who was mumbling something in his dreams, she sighed softly and covered Jiang Bei with the blanket ¡­ The weather in Donghai in June was unpredictable. It was very hot during the day, but at night, the temperature was very low, especially in a place like the hospital. If one slept in the corridor, they would be woken up by the cold. Last night, Jiang Bei felt very cold, but in the end, it felt like spring had arrived in his dream, making him feel much more comfortable. He was woken up by the sound of nurses walking and the sound of the trolley. When he woke up, he opened his eyes to look at his surroundings and stared at the ceiling in a daze. He was lying on a bench. If the person accompanying the patient had no place to sleep, a bench like this was also a good choice. However, he clearly remembered that he was sitting there. He thought of taking a short nap before going in to take a look at Xu Xuefeng. Then, he lost consciousness and fell into a deep sleep. Why was he lying on a bench now? Not only that, he was also covered with a blanket¡­ In an instant, Jiang Bei¡¯s heart seemed to be filled with something. He slowly sat up and his eyes felt sore. Was It Xu Xinrong? Although she only covered him with a blanket, it proved that she had believed his words at least a little. She also thought that he might be cold sleeping here. She was worried about him, wasn¡¯t she? Jiang Bei¡¯s heart seemed to be surging with warmth, making his entire body feel warm. Even if it was just a simple gesture, Jiang Bei felt that his efforts were rewarding and meaningful. He was doing all he could to save this family. He also saw the results of his hard work. ¡­ ¡°Creak¡± The door of the ward opened. Xu Xinrong walked out anxiously. ¡°Xinrong!¡± Jiang Bei hurriedly stood up and called out to her. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Xu Xinrong paused and turned to look at the man with a slight frown. ¡°Xinrong¡­ How¡¯s dad? Is the money enough? Are you going to work? I¡¯ll take Wanwan home later. I¡¯ll take care of her,¡± Jiang Bei said without thinking. Actually, he didn¡¯t have anything important to say. He just wanted to take this opportunity to talk to Xu Xinrong. ¡°That¡¯s not for you to worry. My mom will come later.¡± Xu Xinrong shook her head and walked directly to the nurses¡¯ station. Soon, a nurse came with her and entered the ward. Jiang Bei stood outside the door and looked inside. His daughter was still asleep while Xu Xuefeng was already awake. He was talking to Xu Xinrong with a smile on his face. However, when he saw Jiang Bei from the corner of his eyes, his gaze suddenly turned cold. Xu Xinrong also turned her head and looked at him. Jiang Bei¡¯s breathing was a little sluggish. He did not know what to do now. Even if he was a billionaire in his old life, he still did not know how to deal with the situation at hand. Or rather¡­ He didn¡¯t know how to face Xu Xuefeng. Xu Xuefeng had handed his daughter to him. He had painstakingly raised his daughter, but because of him, she died. He would never forget the scene in his old life. This usually quiet middle-aged man had cried out in pain when he saw his daughter¡¯s body. At that time, Xu Xuefeng seemed to have changed into a different person. When he saw Jiang Bei, his hands gripped his neck fiercely. He wanted to kill Jiang Bei and make him pay for his daughter¡¯s life! His mother-in-law, Li Yun, fainted from crying in the funeral parlor. Xu Xiaoqiang walked towards him with his fist in his hand. He remembered the numbing pain. At this moment, all kinds of emotions surged into his heart. Then¡­ Everything was over. The hatred of the Xu family towards him could not be wiped away with time. He could not use money to take away the pain of losing their daughter and granddaughter. Even if he tried his best to make up for it, to pave the way for their future life and make it easy for them, the Xu family did not take a single cent from him. Even if the housing prices soared later, Xu Xiaoqiang and Xu Xuefeng worked hard and rebuilt their family. This was also the reason why Jiang Bei could not defend himself from the way Xu Xiaoqiang treated him yesterday and he was not angry at all. This was because he was at fault. No matter how much he was looked down upon and scolded, he would not take a step back. He was a man. He should be responsible for his past. If he could live another life, he would not let the tragedy happen again. He would also give Xu Xinrong and Wanwan a perfect life and a happy family. Jiang Bei clenched his fists and silently looked at Xu Xuefeng who was lying on the hospital bed. His eyes were filled with regret. He wanted to go in and apologize to his father-in-law, make a promise, make an oath, but he didn¡¯t dare. He was afraid! He was afraid that Xu Xuefeng would insist that Xu Xinrong divorce him. Just as Jiang Bei was hesitating¡­ Hurried footsteps could be heard in the corridor. Along with the words ¡°go away¡±. Jiang Bei was pushed away by a pair of hands. He staggered as he steadied himself. However, he realized that Xu Xiaoqiang and Li Yun were standing at the door of the ward. They did not pay any attention to him and entered the ward. Not long after, Xu Xinrong walked out together with the nurse. After thanking the nurse, she left. Jiang Bei looked at Xu Xinrong¡¯s back. He wanted to say something, but he did not say it out loud. His chest was a bit heavy. After taking a few deep breaths, he slowly pushed the door open and walked in. Xu Xinrong took out another spare blanket from the small cabinet beside her and walked out of the ward. Looking at the exhausted man who was mumbling something in between his brows, she only sighed softly and covered Jiang bei with the blanket .. The weather in Donghai in June was extremely strange. It was still very hot during the day, but at night, the temperature was very low, especially in a place like the hospital. If one lived in the corridor, they would be able to wake up from the cold. Last night, Jiangbei felt very cold, but in the end, it felt like spring had bloomed in his dream, making him feel much more comfortable. He was woken up by the sound of the nurses walking and the sound of the trolley. When he woke up, he opened his eyes to feel his surroundings and looked at the ceiling in a daze. He was lying on a bench. If the person accompanying the bed had no place to sleep, a bench like this was also a good choice. However, he clearly remembered that he was sitting there. He thought of taking a short nap before going in to take a look at Xu Xuefeng. Then, he lost control and fell into a deep sleep. Why was he lying on a bench now? Not only that, he was also covered with a blanket.. In an instant, Jiang Bei¡¯s heart seemed to be filled with something. He slowly sat up, his eyes glazed over, and his eyes were a little sore. Was It Xu Xinrong? Although she had only brought him a blanket at night and laid him flat, but.. At the very least, this could still represent that Xu Xinrong had more or less listened to his actions and explanations yesterday. She was also willing to think for him, worried that he would fall asleep here at night. She was worried about him, wasn¡¯t she? Jiang Bei¡¯s heart seemed to be surging with warmth, making his entire body feel warm. Even if it was just a simple thought, Jiang bei felt that his efforts were rewarding and meaningful. He was using his full strength to save this family. He¡­ also saw the results of his hard work. .. Creak The door of the ward was pulled open from the inside. Xu Xinrong walked out and walked out anxiously. ¡°Xinrong!¡±Jiang bei hurriedly stood up and shouted. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±Xu Xinrong paused and turned to look at the man with a slight frown. ¡°Xinrong¡­ How¡¯s dad¡¯s illness? Is this enough money? Are you going to work? I¡¯ll bring Wan Wan home later. I¡¯ll take care of her,¡±Jiang Bei said without thinking. Actually, he didn¡¯t have anything to say. He just wanted to take this opportunity to talk to Xu Xinrong. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about here. My mom will come later.¡±Xu Xinrong shook her head and ran directly to the nurses¡¯station. Soon, a nurse followed her back and entered the ward.. Jiang bei stood outside the door and looked at the scene inside. His daughter was still asleep while Xu Xuefeng was already awake. He was talking to Xu Xinrong with a smile on his face. However, when he saw Jiang bei from the corner of his eyes, his gaze suddenly turned cold. Xu Xinrong also turned her head and looked at him. Jiang bei¡¯s breathing was a little sluggish. He did not know what to do now¡­ Even if he was a big boss with billions of dollars in his previous life, he still did not know how to deal with the situation at hand. Or rather.. He didn¡¯t know how to face Xu Xuefeng. Xu Xuefeng was the man who had personally handed his daughter to him. He had painstakingly raised his daughter, but because of him, she had to die. He would never forget the scene in his previous life. This originally silent middle-aged man had cried out in pain when he saw his daughter¡¯s body. At that time, Xu Xuefeng seemed to have changed into a different person. When he saw Jiang bei.., his hands gripped his neck fiercely. He wanted to kill Jiang Bei and pay with his daughter¡¯s life! His mother-in-law, Li Yun, fainted from crying in the funeral parlor. Xu Xiaoqiang walked towards him with his fist in his hand. That numb pain¡­ At this moment, all kinds of emotions surged into his heart. Later on.. Everything was over. The hatred of the Xu family towards him could not be wiped away with time. He could not use money to wipe away the pain of losing their daughter and granddaughter. Even if he tried his best to make up for it, to pave the way for their future life and make it easy for them, the Xu family did not take a single cent from him. Even if the housing prices soared later, Xu Xiaoqiang and Xu Xuefeng were using their own hands to work little by little to earn money and build a family for Xu Xiaoqiang.. This was also the reason why Jiang Bei could not refute the way Xu Xiaoqiang treated Jiang Bei Yesterday and was not angry at all. This was because he was at fault. No matter how much he was looked down upon and scolded, he would not take a step back. He was a man. He should be responsible for his past. If he could live another life, he would not let the tragedy happen again. He would also give Xu Xinrong and Wan Wan a perfect life and a happy family.. Jiang bei clenched his fists and silently looked at Xu Xuefeng who was lying on the hospital bed. His eyes were filled with regret. He wanted to go in and apologize to his father-in-law, make a promise, make an oath¡­ but he didn¡¯t dare. He was afraid! He was afraid that Xu Xuefeng would insist that he divorce Xu Xinrong. Just as Jiang Bei was hesitating¡­ Hurried footsteps could be heard in the corridor. Along with the words ¡°Go away¡±, Jiang Bei was pushed away by a pair of hands. He staggered as he steadied himself. However, he realized that Xu Xiaoqiang and Li Yun were standing at the door of the ward. They did not pay any attention to him and directly entered the ward. Not long after, Xu Xinrong walked out together with the nurse. After thanking the nurse, she left. Jiang Bei looked at Xu Xinrong¡¯s back¡­ he wanted to say something, but he did not say it out loud. His chest was a bit heavy. After taking a few deep breaths, he slowly pushed open the door of the ward and walked in.. Chapter 27 - An Ordinary Father Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation He walked into the ward with his head lowered. Like a criminal, he walked with great difficulty, waiting for the final judgment. The three people in the room turned around when they heard the sound. When they saw Jiang Bei walk in, Xu Xuefeng¡¯s brows slowly furrowed, and his eyes stared at him. This scumbag! How much pain did his daughter suffer in the past few years! ¡°Dad, Mom¡­¡± Jiang Bei slowly raised his head with a conflicted expression on his face. He was still wearing the tattered clothes from yesterday, and his current appearance made him look very pathetic. ¡°Why did you come in? We don¡¯t want to see you!¡± Xu Xiaoqiang walked forward and shouted in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯ll return the money to you. Now, please leave this place!¡± There was anger on his face, but his voice was very low because Wanwan was still sleeping next to him. Wanwan was a bundle of joy in the family, but her father was the most unpopular person in the family. ¡°I came to see how dad is doing¡­¡± Jiang Bei said hesitantly. ¡°I¡¯m fine. You¡¯ve seen everything. You can leave now. Don¡¯t call me dad anymore. I don¡¯t have a son-in-law like you,¡± Xu Xuefeng said faintly. This answer was exactly what Jiang Bei had expected. Xu Xuefeng was the most ordinary middle-aged man in a small city. He was quiet and honest. ¡°Dad¡­¡± Jiang Bei took a few more steps forward and stood by the bed. It was difficult for him to even make a sound. He realized that it was not as easy as he thought to face him, even if Xu Xuefeng did not insist that they get a divorce ¡°Is there anything else? If there¡¯s nothing else, please leave,¡± Xu Xuefeng said in a deep voice with his brows furrowed into a knot. ¡°Plop!¡± At this moment, Jiang Bei bent his knees and knelt down! This scene stunned everyone. Even Xu Xuefeng¡¯s eyes were filled with shock. ¡°Dad! I am sorry.¡± Jiang Bei¡¯s voice was a little heavy. He looked at Xu Xuefeng with eyes filled with regret. Although Xu Xuefeng was an ordinary man, he could see things clearly. At this moment, he saw the sincerity in Jiang Bei¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve let you down, I¡¯ve let mom down, I¡¯ve let all of you down¡­ I am sorry.¡± Jiang Bei¡¯s eyes were red. He had said this before in his old life. He had said it more than once! But what he received was not Xu Xuefeng¡¯s forgiveness, but his scolding and Xu Xiaoqiang¡¯s beating. They were already gone. Who was he apologizing to then? Was there any point in apologizing? But in this life, it was not too late for Jiang Bei. They were still alive and his home was still there. As long as he was willing to work harder, everything would get better. He firmly believed in all of this. ¡°Get up.¡± Xu Xuefeng¡¯s voice gradually became softer. As a man, he saw that Jiang Bei¡¯s regret was sincere. Men might kneel to heaven and earth, and to their parents. But he was kneeling to him out of regret. But he didn¡¯t have the right to forgive him on behalf of his daughter. Jiang Bei¡¯s actions made Li Yun speechless. She sighed lightly and sat on the extra bed. She no longer looked at him, and only gently touched her granddaughter¡¯s small hand. Her eyes were filled with heartache. Even Xu Xiaoqiang could no longer speak ill of Jiang Bei, but the anger in his eyes did not subside. Jiang Bei was repenting. He regretted all his actions that had caused pain to the Xu family. ¡°Get up first. We¡¯ll talk. There¡¯s no need for you to kneel to me. Xinrong is the one you should apologize to,¡± Xu Xuefeng said calmly. However, the pain in his heart was also showing on his face. Jiang Bei slowly stood up. He did not know what use his promise was at this moment. He also knew that Xu Xuefeng could not be deceived. ¡°Dad, I will not divorce Xinrong. I want to give Wanwan a complete family. I want to make up for all my mistakes. I have let her down all these years. I hope you can give me another chance. Trust me one more time,¡± Jiang Bei suddenly said. His tone was firm and serious. Although he looked disheveled, his eyes were still bright. ¡°I heard from Xinrong that the money for my hospitalization was given by you?¡± Xu Xuefeng did not want to continue on this topic, so he asked that. Jiang Bei¡¯s gaze was a little conflicted, but he nodded. ¡°If we manage to catch the one who hit me and get the money back, I¡¯ll return you the money. If not, Xiaoqiang and I will work hard and return it to you.¡± ¡°Dad!¡± Jiang Bei suddenly became a little anxious. ¡°Listen to me first.¡± Xu Xuefeng seemed a little tired. He just waved his hand and said in a calm voice. ¡°If you¡¯ve really changed¡­ then this money belongs to you and Xinrong. It belongs to your family. We, the older generation, can no longer help you financially. How can we spend your money?¡± ¡°If you and Xinrong are still getting a divorce, we definitely can¡¯t take your money. What is the point of giving me money then? Don¡¯t you think so?¡± Xu Xuefeng asked. Jiang Bei nodded silently and didn¡¯t respond. He knew that Xu Xuefeng hadn¡¯t finished speaking. ¡°About you and Xinrong¡­I¡¯ve been thinking a lot recently..¡± Chapter 28 - He was Not Worthy of Forgiveness Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation ¡°I know what my daughter is like¡­¡± ¡°If you hadn¡¯t gone too far, she wouldn¡¯t have made up her mind to divorce you,¡± Xu Xuefeng said faintly. ¡°Dad, I know¡­ I¡¯m not worthy of being a husband, and I¡¯m not worthy of being a father.¡± Jiang Bei lowered his head. His eyes were filled with emotions. He hated himself. However, Xu Xuefeng ignored Jiang Bei¡¯s words. He seemed to have thought of something as he looked at the ceiling and spoke slowly. ¡°Xinrong, this child¡­ I don¡¯t know which one of us she took after, but she¡¯s stubborn. She¡¯s always been like this since she was young. If she¡¯s determined to do something, no one could stop her. When she grew up, she didn¡¯t seem to get any better.¡± ¡°But later on, she married you. With Wanwan, I think it¡¯s time for her to change a little.¡± Xu Xuefeng¡¯s face looked worried. ¡°When your parents passed, you became like a different person. Actually, I can understand it. If my wife and I were gone, wouldn¡¯t Xiaoqiang also be affected?¡± Xu Xuefeng turned his head and asked. ¡°Dad, what are you talking about! You¡¯re fine now. You can go home soon!¡± Xu Xiaoqiang said, upset. Xu Xuefeng shook his head and didn¡¯t say anything more ominous. ¡°I almost¡­ Last night, I was thinking about both of you and Wanwan.¡± He looked at Jiang Bei with a serious gaze. ¡°Jiang Bei, I know you want to change, but there¡¯s no point showing us. The one spending her life with you is Xinrong. Do you still need me to teach you this principle?¡± ¡°Are you able to convince her if she¡¯s made up her mind? It¡¯s not that easy.¡± ¡°She¡¯s had a lot of reservations over the past few years. How many times has Xiaoqiang tried to persuade her to get a divorce? She never listened. She knows in her heart what would happen to Wanwan if she gets a divorce She¡¯s still so young.¡± ¡°What if she gets bullied when she goes to school? When she meets someone in the future and they find out that she came from a single-parent household, what should we do if they reject her?¡± ¡°She would become a child who lacks fatherly love. What if she becomes a bad person?¡± ¡°We have to consider all of this carefully. Marriage is not child¡¯s play, especially when you two have a child.¡± ¡°In the past, I thought that divorce was nothing. One person could also take care of the child. But when it¡¯s about to happen, how could I not think about it?¡± Xu Xuefeng¡¯s breathing gradually became heavier like a smoker who was showing withdrawal symptoms, but he endured it. He swallowed his saliva, and his expression became somewhat sorrowful again. ¡°But Xinrong has decided to divorce you, so we won¡¯t try to persuade her anymore. It¡¯s not right for us to forgive you and help you get Xinrong back. You¡¯re the one who did all these things. You have to rely on yourself to save your family, right?¡± ¡°I want you and Xinrong to live a peaceful life even though I don¡¯t like you because you¡¯re Xinrong¡¯s husband and Wanwan¡¯s father. Jiang Bei, do you understand?¡± Jiang Bei slowly raised his head, and two streams of tears appeared on his face. Although Xu Xuefeng¡¯s words were calm, every word was like a hammer to his heart. There was no point regretting his actions. He had to think of a way to save his marriage and make his family whole again. Xu Xuefeng¡¯s words, which had never been said before, were not without reason. It was Jiang Bei¡¯s actions today that made him feel that this family that was about to be broken could still be saved. After experiencing such a life-and-death event, Xu Xuefeng did a lot of thinking. Ultimately, his two children were the ones he could not let go of. ¡°Dad¡­ I understand. I made many mistakes all these years. I will work hard to get Xinrong back. I will support this family.¡± Jiang Bei¡¯s breathing was a little quick. At this moment, he was like an ignorant child who regretted his mistakes. However, Jiang Bei did not get the forgiveness he had hoped for. He was not worthy of Xu Xuefeng¡¯s forgiveness. Although Xu Xuefeng would not try to persuade Xu Xinrong to divorce him, he would not stop her either. He did not forgive Jiang Bei. He just did not want to see his family fall apart just like that. A faint smile finally appeared on Xu Xuefeng¡¯s face. He nodded his head gently. ¡°You guys are grown up now. Wanwan is already three. You shouldn¡¯t let us worry about everything. You have to do everything on your own.¡± ¡°Dad, don¡¯t worry¡­ I¡¯ll get this family back. I¡¯ll let Xinrong live a good life.¡± Jiang Bei nodded his head heavily. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ve said enough. I¡¯m tired. You two can go out first.¡± Xu Xuefeng waved his hand and said tiredly. When Jiang Bei and Xu Xiaoqiang sat on the long bench in the corridor, the atmosphere suddenly fell silent again. After a long while, Xu Xiaoqiang could not help but ask, ¡°Jiang Bei, what you said yesterday¡­ is it true? You earned 15,000 a day from selling fish at the park?¡± ¡°Do you still plan to do this in the future?¡± Chapter 29 - A Truly Profitable Business Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation Xiaoqiang¡¯s words sounded urgent. He had been thinking about making money last night. After all, no one was willing to work their whole life. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to start a small business? Of course, he also knew that it was Children¡¯s Day yesterday. It was during such an annual festival that Jiang Bei earned so much money. However, he would still have earned quite a lot on a normal day. ¡°Huh?¡± Jiang Bei was stunned when he heard Xu Xiaoqiang¡¯s question, but he nodded. ¡°But¡­ I won¡¯t do it again,¡± Jiang Bei said. ¡°Why? Isn¡¯t it very profitable?¡±vXu Xiaoqiang¡¯s voice subconsciously became higher as he stared at Jiang Bei with his eyes wide open. ¡°This is just a way to earn a quick sum of money. I won¡¯t be able to earn much in the long run.¡± Jiang Bei shook his head and said without any fluctuations in his voice. His mind was in a mess. Right now, it was filled with thoughts about his family. As for earning money, he had not thought about it carefully. He would not worry about money. He believed that he had the ability to give Xu Xinrong and Wanwan the best life. However, Xu Xiaoqiang suddenly stood up, ¡°Jiang Bei, you earned so much in one day, so you can definitely continue! Why won¡¯t you do it? Even if there aren¡¯t that many people on a normal day, you can still earn a lot!¡± ¡°You only saw 15,000 a day, so you¡¯re going to throw away the rest of the money!¡± ¡°How can my sister be with someone like you! You¡¯re arrogant and have low standards, just like before!¡± ¡°Even if you can¡¯t make that much money, even if you don¡¯t do this business, even if¡­ you work and earn 300 to 400 yuan a month, you and my sister won¡¯t be where you are today!¡± Xu Xiaoqiang suddenly became angry. He was scolding Jiang Bei. Jiang Bei raised his head and looked at Xu Xiaoqiang, whose eyes were filled with anger. For a moment, he did not know how to explain himself. Since yesterday, Xu Xiaoqiang¡¯s attitude towards him had also changed significantly. Especially after the scene just now, as a man, Xu Xiaoqiang understood his father¡¯s thoughts. Wanwan couldn¡¯t be without a father, and his sister couldn¡¯t be without a husband. Even if she remarried in the future, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to bring Wanwan with her. As for Jiang Bei, he regretted his actions and was angry at himself. But the culprit who destroyed this family was also Jiang Bei himself. But at the moment, Jiang Bei was still an arrogant man! Just because he earned 15,000 yesterday, he gave up a few thousand yuan a month? A few thousand yuan! Jiang Bei was silent for a moment before he shook his head and said, ¡°Xiaoqiang, you don¡¯t understand¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand? And you do? Tell me, why won¡¯t you do it? Even if you don¡¯t make 10,000 yuan a month, if you rent a stall and continue this business, you would still make up to 1000 yuan a month! Also, you earned more than 1,000 yuan from drawing on the street. If you have that ability, why won¡¯t you continue?¡± ¡°Are you lying?¡± Jiang Bei shook his head, ¡°Because after what I¡¯ve done, there will be others who want to do the same. If you have time, go to the park tomorrow. I guess someone has already opened this fishing game stall.¡± ¡°As for selling drawings, if other people who know how to draw see me making a profit from doing that, why won¡¯t they do the same?¡± ¡°Besides¡­ this kind of business is impossible to expand.¡± ¡°Is it useful to make 1,000 or 2,000 yuan now?¡± Jiang Bei suddenly asked. They didn¡¯t consider it from his point of view. Xu Xiaoqiang didn¡¯t, and neither did Xu Xuefeng. Because he still owed 50,000 yuan! What he lacked was not a few thousand yuan, but a whole 50,000 yuan! He did not have time! He could not continue wasting time on this! He needed to rely on his old memories to make money as soon as possible! If he did not return this money, Zhang Luzhong would definitely take his house away! His relationship with Xu Xinrong depended on this. If he lost this house, he had no hope of saving his family! Jiang Bei¡¯s last sentence stunned Xu Xiaoqiang. He knew that Jiang Bei was going to sell the house, but.. ¡°Jiang Bei, what do you mean? You don¡¯t plan to sell the house?¡± Xu Xiaoqiang was suddenly aware of something. ¡°If I sell the house, is there still a chance between your sister and me?¡± Jiang Bei shook his head with a bitter smile and looked at Xu Xiaoqiang indifferently. He had no choice but to buck up and quickly make money. But¡­ what could make money? There were too many things that could make money. The Internet was going to appear soon. Even if he only focused on games, he could make a lot of money. Besides, there was the upcoming real estate bubble and booming communications industry.There were too many of them. But¡­ he needed money now, and he needed it fast! It would be best if he could have a stable business and grow it bit by bit! Jiang Bei lowered his head and rubbed the space between his eyebrows, thinking. Several ways to make money appeared in his mind. He thought about the feasibility, and then eliminated them one by one. ¡°Nothing works for you. You are not willing to do anything!¡± Xu Xiaoqiang said anxiously. Jiang Bei finally raised his head. He had thought of something. ¡°Xiaoqiang, do you want to do business with me? A business that is truly profitable..¡± Chapter 30 - What If? Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation ¡°I¡­¡± Xu Xiaoqiang was a little stunned. He looked at Jiang Bei in a daze. The man who had knelt down in front of his father and apologized with tears in his eyes seemed to have changed. At this moment, his gaze was unusually firm and incomparably confident. However, what Xu Xiaoqiang could not understand the most was that he could not seem to reject his proposal. It was as if¡­ everything he said could be realized. The business that he said would be profitable would indeed be profitable. Where did his confidence come from? What right did he have? Moreover, Xu Xiaoqiang saw that he had only been thinking for a few minutes, and he already thought of a way? ¡°What do you want to do?¡± Xu Xiaoqiang asked without thinking. ¡°Rent a small stall to sell drinks by the street,¡± Jiang Bei answered. He was still considering the details of the project. After all, he might not be good at making drinks. ¡°Drinks? Aren¡¯t there many supermarkets? How much money can you make?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t expect to earn a lot from this like you did yesterday, right?¡± Xu Xiaoqiang couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°I¡¯ll make more money than selling fish.¡± Jiang Bei¡¯s eyes were shining. He was also analyzing the current market in his mind. The conclusion was, if one were to sell bubble tea, one would definitely earn a lot! ¡°You must be crazy. You¡¯ve gone crazy after earning 15,000 in a day! What kind of drinks do you want to sell? Can you make everyone in Donghai City buy your drinks?¡± Xu Xiaoqiang couldn¡¯t help it. ¡°That¡¯s for sure, I¡¯m not crazy. Xiaoqiang, can you come and help me? I won¡¯t be able to handle it myself.¡± Jiang Bei shook his head and said with a serious tone. ¡°I¡­¡± Xu Xiaoqiang was a little hesitant. He really wanted to see how Jiang Bei earned money with his own eyes, but he didn¡¯t believe that he could really earn that much. This person had been the same for so many years, even if he had changed in the past few days. But now? He was still lying. With his arrogant attitude, earning a few thousand yuan a month wouldn¡¯t be enough for him! On the other hand, Xu Xiaoqiang was also unwilling to work in the gas company anymore. He had been assigned there since he graduated from secondary school two years ago, and there had been no hope for him. Back then, they had talked about him becoming a manager, but in the end, there was no hope at all. He had wanted to leave a long time ago. He was young and strong. He should be able to find a job. He did not earn much there anyway. Without a doubt, Jiang Bei¡¯s idea of starting a business had stirred Xu Xiaoqiang¡¯s heart. However, if he really quit his job, his parents would definitely be angry. His father had worked hard all his life. As long as the company did not go bankrupt, he could continue to work. ¡°Explain to me clearly first. What kind of beverage are you selling? It can¡¯t be a bottle of coke that costs 2.50 yuan, right?¡± His idea for a drink was just a plastic bottle that cost 2.50 yuan per bottle. ¡°Bubble tea.¡± Jiang Bei shook his head and answered. ¡°What?¡± Xu Xiaoqiang felt that he had heard wrong. Bubble tea? What¡¯s that? ¡°It¡¯s a combination of milk, black tea, green tea, and other beverages. Tea bags are sold on the market. It¡¯s not expensive, but you can also use tea powder and milk powder to make it.¡± Jiang Bei explained briefly. ¡°Can this make money?¡± Xu Xiaoqiang was stunned. Bubble tea¡­ he had never heard of such a thing. Seeing the confusion and shock on Xu Xiaoqiang¡¯s face, Jiang Bei made the decision. In 2001, bubble tea was indeed available, but it was only available in big cities. It was not popular yet. It could be said that the market was emerging. If Jiang Bei wanted to enter and get a piece of the pie, it would not be a problem. Moreover¡­ The purpose of opening a bubble tea shop was not only for himself, but also for the Xu family and Xu Xinrong. What he owed them in his old life, he would make up for it in this life. ¡°Yes. I plan to go to the shopping district in a while to see if there are any shops that have not been rented out. If I find one, I¡¯ll set up the stall tomorrow.¡± Xu Xiaoqiang finally came back to his senses. He frowned and asked, ¡°But where would you get the money to rent the stall? Even the smallest one costs at least 3,000 yuan a month!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. I have other ways.¡± Jiang Bei waved his hand. He did not know how to persuade Xu Xiaoqiang to help him. At the moment, he had no time to hire outsiders. Zhang Luzhong only gave him ten days to return 50,000 yuan, but three days had already passed. Including today, he had barely a week left. In addition, he did not have the capital to advertise, nor could he do market research on this kind of unknown product. But he knew that this could make money. Even if the amount was exaggerated, it could still be done without any competitors. ¡°Xiaoqiang, if you come and help me, I definitely won¡¯t mistreat you,¡± Jiang Bei said seriously. Xu Xiaoqiang fell into silence. He was in a dilemma. He shouldn¡¯t trust this scumbag in front of him. However, the changes in the past few days and the conversation between him and his father moved Xu Xiaoqiang a little. What if¡­ he really could earn money? Wasn¡¯t he also thinking of leaving the gas company? A hint of hesitation flashed in Xu Xiaoqiang¡¯s eyes. He raised his head and looked at Jiang Bei. ¡°Ok, but¡­.¡± Chapter 31 - How was He Going to Afford It? Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation Xu Xiaoqiang took a deep breath and said, ¡°Ok, but only for these few days.¡± ¡°Dad got into a car accident, so I applied for leave to take care of him. I can¡¯t do much here and planned to go back to work tomorrow, but¡­¡± ¡°If you need help, I¡¯ll help you for a few days.¡± ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Jiang Bei was touched. He knew that Xu Xiaoqiang¡¯s was struggling internally, so Jiang Bei did not expect him to make this decision. ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me. I¡¯m not helping you, I¡¯m helping my sister. If my sister can have a better life¡­ then it¡¯s worth it.¡± Xu Xiaoqiang curled his lips and turned his head away, not looking at Jiang Bei. Jiang Bei smiled gently. At this moment, Wanwan¡¯s voice came from the ward. Jiang Bei stood up and looked inside. Wanwan had already woken up. She was in front of the bed, singing a children¡¯s song to Xu Xuefeng. Xu Xuefeng laughed heartily. ¡°Let¡¯s go in and let them know that we are leaving,¡± said Jiang Bei. Xu Xiaoqiang nodded and didn¡¯t say anything else. He followed Jiang Bei back into the ward. ¡°Daddy!¡± Wanwan heard the voice and turned her head in surprise. ¡°Give me a hug.¡± Jiang Bei squatted down and held Wanwan in his arms. A bright smile appeared on his face. ¡°Wanwan, can you stay with grandma and grandpa in the hospital in the afternoon and wait for your mom to get off work?¡± Jiang Bei said with a smile. ¡°Okay! Otherwise, grandpa and grandma will be very bored in the hospital,¡± Wanwan answered crisply. ¡°Wanwan is so good.¡± Jiang Bei carried Wanwan and walked to Xu Xuefeng¡¯s bed. ¡°Dad.¡± ¡°Is there anything else?¡± The smile on Xu Xuefeng¡¯s face became a little stiff as Jiang Bei entered the room. ¡°Well¡­ I want to take Xiaoqiang with me to do some business,¡± Jiang Bei said after a moment of hesitation. ¡°Do business?¡± Xu Xuefeng was obviously stunned for a moment, then he turned his gaze to Xu Xiaoqiang, and his brows gradually furrowed. ¡°Xiaoqiang, what¡¯s going on?¡± Xu Xuefeng didn¡¯t object, as he wanted to know what Xu Xiaoqiang had in mind. ¡°Dad, I plan to try it with him. If it doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll go back to work,¡± Xu Xiaoqiang replied. Xu Xuefeng nodded. Although he obviously didn¡¯t agree, he still kept it to himself. After a while, he said, ¡°You¡¯re old enough to make your own decisions. I won¡¯t stop you in this regard.¡± He had long known that Xu Xiaoqiang wanted to do something else. He had even discussed getting a driver¡¯s license with him. He had also agreed to that. Xu Xiaoqiang did not say anything more. They stayed in the hospital with Wanwan for a while, and only left around nine o¡¯clock. They first went home to change, and then went straight to the shopping district. The shopping district in Donghai City was very lively, and it later became a large commercial district. There were already two shopping malls here. If he could open the bubble tea shop in the mall and sell it to the crowd in the mall, it would be absolutely feasible. But the problem was that he didn¡¯t have enough money on hand. He wanted to rent a shop directly from the owner, but there weren¡¯t many empty shops at the moment, and the locations weren¡¯t good. Most of them were around the corner. But as long as it was a shop located in the district, they would not lose money even if they were just selling cold drinks. In this era, technology was not developed yet. Internet cafes only offered games like Red Alert and Counter Strike. Ceo Ma was still chatting and flirting with girls on QQ. The explosive era of online games wouldn¡¯t arrive until two years later, let alone online shopping. The shopping district became the best place to spend time with one¡¯s partner after dinner. If it happened to be a day where there were massive sales in the mall, it would be even more crowded. Who loved shopping the most? Women, of course! Who loved drinking bubble tea? Mostly women! Therefore, Jiang Bei had to find a shop near the mall! The exact location of the shop did not matter. He was confident that he could attract all the people there with this new drink! ¡°Jiang Bei, have you decided? You only have 1,000 yuan. How are you going to rent a shop?¡± The weather was gradually getting warmer, and Xu Xiaoqiang became a little impatient. He still did not understand how he could rent a shop for a month with only 1,000 yuan in his hand. However, Jiang Bei was still taking his time.. There were only a few shops that were empty and there were not many options available to him. After thinking for a moment, he chose a relatively small shop and memorized the contact information on the door. Through the glass door, he could see that the shop was about 20 to 30 square meters, and the location was at the end of the street, so it was not good. This kind of small shop had no other use besides selling some drinks. Xu Xiaoqiang was even more confused. He had chosen for so long. Was he comparing the prices? But, even this shop would cost at least 3,000 yuan. How could he afford it? ¡°What do you want to do? How are you getting the money?¡± Xu Xiaoqiang could not help but ask. ¡°Come with me, you will know soon.¡± Jiang Bei smiled lightly.. Chapter 32 - Prepare for Business! Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation At noon. Jiang Bei and Xu Xiaoqiang arrived at the restaurant they had agreed on with the owner. The owner was a middle-aged man. When he saw Jiang Bei, he acted like he was in a hurry. Xu Xiaoqiang knew that he was definitely a big boss. He had just arrived in a black Volkswagen Santana. Moreover, his pocket was bulging. It was obviously a cell phone. This thing cost several thousand yuan. Xu Xiaoqiang subconsciously lowered his head. However, Jiang Bei, who was beside him, stood up and stretched out his hand with a smile. ¡°Hello, Mr. Zhang. My name is Jiang Bei. I am the one who called.¡± ¡°Hello, Mr. Jiang. You already know about this shop. It costs three thousand yuan a month. The rent is paid every quarter. If you can¡¯t satisfy this, then there¡¯s no negotiation.¡± Xu Xiaoqiang¡¯s heart instantly turned cold. They had to pay 9,000 yuan in one go? No, including a month¡¯s deposit, it was a total of 12,000 yuan. He looked at Jiang Bei. However, Jiang Bei smiled and nodded. ¡°I¡¯m prepared to rent it for half a year first. If it¡¯s possible, when the business is doing well, I¡¯ll consider buying a shop, but I¡¯ll buy a bigger one.¡± ¡°Oh? That¡¯s not bad. Coincidentally, I have a shop in the district under my name, but that store is more than 100 square meters.¡± Zhang Hongtao sized Jiang Bei up. He didn¡¯t look down on Jiang Bei because of the way he dressed because Jiang Bei¡¯s confidence made him feel that he was a partner that he could work with. The conversation after that was still as relaxed as before. Zhang Hongtao explained the good and the bad about the place to Jiang Bei. The low price was good but the bad thing was¡­ Jiang Bei was already well aware of it. Xu Xiaoqiang¡¯s was about to break out in a cold sweat, but the two of them were still chatting and laughing. When it was time to sign the contract, Xu Xiaoqiang was still dumbfounded. ¡°Mr. Zhang, how about this? I¡¯ll rent the shop, but cashflow is a little tight, so¡­¡± Jiang Bei suddenly said. ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± The smile on Zhang Hongtao¡¯s face disappeared. ¡°Mr. Zhang, let me finish first? I¡¯m in a hurry to rent this shop. I¡¯ll pay you the rent in a week, how about that?¡± ¡°What if you can¡¯t?¡± Zhang Hongtao¡¯s face gradually darkened. ¡°Then it depends on whether you are willing to gamble. After all¡­ your shop isn¡¯t easy to rent out, right?¡± ¡°Of course, you can also come and collect the rent every day. I¡¯ll pay you every day and then the remaining 21,000 at one go.¡± Zhang Hongtao stared at Jiang Bei for a long time, but he shook his head. ¡°Not necessary. I¡¯ll trust you for now. I¡¯ll come and collect the money in a week.¡± ¡­ Thus, this contract was signed and Zhang Hongtao left the key to the shop to Jiang Bei. He agreed to this request mainly for two reasons. First, it was as Jiang Bei said. The shop was not easy to rent out because it was too small to do any profitable business. Even opening a clothing store was difficult, and it had been empty for some time now. Second, he felt that Jiang Bei was not a person who could not afford 20,000 yuan. After all, the shop would just be left empty if it was not rented. Perhaps he was still waiting for his money? ¡°Jiang Bei, where would you get the money to pay 20,000 yuan!¡± After Zhang Hongtao left, Xu Xiaoqiang finally exclaimed, ¡°Weren¡¯t you lying?¡± ¡°When the time comes, I will earn the money.¡± Jiang Bei smiled. ¡°But¡­¡± Xu Xiaoqiang was a little hesitant, but when he saw that Jiang Bei had already stood up and left, he followed him and left the restaurant. The following afternoon, the two of them were almost overwhelmed with work. There was a ready-made cabinet and shelves in the store, which saved Jiang Bei a lot of trouble, but there were also a lot of things to buy. First, they needed a sign that could emit light. Then, they needed a sign that could be handwritten so that they could write the menu. Furthermore, they needed some decorations, tablecloths, second-hand freezers, sealers, ice buckets, and so on. Even though they tried to save as much as possible, these things still cost Jiang Bei 400 yuan. The remaining 600 yuan was spent on milk powder, tea powder, plastic cups, straws, and other things that could be used to make bubble tea. As for ingredients like pearls, pudding, and coconut jelly, they didn¡¯t have enough to buy them. However, ordinary bubble tea was enough to make money. After he had brought all the things back and tidied up the shop, it was already eight o¡¯clock in the evening. ¡°How do you feel?¡± Jiang Bei stretched his body. Although he felt a little weak, the excitement in his heart still offset the exhaustion. This was his first real business in his new life! ¡°It¡¯s pretty good¡­ but can we make money from this? How are we going to get 20,000 yuan next week?¡± Xu Xiaoqiang said worriedly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. The business will be very good.¡± Jiang Bei smiled. Xu Xiaoqiang was stunned for a moment, but he nodded. The truth was, he had confidence in this business, but the profit that he expected was about 200 yuan a day. 200 yuan was equivalent to half a month¡¯s salary. He could still earn 2,000 to 3,000 yuan a month after paying the rent. Xu Xiaoqiang calculated it in his heart. ¡°Your sister should still be in the hospital. Let¡¯s go and visit. As for this shop, we will open it tomorrow.¡± Jiang Bei patted Xu Xiaoqiang¡¯s shoulder and said.. Chapter 33 - Xinrong, Wait! Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation Xu Xiaoqiang didn¡¯t say anything. He followed behind Jiang Bei and left the district on his bicycle. The sky was already dark. When they arrived at the hospital, Xu Xinrong was in the ward, putting a jacket on Wanwan and preparing to leave. At this time, she was going to take Wanwan home. The one who stayed today was Jiang Bei¡¯s mother-in-law, Li Yun. ¡°Dad, how are you feeling today?¡± Xu Xiaoqiang asked as soon as he entered the room. ¡°Pretty good, but I can¡¯t get out of bed. I can¡¯t even smoke,¡± Xu Xuefeng replied. ¡°Good, take this opportunity to quit smoking,¡± Xu Xiaoqiang said with a smile as he sat on the edge of the bed. ¡°What did you do with him today?¡± Xu Xuefeng asked as he glanced at Jiang Bei, who stood at the door like he was out of place. ¡°Well¡­ we are going to do some small business, selling drinks.¡± Xu Xiaoqiang couldn¡¯t explain what bubble tea was. Hearing this, Xu Xuefeng frowned slightly, but then he relaxed. He just nodded and didn¡¯t say anything more. There were some people selling herbal tea. It wasn¡¯t a good business, but at least it was a proper job. It would be even better if he could earn some money. However, in his mind, Jiang Bei and Xu Xiaoqiang were doing something similar to what already existed. They were going to push a small cart around the street where there was a lot of traffic. He also knew that Jiang Bei did not have much money on hand and what happened yesterday. Xu Xiaoqiang didn¡¯t explain much. He didn¡¯t trust Jiang Bei, let alone his seven-day agreement with Mr. Zhang. After two days, he had to go back to work. ¡°Dad, we¡¯re leaving now.¡± Xu Xinrong suddenly stood up with Wanwan in her arms. ¡°It¡¯s already past eight o¡¯clock. Go home and sleep early. Xiaoqiang, you go back with your sister. Your mother will stay here with me tonight. If you want to do business, do it well. Don¡¯t be lazy,¡± Xu Xuefeng instructed. ¡°Dad, I know.¡± Xu Xiaoqiang nodded and was about to leave. Without a doubt, Xu Xinrong was going back to the Xu family. ¡°Daddy!¡± Wanwan finally saw Jiang Bei when she walked to the door. She seemed to have suddenly woken up! ¡°Wanwan, be good. Let¡¯s go home.¡± Xu Xinrong gently patted Wanwan¡¯s back. ¡°Mommy¡­ What about daddy? Won¡¯t daddy come back with us?¡± Wanwan raised her head and looked at Jiang Bei again. She was looking for an answer. However, Xu Xinrong didn¡¯t give her an answer. She had already walked out of the ward. At this moment, Wanwan finally understood. She seemed to have completely woken up and shouted, ¡°Daddy!¡± Although Jiang Bei didn¡¯t know how to face Xu Xinrong, he still chased after her! ¡°Xinrong, wait!¡± He was going to tell Xu Xinrong what he was going to do. Although it might not be convincing, Jiang Bei would feel better this way. It might also make Xu Xinrong feel better. He didn¡¯t take the 1,000 yuan to fool around. He was really going to do business. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Xu Xinrong stopped in her tracks. If it was before yesterday, Xu Xinrong wouldn¡¯t have bothered with him at all. No matter what he said, she would just filter it out. ¡°Yes.¡± Jiang Bei walked over and stood in front of Xu Xinrong. At this moment, Wanwan was also looking at her father. The tears in her eyes reflected light from the hospital corridor, but the light in them seemed to be saying to Jiang Bei, ¡°Daddy, go for it!¡± Xu Xiaoqiang also walked out. When he saw this scene, he was momentarily stunned. He was about to say something, but when he thought about what Jiang Bei had done today, he shut his mouth again. Jiang Bei bought himself seven days with his lies, but what happens after? He didn¡¯t dare to think about it. He didn¡¯t know why he chose to hide all this from his father. Such a person should have been exposed! However, looking at his sister and Wanwan, Xu Xiaoqiang¡¯s heart softened again. He sat on the bench at the side and sighed softly. Jiang Bei took a deep breath and suddenly said, ¡°Xinrong, I rented a shop in the shopping district today. I plan to open a bubble tea shop with Xiaoqiang. I will earn money by then.¡± ¡°Where did you get the money to rent a shop?¡± Xu Xinrong asked immediately. Jiang Bei obviously hesitated for a moment and then said, ¡°I. . . I¡¯ve discussed it with the owner. I¡¯ll pay the rent in seven days. Don¡¯t worry, business will be good.¡± ¡°What if business is bad? Sorry, I spoke too much. Anyway, the house can be sold for 60,000 yuan. You can still pay the rent with the remaining 10,000 yuan.¡± Xu Xinrong shook her head. She didn¡¯t know how Jiang Bei managed to get the person to agree to pay the rent after seven days, but he must have lied. ¡°Xinrong, trust me¡­ When we earn money, we won¡¯t have to sell the house. We can also send Wanwan to kindergarten. Everything will be better by then.¡± ¡°Give me a few days. I will prove it to you. Just trust me this time.¡± Jiang Bei gritted his teeth. ¡°I give you time, but who will give it to me?¡± Xu Xinrong asked faintly. After saying that, she turned around and left, not giving Jiang Bi any more chances to explain. At this moment, Xu Xiaoqiang looked at him like he was looking at a fool. Even he could not understand why Jiang Bei would tell the truth¡­ Jiang Bei opened his mouth, but he could not say anything. He said he would not lie to Xu Xinrong again.. Chapter 34 - Give Him a Few Days Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation Jiang Bei sat on the bench in pain and covered his eyes. Nothing had changed. Xu Xinrong¡¯s cold gaze did not linger on him as she left while holding her daughter. Her daughter was crying. All of this made it difficult for Jiang Bei to breathe, and his chest felt like it was burning. Even though he had been very tired these past few days, he always felt that he could persist. That night when Xu Xinrong covered him with a blanket, it made Jiang Bei feel that he was about to succeed. If he worked hard, he would definitely be able to save his family. But when he told her about what happened today, Xu Xinrong¡¯s disdain for him reappeared. It was not a misunderstanding. It was what he had made her feel all these years. He was a lying scumbag! It was useless trying to explain himself, as Xu Xinrong did not want to listen to him. The image of him as a scumbag would not be destroyed overnight. He had to remove this label from him that was already deep in his bones, even if the process was extremely painful. But he could not give up. Jiang Bei slowly stood up and walked into the ward. ¡­ ¡°I want daddy, I want daddy¡­¡± Wanwan¡¯s tears were so heartbreaking. She was about to fall asleep just now, but when she saw her father, she woke up again. Especially after she knew that she wouldn¡¯t be staying with her father, her young heart suffered a huge blow. Didn¡¯t daddy change? Daddy had clearly worked so hard. Wanwan didn¡¯t understand why her family would still be like this even though daddy had clearly changed. But didn¡¯t he say that he would give her a perfect home like other children? ¡°Wanwan, be good.¡± Xu Xinrong had no way to comfort Wanwan. She could only pat her daughter¡¯s back gently. At this moment, Wanwan was also tired from crying. She muttered softly in Xu Xinrong¡¯s arms. As for Xu Xiaoqiang, who was following behind her silently, he could not help but fall into deep thoughts. He did not expect that Jiang Bei would be honest about it. Did Jiang Bei not know what the consequences would be if he said it out loud? Even though he was willing to help Jiang Bei to see if this could really make money, what should he do now? He knew that Jiang Bei lied in order to rent the shop but he could also see that Jiang Bei really intended to make money. Moreover, after he heard his father and Jiang Bei¡¯s conversation yesterday, at least in his heart, he believed that Jiang Bei wanted to change. As the old saying went, it was better to destroy ten temples than one marriage. Especially if it was his own sister¡¯s. Of course he wanted her to have a happy family. Thinking of this, Xu Xiaoqiang couldn¡¯t help but take two steps forward. ¡°I think¡­ you should give him a few more days.¡± ¡°What if it really works out? If he earns money, won¡¯t you guys be fine too?¡± Xu Xiaoqiang braced himself and said it. Hearing this, Xu Xinrong stopped and looked at Xu Xiaoqiang coldly. ¡°Xiaoqiang, remember, no matter how much money he earns, it¡¯s still his, not mine.¡± ¡°What happened between us is not something that can be made up with money.¡± Xu Xinrong shook her head slightly and said in a low voice. She only covered Jiang Bei with a blanket yesterday because of her responsibility as a wife. When the house was sold and everything was over, Jiang Bei had no reason to stay with her anymore. His future life also had nothing to do with her. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Xu Xiaoqiang sighed softly and did not say anything more. He, an outsider, could not interfere in the matters between the two of them. ¡­ The ward became silent with Jiang Bei¡¯s arrival. ¡°Dad, Mom.¡± Jiang Bei walked forward. Li Yun glanced at him but didn¡¯t even greet him. Xu Xuefeng asked, ¡°Are you prepared for the business? This time, you should work hard.¡± ¡°It¡¯s ready. We can start tomorrow morning.¡± Jiang Bei hesitated for a moment and then said, ¡°We should be able to earn some money.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After saying a few words, the atmosphere sank again. After a long while, Jiang Bei said, ¡°Dad, Mom, you guys rest early tonight. I¡¯ll go back first.¡± He didn¡¯t make any promises to Xu Xuefeng because nothing was worse than Xu Xinrong misunderstanding him. He wanted to earn some money to protect his family, that was all. ¡°Sure.¡± Xu Xuefeng nodded and did not stop him. After Jiang Bei left, Li Yun opened her mouth with some hesitation, ¡°Can he do it? Does he know anything about business?¡± ¡°Who knows if he can or not? But nothing can be worse than this. Also, don¡¯t try to persuade Xinrong.¡± ¡°Do you like seeing Xingrong getting a divorce?¡± Li Yun suddenly snorted. Xu Xuefeng shook his head and didn¡¯t respond. ¡­ The sky gradually brightened. After waking up early in the morning, Jiang Bei headed to the shopping district to open the shop. He would prove himself with today¡¯s business! Chapter 35 - Find the Right Target Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation He tore open the red cloth covering the sign. The words ¡°Xinrong¡¯s Bubble Tea¡± finally appeared in front of Jiang Bei¡¯s eyes. It was six o¡¯clock in the morning. Although there were people in the area, they were all middle-aged people in their 40s and 50s who had come out for morning exercise. They passed by the area on the way to the morning market or to go home. When they saw the new bubble tea shop, they had no intention of stopping. As for Jiang Bei, he had no intention of attracting business. After he entered the door, he cleaned the shop and washed the equipment for the day. Then, he went to the breakfast shop on the next street to buy a few fried dough sticks and came back to eat them. Then, he sat on the small stool in the milk tea shop, waiting for the first customer to arrive. He bought 600 yuan worth of ingredients yesterday. If he could sell all of it, it would be a a lot of profit. However, it was Wednesday and there were no special events as the opening of the shopping mall had ended. People did not have much desire to spend. After all, they had already taken advantage of the low price and bought everything they wanted to buy during the sale. On a weekday like Wednesday, there was not enough traffic during the day. Because Jiang Bei had not done market research, he did not have any specific expectations. If the business failed, or if the profit was not good enough, then Jiang Bei would not know what to do. He might really have to sell his house to pay off his gambling debts and he might really have to see his family fall apart. The business tycoon, who had always been shrewd in doing business, could not help but worry about his small business at this moment, even though he knew that he could succeed. However, he could not accept the consequences of failure. Jiang Bei gently rubbed the space between his eyebrows. Although there were no customers at all for two hours this morning, he was not in a hurry. Around nine o¡¯clock, Xu Xiaoqiang arrived at the shop. ¡°My sister went to work. I sent Wanwan to the hospital. My mother will look after her,¡± Xu Xiaoqiang said. He looked at Jiang Bei, who was frowning, and asked, ¡°How¡¯s business? How many cups of bubble tea have you sold this morning?¡± ¡°None. There were only middle-aged people in the morning. They weren¡¯t interested in these things,¡± Jiang Bei shook his head and said. Xu Xiaoqiang didn¡¯t say anything. He pulled a chair over and waited patiently. The wait continued for the whole morning. Xu Xiaoqiang became more and more anxious. ¡°There is no one at all! From this morning until now, not a single cup has been sold. The daily rent is 100 yuan. How do we earn the money?¡± ¡°Jiang Bei, is this bullsh * t? Even if your bubble tea is delicious, what if they don¡¯t buy it? I¡¯ve never even heard of it!¡± ¡°Say something! How are you going to win back my sister like this? After bragging about it, you¡¯re just sitting here?¡± Xu Xiaoqiang questioned. ¡°Other than waiting for customers to come, what else is there to do?¡± Jiang Bei hesitated for a moment and asked. ¡°It¡¯s useless! Sure, just keep sitting there!¡± Xu Xiaoqiang laughed angrily and walked out. Jiang Bei opened his mouth but didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Ma¡¯am, would you come in and take a look? We are selling a new drink called bubble tea. It¡¯s refreshing and delicious.¡± Xu Xiaoqiang smiled and stopped a woman who looked less than 40 years old. ¡°Bubble tea? ¡°The woman glanced at the direction Xu Xiaoqiang pointed at and hesitated for a moment before asking, ¡°What¡¯s bubble tea? How much does one cost?¡± ¡°Milk tea is popular in foreign countries. This is the first shop in Donghai City. The price is not expensive. It costs six yuan a cup. It can be drunk warm or at room temperature.¡± ¡°Six yuan a cup? No way.¡± The woman left immediately after hearing the price. Xu Xiaoqiang wanted to convince her to stay, but he couldn¡¯t. However, Jiang Bei refused to budge on the price. Then, he stopped a few others and introduced the drink that was supposedly popular overseas. When they heard the price, they all left without looking back. ¡°I told you! This price is too high. You insisted on not lowering it. Now, they don¡¯t even want to come in and have a look!¡± Xu Xiaoqiang returned to the shop with some annoyance. He thought that Jiang Bei became greedy after seeing a bit of money! ¡°I really don¡¯t know what to say to you. Even if we could only earn one yuan as profit for a cup of bubble tea, we have to first think of a way to sell it, right? But now, we can¡¯t even sell it!¡± In 2001, it was better to buy a bottle of coke for 2.50 yuan instead of spending six yuan on a drink like this. Jiang Bei sighed lightly. He was the one who brought Xu Xiaoqiang in for the business. It was undeniable that he owed the Xu family. ¡°Xiaoqiang, the most important thing in doing business is to find the right target.¡± ¡°The people you talked to are all in their 30s and 40s. These people have families and children. They are saving every cent for their children. How could they be willing to spend on bubble tea?¡± ¡°Then tell me, how do we sell it?¡± Xu Xiaoqiang asked in annoyance. In his heart, they were both newbies in business. Even Jiang Bei, who was ambitious, might not be as good as him. ¡°Soon. There will be people around noon,¡± Jiang Bei answered.. Chapter 36 - The First Round of Advertisements! Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation ¡°It¡¯s noon now! Where are the people?¡± Xu Xiaoqiang asked anxiously. As if questioning Jiang Bei would bring customers in. Xu Xiaoqiang was still young after all. He was still transitioning from a young man to an adult. In terms of temperament, he was far from being as steady as Jiang Bei. ¡°There will be. Let¡¯s wait for a while. Xiaoqiang, if these raw materials can¡¯t be finished today, then I won¡¯t stop you from going back to work tomorrow.¡± Jiang Bei said somewhat solemnly. If these couldn¡¯t be sold¡­ Then there was no doubt that his business might not be as good as he expected. It might fail, although the probability was very small. ¡°Fine! You said it! Don¡¯t blame me for being merciless when the time comes! I¡¯ll see how you sell all of these!¡± Xiaoqiang sat on the chair angrily. He didn¡¯t feel like helping Jiang Bei attract customers anymore. He regretted speaking up for him yesterday. However, the anger on his face disappeared in ten minutes. His gaze became worried again as he looked at the increasing number of pedestrians outside. It was noon. Many office workers had come out for lunch. As a place that would become a commercial area in the future, there were quite a number of snack bars by the street. Jiang Bei finally stood up from the bench. He rubbed his sore waist and walked out of the store. ¡°The popular bubble tea from abroad only costs six yuan a cup!¡± Jiang Bei shouted at the top of his lungs. At this moment, Xu Xiaoqiang was also stunned. Didn¡¯t he refuse to do that just now? Xu Xiaoqiang stood up and looked outside the door. ¡°Three beauties, would you like to try bubble tea?¡± Jiang Bei walked to the three girls who were less than 20 years old and asked with a smile on his face. Jiang Bei was tall and when he smiled, he was very handsome, which immediately made people¡¯s eyes light up. Even his slightly frivolous way of addressing them did not upset them. ¡°What¡¯s bubble tea?¡± One of them asked. ¡°Hey! I just went on a trip to Jianye last month, and there is already a bubble tea shop there. It costs eight yuan a cup!¡± The tall girl next to her said. Hearing her friend¡¯s words, the other two were a little surprised. 20 years later, the housing price of Jianye City would be about four times that of Donghai City. The two cities were not on the same level at all. ¡°I had a drink there last time. The taste is very good. Let¡¯s have a cup each today. It¡¯s my treat!¡± The tall girl said with a smile. ¡°Then I¡¯ll treat you to dinner!¡± ¡°I¡­ Then come to my house for dinner tonight.¡± The three of them walked into the shop while chatting and laughing. The tall girl who offered to treat them entered the shop and asked, ¡°Sir, what kind of bubble tea do you have?¡± As Xu Xiaoqiang was the only one in the shop, he was now regarded as the boss. ¡°There¡­ There is black tea or green tea flavored,¡± Xu Xiaoqiang said shyly. One reason was that he was shy to talk to girls his age. The other reason was that he had not managed to attract any customers after so long. But Jiang Bei managed to do it within a minute! The girls studied the menu for a while, and the tall girl said, ¡°Please give us two cups of black tea and one cup of green tea. It needs to be at room temperature. Thank you.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± At this moment, another couple in their twenties came in. Jiang Balso came over. ¡°I¡¯ll do it. Xiaoqiang, you take care of the guests and introduce our bubble tea.¡± ¡°Our bubble tea is made from the best ingredients. They are all high-quality milk and tea powder. Although the price is a little high, our cost is also very high¡­¡± Xu Xiaowiang said awkwardly, this was something he had memorized a long time ago. At this time, the first cup of black tea had been sealed by Jiang Bei and handed over. ¡°Beauty, try it out. It won¡¯t let you down.¡± ¡°Lily, quick, try it. Your black tea is ready,¡± The tall girl said. ¡°Okay!¡± The girl named Lily didn¡¯t hesitate. She inserted a straw and took a sip. ¡°Mm!¡± Before she even swallowed it, she couldn¡¯t help but widen her eyes. ¡°How is it?¡± The other girl who hadn¡¯t tried it was also anxious. ¡°It¡¯s delicious!¡± Lily exclaimed after drinking it. After the tall girl took her black tea, she took a sip and agreed, ¡°Sir, your bubble tea is even better than the one I had in Jianye City, and it¡¯s so much cheaper!¡± ¡°As long as you are satisfied,¡± Jiang Bei said with a smile. When their order was ready, the other couple also gave him a compliment. As these people walked out of the shop with smiles on their faces and were talking about the bubble tea in their hands, they inevitably provided the first round of advertisements for the shop. Although it was not much, they sold 20 to 30 cups in the afternoon. There was still a long way to go before it reached the expectation of 200 cups. But Jiang Bei was already satisfied. Moreover, the real traffic had not yet started.. Chapter 37 - Why was He So Confident? Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation ¡°Xiaoqiang, have you noticed something? Who are the customers who came in to buy bubble tea?¡± ¡°They are all rich people,¡± Xu Xiaoqiang said without hesitation. Jiang Bei was stunned for a moment, then he shook his head. ¡°I mean their ages. Aren¡¯t they all around 20 years old?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± Xu Xiaoqiang tried to recall and nodded. ¡°People of this age are the customers we want to target,¡± Jiang Bei explained. ¡°We¡¯ve only sold more than 20 cups. There are no people on the street now.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no rush. When they get off work at night, there will be more people. This drink will be popular,¡± Jiang Bei said with a light smile. His expression was very confident. ¡°How many people will there be? How many can be sold just by selling to these young people?¡± Xu Xiaoqiang curled his lips. He was still unconvinced. Jiang Bei smiled and sat back in his chair. He did not explain further. Time would help him prove everything, whether it was his business or his decision to change for the better. Moreover, he knew that his bubble tea business had been successful. Although they had only sold 20 to 30 cups from the morning till now, this was done on the first day of opening without any publicity. At night, the number would be even higher. The target of 200 cups seemed to be achievable based on this number. Although Xu Xiaoqiang was not convinced, he felt that what Jiang Bei said made sense. After all, he had just failed to attract customers butJiang Bei had succeeded. Xu Xiaoqiang could not help but glance at Jiang Bei who was resting next to him. He wondered where he learned how to start a business. In the afternoon, business slowed down just like in the morning. However, this time, Xu Xiaoqiang wasn¡¯t as impatient as he was in the morning, nor did he go out to attract customers under the hot sun. As for how many people would be here at night, and how many of them would buy their bubble tea, although Xu Xiaoqiang still had doubts, he had a bit of trust in Jiang Bei. Perhaps, there really would be people? It was worth mentioning that a few more cups of bubble tea had been sold in the afternoon. When Jiang Bei inquired, he found out that these customers had also heard about it from others. It just so happened that they had nothing to do in the afternoon, so they stopped by to try this new drink. This was pretty much what Jiang Bei had expected. Those who left at noon would definitely tell their friends and colleagues about them. Young people couldn¡¯t resist a drink like bubble tea. Besides, news spread the fastest among young people. Even Xu Xiaoqiang, who didn¡¯t quite understand why Jiang Bei was so confident, more or less understood now. So this was what Jiang Bei had in mind. Could he really sell them all? This was 600 yuan worth of raw ingredients. If he really sold them all like they would earn 1,200 yuan? Even after deducting the rent, they could still earn 500 yuan? The money he earned from selling bubble tea in one day was more than his monthly salary! How was this possible? Moreover, even if he could earn 500 yuan a day, how could he pay the 20,000 yuan rent in seven days! And his gambling debts, didn¡¯t he still have to sell his house? Didn¡¯t he still have to get a divorce? ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Jiang Bei looked at Xu Xiaoqiang, who was frowning, and asked. ¡°Nothing.¡± Xu Xiaoqiang was suddenly shocked, and then he instantly hid the worry between his eyebrows. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can make enough money.¡± Jiang Bei smiled and then stood up from the bench. ¡°Pack your things, it¡¯s time.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not worried¡­¡± Xu Xiaoqiang muttered, but he quickly stood up and looked outside. He knew that Jiang Bei was talking about attracting customers who were getting off work as it was already five o¡¯clock. At this time, Jiang Bei had returned to how he was at noon. He walked to the street and actively attracted customers. There were more and more people on the street. The people who didn¡¯t want to go home after work were mostly young people, who came here with colleagues and friends. When they saw the bubble tea shop and saw the words ¡°Popular abroad¡±, ¡°New products¡± and ¡°The first in Donghai City¡±, they couldn¡¯t help but come in to have a look. Although six yuan per cup was a little expensive, if a man wanted to be generous in front of his colleagues or friends, or to satisfy his girlfriend¡¯s curiosity, he basically wouldn¡¯t refuse. As for the reason why women bought it, it was even simpler, they just wanted to try it. As for Xu Xiaoqiang, he gradually understood why Jiang Bei was so confident.. This small business seemed to be exploding in popularity! Chapter 38 - Sincerity Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation The confidence that Jiang Bei had shown was not without reason. When the small shop that was less than 30 square meters was filled with customers, Xu Xiaoqiang was so busy that he was dumbfounded. He could no longer remember how many cups of bubble tea he still needed to make. He just repeated the monotonous steps. He put in milk powder, tea powder, water, shook it evenly and then sealed it. Then, he handed it to the customer with a smile and said, ¡°Please come again.¡± Xu Xiaoqiang felt numb. It was only the first day of selling bubble tea, and he had already formed muscle memory. He already knew how much milk and tea powder to put in without measuring. Time passed quickly, and it was almost eight o¡¯clock in the evening. The number of people on the street gradually increased. This was the time when many families went out for a stroll after dinner, and it was also the time when traffic was the highest. However, there were no customers in the small shop. Because the bubble tea was sold out. There was only one last portion left for Xu Xinrong. Although some people complained, there was nothing they could do. They could only come back tomorrow to buy it. Xu Xiaoqiang sat on the stool and rubbed his sore and numb arm. He still looked a little lost. He couldn¡¯t process what had just happened. From the lack of interest in the morning, to the lucky sale of twenty to thirty cups in the afternoon, and then to the amount of people in the evening. The ingredients that he thought would last for many days were all out in one night, less than one night even! Even Xu Xiaoqiang couldn¡¯t help but think that if he had 100 times more ingredients, he would definitely be able to sell them! ¡°Why didn¡¯t you let me buy more milk and tea powder?¡± Xu Xiaoqiang couldn¡¯t help but look at Jiang Bei, who was smiling at the side, and asked with puzzlement. The doubt in his heart about Jiang Bei was completely gone. This was the last question he had in mind. ¡°Hunger marketing. It¡¯s not a good thing to satisfy all the customers,¡± Jiang Bei answered with a smile. As he spoke, he stood up and asked, ¡°Who¡¯s staying at the hospital tonight?¡± Xu Xiaoqiang didn¡¯t know what hunger marketing was, but he didn¡¯t ask, because he already felt that it made sense. ¡°It¡¯s my sister tonight. Do you still want to go to the hospital?¡± Xu Xiaoqiang answered. ¡°Yes.¡± Jiang Bei nodded heavily. He had to tell Xu Xinrong how business was today. It might not be able to completely change her opinion, but at least it would make him feel more at ease. ¡°Last night¡­¡± Xu Xiaoqiang opened his mouth and swallowed the rest of his words. He didn¡¯t know how to say it. Jiang Bei just nodded and didn¡¯t say anything. He knew that Xu Xinrong had misunderstood him, but that was the old him and not the present. However, he had to bear the past mistakes and make up for them. ¡°Why did you tell my sister about it yesterday?¡± Xu Xiaoqiang finally asked. This was a question that had troubled him all day long. No matter how stupid Jiang Bei was, he shouldn¡¯t have admitted to lying about the rent. Even when he was ready to cover for Jiang Bei, he still said that? Why? ¡°Because¡­ I promised your sister that I would never lie to her again. I just want to tell her that this business can be done and that we can make money. She didn¡¯t believe it yesterday, but she will believe it today,¡± Jiang Bei said. ¡°But this money is not enough.¡± Xu Xiaoqiang shook his head and said, ¡°Today, we only made 600, and 100 of it is rent. If you want to pay off the gambling debt in seven days¡­¡± He didn¡¯t finish the rest of his words, but one could see the worry between his eyes. Seven days were not enough! ¡°Who told you that?¡± Jiang Bi asked with a smile. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± Xu Xiaoqiang frowned. ¡°Today is Wednesday, and tomorrow is Thursday. In these two days, we can save up a few thousand yuan. Xiaoqiang, how much bubble tea do you think we can sell today if we have enough ingredients?¡± ¡°300 cups¡­ shouldn¡¯t be a problem. Maybe even 400 cups,¡± Xu Xiaoqiang answered. When he said it, he himself was shocked. ¡°That¡¯s about it. What about tomorrow? Tomorrow¡¯s business will only be better than today¡¯s because these customers will help us advertise. Tomorrow, we will sell more.¡± ¡°And you have to know that the traffic on Friday night is completely different from Thursday night.¡± Xu Xiaoqiang nodded subconsciously. Even if he wanted to take a stroll in the shopping district, he would only come on Friday night or on the weekend because work was very tiring. Could it really be possible? Xu Xiaoqiang couldn¡¯t help but think. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We should go back,¡± Jiang Bei said. ¡°Um¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±Jiang Bei looked at Xu Xiaoqiang¡¯s hesitant look and asked. ¡°I¡­ I will help you put in some good words when I go back, but you have to think of a way yourself. My sister is stubborn,¡± Xu Xiaoqiang said with some hesitation. ¡°Thank you.¡± Jiang Bei finally revealed a smile. He really wanted to change and teach him about business. Xu Xiaoqiang finally felt his sincerity..