Years ago, Zhao Yuan"s father Zhao Ming had achieved great success in his business and moved into Yangzi County from the countryside. At that time, Yangzi County had plans to build new districts. He grabbed the chance and became a real estate developer. Not long after that, he became the richest man in the county.
As his business grew, he became increasingly aggressive and bold. He signed a contract to build the first 30-storey building of Yangzi County, which was going to be the highest building in the county. As at that time, most high buildings in the county had only a dozen floors, this project was considered to be unimaginable. At the age of 12, Zhao Yuan often went to the construction site together with his mother to listen to his father"s plans. At that time, Zhao Yuan still had a mother.
Unfortunately, due to some unexpected factors, the construction of the building was suspended. Zhao Ming"s face became increasingly somber, and Zhao Yuan and his mother gradually became short of money. One day, some creditors broke into their house and dragged his mother into a room. After that, Zhao Yuan could only hear his mother screaming and his father roaring and exchanging blows with the creditors. That day cast a shadow over him forever.
Zhao Yuan"s mother went crazy. About two years later, she ran out of the house on a snowy night and never came back. Zhao Ming followed her footprints and ran out of the house too. He kept looking for her for days but still failed to find her. He called the police and put up a notice. Much to his disappointment, he still failed to get any information about her. One day, someone told him that a crazy woman fell into a well. He managed to pump the well dry but still did not find her. Someone told him another day that a crazy woman fell into the Yangzi River recently. He hired many people to drag the river for her body for days but failed to find her again. He stayed beside the river until being battered unconscious and sent back home by some of his creditors.
At the age of 13, Zhao Yuan experienced great changes in his life.
He saw his home being evacuated and sealed and his father being taken away by the police. After that, he went to the countryside to live with his uncle for a year. When he reunited with his father, his father"s suspended project began construction again, but it did not belong to his father anymore.
He and his father had to move around to avoid the creditors and work hard to pay the debts. Zhao Yuan learned martial arts out of need instead of interest, as he had to protect himself against the creditors" thugs. Before he graduated from the South City Middle School, he became an apprentice of a kung fu master. In the following five years, he kept practicing martial arts every day. As his master lived next door to him and his father, his father often went hunting in the mountains together with his master. Occasionally, his father would come back to the county to take care of the debts.
As Zhao Yuan often hung out with his martial brothers, he gradually cultivated an unrestrained personality. He often traveled around to make friends through the practice of martial arts. He also had good people skills and never offended anyone. Despite that, in other people"s eyes, he was nothing but a hooligan.
Sometimes, he would mock himself and compare himself to a swordsman who was forced to enter jianghu.
Fortunately, there were quite a lot of relatives and friends offering help to him and his father. Gradually, he grew up, and his father paid off the debts. Zhao Yuan felt lucky to survive these years. Two years ago, his father had bought a house here and opened this small shop.
When he hung the lantern up at the gate of the new house, he said, "We have to keep it glow for 24 hours every day until we die. Upon seeing this lantern, your mother will find the way home." Zhao Yuan had never expected his father, who was a man of few words, to say something so romantic.
Upon hearing Lin Wenxi ask him about his mother, Zhao Yuan was lost in thought for a moment and then replied with a smile, "She divorced my father and lives in another city now." While saying this, he prayed in his heart that his mother did live in another city now and live well.
"I"m sorry," Lin Wenxi said and looked somewhat sad.
"It"s nothing. I"m alright now." Zhao Yuan smiled and picked up a reed broom nearby to clean the surface of the lantern. He thought in surprise, "It"s really dusty. It looks like that my father has been away for quite a long time."
His father Zhao Ming had told him that he would not go home for the spring festival this year because of some business. Zhao Yuan had been surprised upon hearing that his father had left home to do business again, as in recent two years, his father just sold some firecrackers during the spring festival and some mountain delicacies during the other months in his own shop.
Lin Wenxi smiled embarra.s.sedly at Zhao Yuan, and Zhao Yuan pinched his face. Lin Wenxi felt annoyed and turned his face away.
Zhao Yuan could not help but laugh out. "I just think that you look pretty when you smile. Pretty things are rare. Is it why you seldom smile?"
Lin Wenxi blinked his eyes and smiled sweetly. Upon seeing that, Zhao Yuan felt contented. He went to the house to take firecrackers to the shelves while thinking, "There were lots of customers today. I have to keep the shelves stocked with firecrackers for tomorrow." Lin Wenxi wanted to help him but had no idea what he should do. Upon seeing that, Zhao Yuan asked him to go to the bedroom to have a rest.
This was the first time Lin Wenxi had carefully observed Zhao Yuan"s bedroom. Everything was simple in this room. There was no mattress on his bed. Beside the bed, stood a case which served as the night stand. There were only a lamp and an alarm clock on the case. His curtain was a piece of black cloth with a few orange firework patterns on it. His windowsill was randomly laid with straw. His wardrobe was black and red, and there were only several items of clothing inside the wardrobe. Most of them were black or red. All the clothes he had for the winter were a red cloak, a black wool coat and a pair of dark gray jeans. Under the orange light of the desk, Lin Wenxi could not see the color of the desk clearly. He could only see several old books on the desk, such as Thick Black Theory, Principles of Economics and other economics books. It was hard to believe that a hooligan like Zhao Yuan would be interested in such books. Beside the desk, stood an iron frame with a punching sandbag. Apart from the sandbag, there were two dumbbells and a gripper. Hong Xuan had taught Lin Wenxi how to use them before.
"Have you finished checking my room?" Zhao Yuan said smilingly and walked in with a dish in hand. There were two sizzling fried fish on the dish. Lin Wenxi was excited upon seeing the fish and immediately began to eat. To his surprise, he found out that this fish did not have many bones and all its bones were soft.
He quickly devoured his fish and looked at the other fish with a smile.
"It"s all yours," said Zhao Yuan.
"No. I"m almost full. I want only the head and the tail," Lin Wenxi smacked his lips and said. Zhao Yuan immediately gave him the head and the tail and then quickly gulped down the remaining part of the fish.
After the meal, Zhao Yuan went to the kitchen to wash the dish. After quite a long time, he still did not come back. As such, Lin Wenxi went to the kitchen to see what was going on. To his surprise, he found out that Zhao Yuan was not good at cleaning up at all although he was well-versed in cooking. Lin Wenxi cleaned the kitchen for Zhao Yuan and then went to wash his hands in the sink.
Zhao Yuan grabbed his hands and looked at them. Lin Wenxi"s hands were slender and white. Zhao Yuan liked them very much.
When Lin Wenxi waited for his compliment, he grinned and said, "I hope that you can clean the whole house for me, including the front yard, the back yard, the living room and the bedroom!"
Lin Wenxi glared at him. Suddenly, he took Lin Wenxi into his arms.