My second uncle is the kind of person who takes things seriously, but now, being dragged around in public by a woman, his face shows nothing but despair.
As soon as Huang Jiu saw there was a spectacle, it urged me to move the cat bag to the front, and we both squatted in front of the store, watching my second uncle and the woman argue.
Despite having a nephew my age, my second uncle is only in his early thirties since my father married young. Over the years, both my father and mother had tried to arrange marriages for him, but he rejected them all. I know my second uncle has high standards and looks down on the village girls, but his attitude could get him by, though it won't make him wealthy. City girls, on the other hand, have higher expectations, so he has remained single.
There's another reason, which I can tell but won't say.
Their tugging soon drew a crowd. My second uncle's face turned red, and he stammered as he spoke, which I found somewhat amusing.
To help him out, I decided to take a look at the woman's fortune. Her Tian Zhai palace was open and clear, with no scars or blemishes, indicating she had a good start in life with a prosperous family. Her face was rosy, with peach blossoms at the forefront, suggesting a romantic connection in the near future. However, she had a red pimple above her upper lip, indicating love troubles and a bit of frustration.
In the adult world, it's not unusual to have feelings for each other, but when a woman gets angry, her temper comes up too. With my second uncle's personality, if she doesn't moderate herself, it could backfire.
I chuckled to myself while sipping on soda.
My second uncle, growing frustrated, pushed the woman away and said, "Stop being unreasonable. My nephew is here; don't let the kids laugh at us."
The woman finally noticed me and looked over. I quickly waved my hand and said, "I'm fine, you two continue."
The woman, still angry, grabbed my second uncle again. They struggled some more, and my second uncle, now truly angry, shouted, "Stop it!"
His shout startled the woman, and he used the opportunity to break free. He grabbed five stacks of cash and threw them on the ground, fuming, "Here's a year's worth of rent for you!" He then opened the shop door, black-faced, and walked in.
The woman stood there, looking at the scattered bills, and squatted down, holding her knees, crying softly.
I couldn't bear to watch any longer. I put down what I was holding and walked over to pick up the money, comforting her, "Aunt, don't cry. My second uncle isn't a bad person. I can tell he's interested in you, but your approach isn't working."
I placed the money in her hands and whispered a few words into her ear.
Her eyes suddenly brightened as if something clicked in her head. She asked for my name and happily took the money with her when she left.
Phew!
I sighed in relief, turned around, and entered the store. My second uncle was still angry, his face flushed red.
"Second uncle, we might need to find another place," I said casually, putting down my things.
He looked confused, "What do you mean?"
I sighed, "You've offended the landlady. Do you think she'll still rent to us? I saw her grit her teeth when she left. She'll probably come to kick us out first thing in the morning."
My second uncle panicked but was still annoyed, "Su Yimei is too unreasonable!"
I tried, "I think she's genuinely interested in you. Can't you be a little nicer to her? And look, she's got one, and you've got one. One and one, it's perfect for a family."
"Go away, stay out of adult matters. You'll stay in the store tonight. Tomorrow, I'll find you a place," my second uncle said absentmindedly, standing up to leave.
Once the store door closed, Huang Jiu climbed out of the cat bag, looking as if it hadn't had enough and curiously asked, "Li Ge, do you think those two will work out?"
I rolled my eyes, "Why do you care? Mind your own business."
I ignored Huang Jiu and began tidying up the bedding, preparing to rest early.
Inside, I secretly felt pleased. Whether they work out or not, at least I'll have a good time.
Huang Jiu wandered around the store for a while, and when it noticed it was getting dark outside, it couldn't resist and opened the window, slipping out.
Once it left, I immediately scrambled up, took out my scroll, and continued memorizing.
The next morning, before my second uncle arrived, Su Yimei was already there, carrying a bunch of bags. She knocked on the door.
When I opened it, she cheerfully walked in, "Yang Yang, look, Auntie brought you some snacks." She put the bags down, looked around, and asked, "Has your second uncle come yet?"
"Mm," I said while flipping through a pile of snacks.
Su Yimei looked a little disappointed, but quickly brightened up and began tidying up the store.
When she saw Huang Jiu lying sprawled out on the counter, she curiously poked it and asked, "Is this your second uncle's pet?"
Huang Jiu woke up, startled, and was about to curse, but I quickly covered its mouth and told Su Yimei, "Aunt, it's my pet, brought from the mountains."
Su Yimei, hearing this, tore open a bag of chips and gave them to Huang Jiu, who ate them with delight, no longer speaking.
As the saying goes, love the house and the crow. With my guidance, Su Yimei seemed to have figured things out.
While we cleaned, we chatted casually. I was shocked to learn that half of the storefronts on this street belonged to Su Yimei's family—she was a small fortune lady.
However, through our conversation, I also discovered why my second uncle rejected her. It turned out her parents disapproved of him because they considered him a poor country boy with no prospects.
Su Yimei didn't mind and wasn't afraid of her family's objections, but my second uncle's pride made him unable to accept such cold treatment.
But this issue wasn't a problem anymore. Yesterday morning, we earned twenty thousand, and now with connections from Wang Shukun, there would certainly be more big business opportunities.
As long as my second uncle had money, the problem would be solved.
My only worry was that we owed too many favors. If Wang Shukun's family's problems surfaced, my second uncle might get caught in it, unable to refuse.
I felt uneasy about this. I needed to find an opportunity to remind my second uncle.
The deeper issues were inevitable, no matter when they came.
The same went for the female corpse. She had said she'd come to find me, and she would. It was just a matter of when.
Whether it was the first or fifteenth, I wouldn't be able to avoid it.
But judging by the situation I saw that day, the matter with Wang Shukun's family probably wouldn't explode for at least two months.
During this time, I had to make sure to strengthen my inner energy.