AGN -Chapter 248 The Lie Beast (Part 5)

A little after one in the afternoon, when Chen Huihong brought Huihui and Qin Luo to Huang Ji for lunch, Qin Luo already looked like someone who had been tossed into the vast ocean of mathematics and nearly drowned.

One glance at her expression, and Qin Huai knew that the morning tutoring session had been a tremendous success.

She had truly absorbed it.

“Luoluo, eat more meat.” Qin Huai placed a piece of Dongpo pork knuckle into Qin Luo’s bowl, wearing the warm smile of a caring older brother. “You’ll learn even better this afternoon if you’re full.”

The touched expression on Qin Luo’s face vanished instantly.

“There’s more this afternoon?!”

“At four, physics. At seven tonight, chemistry. Both are only one hour each, so they’re short sessions.” Qin Huai felt this was already quite merciful. He wasn’t a monster, after all—there was no way he’d actually make his sister study six hours a day.

She still needed some time for homework and a little slacking off.

Suddenly, the pork knuckle in Qin Luo’s bowl didn’t seem nearly as delicious.

She looked down at it. Qin Huai had given her a piece of the skin, with only a little meat attached. The skin was a rich soy-brown color, coated in a thick, glossy sauce. Looking closely, it was slightly translucent, the kind of texture that promised perfect chewiness while melting in the mouth.

This was the very essence of the pork knuckle—the best part.

Paired with rice in one big bite…

Slurp.

Qin Luo immediately wrapped it up with a mouthful of rice and decided that, yes, her brother really did love her.

Sure, he had packed her schedule full of tutoring, but he had also given her favorite part of the pork knuckle.

“Brother, this pork knuckle is so good. Can we have it again tomorrow?” Qin Luo asked hopefully.

Qin Huai turned to look at Huang Jia, since he was the one who had made the pork knuckle.

Seeing that Qin Luo had chosen his Dongpo pork knuckle over Huang Shengli’s braised shredded dried tofu, Huang Jia was deeply moved. He nodded at once, declaring that Qin Huai’s little sister was his little sister too. If his little sister wanted pork knuckle, then pork knuckle she would have.

And not just any portion—a big one.

“Yes, we’ll have it,” Qin Huai said.

Qin Luo instantly felt that vacation life was wonderful again.

A little after eight that evening, Qin Huai returned home carrying packed dishes.

As soon as Chen Huihong saw him, she gathered up Huihui—who had already finished her homework long ago and was happily watching cartoons—and prepared to leave. Before going, she didn’t forget to grab a couple of fruits and split half the packed food.

“Mom, are we coming again tomorrow to keep Sister Luoluo company while she does homework?” Huihui asked while chewing on a cheese stick.

“We are. From now on, we’ll come every day. Do you like accompanying Sister Luoluo while she studies?” Chen Huihong asked gently.

“I do, but Sister Luoluo has so much homework! I finished mine ages ago, and she was still working.”

Then the door closed.

Sitting at the dining table, miserably working through the chemistry worksheet her teacher had assigned, Qin Luo kept a straight face. But inside, her inner self was crying while nodding frantically.

Brother, even Huihui can tell I have too much homework. Couldn’t you cut out a couple of tutoring sessions?

Qin Huai, however, firmly believed that cutting back was out of the question. When he was in high school, he had even more tutoring during vacations. Back then, every day was basically: open eyes, attend lessons.

In a way, his high school vacations had also been when he most loved experimenting with pastries. Qin Luo never even had to ask for anything specific—after every tutoring session, Qin Huai would come home and ask whether she had seen anything on TV that looked tasty.

Once people start working or studying, anything they do when they’re not working or studying suddenly becomes fascinating.

“The teachers assigned homework?” Qin Huai glanced at her worksheet.

Excellent. After being out of school for so many years, he couldn’t understand a single thing on it.

“They assigned so much! All three teachers did. I only got to play on my phone for one hour this afternoon, and I won’t have much time tonight either.” Qin Luo looked close to tears.

“You can play more tomorrow. Tomorrow there are only two teachers, and both classes are just one hour.”

Qin Luo: QAQ

“Take your time. I’m going to my room to study some recipes. If you need anything, just message me. And don’t come in.”

With that, Qin Huai went into his room.

Qin Luo looked at her unfinished worksheet, then remembered that tomorrow only had two tutoring sessions. That didn’t sound too bad. She decided she could afford to play on her phone for a while first.

She dug out the snacks she hadn’t finished yesterday from the snack cabinet and entered full relaxation mode.

Of course, Qin Huai hadn’t gone into his room to study recipes.

He had gone in to check the recipe book.

Or rather, to access a memory.

He had resisted looking at Gong Liang’s memory all day, but enough was enough. He had even taken the day off from the tasting group, announcing that he wouldn’t be making pastries tonight and would resume tomorrow evening.

The uncles and aunties in the tasting group all expressed their understanding. Master Qin worked all day and then spent his evenings making pastries—of course he was exhausted. Missing out for a day or two was no big deal.

They were all still healthy enough to queue. If they couldn’t get special treats, they could always bring little stools and line up outside Huang Ji in the morning.

Qin Huai already had a good idea of what Gong Liang’s memory would be about. If nothing unexpected happened, it would definitely be the birthday banquet.

He sent a message in the “Loving Family” group, saying he was about to view Gong Liang’s memory and would update everyone in a few minutes.

Chen Huihong replied instantly: “1. Front-row seat, waiting.”

Clearly, she had been spending quite a bit of time online lately.

Without hesitation, Qin Huai selected [A Segment of Gong Liang’s Memory].

[Loading memory…]

The first thing he saw was Gong Liang’s home.

Just like the last time, the living room was small and shabby. A coal stove sat in the corner, where Gong Liang’s mother was crouching, cooking porridge. On the little wooden table was a plate of rather unappetizing-looking pickled cucumbers.

Gong Liang was in his parents’ room, lifting his father onto his back and carrying him out to a rocking chair in the living room.

The rocking chair was obviously brand new—the newest piece of furniture in the house.

Gong Liang’s father tried hard to hook his arm around his son’s shoulder to lighten the load, but failed. All he could do was sigh deeply.

“Dad, you’re sighing again,” Gong Liang said.

“My fault, my fault. I shouldn’t sigh.” His father apologized repeatedly. He looked much brighter than before, far better than the half-dead, bedridden state Qin Huai had seen in the last memory.

“But Xiao Liang, are those doctors in Jinling really reliable? I’ve never heard of anyone in our factory recovering from a stroke and walking again. What if we spend all that money and it doesn’t work?”

“You finally landed that huge order at the trade fair. The factory specially awarded you an 800-yuan bonus, and the sales department added another 400. After paying off debts, what’s left should really be saved for your wedding.”

He continued, slipping into full lecture mode.

“Our family hasn’t bought anything new in years. You’ve already become a full-time employee, yet you don’t even own a wristwatch. You’re always traveling around negotiating deals. Without a watch, those procurement department leaders will look down on you.”

“And now that you’ve finally won Xiao Guo back, and her parents have agreed to the marriage for next year, the house needs some new furniture too. A bicycle and a radio are necessities. Even if you don’t want a watch, you should at least buy one for Xiao Guo. Then there’s the bride price. Everything costs money.”

Gong Liang replied helplessly, “Dad, I managed to secure an order at the trade fair just fine without a watch.”

“Just focus on getting better and stop worrying about everything. Didn’t the doctor say so? If your mind is restless, recovery will be slower. But if the treatment works, you’ll be able to walk again. Being able to walk again would mean more than anything.”

“When Mom and I brought gifts to Mingzhu’s house, she patted her chest and promised her parents that your illness could definitely be cured, and that you’d absolutely be able to walk again. You wouldn’t want Mom to go back on her word, would you? What if people said our family tricked them into this marriage?”

Gong Liang had fully entered his master persuader mode.

His father was thoroughly alarmed. “No, no, that absolutely can’t happen!”

“What was it that doctor said last time? Exercise—practice more. I’ll definitely cooperate with the treatment, won’t overthink things, and I’ll be back on my feet before you and Xiao Guo get married.”

Gong Liang’s mother was still cooking porridge. Hearing this, she could only smile and shake her head helplessly.

At that moment, the auntie from next door came out carrying a basin of laundry. With a smile, she said, “Brother Gong, these days, who in the silk weaving factory doesn’t envy you for having such a wonderful son? Xiao Liang landed so many orders all by himself. The whole factory has benefited. The wages, bonuses, and subsidies that had been overdue were all finally paid out, and there was even extra bonus money.”

“When the money was distributed, my Old Xia nearly went crazy. He came home and kept telling me he’d never seen that much money in his life.”

“A couple of days ago, I even heard people saying that the factory director had been asking everywhere for doctors who could treat strokes. Lots of people thought someone in his own family had suffered one.”

“Your good fortune is only just beginning.”

Gong Liang’s father grinned from ear to ear.

The auntie then turned to Gong Liang. “Xiao Liang, don’t worry about home—just focus on work. If the sun comes out later, I’ll have my two boys carry your father downstairs so he can get some sunshine.”

“Thank you, Aunt Xia.”

“Oh, what’s there to thank me for? Our silk weaving factory is counting on you now. I’ve heard all about it. In a while, you’ll be heading to Jinling to negotiate more orders. Make sure you do well—my Old Xia’s bonus is depending on your sales department!”

Gong Liang smiled, picked up his bag, and headed off to work. Before he left, his mother slipped a boiled egg into his hand. He strolled along slowly, eating as he walked.

The closer he got to the factory, the more people he encountered who knew him.

Everyone greeted him along the way. Some called him Xiao Gong, some Xiao Liang, others “Salesman Gong” or “Clerk Gong.” One person even stopped his bicycle to offer him a ride, though Gong Liang politely declined.

Clearly, Gong Liang hadn’t been exaggerating. He really had secured an enormous order at the trade fair, rescuing the silk weaving factory from the brink of collapse.

He was no longer the ordinary young employee who had only recently become a full-time member of the sales department.

Now, he was the factory’s star salesman.

As the saying goes, good fortune lifts the spirit. Gong Liang had fallen into the depths and climbed his way back out. Naturally, he was brimming with confidence, walking with his back straight and his head held high.

He ate breakfast in the factory cafeteria. Although the factory was doing much better financially now, the cafeteria remained as stingy as ever. Breakfast consisted of coarse grain steamed buns made with too much black flour and a thin, watery rice porridge.

Thanks to the advantage of being well-known, Gong Liang managed to get a hidden premium version from the server—a bun made from cornmeal mixed with white flour.

Its appearance was even worse than the pickled cucumbers back at home. Perhaps there was too much cornmeal, because the surface was full of bumps and pits.

After breakfast, he headed to the sales department.

Department Head Chen was sitting leisurely, drinking tea and reading the newspaper, looking perfectly content with life.

The moment he saw Gong Liang, he sprang up like he’d spotted treasure. He stuffed another boiled egg into Gong Liang’s hand and said, “Xiao Gong, you don’t need to travel around so much these days. Rest well and gather your strength. Prepare yourself for the negotiations in Jinling this August.”

“I understand, Director. At the trade fair, I made sure to get the contact information for sales staff from several major factories in Jinling, Shanghai, Beijing, and Shenzhen. I’ve been corresponding with them regularly.”

“I’ll need the factory to approve some expenses, though. I’m planning to make an in-person visit to Jinling soon.”

“Good, good, excellent!” Director Chen nodded repeatedly. “Approved. Absolutely approved. If anyone dares refuse your expense request, I’ll chop him in half.”

And so Gong Liang got to work.

The work itself was much the same as what Qin Huai had seen before: reading newspapers, gathering information, and writing letters.

What had changed was how everyone treated him.

No one casually interrupted him anymore. Whenever colleagues passed by his desk, they instinctively lowered their voices and moved more quietly, afraid of disturbing him.

At lunchtime, his coworkers in the sales department all crowded around him in the cafeteria, hoping to bask in his “face card” privileges so the servers would give them larger portions of the better dishes.

After work, Gong Liang followed his usual routine and headed to the cafeteria for dinner. But the moment he stepped out of the office, he ran into Guo Mingzhu, who was waiting for him in the hallway.

When Qin Huai saw her, he was stunned.

Guo Mingzhu had been an absolutely stunning beauty in her youth. She had an oval face, large eyes, a tall and slender figure, and skin so fair it practically glowed.

On top of that, she was a dancer in an arts troupe. With her hair tied back, even in plain long sleeves and trousers, she stood out effortlessly in any crowd.

She was the kind of person you noticed at first glance.

At that moment, Qin Huai felt a little jealous of Gong Liang.

Buddy, aren’t you supposed to be undergoing a tribulation? Why does this feel like you’re the protagonist of a wish-fulfillment novel?

“Our cafeteria had braised pork today, so I brought you some,” Guo Mingzhu said with a smile. When she smiled, two dimples appeared on her cheeks.

The two of them walked toward the cafeteria together.

“How is Uncle recovering?” she asked.

“Pretty well,” Gong Liang replied with a smile. “His hands are stronger now. It’s just that he still can’t move anything below the waist. The doctor said it’ll take time. But my dad keeps worrying about how expensive treatment in Jinling is, and every few days he starts grumbling about it again.”

“So this morning, I scared him a little. I told him that when Mom and I visited your house last time, we promised your parents he’d definitely be walking before our wedding. That should keep him from complaining for at least a few months.”

Guo Mingzhu covered her mouth and laughed. “Why would you scare Uncle like that?”

“My mom can’t stay home with him all day. When he’s by himself, he overthinks things. Scaring him gives him something else to focus on.”

“By the way, tomorrow is my birthday, and Master Jing—”

“I know, I know! As if I’d forget your birthday. I already bought movie tickets. After work tomorrow, I’m taking you to the movies!” Guo Mingzhu assumed he was reminding her not to forget their date.

Gong Liang paused. “Actually, we might not be able to make it to the movie. Master Jing invited us to the state-run restaurant tomorrow.”

Guo Mingzhu’s eyes lit up. “Really? There’s such a wonderful thing?”

“At a state-run restaurant—do we need grain coupons? I don’t have many left. I’ll ask my parents for some when I get home tonight.”

“What are we having tomorrow? Braised pork? Soy-braised pork knuckle? If I’d known, I wouldn’t have bought that portion of braised pork today. I could’ve saved the grain coupons for tomorrow.”

Gong Liang burst out laughing at her train of thought.

“Master Jing is providing the ingredients himself and cooking personally, so no grain coupons are needed. He said tomorrow is the first birthday after I turned my luck around, so it deserves a proper celebration.”

“Yes, it absolutely does.” Guo Mingzhu nodded firmly.

The two exchanged a glance and smiled at each other.

Standing to the side, Qin Huai could only stare in silence.

What kind of wish-fulfillment protagonist’s life was this?

A thriving career, a smooth romance, a beautiful future wife—and tomorrow, a lavish feast besides.

He was so envious his teeth nearly cracked from grinding them.