TIPS – Chapter 22

Song Jingwei had no idea what was going through the young man’s mind.

Even if he did, he probably wouldn’t bother explaining.

After Shen Junxi finished preparing hot water for him, Song Jingwei looked serious as he said,

“Thank you.”

Shen Junxi stared at him for a moment, then turned away and left.

At the same time, he thought to himself, “I don’t want your thanks—I want you.”

That night, nothing unusual happened.

Each of them drifted off to sleep, their minds filled with endless thoughts—but their dreams were completely different.

The Next Morning at Chen Xianggui’s home, his male wife had already gotten up early to prepare breakfast.

They wanted to make sure his younger brother had enough to eat before heading to work—after all, if they could secure a contract as long-term laborers, it would be a great financial boost for the family.

They had already reached an agreement with the Shen family’s eldest branch and received a satisfactory response.

Still, when Chen Fugui went to meet them, he couldn’t help but feel nervous.

Luckily, Song Jingwei only asked him a few questions before signing the contract.

“Chen Fugui, right? You can start work today, is that okay?”

After receiving the signed contract, Song Jingwei asked.

“Yes, I can start today!”

Chen Fugui nodded quickly, clutching the shovel his older brother had reminded him to bring before leaving home.

He couldn’t help but admire his brother’s foresight—it turned out to be useful right away.

“Alright, come with me to the site.”

Song Jingwei gathered his things and headed out with Chen Fugui.

At the entrance, a small black dog barked excitedly.

When it saw Song Jingwei come out, it eagerly circled his feet.

Even though Shen Dongming was the one who usually fed it, the dog was still incredibly affectionate toward Song Jingwei, wagging its tail impatiently as if it wanted to follow him.

“Stay. Guard the house.”

Song Jingwei pressed the dog’s head down, gently pushing it off his leg.

“Haha, Hei Zi is loyal—it’s a good dog.”

Shen Dongming laughed as he watched the scene.

“Are you heading to the fields?” Song Jingwei straightened up and asked.

“Yeah, I’m going with Xi’er.”

Shen Dongming replied, as he and his son were heading to the tea fields for another day’s work.

“Alright, we’re heading to the construction site too,” Song Jingwei said. His gaze swept past Shen Dongming, landing briefly on the young man behind him—still calm and peaceful, his slightly downcast eyes warm like water.

After a fleeting glance, the two groups of four went their separate ways.

By the time the thirty-tael long-term labor contract had spread like wildfire in Chashan Village, the foundation of Song Jingwei’s house had already been dug. Stone and wood materials were mostly in place, and smaller supplies were being gradually acquired. First, lay the foundation—then plan for the rest.

Lately, the Shen family found it troublesome to leave the house.

Whenever they ran into villagers chatting casually, the topic inevitably turned to the thirty-tael contract.

And every time Shen Dongming or Yang Shi confirmed that the contract was real, people would eagerly start recommending their relatives:

“We have someone in our family who meets the requirements—strong and hardworking! You won’t regret hiring them!”

The Shen couple thought to themselves: Of course, they wouldn’t regret it—that’s thirty taels, after all!

But they simply waved their hands and replied, “It’s not up to us. Our daughter-in-law said they’re not hiring anyone else for now.”

After being rejected multiple times, the villagers finally understood—Song Jingwei wasn’t looking for more workers.

But then someone questioned, “Didn’t Chen Fugui get hired?”

To which others explained, “Chen Fugui? He’s Chen Xianggui’s younger brother, right? And everyone knows Chen Xianggui and Shen Dongming are close.”

Hearing that, some people gritted their teeth and muttered bitterly, “So they can pull strings, they just don’t want to help us.”

No one was more desperate than Sun Laizi and his nephew, Sun Zheng.

Watching Song Jingwei’s house foundation slowly take shape, yet still not being hired, they became restless.

“What about Wu Fu and Wu Xi?” Sun Zheng asked, scratching his head impatiently.

He was naturally hot-tempered, but Sun Laizi wouldn’t let him cause trouble.

“Nothing from them either. I think he’s stalling us on purpose,” Sun Laizi guessed.

“Tch, I’ll go to the Wu family again and remind them,” Sun Zheng said irritably.

Whenever he got annoyed, his fists itched for a fight. The Wu brothers were honest and easy targets—just the right people to vent his frustrations on.

“Be careful. Don’t go too far,” Sun Laizi warned, knowing his nephew was all brawn and no brains.

“Don’t worry, Uncle. They wouldn’t dare resist,” Sun Zheng said confidently before heading out.

Wu Fu and his wife had gone to the fields, leaving Wu Xi chopping firewood in the yard.

Their home was at the edge of the village, much like the Shen family’s elder branch. The brothers had separated households, with Wu Fu living in a slightly newer home outside, while his unmarried younger brother, Wu Xi, remained in their parents’ old house.

Suddenly, Sun Zheng barged in, startling Wu Xi.

Seeing Sun Zheng’s aggressive demeanor, Wu Xi instinctively tightened his grip on the hatchet, his eyes wary.

“Sun Zheng, what are you doing here?” he demanded.

“What am I doing? I’m here to collect your debt, of course!” Sun Zheng rolled up his sleeves.

“Debt? Didn’t we already pay at the beginning of the month?” Wu Xi said.

Last year, their parents had both passed away, and at the time, Wu Fu had just married and was expecting a child. They hadn’t had enough money, so they had borrowed from Sun Zheng and Sun Laizi—with interest.

That was why the Wu brothers had been forced to listen to Sun Laizi and stay away from Song Jingwei.

“Oh, you paid for this month. But I’m here for next month’s payment—how about paying in advance? Dare to refuse?” Sun Zheng sneered, stepping forward menacingly.

“I—I don’t have any money right now.” Wu Xi’s fear was evident, but he refused to let go of the hatchet.

Sun Zheng had beaten him before, and Wu Xi had never dared fight back.

“Hah, no money? Then I’ll just beat it out of you!” Sun Zheng lunged, trying to snatch the hatchet.

As he pinned Wu Xi down, he suddenly realized—Wu Xi, with his slender, delicate features, looked even better than his own male wife.

A vile grin spread across Sun Zheng’s face.

He groped Wu Xi’s backside and laughed, “If you don’t want a beating, then how about you service me instead?”

Wu Xi’s eyes widened in horror.

“Get off me!”

“You dare resist?” Sun Zheng lunged again.

“If you touch me, I’ll kill you!” Wu Xi, terrified but desperate, wildly swung his hatchet.

Rumors spread like wildfire—

“Wu Xi lost his mind and killed someone at the village outskirts!”