“Pillar?”
“Yes, Pillar. That time Pillar was ruthless with someone, the other party took several knife wounds, bled profusely, and fell unconscious. Pillar thought Qingzi was dead and knelt down to beg Qingzi for help.”
In my hometown, fighting at Pillar’s age was commonplace. But something always felt off to me, though I couldn’t pinpoint what. I looked at Xu Xiaoting and asked her seriously, “I heard Brother Pillar had a girlfriend, and Qingzi took his place in prison. For that, he had to ask the only eyewitness, Ke Yingying.”
Hearing me say that, Xu Xiaoting looked at me in surprise, “You know quite a bit?”
“Business partner, one has to investigate,” I replied vaguely.
“It’s not like that. Qingzi took the blame for Pillar because of me. The other party was someone he threw into the river. Qingzi mentioned it, and Pillar found him. Originally, Qingzi just wanted to teach the other party a lesson, but Pillar went too far. At the time, Qingzi thought the other party was dead, and since the situation was caused because of me, he went to ask the only eyewitness to take the blame.”
“So that’s how it was.”
I understood somewhat. Looking at the little girl who had once again gone wild without restraint, I smiled and said, “Virtue is sometimes cheap. Don’t you think Brother Qingzi is foolish like this?”
“That powerful figure back then also said something similar, but what of it? When a person has nothing left, and can still prove they are a good person, then they are worth entrusting one’s life to. Tang Nan, I know you’re investing in Brother Qingzi’s pie shop not to make money, but to harm him. Tell me, what price must I pay for you to let Qingzi go?”
Xu Xiaoting still insisted on believing I was there to harm Qingzi.
“Why do you say that?”
“Collusion between officials and businessmen has always existed. I don’t know what you’re doing. I heard Brother Qingzi say you planned forty branches at once, covering five cities and fifteen counties. Brother Qingzi makes delicious pies, but not to this extent. Moreover, you’re already so rich, why bother with a small business like a pie shop?”
“Forty branches?”
“Wasn’t it said that this was just the first batch? And you’re going to conquer the Northeast? You didn’t even know about this? Tang Nan, tell me, what do you really want? Forget it, don’t say anything else. I think I understand now. Is it Li Qing who sent you? If I die, can they spare Qingzi and his daughter?”
I genuinely didn’t know Ning Caishen and Brother Qingzi had opened forty branches at once. I had nothing to say about Xu Xiaoting’s suspicion. However, looking at her, I could sense the difference in her love for Brother Qingzi, a choice made after experiencing life and death. If this were many years ago, not only would I not have imagined this outcome, but even fate would not have predicted that the gold-digging class beauty would end up marrying a kind rogue, willing to die for him.
“Since you think so, I have a request?”
Xu Xiaoting still didn’t believe me, and I didn’t care. I admired such love, so I decided to help them. I smiled and said, “I do have a request, you have to promise me?”
“What?”
“Invite the child’s maternal grandparents over for a meal.”
Upon hearing this, Xu Xiaoting’s face changed, “You want to tell my parents the truth?”
“Can’t I?”
“Can they spare their father and daughter?”
“Yes!”
“I promise you.”
In a private room at a nearby bone restaurant, I met Xu Xiaoting’s parents. Hearing that I was a business partner of Qingzi, Xu Xiaoting’s parents’ expressions
seemed a bit off. They looked down on Qingzi immensely.
“Uncle, Aunt, do you think Brother Qingzi, who comes home late every night and has tattoos, doesn’t seem like a good person?”
Xu’s father sighed, “We don’t think that way?”
“He comes home late every night, for over a year, wearing the same suit, and smells of cooking oil when he returns. Haven’t you suspected anything?”
Xu’s mother was stunned, looking at me, then at Xu Xiaoting, who was pursing her lips and remaining silent, “Child, what do you want to say?”
“Brother Qingzi has been to prison.”
“What did you say?”
Xu Xiaoting’s parents were shocked, staring at me with wide eyes. I looked at the child, who was quietly eating, and hadn’t heard.
“Xu Xiaoting, take the child out to play for a while. I’ll talk to Aunt and Uncle~”
Xu Xiaoting sighed, but compared to life, the truth was no longer important. I watched Xu Xiaoting and her daughter leave, then straightened my attitude and began to chat with Xu Xiaoting’s parents.
I pondered and said seriously, “I remember in class, one time my ballpoint pen broke, and my fountain pen was out of ink. The teacher was urgently asking for exams. You lent me a tube of fountain pen ink.”
Xu Xiaoting tried hard to recall, “I don’t remember that?”
“It was too small a thing, you wouldn’t remember.”
“And for this, you’re going to give me forty pie shops and speak well of Qingzi in front of my parents?”
“Xu Xiaoting, you need to know one thing, I have money now. Forty pie shops are about the same to me as that tube of ink was back then. So, I’m actually here to help you, not to deal with you because of Li Qing. Actually, I still say, don’t take it to heart. When the economy reaches a certain level, virtue becomes cheap. If I were penniless, don’t expect me to save you like Qingzi did. Goodbye. This bone restaurant is like an emotional station, I haven’t eaten enough, I’m going to your pie shop to eat pies.”
After speaking, I left the restaurant, leaving behind a bewildered Xu Xiaoting. She was probably still wondering when she had lent me a tube of ink.
After I went out, Old Tie followed me, his first sentence was, “Liar!”
“What do you mean?”
“I never lacked pens,” Old Tie said loudly.
“What does that have to do with me?”
“How dare you say that? Do you not have something that I have?”
I couldn’t help but laugh, “I dislike people like you, like a worm in my stomach, Old Tie the worm. So tell me, what should we do next?”
“Ke Yingying from Shenxian Guest is lying.”
“Amazing, you really are the worm in my stomach.”
From the information Xu Xiaoting provided, Pillar found the person who harmed Xu Xiaoting, and the two went to vent their anger. They must have chosen a secluded place to act. The sole eyewitness is a bit far-fetched, and this person is Mr. Ke from the schemers. This is completely abnormal. Also, I’ve interacted with Pillar, and he is a very calm person. He didn’t betray Qingzi even when faced with my investment.
At that time, Qingzi didn’t hit hard when beating people, but Pillar almost killed the person. This doesn’t fit Pillar’s personality. Therefore, what Qingzi experienced back then might not have been an accident, but a trap set by Mr. Ke.
“Deal with Pillar first, or go find Mr. Ke at the Shenxian Guest restaurant?” Old Tie asked me.
“Go to the pie shop first.”
…
When I went to the pie shop, there were two people eating inside, drinking beer. I didn’t stand on ceremony, found a seat, and called out, “Six pies, cold ones. No beer today, a bit of white liquor.”
“I just ate at the bone restaurant, order less.”
“No need, I can eat more.”
“Didn’t you eat at the bone restaurant just now?”
“I ate, but I can still eat. And in Hong Kong, I seem to have developed a habit; eating more helps me clear my head.”
Pillar came out with a smile, holding a bottle of good wine, “For you? Only four pies then.”
“I’m a shareholder.”
“The person who made the pancakes isn’t here, so even shareholders can’t do anything. Qingzi took a call and went home.”
So Qingzi had left. I poured Old Tie a glass of wine. While Pillar went to get the pies, I said to Old Tie, “Let’s pull some strings, I’ll confront Pillar, and we’ll arrest him.”