Chapter 122: Tao Gaolong Is in Trouble Again

It was strange how quickly the three girls became friends. Xiao was very sociable and managed to charm Luo Yinxian, who was absolutely delighted by her company.

"Sister Yinxian, does Le'er like you?" Lili asked, clutching Luo Yinxian’s elbow and looking up at her gently. "You are so beautiful and kind, and you act so well."

"How could he like me?" Luo Yinxian said with a touch of melancholy, unable to hide a hint of jealousy. "He only likes his Sister Ying. She is his heart and soul."

"I don't think so, Sister Yinxian," Xiao Li, who was a bit taller than Luo, said, draping an arm around her shoulder. "He lets you manage his finances—that shows he trusts you deeply. If he didn't like you, would he let you handle his money and accounts?"

"It wasn't that he asked me to," Luo Yinxian said, though she felt very happy deep down. Such an important task was clearly a sign of Le'er's trust; otherwise, why would Li Ying let her handle it? Still, she couldn't admit as much out loud. "It was Sister Ying who asked me to do it."

Chattering and laughing, they soon arrived at Le'er's house.

"You two play by yourselves. I’m going to cook," Luo Yinxian said. She did not open the door to the office (the former living room had been converted into an office, with Li Ying purchasing computers and other supplies, giving it a professional atmosphere). "This is my room; you can go in and play there."

Luo Yinxian’s current room was the one Le'er and Li Ying used to occupy. The antique furniture had been moved upstairs, replaced by brand-new, modern beds, sofas, and wardrobes. She preferred the modern style; to her, it seemed chic.

"Oh my god, it’s so beautiful!" Lili exclaimed. "Sister Yinxian, did Le'er buy all this furniture for you?"

"He’s such a miser. It was Sister Ying who bought it." Luo Yinxian felt a warm glow inside. Lili and Xiao Li’s envy satisfied her vanity. What woman doesn't have a little vanity? Even though Li Ying bought the furniture, it was Le'er’s money. "My room isn't that pretty. The upstairs is beautiful. My god, it’s like a palace up there."

Luo Yinxian spoke with exaggeration, though she had never actually seen a palace or even a nicer room. She was already very content with her own living quarters; she had never dreamed she would be able to live in such a beautiful place. While it was not as grand as the rooms upstairs, she felt no jealousy.

She dared not envy Li Ying, nor did she have the standing to do so. Furthermore, Li Ying had been good to her. Not only did she get to live in such a fine house, but she also earned two thousand yuan a month—all arranged by Li Ying.

"Sister Yinxian, can we go upstairs and take a look?"

"Go upstairs?" Luo Yinxian hesitated. Li Ying did not like ordinary people going up there. Nevertheless, she nodded. "But you mustn't rummage through anything."

The wooden staircase was outside the house but covered by a roof to protect it from the rain. Beside the stairs was a shoe cabinet filled with slippers of various sizes. The top two shelves were locked, and Luo Yinxian told them those were Le'er and Li Ying’s shoes, which others were not allowed to touch.

They put on slippers and headed up, entering the large living room.

"Wow—"

Both girls were stunned. Lili was a country girl, but even Xiao Li, who had seen a bit of the world, stood with her mouth agape. The style and the decor were not just dazzling; they were breathtaking.

"Have a seat," Luo Yinxian said, opening the door to Le'er’s room. "This is Le'er's room; you can go in. I wouldn't dare open Sister Ying's room for you—I don't even dare go in there myself."

"Sister Yinxian, can we just take a peek from the doorway?"

After a moment of hesitation, Luo Yinxian opened the door, and the two girls peered inside.

"Oh my god, this really is a princess's room," Xiao Li said, her face full of envy. "If I could sleep in that bed for just one night, I would die happy."

Luo Yinxian quickly closed the door and headed downstairs to cook, leaving the two girls in Le'er’s room. While his room was not as beautiful as Li Ying's, it was still far beyond any ordinary room. The antique furniture was not as fine as that in Li Ying's room, but it was still elegant. With Li Ying’s touch—the carpet on the floor and the wall hangings—it felt both archaic and stylish, much like the living room.

"I want to sleep in Le'er’s bed!"

Xiao Li threw herself onto Sha Le'er's bed, burying her head in the quilt.

"Xiao Li, if you could marry Le'er, you’d be so happy."

"I am going to marry him!"

"Keep dreaming," Lili said, shaking her head and giggling. "Le'er's Sister Ying is like a fairy—rich and talented. Would Le'er want you?"

"I'm younger than her," Xiao Li said, lifting her head. "Boys always like girls younger than themselves."

"Stop being so shameless. Let's go down and help Sister Yinxian."

"I don't care." Xiao Li buried her head deeper, clutching the quilt tightly as if it were Sha Le'er himself. "I will marry Sha Le'er, I will, I will..."

Later, Le'er and the others returned. It was dark, and since Xiao Li couldn't go home, she stayed at Le'er's house after dinner. Le'er stayed at the village committee office as usual.

When Le'er was leaving, Xiao Li pulled him aside and whispered that she wanted to sleep in his bed. Le'er agreed without a second thought. His only desire was to get rid of this clingy girl as soon as possible. Fortunately, she went back to school the next day, and he breathed a sigh of relief. For several days, no one bothered him. He spent his nights reading at the village committee office, finding joy in his studies, and even carried books and pens with him to the construction site.

Xie Dapao had managed to get the explosives for him, and the quarrying progress on Sha Dahai's side accelerated. The excavators and bulldozers had left, the foundation for the house had been leveled, and Uncle Shenggui was organizing the digging of the footings. Many people had returned from out of town; with only twenty days left until the New Year, most had come home regardless of Le'er.

Several people from the Zhushan Luo family joined the work crew, having come through Luo Yinxian's connection. The project moved even faster. A third of the perimeter wall was finished, and they expected to complete two-thirds by the New Year.

Le'er walked over to where Dalong was. Dalong and Tao Shihui, an old bricklayer from Shangtao, had contracted the bricklaying, with Sha Dalong taking primary responsibility. As the construction of the house below was about to begin, they were short on bricklayers.

"Brother Dalong, we need more bricklayers."

"Don't worry," Dalong said with a grin. "The guys from our village who work in construction are all coming back. We’ll have enough for a whole building crew in a couple of days."

"I'll buy the rebar tomorrow."

As Le'er was speaking, his phone rang. It was Xie Dapao.

"Le'er, you bastard, what are you doing?" Xie Dapao’s voice was as boisterous as ever. "That Tao Gaolong from your village is in trouble again. He was gambling in town, lost money, and beat someone up. Looks like he's headed to prison."

"What? How could that bastard do such a thing?" Le'er was shocked and anxious. "If he gets sent in now... will he ever get out?"

Tao Gaolong was serving a suspended sentence; any further offense meant prison. The guy really didn't know when to quit.

"I told you not to worry about him; he’s just mud that won't stick to the wall," Xie Dapao said, clearly not a fan of Tao Gaolong. "How’s your construction site? Hurry up and start raising those snakes; I want to eat snake meat and drink snake egg wine, haha..."

"Big brother... can you find a way to keep that bastard out of jail?"

Le'er was thinking about the fact that they were from the same village, and the connection through Tao Haiying.

"There's a way, but the person who was beaten wants five thousand yuan." Since he wasn't at the police station, Xie Dapao called the shots. "Say... are you interested in his sister? You're awfully eager to help."

"It's nothing like that. Regardless, we are from the same village."

They spoke for a while, and Xie Dapao agreed to try and mediate with the victim, but money would still be needed. Even if he couldn't get it down to four thousand, he would intervene.

"Big Brother, please have your men give him a good beating to teach him a lesson. This bastard is beyond human. He’s impoverished his own family to the point where they can't even afford salt."

"Fine, that bastard deserves a beating. If he doesn't get one, he'll just keep causing trouble."

Le'er hung up, and Dalong and the others gathered around.

"What's wrong, Le'er?"

"That bastard Tao Gaolong is in trouble again."

Le'er explained the situation, and everyone began to curse. Tao Qiang, upon hearing the news, joined the group.

"Le'er, stop worrying about him," Tao Qiang said, throwing his cigarette butt to the ground in frustration. "He's a mongrel. He does no good and every evil. He’s turned his family’s home into a wasteland. If he needs money, where would his family find it? Any cash they had was gambled away by him."

Country folk like to use coarse language, but it wasn't always meant as a true insult. Calling someone a "bastard" could be an expression of intimacy among close friends, but calling someone a "mongrel" was a harsh insult, only a step below cursing one's mother.

Tao Qiang's family was closely related to Tao Gaolong’s, which was why he was so furious. Tao Hu and Tao Gang also cursed in anger.

"Qiang, go back and tell Gaolong’s parents to try and scrape some money together," Le'er said helplessly. "I'm going to the town police station to stabilize the situation. We can't just watch him get sent to prison; Uncle and Aunt Tao would be heartbroken."

"You're right, but it's such a shame for my uncle and aunt."

Tao Qiang was speaking out of frustration; as kin, having a relative in prison was a disgrace.

Le'er hurried toward town. On the construction site, everyone was talking. Whether they were from Shangtao or Xiasha village, they gave Le'er a thumbs up. For a moment, Le'er was a hero.

"If it weren't for Le'er’s good relationship with Chief Xie, he would have been sent to the county jail and locked up for years," Uncle Shengtian said proudly. "Our Le'er is truly a good person. He’s capable and kind—you won't find another like him."

"That's for sure. Gaolong treats Le'er like an enemy. If it were anyone else, would they bother saving him?"

"That's a heart of a Bodhisattva for you."

The wind howled, and Le'er ran against it, hurrying forward.