Chapter 1: Observing Wealth

  Tall and thin, with clear eyebrows and eyes, a slightly pale complexion, wrapped in a military green cotton coat, Zhao Zhiqiang propped up his weak body, looking somewhat anxious and confused at the window. The cold wind occasionally rolled up sand and dust, the weather was gloomy and depressing, just like his mood.

  "It's already past New Year..."

  Zhao Zhiqiang let out a long sigh.

  Today is the twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month.

  In a small mountain village near the sea in Linyi, a coastal city in Northeast China, firecrackers started going off sporadically. But his family didn't even have a couple of firecrackers to set off.

  Slowly withdrawing his gaze, listening to the noisy sounds coming from the main house, Zhao Zhiqiang's heart felt a pang of distress.

  At this time, the main house was full of people, but these people were not here to visit relatives and friends.

  They all come to collect debts. Today, following the Northeastern custom, is the beginning of the year-end period, and some money that should be collected back can no longer wait until today. Going door-to-door to demand payment is an unavoidable measure for many families, and in extreme cases, people will even squat outside on New Year's Eve day.

  He has been back from the western border for half a month, and only after returning did he know that his family was in dire straits. And owed a debt of 1 butt. He came back, but didn't even get a penny of demobilization allowance, and in some ways, he was sent back.

  Alas...

  He couldn't help but let out a quiet sigh when he thought of this matter, but if it happened again, he would still do the same without hesitation.

  Carrying a thermos, propping up her frail body, she poured hot water for each of them one by one, took out half a box of two pieces of red mountain tea from the gray-black cabinet, handed cigarettes to Second Uncle and others, forced a smile on her face, and carefully served them.

  The Zhao family is in this situation now.

  "Second uncle, third aunt, second sister-in-law, third sister-in-law, old aunt's husband, fourth grandfather, Uncle Wang, Brother Zhang... My mom is in the hospital and my dad hasn't come back yet. On this cold day, you all still came personally. Come on, have a drink first to warm up."

  Then, Zhao Zhiqiang straightened his waist and his face turned red because of bowing his head. His voice was also shaking a bit, "Thank you all for your help! For the past three years when I was serving in the army, I didn't even know my mom was ill, let alone take care of her. It's all thanks to your help that she's still alive! You are my benefactors! The Spring Festival is approaching, and this debt of gratitude cannot be delayed any longer. Don't worry, as soon as I get back from the army, I will repay the money I owe!"

  "Thanks, Second Uncle, Third Auntie, Second Aunt, Third Aunt, Old Aunt, Fourth Grandfather, Wang Uncle, Zhang Big Brother..." Zhao Zhiqiang bowed...

  Everyone looked at each other in dismay.

  Many people let out a long sigh, and some women couldn't help but sob quietly, looking at this empty house with broken walls that didn't seem like home anymore.

  "Alright, we didn't come just to ask for the debt either. Ah, it's also because I heard you're back, and there's a glimmer of hope in my heart... Never mind, let's think of another way. Your cousin Shunzi is in urgent need of money to buy a house, so I'll head back first."

  The uncle next door glared at his wife and said, "What are you telling the kid? Is a house important or is being ill important? Come on, let's think of another way!"

  "Great, oh dear, Second Uncle still owes two hundred. Weren't you going to the hospital? Bring your mom some food, her body is weak from dialysis, it's unbearable. I'm not going to the hospital, I'm heading back to the mountains now." After saying that, he left without even looking back.

  "Alas, tens of thousands, how did this happen? This is a disaster..."

  "Great, although we don't have much rice and flour, I'll share what little I have with you." Tang Yuan turned around, wiping away tears as he walked out the door.

  Zao Zhiqiang supported his weak body and saw off these relatives and friends one by one.

  Taller than Zhao Zhiqiang but looking thinner, Zhao Zhigang was previously in the kitchen worrying about cooking for the guests. Later, he and his brother saw off these relatives who came to help with the rescue efforts. Seeing his brother's winded appearance, he hastily said, "Brother, you're not fully recovered yet, go rest for a while."

  Zhao Zhiqiang struggled to stand up, holding onto the door frame, a pale face with a faint smile, "I'm fine, today is much better than yesterday, don't believe me? Look!" He moved his arm a few times to prove what he said.

  Younger brother Zhao Zhi Gang believed his older brother's words to be true, "Older brother! Going abroad on a mission can really earn that much money? And they'll even give us US dollars...... Then I won't take the university entrance exam, I'll join the army too!"

  Zhao Zhiqiang looked at his thinner younger brother and smiled, "Xiao Gang, joining the army? I support you. However, for now, just eat more and get a bit stronger, I was discharged later due to health reasons... Let's go, mom is still hungry, today I'll go with you to the hospital."

  In fact, he lied. During that battle where he broke the rules to save his comrade, he was also shot. However, he didn't die. When he came to and realized it, the copper pendant that had been hanging on his chest had actually embedded itself into his heart! Now, that thing has become a "pacemaker".

  Every time it works, it extracts one-tenth of the heart's blood and absorbs one-tenth of the spirit, which is then converted into "Ling Qi". This thread of Ling Qi circulates through the body, allowing Zhao Zhiqiang to breathe, his pulse to beat, and his senses to function normally. And every time he goes through this ordeal, he has to use all sorts of Chinese medicine and food to replenish himself wildly, or else he won't even have the strength to sit up.

  In the past ten-plus days, his strange illness has cost several thousand yuan. Even if relatives don't come to ask for accounts, Zhao Zhiqiang is also anxious about making money! He and his mother's expenses this week... are almost as much as what his father earns in a month. His younger brother is about to go to college soon, and the tuition fees have not been settled yet.

  Zhao Zhigang was very sensible, looking at his brother in a daze, knowing that his brother was also worried about their mother. After thinking for a moment, he realized that his brother hadn't visited their mother in several days either, so he didn't stop him. He ran to the kitchen and grabbed an old aluminum lunchbox, took out some steaming hot cabbage and stuffing dumplings from the pot, carefully wrapped them in a bamboo steamer cloth, and then wrapped it in a broken cotton jacket to keep warm.

  Before you came, the two brothers had wrapped twenty dumplings for their mother. Today is the minor New Year's Eve, and they can't let mom not even have a bite of dumpling to eat.

  A seventeen-year-old young master, smelling the fragrant rice, swallowed a mouthful of saliva quietly.

  Zhao Zhiqiang stood by the door, watching everything with a heart that felt like it was being pierced by needles! In three years, his family couldn't even afford dumplings... what kind of son and brother was he?!

  Sacrifice for the country, no name; filial piety in poverty and hardship. His younger brother, four years his junior, is now in high school and is the hope of the whole family! Now that it's Chinese New Year, they can't even afford a single dumpling!

  No way!

  As soon as his emotions were stirred up, Zhao Zhiqiang's heart began to beat strangely!

  That elusive "qi" that had been wreaking havoc on his body for half a month suddenly shifted to his eyes as he focused, and he felt a wave of dizziness before him!

  His gaze happened to stop on his younger brother's body, but at this time he saw something extra.

  Or it's like having an extra piece of information in your head:

  Own 50 gold. Today's financial fortune, go out facing west, someone will come at noon, need to display old sea willow.

  Huh?

  Zhao Zhiqiang was startled!

  "What is this that I see?"

  His brother didn't understand what was wrong with him, and hurriedly waved his hand in front of him a few times. "Brother, go lie down for a while, I'll take care of sending lunch to mom myself."

  Dazed by his brother, Zhao Zhiqiang's "sight" was gone. He came to himself and said, "I'm fine, don't worry about me. By the way, how much money do you have on you now?"

  Zhao Zhigang reached into his pocket and pulled out 50 yuan, "Brother, just now when Old Aunt's husband came, he secretly stuffed it into my pocket and said that Little Aunt gave it to Mom to buy some food. I forgot to tell you earlier." He handed over the money, thinking that his brother might want to buy something.

  "I don't want to." Zhao Zhiqiang's heart skipped a beat!

  These eyes can see how much money others have on them - what?

  What does it mean after that sentence...

  "Brother, don't space out, you'll faint if you do." Zhao Zhi Gang was anxious to hug his big brother and get him onto the kang (heated bed), or else he would surely fall to the ground if he wasn't careful. These past few days hadn't been without their mishaps - he had fallen into the cooking pot while making dinner, and hit his head on the wall corner while using the toilet. They wanted to take him to the hospital for a check-up, but he refused to go. Zhao Zhi Gang's face was full of worry as he tightly grasped his brother's arm.

  Maybe it's because he has been suppressing his emotions for too long, or maybe it's because he saw his brother bowing to their relatives earlier but is now on the verge of collapse, and he can no longer hold back the sadness in his heart, tears are about to fall!

  Seeing the mist in his brother's eyes, "Xiao Gang, don't cry. Brother is back, you can rest assured to study, with brother here, even if the sky falls, brother will hold it up!"

  PS: New book is coming, friends who have opened it must collect it, Drunken Fish seeks support ~