Chapter 2: Do You Dare Bet?

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  While his brother was preparing things and bicycles, Zhao Zhiqiang sorted out this messy thing.

  The strange message just now was aimed at my younger brother, which means that today, my younger brother may get rich and it will have something to do with the sea willow tree.

  Seaweed?

  After thinking for half a day, I finally remembered.

  More than a decade ago, my old man seemed to often fiddle with a wooden thing full of holes, saying it was picked up from the sea. It was originally meant for grandpa to carve into a pipe, but after grandpa suddenly passed away, no one paid attention to it again.

  "Xiao Gang, can you find that weird wooden thing with a hole in it that Dad picked up a long time ago?" Zhao Zhiqiang decided to give it a try, after all, he had just found out that his brother's 50 yuan was real.

  ……

  In the cold winter of December, although there is no snow, the seaside of the Liaodong Peninsula is even colder with a hint of sea air.

  This cold and dampness can freeze people through even if they wear two layers of down and one layer of wool.

  The two Zhao brothers pushed their bicycles, shivering with cold, and walked against the wind on the road out of the village.

  Zhao Zhiqiang wrapped his lunch box in a military overcoat and stuck it on his chest.

  Younger brother Zhao Zhi Gang pushed a worn-out 28-inch bicycle, with a gray paper sign tied to the back seat:

  Sell seaweed.

  A wooden stick two feet long and as thick as an adult's arm was tied to the car's beam.

  The two brothers struggled against the wind and finally arrived at the car wash near the west entrance of the village around 11:30.

  The sky is cold and windy, occasionally someone passes by the village, looking at the two brothers who are dressed in tattered clothes, their faces frozen red, still going out on a cold day, shaking their heads, and those who greet them also leave hastily.

  "Brother, they're not wearing much either, why should we take the initiative to greet them, and they don't even slow down to chat, walking so fast?"

  Zhao Zhigang observed that the villagers seemed to quicken their pace when they saw him and his companion, even if they couldn't avoid them, they didn't show any expression as if they hadn't seen them, or forced a smile and hurriedly left.

  Zhao Zhiqiang rubbed his icy hands vigorously, a pale smile on his face. "Xiao Gang, remember this: when you're poor, people bully you; when you're kind to horses, they ride you. Our family is poor now, so they'll avoid us. They're afraid we'll ask for loans when we meet them. From now on, don't take the initiative to greet anyone. We don't need anything from them."

  "Uh, brother, can we really pay back Second Uncle's money before Chinese New Year?"

  "It's okay! My brother is here, the salary from the troops will arrive soon, and it will be directly deposited into my card..." Zhao Zhiqiang said unintentionally, but his mind was always thinking about how to get this 1.5 million yuan!

  1.5 million!

  Dad works outside all year round, earning more than 300,000 but including medical expenses and living expenses, my brother is in school, he joined the army, mom needs dialysis...

  150,000 is a staggering figure for the Zhao family. If it weren't for the help of those relatives back then, maybe... So even though they came to "celebrate the new year" today, Zhao Zhiqiang was still grateful to his second uncle and others for lending a helping hand when his family needed it most.

  This disease of uremia is hard to cure, I heard that a kidney transplant is needed, the cost of medication is over 300,000 yuan, and it's also necessary to find a matching type, so we have to wait.

  Zhao Zhiqiang actually had a heavy stone weighing on his heart since the day he came back.

  "Brother, what's this thing for?"

  Zhao Zhiqiang raised an eyebrow, "Hmmm, I heard someone is collecting this stuff recently. Let's take it out and try to sell it. We'll wait on the road for a while to see if anyone wants to buy it. If not, I plan to bring it to Bin City's cultural market or a pharmacy to ask around..." He made up an excuse to reassure his brother.

  Zhao Zhigang hummed in agreement.

  He parked his bicycle by the roadside and tightly wrapped up in the nearly new military overcoat that his elder brother had sent him. This was probably his best quilted coat.

  Park the car and look around from time to time on both sides.

  Zhao Zhigang didn't believe 90% of what his brother said, but he wouldn't question it. Since childhood, he had always listened to his brother's words, even if they were wrong or incorrect. In his heart, this older brother who was four years his senior treated him better than his parents...

  Ten minutes passed, and the two brothers were frozen on National Highway 206. They simply put up a sign on their bicycle, retreated to more than ten meters away from the road, in front of Er Gezi Car Wash shop.

  There is a plastic greenhouse here, and next to it is a rest room. The two brothers stood under the greenhouse to watch the car, standing here was much warmer than on the road.

  There were quite a few cars passing by in the past, and from time to time, there were people coming over from the supermarket on the other side of the village to add water or buy some snacks, but not even one person came over to ask questions.

  Zhao Zhiqiang turned around again and looked at the direction. This was correct, it was indeed the northwest direction of his own home, about 800 meters away.

  However, the direction of going out is indeed too vague, and the direction of the city is also due west. However, Zhao Zhiqiang analyzed that if what he said was true, it should not be far from the village, and this road should be the most populous place.

  Suddenly, a red BMW slowed down from afar and came to a stop.

  It stopped right next to Zhao Zhigang.

  Zhao Zhiqiang's head was hot!

  Zhao Zhigang was also surprised, after waiting for half an hour, there really is a business opportunity at the door!

  But when he saw the face exposed after the car window was rolled down, he immediately wilted like an eggplant that had been frostbitten.

  It was her after all...

  Zhao Zhiqiang didn't recognize him, but could also tell he wasn't there to buy anything. "Who are you?"

  A middle-aged woman, her face had undergone beauty whitening treatments. On this cold winter day, looking at her face would make you feel even colder. Her lips were a bright red, a scary shade of red, but her eye bags were also frighteningly large. Zhao Zhiqiang was very puzzled, one glance and he knew she was a rich woman of the "tu bie" level, this BMW car was at least 3 million...

  "Car wash!"

  The woman got off the bus, took off her large sunglasses, glanced at Zhao Zhiqiang, and then stared at Zhao Zhigang and said, "Xiao Gang, he is - your brother?"

  Zhao Zhigang took a deep breath, "Aunt Su, this is my brother, he just returned from the army. Brother, this is Aunt Zhao from our administrative village, Zhao Zhiyuan's family, she and I are classmates."

  "Aunt Su is fine." Under Zhao Zhiqiang's forced smile, he nodded to his younger brother's classmate's parent and asked how they were doing.

  "Hey, Xiaogang, I've already heard about your family situation from Xiaoxiang. Come, Auntie has 10,000 yuan here, take it and use it first. Are you waiting to sell that piece of land to treat your mother's illness? Take this money and use it first. I told Xiaoxiang to tell you a long time ago, if you have any difficulties, just let me know. You never mentioned it, and I've been busy too. It's good that we met by chance, rather than making an appointment..."

  "Auntie, I won't take this money!" Zhao Zhigang replied with a bright red face, very seriously.

  "Here you go, you and Xiao Xiang are classmates..."

  "No, Auntie, we have enough money..." Zhao Zhigang firmly declined. Zhao Zhiqiang also helped his brother speak up, if his brother didn't want something, even if it was a mountain of gold, Zhao Zhiqiang would spit on it and say no.

  The middle-aged woman shook her head directly, but there was no other way. "Sigh, I actually didn't have any other purpose, just wanted to let Xiaogang help Xiaoxiang a bit more often, tutor him, Xiaoxiang is stupid..."

  "Auntie, I'll tutor her when I have time. However, I won't accept any money, thank you for your kind intentions!" Zhao Zhigang walked out of the car wash shop.

  At this time, a white, more luxurious and handsome sports car that Zhao Zhiqiang couldn't identify the brand of "squeaked" to a stop beside the BMW.

  "Supaizi, are you washing the car too? Are we going to play cards later?" The window of the car opened, revealing a middle-aged woman who was even uglier but dressed more fashionably. Her face completely didn't match this beautiful sports car.

  The woman saw the bicycle and sign standing not far away at a glance.

  "Huh? Who's selling the sea willow, just in time for my old man to carve a pipe mouth. How much is it selling for? Is 200 enough? It's only worth about 200..." He said, tossing the car key to the car washer and ran over to examine the wood on his bicycle.

  Zhao Zhiqiang didn't even think about it and said coldly, "Two hundred? Too little, won't sell!"

  When the car stopped, Zhao Zhiqiang thought this might be the buyer, and hastily guided a thread of spiritual energy to his eyes!

  Today's Fortune:

  Whenever you gamble, you lose, money flows out like water, financial luck declines, and good fortune is reduced.

  "Hum, what a rotten piece of wood, two hundred is already too much for you. Our old master is an expert in this field and has seen many things like this before. This thing has been weathered for too long and there's hardly any material left to use!"

  Originally, this was not the buyer's intention. Zhao Zhiqiang didn't want to say much more, but hearing her say that and seeing her expression as if she was about to be beaten, he suddenly became angry after adjusting his precious spiritual energy for 200 yuan.

  Since it's a fat sheep delivered right to your doorstep, you can't say no to slaughtering it.

  "Don't even mention two hundred, let alone two thousand, I won't sell it to you! Because you don't appreciate its value at all!" Zhao Zhiqiang said with a calm and disdainful expression.

  "How dare you say I don't know the goods! My family has been doing Hai Liu Mu wood carvings for three generations, this broken wooden thing is obviously not well-maintained, and it's worth 200 yuan to you!"

  "Hey, old lady, what's your name? Since you're an expert, let's make a bet. I guarantee that within two hours, there will be a buyer and the price will definitely be higher than the 200 you quoted! Are you daring enough to take on this bet with me?"