Chapter 56: The Rich Man Chen Ergou

  Yu Han asked: "How should I address you, sir?"

  A middle-aged man puffed on his cigar and said: "Chen Ergou, the name was given to me by my grandfather. We are all country people, uncultured and very rustic."

  Yu Han smiled and said: "Can't say it's rustic, can only say it has a strong local flavor."

  Chen Erdog smiled slightly and continued: "Let me tell you about my situation. I didn't finish elementary school, I can barely recognize a few big characters, I'm from the countryside, my parents are farmers, we're so poor that we can't even afford to eat meat once every ten years, our house is just three rooms with broken tiles, and the most valuable thing in our family is an old yellow cow. When I was young, my biggest dream was that if I had money one day, I would eat fish and meat every day, drink a bowl of wine, then marry a beautiful wife and have a bunch of kids."

  Yu Han laughed and didn't show any contempt at all.

  Chen Ergou took a big gulp of tea, not a small sip, but a loud and rough one, fully revealing his true nature.

  "At first, I was washing dishes in a restaurant, then I went to the construction site to move bricks and mix cement. I got up earlier than the chickens and slept later than the dogs. After working hard for a month, I still didn't earn as much as those nightclub girls did in one night. But I wasn't afraid of hardship, and I was down-to-earth. Gradually, I became a foreman, transporting cement, and contracting projects. That's how I started to make progress.

  The money I earned also increased from 50 yuan per month when I was washing dishes to 200, 500, 1000... it doubled and tripled. I'm not a genius, but I've been doing physical labor all along. Now I'm in real estate and river transportation, and every year I can earn five or six billion. Villas? I have more than 20 suites in my hand. Luxury cars? There are over 10 vehicles in my garage.

  My parents were poor people who didn't enjoy much good fortune in their lifetime. But I've made a name for myself, and they're now at peace in their graves. I've always been struggling outside, so the idea of filial piety doesn't really apply to me." Chen Er Gou said with some sadness.

  Yu Han didn't say anything and continued listening to the story.

  Chen Erdou paused for a moment, then continued: "With money, you can do whatever you want. I've got six mistresses, and although I didn't attend university, the women I've been with are all university students - no ordinary women for me. I don't want any watered-down relationships. I've even played around with a few second-tier female celebrities - those models and whatnot are just fleeting clouds. When I was 35, I got married to a local Shanghai girl who's honest, kind-hearted, and looks pretty good too. I love her dearly, and I've never made her suffer. She knows about my mistresses outside the home, but she doesn't say anything - she knows that men are all like this: once they have money, they can't control their desires."

  Yu Han smiled and said: "Brother Chen is also quite straightforward."

  Chen Ergou smiled weakly and palely, then sighed and said: "This guy, saying he's sturdy is sturdy, saying he's not sturdy, that's also very brittle. My body has always been good, but I still got sick."

  Yu Han asked: "What disease did Brother Chen get?"

  "Stomach cancer, it's terminal, I won't live for many more days, so I'm feeling depressed." Chen Ergou said frankly.

  Yu Han's face was slightly solemn, he fiercely puffed on his cigar twice, and remained silent.

  "Anyway, I don't have much to regret in this life, except for not being able to take good care of my parents. The elementary school and middle school in my hometown were both invested and built by me. The new countryside, the chicken farm, and the cattle farm were all invested by me, which can be considered as making some contributions to my fellow villagers. They also hold me in high esteem and even made a sculpture for me, making me look like an artist."

  "Eat water but don't forget the well digger, Brother Chen's contributions will be passed down for generations to come." Yu Han praised.

  "I don't expect them to inherit anything from me, I just hope that future generations can work hard and achieve their dreams like I did. Although I'm from a rural area and didn't receive an education, through my own efforts, I was able to live a good life, eat well, dress well, and have a good place to live. That's enough for me. During the Wenchuan earthquake, I was deeply saddened and anonymously donated 500 million yuan. At the time of the Yushu earthquake, my funds were a bit tight, but I still anonymously donated 80 million yuan. I'm not the richest person in the world, this is just what I can do."

  Yu Han listened and was very impressed with Chen Er Gou, praising him: "Brother Chen is a great philanthropist."

  "Too much money is useless, it's better to help others and accumulate good deeds, hoping for a better life in the next generation." Chen Ergou said, taking a puff of his cigar, and sighed: "I'm also getting old, my wife at home is urging me to make a will before I die, leaving all my property to my eldest son and daughter. Outside, I have two illegitimate children, she knows about this and is afraid that I will divide the property among those two kids. The several mistresses I kept are also thinking for themselves, asking me for cars and villas, it's really annoying. I got angry and drove them all away. Now what troubles me is how to divide my property, because I have thought about donating all of it. Wealth doesn't last for three generations, only poor people's children can become the master early, if we leave them so much wealth, they will not know how to struggle, and eventually will be ruined." Chen Ergou said worriedly.

  "This is indeed a problem, it has always been so since ancient times." Yu Han said.

  "My friends around me all told me to divide the money among the children, don't donate it, because if I donate it, those corrupt officials will deduct a lot from it, and very little can actually reach the Hope Project or disaster areas. I've also seen many psychologists, and they all say different things. This morning, I was bored and reading the newspaper, and I saw your information. I thought to myself, this young man is so skilled in acupuncture, massage, and psychology, he's either a master or a charlatan. Anyway, I had nothing better to do, so I came straight here to see if you can come up with something new that will make me happy. I don't like listening to flattering words, because I'm someone who has climbed from the bottom to where I am today through my own efforts. If you can give me a solution that I think is reasonable, I'll give you at least 10 million yuan as a reward." Chen Ergou said, gesturing with one finger.

  Yu Han's reaction to Chen Erdou's generosity was relatively calm.

  "It's all right, having three wives and four concubines is quite normal, let alone Brother Chen has a kind heart. Your kindness and care are the most precious wealth. Some rich people are so wealthy that they can't even spare a penny to do good deeds, they're greedy to the point of death, and even want to bring their wealth into their coffin. Compared to them, Brother Chen is infinitely noble."