My mother's tricks are no less cunning than mine. When I became her secretary, she actually knew to take the opportunity to arrange for my cousin to go to police academy. That way, even if I couldn't hold my position as secretary, by the time Zhao Wenye graduated from police academy, he would already be a police officer. Even if he was just wearing a regular Uniformed Branch, he would be considered a big shot in the Squatter Area. At least the thugs or neighbors wouldn't dare to cause trouble for my family like before.
"Then why didn't you tell me when I went home last time that A-Yip was taking the police academy entrance exam? Why did he suddenly become a cop? I was hoping he could help me in the future." Song Tianyao chuckled, putting his arm around his mother's shoulder. "You really are a female strategist; you've already paved the way for everything."
Zhao Meizhen, wielding a feather duster, slapped Song Tianyao's hand away. "Everyone says you're stupid! Those things were all returned intact by those gatekeepers from Fuyixing! Everyone says you're an ingrate, that you don't care about your parents now that you're rich! Back then, things weren't settled yet, and we were afraid your refusal to take the exam would implicate A-Yip, so apart from your aunt and me, no one else knew."
Song Tianyao touched the finger that had been tapped and rolled his eyes speechlessly.
From her mother's perspective, she didn't do anything wrong. She was considering things based on her understanding of Song Tianyao, always thinking that Song Tianyao wouldn't last long and would be fired because he lacked education, so she was taking the opportunity to plan her future and take advantage of him.
"I really do have money, and it's not the Chu Family's money, so you don't need to worry. I can afford the transfer fee. Besides, although I may not have much money in my pocket, my reputation is well-known, so I might even be able to save on the transfer fee," Song Tianyao said to Zhao Meizhen with a grin.
Zhao Meizhen stuck the feather duster back into the chipped plum vase. "You always talk like the Governor of Hong Kong, just like your Dad when he was young. I really don't know where you Song Family learned to brag. You stay home and sleep for a while, I'll go buy some pig hearts and livers to make soup for you."
"While you're at it, buy some of Dad's favorite snacks and drinks. I'll have a couple with Dad." Song Tianyao sat on the bed, leaning against the neatly folded blankets, and said, "Where's Wenwen?"
"You scared me so much that I ran back to work at the Women’s Teahouse." Zhao Meizhen said, grabbing her purse made of patchwork rags and heading out the door.
Just then, she walked right into a tall, somewhat ragged young man who was coming in from outside, which almost made Zhao Meizhen stumble.
"Who are you?! You've lost your mind and come here to deliver a bad news!" Zhao Meizhen patted her chest and shouted at the young man in front of her, who was at most about the same age as Song Tianyao.
Song Tianyao sat up straight on the bed and looked over. The young man knelt down on the ground with a thud. "Auntie Zhen! I'm A-Tai, the one who caused trouble a few days ago! My Dad said that it was thanks to you, Brother Yiu, that I was able to get out of the Police Station! I've come to kowtow to you!"
After uttering a seemingly random sentence, the young man slammed his head against the ground several times.
Chapter Seventy-Five: Simpleton Chen Tai
"A-Tai?" Zhao Meizhen pulled the tall, strong young man up from the ground, looked him over, and said, "He really is, he looks exactly like your Dad."
Song Tianyao sighed. He was very curious about his mother's sharp eyes. The third uncle who came to ask for his help last time was dark and thin, while this A-Tai in front of him was tall and strong. There was no resemblance at all, but Zhao Meizhen actually said that the father and son looked exactly alike. He really didn't know where she saw that.
"A-Yao, hurry up and invite your cousin in to sit down. I'm going to buy groceries and some fruit." Zhao Meizhen turned back and urged Song Tianyao.
After saying that, he patted Chen Tai on the shoulder. "A-Tai, that's your A-Yao. Come in and sit down. Stay for lunch."
"Brother Yiu, thank you for finding someone to vouch for me." Chen Tai got up from the ground and walked towards Song Tianyao following Zhao Meizhen's words. He was about to kneel down in front of Song Tianyao and kowtow a few more times.
Song Tianyao grabbed his hands. "No need, we can talk standing up."
Chen Tai's kneeling was sincere, but Song Tianyao used all his strength to pull him down. Once pulled back, Chen Tai smiled Song Tianyao and stopped insisting, straightening his knees and standing in front of Song Tianyao.
Song Tianyao slightly raised his face to look at Chen Tai. Chen Tai was half a head taller than Song Tianyao. Underneath his tattered undershirt were strong muscles, and there were faint traces of dark brown blood on his clothes.
"We're all relatives, no need to kowtow. Sit down and chat." Song Tianyao pulled up a chair for Chen Tai to sit down, then looked enviously at the other man's muscular build that couldn't be hidden by his clothes. It was completely different from the pitiful abs that Song Tianyao had built up in the gym with protein powder in his previous life.
"I just came from the police station and don't have any money to buy a thank-you gift, so I can only kowtow to Auntie Zhen and Brother Yiu a few times. I'll repay you and Auntie Zhen when I make money in the future." Chen Tai scratched his head, sat down in a chair, and looked at Song Tianyao with a chuckle.
Song Tianyao sensed that Chen Tai's behavior seemed a bit slow, and smiled, "Have you been beaten up these past few days at the Police Station?"
"Yes, when I first went in, two policemen hung me up and took turns beating me, but later they stopped beating me, and I didn't have to eat pig swill anymore. I got a chicken leg for every meal. My mom said that Brother Yiu had someone arrange it specially at the Police Station." Chen Tai said to Song Tianyao, "I ate chicken legs for a few days and didn't want to come out anymore. It was only because the police said that someone had vouched for me and wouldn't let me stay any longer that I came out."
"Why did you fight with those gangsters at the dock?" Song Tianyao didn't actually know Chen Tai at all, so they had nothing to talk about. Moreover, Song Tianyao didn't want to know the real reason why Chen Tai was fighting. However, since the other party had come all the way to thank him and his mother had gone to buy groceries, he couldn't avoid the question, so he could only ask casually.
"I went to the docks to look for work, and a guy asked me if I wanted to work. Of course, I said yes, and then he took me to unload ships and collect tokens. I earned more than forty tokens, the most I ever did. But the token dealer was only willing to pay me 60% of the money. I asked him why, and the token dealer pointed to the person who introduced me to the job and said that person wanted 40%." Chen Tai was still indignant when he talked about the fight he got into. He frowned and resentfully told Song Tianyao, "Actually, if this hadn't happened, I was going to get the money to treat that guy to drinks to thank him for introducing me to a job. But he took 40% of my money right away? I told the token dealer not to, and asked him to give me all the money. That guy said I didn't know the dock rules and was trying to cause trouble. Then immediately more than a dozen people surrounded me and tried to scare me. Am I easily scared? I fought them! They had knives, so I grabbed a carrying pole and knocked down four of them. No one else came forward, and then three policemen came out and arrested me."