The Little Rich Woman Isn't Short on Money

Bian Guanyue didn't want to reveal her secret, so she didn't ask about Chen Guiliang's story either.

She remained silent, her gaze fixed on the car window.

The houses and fields on both sides of the road were all so drab, slowly receding as the vehicle moved forward.

Chen Guiliang understood that this offensive had failed.

He wasn't disappointed.

What was the fun in succeeding on the first try?

Bian Guanyue didn't say a word, choosing to close her eyes and sleep, returning to her aloof state from school.

Chen Guiliang thought to himself: With this terrible road, it would be a miracle if you could sleep.

After only a few minutes, the road became bumpy again.

Bian Guanyue was jolted into the air and quickly opened her eyes to grab the iron bar. It seemed she had learned her lesson.

Chen Guiliang transformed back into a guide, pointing to a small building by the roadside ahead: "That's my junior high classmate's house. His dad was a freight driver and bought a truck very early on. It was particularly impressive back then, and he even got a home theater system. At first, he always bullied me, but after I beat him into submission, we became friends, and he often invited me to his house to watch movies."

The first time Chen Guiliang watched a dirty movie was in that small building.

It was also there that he learned about stars like Zhou Xingchi, Jackie Chan, and Andy Lau.

The memory was still fresh, unforgettable for a lifetime.

Bian Guanyue was being bounced around so much that pretending to sleep was impossible. She was drawn in by Chen Guiliang's words and subconsciously looked towards the four-story building.

"Hasn't anyone lived there for a long time? The courtyard is full of weeds," Bian Guanyue said.

Chen Guiliang recounted: "His family was quite rich and was targeted. Under the guise of Lunar New Year entertainment, they set up a gambling trap for his dad, winning first and then losing, playing for bigger and bigger stakes. He lost the truck and also borrowed high-interest loans. Just as he was preparing to sell the house, his family was ruined."

"People died?" Bian Guanyue exclaimed in surprise.

Chen Guiliang nodded: "His dad hanged himself, and his mom drank pesticide. His grandparents were angered to death. The incident caused too much of a stir, and the police got involved. One person who set up the gambling trap was caught, and the rest all fled."

Bian Guanyue asked: "What about your classmate himself?"

Chen Guiliang said: "He dropped out of school and went to Yang City to work. Somehow he went down the wrong path and got locked up for armed robbery. He'll probably be in there for a few more years."

Bian Guanyue muttered to herself: What kind of upbringing is this?

Seeing that she was willing to talk again, Chen Guiliang asked: "Your school registration is in Rong City, right? Do you have to go back to Rong City for the college entrance exam?"

"Yes," Bian Guanyue replied.

This reaction indicated that there truly was family conflict and she didn't want to talk much about related topics.

Chen Guiliang began to recall his childhood: "Speaking of Rong City, I remember a children's rhyme from when I was little. Now I only remember two lines: 'Little horse lanterns fly down, the sister from Rong City is coming back.' Do you know what little horse lanterns are?"

Bian Guanyue said: "A little girl's pigtails sticking up."

"Besides pigtails, it also refers to dragonflies," Chen Guiliang asked, "How do you say dragonfly in the Rong City dialect?"

Bian Guanyue seemed to be recalling her childhood as well, a faint smile appearing on her face: "Dragonflies in Rong City are called 'Ding Ding Mao'er'. Just like here in Longdu, 'Ding Ding Mao'er' is both a dragonfly and refers to a little girl's pigtails."

The breakthrough was opened again. Chen Guiliang repeatedly probed and guided, and Bian Guanyue began to actively share some childhood anecdotes.

Unknowingly, they had reached their destination: Longdu City Railway Station.

Bian Guanyue said in surprise: "I remember the railway station. When I came back from Rong City as a child, I would take the train and get off here first. I don't know which year it started, but it changed to taking a long-distance bus. I haven't been here for many years."

Chen Guiliang was also observing the railway station. He hadn't been back here for many years either.

Revisiting the old place brought back many memories.

"We still need to take another car. Bus or taxi, you choose," Chen Guiliang said.

"I choose a taxi!"

Bian Guanyue answered decisively. She never wanted to take a bus again in her life.

A line of taxis was parked outside the railway station. Chen Guiliang waved one over, opened the back door, and let Bian Guanyue get in first.

Bian Guanyue looked at the front passenger seat. She actually wanted to sit there and wasn't used to squeezing into the back with someone.

After hesitating for a few seconds, Bian Guanyue still got into the back seat, but her body was pressed tightly against the other car door.

Chen Guiliang smiled at the sight, immediately closed the back door, opened the front passenger door, and got in: "Driver, Red Star Street Department Store."

Bian Guanyue was a little surprised.

She had thought Chen Guiliang would take the opportunity to sit together. Why did he suddenly become a gentleman?

And back at school, Chen Guiliang would rather skip class than not accompany her to the city to fix her computer. Yet, just when she was feeling grateful, he took her onto a dilapidated car and acted like a hooligan the whole way.

All of Chen Guiliang's actions were beyond Bian Guanyue's expectations.

What kind of person is this?

They reached their destination a few minutes later. Chen Guiliang paid and got out, pointing to the old department store: "Longdu is quite backward. There isn't even a single comprehensive shopping mall, let alone a digital plaza. My uncle partnered with someone and rented a shop here. They both assemble computers and do computer repairs."

Bian Guanyue had never been here before and looked around curiously. Her first impression was that it was dilapidated.

This department store building was probably several decades old.

The outer wall was already mottled, and it felt like a piece of cement could fall off at any moment.

The elevator, however, was quite new, likely installed later.

Taking the elevator to the fourth floor, Chen Guiliang had a bit of trouble remembering and searched for a while before finding his cousin's shop.

"Are you two looking to get a computer?" the only employee in the shop greeted them warmly.

Chen Guiliang called out inside, "Cousin!"

Feng Tao, who was sitting in front of a computer, looked up when he heard the voice and immediately smiled, "Guiliang, what brings you here?"

"Just came to take a look."

Chen Guiliang walked over with a smile and noticed a professional book on the table. He couldn't help but tease, "Learning never stops, you're already a boss and still studying programming."

Feng Tao said, "What kind of boss am I? Just a worker."

Chen Guiliang took out the Hongtashan he bought downstairs and offered one to Feng Tao and the employee respectively. He pointed at Bian Guanyue and said, "My classmate's computer is broken."

The employee had been secretly looking at Bian Guanyue and didn't even notice the cigarette being offered until Feng Tao patted him, making him react.

Without a word, Feng Tao took the computer and started looking for the problem.

Finding that the screen remained black, he took out his tools and quickly disassembled it. In less than five minutes, the screen lit up: "It's not a big problem, the motherboard connector is loose. But your screen is scratched and needs to be replaced. Longdu City doesn't have Apple screens, they need to be shipped from out of town. If you want to save money, I can help you find a used screen, or see if there's a compatible one."

Bian Guanyue asked, "How long will a genuine new screen take?"

"Not sure. At the fastest, over half a month, at the slowest, forty to fifty days."

Feng Tao lit the Hongtashan cigarette: "Apple parts can only be sourced from Pengcheng. I still need to inquire about the price, but I estimate it will be between 3000 and 5000."

Bian Guanyue felt it was too expensive: "This laptop of mine cost just over fifteen thousand when it was new."

Chen Guiliang reminded him at the right time, "Cousin, don't rip off my friend."

Feng Tao ignored Chen Guiliang and only said to Bian Guanyue, "If you have acquaintances in Rong City, you can call them now and ask them to find someone who repairs computers in Rong City to inquire. To be honest, it will be much faster for you to take a bus to Rong City to get it repaired than to do it here."

His cousin's meaning was clear, he actually didn't really want to take this job.

Troublesome!

And it was Chen Guiliang's friend, so it wasn't convenient to extort too much.

"Where is the restroom?" Bian Guanyue asked.

Feng Tao said, "Turn right out the door and go all the way to the end."

Bian Guanyue immediately ran to the women's restroom, first taking care of her urgent need, then calling her classmate in Rong City. Her classmate then contacted other classmates, and finally found someone whose family sold computers.

"What model is your Apple laptop?"

"I don't know. It cost over fifteen thousand when I bought it."

"For an Apple laptop at your price point, if you replace it with a compatible screen or a used screen, including the labor cost for repair, it can probably be done for around one to two thousand yuan. Some might charge you two to three thousand if they're a bit ruthless. The specific price fluctuates greatly depending on the quality of the replacement screen."

"What if I want to replace it with a new screen of the corresponding model?"

"Three to five thousand. If it's not an Apple authorized repair center, getting genuine parts is very troublesome. Strictly speaking, the Pengcheng contract manufacturers are also shipping illegally, and those people are taking risks, so they naturally want to make a profit."

"Thank you, I understand."

Bian Guanyue wasn't some naive simpleton; she was quite smart, just usually quiet.

After making the call, she knew that Chen Guiliang's cousin hadn't lied.

Returning to the shop, Feng Tao asked with a smile, "How is it? I didn't overcharge, did I?"

Bian Guanyue said, "I'll get it repaired here."

Feng Tao said, "If you trust me, leave the laptop here and I'll call you when it's repaired. If you don't trust me, take the laptop back and I'll contact you when the screen arrives."

"I'll take it back first," Bian Guanyue said.

Feng Tao added, "If you don't leave the computer, you need to pay a two thousand yuan deposit. This is to prevent you from changing your mind halfway and not getting it repaired. An Apple screen would be difficult to deal with if it's stuck with me. If you weren't Guiliang's friend, I would charge you at least three thousand for the deposit!"

Bian Guanyue took out a UnionPay card: "I'll pay three thousand in advance, but you have to guarantee it's a genuine new screen."

"Little rich woman," Feng Tao teased, "I'll write on the receipt that it's guaranteed to be a genuine new screen. When the screen is replaced, you can bring a knowledgeable friend to supervise."

She swiped her card for payment and received a receipt.

Bian Guanyue also left her phone number so Feng Tao could contact her when the screen arrived.

Chen Guiliang stood by, silently memorizing Bian Guanyue's phone number.

Feng Tao looked at his employee: "What are you standing there for? Just looking at the pretty girl? Go quickly and pour some tea!"

"Oh." The employee hurried to make tea.

"No need." Bian Guanyue picked up her computer and backpack, ready to leave.

Chen Guiliang said, "Cousin, we're leaving now."

Feng Tao asked Chen Guiliang, "Aren't you staying a bit longer?"

"I'll come back to find you later." Chen Guiliang accompanied Bian Guanyue downstairs.

Outside the department store, Bian Guanyue's mood brightened, and the previous gloom was swept away.

Bian Guanyue said, "Thank you."

"Whatever makes you happy," Chen Guiliang replied with a smile.

Hearing this, Bian Guanyue quickly walked ahead, turning her back to Chen Guiliang and smiling.

The two reached the roadside to wait for a car. Remembering what happened on the way there, Bian Guanyue quickly reminded him, "Don't take that road again this time. I almost threw up when it was the bumpiest."

Chen Guiliang gloated, "That was me letting you experience a different kind of life."

They hailed a taxi and took it to the long-distance bus station. This time, of course, they took the smooth provincial road.

Chen Guiliang only bought one ticket.

"You're not going back to school?" Bian Guanyue asked in surprise.

Chen Guiliang said, "I still need to talk to my uncle about something."

Chen Guiliang waited with her until Bian Guanyue got on the bus, then stood far away and waved goodbye.

As the distance grew, Bian Guanyue kept looking back at Chen Guiliang through the bus window until his waving figure completely disappeared.

The seat next to her was empty, and Bian Guanyue felt a little unaccustomed to it.

Only then did she remember that Chen Guiliang had paid for all the transportation.

Should she pay him back?

They were friends now, so it seemed unnecessary to be so calculating. What if Chen Guiliang felt awkward accepting the money?

But Chen Guiliang seemed to be very short on cash.

Bian Guanyue thought long and hard, agonizing for a while, and decided to treat Chen Guiliang to a few meals.

Chen Guiliang was indeed broke. At this moment, he was waiting for a bus by the roadside.

He couldn't bear to take a taxi.

Arriving at the department store again, his uncle Feng Tao was already preparing to close up.

"Closing so early?" Chen Guiliang asked.

Feng Tao explained, "Longdu is too small a place; there aren't many people with money to buy computers. Tomorrow is Saturday, business might be better, so it's better to go back and rest early today."

Chen Guiliang said, "I'm staying at your place tonight."

"Then I'll call your aunt and tell her to cook a couple more dishes," Feng Tao said, taking out his phone. "What did you come back to see me for?"

Chen Guiliang said, "To talk to you about a business deal."

(Thanks to the two big bosses, Feng Sheng Shui Qi and Ba Dao Le Ge, for their Alliance Leader rewards.)