The Fantastic Little Farmer

Chapter 26: Chapter 26: This Handsome Young Man Is Quite Extraordinary

”He Xiong went to another province and hired some kind of master for a million yuan. What? You just got a little money, and you’re already planning to dabble in these underhanded tricks?” Zhang Lifeng mocked.

Zhang Yun was taken aback. ”He told you a million? The Shopkeeper at this store said three hundred thousand.”

”Three hundred thousand, my foot! He spent a million in total, and that master inspected his ancestral tombs, his residence, and all his storefronts. For this feng shui array you’re talking about, it averages out to maybe a few tens of thousands per store.”

Zhang Yun praised, ”As expected of an experienced senior, you know everything! Elder Zhang! Do me a favor—”

”Hold on! You don’t look like someone who would spend three hundred thousand on a feng shui array. Asking for my help, and it involves He Xiong... Heh! Did you go and wreck the feng shui array in someone’s store, kid?” Zhang Lifeng, that old fox, instantly understood.

Zhang Yun continued to bootlick. ”Elder Zhang truly is eagle-eyed. You know the truth without even seeing it...”

”When I asked you to come over, you talked to me about money. When everything is fine, it’s ’Old Zhang,’ but when you need something, it’s ’Elder Zhang’?”

Zhang Yun was helpless. ”I’ll give you face and add Ouyang Mingruo as a friend! In a few days, I’m going to meet Ouyang Kunpeng again...”

”Remember to put in a good word for me! And if you get any ginseng, let me see it first!” Zhang Lifeng immediately negotiated terms.

”Deal!” Zhang Yun said. ”Help me handle He Xiong. The Shopkeeper here called him, and he’s on his way.”

Zhang Lifeng said irritably, ”Handle what? You ruined someone else’s feng shui. The best I can do is tell He Xiong not to take his anger out on you in revenge, and not to make you pay the full three hundred thousand. What, do you expect me to pay it for you?”

”Just talk to him! I’m someone who can dig up centennial ginseng. You won’t be able to swallow the whole deal yourself when the time comes, so won’t it just take one word from you to introduce a buyer? And who I decide to sell to depends entirely on giving face to you, Elder Zhang, right?”

These words made Zhang Lifeng ponder for a moment. ”I’ll make a call and see. No guarantees!”

Auntie Pang was quietly comforting Xiuxun. Seeing that Zhang Yun had finished his call, they both looked over anxiously.

Zhang Yun smiled faintly. ”Don’t worry! I’ve found someone to talk to their boss.”

”Thank...” Xiuxun nodded vigorously, unable to continue speaking for fear of bursting into tears. She felt that her life was bitter and unlucky, and that crying would only make her more annoying.

”Can it be settled? They’re just scamming people here. Can’t we get a lawyer?” Auntie Pang asked in a low voice. She was still thinking about tropes from TV shows.

Zhang Yun shook his head. ”Regardless of whether it’s worth this much money, their boss did pay for it, so a lawsuit wouldn’t be in our favor. Besides, Sister-in-law Xiuqin can’t afford the ordeal.”

The two women fell silent. If today’s incident spread, it would become a joke; a drawn-out lawsuit would just make them a laughingstock for even longer.

”Don’t worry! The person I found carries a lot of weight. He should be able to settle this,” Zhang Yun said with a smile.

Auntie Pang and Xiuxun nodded, but they both knew this was merely a comfort... They were all villagers. If Zhang Yun’s family had any high-ranking officials or wealthy tycoons as relatives, who wouldn’t know?

The Shopkeeper of Liu’s Restaurant was also extremely anxious. Even though he had detained them and wouldn’t have to pay out of his own pocket, having the boss’s feng shui ruined meant he was definitely going to get scolded. No one made a sound. Even though the courtyard was spacious, the atmosphere was still rather heavy.

Zhang Yun also muttered inwardly, ”Even if the compensation is a few tens of thousands, Xiuxun won’t be able to pay it. If I front the money for her, it will still be very hard for her to pay me back... What should I do then? I can’t force her to sell her house or her belongings, and paying with her body or something is even more impossible. I’ll have to be prepared to expect nothing in return!”

Zhang Yun naturally loathed parting with this money. However, several images of Xiuxun flashed through his mind—sucking the blood from his wound to stop the bleeding, giving him that Protective Jade, and her soaked figure in the water...

”Fine, I’ll just treat it as the cost of those two steamed buns this morning!” he decided.

Having made this decision, Zhang Yun didn’t plan to tell her. She couldn’t pay him back anyway, so there was no need to burden her with the pressure, which would also avoid any future awkwardness when they met.

A few minutes later, Zhang Yun’s phone rang.

”You owe me a favor!” Zhang Lifeng yelled the moment the call connected. ”When do I ever need to beg anyone for anything? I just begged He Xiong for your sake! Tell me, shouldn’t you repay this favor?”

Zhang Yun certainly didn’t believe him. He figured that Six Records was probably one of the hospital’s medicinal herb suppliers, and with Vice Director Zhang speaking up, it wouldn’t have reached the point of begging. However, as long as the matter could be resolved—especially since he wouldn’t need to dig into his own pockets—Zhang Yun was very satisfied!

”Don’t worry. You won’t regret cooperating with me. What exactly did he say?”

”Sigh! I set my old pride aside to beg him this time—”

”That’s enough!” Zhang Yun interrupted him. ”If you keep going on about begging, it makes it seem like you don’t have any face at all. It’ll make me look down on you, and then how am I supposed to give you face?”

Zhang Lifeng coughed dryly. ”My face is still effective... Anyway, I handled it for you, so remember your promise. Don’t try to fool me; add Miss Ouyang!”

Zhang Yun didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, seeing that he still hadn’t forgotten about Ouyang Mingruo. ”Thanks!”

As he hung up the voice call, he noticed that the Shopkeeper was also answering his phone.

”Auntie Pang, Sister-in-law Xiuqin, the matter has been resolved. Once their boss notifies him, we can leave.”

The two of them still didn’t quite believe Zhang Yun’s words. They wondered how three hundred thousand could really be settled with just one phone call. Had he contacted some top-level official?

After the Shopkeeper finished his call, he walked over.

”You are... Mr. Zhang Yun, right?”

”That’s right.”

”Our boss said that to give you face, he won’t ask for the six hundred thousand. You may go!”

”What? It’s six hundred thousand now?” Auntie Pang couldn’t help but yell.

The Shopkeeper smiled bitterly. ”Three hundred thousand was the cost when the boss hired the expert last time. If we have to hire one again, it won’t be that price anymore. Furthermore, since our feng shui has been affected, our business will take a massive hit before it can be set up again. If it weren’t for giving Mr. Zhang Yun face, our boss would have demanded six hundred thousand in compensation!”

Auntie Pang was instantly intimidated. Both she and Xiuxun looked at Zhang Yun with adoring gazes.

What kind of big shot had Zhang Yun found? They wondered how a young lad like him could carry so much weight. That’s right! Previously, he had beaten up that thug, Li Bing, and then a whole group of thugs along with Li Dahai. Even yesterday, when Li Dajiang, the boss of the cement factory, came to his door, he had also left with his tail between his legs! They originally thought they knew Zhang Yun very well, but now they suddenly felt that this handsome young man was quite extraordinary!

”Let’s go!” Zhang Yun wasn’t polite with the Shopkeeper. Let alone six hundred thousand, even if they had demanded a million, they were still doing it out of respect for Old Zhang. Did they think they could earn another favor from him on top of that?

They were in no mood to sell their herbs anymore. They left immediately, not wanting to linger there for a second longer. They worried about what would happen if the boss went back on his word.

Coming out of Liu’s Restaurant, Auntie Pang rode her tricycle, taking Xiuxun back with her.

After such a commotion, Zhang Yun had no interest in asking about the herbal market anymore. However, before he could leave, the Shopkeeper grabbed hold of him.

”Mr. Zhang Yun, please come to the back for some tea and wait a moment. Our boss will be here shortly; he has something to discuss with you.”

Zhang Yun frowned slightly, wondering if Vice Director Zhang’s face wasn’t big enough, or if the boss of Six Records had superficially agreed with Zhang Lifeng only to try and suppress him again.