Chapter 28: An Eccentric Family
Five minutes later, Li Jie found himself sitting in the driver’s seat, staring wide-eyed at Su Mengyao beside him. He had really checked her bank balance, not because the girl was penniless, but because thirty-eight thousand six hundred seventy-five yuan and ninety-three cents wasn’t exactly a fortune. Hardly enough for a slap on the back. At best, it could fund a low-budget adult film.
“Look, little sister, you’d better keep this money for yourself,” he said.
“I have a part-time job. I work at ‘Gourmet Delivery,’” she replied.
“You… is that how you found out where I live?”
“Yes.”
“…”
“I secretly took a lot of handsome photos of you, brother. Look.”
“You’re a stalker! That’s a bit creepy, you know. Don’t do it again.”
“Would you send me selfies, then?”
“…”
Li Jie didn’t feel like talking anymore. He shifted into second gear and headed straight to a small supermarket called ‘Jianping Supermarket’ in the Vermilion Bird district.
This was the shop owned by honest Su Jianping.
He parked under a camphor tree by the roadside. Su Mengyao grabbed his hand and tugged him into the supermarket.
Behind a cornered glass counter sat a middle-aged man watching television, with the tobacco and alcohol cabinet beside him. Whether the supermarket made money depended on those items. Beverage and water brands would give him cold drink fridges for free, which could earn him around two thousand yuan a month. Pure retail wasn’t worth much.
Su Jianping looked rather dour and was lean, though his hair was meticulously combed and not balding. He wore glasses and had a certain “disciplinary director” air about him.
“Dad!”
“Oh, Yaoyao, you’re here! Sit down, sit down. What would you like to eat? I’ll go across the street and buy some prepared dishes, maybe some roast duck.”
“Dad, let me introduce you. This is my husband.”
“…”
“…”
Li Jie whipped his head around. “Don’t joke like that! Sir, don’t listen to her nonsense. I only met her today—I’m just giving her a ride.”
“Brother Li Jie, don’t you want to be my ‘hero’ anymore?”
“…”
Girl, please, don’t act so anime-ish in public. Don’t make it awkward…
The shop was small, but there were people around.
A customer walked in smiling, only to see the burly Li Jie standing there and almost thought someone was here to collect protection money. Fortunately, Li Jie’s “handsome guy” aura was more sunny and righteous, so the customer just asked Su Jianping about buying something.
“Old Su, where are the ‘Strange Beans’? My grandson’s been asking for them.”
“Second row at the back, opposite the spicy strips.”
“Oh, got it, I see them.”
Su Jianping glanced at Li Jie, not daring to look directly but sneaking peeks, as Li Jie’s build intimidated him.
“Yaoyao, this man…” he whispered to his daughter, “what does he do?”
“He’s a college student.”
“Oh, that’s good.”
He relaxed a bit, but still thought Li Jie’s physique was daunting—those arms were really thick.
“Yaoyao, help me buy a roast duck, half a pound of pork head meat, and some cold dishes, vegetarian ones.”
Li Jie took out a hundred yuan and handed it to Su Mengyao. “I’ll take it with me later.”
“No need, brother…”
“It’s not for me. I can’t let you pay—it's for someone else.”
“Alright.”
Su Mengyao took his money and left the shop.
Li Jie immediately leaned on the counter and asked, “Sir, do you know your daughter has a psychological disorder?”
“Yes,” Su Jianping nodded, “It’s all my fault for not taking good care of Yaoyao. If only I’d…”
“You knew?”
“Yes.”
Su Jianping, about to launch into a lament, was cut off.
“No, seriously, what’s wrong with you? If your daughter’s got mental health issues, you should’ve taken custody, right? Didn’t you give your ex-wife money after your divorce?”
“My wife can’t even cook. If Yaoyao doesn’t look after her a bit, I worry…”
“Stop talking!”
Li Jie’s face darkened. He suspected Su Jianping was a doormat, but hadn’t expected him to be the ultimate, deeply poisoned kind. Just looking at him was infuriating.
“The place Su Mengyao lives in now—is that the house you gave them?”
“No, I originally bought 'Hidden Dragon Estate,' over sixty thousand per square meter. What they live in now is only thirty thousand per square meter. The one I bought before was a large flat, over thirteen million yuan.”
“…”
Li Jie was stunned.
He couldn’t calm down for a long time.
“Seriously, the place Su Mengyao lives in now—I figure it’s maybe three hundred thousand yuan? Let’s say four hundred thousand. And in five years, the two of them spent nine million?”
“Studying art is expensive, thirty to forty thousand a year. And there are all kinds of international exchange activities—the registration fees alone are tens of thousands. Plus monthly cosmetics and bags, even economizing, it’s still ten to twenty thousand a month. Spending nine million in five years really isn’t much. So I was afraid they’d be strapped and left another six million in savings…”
“Enough! Stop talking!”
Li Jie covered his face. At this moment, he felt not just the disparity of the world, but a burning curiosity—how could such a doormat… make so much money?
“Sir, I’m curious. If you could support such a wife, why are you running a small shop now?”
“It’s a small supermarket,” Su Jianping corrected him. “I’m about to open a second branch.”
“…”
“You want to ask why I could make millions before, but not now, right?”
“I’m just curious. You don’t have to answer if you don’t want.”
“There’s nothing wrong with talking about it. You’re Yaoyao’s boyfriend—sooner or later, we’ll be family.”
“There’s something off with your whole family.”
No wonder Li Jie was rude; this trio was truly bizarre.
“The reason for my change is mainly my father.”
“Huh?”
“He used to be a councilman in Vermilion Bird district, but he was exposed for taking a bribe from a Pingjiang real estate company. He lost his councilman status and was sentenced to two and a half years. All my former business partners disappeared.”
“…”
Sorry, I was being presumptuous just now.
You’re not just a bizarre trio—your whole family, three generations, are eccentric.
“Brother Li Jie, I’ve bought everything you wanted~”
Su Mengyao came in and her eyes were only for Li Jie.
“Thanks.”
Li Jie took the goods and placed them on the counter. “Sir, have some. The roast duck is still warm.”
“Let’s all eat together. I’ll call Yaoyao’s grandfather over—he’s just been released a few days, and it’s a good chance to get acquainted. If you and Yaoyao make it, it’ll save the trouble of introductions.”
“…”
For some reason, Li Jie felt his own train of thought was being led astray by this family.
Damn, maybe he had a psychological disorder too?