Chapter 136: Boy x Bullying x Studying Like Crazy (15)

Chapter 136: Boy x Bullying x Studying Like Crazy (15)

Wei Caifeng was the one who knew the family's financial situation the best.

She had to take care of the elderly and the young at home, and she also had to hustle day and night at the vegetable stall. If some local bullies came to demand management fees or sanitation fees, she would have to frown and squeeze out even more of her hard-earned money.

In their small, seventh to eighth-tier city, the per capita consumption was very low. For those like them who sold goods on the fringes of the market, they couldn’t earn much even by working hard all year round, ending each day drenched in sweat.

She had often complained that her mother had married her off to Tang Xinqiang for a meager dowry, only to hand over all the money to her wasteful younger brother. When she got married, all she received were a few quilts and a gold-plated ring.

The market was a place full of gossip, with people whispering about which family had gotten rich.

Running a small business could only barely make ends meet, but if you managed to get close to a wealthy family, even the money that slipped through their fingers would be enough for a good life.

It was said that Old Wang, who sold pork at the northwest corner, had remarried a widow whose family owned a hotel. Within a few months, he was thriving and even started driving a car.

Wei Caifeng had long urged her husband to expand their sales channels. She also kept an eye on nearby restaurants and hotels, hoping to meet a generous and easygoing boss.

But most of them had fixed suppliers and looked down on small vendors like them, leaving her efforts in vain.

Who would have thought that her husband’s sharp tongue would chase away such a golden opportunity right at their doorstep!

Wei Caifeng was slow to react and only thought of stopping them when it was too late. Miss Lan had already left in her car, long gone, and there was no way to catch up.

In a fit of rage, Wei Caifeng lashed out at Tang Xinqiang, pinching him and cursing furiously, regretting that she hadn’t thought of this earlier and that such an opportunity had come so suddenly.

The boy, as usual, did not get involved in their quarrels. After breakfast, he went back to his room to do his homework.

The system cheerfully reported the situation: "Madam Tang's stress level is 320, and Mr. Tang's stress level was 280 when Miss Lan was present, but it increased by 310 after she left."

Keding wondered, "He seems to hate the rich so much. I didn’t expect him to regret losing the business opportunity."

"He regrets it deeply. Otherwise, given Mr. Tang's personality, do you think he would tolerate his wife kicking and hitting him?" the system said. "Quick, pretend to be studying. They're about to knock on the door."

In the Tang family, the couple always entered their son's room without knocking, regardless of whether he was changing clothes or doing homework.

Today, quite unusually, Tang Xinqiang knocked twice on the door, as if a monkey trying to mimic a human.

"Xiao Zhi, are you still studying?"

"Haven't finished my homework yet."

"Mom and Dad have something to talk to you about," Mr. Tang said, fidgeting with the edge of his clothes, sitting on the edge of Tang Zhi's bed, trying hard to assume an authoritative tone. "Stop writing for now and talk to us for a bit."

Mrs. Tang sat beside him, her forehead breaking out in worry lines.

Tang Zhi obediently turned around.

"Dad misunderstood you and Miss Lan," Mr. Tang said. "I called some friends and asked. They said Miss Lan is a famous businesswoman in our city and is very good at doing business. She seems to have powerful connections."

Mrs. Tang sighed deeply.

"You see, our family's conditions aren’t good. If we could do business with Miss Lan, our income would improve significantly," Mr. Tang, unable to directly admit that he had to rely on his child to ask for a favor, twisted his words several times but still sounded stiff. "So, you should talk to Miss Lan and ask her not to mind what I said earlier. A harmonious relationship can lead to prosperity."

Tang Zhi blinked.

"Dad, you called her a... you called her a whore in front of her."

"How can you, as a student, say such things!" Mr. Tang jumped up. "She was dressed so revealingly; it’s no wonder I jumped to conclusions!"

Tang Mother suddenly pulled him down: "If you keep talking nonsense like this, even if ten big bosses come, our family will still scrape by on nothing!"

"Tang Xinqiang, if you can't control your mouth, we’re getting a divorce right now!"

"Do you want to starve for the rest of your life? What crime did I and our son commit to deserve this hard life with you!"

Tang Father took a deep breath and said awkwardly: "I shouldn’t have said those things. I’m sorry, Miss Lan."

"But regardless, you did save her life," Tang Father's eyes shifted back. "You saved her life. How can we just forget something like that?"

"Dad, she gave us 80,000 yuan, and the police station returned every bit of it to her," Tang Zhi said. "And Lawyer Jin was the lawyer she hired."

"Is her life really only worth 80 grand? She’s loaded—no telling how much she’s made out there!"

Tang Mother sighed again, and the boy sighed inwardly too.

He rambles on forever without getting to the point—it’s exhausting.

"Dad, I need to do my homework. What’s your point?"

"You can do your homework anytime! Right now, you need to go see Miss Lan."

Tang Mother pushed him again. "Can’t you show a little more respect? We should bring a gift and talk to her properly."

"I don’t know where she is… Do you have her number?"

Tang Father said impatiently, "It was just some harsh words. How can she be so ungrateful after you saved her life?"

"After all, you saved her life!"

Tang Zhi flipped open his address book and dialed the landline number in front of his parents.

He didn’t want to reveal that he had a sports car or even a phone, knowing it would only cause more trouble with how his parents handled things.

A young lady answered the phone, and upon learning that it was for Sister Lan, quickly relayed the message, switching to an internal line.

When Lan Yinghua answered the call, the background was filled with loud music and chatter, making it hard to hear clearly.

Without waiting for Tang Zhi’s consent, Tang Xinqiang pressed the speakerphone button.

"Kid," Lan Yinghua said with a smile, "I’ve left some bird’s nest with snow frog and foreign calcium supplements by your door. Make sure to take care of your injuries."

"Sister Lan," Tang Zhi said, glancing at his parents who were watching him intently, "my parents want to meet you. They want to apologize."

"No need for apologies," Lan Yinghua’s voice suddenly turned cold, "anything else?"

Just as Tang’s mother was about to go pick up the gifts, she suddenly rushed to the phone and slapped Tang Xinqiang hard.

"Miss Lan, Miss Lan, it’s me," Tang Xinqiang nervously licked his lips and tried to find the right words, "the incident this morning was a misunderstanding. Please, don’t hold it against me."

"About the business, can we discuss it again? Let’s talk, please," he said, grimacing. With only a primary school education, he didn’t know how to smooth-talk anyone, "for young Tang’s sake, can we meet properly? Our family is struggling, and this child is suffering too. We can’t go on like this."

Lan Yinghua let out a cold laugh, "Under normal circumstances, you’d be in the hospital with a broken bone right now."

Tang Xinqiang, humiliated, said, "I’m sorry, I’m a rough man and don’t think before I speak. Please don’t be angry."

Fortunately, she was willing to meet and gave them an address. She also mentioned that a car would come to pick up the family.

A sleek sedan picked up the three of them and took them to the nightclub. The couple felt uneasy as soon as they walked in, afraid to look around too much.

They didn’t belong in this kind of place, where even a glass of juice was out of their price range. Once inside, they felt completely out of place and uncomfortable.

In contrast, Tang Zhi walked in with calm confidence, and several waiters bowed respectfully as he passed.

Lan Yinghua was going over the accounts in the private room. When she saw Tang Zhi, she smiled and signaled the waiter to bring ice cream and a fruit platter. She barely glanced at his parents.

Tang Zhi enjoyed his ice cream without a care and motioned to his parents to say whatever they needed to say; he couldn’t get involved.

Tang’s father was intimidated by her presence, knowing she was someone far above his league. All he wanted was to make more money, so he couldn’t afford to act tough. He kept giving Tang Zhi pleading looks.

"Xiao Zhi, please put in a good word for me, will you?"

Tang Zhi feigned innocence. "Dad, you’ve always told me not to get involved in your matters. I’m just a kid, and I don’t know how to handle these things."

Father Tang was anxious. "This isn’t the time to say something like that!"

"Usually, if I say a little too much, you raise your hand as if you’re going to hit me." Tang Zhi scooped another spoonful of ice cream. "You always tell me that just because I’ve read a few books, I think I’m better than everyone else, but I don’t know squat."

Miss Lan raised her eyebrows, her tone turning even colder.

"Is this how you usually treat him?"

Mother Tang forced a smile. "No, no, we’ve always taken great care in educating this child..."

"What do you think about the times he’s been bullied?"

Father Tang immediately said, "At the end of the day, he was too showy at school."

"I always tell him, we’re just an ordinary family; we can’t afford to provoke powerful people. When we see trouble, we need to avoid it!"

"Why do those bullies single him out and never bother anyone else?"

Miss Lan slammed the wine glass to the ground, laughing angrily. "Do you think you’re in the right?"

Father Tang, who believed his words were the absolute truth, was stunned by the sudden outburst.

"Your son is being bullied, and you side with outsiders every time. What kind of father are you?"

She leaned forward, initially pretending, but now genuinely angry. "So, how many unethical things have you two done to end up being extorted for protection money and sanitation fees, suffering outside, and still blaming your son for not putting up with it?"

"With your kind of behavior, my Lan family wouldn’t dare to do business with you. The payments we give you might get robbed, and you wouldn’t even dare to make a sound!"

"You’re both useless cowards, and you even want your son to learn to bow and scrape!"

"Xiao Tang is such a good kid, but you keep putting him down all the time!"

Father Tang, unable to bear the humiliation, wanted to retort, but his wife stomped hard on his foot.

Miss Lan looked at Tang Zhi and said, "This child saved me. In the future, if anything happens to him, I’ll lend a hand."

"As for the two of you, you have nothing to do with me, so don’t come looking for me again!"

Mother Tang, in a panic, started bowing. "Miss Lan! Miss Lan! Please give us a chance. The vegetables from our family have always been high-quality and affordable. Please help us get some connections, we’re begging you!"

Father Tang was furious but couldn’t say anything, as money was pressing him down. He could only glare at his son.

Tang Zhi, still enjoying his ice cream, said, "Dad, you haven’t even properly apologized to her yet."

Tang's father: "...I'm sorry, Miss Tang, I shouldn't have spoken to you like that this morning."

Lan Yinghua, resting her chin in her hand, looked at him and said slowly, "Alright, I'll give you a chance."

"If the two of you can accomplish three things, I'll split the business with you. Even if the initial payment for the goods isn't enough, I can front the payment."

"From now on, it won't just be vegetable trade, but also river fish, seafood, and meat—beef, lamb, pork. I can give you a share of these as well."

Tang’s parents were caught off guard by how easily she offered this opportunity and nodded eagerly.

"Go on, we're listening!"

Lan Yinghua looked at Tang Xinqiang and spoke calmly.

"The first thing is, you need to bow and apologize to Tang Zhi, and from now on, when something comes up, you need to let him finish speaking before you respond."

Tang's mother didn’t hesitate to agree. To her, bowing was a small price to pay for making money—she’d do it ten times if she had to.

Tang's father's face darkened, and he remained silent, clearly uncomfortable.

"The second thing is, you both need to pass the basic accounting certification exam."

Lan Yinghua smiled and said, "I've already arranged the training classes. Both of you need to pass."

"If you can do that, I'll feel comfortable gradually handing over the business that brings in hundreds of thousands in revenue to you."

"I will not trust you if you can only handle counting pennies."

Tang's mother looked dazed and asked, "How long will this take to study?"

"The training class requires full-day study, and the course lasts two months."

Lan Yinghua said, "I'll cover the tuition, but I expect both of you to pass."

"If you can't even manage this, then don't even think about handling big business."

Tang's father's face darkened even more, and he had been holding back from speaking, but now he was becoming restless.

Keding sighed as he watched.

Giving the Tangs a shot at this opportunity was turning out to be harder than expected.

System: "Look on the bright side, with how his useless father is with studying, he'll probably break down multiple times, which will quickly give you some stress points."

Keding: "Oh, that's true! That's a good point!"

Tang's mother was determined to follow her instructions, regardless of what Tang's father thought.

"What's the third thing?"

"You," Lan Yinghua said, pointing her red-nailed index finger at Tang's father again.

"When making decisions, always listen to your son and wife first."

"You’re not allowed to yell at or lose your temper with them anymore."

System: "Hilarious, want to bet if Tang Xinqiang will agree?"

Keding: "He’s on the verge of breaking down!"