Chapter 135: Tidying Up the New Home

"Da Wu, come here for a moment!" Chen Liang summoned his most trusted confidant. "In a little while, take some men with you, accompany Director Guo home to collect one thousand yuan, and then hand the money over to Widow Qin. Go quickly and return promptly; I have more things for you to do when you get back."

"Got it, Brother Liang, I'm on it," Cao Dawu agreed readily, then set off with Director Guo to retrieve the money.

As Chen Liang passed the meeting room next door, he glanced through the window at Qin Jingru, who was sobbing uncontrollably in Widow Qin's arms, and the corners of his mouth curled up involuntarily.

Don't get the wrong idea, folks; Chen Liang is a man of integrity. He truly needs Qin Jingru's help!

Chen Liang had been fretting over where to find a reliable nanny. Old Man Lu and Grandma Sun were old-school intellectuals who had never lifted a finger for housework. Chen Liang suspected that without a nanny to wait on them, the elderly couple might actually starve to death.

Yes, Chen Liang was already arranging an escape route for Old Man Lu. Not for any other reason, but because Old Man Lu treated Xiaoyu like his own granddaughter, and Chen Liang couldn't bear to see the old man suffer through hard labor in his twilight years.

Why did Chen Liang make such an exorbitant demand for compensation on behalf of the naive country girl, Qin Jingru?

It was precisely because only with a large sum of money would Widow Qin become tempted and take the initiative to scheme against her own cousin.

As the old saying goes, one only learns wisdom after suffering a loss. Before Widow Qin's wicked nature was exposed, if Chen Liang had simply told Qin Jingru, "Your cousin isn't a good person; you need to be wary of her," do you think the girl would have done anything other than roll her eyes at him and call him crazy?

So, all things considered, words are useless. Only after she takes a fall will she realize that her cousin is a trap and learn to avoid her in the future.

Chen Liang was currently waiting for her to stumble. Once she saw her cousin's true face, he would step in to help her up and offer her a safe place to stay. Only then would this naive country girl be grateful enough to properly look after Old Man Lu and his wife.

A perfect plan. Chen Liang couldn't help but praise himself in the mirror!

Under Chen Liang's threat, Director Guo obediently scraped together a thousand yuan from home, not daring to pull any tricks.

Watching that thick stack of ten-yuan bills, Widow Qin couldn't help but swallow hard; deep down, her greed was surging wildly.

All of this was seen by Chen Liang. *Heh!* As expected, Widow Qin's eyes were filled with greedy desire. Chen Liang glanced at Qin Jingru, who was stunned by the massive sum of money before her. *Sigh!* Just suffer for a few days! Later, I will descend like a hero to save you from this sea of bitterness.

When that time comes, don't fall madly in love with me, because I am a man you will never be able to possess!

After dealing with Director Guo's affairs, Chen Liang had a brief chat with Director Li, subtly suggesting that Director Guo was greedy, lecherous, cowardly, and a source of trouble—utterly useless. He left it for Director Li to decide how to handle him, then gracefully departed from the Red Star Rolling Mill.

Having repaid his debt to Director Li, Chen Liang took his keys to the small, detached courtyard he had been allocated.

Following the information he had, Chen Liang found his new home, opened the iron padlock on the gate, and stepped inside.

A small courtyard greeted him, overgrown with weeds and looking rather dilapidated. This was understandable; it had been nearly a year since the previous occupants moved out. It looked run-down now, but with a little tidying, it would look brand new.

Chen Liang then inspected the main house and the side rooms, nodding in approval. Overall, it was decent; he would just need to do a little simple renovation later. He bought a few new locks to replace the old ones and left, feeling quite satisfied.

When he went to the library to pick up Xiaoyu after work, Chen Liang steered his bike toward their new home.

"Look, honey, this will be our new home from now on. Is there anything you want to buy?"

Xiaoyu was beaming with excitement. "Yes, yes! Brother, I want this room to be the study, and this one to be the living room. Oh my! There are so many things to buy, I can't even list them all. Let me make a list, and we can go shopping together, okay?"

"Deal! We'll go together! But honey, what do you think about this room for our bedroom? We can buy a canopy bed, and then we two can..."

"Oh, you rascal!" Xiaoyu, blushing furiously at his teasing, shyly tapped his chest with her small fists.

They spent a little extra time at the new house, mainly because Chen Liang's shoelace had come undone, and Xiaoyu was still clumsy at tying it, which wasted some time!

After returning home just in time for dinner, Chen Liang had barely finished eating when Cao Dawu and the others arrived. It was rare to have everyone together, so Chen Liang didn't take Xiaoyu for a walk; instead, he took his childhood friends to see his new place.

They opened the door and tumbled in noisily. Chen Liang clapped his hands. "Since you're all here, don't just stand around. Help me clear out this yard tonight."

"Oh, come on, Brother Liang, I'm wearing a new outfit. If I work, I'll get it all dirty!" Han Er, ever the vain one, immediately complained.

"You brat, if you don't work, go buy a crate of soda for everyone. And make sure it's cold!"

Hearing he didn't have to work, Han Er agreed on the spot. "Don't worry, Brother Liang, I'll ride to the cold drink factory now and get them ice-cold!"

Chen Liang took off his jacket and began working alongside his friends, pulling weeds, leveling the ground, and tidying up. By the time they were nearly finished, a dog-tired Han Er returned, riding his bike with a crate of soda tied to the seat with hemp rope.

The soda bottles were beaded with condensation, clearly fresh from the ice cellar.

"Man, that wore me out. If I'd known, I should have just stayed and helped you dig!"

Seeing the soda, Chen Liang clapped his hands and called out to Cao Dawu and the group. "Take a break, everyone, have some soda!"

Cao Dawu set down his tools and walked over. They were brothers who had grown up together, so there was no need for formality. Each grabbed two bottles, tapped them head-to-head, and with a "pop," the caps were off!

After downing the soda in a few gulps, Cao Dawu and the others spoke with a touch of sarcasm: "Brother Liang, just giving us soda won't cut it. You've moved into a new place; shouldn't you treat the brothers to a proper meal?"

Chen Liang gestured grandly. "Haha! No problem! When I officially move in, I'll definitely treat you guys to a great feast. We won't leave until we're drunk!"

At that, Cao Dawu and the others froze, instantly wishing they could slap themselves. Why did they bring up eating? What kind of madness would possess them to challenge a bottomless pit like Chen Liang to a drinking contest?