The Scum Gong Begs Me to Get Back Together, but I Just Want to Get Rich

Jiang Xiao closed the door of the truck and counted the money in his pocket. He then checked the time. It was too late to take the bus and Lin Chengyu saw that he seemed to be going to do something. The Lin family’s car was also parked there.

“Xiao Xiao, let me see you off,” he stopped him. “Where are you going?”

Jiang Xiao pretended not to listen and walk past him. He was busy with his business, after all. However, seeing the other person make him remember something, so he turned his head and asked, “Is the air conditioner in my house related to you?”

Lin Chengyu wanted to play dumb, “What air conditioner? I really don’t know.”

Jiang Xiao glared at him, “Tell me honestly Lin Chengyu, don’t lie.”

“I really don’t know,” Lin Chengyu gritted his teeth and refused to admit it. If he really admitted it, Jiang Xiao would definitely reject them, so he started to babble, “You mentioned about them last time, so I bought a dishwasher. There are also other things I want you to take back today.” He then opened the trunk of his car and there were a pile of big and small bags.

Jiang Xiao was speechless, “… take them back, I don’t want it.”

After talking to this point, Jiang Xiao didn’t ask any more questions. He didn’t dare to accept Lin Chengyu’s things. He was in a hurry, so he walked to the intersection to take a taxi.

Lin Chengyu was also curious what Jiang Xiao was going to do at this time, so he took the Lin family’s car to follow that taxi. Unexpectedly, Jiang Xiao took the taxi to the city center, where there were things that cannot be bought in the wholesale market.

The wholesale market was next to an industrial park, which sold products that were produced by the nearby small factories. There were many small manufacturers along the Liujiang River. It was cheap because it was close to the production place. However, for some imported goods and other rare items, you still had to go to the city center’s department store to get them.

Welcoming the new year, Jiang Xiao had planned to bring gifts for everyone.

Some of the paints Ye Yingying used and some special pencils for sketching on his paintings were not available in Houlin. He did some research and found them to be available in Liujiang. It should be good to use better equipment.

Jiang Xiao also picked out a pack of high-quality cigarettes for Uncle Ye and the ones he wanted to buy for Lin Heyuan were a bit different as it was more related to studying. Lin Heyuan’s class notes were all in order, only the physics’ notes were different. Not only that, but also in the mock exams, he would always add a lot of comments, many of which were obviously extremely detailed knowledge.

He should like physics very much, but a high school junior students couldn’t be biased. Lin Heyuan’s grades in every subjects were very good. If Jiang Xiao hadn’t read his notes carefully and noticed this, other people wouldn’t have noticed either.

He selected a lot of physics books for Lin Heyuan, some of them were just regular class books, and some were about physics competitions and olympiad books. If there was an opportunity in high school, maybe Lin Heyuan could go in this direction, but it was up to him.

When he was checking out at the bookstore, he saw a creative physics ornament in the small shelves next to it, called the Newton’s Pendulum. The way the balls were keep swaying was very interesting. Jiang Xiao looked at the price and found that it was a bit expensive, but he still bought it.

It was getting late, Jiang Xiao’s last trip in the city center was to go to a cake shop. This cake shop was very famous in Liujiang, as it had been open for decades. It had no other disadvantage other than being expensive. Jiang Xiao then use his remaining money, after deducted with taxi ride back, that was enough to buy a round mousse cake.

He asked the clerk for an ice pack and put the cake into the prepared boxy thermal insulation bag, hoping that the taste of the cake wouldn’t change when he returned to Houlin. Then he took all the prepared gifts with both hands and ready to go back.

After he took the taxi to return, he only had a coin left for himself. Just as Uncle Ye just receive a call, the snow in front of him had been cleared and the intersections had opened, so they could leave.

Jiang Xiao took his gifts and carefully got into the truck. He hid the gift for Uncle Ye and planned to give it to him during the Chinese New Year. He also remembered the 2,000 yuan he borrowed from Uncle Ye and planned to pay it back around the Spring Festival.

Seeing that the Chinese New Year was only a few days away, many shops outside hung red laterns. After Uncle Ye started the truck, he saw Jiang Xiao playing with the 1-yuan coin in his hand.

“Have you run out of money again?” Uncle Ye asked him.

“It’s okay, I will earn it back,” Jiang Xiao said. He looked at his last yuan coin and smiled, saying in a voice he could only hear, “I will take this as my own New Year’s gift.”

He put the last yuan coin in the breast pocket of his coat. When the truck drove away, he saw Lin Chengyu standing at the intersection, but for only a flash.

When he went out to buy things, he also knew that Lin Chengyu followed him all the time, so he just let him see. After all, buying gifts were not shameful.

Because Lin Chengyu had been following around, he was also very clear on what Jiang Xiao bought. After Jiang Xiao was reborn, there were only a few people who had a particularly good relationship with him, so he could figure out which gifts for whom.

The paints and pencils were for Ye Yingying, who was learning to paint. Uncle Ye liked to smoke, so the cigarettes must be for him. Jiang Xiao’s physics grade were the kind that couldn’t go up or down. He didn’t show any enthusiasm for this subject, although seemed to be very attentive to his assignments. Those physics books and ornaments were probably gifted for Lin Heyuan, and the take away cake was to be enjoyed together with his mother. Xia Wanwan’s taste was similar to Jiang Xiao’s, after all they were mother and son.

Jiang Xiao liked to prepare gifts for others. In other words, he was a person who liked to share his happiness around. When he was happy and had a little spare time, he would bring gifts to others. Lin Chengyu had received too many of them that he couldn’t keep count.

It was as small as a pen that he thought looked good, a snack he thought delicious, or as big as a home and a steady lifestyle. But for those who didn’t care about it before, it was useless to think it was precious now.

Jiang Xiao was still the same Jiang Xiao, his generosity towards the person he loved had not changed, and the only one who felt regretful was Lin Chengyu.

After Jiang Xiao’s truck drove back to Houlin, Lin Chengyu didn’t want to go home so soon. He felt uncomfortable and walked for a long time around the industrial park and wholesale market. It was almost the end of the year, all the shops closed early and the lights were dimmed. He had no choice but to leave. When he was on the way back, he asked the driver to go to the city center to visit the cake shop that Jiang Xiao liked.

He didn’t like sweets that much, but if Jiang Xiao likes them, he still wanted to try them.

It seemed that Jiang Xiao had often eaten and bought cakes from this shop in his previous life. Lin Chengyu still remembered the small cake Jiang Xiao bought for him for the first time. At that time, it was a small cake. Jiang Xiao bought just one piece initially, just for the two of them.

Lin Chengyu had been happy at that time, the university had agreed for him going back to study. When he came back, it was already late at night. Jiang Xiao had already eaten more than half of the small cake. He must had been too tired waiting for him, as he was fast asleep on the table. The lights in the house were still on, glowing with warmth in yellow.

As soon as the door closed, Jiang Xiao woke up. It was New Year’s Eve, so he happily dragged Lin Chengyu to sit by the dining table, showing him the cake he had prepared like a treasure.

“On the New Year’s Eve, my family usually eats glutinous rice balls. It is best to wrap them by hand. They pay attention to the sweet reunion of families, but I still don’t know how to make glutinous rice balls.” Jiang Xiao said, “Actually, I don’t like glutinous rice balls that much. I have been working at this shop recently and the business is good, so the boss is kind enough to gave us red envelopes at the end of the shift. After thinking about it, I just decided to buy what I want to eat this year.”

Half of this small cake had been eaten and the other half was naturally reserved for Lin Chengyu.

Lin Chengyu still remembered the appearance of that cake, it was a bit over-the-top and delicate-looking, it shouldn’t be cheap. It was really delicious too. As their life was getting better and better just like they wished for, and Jiang Xiao had more money in his hand, they often bought cakes. However, the taste couldn’t be compared to the first time they had them, when the two of them needed to share one cake together.

Remembering this moment, that cake was probably bought from this shop.

Lin Chengyu came late and the shop was about to close. This cake shop didn’t sell overnight pastries, and the last few small cakes in the counter were sold with a 50% discount. He saw there was one last mousse cake, the one that Jiang Xiao ate, which was the most popular. So Lin Chengyu bought it, but also trying to describe the shop clerk about the cake from his memory.

“Is this the one you’re talking about?” After listening to him, the clerk opened a menu book and pointed at the top picture. “This is a customized cake. It is more complicated to make, used the best ingredients as well, really delicious. Many regulars at out shop like them very much,” the clerk told him. “If you want it, you can pay in advance and come pick it up tomorrow. If you live in the city, we can also deliver it to your door.”

Lin Chengyu was stunned for a long time. He wasn’t able to snap back until the clerk called him several times.

The price on the menu was very expensive. The custom-made cakes were different from the ordinary ones in the counter. The discounted cakes that Jiang Xiao bought earlier were just a fifth or a sixth of the price of the customized cake. When he came home in the past, he saw that Jiang Xiao had eaten half of his cake, thinking that he was stingy not to give him a whole cake.

Lin Chengyu finally ordered the cake, but he couldn’t get them today, and no matter what he asked, he would have to wait until tomorrow. The cake shop was already closed and he stood there for a long time in the cold windy day, with the discounted mousse cake in his hands.

It was already very late, but he didn’t move for a long time. Uncle Yue drove to look for Lin Chengyu and saw him standing alone under the streetlight, with his head down. Uncle Yue was wondering what he was doing and stepped forward, only to find that Lin Chengyu was crying.

This person seldom cried, except when he was little and hadn’t remembered things. Afterwards, he had never seen him cry. The more recent one was about half a year ago, he was in a small car accident and fainted for a few days. After waking up, he looked like he was insane. He broke down and cried a lot, then he become normal again. After Lin Chengyu met Jiang Xiao, his eyes often red and swollen after he heard Jiang Xiao’s words. But today was different. He just lowered his head and shed tears silently, if he hadn’t come closer, he wouldn’t be able to notice.

Uncle Yue regarded him as someone who grew up under his care, never treating him with employer-employee relationship, but more like treating him as a close junior.

“At this age, you are not a child anymore. Why are you crying?” Uncle Yue gave him a tissue, “Jiang Xiao was ignoring you again? Or did he beat or scold you?”

Lin Chengyu shook his head.

He was used to being ignored, and he was actually happy when he saw Jiang Xiao as a real person. He was willing to be beaten or scolded, as long as Jiang Xiao could vent his temper, because he really deserved it.

He just shook his head, Uncle Yue couldn’t understand, but after all, the reason must had been Jiang Xiao.

“Tell me, why did he treat you so badly?”

“No, it’s not that he treats me badly,” Lin Chengyu couldn’t stop crying. He was wiping his face with one hand, shaking, while the other hand was still guarding the little mousse cake. “I thought, that if he treated me badly, I’m fine with that.”

Jiang Xiao always treated him differently, always leaving him with the best things, not just the cake in his arms. In the past, Lin Chengyu either didn’t notice it, or he was used to it when he found out. Looking at it now, every time he tried to uncover more things, he discovered some small details he didn’t notice before. It made him felt guilty and distressed. He didn’t know how many more things he did wrong, which hurt him deeply and lost Jiang Xiao.

Uncle Yue was so confused, “????”

He didn’t know their past life, so naturally he couldn’t understand this sentence. He was full of doubts when he heard it.

Is he crazy? When did Jiang Xiao treat him well?

Forget it. Let him go.

Lin Chengyu looked really sad. He didn’t want to go home tonight, so he quietly took  a key in his pocket.

He and Jiang Xiao had lived in many different places in Liujiang. For example, the small villa where they lived for a long time hadn’t yet to be constructed, but the rented house that they lived in the beginning was still there. The rented house was a standard house with a wide-spaced rooms after the previous owner had renovated it. When Lin Chengyu found it, he changed it back according to its original appearance, but never dared to went back and took a look.