Siheyuan: Start with a big car

Liu Haizhong was startled by Liu Guangqi's sudden move, and the wine glass in his hand almost dropped, spilling all over the floor. He frowned, looked at Liu Guangqi who was kneeling on the floor in a state of embarrassment, and asked impatiently: "What's wrong with you? You're crying and panicking, what a mess!"

Liu Guangqi raised his head, his face full of tear marks, his eye sockets bruised, his lips peeled, and he stammered out the details of how he owed Chen Dazhuang money and how he was threatened. Finally, he cautiously begged, "Dad, I really have no other choice. Please lend me two hundred yuan to fill this hole first. As long as I can get through this, I swear that I will never play cards again, and I will work hard and live a good life."

When Liu Haizhong heard that he had to borrow 200 yuan, his eyes widened and his face flushed. He slammed the wine glass on the table, splashing the wine everywhere and a few peanuts falling. He stood up, pointed at Liu Guangqi's nose and cursed: "You good-for-nothing! You only know how to play cards every day, and you lost all the money in the family. Now you are in debt. You have the nerve to come to me for 200 yuan? How can I have so much spare money? The money I earn every month has to be saved for myself to drink a little wine and buy some cigarettes. Do you think I am the God of Wealth?"

Seeing his father's determination, Liu Guangqi was completely disappointed, but he still didn't give up. He hugged Liu Haizhong's legs with both hands and begged bitterly: "Dad, if you don't help me, I'm finished! Chen Dazhuang is very fierce. If I can't pay the money tomorrow, he will really beat me to death. Please help me this time because I am your biological son, I beg you!"

Liu Haizhong struggled to break free from Liu Guangqi's hand, turned around angrily and sat on the chair, picked up the wine glass again, took a big sip of wine, calmed down his emotions, and then said: "I can't care about your mess. You caused the trouble yourself, so you have to solve it yourself. If you ask me, you deserve it. You should have suffered a little and learned your lesson long ago!"

Second Auntie heard the quarrel between the father and son in the outer room from the inner room and hurried out. Seeing Liu Guangqi kneeling on the ground crying miserably and Liu Haizhong's face full of anger and determination, her heart was in knots. Second Auntie stepped forward, tugged at the corner of Liu Haizhong's clothes, and gently advised: "His father, calm down. After all, Guangqi is our son. How can we as a family stand by and watch him die? If we don't help him now, who will we count on to take care of us in our old age?"

Liu Haizhong was already full of anger, and after hearing what Second Aunt said, he became even more furious. He turned his head abruptly, glared at Second Aunt and yelled, "What do you know! Where does the money come from? I work so hard in the factory every day, and the little money I earn is enough for daily expenses, and I only have this little pocket money left for drinking and smoking. Do you want me to take out all my savings to fill his bottomless pit of gambling debts?" As he said that, he knocked the wine glass heavily on the table a few times, and the wine splashed everywhere, wetting the table.

The second aunt was so scared by Liu Haizhong's roar that she took a step back, her face full of grievance, but she still patiently continued to persuade: "No matter how tight our family is, we can't just watch Guangqi being bullied. Chen Dazhuang is obviously not a good person. If we really push Guangqi into a corner and something happens, it will be too late for us to regret it."

"Regret? Humph, he has done something wrong himself, so let him bear the consequences!" Liu Haizhong refused to listen and stood up, with his hands on his hips, and continued to complain, "For so many years, I have said everything I could, good or bad, asking him to stop playing cards and work hard. Did he ever listen? Now look what happened, he has made such a big mess, and he wants me to clean up the mess. No way!"

Liu Guangqi knelt on the ground, listening to his father's resolute and hurtful words, his heart sank to the bottom, he knew that there was no hope for Liu Haizhong. When the quarrel between his father and the second aunt gradually subsided, he slowly stood up, dragged his heavy feet, returned to his room, sat down on the bed, and looked ahead with empty eyes.

At this moment, the plan that Chen Dazhuang mentioned emerged in his mind involuntarily. When he thought about stealing the machine, his heart began to beat fast and cold sweat ran down his back. That was equipment imported from the Russians. The factory treasured it very much. If he was caught, he would definitely lose his job. He might even end up in jail and his whole life would be ruined. But what if he was lucky and no one found out? Not only could he avoid the deadly debt of two hundred yuan, but based on the preciousness of the machine, the buyer that Chen Dazhuang found would definitely pay a high price for it. By then, he could make a lot of money. Wouldn't life be much better if he had more money in hand?

The next day, the sun shone in the factory as usual, and the roar of the machines in the workshop could not cover up the calculations in people's hearts. Liu Guangqi had not slept all night, his eyes were bloodshot, his face was haggard and a little determined. He searched around the workshop and finally found Chen Dazhuang, who was crouching and concentrating on repairing the machine.

Chen Dazhuang noticed someone approaching, and when he looked up, he saw that it was Liu Guangqi who came to him. The corners of his mouth instantly rose, revealing a smug smile, thinking that this kid must have thought it through and came to do the job obediently. He stood up, wiped his face casually with his greasy hands, threw the wrench aside, clapped his hands, and said loudly: "Hey, Liu Guangqi, I knew you were a man of the times. What, have you thought it through, right?"

Liu Guangqi swallowed his saliva, pretending to be calm. Facing Chen Dazhuang's gaze, he took a deep breath and said, "Brother Dazhuang, I've been thinking about it all night. It's not impossible to do this, but just forgiving the two hundred yuan debt is not enough. If I can steal the equipment, you have to give me another two hundred yuan, and then we'll be clear."

When Chen Dazhuang heard this, the smile on his face froze instantly, his eyes widened, as if he had heard something out of the ordinary. After being stunned for several seconds, his face flushed red, the veins on his neck popped out, his finger almost poked Liu Guangqi's nose, and he cursed: "You greedy thing! I was kind enough to show you a way to save you that bad debt, but you still dared to ask for two hundred yuan? Why don't you go to heaven!"

Liu Guangqi took a step back to avoid Chen Dazhuang's finger that was about to poke him, but he was not scared off by the scolding. Instead, he straightened his back and explained in a neither humble nor arrogant manner: "Brother Dazhuang, don't get angry first. You also know that the equipment is not an ordinary thing. It was imported from the Russians and is worth at least five or six thousand yuan! I took such a big risk to steal it. Once I was caught, my job and future would be gone. If things go wrong, I might even have to go to jail. Do you know how much the price is? It's not worth it just to avoid a debt of only two hundred yuan. I want these two hundred yuan, is it not too much? Besides, when the time comes, you will definitely make a lot of money from selling the equipment. This little money is just a drizzle for you."

Although Chen Dazhuang reluctantly agreed to Liu Guangqi's request for an extra 200 yuan, he was furious in his heart as he readily agreed. He knew clearly that the 200 yuan was not a small sum, which could allow him to enjoy himself at the poker table for a long time. He felt very painful to pay Liu Guangqi so easily. But when he thought about it, he realized that only Liu Guangqi could do it. Others had no idea how the equipment in the machine repair workshop worked, let alone how to get the things out quietly.

In fact, Chen Dazhuang himself was just a pawn pushed to the front. The real mastermind of this equipment theft was someone else. Although that person was not very prominent in the factory, he had extensive connections and was very thoughtful. He had heard about the value of the newly introduced equipment from somewhere and had evil ideas. However, he was afraid that he would attract attention if he showed up. So he took advantage of Chen Dazhuang's gambling and lack of money, and coerced and lured him to find a suitable person to steal the equipment.

At this moment, Chen Dazhuang frowned, looking at Liu Guangqi's nervous and expectant look, waved his hand impatiently, and said: "Okay, okay, I get it, you go back first, don't hang around here, attracting attention. But I can't make the decision on this matter, I have to discuss it with the people behind the scenes, wait for my news, don't make a fuss, if the news leaks out, we will both be in trouble." Liu Guangqi's heart "clicked" when he heard it, and his already anxious heart added a few more worries. He originally thought that Chen Dazhuang agreed to the conditions, and this matter was set in stone. If he gritted his teeth and did this vote, he could at least solve the urgent problem and get some benefits. But now there is a mastermind behind the scenes, and the variables have increased sharply. Who knows what that person will think and whether he can agree to this condition. But now that things have come to this, he has no way out and can only nod his head timidly and whisper, "Brother Dazhuang, you have to hurry up. I'm worried every day. The longer the night, the more dreams there are."

Chen Dazhuang glared at him unhappily, snorted, and turned away.
The Trust Store near Xizhimen was bustling with people, and the shelves were filled with all kinds of strange and old-time items, from old phonographs to quaint jewelry. Chen Dazhuang, wearing a somewhat washed-out work suit, hurried into the store, trying to look leisurely. His eyes seemed to casually scan the dazzling array of goods, but in fact he was absent-minded, his mind full of the difficult request raised by Liu Guangqi.

With his hands in his pockets, he paced along the narrow aisle, sometimes stopping in front of the counter full of old clocks, and sometimes going to the bookshelf full of old books. His head turned slightly, but his peripheral eyes were always paying attention to the movements around him. After making sure that no one was paying attention to him, he slowly walked out of the store.

Inside the store, the old salesman Zhou Qing has been quietly observing Chen Dazhuang's every move in the dark. Zhou Qing is middle-aged and thin.

His eyes are deep and full of spirit, so deep that they seem to be able to see through people's hearts, revealing an elusive mystery. On weekdays, he is always taciturn in this trust store, but his colleagues all know that he has a wide and secret network of contacts, and it seems that nothing can escape his "eyes and ears".

Seeing Chen Dazhuang leave, Zhou Qing put down an old ornament he was wiping, and said calmly to his colleague beside him: "My stomach suddenly hurts badly, I have to go to the toilet." Colleagues responded as usual, and each was busy with their own work, not paying much attention.

Zhou Qing walked out of the store steadily, and his figure soon merged into the shadows of the street corner. Chen Dazhuang had been waiting there for a long time. When he saw Zhou Qing appear, he hurriedly took a few quick steps forward, with a flattering smile on his face. He put his legs together, bowed respectfully, and said in a voice with a bit of trepidation and eagerness: "Mr. Zhou, you are here."

Zhou Qing glanced at Chen Dazhuang calmly. His eyes were like cold lake water, calm yet chilling. He raised his hand to straighten his collar and spoke slowly. His voice was low and hoarse but revealed unquestionable majesty: "How's it going? Don't beat around the bush. Just speak directly."

Chen Dazhuang swallowed his saliva, bent down slightly, and told him everything about Liu Guangqi. At the end, he added cautiously: "Uncle Zhou, Liu Guangqi is asking for an exorbitant amount now. He insists on two hundred more yuan before he is willing to do anything. But we can't do this without him. The equipment in the machine repair workshop is beyond the reach of other people. Look at this..." As he spoke, Chen Dazhuang looked up and stared at Zhou Qing eagerly. His eyes were full of expectation and anxiety, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. He was afraid that Zhou Qing would reject this matter in anger, and then he would be in a dilemma.

Zhou Qing frowned slightly, his eyes instantly sharpened like an eagle, staring straight at Chen Dazhuang, that gaze seemed to penetrate his soul.

After a moment, Zhou Qing opened his thin lips and spoke in a low and cold voice, with a hint of condescension: "Humph, it's only two hundred yuan, just treat it as throwing it away to feed the dog, just consider it as buying a good fortune and letting Liu Guangqi get what he wants."

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Chen Dazhuang's tense heartstrings relaxed a little when he heard this. His face was filled with a grateful smile. He nodded and bowed hurriedly, shaking his head up and down like pounding garlic: "Mr. Zhou is wise and generous! I knew that such a small matter would not be a big deal to you. Don't worry, I will keep Liu Guangqi under control and will not let him cause any trouble."

Zhou Qing raised his eyes slightly, his eyes like torches, piercing straight at Chen Dazhuang. The warning in his eyes was so strong that it seemed to be condensed into substance. His voice became colder and colder: "Remember this, whether it is before, during, or after the incident, if you dare to reveal even a word of my existence, humph, don't blame me for being ruthless and making you pay for it. I can lift you up, but I can also make you have no place to stand in this city, do you understand?"

Da Zhuang felt a chill on his back, and his clothes were soaked with sweat. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. "Master Zhou, don't worry! I, Chen Da Zhuang, swear to heaven that if I dare to say a word about you, I will die a miserable death. May the heavens strike me! You gave me this life, and I will definitely follow your lead and never dare to have any second thoughts."

Zhou Qing snorted softly, as if he was satisfied with his statement, but also seemed to be disdainful of this flattering look. He said nothing more, turned around and walked steadily, slowly blending into the crowd, and his figure soon disappeared.

Chen Dazhuang couldn't help but wipe the cold sweat off his forehead.

This Zhou Qing was a big shot that he knew before liberation. It was because of Zhou Qing that Chen Dazhuang could play the card game safely. (End of this chapter)