Fatty wasn't the only one shocked.
Even Li Chonglou and Jiang Yuxin were secretly astonished.
Jiang Yuxin was surprised where Li Chonglou got so much money from; she hadn't known a thing.
Li Chonglou was surprised by Zeng Wang's considerable generosity, giving him a debit card with tens of millions balance on their first meeting.
It seemed that appraisal fair had indeed earned him quite a lot.
Coupled with Li Hanlong's artifacts, he was seeking a favor from him, hence this lavish gift.
"Stop guessing, this money was earned with Brother Ning at the appraisal fair," Li Chonglou whispered an explanation as he casually glanced at the surprise in Jiang Yuxin's beautiful eyes.
Misunderstandings were the worst thing between husband and wife.
If something could be explained, he would never hide it.
Except for matters like reincarnation, which no one would believe if told and required fundamental explanations, other things were easy to discuss.
"So much…" Jiang Yuxin, though her expression was impassive, was actually overjoyed.
She was never a materialistic woman, but life required a material foundation.
No one wanted to worry about daily necessities.
Li Chonglou's ability to earn so much money meant he was capable.
What woman didn't want to marry a capable man?
At least, in front of her parents, he could hold his head high and shed the humiliating nickname of "trash."
It also brought her immeasurable glory.
Women's thoughts were often peculiar; the points they cared about were always different from men's.
"Swipe it, another two hundred thousand, consider it your bonus," Li Chonglou said to the sales assistant.
This girl, who could resist Fatty's temptations, was already extremely commendable.
He couldn't let someone like her feel disheartened.
Furthermore, he had another idea: if the meeting with Li Hanlong went well, he would open a shop later.
He couldn't watch over the shop all day; he needed to find someone trustworthy.
This girl was undoubtedly a promising prospect.
He would mention it to Sister Yun later and have her transferred directly, no need to poach.
"No… no, sir, I cannot accept your money…" The girl was momentarily stunned, and then her face rapidly turned red.
"Take it. My husband doesn't just give money away randomly. Your character is worth this much," Jiang Yuxin said with a smile, persuading her.
Though she didn't know Li Chonglou's intentions, she now trusted him completely.
Giving this girl two hundred thousand was certainly not because she was pretty and he wanted to pursue her.
There must be another reason.
"Weiwei, the guests have spoken, why are you being polite? I'll help you swipe it!" The cashier was anxious and directly swiped the room payment and the bonus.
Then, she respectfully handed the card back to Li Chonglou with both hands.
"Thank you, Mr. Li, Ms. Jiang…" The girl named Weiwei's eyes were red with emotion as she bowed deeply to Li Chonglou and his wife.
Jiang Yuxin immediately pulled her up.
This scene completely made Fatty unable to lift his head.
He dared not utter another word, his face pale. Ignoring the beautiful woman's exclamations, he grabbed her and ran.
If he didn't leave now, Li Chonglou would have beaten him senseless.
The more vain a person, the more they cared about face.
This was more unbearable than killing him; he would rather suffer a thousand cuts than endure momentary humiliation.
At this moment, he finally realized he had been looking down on people.
Fortunately, Li Chonglou hadn't bothered to argue with him, otherwise, it would have been even more embarrassing.
Li Chonglou couldn't be bothered to pay attention to him and certainly didn't care if he had left.
When signing the contract, he wrote down Jiang Yuxin's name alone.
"Chonglou, thank you…" This scene deeply moved Jiang Yuxin once again.
Although she understood the law and knew that marital property, even if registered in her name alone, was jointly owned by the couple.
Women were emotional and easily touched.
Li Chonglou's importance in her heart had unknowingly grown to an irreplaceable degree.
Every action of his tugged at her heart.
Was this… love?
Jiang Yuxin felt a shy and sweet flutter in her heart.
After buying the house, and with plans to collect the property deed in a few days, Jiang Yuxin suggested they not go back so soon and visit Yongan first.
Thinking that her mother was safe with Ning Lang and being looked after by her senior sister, nothing would happen.
She didn't object.
The couple visited the Century Cloud City Mall, Yongan's self-proclaimed largest steel structure building in Asia.
He bought Jiang Yuxin a set of clothes for daily wear.
Then they went to the Changhe Embankment.
Looking at the boundless, surging torrent, Li Chonglou's heart swelled with ambition and pride.
Not long ago, he was merely a live-in son-in-law.
Insulted and trampled upon.
Unable to even support his mother.
But now, he had lived two lives, traveling with a beauty, with boundless prospects.
Now, a celestial river lay before him – that was Li Hanlong!
As long as he crossed this river, he would reach the heavenly path, with boundless horizons.
Li Hanlong!
I will not lose to you again.
Li Chonglou vowed silently in his heart.
"Look, that person has caught a big fish!" Just then, Jiang Yuxin suddenly pointed to an old man fishing by the river and exclaimed.
The old man sat on a pier extending into the water, his seven-meter-long fishing rod bent into a full bow.
He held the base of the rod with both hands, teeth gritted, struggling with the fish.
He was only about ten meters away from where they were standing.
Judging by his appearance, he seemed to be struggling greatly, his expression contorted with effort.
But his eyes were filled with excitement.
Perhaps it was because the fish was too large, and combined with the strong current of the Changhe River, the fish's underwater strength was magnified.
With a sudden surge, it pulled the fishing line, tearing through the air with a "whirring" sound.
Many people turned to watch.
They shouted encouragement.
"I can't hold on anymore…" The old man's face was flushed red, his teeth clenched, but he couldn't stop his body from being pulled forward.
It had to be said that his fishing rod and line were extremely sturdy.
They hadn't broken despite such a strong pull, indicating they were prepared for catching large fish.
Unfortunately, being older, his stamina was clearly insufficient.
Li Chonglou's pupils contracted slightly. He could see at a glance that if the fish exerted more force, the old man would either have to let go or be pulled into the river.
There was no third option.
It seemed the fish wouldn't be caught today.
As the thought flashed through his mind, the big fish indeed exerted force again.
Whizz!
The fishing line's whistle intensified. Instantly, without a second thought, the old man tightly gripped the rod, refusing to let go.
The fishing pier couldn't withstand the strain and lost its balance. In the next second, the man and the rod plunged into the swift river current.
Splash!
The onlookers erupted in an uproar.
No one had expected him to be unwilling to lose the fish, preferring to fall into the water himself.
But in such a rapid current, falling in meant certain death.
This section of the Changhe River in Yongan was at least ten meters deep.
Hidden currents abounded at the bottom, with sharp rocks everywhere. Even the best swimmer would be in grave danger.
Soon, the old man was swept away by the undercurrent, disappearing from view.
"It's over, it's over, he's definitely dead! Quickly call the police!"
"Someone go save him, what should we do?"
"Why didn't he use a fishing safety rope? This is courting death…"
…
The onlookers panicked, but not a single person dared to enter the water.
No one wanted to risk their own life to save someone else.
"Yuxin, stay here and wait for me," Li Chonglou said as he quickly took off his shirt and shoes, revealing not-so-muscular physique.
"You… you're going in?" Jiang Yuxin was stunned.
"Don't worry, I'm confident. If I don't go, he's finished," Li Chonglou reassured her, and with a splash, he dove into the slightly murky river water.
The surface current appeared slow, but in large rivers like this, the current grew stronger towards the bottom.
This was also the most dangerous part, as the jumbled rocks at the bottom created turbulent currents that could easily suck a person in.
The strength of an ordinary person was insufficient to break free.
This was why the Yangtze River drowned many swimmers every year.
Li Chonglou's decision to rescue the old man wasn't an impulsive act of meddling, nor was it to show off his good deeds in front of Jiang Yuxin.
It was purely because the old man's unyielding spirit, his refusal to let go of the fishing rod even at the cost of his life, touched him.
Though not the same obsession, it was still worthy of respect.
Moreover, he was confident in himself, knowing he wouldn't encounter danger by entering the water.
As soon as he entered the river, Li Chonglou was rapidly pulled downwards by the current.
The injury on his leg, which had been insignificant before, suddenly stung as the water seeped into it.
But this pain was nothing to him.
However, the river water was slightly turbid, and the light was dim.
Although Li Chonglou's eyesight was far superior to ordinary people, he could only force his eyes open and see vaguely.
But he remembered the location where the old man was swallowed by the water. After a short swim, he finally saw the fishing old man trapped between two large rocks at the bottom.
He was still tightly holding the fishing rod.
What a terrifying fishing spirit, to give up his life rather than lose a fish.
Li Chonglou couldn't comprehend the madness of these people, but he deeply admired it.
At this moment, he also saw the appearance of the fish: it was a catfish more than a meter long, estimated to weigh over fifty kilograms.
He recognized this fish; there were some in the Qin Zhou River. It preyed on other fish and was known as the copper-headed water tiger.
It was incredibly strong. Once, someone had tried to capture it with a fishing net, but it had rammed through the net and escaped.
If a fish pond had even one catfish, it was almost doomed.
Most of the fish would be eaten.
No wonder it had dragged the old man into the water.
Li Chonglou swam up, snatched the rod from the almost unconscious old man's hand, and with his other arm around the old man's waist, he desperately pushed upwards.
The stinging sensation in his leg grew stronger. Although he could endure it, it greatly affected his movements.
Furthermore, the big fish at the other end of the rod had exerted force again.
It directly pulled Li Chonglou, holding the old man, several meters towards the center of the river.
"I can still lose to you?" Li Chonglou, who had never fished before, felt the pull of a big fish for the first time. The hunting instinct etched into a man's bones instantly ignited.
In that instant, he understood why the old man refused to let go of the rod, even at the cost of his life.
It wasn't that he didn't want to let go, but the memory ingrained in his soul wouldn't allow him to.
Li Chonglou's determination was also ignited.
Since he had practiced the sheepskin scroll, his breathing was long and steady, and holding his breath underwater for ten minutes was not a problem.
It was just that the old man was almost drowned, which was a bit troublesome.
So, he let the big fish pull him while he focused on surfacing.
Breaking the surface, he held the old man with one hand above his head, and with the other, he held the rod upright in a similar manner.
He himself was submerged in the water, maintaining balance.
Because the fish's exertion hadn't stopped, he had no leverage, and could only be dragged forward in the water.
"Look, that person is surfacing!" someone with sharp eyes spotted the old man and the rod coming up.
But Li Chonglou was nowhere to be seen.
Jiang Yuxin's beautiful eyes widened, her expression anxious, tears welling up, almost crying.
Where was Li Chonglou?
Why couldn't she see him!
She prayed silently, hoping nothing had happened.