150: Chapter 148: The Magnanimous Ye Rongzhong 150: Chapter 148: The Magnanimous Ye Rongzhong He turned away not because he wanted to show off then escape.
His main concern was that Ye Qingqing hugging him and clamoring for him not to leave her was simply too intimate.
If he continued to stay there, what if Uncle Ye misunderstood something and forced him to marry his daughter?
Wouldn’t that be a huge loss for him?
After all, although he had a fairly decent impression of Ye Qingqing, they were from different social backgrounds and without any emotional foundation…
What’s more important was that if Ye Qingqing’s family thought he and Ye Qingqing were becoming friends, they would consider Chen Hai one of their own in their eyes.
By that time, wouldn’t all Chen Hai’s efforts have been in vain?
Would they still pay him for the talismans he drew?
Originally, when he came to go to college, he felt that having several thousand yuan meant money was not an issue for him!
However, since meeting Ye Qingqing and Liu Chang, he realized he was still poor.
If there was an opportunity to make money, he naturally didn’t want to miss out.
Chen Hai walked out of the ICU, and both Ye Rongzhong and Ye Cheng had their attention on the just-awakened Ye Qingqing.
They did know that drawing the talisman had seriously fatigued Chen Hai.
When Chen Hai left, saying he was going to rest, they hesitated slightly but only nodded without stopping him.
It was Hou Donggui outside the hospital room who nodded at Chen Hai and greeted him.
After truly leaving the hospital, Chen Hai suddenly realized he had nowhere to go.
On the university side, the military training was still ongoing.
Returning to the campus to continue the military training was the last thing he was interested in.
The courtyard house in West Mountain wasn’t his, Ye Cheng had only lent it to him for drawing talismans.
Now that the talismans were drawn, it didn’t seem appropriate for him to continue staying there!
“Maybe I’ll take advantage of this free time to stroll around near the campus and see if there are any suitable houses for rent?” Tilting his head and pondering for a while, Chen Hai thought to himself.
When he first arrived in the Capital City, he actually considered either buying or renting a house.
After all, for his cultivation, living in a dormitory was really inconvenient.
A while ago, he specifically asked about the housing prices in the Capital City.
Compared to Liuyuan County, the prices here were ridiculously high.
Those old houses of ten or twenty years could easily cost three thousand yuan per square meter.
By that math, a 60 or 70 square meter two-bedroom would cost at least a few hundred thousand, and the money he had would only be enough to buy a bathroom.
One of his dormmates, a local from the Capital City, mentioned that house prices had only soared in the last two years.
His family’s house, bought early, was a three-bedroom that initially cost only over twenty thousand.
Taking advantage of the good market, he persuaded his parents to sell their house recently and made over two hundred thousand.
He often bragged about this in the dorm.
Now his family was renting someone else’s place, planning to buy back a house when the prices dropped.
This dormmate studied economics; truly talented people think differently.
According to his research, the current housing prices were abnormal and were likely to drop at least by half within three years.
Just from buying and selling their house, they could make at least a hundred thousand!
This guy was also encouraging his relatives and friends to sell their houses and live in rentals.
His uncle and aunt believed his predictions and had already sold their homes.
If only Chen Hai had money, he would have asked that dormmate for a favor to see if he could get a friendly price on his relatives’ house!
There were indeed many rental apartments near the University City.
Chen Hai looked for a long time but didn’t find any that satisfied him.
Either they were too expensive – three to five hundred a month, requiring at least half a year’s rent paid in advance.
Or they were basements; although cheap, Chen Hai couldn’t even begin to comment on the environment after seeing it.
At around three in the afternoon, his pager went off.
The displayed number was from Yuedong.
Without any surprise, the caller must be Li Dajiang.
“Brother Li, hello!”
“What, your friend who likes collecting snuff bottles will be coming to Haizhu City in a few days?”
“Okay, got it.
I’m currently studying in the Capital City.
I’ll try to find some time to visit.”
“This is your office number?
Sure, I’ll call you first when I come!”
…
Finding a public telephone booth, Chen Hai called Li Dajiang back.
The favor he had asked for assistance with so long ago finally got a response.
After hanging up, Chen Hai felt good, and his mood was significantly lifted.
“Going to Yuedong and coming back, with some delays in between, will probably take several days.”
“On the school’s side, Brother Ye asked for leave for me, but I wonder how long?”
“It looks like if I plan to visit Li Dajiang, I’ll have to ask Brother Ye if he can help me ask for a few more days off.”
Thinking about the issue, Chen Hai muttered to himself.
His various vases and jars were still stored back in his ancestral home.
He wanted to travel to Yuedong to sell antiques to his friend, Li Dajiang, but he needed to return to his own home in Liuyuan County first.
The thought of having to explain to his parents that he hadn’t gone to school and was returning to his ancestral home gave Chen Hai a headache!
“Forget it, when the time comes, I’ll just tell the truth.
I’ll say I’m going to Yuedong to sell antiques!”
“If I manage to sell those items for a good price, I definitely need to leave some money for my family.”
“My parents have worked hard all their lives; they have always wanted to move out of the countryside and live in the city.
Perhaps, a trip to Yuedong could make their dream come true!”
He shook his head, thinking to himself.
After leaving the phone booth, he wandered around for a while.
Around five o’clock, his pager beeped again.
Fortunately, in the Capital City, there were plenty of public phone booths, so it was convenient for him to return calls.
“Chen Hai, where are you?
Didn’t you say you were tired and resting?
Why didn’t you return to the courtyard house in West Mountain?”
When the call connected, a gruff voice came through the speaker.
It was Ye Cheng who had paged Chen Hai.
Seeing the Capital City local number displayed on the pager, Chen Hai was puzzled for a while, wondering who was paging him!
It didn’t surprise him that Ye Cheng knew his pager number.
After all, Hou Donggui knew how to contact him, and if there were any problems with the pager numbers he had given to Ye Qingqing and Liu Chang, Ye Cheng could always ask Hou Donggui.
“Brother Ye, I’m near the Purple Cloud Community in University City.
Do you need me for something?”
“It’s not that I need you for something, but my parents want to meet you.
We thought you were resting in the mansion in West Mountain, but when we came here, we didn’t see you!”
“You’re near the Purple Cloud Community in University City?
Alright, I’ll send someone to pick you up.
Just wait at the entrance of the community!”
…
Hearing that he was going to meet the parents sent a shiver through Chen Hai.
He had hoped to learn more from Ye Cheng.
Unfortunately, after telling him to wait at the entrance of the Purple Cloud Community, Ye Cheng had already hung up the phone.
“What do Uncle Ye and his wife want to see me for?
Is it to thank me and discuss my reward?”
As this thought crossed his mind, Chen Hai saw a light.
The one who came to pick him up was the same Huang who had previously driven for Ye Cheng.
It was just before six o’clock when Chen Hai returned to the courtyard house in West Mountain.
Waiting for him in the courtyard were no strangers, only Ye Rongzhong, Song Ling, and their family of three.
“The young man looks spirited.
This afternoon, Qingqing told us all about you and her!”
“That child sometimes doesn’t think before she speaks.
A few days ago, she said some things that weren’t very nice, so I apologize on her behalf.
Please don’t take it to heart.”
“This time, she had one foot in the coffin, and it was fortunate you were desperately helping her, pulling her back.”
“We in the Ye Family are not ungrateful; we remember your enormous favor towards Qingqing.”
“They’ve thoroughly checked in the hospital, and Qingqing is doing very well.
She can be discharged after a few days of rest.”
“There’s a lot to handle at home, so tomorrow morning, Uncle Ye and I will head back to Yuedong.”
“If you have free time, you can visit the hospital and keep Qingqing company for us.
After this incident, she has a high opinion of you.”
“This afternoon, while chatting with her, she kept saying ‘Chen Hai’ on her left and ‘Chen Hai’ on her right.
She must have mentioned your name at least twenty times.”
…
Song Ling was in a good mood; the frustration she had felt before had completely disappeared.
Her speech was neither hurried nor slow, logical and pleasant to listen to, giving off an indescribable sense of closeness.
The only thing that disappointed Chen Hai was that despite saying quite a lot to him, she never mentioned any reward.
“Chen Hai, what do you think of this mansion?”
While Song Ling spoke, Ye Rongzhong remained silent, only occasionally casting sharp glances at Chen Hai.
When Song Ling paused, tired from the conversation, Ye Rongzhong finally spoke up, asking Chen Hai.
“It’s alright!
This place is tranquil and the environment is great.
Perhaps, the success in drawing the Danghui Talisman was partly due to this house!”
After a slight pause, Chen Hai quickly responded.
“If you find it adequate, that’s great.
As a person like you who is into Tao Cultivation, you need a good environment.
Staying in a school dormitory certainly makes you uncomfortable.”
“This place is not too far from University City.
Since it’s unused, I’ll just give it to you!”
With an air of nonchalance, Ye Rongzhong said with a smile.
“Uncle Ye, I really can’t accept such a generous gift…” Chen Hai was completely taken aback and promptly declined.
“When I, Ye, give something away, there’s no taking it back!”
“Compared to Qingqing’s life, what is a mansion worth?”
“Ye Cheng, make sure you take care of the property transfer procedures for Chen Hai as soon as possible, understand?”
With a wave of his hand, Ye Rongzhong decisively cut off Chen Hai’s protest.
His tone left no room for argument, giving Chen Hai no chance to refuse, and he immediately started instructing his son, Ye Cheng.