At this time, Yi Wanghua was only a nineteen-year-old girl, but after going through a period of being chased for debts, she finally realized the importance of money.
So, regarding whether to help Zhang Liunian work, her biggest concern was how high a salary he could offer her. Therefore, she asked directly, "How much salary can you offer me?"
Having interacted with her, Zhang Liunian naturally knew her character. Apart from her demands for money, she was indifferent to other things and was a very easy person to get along with.
"First, you come and be Qingqing's bodyguard for a while. I'll give you five hundred a month, with food and accommodation included. It will increase every year, not by much, but at least a thousand increase per year. After a year, you'll come to be my assistant, with the same treatment. What do you think?"
The salary Zhang Liunian offered was not low, even considered very high.
It's worth noting that even the highest-earning construction workers in Pengcheng at this time earned only a little over three hundred a month, yet Zhang Liunian was offering five hundred to Yi Wanghua as his assistant, which was truly full of sincerity.
Upon hearing the offer, Yi Wanghua was immediately overjoyed and agreed, "I'm willing to be your assistant."
"Good, tomorrow night we will leave here for the provincial capital. Remember to come early and meet us," Zhang Liunian revealed to her the plan to leave the next day after she agreed.
Yi Wanghua nodded repeatedly upon hearing this, "I know."
The barefooted man saw that his daughter had no reluctance to leave him, nor did she ask about him, and readily agreed to go with Zhang Liunian. He suddenly felt like his daughter was being snatched away by a wolf, and he looked at her pitifully, saying, "Xiaohua, what about me, your dad?"
Yi Wanghua blurted out, "You just stay here and live well. I'll send you money every month."
"..."
The barefooted man was speechless. He had finally returned to accompany her, but she was going to abandon him, her old father, and leave him alone. He was so angry.
"Are you just going to leave your dad alone at home?"
"Didn't I used to be alone at home?"
"..." He was rendered speechless.
Just as the barefooted man was at a loss for words, being refuted by his daughter, Zhang Liunian suddenly interjected, "Uncle, can we have a chat?"
The barefooted man's body stiffened, then he turned to look at Zhang Liunian, immediately understanding what he wanted to talk about. He said to his daughter, "Xiaohua, go buy some things. You'll be leaving tomorrow, and Dad doesn't know what girls want. Here's a hundred yuan for you to spend."
Yi Wanghua knew her father wanted to dismiss her, and she had no intention of lingering. She took the money and turned to leave, without any hesitation.
After Yi Wanghua left, the barefooted man brought over a stool and sat by Zhang Liunian's bedside. He glanced at Jiang Qingqing and Zhang Qian and asked, "Can they listen?"
"They are all our people, you can speak freely."
Zhang Liunian actually had no intention of driving Yi Wanghua away, but the barefooted man seemed unwilling for his daughter to hear the subsequent content, so he sent her away.
"Are you asking me why I'm here and why I had people chasing debts?" The barefooted man picked his nose nonchalantly.
Zhang Liunian nodded, "And why you didn't accept any money last time?" This was what he wanted to know most.
The barefooted man's expression slightly tightened. He looked up to meet Zhang Liunian's inquisitive gaze, rubbed his head, and said with a sigh, "This is a bit complicated, and it's hard to explain in a moment."
"I have time now, you can talk for a day and a night," Zhang Liunian indicated that he was not in a hurry and could listen to him slowly.
"..."
The barefooted man had no choice but to tell the truth, "Actually, Xiaohua's mother also died at the hands of the Tang family. The reason I came to work at the Nancheng Tea House was also to seek revenge on the Tang family. Now that my great revenge has been achieved, I've returned."
"You still haven't explained why you didn't accept any of my money?" Zhang Liunian stuck to the main point, not giving him a chance to gloss over it.
"It's not that I didn't accept it, it's what the higher-ups said. I don't know why. They also told me to say that from now on, if you report your name at the Nancheng Tea House, they won't charge you. I don't know why they would do this," the barefooted man sighed and lamented.
Zhang Liunian didn't fully believe him. Although he was Yi Wanghua's father, they were clearly independent individuals.
"Can I ask who the real boss of the Nancheng Tea House is?" Zhang Liunian had been curious about this person for two lifetimes.
Moreover, he remembered that the Nancheng Tea House would soon disappear, and where did they, these people, go after it vanished?
"I don't know. All I know is that the boss is a man, and before I returned, the tea house was suddenly shut down by the boss. Because it was so sudden, I didn't even get my wages settled, and I couldn't repay the debts owed. "The barefooted man's explanation was somewhat unclear.
"You don't even know who it is, so why did you work for him? And why did they let you spread the word that if I came looking for them in the future, they would help me?" Zhang Liunian pointed out the problem, baffling the barefooted man.
"How would I know? The boss always wore a mask when he appeared, who knows what he looked like. As for the boss's promise you mentioned, I think I heard someone say that they have similar tea houses in Hong Kong.
Oh, he also has branches in the provincial capital. You can go and look for them if you have time. It's the same there," the barefooted man recalled some things after racking his brain.
"Really? I should really look for the tea houses in the provincial capital when I return." Zhang Liunian heard that there were some in the provincial capital but didn't believe it. Although he didn't stay in the provincial capital for long in his previous life, he had indeed never heard of a place like the Nancheng Tea House, which used a false name.
However, there was one thing he suddenly wanted to inquire about from the barefooted man.
"Do you know a person named Zhu Lao San? The director of the Laosan Food Factory in the provincial capital," Zhang Liunian asked on a whim, not holding out much hope.
To his surprise, the barefooted man did know him.
"I really know this person because he is involved with the Nancheng Red Gang. We compiled his information. I'm not working for them anymore, so I shouldn't say it, but thinking about how the boss said he would make an exception for you, I'll tell you then!"
The barefooted man paused halfway, remembering that he was no longer a member of the Nancheng Tea House and shouldn't reveal such things. But then he remembered the attitude of the higher-ups towards Zhang Liunian, and decided to reveal the information they had gathered.
"Zhu Lao San has four brothers. The eldest is in Hong Kong, the second is in the Triangle, the third is himself, and the fourth is the leader of the Tiger Dragon Gang in the provincial capital. The Red Gang belongs to the Tiger Dragon Gang, so he is also considered one of his fourth brother's men.
When you left Nancheng, Boss Wang Dachui mobilized people from the Nancheng Red Gang to deal with the department store, wanting to prevent you from closing down. Although the matter was not successful, you must be aware that he is connected to that side.
As for Zhu Lao San himself, apart from the Red Gang in Nancheng, he has no other entanglements. His entire economic network is in the provincial capital. The food factory is just a front for him, and this factory is very useful, mainly used to launder money for him."