My Courtyard Shelter

Chapter 43: Ten Million a Day

“Sister Gao, don’t worry. I’ll definitely do my best to see what I can do,” Xu Dong promised. Gao Yuemei said gratefully, “Thank you so much for your help, Xiao Xu.” “Brother Xu, we’re waiting for your good news!” Xiang Xin raised her watermelon, wanting to “clink glasses” with Xu Dong to show her support. Xu Dong raised his watermelon and clinked it lightly against hers. He devoured it in just a few bites, wiped his mouth, and left the cafeteria. The afternoon went much like the morning; Xu Dong curled up in his chair and continued reading his novel, and when he got too hot, he even popped into the monitoring room to enjoy the air conditioning for a while. That’s right—security work is just that monotonous and boring. But fortunately, Xu Dong didn’t have any grand ambitions; he wasn’t afraid of wasting his life. Whether he was just getting by at home or at a state-owned enterprise, it was all the same. At 5:30, it was time to clock out. Xu Dong didn’t waste a single minute; he stepped on the gas and was home in less than half an hour. “Honey, I’m home.” “I’ve got some mung bean soup simmering on the stove—go have some right away!” Yang Lina, wearing a wide-brimmed hat, was weeding in the vegetable garden. It was hot, and the weeds were growing fast. Xu Dong was sweltering, so he hurried to the kitchen to pour himself a bowl of mung bean soup, then immediately scooped a spoonful of crushed ice from the fridge and added it to the bowl. He took a big, satisfied sip—the sweetness on his tongue, the coolness in his heart. One word: “Refreshing! After walking around the yard and not seeing his precious daughters, Xu Dong asked, “Honey, where are Ke Ke and Le Le? Aren’t they home from school yet?” “They’ve been back for a while—they went with Mom to do square dancing,” Yang Lina said with a smile. “The Sun hasn’t even set yet—why are they doing square dancing? Aren’t they afraid of getting heatstroke?” Xu Dong said, furrowing his brow. Yang Lina picked up a glass of water nearby, took a sip, and explained, “They’re not outside—they’ve switched to dancing indoors now, right at the community center in Champs-Élysées Mansion.” “Did Da Bao and the other two go too?” “Yeah. There are lots of kids at the activity center, and they’ve hired someone specifically to watch them. It’s good for Da Bao and the others to get out and play more—they can’t just stay home all day long.” That’s the only downside to living in a detached house—it’s quiet, sure, but for the kids, the lack of playmates makes them feel a bit lonely. “So when will they be back?” Yang Lina replied, “It shouldn’t be later than 6:30. Mom’s dance sessions usually last about an hour.” “What about dinner? We’re expecting guests later,” Xu Dong asked, puzzled. “Don’t worry. Mom’s even more eager than you are. She’s already prepared the main dish; we’ll just need to heat it up and stir-fry a few side dishes.” Just before 7:00 p. m. , Mr. Wang arrived about ten minutes early. “Woof… woof… woof…” Mark, the wolfhound, saw a stranger coming in and immediately started making a racket, tugging on his leash so hard it rattled. Startled, Mr. Wang quickly hid behind Xu Dong. Xu’s dad stepped forward to calm Mark down, and Xu Dong took the opportunity to lead Mr. Wang into the dining room. “Mr. Wang, I hope that didn’t scare you,” Xu Dong asked with concern. Mr. Wang wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, still shaken, and said, “That dog of yours is a wolfdog, isn’t it? It’s so fierce—I haven’t come across one like that in years.” “I keep it to guard the place—it’s better if it’s a little fierce,” Xu Dong explained. “Aren’t large dogs banned in the city now?” Mr. Wang asked, puzzled. Xu Dong smiled but didn’t answer; instead, he made a gesture as if counting money. Mr. Wang got the hint immediately and laughed, grumbling, “In this day and age, as long as you’ve got money, there’s really nothing you can’t get done.” Xu Dong was actually glad the other man had misunderstood. Mark rarely left the Siheyuan, and since it was a private, enclosed property, there was no risk of disturbing the neighbors—so he didn’t have to worry about anyone reporting them. After some pleasantries, dinner began. Looking at the table laden with meat and dishes, Mr. Wang was simply overwhelmed with gratitude, repeating over and over: “This is so lavish—you’ve really gone out of your way!” Mrs. Xu was clearly flattered: “They’re just some home-cooked dishes—as long as you don’t mind them, Mr. Wang.” “Disdain? I’m not ashamed to admit—we haven’t had any meat on our dinner table for nearly a month,” Mr. Wang said bitterly. Mrs. Xu agreed: “You really can’t buy meat at the market these days. The meat we have here is leftovers from the New Year, and it won’t last more than a few days.” Seeing that the atmosphere had grown a bit somber, Mr. Xu quickly raised his glass and said: “Mr. Wang, here’s to you. Welcome to our home.” The drink on the table was beer; after all, they were about to discuss business, so baijiu wouldn’t be appropriate—it could lead to drunkenness and derail the talks. “Mr. Xu, please join us!” Mr. Wang said, raising his glass in invitation. Xu Dong nodded and raised his glass as well, “Cheers!” The three clinked glasses and then downed their drinks in one gulp; the beer was ice-cold and exceptionally refreshing. “It has a rich flavor—a great beer,” Mr. Wang couldn’t help but praise. Xu Dong explained with a smile, “This is craft beer—an imported brand that’s been all the rage here in China these past couple of years.” “No wonder—it’s craft beer. That explains why it has such a rich flavor,” Mr. Wang remarked, then picked up a piece of cured pork and popped it into his mouth. “Mr. Wang, where have you been making your fortune lately?” Xu Dong took the initiative to strike up a conversation. “What fortune? I’m at home taking care of my kid. Business is tough these days—for a small distributor like me, the factories won’t even give me the time of day.” “Has production at Midea resumed yet?” Mr. Wang sighed: “I called to check. They’re only operating at 20 percent capacity right now, and even that 20 percent has to go toward local orders first. They’re not considering Yanjing for the time being.” “Mr. Wang, you might want to consider the secondhand appliance market. If you play your cards right, you can make a fortune there,” Xu’s dad said, speaking from the heart. “Uncle Xu, I’ll definitely give your suggestion some serious thought. Here’s to you.” Mr. Wang raised his glass and toasted Mr. Xu. And so, after three rounds of drinks, the conversation finally turned to the price of electric fans. “Mr. Xu, could you lower the price a bit more?” “Mr. Wang, 10 million really isn’t much. That’s my bottom line—I can’t go any lower.” “Selling for 1. 8 million and buying back for 10 million—that’s more than a fivefold markup. Mr. Xu, you have to understand how I feel.” Mr. Wang began to play the victim. Xu Dong remained unmoved and shook his head, saying: “Mr. Wang, if it weren’t for a sense of compensation, I wouldn’t have called you in the first place. Let’s make money together—put up the 10 million, and you definitely won’t lose out.” Mr. Wang gritted his teeth and asked to step outside to make a call; Xu Dong personally escorted him to the main entrance. Mark was gnawing on a bone. When he saw Mr. Wang, he merely grunted a few times—thankfully, he didn’t start barking loudly. Mr. Wang was on the phone for over ten minutes, apparently trying to persuade someone. When he returned to the restaurant, Mr. Wang held out his right hand to Xu Dong—the meaning was clear: the deal was done. Xu Dong stepped forward and grasped his hand. “Let’s work together!” “Let’s work well together.” After dinner, Xu Dong took Mr. Wang to the room to inspect the goods. Mr. Wang randomly checked a few electric fans and only then nodded in satisfaction. This shipment had never been opened and was practically brand-new. The next day, Xu Dong took the morning off specifically to stay home and finalize the transaction. Looking at the exact 10 million yuan sitting in his account, Xu Dong felt he had to buy something—otherwise, it would be a massive loss.