Chapter 9

Oh, then let's go back, I won't delay you from competing for the award

... ...

He continued to count the money

Ah?

This cleaver is primarily made of iron for the convenience of chopping meat, and the blade is heavy, making it laborious even for men to use, let alone wielding it with both hands. However, she is quite adept at it; after chopping for a while, she swings her arm inward, flips the blade, and pushes a pile of cabbage roots and leaves over, continuing her work.

Ye Liuxi said: "Eating so much, and still having meat, I don't see anyone growing more beautiful than me."

Temporarily found?

Before setting off, he had already defined the nature of this trip to Longcheng: the partnership should be loose, maintaining a distance from Ye Liuxi. He was merely a guide, and it was sufficient for him to be aware of how Feitang sought wealth and how Ye Liuxi engaged in trickery, while trying his best not to get entangled.

Ye Liuxi was taken aback, the sound of the knife suddenly ceased. Turning around, he saw it was him, and his brows furrowed: "What are you doing here?"

In the alley, sewage was everywhere, the ventilation pipes above were emitting smoke, and garbage bins were lined up one after another. As Chang Dong passed by, he saw a middle-aged woman helping Ye Liuxi put on a disposable plastic apron, chattering incessantly: "This bowl of meat, along with the vegetables, needs to be chopped together for the filling. Soy sauce, salt, scallions, and ginger must all be added, totaling eighty yuan. It needs to be chopped finely, not coarsely."

He stacked the coins into piles and sorted the banknotes by denomination, his fingers deftly flipping through them: "Dong Ge, you mentioned that we should all team up together. Shouldn't I choose a day to specifically set up a banquet and apologize to Ye Liuxi? After all, the last time was a bit unpleasant... Building good relationships is essential for harmonious interactions"

Indeed

Who becomes accustomed to being robbed? Those who have been robbed ten times

So I brewed a bag of instant coffee, forcing myself to stay awake, waiting for Changdong to return

Fat Tang was so angry that his teeth itched: "Dong Ge, let me tell you, I have always been sympathetic to the elderly and the poor, but she is already so impoverished, how can I still be so annoyed with her?"

This scent... is uniquely yours!

At a little past twelve o'clock at night, the door creaked open, and Chang Dong entered, casually tossing the plastic bag he was carrying onto the coffee table

The act of counting money is something that Feitang enjoys. While modern people are fond of raising cute pets, whether it be a cat today, a dog tomorrow, or an electronic little sprite the day after, none of these can compare to his dedication and persistence. His beloved pet is money; whether it is in his own card or in someone else's bag, he cherishes it to the utmost and dotes on it endlessly

Fei Tang felt that something was amiss, and it was not until Chang Dong closed the door and the sound of water in the bathroom began that he realized it.

Fei Tang's car rental is scheduled to be picked up at Liuyuan, so before that, he can only take Changdong's car

Ye Liu nodded and gestured to himself, saying, "There are merits everywhere, and I even like what I see in myself."

Ye Liuxi reacted: "What?"

public bathhouse

In retrospect, if Ye Liuxi's words are true, then the most alarming aspect is not this incident, nor the strange dream, but rather her reaction

In that fleeting moment, he no longer desired anything: even if he sold off his assets and became a pauper, the share of earnings that Xiao He had given him over the past year still amounted to around 100,000, which was sufficient for this journey, lacking for nothing in these trifles.

Ye Liuxi leisurely said, "Are you going to carve the leather again?"

Chang Dong recalled her actions while chopping the filling: "Do you have any skills on you?"

Chang Dong felt that Fei Tang was not articulate, especially with the addition of the phrase "We have meat here," which clearly reflected a sense of superiority. Ye Liu Xi would probably not give him a good expression.

However, I still accepted it; she presented it with such pride, wearing an expression that seemed to say, "I deserve a share too," making it hard for me to refuse.

After the woman left, she rolled up her sleeves, bent down to lift a large piece of meat from the basin, and threw it onto a tree stump that was half a person's height, picked up two cleavers, rubbed the edges together to sharpen them, and then got to work

If Ye Liuxi is not flustered by the entire situation, it can only indicate that she has experienced even more bizarre events in her lost memories

Chang Dong was truly at a loss for words, and after a moment's pause, he asked: "Does working at night affect your ability to drive during the day?"

Chang Dong turned on the showerhead, adjusted the water flow to the maximum, and leaned his head in, feeling the weight of the water on the back of his head, until the water flowing down covered his mouth and nose, before tilting his head back to wipe the water off his face

Chang Dong walked over, leaned against the door, and said, "Are you going out to work tonight?"

In that case, it indicates that Ye Liuxi is not to be trifled with; even with a bit of courage, he would not dare to entertain any thoughts about the Beast Head Agate. Furthermore, with Chang Dong's death, the dream of scavenging in the Gobi Desert has been shattered, and this time, it has completely come up empty.

Chang Dong gestured towards herself and the area around the cutting board, saying, "You are completely surrounded by this smell..."

Ye Liuxi lowered his head and sniffed his body, wondering what this smell was. It was a mixture of raw meat, cabbage, scallions, ginger, and oil.

Dining on this street, passing by, happened to see it

She took out a flashlight, shone it around, then looked inside her bag, and after that, she shouldered her bag and went out to seek work.

Chang Dong and Fei Tang will go out for lunch, and even if they do not indulge extravagantly, there will still be a variety of meat, vegetables, dishes, and soup. As for Ye Liu Xi, she buys two steamed buns and a bag of pickled vegetables, and with a cup of hot water from the shop, she can make do with a meal. Sometimes she eats in the car, and other times she eats while strolling along the road, enjoying the scenery.

Chang Dong responded with a sound of acknowledgment: "If you are free now, then take care of it."

As the old saying goes, friends who share wine and meat are bound to develop a bond when invited to dine together

The car he rented himself actually cost only 30,000 yuan, yet just because it has a four-wheel drive badge, his arrogance has surged.

Fei Tang was afraid that Chang Dong would really be killed by Ye Liu Xi

Chang Dong said: "If you don't feel that way, then do as you please"

It is evident that she is not familiar with the road, as she stops several times to look at the signposts, and finally finds her way into a brightly lit alley.

Once, Ye Liuxi entered the store to get hot water. When leaving, he passed by their dining table, which had Kung Pao chicken, dry-fried shredded beef, stir-fried prawns, and three-flavor tofu soup.

Chang Dong said: "This is the portion given by Ye Liuxi, as there are many places in the Gobi Desert where money is needed. It is set to depart tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock."

"Take a personality test. One night, you wake up from a nightmare to find a rope around your neck, hanging from a tree in a desolate area, and you have lost your memory, with no one around... What would your reaction be?"

She replied, "I don't feel that way."

Yes, after the money was given, the situation is not very comfortable—one cannot be without money, as being broke causes anxiety, so it is necessary to earn some.

Didn’t it just give more than 3000?

Along the way, Ye Liuxi did not eat with them

Chang Dong took two steps, then recalled something and turned to ask her: "Are you coming to my place to take a shower tonight?"

Seeing the solid large pancake that Ye Liuxi was holding, Chang Dong suddenly felt that it was somewhat extravagant to have it.

She spent 8 yuan on a shower, 3 yuan on a small bag of shower gel and shampoo, and sat on the stool in the small shower room. The foam from the shower gel covered her body, and with her vigorous movements, some bubbles flew up, reflecting the yellow light of the small bulb above, displaying various hues

When Ye Liuxi handed him the money bag, he said: "I am not the kind of person who takes advantage of others. I know that it costs money to enter the Gobi Desert, and since we are going together, I will pay my share."

The people of Changdong are all outside the door. Hearing her tone was off, he turned back and asked, "What happened to the leather carving?"

Fat Tang warmly greeted Ye Liuxi: "Sister Xi, why don't we eat together? We have meat here"

Bundled paper currency takes up space, creating the illusion of a bag full of money at first glance. However, upon closer inspection, it becomes apparent that the highest denominations inside are mostly ten and twenty.

Chang Dong has entered the restroom and then exited: "Fat Tang?"

In that moment, Chang Dong thought he had been given gold bricks, but under the car lights, he saw only coins and small bills, which genuinely moved him: these were likely the small change accumulated from selling melons, barbecues, and the late-night transportation of ladies, truly hard-earned money.

Fei Tang imagined the situation, feeling a chill run down his back, and his tongue became tangled: "Isn't this frightening? I must have wet myself... I need to shout for help... No, I should call 110... Yes, call 110, I am the victim, I must be compensated. Hey, Dong Ge, what does this say about my personality?"

Having completed the task, it was already past 11 o'clock. On his way back, Ye Liuxi walked past a storefront, thought for a moment, and then turned back.

Chang Dong found an excuse to get out of the car, allowing Fat Tang to return first while he followed at a distance

Ye Liuxi was driving, mostly trailing behind, occasionally overtaking.

Ye Liuxi said: "I understand."

Chang Dong felt a bit guilty and wanted to invite her along, as it was merely a matter of having a few extra pairs of chopsticks—after much hesitation, he ultimately decided against it

That won't delay you, I will go back

It is interesting; I just want to win a Golden Knife Award

Chang Dong rummaged through his luggage and pulled out a clean set of clothes for bathing: "Keep your distance from her. Such a person speaks human words one moment and ghostly words the next, and can turn hostile faster than flipping a book. It's not someone you know well."

Chang Dong said: "Because she is poor and arrogant."

In a moment, the sound of chopping was incessantly heard.

Chang Dong was attentive. That night at Liuyuan, he accompanied Fat Tang to inspect the car. On their way back to the hotel, they happened to see Ye Liuxi coming out from the small gate

... ...

The itinerary was not rushed; Chang Dong even took a detour, traversing some treacherous terrain, consciously utilizing the time before entering the Gobi Desert to test the vehicle: after all, it had been two years since he last drove, and both the car and the driver would become dull. Discovering any flaws early on would provide an opportunity for repairs

The plastic bag felt somewhat heavy, and Feitang's eyes widened in astonishment as he blurted out: "Damn, it's money."

The money in the half-plastic bag, rolled, folded, crumpled into a ball, one hundred, fifty, and even five yuan—no wonder it is heavy, mostly consisting of various sizes of coins.

This does not seem like someone holding a beast-head agate

Chang Dong replied: "Given your level of courage, you should not covet their beast-head agate."

The fat-headed fellow didn't even lift his head: "Isn't that just like me? We deceive people into buying fakes, and we also hype them up to the extreme"

Upon leaving the house, she sat by the small flower stand across the street, broke off a piece of the corner cake, and savored it slowly, wrapped in shredded pickled mustard greens

Fei Tang casually fiddled with the money in the plastic bag and realized he had misjudged the situation: "Is it really this poor?"

She wiped off the minced meat stuck to the blade: "Not really, I just feel that at your age, it is the best time for indulgence in food, drink, and gambling. Is it interesting to spend all day bragging?"

Has he mentioned "beast head agate" to Chang Dong? When did he let it slip? Damn it, this loose tongue will eventually lead to trouble

Red and yellow, green and fresh, fragrant and aromatic

A person with amnesia only suffers from memory loss; they do not lose their temperament, intelligence, or habits.

Changdong did not speak definitively: "In theory, it is impossible to proceed; encountering 'nail-removing roads' would lead to a complete breakdown. However, nothing is absolute. It is said that traveling through Sichuan-Tibet requires an off-road vehicle, yet some have managed to make the journey in a tractor."

Ye Liuxi glanced at him and said, "Does it matter? When have I ever driven slowly?"

She does not live with them either, which is not surprising, as she has a bed in her car. However, what is strange is that one night, Fat Tang went out to buy a late-night snack and returned to tell him that Ye Liuxi was not in the car.

Feel free to ask, and if there is work available, just take it on

As she overtook, Fat Tang expressed his discontent: "Dong Ge, with her broken van, can she really enter the Gobi?"

A total of 3742.3 yuan