money player

Lin Peijun's situation was rather special. On the eve of her graduation from university, both of her parents fell seriously ill. Her family had few children, and she only had one married older sister. Naturally, the burden of taking care of her parents fell on her alone.

Because of this, her personal life was delayed, and she remained single for several years.

After finally seeing her parents off and being able to catch her breath, she encountered another major historical change. In April of the year before last, the school where she taught moved to Taiwan. As a military and civil servant, she was given four slots, which allowed her to bring her spouse and no more than two children in addition to herself.

She wasn't married, so she shouldn't have had the problem of having a quota, but her brother-in-law was a very capable person. Since they got married, her sister had a baby every year and a half until she had six children, and only then did the pressure of raising them subside.

Her brother-in-law was a man with some ideas. He thought that he shouldn't put all his eggs in one basket, so he did something unconventional. He divorced his sister, and she remarried him. She took her brother-in-law, a nephew, and a niece to Taiwan as a family member, while her sister stayed in their hometown with her four children to wait and see.

Who knew that this hesitation would cost the family the chance to reunite?

Her brother-in-law is from Hangzhou, and his family has some connections there. He originally had a respectable job with a decent income. But after moving to Taipei, his respectable job disappeared, and so did his income. With three mouths to feed—one adult and two children—all depending on her, his sister-in-law, she was under considerable financial pressure.

Not only that, her brother-in-law and her sister lived in different places, and she and her brother-in-law lived under the same roof. Under suspicious circumstances, her brother-in-law had the idea of ​​taking half of his sister-in-law's buttocks. He ate her food, drank her water, and even wanted to eat her.

Her sister was still alive, and she didn't like her brother-in-law, so she naturally refused. Her brother-in-law tried to seduce her several times, and twice tried to force himself on her but failed. He was afraid that he would have to rely on her to fill his belly, so he gave up. He just shamelessly tried to get himself an extra fee for prostitution - fifty yuan a month.

This additional fixed expense not only made her life even more difficult, but it also made her feel like she had swallowed a fly. She thought about tearing the relationship apart and kicking the person out countless times, but she could only think about it and couldn't put it into action.

Her situation was not an isolated case. Many similar things happened back then, and everyone tacitly chose not to pay attention or mention it, stubbornly covering up the truth. Her brother-in-law was confident that if he wanted to kick her out, the matter would definitely escalate. Once it became a big deal and reached the school, she would definitely be expelled.

With a monthly budget of just over two hundred yuan, how could she not be struggling to feed four people and pay for the tuition of two children? The clothes she was wearing were already her best.

The difficulties were real and there they were. With a monthly salary of three hundred and the chance to get good deals, why would she refuse to help? She was just worried that she might not be able to do it and was assessing the risks involved.

Good conditions are based on the premise of achieving the goal. If Li Lizhen does not get into National Taiwan University, will she have to return what she received, or even face retaliation?
She picked up her coffee cup, using the movement as a cover to steal a glance at Sin Yiu-man. Seeing that he wasn't looking at her, she felt a little relieved, took a sip of coffee, and a look of surprise appeared on her face.

"The coffee isn't bitter at all!"

The coffee was delicious, so she took two more sips, but then reluctantly put the cup down, worried about being impolite.

Just as she was about to make a decision, the beaded curtain of the cubicle was lifted, and an American in military uniform walked in.

"Adam".

“Lucas,” Sin Yiu-man responded, then said to Lin Pei-chun, “Teacher Lin, excuse me for a moment.”

After receiving a response from Lin Peijun, Xian Yaowen got up, put his arm around Lucas, and left the cubicle. He took a bottle of whiskey from the counter and went to the open space at the back door.

Seated in a bamboo chair, Sin Yiu-man poured two glasses of wine, handing one to Lucas, "The weather is nice today."

Lucas took the glass, took a sip, and said jokingly, "It's a bit chilly this morning, isn't it?"

Sin Yiu-man shrugged. "Unfortunately, you don't understand my British humor."

“I understand Chaplin’s dry humor.” Lucas’s tone was even more sarcastic, seemingly implying something.

"what happened?"

"You do not know?"

"what?"

Lucas pulled a bag of Camel cigarettes from his pocket, knocked one out, and said, "Just received news that Pauline Goddard will arrive in Taipei the day after tomorrow."

Upon hearing this, Sin Yiu-man feigned ignorance and said, "Is this how you waste taxpayers' money?"

Lucas didn't respond, but instead said, "She came for you?"

"I don't know, she hasn't contacted me."

Lucas made it clear, and Sin Yiu-man stopped pretending. His relationship with Pauline Goddard couldn't be kept secret from the Charlotte family, who were always keeping an eye on him and gathering intelligence.

"Joan likes Goddard."

"uh-huh."

Lucas took a few puffs of his cigarette and said, "Chen did a good job; the warehouse is almost sold out."

Are you all satisfied?

"Very satisfied. It's been raining a lot in South Korea this month, and a lot of military trucks have been scrapped."

"Dispose of it on the spot?"

"The original plan was to ship it to Okinawa."

"Now?"

Lucas chuckled lightly. "Whatever."

"Besides the other side?"

"uh-huh."

Are you going to lead this?

"We need to communicate with the South Korean side."

"learn."

Lucas took a piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to Sin Yiu-man, “A list of people who need to be contacted.”

Sin Yiu-man took it and glanced at it. "They're all easy to talk to."

"no problem?"

"No problem, I'll keep 30%."

"OK."

The two clinked glasses, and Lucas then asked, "Did the King tell you about opening a bar?"

"uh-huh."

"Silver Star needs a few special hostesses, clean ones."

"continue."

Lucas paused for a moment, then said, “I need someone with a gang background to find the person.”

"Scapegoat?"

"Maybe."

"Understood." Sin Yiu-man nodded slightly and raised his wine glass.

After another drink, Lucas brought up a new business opportunity: "Next month, a batch of military aid supplies will arrive in Kaohsiung. Some supporting materials need to be procured locally. The advisory group has the right to recommend suppliers, intervene in bidding, and even specify brands."

"How large is it?"

"US$2700 million, with a supporting budget of NT$8300 million."

Who prepared the budget?

"Advisory Group".

"Did you leave any moisture?"

"uh-huh."

"How much?"

"30%."

"Could I have a copy of the budget?"

"can."

Sin Yiu-man shook the cup in his hand. "Anything else?"

Lucas laughed and said, "PX?"

“Not interested.” Sin Yiu-man put down his cup, stood up and said, “Come to my place for dinner another day.”

"Chinese food?"

"Anything is fine to eat."

Sin Yiu-man waved his hand, about to leave, when Lucas called out to him, "Joan is sick."

"is it serious?"

"I have a cold and a slight fever."

When did this happen?

I went to her dormitory before I came here.

Have you taken their temperature?

"100 degrees."

"Did you take fever reducer?"

"No."

"Damn it." Xian Yaowen pointed at Lucas and strode into the hall.

Lucas shrugged at Sin Yiu-man's retreating figure, his expression ambiguous.

Sin Yiu-man instructed the counter staff to pack a chicken soup, then hurriedly walked towards Lam Pui-kwan's cubicle.

Upon entering the private room, I saw Lin Pei-Chun leisurely sipping her coffee and said, "Teacher Lin, I'm sorry, something urgent has come up, and I have to leave immediately. I can't have lunch with you."

You don't need to leave yet. Stay for lunch; order whatever you like, please don't be shy. If it's convenient for you, I'd like to invite you to dinner to continue our conversation.

"It's alright, Mr. Xian, please go ahead and take care of your business."

Lin Peijun was quite happy. She could not only afford to eat French food once a month, but also have an extra meal that she could enjoy all by herself without any pressure. She hadn't eaten enough for breakfast and couldn't wait for Xian Yaowen to leave so she could enjoy the delicious food that she had never dared to dream of before.

Sin Yiu-man nodded slightly. "I'm so sorry, I'll arrive at six o'clock this afternoon. Ms. Lin, you can take your time. I'll wait for you."

"Okay." Lin Peijun slightly raised her hips and bowed, as if to say goodbye.

Forty minutes later, Sin Yiu-man knocked on Qiong's dormitory door. Qiong, wearing a loose white T-shirt and with a bird's nest on her head, looked at him with surprise and asked, "What are you doing here?"

“Lucas told me.” Xian Yaowen raised his hand and placed the back of his hand on Joan’s forehead to feel her temperature. “It’s alright, not too hot.”

He withdrew his hand and said again, "Aren't you going to invite me in?"

Upon hearing this, Joan opened the door and took a step back.

Sin Yiu-man walked through the door and stepped into the house. He glanced at the interior furnishings. It was very clean with little furniture. Two single sofas were placed in the center of the living room, and a bookshelf stood on the left wall. Other than that, there was nothing else.

Having seen the furnishings, he turned to Joan and said, "Go back to bed and leave everything to me."

A hint of suspicion flashed quickly in Joan's eyes, then she nodded and turned to walk towards the bedroom without saying anything.

Xian Yaowen walked to the sofa, took off his suit jacket, and rolled up the sleeves of his shirt. He went into the bathroom to wash his hands, then entered the bedroom. He glanced at the bed, and out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a small round table with a first-aid kit on it.

Approaching, I found a thermometer on the first-aid kit. I picked it up and saw that it was an axillary thermometer. I took some medical cotton from the first-aid kit, soaked it in alcohol, wiped it, shook it to use centrifugal force to return the mercury to the head, and took it to the bedside. I handed the axillary thermometer to Qiong and said, "Take your temperature again."

Joan obediently took it and tucked it under her left armpit.

Sin Yiu-man returned to the round table, rummaged through the medicine box, and only found phenacetin. He looked up at Joan, "No aspirin?"

Joan said weakly, "I can't take aspirin, I'm allergic."

“Okay.” Xian Yaowen put the phenacetin back in the medicine box, walked back to the bedside and sat down, asking softly, “Do you often catch colds?”

"My respiratory defenses are weak, and I am prone to respiratory infections when the seasons change."

"Haven't you been like this since you were little?"

"Yes."

"Do you take cold medicine as soon as you have an attack?"

"uh-huh."

Sin Yiu-man asked no more questions and placed the back of his hand on Qiong's forehead.

Qiong's eyes were misty, her blue-gray pupils sliding from Xian Yaowen's forehead to his lips as she scrutinized her marriage partner up close.

Sin Yiu-man withdrew his hand, bent down and kissed Joan's eyes lightly, very lightly, and quickly.

"Most cold medicines on the American market contain phenacetin. Long-term use of phenacetin can damage the kidneys. If there are no complications, your kidneys have already suffered some damage. Traditional Chinese medicine is good at regulating the body. I will ask a TCM doctor to take a look at you. Please don't resist."

Joan gently shook her head. "I won't resist."

Sin Yiu-man nodded and smiled. "I'll help you cool down physically later. I'll wrap ice cubes in a towel and put it on your forehead, and wipe your limbs and back with diluted alcohol. Do you mind?"

Joan said calmly, "Thank you."

Sin Yiu-man chuckled and reached out his hand to Qiong, who took out her watch and placed it in his palm.

He glanced at it and said, "It's still 100 degrees. Physical cooling should be able to solve the problem."

With that, he left the bedroom, made his preparations, and then returned.

He wrapped an ice pack in a towel and placed it on Qiong's forehead. He took medical alcohol from the first-aid kit and poured it into a basin. He soaked the towel in cool water, wrung it out, walked to the bedside, sat down, and used the slightly cool towel to slowly rub Qiong's wrist, along the inside of her forearm, down to her elbow, and then up to her armpit.

The towel, with its perfect coolness, gradually took away the heat from her skin. He used very gentle pressure, avoiding the tiny scratches on her wrists, and after wiping a few times, he would re-soak the towel, wring it out, and continue.

Joan opened her eyes slightly to look at him; her gaze was somewhat weary, yet very calm.

"Adam, have you always been like this?" she said softly, her voice slightly hoarse.

"what?"

"Taking care of people... women."

Xian Yaowen shifted his buttocks back slightly, slipped the towel into Qiong's groin, and applied a little more pressure. "Qiong, it's my responsibility to take care of you."

“Responsibility?” Joan’s eyes darkened.

"uh-huh."

"Responsibilities arising from an arranged marriage?"

“No.” Xian Yaowen paused, his hands stopping their movements, and met Qiong’s gentle gaze. “It is a husband’s responsibility to his wife.”

Qiong's gaze met Xian Yaowen's eyes. "You love me?"

I admire you and I like you.

"Understood." Qiong raised her arms, hooked them around Xian Yaowen's neck, tilted her upper body back, and fiercely sealed Xian Yaowen's lips with hers.

Sin Yiu-man responded a few times and gently pushed Joan away, saying, "You still have a fever, so you can't get too emotional."

Qiong released her grip, her head falling back onto the pillow. Her spring-like gaze tugged at Xian Yaowen's nose, and her fingers gently caressed her lips.

After wiping Qiong's body clean, Xian Yaowen took out the camphor oil he had bought on the way and carefully applied it to Qiong's temples.

He reassured Qiong to lie down properly, then went into the kitchen, turned on the stove, boiled water, and added rock sugar and dried mint.

As the water simmered, he took out parsley and thyme, washed and chopped them, and then took out onions, carrots, celery... preparing the side dishes for making American-style chicken noodle soup.

After a long while, mint tea and chicken noodle soup were brought to the bedside. Sin Yiu Man used a fork to roll the mushy noodles into a ball and fed them to Joan one fork after another.

After eating her fill, she drank warm mint tea, sip after sip, cup after cup, until Joan couldn't drink anymore.

Qiong lay in bed, and Xian Yaowen took a book from the bookshelf and sat by the bedside to keep watch. Every hour, he would take Qiong's temperature. On the fourth time, her temperature was just over 98 degrees Celsius, which is close to the normal human body temperature.

At 4:30, Qiong's eyelashes fluttered a few times, and she suddenly opened her eyes. She stared blankly at the ceiling for a while, then turned to look at Xian Yaowen, her eyes filled with joy and reassurance.

Then, it leaped into the air in a great hurry, shooting towards the bathroom like an arrow released from a bow. (End of Chapter)