Era: Rise from the Wilderness

He needs allies.

Do not!

Partner!

A person who has both courage and money, and can keep their mouth shut.

Wang Gang's face emerged from the darkness, his square face bearing scars, and he thumped his chest repeatedly.

He has a江湖 (jianghu) spirit, and perhaps also courage.

But for this kind of thing, courage alone isn't enough.

Money passes through his hands, vouchers circulate in his hands; what if he gets greedy for money, or what if he's just pretending to be weak while actually being strong...? Li Yunjing shuddered.

He wasn't naive enough to stake his life on a complete stranger from the martial arts world.

Who else?

Think of all the people you know in your mind.

relative?

The uncles and aunts were all honest, hardworking men; upon hearing the word "reselling," they would immediately take three steps back in fright.

classmate?

I'm still a kid at heart.

neighborhood?

Even less reliable.

"Sigh, no matter how many plans I have, I can't do anything without money. I'd better find a way to get my first pot of gold as soon as possible!"

With a long sigh, Li Yunjing closed his eyes and slowly fell asleep.

The next morning, Li Yunjing was awakened by the noise of her parents leaving the house.

Breakfast consisted of porridge and pickled vegetables.

Li Hongfeng and He Ling had finished eating and were heading to the convenience store.

After washing up, Li Yunjing looked at the breakfast left for him on the table and ate the porridge with a bitter taste. His mind was still swirling around those light green paper coupons and the thick stack of "four old men's heads" that they might exchange for.

In July, Li Yunjing's friends gradually appeared on the playground.

During this holiday, as long as it doesn't rain, every day there are dozens of young people playing on the playground, playing soccer, basketball, parallel bars, and jumping rope...

Li Yunjing sat on the parallel bars, bored, watching the laughter and chatter on the playground.

"Li Yunjing, where have you been these past two days?"

Suddenly, a crisp voice rang out from behind Li Yunjing. He snapped out of his daze, turned around, and saw Lü Ruoxi standing there in a light blue dress, her ponytail gleaming softly in the sunlight.

She waved to Li Yunjing, a faint smile on her face as usual.

"Ruoxi, good morning!"

Li Yunjing composed himself, braced his arms, pushed off the parallel bars, and jumped down.

Good morning!

Lu Ruoxi looked at him with her clear eyes, "But...you seem to have something on your mind?"

Li Yunjing's heart skipped a beat.

Lü Ruoxi is too perceptive.

He rallied his spirits and forced a smile: "It's nothing, just a little...annoying."

"What's bothering you?"

Can you tell me?

She leaned against the horizontal bar, tilting her head to look at him.

The sunlight stretched the shadow of her eyelashes long.

Li Yunjing paused for a moment.

He then told them about his family running a small shop at the school.

As for those plans concerning treasury bonds, price differences, and reselling, they lingered in his throat before being forcibly swallowed back down.

I can't say it, especially not to Lü Ruoxi.

Despite being a wealthy young woman, Lü Ruoxi's plans are beyond what people her age can do.

Even if she spoke up, Lü Ruoxi couldn't help.

"Oh? Your family owns a convenience store?"

Lu Ruoxi subconsciously turned her head and looked at the small shop in the school.

"yes!"

Li Yunjing nodded, "My mom will keep an eye on this shop from now on. At least we can earn more money to supplement the family income."

"That's not bad!"

Lu Ruoxi smiled and nodded, then frowned and sighed, "It's a pity that we've all graduated and are going to university in other cities. Otherwise, we could have helped Auntie and made her less tired."

"hey-hey!"

Upon hearing this, Li Yunjing revealed a half-smile on his face.

This smile made Lü Ruoxi a little embarrassed; her cheeks flushed, and she gave Li Yunjing a shy glance.

"Then why are you looking so gloomy?"

After a while, Lü Ruoxi regained her composure and said coquettishly, "Opening a shop on campus must be very profitable!"

"Hmm! I don't have anything to worry about regarding the shop."

Li Yunjing twitched the corner of his mouth: "The main problem is that I want to do something, but I'm stuck on money."

He paused, as if mocking himself, "I was thinking about it all last night, whether I should find a place to do odd jobs, like carrying bricks or sacks, anything is fine."

"A temporary job?!"

Lu Ruoxi's voice suddenly rose, her eyes widening as if she had heard something out of the blue, "You're going to...move bricks? Carry bags?"

In her mind, Li Yunjing was an excellent student who would go to university, enter politics, or join a state-owned enterprise.

Moving bricks?

Those were words from another, rougher world that she had never encountered before.

"What's wrong?"

Li Yunjing was taken aback by her blunt reaction, feeling somewhat embarrassed. He replied in a stiff tone, "Is it shameful to earn a living by physical labor?"

"I did not mean that……"

Lu Ruoxi's face flushed red, and she hurriedly waved her hand, her voice lowered, carrying a hint of panic and confusion, "I just think... with such good grades, your time should be spent on more useful things."

"And besides, can you... can you endure that hardship?"

These words were even more hurtful.

Li Yunjing turned his face away and looked at the dusty basketball court in the distance. Several shirtless boys were fighting over a basketball with peeling skin, their shouts distorted by the heat.

How could he not know the bitterness?

He was just saying it!

Li Yunjing really couldn't do such heavy work, especially since it was low-cost and the returns were too meager.

Silence spread between the two, with only the chirping of cicadas in their ears.

Lu Ruoxi bit her lower lip, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her skirt.

Looking at Li Yunjing's tense profile and tightly pursed lips, her initial unease was gradually replaced by another emotion.

A mixture of worry and an urge to help.

She came from a wealthy family and had never worried about money since she was a child, but she wasn't stupid. She could sense that Li Yunjing's anxiety at this moment was real and heavy.

"you……"

She hesitated for a moment, her voice so soft as if afraid of disturbing something, "How much money do you need? If... if the amount isn't large, I... I have some New Year's money that I can lend you to tide you over."

After she finished speaking, two more blushes rose on her cheeks, but her eyes looked at him with a bright and innocent sincerity.

Li Yunjing's heart skipped a beat.

He turned around and met Lü Ruoxi's clear, bright eyes.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the locust tree leaves, casting dappled patterns of light on her face.

Her kindness was so pure and innocent that he almost dared not look directly at her.

The "business" he's going to start might require tens of thousands of dollars in startup capital.

Lu Ruoxi's New Year's money, perhaps a hundred or two hundred yuan, at most a few hundred, was a huge sum for her, but for his plans it was just a drop in the ocean.

Besides, how could he possibly drag her into something with such an uncertain future, one that could even lead to trouble?

If he takes a risk with her money and loses it, how will he repay it?

How can I face her and her family?

Various thoughts swirled in his mind, ultimately turning into a deeper sigh and a bitter smile.