Shuangling: Braving the Rapids

In the evening, Cheng Dong wandered aimlessly on the asphalt road like a lost soul. Despite being starving, he managed to walk all the way from the Industry and Commerce Bureau to the town gate.

Just two streets away is the Er Dong Wholesale Department—that's where he staked his entire fortune, the source of his confidence to bang his fist on the table and challenge people, and the last vestige of his dignity.

He had planned to establish himself in the suburbs of the county with a small business, but reality slapped him hard in the face. Now he has lost everything and is in complete ruin!

Is Lao Chengdong destined to live his entire life as his brother's shadow? But how can he overcome this hurdle on his own?

As he pondered this, Cheng Dong began pounding his head with his fists. Then, he started running like a madman, his legs numb and tingling, yet he gritted his teeth and persevered. Perhaps only this desperate measure could allow him to temporarily forget the pain of defeat.

Sweat soaked through my back, and I finally felt a little better. Just then, I suddenly bumped into the broken sign of "Er Dong Wholesale Department".

At that moment, Cheng Dong felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

The signboard was missing a corner, and the shop door, warehouse door, and decorative glass were all smashed to pieces. In addition, various curse slogans were painted on the walls in red paint.

"Murderer! Executioner! Give me back my son's life!"

"The poisoned liquor dealers will pay with their lives!"

"Get out of the city gate!"

……

These blood-red characters were like chains that ensnared his soul, making it hard for him to breathe. Cheng Dong felt a tightness in his chest, a splitting headache, and his knees buckled, causing him to collapse to the ground...

These perpetrators were originally victims themselves; some had lost loved ones in the poisoned liquor case, while others, like Cheng Dong, were innocent victims caught in the crossfire. But the mastermind, Zhang Laifu, had vanished without a trace, leaving the people with no outlet for their anger. So, the victims gathered, holding banners, and petitioned in front of the city government building. When the police arrived to maintain order, they suddenly turned their guns on all the liquor stores under investigation, including Er Dong Wholesale Department.

The victims, along with opportunists, not only smashed the store to pieces but also looted all valuables. Before leaving, they even wrote slogans and scattered paper money.

There were people who tried to stop her, at least the shop assistant Tingting bravely stepped forward. But how could a young girl like her withstand it? Not only did she fail to protect the store's goods, she also received a solid slap across the face.

In the dim light, the thin figure reached the shop entrance again. The girl held a cleaning brush in her left hand and a bucket of water in her right, seemingly trying to clean the blood-stained words on the wall.

She had actually done this job several times before, but tonight she abandoned the cleaning duties and quickly sidled up to Cheng Dong.

"Boss... is that you?"

Tingting rubbed her eyes, hardly believing them. Her throat felt like sandpaper, and tears welled up in her eyes.

Before Cheng Dong could even look up and say anything, Tingting choked up, "Boss...it's all my fault...if I had been more careful when inspecting the goods, they wouldn't have arrested you, and the store wouldn't have been robbed...I..."

As she spoke, Tingting burst into tears, her shoulders shaking with sobs, taking all the blame upon herself.

Seeing the little girl crying her eyes out, how could Cheng Dong bear to blame her? Besides, even if they caught that damned Zhang Laifu now, they wouldn't be able to get back what had been smashed and stolen.

The damage is irreparable, so why make things difficult for the young girl? Besides, if Tingting hadn't defended him in the special investigation team, it's uncertain whether he would have been released.

"It's alright, it's all over..." Cheng Dong forced himself to stand up. He didn't want the girl to see him in such a state, so instead he started to comfort her.

"How could nothing be wrong? The things in the store... you earned them penny by penny, and now they're all gone..." Tingting was still sobbing, clenching her little fists and wiping away her tears with the back of her hand. It was truly heartbreaking to see her like that.

"If things are gone, we can earn them again! It's better if no one is hurt..." As soon as he said it, Cheng Dong wanted to slap himself twice. He really didn't expect that he could be so good at fooling people.

"Boss, you...you really don't blame me?" Tingting asked with her innocent little eyes.

"It's not your fault, it's all that bastard Zhang's doing. When I catch him, I'll give him a good beating!" Cheng Dong patted the little girl's shoulder, signaling her to stop crying. To distract Tingting, he pointed to the broom and bucket not far away and said, "It's really kind of you, even in this situation, you're still thinking about cleaning up."

"It's only right!" Tingting pouted. "You gave me my wages for this month in advance! It's only right that I do all this!"

At this moment, Tingting sniffed, straightened her back, and pointed at the graffiti, saying, "Boss, don't take those things to heart! Everyone knows you'd rather pay for your own gas and drive long distances to get goods than buy counterfeit stuff. We're the most honest people on the whole street; they're just jealous!"

Cheng Dong gave a wry smile and shook his head, saying, "Whether I'm honest or not is for others to judge. Right now, people are talking about how I've been betrayed!"

"No, that's not true!" Tingting stamped her foot anxiously. "These past few days, many uncles and elders who buy goods from me have been asking about you. They all say they're waiting for you to reopen!"

Tingting wasn't lying. Those street vendors usually received a lot of help from Cheng Dong. If he really went bankrupt, these people would be ripped off by middlemen when buying their goods.

Listening to the little girl chatter on and on, Cheng Dong felt much of the gloom dissipate. Just moments ago, he felt like the whole world despised him, but now he at least knew that someone still cared about him.

"Tingting, I'm planning to go on a long-distance trip out of town, so this shop will be temporarily closed..."

Before Cheng Dong could finish speaking, Tingting grabbed his arm tightly. "Boss, take me with you! I can do any job, just make sure I don't go hungry!"

The more the girl said that, the tighter Cheng Dong's heart clenched. He was penniless and in debt, so how could he dare to take a girl with him on his adventures?

"Tingting, you treat me like a brother, so I can't hide it from you. The city wants me to pay tens of thousands of yuan in fines. I really have no other choice but to run away..." Cheng Dong didn't actually intend to run away. He said this on purpose just to make the other party back down.

"We have to pay a fine too?" Tingting's eyes widened. "Why should we?"

Cheng Dong pried open the girl's clenched, white fingers and said with a hardened heart, "You're still young, you can continue your studies. I've already made my decision, there's no future for you with me. Besides, I already have a girlfriend, it's inconvenient to bring you along..."

These words immediately backfired. Tingting pushed Chengdong's large hand away and yelled, "You're lying again! You always treat me like a three-year-old! Do you think I don't know whether you have a boyfriend or not?"

Tears welled up in the girl's eyes as she stared intently into the man's eyes, pouring out all the words she had been holding back: "Brother Chengdong, I love you! If you hadn't taken me in, my mom would have sent me to work in the south long ago! These past six months working at the shop have been the happiest days of my life!"

Before Cheng Dong could react, the little girl threw herself into his arms. "If this hadn't happened, I wouldn't have dared to say that. Please, don't go far. Just stay in the province and do whatever you want. I'll follow you no matter what!"

Tingting is already an adult, but her mind is still stuck in her student days. It's perfectly normal for her to develop feelings for Cheng Dong, who is daring, handsome, and dashing. Let alone starting a business with him, even a young girl wandering the world might impulsively agree to do so.

Cheng Dong's hands were at a loss. Besides offering his shoulder to the girl, what else could he offer? Burdened with debt and having lost all his capital, he was struggling to make ends meet, let alone rebuild his life. In this situation, did he really deserve to be in a relationship?

Cheng Dong's throat bobbed, but he didn't dare make any promises. He stood there like a wooden statue, letting the girl soak his clothes with snot and tears...