NOVEL WEB Chapter 23: The Dowry Has Been Given!
On the morning of the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, the remnants of the New Year celebrations still lingered. Lian Qingxue, who had been sleeping in, was awakened by the rumbling of a car. She groggily opened her eyes, pushed open the window, and looked outside. In the courtyard of the orphanage, a small van had appeared. Qi Yun had just jumped down from the passenger seat. Why was Qi Yun here?
Lian Qingxue quickly washed up and ran downstairs. In the yard, Qi Yun was talking with the driver, who was incessantly complaining, “I tell you, since opening my shop, I’ve never done deliveries. But you forced me to come here!”
“I only opened on the first day of the New Year because business was slow, otherwise I wouldn’t have come! This is affecting my earnings!”
“Do you know how far this place is? The cost of gas is not cheap!”
Despite the complaints, Qi Yun didn’t get angry. He pulled out a newly bought pack of cigarettes from his pocket and handed them over, saying, “Boss, isn’t this just helping out?”
The boss reluctantly accepted the cigarettes. By then, Lian Qingxue had already rushed down with a big group of kids. “Qi Yun, why are you here so early?” Qi Yun didn’t answer, but pulled Lian Qingxue’s hand and walked towards the back of the van. With a strong pull, he opened the back door. “What is this?”
Neatly stacked in the back of the van were several piles of books. “These are for the orphanage. Haven’t you always wanted to set up a library?” Qi Yun said to Lian Qingxue. “Look, this pile is fairy tale books, this pile is science books, this pile is classics…”
As Qi Yun rambled on, Lian Qingxue sniffed, “You’re spending money recklessly again!” “Not at all, I bought these at wholesale prices!” Qi Yun hadn’t intentionally bought expensive items this time. He had gone to the city early in the morning, and most of the bookstores hadn’t opened yet. This bookstore had the most comprehensive and latest selection of books.
Qi Yun had about 30,000 yuan in his hand, mostly earned from Lian Qingxue. After careful selection, he bought about 2,000 worthwhile books, averaging about 15 yuan each. It was indeed cheap, and because of the large quantity, the boss had given him a wholesale discount.
Xiao Yu and several other children were watching from the back, a little surprised at the sight of so many books. “Is this for our orphanage?” The children, big and small, were all peering into the van. The orphanage was already struggling to provide them with clothes, food, and education. Their recreational life was truly sparse.
Seeing these 2,000 books, the eyes of the older and younger children were all shining. Director Li heard the noise and also came over. Seeing this scene, her gaze softened considerably when she looked at Qi Yun. “You spent so much money, does your family know?” She asked, seeing that Qi Yun was still a child.
“Don’t worry, this money is all mine,” Qi Yun assured her. Director Li smiled at Qi Yun, “You’re a good boy, and Qingxue is a good girl. I can rest assured with you two together.”
Director Li quickly left, leaving the space to Qi Yun and Lian Qingxue. She took Xiao Yu and the others to move the books from the van to a room upstairs. Whether it was the older or younger children, they all seemed to cherish these books, handling them with great care.
“You’ve been so good to me, what if I can’t repay you?” Lian Qingxue whispered. “Marry me then!” Qi Yun joked. “In your dreams!” she retorted. “I’ve already paid the dowry, and your guardian has agreed, are you thinking of backing out now?”
Lian Qingxue blushed even more. The books were a dowry? It seemed plausible. The guardian had agreed? It seemed like Director Li really had agreed! After holding back for a long time, Lian Qingxue finally said, “When I get married… I don’t need a dowry… I eat quite a lot, but I can eat less.” Her voice got smaller and smaller, and Qi Yun couldn’t help but hug her into his arms. Lian Qingxue didn’t resist, just quietly leaned against Qi Yun’s body.
“Hey, you two kids, you’re making me so envious!” The bookstore boss poked his head out. “Alright, the books have been moved. Time to pay!” Qi Yun took out his bank card and swiped it on the POS machine. When the receipt came out, Qi Yun was surprised at the amount. “Boss, this number is wrong, it should be more than 30,000, why is it only 20,000?”
The bookstore owner stepped on the gas and grumbled, “Can’t I give a New Year’s discount? Besides, if I even make money off an orphanage, am I still a human?” Before his words even fell, the van drove off in a rush.
Looking at the departing van, Qi Yun couldn’t help but laugh. Suddenly, a system notification rang out. “Congratulations host, you’ve completed an investment of 20,000 yuan, with a return of 200,000!”
Does this count? Wait, did I just lose money from the boss’s discount?