Chapter 363 Ouyang's Gentle Persuasion
Chen Tangtang ate with gusto, while Ouyang kept serving her food. At first, Chen Tangtang looked at Ouyang with confusion, but after the first bite, she couldn't think of anything else.
Ouyang was like a devoted dad, almost wanting to feed Chen Tangtang himself. Chen Tonghua, standing nearby, didn't know how to feel, finding it hard to watch.
“Are you full?”
Chen Tangtang was wiping her mouth when a whisper by her ear sent a shiver down her spine. She turned and saw those deep eyes behind her glasses, and for a moment, she was lost.
“Hehehe, are you stuffed?”
“Uh, cough, cough, I’m alright.”
Even Chen Tangtang, as oblivious as she was, sensed something was off. What was wrong with this man?
“Brother Ouyang, are you, are you okay?”
“Pfft~~ cough cough, hahahaha.”
Min Xing spat out his tea. What a weirdo had Ouyang encountered?
Ouyang listened to everyone’s laughter with a blank face, but Chen Tangtang was different. What was going on? She could only look at Ye Shengsong for help pitifully.
Ye Shengsong could only pat Chen Tangtang’s hand reassuringly.
“It’s nothing, they’re all acting crazy.”
Chen Tangtang looked around. They did seem like lunatics. Chen Tonghua shook his head helplessly, thinking this silly girl would be easily tricked later.
After everyone finished eating, they watched Han Hao tidy up the house, waiting to leave together.
Ouyang, with a few words, managed to lure Chen Tangtang away. He couldn’t have a group of hindrances following him. He wanted to be as quick and decisive as Zi Shao and confess today.
Zi Yisheng also took Ye Shengsong to act alone. They always came out in a group, and it was truly annoying.
“Where are we going?”
“I’ll take you to the scrap yard. You’ve always been curious about this place, haven’t you?”
“Didn’t you say there was nothing good there?”
“There isn’t, but what if you get lucky?”
The two arrived at Spring City’s largest scrap yard. Zi Yisheng went in, handed two cigarettes to the old man at the gate, and was smoothly allowed entry.
The scrap yard was vast, with over ten large warehouses lined up. Ye Shengsong could see the messy and dirty interior from the entrance, feeling reluctant to touch anything. Besides, she never had the luck of a main character, so without much hope, she took out two masks from her bag.
“Put them on, so you don’t have trouble breathing.”
The two then plunged into a warehouse filled with lumber. There were almost no complete pieces of furniture, and some had been deliberately cut into pieces.
Ye Shengsong recalled the descriptions in novels and specifically picked out table legs and drawers, judging them by their weight.
Surprisingly, Ye Shengsong found quite a few table legs that felt heavier than they should. She took them regardless of whether they were complete.
Zi Yisheng seemed much more experienced, picking out fewer items. They searched through more than ten warehouses for over two hours. Ye Shengsong was truly exhausted and waved her hand, signaling an end to the search. Even if there were more, she couldn’t continue.
Due to the significant quantity, Zi Yisheng directly rented a cart from the gatekeeper. The two then pushed the cart, looking dusty and grimy, towards the suburbs. They found a patch of woods and went inside.
“Oh my, this is killing me.”
Ye Shengsong sat down on the ground. Only now did she realize how difficult it was for a main character to find treasures.
Zi Yisheng smiled and sat down beside her, waiting for the girl to recover. After all, it was rare to see this girl exert herself.
Ye Shengsong looked at the full cart of “treasures” with anticipation. If she found anything this time, she would definitely become a regular at the scrap yard.
“Let’s start, we’ll test them one by one.”
Zi Yisheng picked up the axe they had borrowed from the gatekeeper and began to chop. He started with the items Ye Shengsong had selected.
Ye Shengsong, however, took out a handkerchief from her bag and carefully wiped a bronze artifact whose details were unclear.
The first piece, the second piece… Ye Shengsong watched as Zi Yisheng’s feet were surrounded by discarded wood chips, and she became numb. She had said she wasn’t a main character and didn’t have that kind of luck.
“Alright, alright, let’s just consider this a workout session for today. Don’t be so disappointing.”
Zi Yisheng wiped the sweat from his forehead and continued with a smile. He refused to believe there wouldn't be even a single discovery today.
The pieces Ye Shengsong had selected were all chopped up, yielding nothing. She felt heavy only because of the wood.
Zi Yisheng then moved a large stone and sat on it, bringing all the remaining wood to his feet, chopping and discarding each piece.
Ye Shengsong looked at the two bronze artifacts and a candlestick she had wiped clean by her feet.
“Can you tell which era these three are from?”
Zi Yisheng glanced at them and looked away. They weren’t from any era; they were just handicrafts.
“I can’t tell either. Let’s find someone to look at them when we get back. Maybe they’re very valuable.”
Ye Shengsong aimlessly looked around. Deep in the woods here, there was a small hill that didn’t look at all desolate like a northern winter.
“I’m going to walk around inside.”
“Wait for me. I think this piece of wood feels a bit off.”
Ye Shengsong excitedly rushed over, her eyes fixed on the wood. Zi Yisheng’s axe hit it about a third of the way in and couldn’t go any further.
“It really seems like there’s something inside. I feel like we’re going to strike it rich today.”
Zi Yisheng chopped off the entire first third and saw something golden, with axe marks on it.
“Gold! It really is gold!”
“Our luck is pretty good. There should be quite a bit.”
Zi Yisheng knocked the chopped wooden piece upside down, and pieces of gold fell out. Ye Shengsong quickly picked them up one by one.
“Hahaha, ten pieces in total, probably five or six pounds.”
“Quick, pack them up, and let’s see if there’s more. You shouldn’t wander off anymore.”
With her good fortune, Ye Shengsong had no reason to run off. She sat by the side, mentally calculating how much the gold was worth in cash, growing happier with each calculation.
Zi Yisheng finished chopping the rest but found nothing else. Ye Shengsong wasn't disappointed. Unexpected wealth shouldn’t be greedy for; getting something was already a good omen.
“Come on, let’s find a place to wash our hands. We can go on a big shopping spree.”
Zi Yisheng took Ye Shengsong’s shoulder bag and slung it over his shoulder. The girl’s "treasure bag" was quite heavy.
When the two arrived at the department store, Ye Muen and Houzi were sitting in the office of the department store manager, Jiang Songping.
“This is the procurement channel that Young Master Zi requested last time. If you buy in large quantities, they can offer a better price.”
Houzi also placed a cloth bag on Jiang Songping’s desk.
“This is goods from Mi Province. Manager Jiang, see if you need anything. We can also supply them.”
Jiang Songping already knew that Ye Muen and Zi Yisheng were together. He initially thought Ye Muen was one of Zi Shao’s subordinates, but after meeting her, he dared not underestimate her. Her demeanor indicated she was no ordinary person.
“Flower tea, dried meat, milk powder, these are all good things. What prices can you offer, and how much can you supply monthly?”
Jiang Songping was no longer in a position to offer resources; he now desperately wanted to secure these goods.
Ye Muen remained silent, carefully examining the list of goods in her hand, comparing similar items with those from Mi Province.
Meanwhile, the atmosphere between Ouyang and Chen Tangtang was becoming rather peculiar. They went to a nearby park, and after walking for half an hour, Ouyang still hadn’t spoken.
“Brother Ouyang, are we still walking? I want to go shopping at the department store.”
Chen Tangtang had mentally cursed Ouyang countless times. She hadn't even explored Spring City yet, and he was dragging her along for a stroll.
“Tangtang, what do you think of me?”
Chen Tangtang scratched her head and really took a serious look at Ouyang. Come to think of it, she hadn’t really observed the man in front of her closely.
“Tall, handsome, elegant, gentle.”
Ouyang’s lips curled up. He suddenly bent down and looked directly into Chen Tangtang’s eyes, an oppressive aura washing over her.
“Can I assume that in your eyes, I have no flaws?”
Chen Tangtang took a step back, only to be held by Ouyang’s hand on her shoulder.
“Brother Ouyang, what’s wrong?”
“Don’t be afraid. I just want to know what kind of presence I am in your heart?”
Chen Tangtang became even more confused. What kind of presence? She had already graduated from high school.
Seeing the little fatty’s furrowed brow, Ouyang felt both amused and endeared.
“Let me put it another way. Do you think there’s a possibility for me to be your boyfriend? I really like you, and I hope you can acknowledge me and accept me.”
Chen Tangtang felt like she had been struck by lightning. In that moment, all she wanted was to escape, and to do so as quickly as possible.
What she thought, she did. She pushed away Ouyang’s hands, turned, and ran, all in one smooth motion.
Ouyang looked down at his pushed-away hands and smiled helplessly. This little coward. It seemed he had to force things.
Ouyang quickly caught up to the little fatty, who was already sweating from running.
“Did my words scare you this much? Or am I so awful that you want to avoid me?”
Ouyang grabbed Chen Tangtang’s wrist again, but without much force. This made Chen Tangtang have to stop, but she didn't dare to look at Ouyang.
“No, no, it’s just, it’s just…”
“Just what? Am I not your type?”
Chen Tangtang had never considered this aspect. Although some of her classmates had boyfriends, she just watched the excitement from the sidelines and never thought about herself.
“I, I don’t know. I haven’t thought about it.”
Ouyang’s attitude remained gentle. He held Chen Tangtang’s hand and continued walking slowly.
“Then you can think about it now. Think about whether I’m someone you can consider. Also, think about what kind of partner you’re looking for. Tangtang, you’re old enough to think about this, and you should. Look at Shengsong, who is younger than you, she has already chosen the right person early on, hasn’t she?”
Ouyang was practically coaxing a child, gently guiding Chen Tangtang step by step onto the path he had laid out.
Chen Tangtang really started to consider it, but the more she thought, the redder her face became. Her naturally fair and plump cheeks became even more rosy.
Ouyang observed Chen Tangtang’s expression. Seeing her increasingly flushed face, he felt a sense of relief.
“If you think I’m not bad, you can try with me. It would be good, and we wouldn’t be separated from Shengsong in the future. You know I’m Zi Yisheng’s subordinate, and I’ll always be with Zi Yisheng in the future. So if you’re willing, I can always be very close to Shengsong.”