Chapter 46: The Last Petal

Chapter 46: Chapter 46: The Last Petal

Zhang Fu remained silent, at a loss for words. Being hounded for money by Wang Fugui just moments ago made him feel like he had completely lost face! As a father, he had always shielded his son from the storms of life, shouldering every burden alone to spare him from any guilt or pressure.

On the internet, middle-aged men were often the target of clickbait media—mocked for lacking fashion sense, letting their bodies go, and being greasy, tacky, or condescending. Yet in most homes, these men were the breadwinners keeping their families afloat. Mortgages, car loans, their children’s education, daily living expenses, and social obligations rested heavily on their shoulders.

Not every middle-aged man was a success story. The powerful CEOs and social elites who controlled vast wealth likely represented only the top 0.01 percent. The vast majority were unsung nobodies, their backs slowly bent by the crushing weight of life as wrinkles multiplied and their hair turned white.

The moment the truth came out, Zhang Fu’s carefully curated image in front of his son completely shattered! Even though his son had the money to resolve the crisis, Zhang Fu’s emotional defenses had crumbled.

Zhang Yun was also unsure of what to say. Like most fathers and sons, they weren’t adept at expressing their emotions, often leaving the most important things unspoken. However, recalling how his father had managed to discuss Xiuxun with him just yesterday, Zhang Yun realized the awkwardness had already begun to fade. He knew his father needed comforting right now.

"Dad... everything is fine now. I was really immature in the past, but I’ve grown up. I’ll be the one holding up everything in this family from now on!"

Zhang Yun poured his dad a glass of Moutai, then lit a cigarette and handed it over.

"My ability to pay off the debt doesn’t mean you’re useless now. You’ve always been the pillar of this family. It’s just that I’ve grown up and can finally help you share the burden."

Although Zhang Yun had spoken up, he still couldn’t bring himself to say anything too mushy. But he quickly realized a crucial point! Money was the greatest source of security his father needed!

"Do you think I just spent all my money? That I won’t have anything left to get married or something? Actually, that was just a small fraction..." Zhang Yun opened his mobile banking app to show the balance. "Look at this!"

Zhang Fu took a look, squinting and shaking his head. "Am I seeing double from the alcohol? How many digits is this?"

Zhang Yun smiled. "That’s over a million." Zhang Lifeng had already transferred the eight hundred thousand, which, combined with the funds from He Xiong and Ouyang Kunpeng, amounted to over 1.7 million.

"A million...!" Zhang Fu exclaimed in shock, then quickly covered his mouth.

His previous gloominess vanished without a trace, replaced by sudden tension. He stared wide-eyed at Zhang Yun for a long time. "You little brat, you didn’t rob a bank, did you?"

Zhang Yun didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. "How is that even possible? Even if I robbed a bank, could I rob it straight into my bank card? Wouldn’t they freeze my account?"

Zhang Fu thought about it and realized it made sense. "Are you one of those black... hackers?"

"Do you think the banks were born yesterday? If I had the skills to hack into a bank’s system, would I still need to come back here and raise fish? I could easily get a job at Tencent or Alibaba."

That also seemed to make sense... Zhang Fu asked again, "Then... did you rob the Six Records old pharmacy?"

Zhang Yun smiled wryly. "Can’t you think of anything good about me? There are plenty of ways to make money. Why do you always assume I’m robbing or hacking?"

"Hah! The only methods that make money this fast and in such large amounts are written in the penal code!"

Zhang Yun said seriously, "Everything I said before was true! The ginseng I dug up previously was very valuable, and the two I dug up today were even more valuable."

"I know ginseng is valuable; I used to dig for it when I was young too. But there’s no way it could be worth hundreds of thousands or over a million. That’s enough to buy a house in the city..." Zhang Fu still couldn’t understand.

Zhang Yun sighed helplessly. "When you were young, being a ten-thousand-yuan household meant you were a millionaire. What does a million count for nowadays? You used to catch soft-shell turtles when you were young, right? But did anyone ever sell a turtle for ten thousand yuan back then?"

"..." Zhang Fu was momentarily speechless.

Zhang Yun continued giving examples. "The one I sold to Physician Zhang was three thousand; the larger one I gave to Uncle Cai was ten thousand. It’s because the older they are, the rarer they get! The one I dug up today was a century-old ginseng. You might not find one of those in decades. It’s not just the equivalent of ten ten-year-old ginsengs."

"Is it really that valuable?" Zhang Fu was dumbfounded, finally convinced by his son.

"Six Records has been running pharmacies for decades. Do you think they operate at a loss? Could they open branches everywhere if they weren’t turning a profit? They take these things to big cities and sell them to billionaires at auctions and such."

Zhang Yun had completely stunned his father, though it was the truth. "That billionaire Wang famously said making a hundred million is just a ’small goal.’ Are people at that Level of wealth short on money? No, they lack health and lifespan. Them buying millions in tonics is just like us ordinary folks buying a few hundred yuan worth of health supplements."

Zhang Fu finally felt reassured. "I’m warning you, you must stay on the Righteous Path. No matter how poor we are, we can’t steal, kidnap, rob, or scam!"

Zhang Yun laughed. "Who am I? I’m the son you raised! My character is as upright as can be!"

Having dispelled the previous gloom, the father and son began to eat and drink in high spirits.

"Your Uncle Fugui is really something else! He heard you bought a motorcycle and specifically came to collect the debt. He even played along with my words, claiming he was going to help introduce you to a girl. And to think I wasted my good Moutai on him!"

Zhang Fu’s tongue was starting to tie in knots. Looking at the nearly empty bottle of Moutai, he felt a pang of regret that Wang Fugui had drunk so much of it.

"It’s fine! I’ll buy you more!"

Intoxicated, Zhang Fu kept rambling and mumbling without much logical coherence, eventually passing out right there.

Zhang Yun had also drunk some Moutai to keep him company. Normally, he couldn’t handle much hard liquor, but surprisingly, he felt perfectly fine. Even though it was his first time drinking Moutai, the alcohol content was high, so it shouldn’t have been a problem with the liquor itself. He figured that since his body had grown stronger, this tiny amount of alcohol couldn’t affect him anymore.

After settling his dad into bed, Zhang Yun cleared the dining table. Only then did he have the time to take a shower and change his clothes.

Walking home earlier, he hadn’t felt much pain. Once he got to the town, he had completely forgotten about his two wounds. Now, as he washed off the applied herbs, he saw that the deep cuts had already healed, leaving behind only faint, shallow marks.

Inspecting his wounds naturally brought back the image of Xiuxun helping him treat them earlier. Just as his imagination was about to run wild, the image of Yang Xiaoyun suddenly surfaced in his mind.

He thought, "Oh, God! That was far too disrespectful, but the visual impact was simply too overwhelming..."

Feeling a burning heat throughout his body despite the cold shower, Zhang Yun could only blame the effects of that Mysterious Petal.

After showering, Zhang Yun noticed his weight had dropped by ten grams.

Healing from injuries, purging toxins, metabolizing alcohol... the enhancement from that Mysterious Petal was truly comprehensive. It left Zhang Yun both marveling and sighing in regret. He only had one last petal left, and he had no idea when the flower would bloom again!

Unable to resist, he entered the Peach Blossom Spring Space. Looking at the single remaining petal, Zhang Yun worried that if it withered and fell into the dirt, it would be a complete waste...

Steeling his resolve, he plucked the final petal and ate it. He didn’t care about anyone else; becoming stronger himself was the absolute truth!

Exiting the Peach Blossom Spring Space, Zhang Yun set his bedroom air conditioner to the lowest temperature. Based on the morning’s Experience, he should be able to endure the heat.

Sitting in front of the AC, Zhang Yun mimicked a meditative posture, preparing to feel and endure the burning sensation that was about to start.

Right at that moment, he heard Xiuxun softly calling his name from the courtyard outside...