Chapter 64: Call Me Brother

Chapter 64: Chapter 64: Call Me Brother

Zhang Yun wasn’t done. "It’s not every day someone treats me like a spoiled rich villain, so I might as well play the part! I can easily pull out a hundred thousand yuan right now, but do you honestly think you’re worth that much?"

"That’s going too far!" Gu Ming’er gripped her cup, ready to splash her tea right in his face.

"Listen to yourself," Zhang Yun retorted. "A member of the Righteous Sect like me was just counting some cash in my own home. You’re the one who accused me of trying to buy you out, claiming I had ulterior motives and talking about me violating your body! You didn’t think those words were going too far, but the moment I ask if you’re worth it, suddenly I’m the one crossing the line?" Smiling, he added, "If what I said was going too far, wouldn’t your words count as defamation?"

"I can’t be bothered with you! I’m leaving!" Gu Ming’er felt she couldn’t win this argument. If she kept talking, she would only humiliate herself further. Making a quick exit was her best bet.

"Don’t let your emotions get in the way. Make sure you handle the matter properly. After all, you’re a bought-and-paid-for lawyer!"

Zhang Yun’s flippant remark made Gu Ming’er nearly stumble. She fumed, "Bought... why would I let myself be bought?!"

After Gu Ming’er left, Zhang Yun promptly stored the suitcase safely inside the Peach Blossom Spring Space. It never hurt to be cautious of others.

The relative simplicity and honesty in rural villages wasn’t so much about human nature as it was about the environment. With unobstructed views and poor soundproofing, daytime thefts were far too easily discovered. Even stealing fish or vegetables was difficult. There was barely any transient population. Once caught, a person’s reputation would be destroyed, leading to immediate social ruin. Unless they were completely shameless like Li Bing, most petty thieves preferred to try their luck in other towns. Because of this, it wasn’t a problem to leave doors unlocked as long as there weren’t any valuable, easily portable items inside. After all, could someone really lug away a TV or refrigerator without a trace?

However, Zhang Yun’s current situation was different. A million yuan in cash weighed just over twenty pounds. Stuffed into a woven sack, it could easily be carried off without raising any suspicion. It was best not to test human nature.

Zhang Yun immediately hopped onto his old motorcycle and headed out. Having sorted out the issue with Gu Ming’er and completed the ginseng transaction in passing, he could finally focus on dealing with the rice harvest in peace.

During this brief time, the events at Zhang Yun’s house had already sparked a wildfire of gossip. The older folks spread the news by word of mouth, while the younger generation buzzed in their WeChat group chats. Someone had snapped a photo of the million yuan in cash and posted it to the village WeChat group, which was then forwarded across various other groups. In a flash, not only was Tianxin Village caught in a heated discussion, but the news was also rapidly spreading to all the neighboring towns and villages through the network of relatives and friends.

Down in the fields, Zhang Fu hoisted the woven sacks of unhusked rice onto his back, carried them up the ridges, and set them by the edge of the main tractor path. With a handcart, the load could be hauled away in one go, but using a motorcycle meant making several trips.

"Brother Fu! Why are you still messing with the rice? Something huge happened at your house!"

"What huge thing?" Zhang Fu jumped in fright at the villager’s shouting. He wondered if Zhang Yun had just gone back because a girl was visiting. What huge thing could have possibly happened?

"It’s about your precious son!"

Usually, when someone said "precious son," it was out of envy. But to Zhang Fu, whose mind was already racing in the wrong direction, it sounded like sheer mockery. "What did Zhang Yun do?" His voice trembled slightly as he asked.

"You’d better brace yourself. Don’t go falling on your butt when I tell you!"

Zhang Fu took a deep breath. "Just tell me!"

"A big boss just drove up to your house with a whole suitcase full of cash! All to buy an old mountain ginseng that Zhang Yun dug up!"

Zhang Fu was left speechless. He thought, "That’s it? My son already brought home a bag of cash just yesterday, and there’s over a million more sitting in his bank card! What’s so surprising about this?"

Still, he merely offered a good-natured chuckle and kept those thoughts to himself, not wanting people to think he was bragging. "You should have made that clear from the start! I thought something terrible had happened!"

"Hey! How are you staying so calm? You don’t know how much it was! Everyone’s talking about it on their phones. They say it’s over a million, maybe even several million!"

Zhang Fu waved his hand dismissively. "Haha, there’s no way it was that much. Don’t try to fool me." He reasoned, "It might actually have been a million, but so what? My son sold one just yesterday!" Right now, he felt nothing but a calm sense of pride.

"Stop pretending, my friend! You must be overjoyed on the inside! Millions of yuan... That’s more than enough for Zhang Yun to marry a wife, and it might even let an old tree like you blossom again and find a second spring! Hehehe..."

"Stop making fun of me. How about you come help me move a couple of sacks of rice instead?" Zhang Fu laughed, turning back toward the field.

"To hell with moving rice! You guys are going to be living the high life now..."

Around the same time, Wang Fugui also caught wind of the news from his acquaintances in Tianxin Village. Wang Fugui was baffled. "What? Not only did Zhang Yun buy a motorcycle and pay off our debt, but he also sold a massive ginseng today? A big city boss driving a massive Mercedes-Benz brought a large suitcase containing five million? Why does that sound so surreal?"

The rumor continued its rampant spread. The onlookers had initially reported one million, but as the tale was passed along, it morphed into over a million, then several million, and finally five million.

It was rare for a rural village to get such explosive gossip. A literal suitcase full of cash—complete with photographic proof—had incredible viral potential. Villagers shared the image with their friends and family groups, who then forwarded it to their own respective village and social circles. The news was rapidly proliferating across the entire county!

Completely oblivious to the fact that he was becoming a local celebrity, Zhang Yun rode his motorcycle toward the fields to haul the rice. However, not long after leaving the village, he spotted Gu Ming’er’s car. Nearly half of her vehicle had veered off the road, hovering precariously over a roadside ditch. Likely terrified of tipping over, she had parked it right there.

Gu Ming’er was standing in front of the car with a deep frown. Hearing the approaching motorcycle, she quickly turned around to flag it down. "Excuse me, could you please..."

The words died in her throat as she recognized Zhang Yun.

"Tsk, tsk. How on earth do you drive?" Zhang Yun pulled up to a stop.

"Mind your own business!" Gu Ming’er snapped. She knew he would gloat over her misfortune!

"Are you sure you don’t want me to mind my own business?" Zhang Yun teased, deliberately trying to scare her. "Right now, some people have gone back to cook lunch, and others are busy in the fields. Who knows when the next person will pass by..."

Gu Ming’er didn’t know the area well. She hadn’t seen a single soul since she got stuck, and if Zhang Yun drove off now, she wouldn’t even be able to yell loud enough to stop him.

"A dog darted out just now, and it gave me a fright... Can you help me figure something out?" Frustrated and helpless, Gu Ming’er had no choice but to beg the very guy who was constantly humiliating her.

Zhang Yun let out a sly chuckle. "Easy fix. Just call me ’Big Brother’ and let me hear how it sounds!"

"..." Suppressing her anger, Gu Ming’er snapped, "You really are insufferable when you act like this! You’re clearly a decent person, so why do you insist on pretending to be so sleazy?"

Zhang Yun was noncommittal. "You’re the one who accused me of thinking I can do whatever I want just because I have some filthy money. I have to maintain my spoiled rich villain persona, don’t I?"

"I was wrong... I apologize, okay?" Gu Ming’er sighed in exasperation. Making her call him Big Brother... wouldn’t that be far too shameful?

Zhang Yun studied her for a few seconds before stepping off his motorcycle. "Start it up. I’ll guide you."

"I can’t!" Gu Ming’er was on the verge of tears. "The wheels are already hanging over the edge. If it shifts even a little, it’ll slide right into the ditch, and then I’ll really be in trouble! You need to find some wooden planks to bridge the gap for me!"

Zhang Yun shrugged. "It wouldn’t be hard for me to safely move it back for you, but..."

Gu Ming’er quickly glanced in both directions. There was still no one in sight. She had no choice but to beg this infuriating man.

"Fine, I’ve already suffered enough humiliation from you today anyway... Big Brother!"

Even though she had thrown caution to the wind, actually saying the words "Big Brother" still made Gu Ming’er feel profoundly mortified, sending goosebumps prickling across her skin.