This? He was going to use an entire bag of money to hit someone? Li Fulin shuddered in fear; if that bag hit him, it might actually kill him. Terrified, he turned and ran. Lu Changqing, carrying the travel bag, chased for a dozen meters but couldn't catch him. He cursed angrily, "Son of a bitch, stand still if you've got the guts! Let's see if I can't beat you to death with money today!"
The steamed bun vendor, the restaurant owner, and the onlookers around them all stared, eyes wide, jaws dropped to the ground. Hitting someone with money! Unheard of! Unseen! It was truly exhilarating! So magnificent, so shocking!
Li Fulin, seeing Lu Changqing stop chasing, paused, gasping for breath. He pointed at Lu Changqing, seething with malice. "Don't be so arrogant! Just wait! I've already called the police, and they'll be here any minute. You'll be locked up!"
Lu Changqing sneered. "Call the police? What crime have I committed? Eating a bun, having a grand feast—is that illegal?"
Li Fulin snorted. "Hmph, you just wait, you'll definitely be locked up. Eating without payin—" The word "paying" was just about to leave his mouth when he suddenly froze. He had called the police because Lu Changqing hadn't paid for the meal, but now the man had already paid. If the police came, Lu Changqing would be fine, but he, on the other hand, would be in trouble if they asked why he had called them.
Lu Changqing, seeing Li Fulin stammer mid-sentence, pressed him. "Were you going to say 'eating without paying'? I've already paid. If you make a false police report, you might be held responsible."
Li Fulin hadn't expected to find himself in such an awkward position. He roared in exasperation, "Never mind the meal money for now, but hitting me is also a crime! You just straddled me and slapped my face! This isn't over! The police will make sure you get what's coming to you!"
Lu Changqing coolly scanned Li Fulin's face, then said flatly, "You personally told my daughter that I wouldn't come back, and if I did, you'd let me slap you a hundred times. That was your own request. So many people here heard it. I calculated, and it seems I still need to slap you about thirty more times to reach a hundred. I'll just put in a little more effort and complete those hundred slaps for you." Saying this, he threw the travel bag to the ground and advanced on Li Fulin.
Li Fulin flinched. "You... don't come any closer... the police will be here any second! Stop!" But no matter how much he yelled, Lu Changqing's steps didn't falter, instead growing faster until he charged directly. Li Fulin dared not stay any longer. Terrified, he turned and ran, heading straight for the market exit, disappearing into the crowd in a blink.
Lu Changqing kept his eyes on Li Fulin until he was out of sight, still staring motionlessly. Did running away mean it was over? Three years in prison. His daughter's hellish life. His wife driven to the brink of suicide. All these debts would be repaid twofold. Just wait!
Xiao Qingzhu looked at the travel bag on the ground, a fear gripping her heart. There was simply too much money, so much it terrified her. Her husband, who had been penniless, had gone out for a meal and returned with a bag full of money. It felt like a dream. She approached Lu Changqing, asking timidly, "How... how can there be so much money? This money... where did it come from? Changqing! Don't scare me!"
It wasn't just Xiao Qingzhu; the surrounding onlookers, the bun vendor, and the restaurant owner were all curious, wanting to know where all this money came from. Each held their breath, listening intently, afraid of missing a single word.
Lu Changqing turned, picked up the travel bag from the ground, his expression relaxed and joyful. "I earned it."
Xiao Qingzhu's expression was grave, a bad premonition gripping her. "You were penniless, without a single cent of capital. How did you earn it?"
The bun vendor and the restaurant owner exchanged strange looks. Why did she say "penniless"? Did he truly have no money for the meal earlier? Penniless, and then a bag full of money in the space of one meal. As the two thought about it, they were shocked, finding it even more incredible!
Lu Changqing pointed to his head. "Of course, I earned it with my brain. Did you think I stole it?"
Xiao Qingzhu was speechless. Right, did she think he stole it? But if it wasn't stolen. Earning so much money in the space of one meal, without a single cent of capital? It didn't make sense!
Lu Changqing read Xiao Qingzhu's thoughts and pointed towards the People's Department Store. "I'm earning money right there. If you don't believe me, I can take you to see. Come on, it's very busy over there. You carry Tongtong, and hurry to help earn money."
Xiao Qingzhu became even more suspicious. As the saying goes, "money is hard to earn, and feces are hard to eat." But hearing Lu Changqing talk about earning money with such an easygoing tone was hard to accept. It sounded as if money was like fallen leaves on the ground, just waiting to be swept up with a broom. Lu Changqing was already walking towards the plaza in front of the People's Department Store. Helpless, she could only pick up Tongtong and follow behind, leaving the onlookers filled with questions. The whole situation was strangely unsettling.
Lu Changqing returned to the prize drawing site and found that not many thermal flasks were left from the truckload, and the line of people was even longer than before. Many were enthusiastic, their eyes burning as they looked at the prize drawing box. A buzz of discussion filled the air.
"The grand prize hasn't been drawn yet; there's still hope. Maybe someone will win it any minute."
"God bless, please don't let anyone win the big color TV before it's my turn."
"I've always been lucky since childhood. I can even pick up money when I fall. The 21-inch color TV must be mine."
"As long as I win the big color TV, Xiaoli will definitely agree to marry me. Xiaoli, just wait, if you marry me, you'll watch color TV every day. You won't have to go to the neighbor's house to watch black and white TV anymore."
Xiao Qingzhu watched, curious. While waiting for Lu Changqing, she had also heard people discussing the prize draw, but at the time, she was too anxious to think much of it. Now, seeing the scene, she felt deeply impressed. She had never seen so many people on New Year's Eve, standing in the snow, so enthusiastic.
Lu Changqing walked directly to the prize drawing box, threw his bag on the ground, and said to Xiao Qingzhu, "Watch this bag carefully; I'm going to be busy."
Xiao Qingzhu was a little scared. This was a bag full of money! Lu Changqing had thrown it on the snow like trash. "I... I'm scared..."
Lu Changqing was already busy supervising customers who had bought thermal flasks to draw prizes. Tongtong bravely offered to help Xiao Qingzhu. "Mama, don't be scared. I'll help you watch; no one can steal it..." Xiao Qingzhu reached out and covered Tongtong's mouth. "Shush, don't shout; it's not good if others hear." She put Tongtong down, bent down, picked up the bag, and clutched it tightly, afraid someone would snatch it. Thinking about the large amount of money she was holding, her heart still pounded wildly, her nerves highly tense. After about ten minutes, her emotions gradually stabilized.
Watching Lu Changqing host the prize draw, she wondered, *Is this what he meant by earning money? My husband doesn't seem to be lying! He really earned a bag full of money in the space of one meal! The bag full of money in my arms is all ours.* Thinking this, tears of happiness streamed down her face. If someone had told her before that one day she would get rich and have a bag full of money, she probably wouldn't have believed it even if she died. But now it was true! She had money! Finally, she had money! No longer afraid of the cold or hunger!
At the back of the line, a man with a bruised and swollen face held two catties of pork in his right. After Li Fulin ran out of the market, he saw the long lines of people at the department store entrance vying for prizes, and when Lu Changqing didn't pursue him, he decided to join the prize draw too. He stood quite far back, constantly worrying that someone ahead would win the super grand prize and take away the 21-inch color TV. In agony, time passed minute by minute. Finally, there weren't many people left in front of him. He saw a familiar figure organizing the prize draw. He couldn't help but widen his eyes. Lu Changqing!