It took half an hour for Miao Yurong to reach his cousin's house. It was akin to heaven and earth when comparing his tattered home to Miao Yugen's house.
Miao Yugen's house was a three-story villa decorated with glazed roof tiles. There were two sculptures of dragons on the roof that looked dominating. Although it was already 8 p.m. and most villagers were resting, Miao Yugen's house was still lit.
When Miao Yurong yelled, his holler instantly attracted the barking of dogs, which terrified him. A few minutes later, Miao Yugen walked out with his wife, Liu Ye and smiled. "So it's Yurong, why are you here so late in the night?"
However, Liu Ye had no favorable opinion of Miao Yurong. After all, everyone in the village knew that he was useless, and his wife ran away with their daughter. So it's certainly nothing good for that fellow to come at this timing. She was a vanity woman, so she knew that Miao Yurong definitely had something to ask of her husband. This was how people were; they would often want to flaunt themselves once they're successful.
Thus, Liu Ye would wear a bright smile the more she loathed Miao Yurong.
Whenever Miao Yurong looked at Liu Ye, he would sigh in his heart. Back then, this woman paled in comparison with Fan Lihua when she married over, but along with Miao Yugen's successful career, she was akin to a flower that bloomed.
"I have something to ask of Yugen!" Miao Yurong did not dare to look at Liu Ye and lowered his head.
Seeing the sense of inferiority in Miao Yurong, Liu Ye felt pleased. When Miao Yurong married Fan Lihua, the village spread that Miao Yurong was so fortunate to have such a beauty like Fan Lihua as his wife.
But in the end? She was now the beauty in Miao Village, while Fan Lihua had been turned into an old woman from being poor.
There's a phrase in the city — there are no ugly women, but only those that are lazy to doll themselves up. Liu Ye knew that her foundation wasn't good, so she had invested in herself when Miao Yugen became rich. Such had undergone the knife to make her chin sharper, her nose bridge higher, and even paid more attention to her makeup. This was the reason why she had undergone a drastic change.
"There are guests in the house. I'll bring you to the study room." Liu Ye didn't find Miao Yurong hateful anymore when she basked in the satisfaction.
Miao Yugen was living a good life and even had his own study room. This was the taste of the rich. When Miao Yurong followed behind Liu Ye, he gulped down saliva, wondering how it would feel to stay at this house for a night.
When Fan Lihua sneaked out with their daughter, Miao Yurong never had a proper life. Without anyone caring for him, his life became even more rotten. He even quit his job and became a bum.
Seeing how Miao Yurong dragged his feet as he looked around in curiosity, Liu Ye snickered in her heart. If it was a few years ago, before Miao Yugen became wealthy, she might be willing to talk to Miao Yurong. But her status was no longer the same, and her eyesight was much higher. In her eyes, Miao Yurong was nothing but useless trash.
"Who's Yugen seeing today?" Miao Yurong rubbed his hand as he probed, "How long do I have to wait to see him?"
"A foreigner that came to play!" Liu Ye brewed a cup of tea for Miao Yurong, and naturally, it wasn't any expensive tea.
Since he had walked such a long distance, Miao Yurong also felt thirsty, so he took a sip and sighed, "Yugen is having such a good life now. He even built connections with foreigners?"
In the eyes of Miao Village, foreigners were not only mysterious, but they also represented power. There was a saying that foreigners were all wealthy, and just giving you some tips could ensure your life without worries. Thus, foreign guests had undoubtedly held a high position in Miao Yugen's heart.
If he had such a good life, his wife wouldn't have left him, and how would he become the joke of the village today?
Waving her hand, Liu Ye explained, "It's mainly because Yugen has a good relationship with Mr. Xuan of the Baitan Town. That foreigner is a businessman who wants to invest in Baitan Town, so Mr. Xuan got Yugen to receive the foreigner."
Raising his thumb, Miao Yugen praised, "Yugen is doing better and better now!"
Nodding her head, Liu Ye saw Miao Yurong's hand in his pocket and smiled. "Is it a little cold? I'll turn on the air conditioner!"
Miao Yurong had seen air conditioners on the television. He saw how Liu Ye applied nail polish as she pressed on the remote, a beep instantly resounded and warm air blew out that left Miao Yurong in admiration again.
An air conditioner was costly, and they also required a lot of electricity!
"This air conditioner was bought last year, and it's eco-saving. So it won't waste too much electricity." Liu Ye explained. She had guessed Miao Yurong's thoughts.
"Oh! How comfortable!" Miao Yurong replied.
At this moment, Liu Ye was basking in satisfaction from Miao Yurong's admiration. She had gone through a tough life, and Miao Yugen's current achievement was also related to her. If she hadn't been so good at playing along, how would Miao Yugen have such achievements today?
Although she was chatting with Miao Yurong, she wasn't bothered about the matters of the Miao Village. She had already considered half of herself as someone from the city.
Suddenly, a voice yelled out, and Liu Ye left. A brief moment later, Miao Yugen came in and gave a cigarette to his cousin and smiled. "So, why did you come looking for me?"
Having his head hung low, Miao Yurong explained the entire situation and even exaggerated the matter. "Fuck, how can I tolerate having my mother and me being beaten?! It's still because Second Uncle is helping the outsiders!"
When Miao Yugen heard about Second Uncle, he locked his brows together. "Hmph, Second Uncle is already getting on his age, and yet he still likes to dip his fingers in other people's business!"
Miao Yurong knew that Miao Yugen had some grudges with Second Uncle. Back then, when Miao Yugen stole from the village treasury, he was discovered by Second Uncle and was nearly beaten to death. Thus, he continued to fan the fire, "Looking at Second Uncle's opinion, I'm afraid he's going to sell the mountain in the village to that outsider!"
However, Miao Yurong had no idea that he had guessed half of it correctly by luck.
Smacking his hand on his thigh, Miao Yugen cursed, "Miao Zhongtian, that son of a bitch! Why is he the one making the decisions? I'm planning to take all of Miao Village's mountain into a sourcing ground of a Stone Factory!"
Hearing Miao Yugen's words, Miao Yurong instantly rejoiced. "Big Brother Yugen, you're going to set up a factory in Miao Village?"
Miao Yugen knitted his brows and coughed, "I'm just a supervisor in Jintian Village's Stone Factory, but I don't want to work for others my entire life. Now that I've saved up money, I'm planning to set up my own!"
"Then, can I work for you?" Miao Yurong asked in a low voice.
Staring at his cousin, Miao Yurong felt that it was an excellent opportunity.
"Sure! You're my cousin, and I need someone that I can trust in the new factory, so you're one of my choices. However, you can't be a bum like you are now when you're in the Stone Factory." Miao Yugen was briefly stunned. It wasn't as if he hadn't introduced a job for Miao Yurong, but the latter was just a good-for-nothing. But after considering it now, he felt that he could make use of Miao Yurong to obtain the mountain and continued, "I've already understood the matter. Don't worry, I will get someone to chase the outsiders out tomorrow."
"I will surely not let you down, and I will work hard!" Miao Yurong immediately stood up, since it was getting late. Bowing to Miao Yugen, he continued, "Cousin, thank you for your help."
After he was sent out, Miao Yurong was disappointed, since it wasn't Liu Ye who sent him out. On his trip back, he was feeling butterflies in the stomach. His mind was filled with Miao Yugen's promises and the latter's house.
After watching Miao Yurong leave, Miao Yugen lit up a cigarette before looking at his villa. Although there were windows, the lights in the room still pierced through the window, and it was dazzling.
He had been working so hard to become an authoritative figure in Miao Village now, and he was no longer a frog in a well. When he came in contact with the outside world, he realised how childish he had been. There were tons of people in the outside world far richer than him, and he was just a bumpkin in their eyes.
In the eyes of fellow villagers, it was just one-sided, and he was living a cowardly life.
But so what?
At least he had become a successful person in the eyes of Miao Yurong.
With a grin on his face, Miao Yugen tossed the cigarette and walked towards the field.
For the time being, he didn't want to enter the house, but wanted to avoid it.
In a room in the third story, Liu Ye glanced at a foreigner and felt that this man was dashing.
"My name's Hans!" That foreigner placed down the glass and looked at this woman covered in the air of a village. With money and power, he had met a lot of women in China. However, it wasn't often for him to encounter someone like Liu Ye — a woman filled with wildness.
Looking at this village woman before him, Hans smiled and asked, "Why are you trembling?"
"I'm a little nervous!" Liu Ye spoke the truth as she looked at Hans' arms. She felt that foreigners were really hairy.
"Don't worry. I'm a gentleman!" Hans shrugged as he continued, "I treat others gratefully. If they're nice to me, I will repay them."
Standing in the field, Miao Yugen lit up a fire and it blazed from the dried grass in winter that covered the horizon in black smoke.
That foreigner's name was Hans, a guest that Mr. Xuan introduced to him, and they intended to hunt in the mountains tomorrow. So he had to make Hans satisfied, which would mean that setting up his own factory would more or less be assured.
