Chapter 157: Visiting Fatty Wang

“This piece, ‘Righteous Spirit,’ came into my possession many years ago. I took a liking to it at first sight and bought it immediately. Every day, I make a point of looking at it once, to remind myself to preserve a righteous spirit within.” There was no shortage of pride in Old Pei’s words.

“As an upright gentleman, one should always harbor a righteous spirit. One must not be led astray by the corrupting influences of society, nor be seduced by the glittering, pleasure-seeking world, nor—”

“Is this really worth two hundred thousand?” Although Chang Yu could see that the calligraphy was extraordinary, he still asked doubtfully.

After all, he knew very little about the antiques market and was not entirely certain that the calligraphy was worth that much.

If the old man had deceived him, Chang Yu would truly have been left with nothing but regret and tears.

“It’s worth no less than that—only more!” Old Pei’s reply was firm and forceful, with no hint of insincerity.

“All right, then. I’ll leave it with me for now.”

After thinking it over, Chang Yu decided to trust Old Pei this once.

The main reason was that he genuinely liked Yang Shoujing’s *Righteous Spirit* and planned to take it home and hang it on the wall.

The walls at home were rather bare, and they were missing a decorative piece. This calligraphy would make the place look considerably more respectable.

Whenever someone visited, they would see Yang Shoujing’s work hanging there. Wouldn’t that lend him some prestige?

At the very least, it would make him appear cultured and refined, earning him a little more respect.

“All right, then. I’ll leave this piece with you as collateral for the time being. As soon as I have the money, I’ll redeem it.”

“But whatever you do, don’t damage or lose it. This calligraphy is an exceptionally rare treasure—there is only one such piece in the entire world.”

Reluctantly, Old Pei rolled up the calligraphy again, placed it in a wooden box, and handed it to Chang Yu. His face was filled with sorrow.

He looked as though he had just lost the love of his life, rather than a beloved work of calligraphy.

“Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of it,” Chang Yu replied readily.

...

As promised, Old Pei transferred the full six hundred thousand into Chang Yu’s account, which left Chang Yu extremely satisfied.

And, as promised, Chang Yu left the Tang tricolor figurine permanently in Old Pei’s home, where it became one of the exhibits on his wooden shelf.

Almost as soon as the money arrived, Chang Yu transferred it to the account of Grandpa Dean.

Thus, the first large sum of money in his life had barely warmed his hands before it successfully flew into someone else’s pocket. The entire process took less than ten minutes.

Come to think of it... the feeling was actually rather pleasant.

After happily bidding Old Pei farewell, Chang Yu drove home.

It was still early. Yangyang had not yet gotten out of bed, and he had no idea that Chang Yu had just completed a magnificent transformation in life.

It was rather unfortunate. Every time Chang Yu made a glorious comeback, Yangyang always seemed to be absent.

As a result, Chang Yu had never been able to display even one ten-thousandth of his true strength in front of him. He had never truly gotten the chance to show off.

Suddenly, Chang Yu’s phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID and saw that it was Grandpa Dean.

“Hello, Xiaoyu.” Grandpa Dean sounded excited, trembling, and somewhat disbelieving.

“I just received a text message saying that someone transferred six hundred thousand to us. Was that you?”

He asked in a questioning tone because he was not certain whether the money had truly come from Chang Yu.

It had been less than a day, yet Chang Yu had somehow managed to gather enough money to repay the debt—and had even come up with another hundred thousand on top of it. It was simply unbelievable.

In Grandpa Dean’s mind, Chang Yu was merely a young man who had just entered society.

Even if he had begun to make some progress at work, his abilities were surely limited. How could he possibly have enough power to resolve, in less than a day, the problem that had tormented Grandpa Dean for ten years?

What Grandpa Dean never expected was that Chang Yu would answer firmly, “Looks like you already know.”

“That’s right. I transferred the money. Five hundred thousand is for repaying the debt. The remaining hundred thousand is for you, Little Ball, and Little Bean Bun to use as living expenses.”

“Xiaoyu, where did you get so much money? Don’t tell me you borrowed from loan sharks?”

After receiving Chang Yu’s confirmation, all of Grandpa Dean’s joy vanished without a trace, replaced by boundless fear. He was terrified that Chang Yu might have done something foolish.

If that were the case...

Wouldn’t it mean that he had personally ruined the entire life of his own child?

“Grandpa, don’t worry. How could I possibly borrow from loan sharks? Once you owe them money, you can spend your entire life trying to repay it. Don’t let your imagination run wild.”

“I borrowed all of it from a colleague. We’re very close, and his family is extremely wealthy. After hearing about what happened to our orphanage, he offered to lend me the money.”

Chang Yu did not tell Grandpa Dean the truth. Since he had no way to explain where the money had come from, he could only claim that he had borrowed it from a colleague.

What else could he say? That the money had come from a dream?

If he dared say that, Grandpa Dean’s reaction would probably be exactly the same as Fatty Wang’s had been. He would surely think Chang Yu had gone insane.

“So that’s how it is. Then you really must thank him properly,” Grandpa Dean said, believing him without question.

Afterward, he could not help sighing with relief and emotion.

“I never imagined that the person who would ultimately save our orphanage would be you. Grandpa certainly didn’t love you all those years for nothing.”

“That foolish, clumsy little boy from back then has unknowingly grown into an adult who can stand on his own. Most importantly, you still haven’t forgotten your original purpose. You’ve always kept our orphanage in your heart.”

“Grandpa...” Before he realized it, Chang Yu’s eyes had begun to fill with tears.

Choking back a sob, he said, “I knew it! In the whole orphanage, I’m the only one who’s truly your favorite—the apple of your eye!”

After hanging up, Chang Yu checked the time and realized that it was time to prepare breakfast.

He hurriedly tied on his apron and began the cooking routine he repeated every morning.

After breakfast, he watched Yangyang walk sleepily through the gates of kindergarten. Only then did Chang Yu finally have time to deal with the next matter.

First, he called Fatty Wang and asked whether he had any friends in the antiques world.

After receiving an affirmative answer, Chang Yu explained that he had a piece of calligraphy he wanted authenticated.

Fatty Wang agreed readily. He said he would call his friend, arrange a time, and then visit him together with Chang Yu and the calligraphy.

With Fatty Wang acting as the intermediary, the matter was practically guaranteed to go smoothly.

Sure enough, not long afterward, Fatty Wang called Chang Yu back and said that his friend happened to be available. He could take a look at the calligraphy, so Chang Yu should first come to his home and meet him there.

After putting down the phone, Chang Yu immediately drove toward Fatty Wang’s home.

Fatty Wang lived in an upscale villa community that was secluded and tranquil. Both the security and the landscaping were excellent.

As an outsider, Chang Yu would have had no chance of entering if he had not been invited by a resident.

So, once again, Chang Yu called Fatty Wang from outside the gates of the villa community. Only after Fatty Wang confirmed his identity did the security guards let him through.

Fatty Wang lived in a townhouse with a small garden and swimming pool. Even from a distance, it looked remarkably impressive.

The interior was even more magnificent, lavish to the extreme. Chang Yu could not stop marveling as he made his way inside.

The house was decorated in an unmistakably European style, with solid-wood furniture everywhere, constantly proclaiming its owner’s wealth and grandeur.

Fatty Wang was sitting on the sofa with his feet propped up on the coffee table, watching television. His face was glowing with health. There was not the slightest trace of the haggardness he had shown when he had first lost his job.

No matter how Chang Yu looked at him, Fatty Wang now seemed to be living an exceedingly comfortable life.

After Vice President Yao opened the door for Chang Yu, she hurried into the kitchen to busy herself. Chang Yu glanced inside and saw that she seemed to be cutting watermelon.

She appeared extraordinarily considerate and domestic, nothing like the stereotypical career-driven woman.

“Xiaoyu’s here! Come in, sit down—sit down!” Fatty Wang greeted him enthusiastically.

Chang Yu did not stand on ceremony and sat directly beside him.

Mmm... The feel of this genuine leather sofa was wonderful. In one word: soft!

“Your sister-in-law is cutting some fruit for us. Let’s wait for her a little while,” Fatty Wang said.

“Your wife seems to be in a pretty good mood these days. Have you two made up?” Chang Yu leaned toward Fatty Wang with the nosiness of someone eagerly waiting for gossip.

If he remembered correctly, the two of them had been quarreling fiercely not long ago, even shouting about getting a divorce.

How had they managed to reconcile after only a few days? They now looked like a couple perfectly attuned to each other, as inseparable as glue.

“Made up? We’re not merely better—we’re better than we’ve ever been!” The moment Fatty Wang mentioned his relationship with Vice President Yao, he became as happy as a child.

“Ever since she found out she was pregnant, she stopped going to work altogether. Every day, she fusses over me, bringing me tea and water and asking after my well-being. It’s as if she’s become an entirely different person.”

“Whether it’s cooking or housework, she insists on doing everything herself. She won’t let me lift a finger.”

“B-but why?” Chang Yu asked from the depths of his soul.

“What else could it be? She’s grateful to your Brother Wang...” Fatty Wang suddenly lowered his voice and whispered conspiratorially to Chang Yu.

There was no shortage of pride and smugness in his tone.

“A woman in her forties who had never had a child—she thought that was simply how her life would be, that she was destined never to have one.”

“But who would have imagined that one day she would suddenly discover, to her delight, that she could still bear a child? Her first reaction was naturally wild joy.”

“And after that wild joy, she would instinctively feel grateful to me, her husband. After all... it wasn’t easy for me to prove myself.”

He said it without the slightest hint of embarrassment.

Wasn’t Vice President Yao unable to conceive in the first place because of him?

The End

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