Chapter 100: Wealth Without Returning Home Is Like Wearing Fine Clothes in the Dead of Night

For a moment, the atmosphere in Great-Grandma’s parlor turned strangely tense; nearly everyone was struggling to believe what they had just heard.

If Wang Qiang and Cheng Lin had come today to borrow money again, it wouldn’t have seemed odd. If they were paying off debts at the end of the year, that too was not surprising.

But what was truly astonishing was that they had borrowed money not long ago—just over ten days—and already repaid it?

Fifteen hundred yuan.

Not a trivial sum.

For many farmers, that was nearly a year’s income.

By anyone’s reckoning, even if Wang Qiang’s father worked nonstop at the construction site without eating or drinking, it would take him at least five months to earn that much, rain or shine.

Yet the reality was that Wang Qiang and Cheng Lin had indeed repaid the entire amount. How could this not seem extraordinary?

Those unaware of the situation might assume it was fifteen hundred yuan, but Great-Grandma, fully informed, knew it was actually two thousand. She blinked in surprise and asked, “Cheng Lin, where did you get so much money?”

“Did you really pay it all back?” Grandpa, who had been playing cards nearby, lost interest in the game and turned to look at them intently, his tone filled with astonishment. “That’s so much money; I was prepared to think your family wouldn’t pay it off for a year or two…” He didn’t finish the sentence, but his meaning was clear.

Standing by the doorway, Grandma Li looked puzzled. “You only lent Qiangzi tuition money a few days ago. Did the second son send money home? But that can’t be right—he was home not long ago. If he had money, he should have given it to you earlier.”

Aunt Yu chimed in immediately, “Are they just moving money around, borrowing from one place to pay another?”

Great-Grandma snapped irritably, “Try borrowing two thousand yuan yourself, and we’ll see!”

Earlier, Wang Qiang had been secretive, slipping the money into her hand as if afraid others would know how much. Now, Great-Grandma had no such reservations; when asked how much they had repaid, she could have said only a little, but instead she openly declared they had repaid it all, clearly unconcerned about others knowing she had money.

In truth, Wang Qiang had been overthinking it. Not just in the village, but among relatives too, everyone knew Great-Grandma’s family was well-off. Her children all had good jobs; Grandpa’s pension was four or five hundred yuan a month, and living in the countryside, how much could they really spend?

But apart from Wang Qiang’s family, who else had ever borrowed a single yuan from Great-Grandma?

No one.

The old lady was shrewd. She didn’t fear people borrowing money, and who would dare talk back to her? If you couldn’t borrow from someone your own age, people might call you unkind, but if you borrowed from Great-Grandma and got nothing, gossiping behind her back would only earn you scorn.

Everyone knew she had money, so Great-Grandma had no qualms at all.

Aunt Yu was startled. “Two thousand yuan? I thought it was fifteen hundred?”

They had all assumed fifteen hundred until now, but hearing two thousand made them even more doubtful. No one was a fool; to earn two thousand yuan in just over ten days meant averaging two hundred yuan a day. Not to mention Wang Qiang’s father working as a laborer, Cheng Lin farming, even Yun Qiang—Great-Grandma’s proud son—who held a leadership position at a large company in Shanghai, earned only about twelve hundred yuan a month, a figure envied by many. How on earth had mother and son come by so much money?

Did they find it lying around?

Had a benefactor appeared?

Or had Wang Qiang not even registered for school?

They all speculated wildly.

Great-Grandma confirmed, “Yes, that’s about right. Xiao Zhong and I have money.” She couldn’t resist boasting a little. Then, refocusing on the matter at hand, she looked at Wang Qiang’s mother and asked, “Cheng Lin, is the money from a legitimate source or not?”

His mother smiled wryly. “Do you think I’d steal it?”

Great-Grandma hurried to clarify, “I didn’t mean that. To be blunt, we live in a remote village. Unless you’re robbing a bank, there’s nothing to rob here. I just find it strange—ten days ago you borrowed money from me for Qiangzi’s tuition, but now you’ve paid off not just the fifteen hundred but also the five hundred from last year?”

Her mother smiled faintly. “It’s all legitimate income.” Then, as if recalling something, she glanced at her son and added, “Qiangzi earned it.”

Qiangzi earned it?

Where did he earn that money?

In an instant, all eyes turned to Wang Qiang.

At only seventeen, it was hard for everyone not to feel skeptical. Was it really possible for him to have earned that much? More than many people made in a year? It was no wonder they found it hard to believe; it defied logic and reason.

Grandpa slammed the cards down and asked, “Qiangzi?”

Wang Qiang responded, “Yes, Great-Grandpa.”

“I mean… where did you make so much money?” Grandpa asked cautiously.

Before Wang Qiang could answer, his mother, pride shining on her face, interrupted, “He opened a gaming parlor in Shanghai.”

“A gaming parlor?” Great-Grandma was stunned.

Aunt Yu was equally surprised. “Can a gaming parlor really earn two thousand yuan in just over ten days? Better than working a job?”

Wang Qiang smiled modestly. “No one’s better than anyone else; just lucky.” He was low-key and reluctant to elaborate.

The more he downplayed it, the more curious everyone became. To be honest, none of them really understood what a gaming parlor was, but they sensed that Wang Qiang, the boy they had watched grow up, was no longer the same.

Grandma Li said inexplicably, “A while ago, I heard Jian Nan say Qiangzi even bought clothes for their old couple, sent from Shanghai. So it’s true?”

Many in the village knew about this. When Great-Grandma first received the clothes, she would chat up the old women, boasting that her second grandson had made something of himself, still thinking of the old couple in the village and sending clothes ahead of the cold weather. The pride in her voice was palpable. Eventually, the village matrons grew tired of it and began avoiding Great-Grandma. But now, seeing everything connected, it suddenly made sense.

He really had earned it.

The townsfolk were simple and honest. They had no suspicion that Wang Qiang was involved in anything illegal. They just couldn’t grasp how he had managed to earn two thousand yuan in ten days. Most people his age were either studying or just starting to work. For those working, earning one hundred and fifty yuan a month was already impressive. Compared to Wang Qiang, the difference was vast.

Great-Grandma, perplexed, blurted out, “Where did you get the money to open a gaming parlor?”

Wang Qiang blinked. “I made some selling fish.”

“Selling fish?” Great-Grandma was even more baffled.

Fortunately, his mother explained in detail how Wang Qiang had bought fish traps and helped Mr. Lu Dahai. She described how the Lu couple had personally come to their home to ask Wang Qiang for help. The sparkle in her eyes showed how genuinely pleased she was.

Wang Qiang understood his mother’s feelings. Their family was poor, and many in the village secretly looked down on them. Today’s moment to shine was a chance for his mother to release years of pent-up frustration.

Xiang Yu once said that returning home rich without sharing your success is like wearing fine clothes while walking at night: no matter how splendid, no one sees it.

Even a historical figure like Xiang Yu couldn’t avoid such customs; how much more so a humble commoner like his mother?

“...Something like that,” she said, moving on.

Everyone still stared at her.

To be honest, except for when she got married or had children, Wang Qiang had never seen his mother so happy.

But she wasn’t done yet. Half-joking, half-serious, she said, “As for how he earns so much in Shanghai, I don’t know. But I know my son is capable. He told me he’s quitting school and wants to hire a tutor, so he can study on his own while earning money. His father and I don’t have much, but if Qiangzi can make it, that’s all that matters.”

Her words brimmed with pride.

Hearing this, everyone gave Wang Qiang curious looks, especially Great-Grandma and Grandpa, who exchanged glances repeatedly.

“Don’t ask me what a gaming parlor is. Honestly, I only learned about it because Qiangzi told me. Otherwise, I wouldn’t know. You never can tell what’s going on inside that boy’s head. The other day, he even had dinner with Mayor Zhang and Secretary Li...” She chuckled. “The kid’s growing up. I can’t even imagine how he’s made friends with so many big shots.”

Everyone responded eagerly, urging Wang Qiang to share more.

Grandpa was particularly eager to hear how Wang Qiang had braved Shanghai alone and opened a business. Others might not know much about Shanghai, but Grandpa, who often visited his son there, knew it was a place full of all kinds of people. Coupled with Cheng Lin’s earlier words about Mr. Lu Dahai inviting Wang Qiang to help, and Wang Qiang dining with Mayor Zhang and Secretary Li, Grandpa was a bit dazed. He knew Mayor Zhang had been in office for over twenty years, but this was the first time he’d heard of Secretary Li. After all, rural folks rarely cared about the names of town officials, especially since Secretary Li had only recently taken office in Minqiang Town.

Wang Qiang was reluctant to boast.

But his mother raised an eyebrow, “Qiangzi? Speak up; everyone’s waiting.”

Seeing everyone’s expectant faces, and with his mother determined to show off, Wang Qiang had no choice but to comply.

“Alright, since everyone’s interested, I’ll say a little. Please bear with me if I miss anything.” He paused thoughtfully, carefully choosing his words. Since everyone present were his elders, he wanted to avoid bragging, but not understate it to please his mother. So he was deliberate.

He calmly said, “When I got to Shanghai, I saw a lot of young people liked hanging out in gaming rooms. Sometimes they couldn’t even get a spot. So I thought maybe I could make some money from them. Later, a hotel owner in Shanghai partnered with me to start a gaming parlor. It turned out business was pretty good, and I managed to earn the tuition money.”

He didn’t mention earning ten thousand yuan.

He didn’t talk about selling portable radios in Shenzen.

He simply explained he saw a business opportunity and made it happen.

The elders nodded approvingly. Not just them—Grandpa, who had traveled widely and seen much of the world, couldn’t help but quietly praise his grandson’s cleverness.

Things were different now.

From Wang Qiang’s words, everyone realized that the once impoverished Wang family had undergone a radical transformation. No longer were they the poor, desperate family begging for tuition money.

Finally, Wang Qiang smiled faintly and said, “I came back this time to tell my mom not to farm anymore, to come to Shanghai, see the gaming parlor, and enjoy some peace and comfort.”

After hearing this, everyone looked at Cheng Lin with new eyes, thinking that her years of hardship had not been in vain. At last, the time for her to enjoy a better life had arrived.