Chapter 104: The More Favors Owed, the More They Multiply

In fact, Wang Qiang had noticed the traces of tears on Lu Junjun’s face the moment he entered, but he did not mention it.

Some things are better left unsaid. Bringing it up would only make the siblings feel more awkward. If it were someone else, they might have thought, as Lu Wei had, that since the work wasn't completed for the full number of days promised, there was no obligation to pay the full agreed-upon amount.

However, Wang Qiang’s personal philosophy was to be a man of his word. Since he had promised one hundred and fifty, he would pay the full amount. Moreover, the interruption of their work was due to his mother’s inability to catch fish—a reason on his end. Both logically and emotionally, the remaining seventy-five yuan belonged to Lu Wei. It was not charity, and from the very beginning, he had no intention of acting out of pity.

In Wang Qiang’s view, no matter how difficult a person’s life is, as long as they are healthy and of sound mind, they should rely on their own efforts to earn a living. There are so many poor people in this world and no shortage of philanthropists, but can blind charity truly help someone change their life?

It cannot.

People must rely on themselves above all else. There was no need to give handouts in terms of money, but he could offer a helping hand in other ways, which was the true purpose of his visit today: to have Lu Wei work for him.

It is better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish.

Wang Qiang had already rehearsed his words in his head, ensuring the request he was about to make would not wound the siblings’ self-esteem.

Before he could speak, Lu Wei broke the silence. "Qiangzi, thank you."

Lu Junjun sat to the side, her eyes filled with complex emotions, lost in thought.

Hearing the words of gratitude, Wang Qiang waved his hand dismissively. "You earned it; there’s no need for thanks."

"I heard from Aunt Cheng that you went to Shanghai?" Lu Wei asked, trying to make conversation; he couldn't leave his guest feeling ignored.

"Yes, I went to take care of some business," Wang Qiang replied.

"What is Shanghai like?" Lu Wei continued, drifting into idle chatter.

"It’s hard to describe, but you should go and see for yourself sometime." Wang Qiang prepared to steer the conversation toward his main point.

Lu Wei gave a bitter laugh. "How would I ever get the chance to go to Shanghai? I can't even afford the fare; it’s not something I would dare to dream of."

Lu Junjun nodded in deep agreement. The two siblings could barely afford their school fees; if not for the seventy-five yuan Wang Qiang had just brought over, she might have had to drop out of school to stay home and help her brother work.

"If there really were an opportunity, would you want to go and see it?" Wang Qiang prodded gently.

Lu Wei found a bit of humor in his plight. "If there were a chance, I’d certainly go. My biggest dream is to support Junjun until she graduates from university, and my second dream is to have the chance to go out and broaden my horizons."

"Brother, it’s me who is holding you back," Lu Junjun said, feeling guilty.

"Nonsense, don't talk like that." Lu Wei looked at his sister with doting eyes and said, though his heart felt otherwise, "I’m just counting on you to get into a good university and find a good job later, so I can be lazy and just lie around the house all day."

Lu Junjun clenched her small fist and vowed, "I will study hard, and I’ll make sure you live a good life in the future."

Earlier, she had been crying about not going to school because of the thirty yuan in miscellaneous fees and textbook costs, simply because she didn't want her brother to exhaust himself trying to scrape that money together. But now, seeing the seventy-five yuan Wang Qiang had brought, Lu Junjun felt filled with hope—she could go to school after all.

Many people her age didn't want to go to school, but Lu Junjun knew that education was the only way to change one's life. It was perhaps the only path out for the siblings, which made her cherish the opportunity all the more.

Watching the siblings’ optimistic demeanor, Wang Qiang smiled slightly. He doubted he would be as resilient if he were in their situation.

He didn't rush to interrupt, waiting until they had finished speaking before continuing. "Lu Wei, I wasn't just talking nonsense earlier. You really do have a chance to go to Shanghai and see it, but it depends on your own choice."

The siblings looked at him. "What do you mean?" Lu Wei asked in surprise.

Wang Qiang cleared his throat, mindful of his tone. "Well, I opened a game room in Shanghai."

"A game room?" Lu Junjun asked curiously.

"Yes, the kind where you plug consoles into a television. I’ve set up about twenty of them for people to play," Wang Qiang explained.

Lu Wei said with envy, "I’ve heard those things are very expensive. To have twenty of them—you must be rich."

Wang Qiang, who had wanted to get straight to the point, felt a mix of amusement and frustration at being sidetracked by their questions. If he kept going down this path, they could talk all night.

Usually, given his personality, he would have been humble when hearing Lu Wei’s praise, but fearing he wouldn't be able to explain the matter properly, he simply cut to the chase. "I came to find you today because of the game room."

Lu Wei looked confused. "Find me?"

"Yes," Wang Qiang said, laying the groundwork. "Because the game room opens at eight in the morning and closes at seven in the evening, I need two people to watch the shop. I opened it with a partner, and they already have one person there, but I have other things to attend to and can't be at the shop all day. So, I was thinking of hiring someone to help out."

Lu Junjun’s heart skipped a beat. Could he be thinking of her brother? She knew how desperately their family needed a stable source of income. If her brother had a steady job, their situation would improve significantly. But since Wang Qiang hadn't explicitly said it yet, she could only watch him with nervous anticipation.

Clearly, Lu Wei had the same thought, though he was more direct. He stammered, "S-so, you thought of me?"

Wang Qiang nodded firmly. "Yes, I’d like to ask for your help. The work is very demanding, and I’m not sure if you’re available. Besides, it’s hard to hire people in Shanghai; everyone complains that the wages I offer are too low." He was very careful with his words, making sure to highlight that he was having trouble finding help. Having experienced poverty himself, Wang Qiang knew that even if the siblings appeared carefree on the surface, they might be deeply sensitive inside—just as he had been in his past life, where he might have interpreted a completely normal look from someone as mockery.

Sure enough, upon hearing this, Lu Junjun immediately interjected, "My brother is available, he's available!"

Lu Wei, however, began to hesitate. He said with some embarrassment, "Well, I am available, and I would love to help you, but I’ve heard that the cost of living in Shanghai is very high—food and expenses all cost money, and I..."

Lu Junjun’s hopes instantly deflated. Her brother was right. To go to Shanghai, they would need money for rent, food, and daily living. How could they possibly afford that?

But Wang Qiang’s next words immediately filled Lu Junjun with hope again.

"Room and board are covered," Wang Qiang said, adding a touch of humor, "But if you go off doing other things, I won't cover that."

At their age, they were already somewhat worldly, so they understood exactly what he meant.

Lu Junjun blushed and glanced at Wang Qiang.

Lu Wei, on the other hand, was stunned for a moment before laughing heartily. "I don't have the money to go off doing 'other things,' don't go framing me in front of my sister." He paused, his smile fading, and he said solemnly, "In that case, I’ll go. Just pay me whatever you think is fair—even eighty or a hundred is fine by me."

In fact, that was exactly what Lu Junjun was thinking. A stable income of one hundred yuan would be plenty, especially with room and board provided. It was far better than her brother going hungry at home. To her, even if the salary wasn't high, Wang Qiang was acting like a savior.

Wang Qiang didn't say much more. "Done, it’s settled then." After saying this, he looked at Lu Junjun and asked, "Junjun, school is starting soon, right?"

Lu Junjun gave a soft, affirmative nod.

"Here’s what we’ll do: I’ll advance you one month’s salary," Wang Qiang said, looking back at Lu Wei. "You, make sure Junjun is settled first. My job there might not offer many days off throughout the year, and I don't want to hear later that Junjun starved at school."

For some reason, Lu Junjun found this comment a bit amusing. Amusement aside, she now realized that Wang Qiang was genuinely trying to look out for them, and she couldn't help but cast a grateful look his way.

Lu Wei, less perceptive, didn't catch the nuance and said happily, "I was just worrying about that. It’s great that you’re willing to advance a month’s salary."

"All right, pack your bags tonight, and we’ll head to Shanghai together tomorrow afternoon." Wang Qiang didn't waste any more time. He stood up, pulled some cash from his pocket, and placed it on the table. "It’s getting late, I’ll head back. Come to my house by noon tomorrow."

"Okay," Lu Wei replied. He didn't look at how much money it was, but rose to see Wang Qiang out.

The two walked toward the door.

Under the dim light of the kerosene lamp, Lu Junjun looked longingly at the money rolled up on the table. She reached out to take it, wanting to see how much there was. She hadn't expected much, but as soon as she saw the amount, she let out a gasp of shock.

Then, she sat there in a daze, completely stunned.

Three hundred?

Qiangzi was actually paying her brother a salary of three hundred yuan?

Lu Junjun felt an uncontrollable sense of gratitude. Earlier, she had assumed Wang Qiang’s salary wasn't high, which was why he couldn't find anyone in a big city like Shanghai. But seeing the three hundred yuan, and considering the room and board, she understood everything in an instant.

How could he not find people with these terms? This was a job people would fight to have.

And yet, Wang Qiang had spent the whole time talking about his own difficulties and his need for help. Lu Junjun understood—she understood it all. It was clear that Wang Qiang was protecting the last remnants of their siblings' dignity. She didn't know why, but she suddenly wanted to cry; she wanted to chase after him and thank him.

In the end, she didn't move. She made a silent vow to herself that she would find a way to repay Wang Qiang’s kindness in the future.

Just then, Lu Wei returned after seeing Wang Qiang off. Seeing his sister sitting there in a daze, he asked curiously, "Junjun, what are you thinking about?"

Lu Junjun came back to her senses, looked at her brother, and let out a heavy sigh. "Brother, we owe Qiangzi a great debt now."

Lu Wei closed the door behind him and laughed. "That’s why I agreed to work for him without even asking about the salary. He and Aunt Cheng have helped us before, and now that he can't find help in Shanghai, I certainly have to go and help him."

Lu Junjun shook her head. "How could he not find anyone?"

"Eh?" Lu Wei looked confused. "What do you mean?"

Lu Junjun didn't say a word; she just spread the bills out on the table one by one.

This time, Lu Wei saw it clearly. A full three hundred yuan. He said in shock, "T-that much?"

At that moment, Lu Wei finally understood what his sister meant. Not only had they not repaid Wang Qiang’s kindness, but it seemed they owed him even more.