137: Homelessness

Just then, Qian Ziyong saw an electric scooter in the distance, with a little girl sitting alone on the back.

Snow fell on the seat of the electric scooter, and the little girl hastily wiped it with her small hand.

As a result, her warm hand touched the cold snow, which instantly melted and instead wet the electric scooter seat.

The girl hastily used her clothes to cover the electric scooter seat, which prevented the seat from getting wet.

The snow would only fall on her clothes and body, and no longer on the electric scooter seat.

Qian Ziyong walked over with an umbrella, shielding the little girl from the heavy snow.

“Brother, th-thank you,” the little girl said timidly.

The little girl was about six or seven years old, with a rosy face.

“Where are your adults?” Qian Ziyong asked.

“My dad went to deliver takeout, he’ll be back in a bit,” the little girl said crisply.

Looking at the little girl shivering from the cold, Qian Ziyong’s heart felt like it had been pricked by a needle.

“Where’s your mom?” Qian Ziyong asked with concern.

Upon hearing the word “mom,” tears welled up in the little girl’s eyes and streamed down her face.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” Qian Ziyong panicked and apologized repeatedly to the little girl.

Just then, a middle-aged man in his thirties ran over.

He was dressed in yellow and his face looked a bit haggard.

“Xiaoya, what’s wrong?” The middle-aged man hugged the little girl.

“Dad, I’m fine.” The little girl wiped away her tears and smiled.

The middle-aged man looked at Qian Ziyong warily.

Qian Ziyong quickly stated his identity: “My name is Qian Ziyong, and I’m the boss of this Feihuang Supermarket. Many people here know me!”

Seeing that Qian Ziyong was so young and seemed to have no ill intentions, the middle-aged man finally relaxed and said softly, “Thank you!”

Qian Ziyong smiled and patted the little girl’s head: “Xiaoya is so sensible, so sensible it makes one’s heart ache.”

Qian Ziyong smiled and bid farewell to the little girl.

He found a random restaurant and went in for a quick meal.

Walking back, Qian Ziyong felt a bit heavy-hearted.

Upon returning home, Qian Ziyong took out his phone and played a couple of games, which lifted his mood a bit.

He had nothing else to do and played until the afternoon, then decided to go for a walk outside.

He remembered that across from the residential area, there was an unstarted foundation and a massive South Tianmen.

So he decided to go there for a stroll.

The snow had stopped, but the weather was still a bit cold, so he added a layer of clothing before heading out.

Humming a song softly, he looked at the vast white landscape, feeling joyful.

Han City, covered in snow, was beautiful.

At that moment, an electric scooter drove very fast, approaching him from a distance.

Qian Ziyong recognized this person; it was the delivery rider.

Behind him sat a familiar figure to Qian Ziyong, the sensible little girl.

Qian Ziyong reached out, just about to greet the little girl.

But he saw that the road was too slippery, and the middle-aged man struggled to control the electric scooter’s handlebars. With a “bang,” the electric scooter fell to the ground.

Qian Ziyong was startled and quickly stepped forward to help them and the scooter up.

Fortunately, they were unharmed.

One of the electric scooter’s rearview mirrors had fallen off.

The middle-aged man quickly checked on his daughter. Seeing that she wasn’t injured from the fall, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Perhaps it was due to this unexpected misfortune, or perhaps the recent stress was too much, but the middle-aged man suddenly burst into tears.

“Dad, Dad, I’m fine.” The little girl hugged the middle-aged man, comforting him, her face full of worry.

Qian Ziyong also didn't know what to do.

Not everyone’s life is easy and comfortable.

If there were any other way, what father would take such a young daughter out and about in heavy snow?

About two minutes later, the middle-aged man’s emotions improved a little.

Qian Ziyong stepped forward and said, “I haven’t eaten yet. How about we go eat hot pot together?”

The middle-aged man shook his head, refusing.

Qian Ziyong said again, “Look, if I eat hot pot alone, I’ll be so lonely, people will definitely laugh at me.”

“Brother, help me out, let’s go together!”

The little girl’s eyes showed a longing look.

She hadn't had hot pot in a long time.

Or rather, she hadn't had a proper meal in a long time.

The middle-aged man nodded.

Inside an ordinary Hot Pot Restaurant in Han City.

The little girl sat at the table, chattering excitedly.

Ever since Heli 撈 opened in Han City, Heli 撈 offered free fruit, free drinks, and free dipping sauces.

Other Hot Pot Restaurants in Han City followed suit.

This small Hot Pot Restaurant also offered free fruit, but the quality of the fruit was far inferior to Heli 撈.

The little girl happily ate the fruit.

In their conversation, Qian Ziyong learned that the middle-aged man’s name was Zhang Jiade.

A few years ago, they took out a loan to buy a house in that South Tianmen, which was Qinglin Home.

As a result, the developer ran off with debts, and the construction of the house never started, with no news since.

Not only could the middle-aged man not get his down payment back, but he also had to keep paying the mortgage.

His father, due to working day and night, became ill from overwork and was now lying in the hospital.

His father needed money, the mortgage needed money, and raising his child needed money.

Under this immense pressure, the little girl’s mother eventually left without a word, leaving the two of them.

The middle-aged man enrolled his daughter in tutoring classes and worked hard every day, picking up and dropping off his child at the tutoring class daily.

Qian Ziyong kept comforting him, but no amount of comfort seemed to help; life still had to be lived this way.

After finishing the hot pot, Qian Ziyong insisted on paying the bill.

“Thank you,” Zhang Jiade said.

Qian Ziyong waved his hand: “It’s nothing, just a hot pot meal. It’s no big deal to me.”

“Later, when you have money, just treat me back!”

Zhang Jiade wore an embarrassed smile, and after a moment of hesitation, he whispered, “Boss Qian, can I work at your Feihuang Supermarket?”

“The Hot Pot Restaurant is fine too.”

Feihuang Supermarket and Heli 撈 Hotpot Restaurant offered high salaries and plenty of rest time.

He needed to take care of his gravely ill father and his seven-year-old Xiaoya.

The pressure of life was almost driving him to a breakdown.

He usually didn’t ask others for help, let alone strangers he had only met once or twice.

But he truly didn’t know what else to do.

Zhang Jiade looked at Qian Ziyong expectantly.

Qian Ziyong hesitated for a moment, then shook his head: “I’m sorry.”

Both the supermarket and the Hot Pot Restaurant had over a thousand employees, so one more or one less person didn't make much difference.

Unfortunately, Qian Ziyong planned to close both the supermarket and the Hot Pot Restaurant.

The current employees of the supermarket and Hot Pot Restaurant would all be laid off.

Currently, the Hot Pot Restaurant and supermarket simply couldn't hire anyone.

Upon hearing Qian Ziyong’s refusal, Zhang Jiade’s face showed disappointment.

Suppressing his tears, Zhang Jiade said nothing.

Qian Ziyong patted the little girl’s head and bid farewell to the two of them.

Qian Ziyong arrived at his destination, Qinglin Home, that abandoned unfinished building.

To call it unfinished was even an overstatement.

It hadn’t been built at all, just a main gate.

Qian Ziyong felt incredibly heavy-hearted looking at this gate.

How many people bought houses here?

How many people were torn apart from their families and left homeless because of it?

If it weren’t for losing their house and still owing bank loans, perhaps Xiaoya’s mother wouldn’t have left.

What mother doesn’t love her child?

But immense life pressure and endless hardship can drive a person insane.

In the past, when Qian Ziyong was poor, he wasn't deeply affected by such things.