142: Rich and inhumane

"I don't know what you need, so I just bought a few things. If there's anything else you need, just give me a call. If I don't have time to come over, I can help you buy it online, or have a delivery service send it over."

After taking the items out and giving Uncle Jun a few instructions, Ye Su turned around and found that Ye Kaijun was still standing behind him. Ye Su asked, puzzled: "Uncle Jun, why are you just standing there?"

"Oh!" Ye Kaijun seemed to just realize it, and while sitting down on the sofa, he replied: "It's nothing."

Watching Ye Kaijun's actions, Ye Su became even more puzzled: Could Uncle Jun have Alzheimer's or something? If he's an old man living alone, wouldn't that be very dangerous? But seeing him speak so clearly, it didn't really seem like it.

"Uncle Jun." Ye Su asked tentatively: "You remembered what I just said, right?"

"Do you really take me for a senile old fool?" Ye Kaijun looked helpless: "I live alone, and my life is simple. I really don't need anything. Just come over yourself; you don't need to bring me anything."

"Alright then."

Ye Su thought for a moment, then reached out to Ye Kaijun: "I left in a rush early this morning and forgot to leave you my number. Give me your phone, let me save my number. If you need any help, just give me a call."

"That works."

Ye Kaijun smiled and took out his phone to hand it over, showing absolutely no guard against Ye Su.

Ye Su had originally thought that since Ye Kaijun was older, he would be using an old-fashioned button phone. He didn't expect that what he handed over was an Android smartphone from a certain brand.

First, he saved his contact number, then made a call to himself. After confirming the number was correct, Ye Su thought for a moment and set up an emergency contact on the phone.

"Uncle Jun, I've set up an emergency contact for you. If you faint again like you did this morning, try to see if you can press the power button five times in a row. As long as you press it five times, it will send a location text message to me and automatically call me."

Having taken a jar of 22-year-old aged tangerine peel from him and giving him some peace of mind, Ye Su asked himself if he could be considered doing his best.

"Haha, good." Ye Kaijun happily took the phone back with both hands: "Just press it five times like this, right?"

"Yes, you can try it first."

Ye Kaijun did as instructed, and after pressing the power button five times in a row, Ye Su's phone did indeed ring.

"It really takes you young people to figure out these electronic products."

With no young people in the house, some of the functions on the phone were indeed a bit complicated for an old man like Ye Kaijun.

"It's nothing, these things aren't hard. You can figure them out if you take your time to learn."

"Yes, just take your time learning..."

Ye Su just assumed Ye Kaijun was an old man lamenting his aging years and didn't pay much attention.

"You got up today, your body should be feeling better, right? Do you still feel uncomfortable anywhere?"

"I'm fine. Look at me now, I'm in such high spirits."

"That's good."

Buzz— Clatter— Confirming that Ye Kaijun was alright, Ye Su wanted to get up and leave, but Ye Kaijun had already pressed the automatic water heater to boil some water.

"Wait a moment. I'm boiling water to make tea; it's the perfect time to try the pastries you brought."

Seeing that it was still early, Ye Su nodded: "Alright."

"I forgot to ask you last night, what do you do for work? Why don't you have to work today? Did you take time off specifically for this? Won't your boss deduct your salary?"

"I'm still a student. I don't have classes in the afternoon, so that's why I came over. You don't need to worry about that."

Sure enough, hearing that Ye Su was still a student, anyone would be surprised: "You're still a student?"

"Yes."

"Which school do you attend?"

"Ling Engineering, I'm a junior this year."

From Ye Kaijun's speech, demeanor, and the collections in his home, it seemed he belonged to the older generation of intellectuals and was familiar with local universities: "Oh, a second-tier university, that's not bad." Ye Kaijun thought for a moment before asking: "Then you should be about ready to go out for an internship and rent a place, right?"

"After this semester ends, I have to leave school for my internship."

"I happen to have some vacant houses. If you're coming out for an internship, you can just move right in. However, the house has been empty for a few years, so you'll need to find someone to clean it up first."

Holy crap! Is this what people talk about online: "When I get rich in the future, I'll buy two houses, one to live in and one to keep empty"?

How many people struggle their whole lives in Yangcheng, only to end up having to return to their hometowns because they can't afford a house? Yet Ye Kaijun's trouble is that he has too many houses to live in. This is simply filthy rich!

Ye Su hurriedly waved his hand to refuse: "No, thank you. I'm currently renting a place with my girlfriend. If your house is empty, I can help you rent it out, so you can have some monthly income."

"Eh, no need. I'm not short on those few thousand a month. If I rent it out, the tenants will call me if anything happens; it's too much trouble."

"Uh..." Your uncle is still your uncle; he even finds being a landlord too much trouble...

"It's not that I'm lecturing you." Ye Kaijun turned the tables and, with the tone of an elder, earnestly lectured Ye Su: "You young people shouldn't always spend money recklessly. Haven't you heard that 'a single penny can stump a hero'? Money is hard to earn nowadays. You should save more money so that when you encounter something, you have money to spend and don't have to humble yourself to borrow from others."

Ye Kaijun completely forgot that Ye Su, being able to drive an Audi while still a student, was not the type of person to be short on a few thousand yuan for rent.

"Alright, I'll remember that..." Although he had just been lectured, he knew Ye Kaijun meant well and what he said made sense, so Ye Su could only nod in agreement.

Seeing Ye Su's attitude, Ye Kaijun smiled with satisfaction: "Then it's settled. I'll give you the keys in a bit, and you can just move in."

"Uncle Jun, really, there's no need." Ye Su smiled helplessly: "If you do this, it makes me feel like I'm under suspicion of buying things to visit you just to scam benefits from you..."

"Then are you planning to scam benefits from me?"

"Uh... that's not the case."

"Then that's that." Ye Kaijun's tone was firm, allowing no room for Ye Su to argue: "It's settled. I'll go get the keys for you. You move in, and you can help me keep an eye on the house while you're at it."

"My girlfriend and I just rented our place. If we break the contract now, we won't get our deposit back."

Ye Su still wanted to struggle, but Ye Kaijun waved his hand dismissively: "What a small matter. The deposit is at most a few thousand yuan; I'll just pay it for you."

"Uh..." Ye Su witnessed once again what it meant to be filthy rich.

"But my girlfriend still has to work; the commute might not be convenient, so let's forget it."

"Oh, those two houses of mine—one is in a residential complex a few kilometers away called Yunqi Garden, and the other is over in Yuexiu District called Yuntian Residential Complex. Both are three-bedroom apartments. See which one is closer to your school and company."